...and school ain't one. Yet.I thought that work--and work only--all summer would mean no worries about anything. But I've been worrying a great deal about a great deal the past several weeks. From shady subletters and questionable checks to worn tires and creaking brakes, at one point everything just got overwhelming. Certainly, these things pale … Continue reading I’ve got 99 problems. →

I don't know----can be taken as a sign of nonchalant ambivalence or of true un-knowledge. The phrase bothers me immensely particularly when I know that it's employed for the sake of ease. Rather than explaining what or where something is, "I don't know" replaces an extended side of conversation and deems the preceding question insignificant, … Continue reading "I don’t know." →

Growing up, I couldn't wait to be 20 years old. I thought the 20-something years would be the best, primarily because of:driving: You can go anywhere, any time you want. Even carrying around a car key makes you look cool. Imagine actually driving the car.Having to drive every day now, and I often wish I … Continue reading Being Twenty-Something →

It was an exhausting, eventful month.There was a wedding in Fremont the weekend before finals week.There was finals week.There were graduations in San Diego and Riverside at the end of finals week.There was San Diego again the following Monday.There was a job interview the day after.There was Portland for the latter half of that week.There … Continue reading June Goings-On →

It's one of those I feel so nostalgic and poetic that I have to write nights. I can't believe I've gone so long without writing despite that so much has been running through my mind and schedule this entire quarter (eight weeks in already, can you believe it?). It's been a hectic quarter, keeping up with two … Continue reading One of Those Nights →

We are so often plugged in--to our smartphones, iPods, laptops, etc. Sometimes it's a way to defy--or cope with--loneliness. Instead of just walking or waiting alone, we plug ourselves into our devices to look like we have something to do other than stand around in solitude. Contrastingly, sometimes it's a way to create your own … Continue reading Plugged In →

In my Chinatown home, I always had a cup. That cup was for water, milk, juice, and sometimes even soup. That cup was a Styrofoam cup. It was disposable, it was clean, it was temporary. I halfheartedly rinsed the cup before each use, haphazardly tossed it into the fridge afterward, and heartlessly threw it away … Continue reading Cups →

(a continuation of "Life and Lemons")...But no matter which lemon you pick, it's only a matter of time before the rind turns wrinkly, the flesh turns dry, and the yellow turns moldy. Because everything, no matter how fresh, juicy, plump--and full of potential--it initially seems, comes to an end, and that is the sour reality.And that … Continue reading Lemons, cont’d →

Sometimes, life gives you an empty bucket. Other times, it throws lemons at you like tennis balls out of a machine.Just when I thought I had an empty bucket, I encountered a great lemon: fresh, plump, bright yellow lemon. "This'll make for some great lemonade," I thought. I began to squeeze the lemon, indulging in … Continue reading Life and Lemons →

I believe I have finally reached the calm that I had frantically been seeking for several months. I have finally taken opportunities which stood right in front of me and pursued what I know or suspect I want. And I'm in a better place (not that I was in a bad place to begin with, … Continue reading The Calm (before the storm?) →