The Reds and the Blues and the Yellows

Thorpe Park!

2007-06-02T19:18:00.000-04:00

Went to Thorpe Park for a post-project whole day celebration. Good stuff!

Pictures for the Tired Eyes II

2007-05-17T03:11:00.000-04:00

Kew Gardens with Olivia & Ana [April 9, 2007]

More of Zanzibar

Pictures for the Tired Eyes

2007-05-16T17:50:00.000-04:00

Zanzibar [Spring Break]

Ira Visiting - Cambridge

Edinburgh [Mid Feb 2007]

Val Thorens [December 30, 2006 - January 6, 2007]

Where is Home?

2006-11-18T18:17:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a bit confused today and I'm beginning to wonder where exactly I belong.

It all started with a really simple question that's been floating around the school for the past week.

"Whatcha gonna do for the holidays?"

Question that usually follows with, "Are you going home?"

And oddly enough, my brain automatically assumes that my friends were asking if I was going back to the States.

Indonesia...is just not there anymore.

I was truly crushed when I realised this. I could never be an American. But now I'm not sure if I'm Indonesian either...

Peyote in My Tiramisu

2006-11-06T15:19:00.000-05:00

This is not the effect of the Blue Man Group, but I do have to say that they are truly awesome, even though not quite environmentally friendly.

I'm blaming it on Stefano's tiramisu.

The 18th Birthday

2006-11-05T18:59:00.000-05:00

So November 2nd is a big day for our own Mike Bowerman. And to celebrate, we had an impromptu itinerary, starting with a nice little Indian meal at La Kahore and a posh and chill nightcap at the Absolut Ice Bar.

La Kahore was totally understated with plain walls and cracked floorings. I actually felt like I was in a really-really bad student dining hall. The meal itself was actually quite nice (that is until we discovered this little newspaper clipping about a certain restaurant being charged with uh...mice infestation? I wonder what kind of kebab we got the other day...)

Look, Stefano and I actually look like we're friends here...

Since we got about an hour and a half till the ice bar, we visited this cute little place called Lounge Lovers, totally random with hippo and boar heads decorating the walls. Kind of fru-fru in a way. Even the drinks have names like Chocolate Mistress and Flower Power or some crap like that. I settled for a regular mojito. Sudha, of course had to get some weird ass shit that tasted totally like gasoline.

I didn't actually get to the icebar because we missed our timeslot. But part of the group did, so I got some cool pictures. So cute, every one looked like silver angels. But then we got kicked out because they closed and we had to move to the club nextdoor (Momo, I think?) that played electronic music all. night. long.

I left around 3, but our own Bowerman apparently wondered about till 630am. Good start for a great year!

Beauty of Bath

2006-11-05T18:23:00.000-05:00

A couple of my favorite pictures from Bath are attached:

Simply Amazing

2006-11-05T06:11:00.000-05:00

People say you learn something new everyday.

Today, I learned that on top of being totally smart, our Dutch Boy Lukas is also an amazing chef. And I mean AMAZING!

Ladies? I don't think he's taken...

Find the Tattoo!

2006-11-05T05:10:00.000-05:00

So our school has this huge event every year. Basically it's an awesome version of LC's international fair, with semi-naked women and booze. What could be more fun than that, right?

Steph and I ate so much. And I mean SO MUCH, it was so painful. We ate food from 20 different countries, at least. And then there were sangrias, unlimited amount of beer, some random mojito, and other stuff that I don't even know what.

Then scantily clad women started running around campus with a band of mad Argentinians. It was hilarious! Good times!

Fluffy Bunnies

2006-11-05T04:50:00.000-05:00

This event actually occured three weeks ago, but my lazy ass hasn't had a chance to put a little blurb for it, so here it goes...

Finally met with Steph! Went to the sculpture garden where the Frieze Art Fair was. It actually took us longer to find the damn spot than to look at the sculptures. But it was good fun in all. Cute fluffy bunnies! Woohoo!

The Yacht and Booze Club Inaugural River Crawl

2006-10-10T20:12:00.000-04:00

Facts:
MiFs can throw an awesome party. Take that MBAs!
Booze makes everything fun.
Booze + boat = fun x 2
From there, I think the growth rate of fun is exponential.
Discounting the cash flow, the NPV is definitely positive.

Conclusion:
Partying on the Thames was a brilliant idea.
I had a great - great - great time.
I miss my kickball buddies, I know they would love this sort of thing.

Loku...nana...hachi...kyu!

2006-10-10T19:45:00.000-04:00

(That means six...seven...eight...nine for anybody who's wondering)

Yeah, it's been a while. And I must say things have been going well. Really well.

I moved to London about a month ago. The flight of course was a pain in the ass. One because of the liquid/gel crapola. Two, because my actual flight was cancelled, cancelled after I waited around at the airport for three freakin' hours.

Packing wasn't the funnest experience either. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: it's just amazing how much junk you accumulate during your life. I boxed most of the remnants of my Richmond life away at Luke's, and packed the few things that I have left in three suitcases. So glad my mum was there with me, or I'm probably still packing away in Richmond right now.

London is as fantastic as I expected. During this one month period, I made more friends than I had in the eight years I've lived in the States. My fellow MiFs are just as awesome, nice, and friendly as they can be. The programme itself is ridiculously back-breaking. We're moving through two 1,000-page textbook in less than five weeks, with a valuation project and 10 assignments due during the same five weeks. Adding to the nice pile of shit we have is the milkround process. Company presentations are definitely not as grand as I thought they are, and cover letters are definitely pain in the arse X 2.

Still I love it. I couldn't have made a better decision.

Pleasantly Surprised

2006-06-02T16:25:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a 7-day cruise to Bermuda. Things that I saw/learned:

Flying fish are funny. They look like little biplanes.
Bermuda is very clean and pretty. I thought it was going to be like Jamaica or the Bahamas. Noooo, it wasn't. Hence, the "pleasantly surprised".
Bermuda is also expensive as hell. Now I'm starting to wonder how I am ever going to survive in London. Forty bucks for "high-tea"??? Seriously!
Cruise ships are like pig farmers. They make you fat. The only difference is they take your money instead of killing you for ham and bacon.
You have to be very good in making conversations with strangers on a cruise. I'm lacking in that department. Really lacking.
Massages are nice. But I still think pedicures and manicures are overrated.
There are cactuses growing on the rock formations on Bermuda beaches! How exciting!!
Bermudians are manly. I mean, if they can paint their prison pink then they are certainly manly enough.
I managed not to get a tan. Woohoo!
Lastly, I like monkeys. Just want to throw it out there...

They Come in Threes

2006-04-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

Frank's dad died last week. Bish's passed away this week. And then yesterday I found out about Mag's brother.

This is becoming more and more like 2004 for me. Four deaths in the family in a year was tough. Very tough.

Frank took it pretty hard.

Bish went off riding his Hayabusa the whole night.

I hope our Maggie is all right...

Dot Points

2006-04-06T22:29:00.000-04:00

Wow. I totally forgot that I actually have a blog. I haven't opened my Friendster account in like 200 years, so there is no constant reminder of this random thing. Of course, as you can guess, a lot of things happened. I'd say good stuff for the most part. To save on my sleep time, I'm just going to list them here in no particular order.

1. I'm going to be a very-very poor student starting in September.
2. I'm not going to be in Richmond anymore.
3. Kickball started again, and we won our first game (even though I didn't score shit!)
4. There are times that I will be totally fading away because my poor brain is totally exhausted.
5. I totally blew my "giving up for Lent" promise. It is totally easier to just forgo meat for the whole 6 weeks instead of one day a week for 6 weeks.
6. I learned that Lent is actually 6 weeks instead of 4. Duh!
7. I am going to really-really miss people (with 1 exception, but we won't go there...)
8. I am very happy. =)

That's all for now. I'll be back with more random dot points.

February Blues

2006-02-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

This has been the most fucked up winter I've ever had in my entire life.

Well...I've only had eight winters so far, so I guess I don't really have a good comparison. But still, I think it's totally fucked up.

First of all, how in the hell could you have eight inches of snow in November...in Virginia? Yes, it was November, don't you be arguing with me! I remembered because my mum was here and she was running around like a mad five-year-old because that was probably the second time she has seen snow in her whole life. First was probably Northern China. Or Japan. Or somewhere around there. Hey, they're all the same, right? But anyway, I'm getting distracted here. The snow stuck for more than two weeks, at least in some parking lots, because it did in mine.

So then, my second question...how could you only have ten inches of snow in February?? And that lasted, oh, about two hours? 7:30 in the morning, and I was in heaven. Walking around in my Snoopy pajamas and a giant ski jacket that I stole from my brother, I was taking pictures of all the whites. Man, it was oh so pwetty! Two hours later, drip-drip-drip. Gone. My pretty white snow was gone. All gone.

I guess that's just the way it is down here. My coleagues warned me about the unpredictable Virginia weather. But come on! This has been the suckiest skiing season ever! Disappointing...just disappointing.

Prilla and Mummy

2005-12-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas Party 2005, Lewis Ginter

Obsessing About Pigs...

2005-11-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

I just drew one online.

Click me! Goddamn you, click me!!

And this is what the personality test says...

You drew the pig:
Toward the middle, you are a realist.

Facing front, you are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions.

With few details, you are emotional and naive, they care little for details and are a risk-taker.

With less than 4 legs, they are insecure or are living through a period of major change.

The size of the ears indicates how good a listener you are.
The bigger the better. You drew small ears, you are an OK listener

The length of the tail indicates the quality of your sex life.
And again more is better! You drew large tail, WOW!

Born and Raised a Catholic

2005-10-31T21:05:00.000-05:00

And Satanism is higher on my list than Christianity?

Can you fuckin' believe it???

You scored as agnosticism. You are an agnostic. Though it is generally taken that agnostics neither believe nor disbelieve in God, it is possible to be a theist or atheist in addition to an agnostic. Agnostics don't believe it is possible to prove the existence of God (nor lack thereof).

Agnosticism is a philosophy that God's existence cannot be proven. Some say it is possible to be agnostic and follow a religion; however, one cannot be a devout believer if he or she does not truly believe.

agnosticism

83%

Buddhism

75%

Satanism

75%

Islam

75%

Christianity

63%

Paganism

54%

Hinduism

46%

atheism

42%

Judaism

25%

Which religion is the right one for you? (new version)
created with QuizFarm.com

Lets Pop the Pumpkin Cherry...

2005-10-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

My first time ever carving pumpkins...

Before

Daddy and Mummy...
And Li'l Piggly Wiggly

One little happy family

Luke carved the dad, and I carved the mum and the pigster. Considering this is really my first time, I'd say I did okay. :-)

Officially Over

2005-10-27T11:22:00.000-04:00

Kickball season is over... Sniff - *tear*

Ahh, so what. Time to move on to new things. Like I said, I get bored easy. Plus, I actually got shit to do. Exams, schools. No time for balls and flip cup.

WHAT??

Who am I kidding...

PS: Kudos to my beloved Shockers for beating the Deez'rs at the playoff. You guys are fucking awesome!

What is it - what is it???

2005-10-26T14:50:00.000-04:00

Whatchathinkin now???

Long Time No Blog

2005-10-25T16:01:00.000-04:00

I'm finally back in reality, with memories from Europe fading fast. I better post some pictures quick, before all is lost...

Jung Frau Joch, Switzerland

Interlaken, Switzerland

Beat the tour guide and Prilla, top of Jung Frau Joch

Lourdes, France

Artsy shot in Burgos, Spain

Al Hambra in Granada, Spain

Good times never really last that long. I came back and exam M is laughing in my face.

Week 6

2005-09-16T21:53:00.000-04:00

Good game this week, as you can tell from my happy face. Well, no, you can't because that's how I look pretty much every time. But anyway, we played More Cowbell and I must say we didn't do too bad. Okay, we lost, but we did not lose till the last inning, which was extra because the yellow pansies didn't know how to count their own runs.

Shockers wannabes? Gimme a break! All they could do is smack talk on how they dominate the bar and at flipcup...that is until the Shockers come out. The look on DigitalLackey's face when I out-chug him was f*ckin priceless!

1)Eric

2)Sara and Steve in the back

3)Chuck

The Most Horrible Person

2005-09-16T15:02:00.000-04:00

Me.

Yep, me.

I just found out last night that I have said certain things about a certain person that I should have never-ever said. First, because it was not true, and second, even if it is, you just don't!

I have never felt so bad in my entire life, well...I have, but this is pretty bad.

I am certainly not trying to defend myself in any way. But I will say that I did not remember any of this happening. Apparently I was pretty inebriated, and...I'll just leave it at that.

I did not understand for the longest time why this certain person suddenly turned his/her back against me.

Now I know. And I am really-really sorry.

There are things you can joke about. But this is certainly is not one of them.

I feel like the fungus that grows on an ugly green frog's big toe.

Hey, did you see that purple fungus on the bottom of the pond? Yeah, right on that disgusting looking frog's toe??

Yep, that's me.

Kickball Recap

2005-09-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

Haven't been able to hang out as much with the kickball crew, but I'm hoping it's going to change starting this week. A couple of pictures from the past games and parties...

Not a very flattering picture of mine, but funny nevertheless. That's Mags, if you haven't figured out from the 200 pictures that I had with her.

We were "seriously" watching the game between Master Batters and More Cowbell

Chelyen, me, and Whit

Another Petro's on Floyd's party. I actually managed to stay up till 5 am. What an accomplishment. No chances of tea-bagging whatsoever!

As I said, I haven't been out much (busy with visa applications, and all other crap). But this past weekend had actually been like a "regular" kickball season. Petro's on Floyd on Friday, up till 5 in the morning. Then Nevin surprised me by calling 9:45 pm the next day and asking me to be his date to Scottie's "Invitation Only" Cocktail Party. God, what a snotty dude. I don't usually do this kind of shit, but hey, I figured it might be fun. So I threw something on and got ready in like 15 minutes.

Honestly, there were a lot of drama involved that night. I wasn't really a happy camper in the beginning, and I felt kinda bad because I kinda blew it up all on Nevin (which I totally had no rights to). I guess rum and vodka and brandy just don't work as well as beer for me. But the end of the night was a completely different story. I actually had fun. *Big-big grin!*

Anywhoo, I'm off to bed because I have to go to DC tomorrow and pick up my passport, YAY! G'night people!

Where to Start...Where to Start...

2005-09-06T18:39:00.000-04:00

I felt like I got run over by a John Deere. Just for the record, this blog is going to be a jumble of ideas, well past-due stories, a lot of bitching, and some more bitching.

First.

Did I ever mentioned that I got couch-surfed? I probably didn't. Chris found me in Hospitality Club and emailed me through my blog right here! He stayed with me for 8 days, and while he was here, I managed to drag him into kickball, and now he's an expert flip-cupper. *grin* Now he's off, probably somewhere in Florida. Although, I'm a little worried because I know New Orleans is in his itinerary.

Second.

My life has been a mess since I decided to toss my Financial Mathematics idea to the dump. Hell, I still don't know what I want to do. But I really can't picture myself doing more actuarial work, even though it's going to be in a financial setting. So now I'm making a detour and decided to pursue an MBA instead. Of course my GRE is no longer relevant, and I am a little pissed at myself for throwing away $140 on something that I'm not going to use. Plus, I will need to study for my GMAT because I just love taking freaking exams. Please kill me.

Third.

Seems like I'm going to Europe fo-sho! I am super excited, and slightly worried. I'm way behind on my studying (Yes, I just love taking exams. Please kill me) and Europe is going to take quite a chunk of my studying time, right in the middle of cruch-time. But I'm also worried that I might not get my visas in time. Oh man, let me tell you. Applying for visas is a bitch!

Friday. I woke up at 5 am (honestly, never ever happened in the 3 years I've lived in Richmond), got ready and drove up to DC. Submitted all of my application, and the chick at the window asked, "Where is your printed ticket?"

All right. First of all, why in the world would I buy a ticket before knowing that I am actually, legally allowed to enter the country? I did book it, but there is no way in hell I would risk loosing 800 bucks! So I told her, "It's coming in the mail." That answer seemed sufficient at the moment, but she wanted me to send the ticket and/or confirmation from the airline as soon as I got home.

Then, she told me that it will cost me $46.90 for the visa. I gaped at her. I have checked and checked and made sure that I have enough money to pay for this shit. The people that I called have said it was $49.90. I don't mind parting with a dime, so I figured I'd just bring a $50 and that'll be it. Noooooo, it's $46.90. The bitch tapped the window coldly and said, "Exact change. We post this on the windows everywhere. Can't you read?"

I was like, "What the hell?? And I'm thinking of spending my hard-earned dollars in your country??" So there I was, running around Pennsylvania Avenue, hopping from coffee shops to coffee shops to find exacly six dollars and ninety cents. A bell boy saved me. Man, I could've kissed him right on the spot. But I didn't, because that'd be weird.

So I walked back to the consulate. They took my money, and shooed my out. Aight, bitches! Let see what kind of hospitality you'll get applying for a visa to MY country!

Then I went home and filled out an online application for my British visa. Towards the end they asked if I wanted to submit my application by mail or in person. I was like, "Well, I did drive to DC today, what's 2 hours anyway..." So I clicked "Submit in Person" and got a confirmation email.

It says, "You have to submit all the necessary documentations below along with your passport and bla-bla-bla-bla to our Visa-Issuing British Consulate, New York, New York.

I stared at the screen.

New York?

New York???

AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I told my mum and she busted out laughing.

This is just fantastic.

But anyways, good news comes to those who patiently and nervously waits. I did call the Spanish Embassy today and my application has been approved. So that's awesome.

Four.

The plane tickets. Yes, yes. Since Spain wanted my printed ticket or confirmation, I called my travel agent and confirmed my flight. I told him over and over, I need to arrive in Rome before 8:00 am on September 27, and I'm leaving London October 16. He sent me back the itinerary and everything seemed to look good so we got everything booked and confirmed.

I forwarded my confirmed flight to my mum.

She called me the next day, and asked,"Prilla, why are you coming back to Richmond on November 14?"

I almost passed out.

...
......
.........

Can I yell now?

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

There are a lot more happening, but I'm going to save it for another blog. More stories of me and my stupidity.

The Big Shocker

2005-08-29T23:42:00.000-04:00

Kickball session 2

Shock On!!

Play Catch Up

2005-08-29T23:10:00.000-04:00

Days have been very red.

Frustrated

Confused

Future is still gray and cloudy with a slight chance of rain.

But there's a little sunshine in October.

We'll see...we'll see!

Europe might be the trip of 2005. Plan well though, or I'm doomed the days after.

The Pain of Being Pampered

2005-07-27T09:07:00.000-04:00

I just gave myself a present the other day. A full spa package: express facial (and NO, not the facial you're thinking, PERVERT!), a one hour massage, and a pedicure. This whole thing was 50% off at Nesbit, costing me a total of $87.50 (not including tip). You guys probably think, oh my god, and it was already 50% off??? Let me tell ya, these goddamn spa thingies are so f*cking expensive! If I was in Jakarta, I could have gotten 16 massages (or maybe more) with $87.50!

And honestly, they were not worth it.

Express facial was just exfoliating, scrubbing, and covering your face with lotion.

My masseuse was a man. A man with big hands. Big ROUGH hands. Do I need to say more?

And pedicure was the sacriest shit invented for women with virgin feet. I was in pain. The filings, the scrubbings, the giant nail cutter, AAARRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! I would never, ever, ever in my entire life, get a pedicure ever again.

Now you wonder why it was 50% off...

*************************************************************************************
A word of advise from the spa expert (a.k.a me), skip the express facial and the pedicure. Get a cute female masseuse with soft warm hands. It will make the whole difference in the world.
*************************************************************************************

Mmmmm....Crabs!

2005-07-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

Had two things lined up for the kickballers this past weekend. Friday was Brave-a-thon at Pete's. We were planning to go to the Braves game together, and Pete's providing the schtuff to get us ready.

Needless to say, we didn't actually go to the game. I had a good time, but for some reason, I kinda get the feeling that this party scene is getting old. I get bored really-really fast and I guess I just need something different. Plus, eating watermelon soaked in everclear is really good at first, but then I started wondering why I got a headache later on. I was pretty pissed when I found out because I was hell bent not to touch that nasty stuff.

Moving on...Saturday was Crab Time at Becker's. Mags picked me up, and I totally cracked up when I got in her car. The backseat was full with cases of beer. We dropped it in front of Becker's house and the guys were like, "Dang!! Ain't nothing sexier than 2 chicks bringing a shitload of beer!" I thought it was funny. It was definitely not my doing though, Mags did it all by herself. I just chipped in. =)

I ate a total of 4 crabs that day, and after the 4th I decided it wasn't worth it. I got hungrier every minute chowing down on scraps of meat. It was good, but it was way too much work! So I finally settled with brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

I have to share the creepy story though. There was this one guy at the party that just sat there and didn't talk to anybody at all. So I figured I'd be friendly and went over and talked to him. We kinda said hi and stuff, but I kept moving from people to people because I just like doing that. Apparently this guy totally thought I was interested in him or something because he was staring at me the whole time. Kinda made me feel uncomfortable. I was relieved when he left. The funny thing was, we were playing asshole (ugh...we kickballers seem to have a pattern here) and Ligon got a phonecall. It was that guy!! And he gave the phone to me!! I was like, oh crap! So I said hello, and he was like (totally wasted), "I just have to tell you that I'm really-really crazy about you." I just sat there for like a minute. Finally I said, "Ugh, thank you!" and hung up. Creepy!

Well, at least he won't remember anything the next day, considering how inebriated he was. (Wow, I'm using a GRE word!)

So now it's picture time!

Prilla, Nevin, and the LOGs

Timmy!

This is JT.

Token and Prills, and I'm guessing the hand is Nevin's "Shocker"

Anywhoo, I'm really thinking about cutting back on this partying shit. I had lotsa fun, don't get me wrong, and it's not the fact that I can't keep up. I just think it's getting old. And drunk men are the worst to deal with. Steve-O was the best example. He was so obnoxious that I actually got mad and refused to talk to him the whole night. Seriously, it really takes A LOT to get me mad. But flicking and tapping my head continuously will definitely do it. I wish I could just punch him in the face, but I will definitely lose if I have to fight him, so that would not be a good idea. Hehehe!

Pushing the Limit

2005-07-11T14:57:00.000-04:00

I have been going to bed at 3 in the morning three days in a row.

Thursday: What started innocently as a "Dinner @ Zorba's" turned into an all night game of asshole. Don't get me wrong, it was fun and all. But I had a rough time getting up in the morning, especially since Mags and Nevin didn't really need to get up because they have no fucking job to go to. JB, you're cool because you had to get up earlier than I did. Peace, man!

Friday: End of Season Kickball Party, duh! Last chance for the kickballers to get lei'd! Woohooooooo! I already knew I got two awards. I just couldn't understand why I got the ones that I did. Well, kinda. Prilla as the weakest post-yak performer is a no brainer. The minute I yak, I'm pretty much done for the night. So there. But female drunk of the division?? Side by side with legendary Maggie Harrison and Cara Cox??? No way! I am so honored!

Of course, as usual, I had a great time. Tim Connell and Petra showed up so I got to hang out with them for a little bit. Petra is such a cool gal! She'd be an awesome person to hang out with. Played pool with Mags, Matt, and Becker till Freeze kicked us out (literaly). I pretty much sucked at pool, but for some reason I managed to get the 8-ball in. Woohoo!

Saturday: I actually managed a 4.5 hour nap before Whit's Burn Down the House party. Let me tell you how good it was...*silence* Yeah, it was that good! I actually had to drag my lazy ass out of bed and kinda force myself to get ready for the night.

Drove to Whit's and everybody's pretty much there. When I walked in, Frank and Mags are having this conversation in the dining room. Ugh...*awkward*!!! But that's because I kinda know what's going on. But I would've kicked myself in the head if I could because I don't really want to know anything. I guess I know a little too much; I had this weird-ass dream last night and Frank was in it! There was horse carriages, an old castle with stone fireplace...creepy!

But anywhoo, we were pretty much on schedule like any other kickball nights. 30 rounds of flipcup with an addition of water gun war. I was s-o-a-k-e-d!!! Denise, either wasted or just thought it was pretty funny, took a full cup of water and poured it down my pants, smack-dab in the middle. It really look like I had some serious bladder-control problem. Some people, like Tim and Little Petey, took it too far though. They kept squirting at me the whole night, kinda pissed me off.

Of course the night ended with Pass the Pitcher. I did not drink much at all, mainly because the beer was nasty. It was not cold, and it was just...blah! Becker was sitting next to me and everytime the pitcher came, he said, "Just sip it." I was like, ugh, you don't really need to tell me. This shit is nasty! But, as always, I had a great time (yeah, do I ever not???).

More parties lined up for next week! Yeah, bring it!!

First day in Montreal...

2005-07-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

And I already feel like I want to move here! Montreal is just gorgeous!! I love it here. The weather is just perfect, the people are extremely-extremely friendly, and the bus and Metro system are just awesome.

Well, let me start this off properly:
Travel buddy: Gie Kian
Hotel: We actually used the Hospitality Club for the first time ever. In Montreal we stayed at Xavier's apartment. In Quebec, we crashed at Veronique and Marie-Helene's place. It was free, and it was much more enjoyable because you actually get to meet people and really feel welcomed.

This is Xavier. He is one of the nicest, coolest person ever. The second we got to his place, he gave us his key. When does that ever happen to you?

Marie-Helene, me, and Emily. We had a picnic on our last day in Quebec. Good french baguette, pate, chocolates, and ice cream. Yum, a blessing for the belly!

Length of stay: July 1 - 5
Pictures taken: 186
Desserts eaten: tons!!!

Montreal

Jean Talon Farmer's Market in Little Italy.

It was "Petit Fruit" Festival. All the berries!!!

Xavier used to work as a carriage driver, did you know? Of course you didn't. Well now you do!

You won't believe, but we tried to get into this stupid Basilica for 4 days and every single time this damn thing was closed for one function or another. After the 4th try we gave up and decided it wasn't worth it.

We had the best lunch here! Food was awesome, but the coolest thing is that they have a garden inside with huge canopies and a life band. It's like eating your lunch in a private garden party. Crepes and Sangria. Mmmmmmm!

Biodome! Puffins!!! Yay!!!

Olympic Tower. You can actually get in and take a ride to the top to see the whole Olympic park, but we decided it wasn't worth it.

We were going to Mont Royal and at the bus stop, I saw these huge chairs, all 5 in a row. I was like, I have to take a picture!! And here it is.

Quebec

Gare du Palais AKA the bus station

A little preview of Rue St. Jean in Quebec

The terrase (sp?) behind Chateau Frontenac, looking out to the St. Laurent River

They have like a bunch of cannons all over Quebec City. Marie-Helene said it was because Quebec has this great view of the river and the early settlers had to protect it so that their place wasn't taken over by others.

There is a furnicular behind this statue that will take you to Quartier Petit du Champlain (my favorite place!!)

Unlike the damn Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, this one you don't even need to sneak around the building to get in! Grrrrr! Can you tell I'm still sore about it?

The top of the "Break Neck" stairway, leading to Quartier Petit du Champlain

Don't you just love it? Little outdoor cafes all over, flower pots hanging, colors everywhere!

While we were walking down the BreakNeck Stairs, we bumped into these guys. And guess what, they're from Singapore! What are the odds??

One of the shops in the Quartier

Loving it!

Ugh, can I move here?

It's down towards the end (near a chocolate shop - I remember because I was eating chocolates when we saw this awesome building). Isn't it awesome? It's a mural! There are so many of these in Quebec!

Don't exacly know where this is, but it's further down towards the river

Chateau Frontenac at night

Some random building that I thought looked really cool with the lights and everything

Pretty!!

Saw a blown glass shop when we were walking back to Gare du Palais

This puppy is real! We were walking pass this flower shop and this cute thing suddenly came running to the window. It's way too adorable for me not to take a picture

(to be continued)
I need to add a couple more picture here, one of Giekian, Xavier, and me on the day we flew back to Dulles. I think I will be back in Montreal. It's such an awesome place to hang out.

My 2 Cents on Weddings...

2005-06-27T12:37:00.000-04:00

I just went to a wedding in New Jersey. First of all, let me just say that driving in New Jersey is a bitch. We were on a three-lane highway and surprise - surprise, they had a construction. Whoever was responsible actually had enough brains to block off two freaking lanes instead of one. We were stuck for almost two hours, waiting...and waiting...and waiting. We arrived at the ceremony 5 minutes before it ended, two seconds before the priest said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Half an hour later, we were back on the road driving David to JFK because he's leaving for Jakarta. Again, traffic. It was supposedly 40 minutes to get to JFK from where we were. It took us almost two hours.

Did I mention driving in New Jersey is a bitch?

But we got back to the reception okay. Stayed till 10:20pm and left to go back to Maryland. I took over the wheels and we got home in about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Partly because I drove like a maniac and partly because the road was just amazingly empty, aside from the lines at the "tolls" that were meant to totally rip you off.

Anyways, back to my original subject. I honestly think weddings are overrated. The stress, fatigue, the financial burden, all for what? Just to show that you're happy? I don't think you need to "show" it off. Happiness comes from the inside. Or is it because it's the norm? The tradition? Preparation take months. Money doesn't come with a flick of your fingers. If, after "sharing" this moment, you come out 10 - 20 thou in debt, what's the point?

T'was the Playoff and IT Came Crashing Down...

2005-06-16T09:26:00.000-04:00

Kick Grass sang their warrior song
The sun god shone
Nil - nil
Big yawn here and there

Then the IT scored
Two runs
AAARGH!!!
Hair pulled out,
Kick Grass touched the ground
No! No! No!!
This is it! No more - no more!

But warriors we are
With a stroke of luck
Kick Grass started pushing back
Bottom of the 6th
John did the nastiest kick
Flew away, soared sky high
Our two runs triple fly
Four seconds later
SNAP! Our third run zipped by

Beautiful as it may
IT kept their chin high
AARGH! Their third run...
Painful to watch, painful to see

A tie! A tie!
Oh the intensity! Oh the pressure!
Oh the exersion!
This is too much! Waaaay too much!

But the ninth inning came
One out, third base loaded
The kick was beautiful,
not to far, not too strong
Kat came home, humming a song

4-3
Kick Grass won!
And t'was the story
of when IT came crashing down...

Suck it Bitches!!!

James "Token" Brown and me

Blowing my kisses to Mags

More pics from the second playoff. Needless to say, we lost to the Num. 1 Seed. I'm not pissed or anything though. I thought we played pretty good defence since we only lost 2-1.

Prilla and Joe

Prilla and Mags

Feeling Better...

2005-06-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

I do. I really do.

This...is how I feel...

Enough said. Thanks Chewy...love you!

Parteeeeee!

2005-06-12T23:38:00.000-04:00

What: Duh! I just told you! Party!
Where: Petro's on Floyd
When: All nite long, baby!
Why: Who needs a fuckin' reason???

Goals:

Finishes Power Hour*
Still standing pass midnite

Goals accomplished.

Damages:

Amazingly embarassing pictures taken

Footnote:
*Taking a shot of beer every minute for 60 minutes

The progression:

What can I say? Life is good!

What Can I Say...Kickball Always Make My Day

2005-06-06T12:30:00.000-04:00

There is nothing much to say here, but I'd like to point out once again that I love my kickball buddies!!! Kickball truly has been one of the funnest thing I've ever done. I am so ready for the next season. The Outsiders are going to R-U-L-E!!!

The girl in blue and black (second from the left) is one of our bartenders on Wednesday night. I think she's pretty.

Chase introduced me to hospitality club. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll have a chance when I go to Montreal in July.

Ha! Couldn't have guessed from the previous picture, right? Just in case you're wondering, he's 7'3".

I've just won us a game of pool. I guess that's just one of those once-in-a-lifetime moment...

Need I emphasize that I looooove my beer?

The Outsiders Rocks!!

James is one of those few "cool" married man, and his wife is actually also "cool" enough to let him hang with us on Wednesday.

I call Pete "Pinky" because the first time I hang with him, he wore a pink shirt and it looked pretty damn good on him.

And this is Maggie! I love her because she rocks!!! She is so much fun, and she wears green! Whaddaya expect?? All cool people do!

Anywhoo, I'm sure there's going to be more kickball pictures coming. We still have a week of regular season, and then two weeks of championship (or something like that...). So bear with me if I blog another kickball session. Well, actually, I don't really care what you think because if I do get more pictures, I'm going to blog them anyway.

Toodles!

Update: Well, instead of creating another blog, I've decided to just update this one with more pictures...here they are:

This is Tim, they guy who bought me @ the bahelorette auction. And no, we haven't gone on our date yet.

Becker's liver is always hurting

As a side note, our season just ended. Next week is the start of the playoffs and we (Kick Grass) will be playing Insider Traiding (booooooooo!). And I'm really crossing my fingers!

Beads, Beignets, and Hurricanes

2005-06-05T22:11:00.000-04:00

First impression of New Orleans:

Scary
slummy
stinky
poverty is w-a-y below the poverty level
Just simply a ghetto-ass place that totally scared me shitless

But then we figured it wasn't fair to judge this smelly-ass shithole by the first glance, especially since Olivia and I got out at the wrong exit and we got freakishly scared because everything looked like the project and we had the hardest time getting back to the highway. But no. Gotta give it the benefit of the doubt...

Second attempt:

Still stinky
Still slummy at parts
Hot as hell but...
Garden District was, of course, gorgeous!!
Bourbon St. was awesome
The Jazz was spectacular
Oooh! Ahhhh! The good eats! Food was almost always de-lish!

The food that I ate in those 3 days:

Oyster Rockefeller - French Quarter
Beignets - Cafe Du Monde
Olive bread, raspberry croissant - Cafe Boulangerie (I think...)
Fried Alligator - French Quarter
Crawfish Etoufee, po-boy - Mother's. Note:Olivia ate jambalaya, and I thought it was really good. But she said my etoufee was amazingly awesome and much-much better than hers
Fried shrimp & oysters, the best green beans, and the best breadpudding in my life - Mandina's
And I also had a really good, juicy peach, kettle corn, and boiled peanuts from the Farmer's Market

*Note to self: remember to lose the 5 pounds you gained in those 3 days...*

Beignets piled up with sweet powder sugar and a cup of cafe au lait. Mmmmm...life is good!

Jackson Square. There are a lot of artists selling their paintings around the square. One lady's painting stole my heart. She said she used "Italian Technique" using palette knives. It was just beautiful and totally capfure the life in the French Quarter. But it was also 400 bucks.

Olivia just met her new baby-daddy. Met with Raymond the first day we hung out on Bourbon St. He was totally into Olivia. I kinda felt like a "lightbulb" at times but after I got my Hurricane in one hand, hey, who cares!

Pat O'Brien's. 3 bars. Need I say more? well, all right. One is a piano lounge. One is a regular bar, and the last one is an outdoor with a fountain. And as you can guess, I took a picture with the fountain.

Mississippi River. At night, they have jazz playing from the ferry in the background.

There are a lot of this kinds of stuff in the French Quarter, people acting like statues. But this guy was especially good and his pose was just funny, so I had take a picture.

The trees in the Garden Districts are H-U-G-E! The roots are even bigger!! They looked like giant feet!

And this is just one example of the mansions in the Garden District. Pretty huh? Ann Rice just sold hers for 3.5M. Wish I could have that kind of moo-moo...*sigh*

But that's the end of it folks! Next month I'll be off to Montreal, and we'll have a different story for ya!

Been Mollywhopped?

2005-06-03T22:46:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I haven't. But I definitely felt like have. This week has been a killer. Work has been kicking my ass. For anybody reading this blog (which I seriously doubt...), heed my warning. Actuarial month end work sucks! I had 2 fucking days to come up with 6 numbers. It would've been a piece of cake if I could actually pull them out of my ass. Sadly, each number requires 48 models, and coming up with them isn't that simple, especially if you have U-shaped PMPM trends.

For people who don't understand what I'm jabbering about, you lucky bastards! But mollywhop is a real word. Check out urbandictionary.com and you'll be begging for a gorilla mask in no time.

Not really. It's some nasty shit.

But a lot has happened since I last updated my blog, and I promise I'll try to put something together within a week or so.

In the mean time, let me just say that, aside from Month-End and SAS, my life has been awesome. I'm loving my kickball buddies and I'll definitely be there for the fall season. Go Outsiders!!! New Orleans was a blast, and I can't wait for my next trip to Montreal. Live is good...life is damn good!

Till then, cheers!!

Worth $140,000

2005-05-20T18:39:00.000-04:00

It's a privilege to know a director of Hoover & Strong. One of my buddies from my Metal Jewelry class, Stewart,is one. Last Tuesday was our last class, and we had the pleasure of getting a grand tour of the whole factory. It was A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

I would never imagined gold and platinum could be that heavy. I held fifty thousand dollars worth of gold and one hundred and forty thousand dollars worth of platinum in my tiny hands. Yellow gold, white gold, pink, green, they were everywhere!

Of course they have a metal detector and a totally tight-assed security guard guarding the entrance to the building. That guy was taking his job way-way-way too seriously. So think twice before slipping some precious metal in your pocket. He'll have your ass spanked in an instant!

Waiting for Lunchtime...

2005-05-13T11:28:00.000-04:00

01.Your name? Prilla
02. Hobbies? trying new things, dark beers, food, figuring out ways not to get a hangover
03. Gender? femme
04. Primary school? PL
05. Height? 155
06. Horoscope? Aries
07. Secondary school? PL
08. Address? Baseline Ct
09. Email add? neh! not going to tell you!
10. Hair? yes, I have hair...
11. Eye colour? dark-dark-dark brown
12. Hair colour? black
13. Right or left handed? right
14. Marital status? single
15. Siblings? little brother
16. Last 4 digits of your mobile No? 8800
17. When's your Birth day? Apr 11
18. Do you have a Car? yes
=====================
*Have you...*
21. Tried smoking? yes
22. Drink alcohol? socially
23. Been hurt emotionally? yes
24. Kept a secret from anyone? yes
25. Been on stage? yes
z=====================
*Favourites*
26. Color? blue and green
27. Food? La Grotta's Gnocchi
28. Drinks? sosro VSOP
29. Number? 7
30. Cartoons? Samurai Jack
31. Sports? kickball
33. movie? Kill Bill
34. Subject? travel
=====================
*Right now*
36. Wearing? stripey polo shirt + jeans
37. Hairstyle ? ponytail
38. Looking at? computer screen, doh!
39. Thinking of? Saturday night and why I was stupid enough to agree being a bachelorette
40. Listening to? Porcupine Tree - The Start of Something Beautiful
=====================
*Do you believe in...*
41. Love? yes
42. faith? yes
43. Yourself? sometimes
44. Ghosts? don't want to
45. Angels? yes
=====================
*In the last 24hrs...*
46. Worn jeans? didn't I just tell you I'm wearing jeans right now?
47. Cleaned your room? two weeks ago! And I'm pretty damn proud of it!
48. Cried? shit, no!
49. Met someone new? none, I don't think...
50. Last person I talk to on the phone? my beloved mummy!
=====================
*Love life*
51. Do you have a GF/BF? none right now
52. Have a secret admirer? hope so! At least he can bid on me in the auction...
53. Do you wanna get married ? not now, but yes!
54. Do you plan on having kids? yes
55. How old you wanna be when you get married? 28
56. How old you wanna be when you have your child? 29
57. How many kids do you want? 2 or 4
58. Would you have kids before marriage? good gawd no! My parents will beat me up!
59. Do you have a Crush? hee-hee-hee!
60. What do you want most in a Relationship? adventures!
=====================
*Either one*
61. Pink or Black? black
62. Kiss or hug? hug, and the kiss will follow...
63. Summer or winter? winter
64. Sunny or rainy? sunny
65. Chocolate or vanilla? choco!
66. Hanging out or chillin`? Hangin out
67. Music or TV? Music
68. Hamburger or Pizza? neither...
69. Smile or Laughing? laugh
70. Sleeping or eating? can I eat and then sleep?
71. Mc Donald's or KFC? KFC
72. Silver or gold? silver, but much rather have platinum instead
73. Sunset or sunrise? sunset
74. On phone or in person? in person
75. Diamonds or Pearls? diamonds
76. Adidas or puma? adidas
77. Band members or model? band members
78. Padi - Dewa? dewa
79. sneakers - boots? sneaks
80. Jack daniels - Chivas regal? Jack-jack
81. Citos - PS? PS
82. clubbing - live music? clubbing
83. Johnny depp - Brad Pitt? Seriously? Depp lah!!
84. Angelina Jolie - Kate hudson? Jolie, even I'd do her!
85. Kolosal/epic - don't care
86. sexy/bandel - baek/lugu? sexy/bandel definitely!
87. BMW - Mercedes? Benz - SL 50 AMG to be exact...or I'll do with SLK 350.
88. incubus - maroon 5? Maroon 5
89. JKT-BGR? JKT
90. Gondrong - botak? depends...
91. pop - rock? rock
92. pantai - gunung? gunung
93. Pepsi - Coke? coke
94. nonton DVD - bioskop? bioskop
95. nokia - ericsson? nokia
96. 311-hoobastank ? neither. They both sucked!
97. Jakarta - Bandung? jakarta
98. tattoo-piercing? piercing
99. Indonesian Idol - AFI? yuck!! No way!
100. asking - answering? answering

What am I Getting Myself Into???

2005-05-12T08:08:00.000-04:00

Okay...I'm not sure if this has any connection with the horoscope thingy from May 10 (see below) nor if it explains it. But here it goes: I have agreed to be one of the bachelorette for the auction on our mid-season party. Yes, me. Did not know what had gotten into me. I was...

certainly not drunk because we just got done playing kickball
not mentally or emotionally ill
really, I wasn't drunk
probably thinking that I was pretty cute and that somebody is actually going to bid
ummm....did I mention I wasn't drunk???

Anyways, I am probably going to have a major nervous breakdown in a couple of days because nobody is going to bid, or if somebody actually bids, it's going to be like...ugh...two bucks??? Or what if the bid comes from some weird-ass loser guy? The date is so going to be terribly awful, and I'd have no icebreakers whatsoever when it gets awkward... or... or... AAAAHHHHHHH!!! *panic!!!*

Heeeelp...

It's So True!

2005-05-10T09:59:00.000-04:00

This came from Friendster Horoscope for May 10, 2005:

You've been mingling with all kinds of interesting and unusual people lately, and loving every minute of it. You might even say you've been quite the social butterfly. There's at least one more new acquaintance en route, thanks to an astrological setup that will keep that parade of people you'd otherwise never have met going strong. Whether they turn out to be friends or partners is up for grabs, but who cares? Think of this as a social buffet. Treat yourself to just a little taste of everything.

And I don't deny it. The first couple of sentences are definitely true, and I'm loving every minute!

I usually don't believe in horoscope readings of any sort, but we'll see if the rest of it is for real.

Did whaaaaaa???

2005-05-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

I know this doesn't sound like me at all, but I mustered the courage to go to Target and bought myself a curling iron (the hell???).

And I actually figured out how to use it.

And I think I did a pretty decent job because my kickball buddy told me I looked really hot. And he was totally hitting on me the whole night.

Too bad he's not my type! Tee-hee!

A Different Me...

2005-05-06T15:24:00.000-04:00

I finally found my hairdresser!!! Not much else need to be said...

It's good to look, feel, and act like a girl sometimes.

Still in Love with Kickball...

2005-05-05T14:10:00.000-04:00

It was our fifth game last night, and Kick Grass still kick ass!!

I didn't know Yingling and Miller Lite go really well together...

Awww...group picture!

Just so that ya'll know, I DID NOT drink that whole pitcher!! (Although, it certainly looked like I did...)

See...isn't kickball a lot of fun???

People at Work

2005-05-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

My boss, Zoe, is retiring at the end of May. Thus, to make sure she doesn't forget all the troublemakers she's worked with over the last few years, we decided to take a picture together. Just because.

And you know...this picture made me realize that my head has the size of an overly large watermelon. How did it get to be so huge??

T_T

*sniff...*

Spring Cleaning Part II

2005-04-26T09:44:00.000-04:00

I did it!!! I...

Rearranged my room
Vacuumed - vacuumed - vacuumed

What more can I say?

Now I have another checklist (of course...that's given):

Get rid of my ol' "Walmart" computer desk and get something that matches the other furnitures in my room
Ummm...think about getting a dining table soon? Took me about a year to finally bought my TeeVee. Might take the same amount of time for me to finally be able to eat "properly".

But these two are long term projects. To find something that matches my bedroom furniture, I think I have to actually find an unfinished desk and prep it and paint it myself (which I totally enjoy doing...)

Neeways, I know I'm just blabbering on and on here...so I'm going to shut up and excuse myself. Toodles!

Spring Cleaning Part I

2005-04-23T21:45:00.000-04:00

I have decided that there are three things I needed to do when spring arrived (which it did like three weeks ago...):

Pack my winter clothes away and roll out the spring/summer outfits onto the red carpet
Rearrange my room so it looks more presentable
Plant some herbs (basil, cilantro, and rosemary)
Vacuum - vacuum - and vacuum!

Today, I actually feel like I accomplished something. I could actually put checkmarks on two of the things on my spring to-do list! Spaghetti marinara with fresh basil is definitely going to be on the dinner menu soon. I am also fashionably ready for the new season.

I need to make a confession though... It took me almost two hours to do the switcharoo between unpacking my spring clothes and packing the bulky sweaters into the suitcase. It was also hardly serendipitist to find out that I accumulate. The suitcase begged for me to stop forcing the zipper to fasten, and cried when I refused to give up and sat my whole weight on top of her. I finally caved in and unzip to expand and give her some breathing room. It was sad...

Hopefully I will be as motivated tomorrow so I can add another checkmark on my list.

It's Spring - It's Spring!! Horray - Horray it's Spring!!

2005-04-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

Spring is one of the coolest time of the year. It's time for cherry blossoms, dogwoods, little pinkish flowers on the trees, anything! Of course it's also time to take pictures!! HAHAHA! Gak penting banget! But since I actually took some pictures this year, and I actually have a blog running, why not?

This is white Dogwood. I heard it's native Pennsylvania, but I haven't verified it. If anyone wants to, please feel free and let me know! :o) In Richmond we also have the pink Dogwoods. They are vewwy-vewwy pwetty as well!

I haven't actually figured out what kind of tree this is. But I personally think it's one of the prettier flower trees around. Sakura is still top on my list, but this tree probably takes second.

And since I missed the Cherry Blossom Festival (I was in NY at that time), I don't have any pictures of Sakura. You'll have to wait till next year.

The Ooooohhs and the Aaaaahhs and the Preordained Providence

2005-04-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

Baby showers are overrated. I deeply and passionately feel so. I hate all the ooohs and the aaahs that people sound out everything the expecting mother (and father in some cases) opens up their gift, a miniature human outfit. What's so special? The baby will grow out of its clothes in a month or two. Then the ooohh-aaahh outfit will either be tossed away, donated, or kept in the attic until mommy and daddy decides to fool around and procreate, thus creating a second devil in the house.

The only cool thing in a baby shower is the wrapping and packaging of the gifts. People here do wonders with presentation! The bags are wonderfully cute, the boxes are wrapped with pastel-colored ribbons, squeaky toys, and fluffy plushies. They are cute, I can't deny.

It is a sad thing that these cool and awesome wrappings are the first to go in the trash. I sometimes wish people would not destroy such a beautiful thing. If it is one's destiny to be a wrapping paper, beauty is definitely not on one's top ten list. Survival is.

Analysis on Women

2005-04-14T13:52:00.000-04:00

I got this from my mum. I can't say if any of these are true but they are pretty darn funny...

WHITE WOMEN:
> First date: You get to kiss her goodnight.
> Second date: You get to grope all over and make out a bit.
> Third date: You get to have sex but only in the missionary position.

IRISH WOMEN:
> First Date: You both get blind drunk and have sex.
> Second Date: You both get blind drunk and have sex.
> 20th Anniversary: You both get blind drunk and have sex.

ITALIAN WOMEN:
> First Date: You take her to a play and an expensive restaurant.
> Second Date: You meet her parents and her Mom makes spaghetti & meatballs.
> Third Date: You have sex, she wants to marry you & insists on a 3-carat diamond ring.
> 5th Anniversary: You already have 5 kids together & hate the thought of having sex.
> 6th Anniversary: You find yourself a mistress.

JEWISH WOMEN:
> First Date: You get terrific head.
> Second Date: You get even more great head.
> Third Date: You tell her you'll marry her and never get head again.

CHINESE WOMEN:
> First date: You get to buy her an expensive dinner but nothing happens.
> Second date: You buy her an even more expensive dinner. Nothing happens again.
> Third date: You don't even get to the third date and you've already realized nothing is ever going to happen.

INDIAN WOMEN:
> First date: Meet her parents.
> Second date: Set the date of the wedding.
> Third date: Wedding night.

BLACK WOMEN:
> First Date: You get to buy her a real expensive dinner.
> Second Date: You get to buy her and her girlfriends a real expensive dinner.
> Third Date: You get to pay her rent.
> Tenth Date: She's pregnant by someone other than you.

MEXICAN WOMEN:
> First Date: You buy her an expensive dinner, get drunk on Tequila, and have sex in the back of your car.
> Second Date: She's pregnant.
> Third Date: She moves in. One week later, her mother, father, his girlfriend, her two sisters, her brother, all of their kids, her grandma, her father's girlfriend's mother, her two cousins, her sister's boyfriend and his three kids move in and you live on rice and beans for the rest of your life in your home that used to be nice, but now looks like a home along the Tijuana strip.

ARAB WOMEN:
> First Date: Mother, Father, Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Friends and the entire arab community finds out.
> Second Date: You are shot dead.
> No third date.

INDONESIAN WOMEN:
> First Date: You pick her up at her home, go out and buy her dinner, get to hold her hands.
> Second Date: You pick her up at her home, go out and buy her dinner, get to kiss her on the forehead.
> Third Date: You pick her up at her home, being asked to come in to meet her mother, her father, her big brother, her three younger sisters, her youngest brother, her aunts, her uncles, her cousins, her grandmother, her grandfather, who all start asking you about your educational background, your job, your family, your family's connections, your ways of practicing your religion, and your future plan involving traditional wedding ceremonies and marriages.

The Girl Who Kicks a Big Red Ball

2005-04-13T12:08:00.000-04:00

One day there was this little girl
With shiny black hair tied in pigtails
With apple red cheeks
And a beautiful smile

This little girl likes to think
Think long and hard
About what she wants to do
To keep her occupied

Then she found it
Written BIG on one of the website
W - A - K - A
World Kickball Association

Hmmmmm....she thought
I can do this!
I can do this allright!
I can see the big red ball, and I can kick it straight!

And so she joined...
The Virginia Central WAKA
The little girl and the big red ball
Is now flying high

Go Kick Grass!!!

Insider Trading, Kick Grass, and More Cowbell

Flipcup!

The whole gang

Bigger shot of the gang

She Made My Day!

2005-04-12T22:48:00.000-04:00

It was only a phonecall. Four T-Mobile jingle. I picked it up and this girl started singing a happy birthday song. I was like, who the hell?? I tried to match the voice to the faces of girls in DC and Richmond. Problem was, most of my friends here are guys. The voice just doesn't fit.

Then it struck me. "BULS!!!" I pretty much yelped. People around my cubicle were probably thinking, here we go...Prilla's in one of those Broadway moods!

Let me just tell you that it was one of the nicest surprise I've ever had in a long time. Simply beautiful! You really made my day, girl!

It's New York, Baby!!!

2005-04-11T00:06:00.000-04:00

As Kevin put it, there are two things to do in New York: walk and take pictures. And of course we did both, a lot of both.

Weather was perfect the whole weekend, sunny with blue sky. I couldn't have asked for more. Well, I guess it could have been better if I was in NY with my Missing Piece. But of course this is a continuing problem since I have yet to find such person. Kevin, nevertheless, was a great travel buddy. Fun, flexible, relaxed, and an awesome map reader! He was well prepared too, with Fodor's and Frommer's checked out from the library.

Friday we roamed around Times Square, Madison Square Garden, and Broadway.

We got there in the afternoon, so this is the daylight shot

Then we ate at the best hotdog place in NY!

And I love this picture, so I just had to put it in. [Yeah-yeah, cewek narsis you say, so what!]

I have to put the picture with Morgan Stanley in, just because!

And, of course, this one is a must if you go to NY...

Saturday we explored the lower Manhattan and Wall Street. I felt like I walked as much as Forest Gump ran. It was loooooong! Caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty. He actually was kind enough to walk over to Battery Park and take a picture with me!

The last one, I think, is totally funny. Anyone seen Hitch?

And since we were in Wall Street, might as well go north a little bit and visit Ground Zero...

Last spot to visit on Sunday was Central Park. I've been here two years ago but for some reason everything felt and looked different. CP was covered with people! They had a marathon training going, a parade along the 5th Ave (dunno what for though), people boating, and a bunch of musicians along the paths. These are my favorite pictures though...

Aren't these guys cute??? The elefunts have panties painted all over their butts! Kawaiii!

Anywhoo, that ended my second trip to NY. We took the subway back to the hotel and drove back to DC. Got there in about 3.5 hours, pretty much since Kevin drove like a maniac. I think he averaged about 80-85 mph. But the speed devil was definitely loving his stay in the car because I got to Richmond in an hour and a half. Hee-hee!

Till the next trip!

The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein

2005-04-07T16:23:00.000-04:00

The Giving Tree is one of my favorite stories. The first time I read this I almost cried because it was just so-so sad...

Once there was a giving tree who loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swinging from the branches, sleeping in the shade
Laughing all the summer’s hours away.
And so they love,
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon the boy grew older and one day he came and said,
"Can you give me some money, tree, to buy something I’ve found?"
"I have no money," said the tree, "Just apples, twigs and leaves."
"But you can take my apples, boy, and sell them in the town."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree,
"I’m now a man and I must have a house that’s all my home."
"I can’t give you a house" he said, "The forest is my house."
"But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home"
And so he did.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes.
"My life has turned so cold," he says, "and I need sunny days."
"I’ve nothing but my trunk," he says, "But you can cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
"I really cannot help you if you ask for another gift."
"I’m nothing but an old stump now. I’m sorry but I’ve nothing more to give"
"I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,"
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile.
"Well", said the tree, "An old stump is still good for that."
"Come, boy", he said, "Sit down, sit down and rest a while."
And so he did and
Oh, the trees was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

[Joke]: Donation

2005-04-07T16:07:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry guys, but I have to retract the Donation joke because it's a little sensitive to certain people. If you're curious as to what the joke is all about, leave a comment and your email, and I will make it available to you.

Pitter Patter of Little Feet

2005-04-04T16:54:00.000-04:00

Now that I had a chance to think about it, maybe I am running away. I'm running away from an ankle-deep mudpile and jumping into a neck-high pile of shit.

As Olivia said, "You can’t fool me with all of your silly excuses for going to DC."
I asked her back, "Were my excuses really that silly???"

But we both agreed that my "manfriend" as we call it was cute. Even Hui thought so.

But what actually am I looking for? What am I after?

I can't figure it out. All I know is that I'm in a deeper stack of doo-doo. A few months and I'll probably suffocate and die.

Just want to vent - vent - VENT!!!

2005-03-30T23:20:00.000-05:00

It's 11 p.m. and my Internet Explorer had just taken me to a new realm of pissed I have ever been. I had just finished typing up a whole blog and it went poof in a nanosecond.

"Microsoft Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience"

How nice.

How fucking nice.

Anyway, the title of the blog was the same as this one. Very appropriate.

And I'm not going to type in another blog just for your pleasure. My well being and beauty relies on my sleep, which I'm about to do in five minutes. I'll try to write up a somewhat similar blog tomorrow, that is if I am still in this same pissy mood.

All the Pretty Flowers

2005-03-27T22:39:00.000-05:00

My nutty neighbor has been on her crazy rampage. She has been parking her Scion sideways, on a perfect 45 degree angle and taking up one and a half parking space (of which the half was mine!). But sometimes it's good to have an oddball as a neighbor. One day she came up cradling a huge bag of apples in her arms. "We went to an apple farm and we got lots of apples, so I'm giving you some!" I just stood there at my doorway. "Are they good?" I asked dumbly. "Of course they are!" she snapped, "If they aren't, I wouldn't give them to you!"

One other day she came up with a bouquet of roses. The first thought that came into my mind was, "Is she hitting on me??" I was already feeling flattered when she said my apartment looked too plain and the flowers were definitely going to make it "more beautiful".

Well this time, she came up with coupons to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. "It's $2 off and you can get free Starbucks coffee! And they have this green house with all kinds of flowers! It's really pretty out there, you can go with your boyfriend!"

First of all, what kind of man would want to go to a greenhouse to look at a bunch of "pretty flowers"? Secondly, what "boyfriend"???

So, as all of you can tell, I called up a girlie girl to be my date for the day, and here are our pictures.

Think Outside the Box for a Sec, Will Ya?

2005-03-25T16:03:00.000-05:00

There are some nights when I just feel like going out. You know, hang out at a nice bar or cafe, listen to some live jazz and do a little dancing. Well, Thursday night was one of those nights.

And luckily, Olivia asked me out. Olivia is usually my date when I'm dateless (it pretty much goes both ways). Cafe Diem was the destination of the night, and since gas hit 2 (and I mean TWO) bucks this week, I just had to drive.

We got ourselves a table. Of course Olivia had to try her luck. After all, it's her birthday tomorrow. But alas, Bacardi Silver is not (and I don't think they will ever be) on the menu. So she had to settle with her vodka and cranberry juice.

And as you know, things happen to people when they drink.

Especially when they get to their third glass, with glasses of water in between.

And since Olivia is kind of a normal person, it happened to her. She simply had to pee.

So she got up graciously and walked that walk across the dancefloor.

And darnit! The little girl's room was occupied!

"Hey, you can use the guy's bathroom!" a voice suddenly called out. Olivia looked at the guy and shook her head. "No! Guy's bathroom is usually nastier than the girls!" The guy countered, "This one's not. Go ahead, use it!"

So our little Olivia thought for a moment, and figured, what the hell. She stepped in and the guy asked again, "Do you need toilet paper?"

"Yeah."

"Here you go!" The guy, I swear to God, opened his mouth and pulled his tongue out.

Olivia's jaw dropped.

I told her she should've said she was going to do number two.

Buzz-buzz! Busy as a Bee!

2005-03-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

Since my life kinda fell apart earlier this month, I've been loading myself with more crap that I've ever handled since the third grade.

THIRD GRADE you asked?

Well yes! My wonderful and loving mum (and no! I'm not being sarcastic at all *ahem*) has put me to work ever since I could remember. Monday - Wednesday - Friday was English. Piano lessons were either Tuesday or Thursday. Painting lessons were Mondays, I think? Somehow I also remembered playing basketball at least once a week (and me dreading the experience because I pretty much sucked). And of course there was Chinese lessons every Saturday night with "Lao Tse" (notice that I really said it with distaste).

So as a teenager, my social life was pretty much nonexistent. My close friends (Buls, In?) could pretty much attested to this. At times I would look forlornly at them taking off to the mall to watch a movie or grab a bite. Other times I would simply be green with envy, scribing tons and tons of Chinese characters on my notebook, wondering how to write the word "bitch" instead of "Lao Tse".

But anyways, that was then and this is now. As I said before, my life took an unexpected turn and I figured it's time to explore the uncharted. Juggling between jazzercise, kickboxing, kickball, and metal jewelry take some work. I'm booked from Monday to Thursday. I thought about volleyball but coming home with unbelievably huge bruises on my arms made me have second thoughts. And Noah second that after looking at my feeble arms.

Weekends are times for roadtrips. I have been going to DC, and am hoping to make it a habit. Luckily I have friends who will take me under their wings. I could pretty much choose and pick where I want to stay for the night; the possibilities are just endless!

Of course all these don't really make the loneliness disappear. It's always there, nagging, at the back of my head. More often than not I wished it would just fade away. But then, it makes you remember all the good times and the wonderful experiences that you had before. And considering that these last 2.5 years were the happiest years of my life, I don't think I want to trade them away.

So no, I'm not running. I'm just trying to make the best possible outcome out of a not so great situation. And being busy is the simplest way to do it.

The Liver Cried: Yeah Baby, Kill Me!

2005-03-21T14:53:00.000-05:00

That was what she (yes, my liver is a girl) said late Saturday night (or shall I say early Sunday morning) after I drank the last drop of Corona (after Gin and Tonic, Cosmo, Southern Comfort, and another Corona). Btw, Kevin, that Southern Comfort stuff is N-A-S-T-Y! She (my liver) probably didn't like me very much that night, but she definitely could not resist the temptation, the wave of euphoria that hit her constantly till the early morning. I could see her laying there, taking a puff and said, "Damn! I haven't had it like that for the longest time!" She hates me, but she can't stop loving me either.

Sneezes, Rocker who Sucks, and the Ever-Delicious Hot Pot

2005-03-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

Half of the team dumplings met again for another appetising and delicious night. This time it was at Tom's place. Hui brought her all new hi-tech electric hotpot. Amstel light was the broth for the night.

An epidemic of sneezes broke once the spicy red sauce was dumped into the ocean of beer. Cries and laughter, sniffles and coughs, all in one burst.

Before the night was over, two rockers emerged singing a sad "Heaven" song. One rocker sucks, the other doesn't. One rocker drank most of the beer, the other had a diet coke. One was hot, really hot, but that was when the Japanese occupied the land. Hands and legs are twisty-ties, spread eagled on the Twister mat. Camera snapped, bodies tumbled. Again, laughter, high and low.

Then came the reality of Life. Choose a career, become an entertainer and get $20,000. Choose college, $40,000 in debt, become an accountant and get $100,000. Paydays, marriage, house deed, taxes, all came in a whirl.

So what do you choose? Where would you go? I'd rather be right here. Just right here.

Not a Player

2005-03-04T14:49:00.000-05:00

There are things that you do that gives out an undesirable effect (or the opposite, for that matter) despite all the nice intentions.

Love, I learned, is a complicated matter. However, I have been very fortunate in learning a few basic rules (the hard way, of course, but I have no complaints)
1. Go all the way, don't quit in the middle.
2. If you have doubts, stop and don't continue. Continuing will destroy you, but it will destroy the other person even more.
3. People that are worth your love will let you go if it's time. People who are not will drag you down.
4. Some always say "don't start something you can't finish". However, I believe that if you do start it, even if you can't finish, you get something valuable and irreplaceable.
5. Trial and error works. There will be many pangs, heartbreaks and silent cries, but they all make you grow up.
6. Love is definitely NOT everything.
7. But life is.

Millie's Diner

2005-02-19T07:56:00.000-05:00

Millie's Diner has the best potatoes in the whole wide world! How's that for an opening statement?

It's true. I haven't been to Millie's in months, and I have forgotten how my tummy had smiled with joy when I filled it up with their infamous Devil's Mess and a load of their (also infamous) potatoes.

Noah, being the true culinary expert, has kindly reminded me of this simple pleasure.

So we went for our Friday lunch.

Oh what a good thing it was...

Oysters, Dolphins, Puffy Dresses, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

2005-02-17T12:10:00.000-05:00

It is always a surprise if someone called you up and told you to pack your bags because "we're going North and the train's leaving in an hour and a half."

And that was what happened on Friday (Feb 11, 2005). I frantically packed my dufflebag with schtuff, putting little thoughts in what I needed while my neighbor downstairs came knocking on my door, blabbering about a lost cat that found its way to her doorstep. I finally managed to kick her out of my apartment, stuffing the last pieces of clothing that I thought I might die without.

The trip up was definitely fun. Luke and I sang along to Savage Garden (HUH?? Excuse me???). Well, yeah, we did. As bad as Savage Garden was, I still love the first three songs on the CD, and the guitarist was hot!!

Don't you think so???

Anywhoo, not to get sidetracked here, this is what we did:

1. Hotel: Peabody Court, across Baltimore's Washington Monument. We prefer to call it The Orange Pole, since it's lit up with an orangey light at dark. Our room had the view of The Orange Pole, not so much breathtaking as it was funny as hell.

2. Broadway Show (my first!): The King and I. Great show, funny and as hilarious as Yul Brenner's from my childhood.

3. Lexington Market. Not the greatest area in town, but fun, with raw oyster bar, and about 150 different food vendors.

4. The Inner Harbor / Aquarium. Very commercialized. Had a lot of fun at the aquarium. The all new dolphin show was not really all that, but fun nevertheless. I've seen better dolphin shows in Seaworld in HK.

5. Hitch. Took a break from driving in Fredricksburg, and watched a movie. It was quite enjoyable up to the point where he came back to her and begged for her to come back into his life. It honestly pissed me off to no end. She was the one who fucked up the relationship, and now he's the one begging. I wished the movie didn't have to end up that way.

That was a rough summary of our trip to Baltimore. As the King would end it, there will be more trips to come. Hopefully to Montreal, Italy, and Alaska, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

Still on the Subject...

2005-02-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

It's been two weeks since I'm on the eye exercise program. So far these have happened:

1. I started hating my glasses and contact lenses.
2. Nothing changes perscription-wise (sadly). I am still as blind as a bat.
3. I've also been feeling a little bit nauseated. I believe it's because of the eye exercises, and going back and forth between glasses and no glasses.

I am debating whether I should continue on with this program. I did check with my eye doctor, and he said the exercise will help me focus better, but he firmly believes that I will still need glasses no matter what I do.

So! Any advice?

Going on Reverse

2005-02-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

I heard an ad on the radio. A method of exercising and focusing your eyes that could actually reduces your perscription and even eliminates corrective lenses completely.

"Call 1-800-370-1011!"

And so I did.

Paid 10 bucks and a week later a 30-day trial came to my door.

So I've been on this "exercise" thingy for two days. So far I don't really feel any significant difference happening. I did notice that whenever my eyes get really tired and I started doing the exercise, the tiredness goes away.

Maybe this thing really works?

If it does, hey! What's better than not having to buy glasses or contacts anymore?

I'll keep you posted!

The Beauty of White

2005-01-19T15:41:00.000-05:00

It snowed in Richmond today, the second snow of the season after a weird two week summer spell. It was beautiful. I watched from my sixth floor office window, little flurries falling down from the sky. They danced in the wind, graceful like ballerina's fingertips. As they turned the ground white, these little flakes seem to wipe away the dreadfulness of winter. Nothing was sad and grey anymore. Everything was white, simple and lovely.

I was happy.

Review: Roma's

2005-01-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Ate at a new Italian Restaurant last night called Roma's. It's located on Staples Mills. I believe it's fairly new since I've never seen it before. Of course it's been a while since I drive through Staples Mills. I've been using Betlehem and I-64 lately.

Roma's is nothing spectacular from the outside, plain beige-colored wall with a huge "ROMA's" on the front. However, it's a little bit more intimate on the inside. Sky-and-cloud painted ceiling decorated the whole space, kind of remind you of Caesar's Palace in Vegas. The windows "look out" to scenic points of Northern Italy. I did not exactly feel the warmth of a big Italian family, but it definitely did not have a "franchised" feel like Olive Garden.

The girl that waited our table was friendly and attentive. She brought us our drinks and took our order. Luke got Mussel Marinara, and I ordered Pasta Puttanesca. Both came with bread and butter, and good-sized salads, and both are around $15.

Our meals came on a huge round place, and the pasta pretty much covered the whole plate. Luke's was covered with mussels and lots and lots of fresh tomatoes. Plenty of fresh tomatoes dressed my dish too, along with two different kinds of olives, capers, and banana peppers. Oh yes, mine certainly has a little kick to it.

We enjoyed our meals thoroughly. Mine was delicious, and certainly different than any other pasta I have tasted before. I did soon realize that there was no way I could finish the whole thing. I had at least 3 meals worth of pasta in front of me! The waitress quickly came and offered to put my leftover in a box. She disappeared and came back with a box in her hand.

I would certainly come back for another dinner or to explore the lunch menu. Roma's offers a lot of different entrees including sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, and pastas for both dinner and lunch. All the entrees are reasonably priced. And considering you're going to be well fed for the next three meals, why not?

The dreadful friday

2005-01-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

Friday is not always fun. For wannabe actuaries especially. This Friday is one of them, one of the two Fridays in a year where you find out if you actually belong in the highly acclaimed N.E.R.D.S or if you're just one of those lowly creatures waiting to be kicked out of the actuarial "gene pool"

I, once again, have been on the latter group. Hengchang, on the other hand, is clicking impatiently every two seconds on the "Passing Candidate Number" on the SOA link. He is one of the few chosen ones who has never failed in any of the exams. How did he do it, you wonder? Well, so do I. And the rest of the group.

As a matter of fact, the last click he made at the website confirms that he really does belong. A toast, a drinking night, and a singing Doug Fearrington awaits at the end of the day, just to celebrate.

As for me, and the rest of the tadpoles, we just shake our little heads and hope for the best on the next exam.

Short Hot Love Story

2005-01-13T16:34:00.000-05:00

I SHALL SEEK AND FIND YOU....
I SHALL TAKE YOU TO BED AND CONTROL YOU....
I WILL MAKE YOU ACHE, SHAKE AND SWEAT UNTIL YOU GRUNT AND GROAN....
I WILL MAKE YOU BEG FOR MERCY....
I WILL EXHAUST YOU TO THE POINT THAT YOU WILL BE RELIEVED WHEN I LEAVE YOU....
AND YOU WILL BE WEAK FOR DAYS.

ALL MY LOVE,
THE FLU

Prilla is sick today...

2005-01-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

It all began in a magical dumpling world, where everything was white and fluffy, soft and delicious, and warm to the taste. It was a good jolly time with old and new friends: making dumplings, tasting dumplings, eating dumplings, saving the leftover dumplings. It was all good and happy.

Until the next day. I woke up with a burning sensation on my throat.

"Oh!" I thought, "This is not good...NOT GOOD at all!"

And I was right.

Today was my second day of sorethroat, and it's now moving up to my nose. In a few hours, I will have nose congestions, and when I'm weak and out of breath, it's going to move down and conquer my lungs.

Oh well, I can't complain. I'm sick once a year, pretty much about the same time. If there is anyone to blame (sure there is!), I would probably blame Hui's germy house. Hee-hee, kidding!

The weatherman disappoints me (again!)

2005-01-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

So what's up with the weather? How is it possible for California to have inches and inches and inches of snow while we here in the good ol' east are barely surviving with, uhm, NONE???

If only I was more careful and not so much moving on impulse, I probably wouldn't be blaming it on the weatherman (Duh! Didn't mean to sound like a chicksong!)

Here is the problem.

I am in love with skiing.

I love the coldness of the snow, the fierce wind blowing on my face when I'm moving downhill.

I love the crunching and the swishing, and challenge of going down the black diamonds.

So! Since I love skiing so much, I figured, why don't I just buy a season pass!

OH! The greatest idea of the season!!

So here I am.

Stuck.

On a slope

With no snow (and I repeat, NO SNOW)

So should I cross my fingers? Do I dare to hope for mounds and mounds and mounds of snow next week? Should I pray on my knees? Praying for that soft, powdery, white substance? Is it really meant to be???

What's with the reds and the blues and the yellows?

2005-01-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

There are certain feelings or smells that you can only express with colors. I, for one, am usually happier in yellows and light greens. Red burns me and blue sometime is just not happy enough. However, too much yellow sometimes is too much. A simple example would be when a banana is starting to smell yellow. It's an indicator that it's time is ticking away and doom is inevitable. Bruise marks will pop up and fruitflies will attack with full force. You don't really want to get that far. Adopt the banana to your system when the tip is still light green and you'll have a perfect and happy color.

The Magical World of Dumplings

2005-01-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

Had a small get together at Hui's place last night, our second after hot pot night in December. It was fun! Iron Chef Tom chopped the nappa cabbage - lightning speed style while the six of us gathered around a big pan of chives and ground pork mix, making little tiny dumplings as perfect and as tightly as possible. When we have enough dumplings to feed the entire children in China, we stopped our little dumpling factory and dumped what we had "produced" in a big pot of boiling water.

"Let it boil," Iron Chef Tom said, "Add a cup of cold water and let it boil again."

He is so full of wisdom!

"Do it two times," he continued, "And your dumplings are ready."

Mix up some vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of "Lao Gan Ma", and it was just magical! MAGICAL!

Well, honestly... dumplings are not really that magical. They taste good! But still, not magical. What's more magical is having friends who enjoyed making dumplings with you, or playing "Killer" over and over and over again until Hui finally became the killer and was finally happy. Laughing out loud was magical. And of course, laughing out loud until you have a sore throat the next day was sort of magical too!

We're probably going to have something going for Chinese New Year, and hopefully, it's going to be "magical" as well. :-)