Happy Chinese New Year!

First big CNY party in the states and my facial muscles are still twitching 24 hours later.  Smiling politely, laughing uncontrollably, scrunching frowns at the recap video...oh man, asian antics make me giggle just thinking about it.  And I am not wearing a tie next year.  Did my neck grow chubbier?  So long hospitality industry, may I only wear a tie once a year.  Definitely more pictures of the party to come, but maybe with myself edited out.  But most people clean up VERY nicely, kudos to their make up skills.  All in all, a great night.  Gong xi fa cai everyone!

Prayer, Taoyuan Airport

One advantage of being a smaller island nation with moderate resources is the necessity of interacting and trading with neighboring countries.  Some may view it as a hindrance, but the doors that are opened can't be denied.  And whether you have firm beliefs about the world or not, few things are more comforting than unconditional acceptance. 

To personal victories

It's not easy to keep going.  I'm saying this in the second quarter of my life, but I can't imagine it to be any less true across the board.  It's a trial, but it's also everything worth having.  Sometimes I choose the left, but often times, I have to turn right to go left.  Today is a right kind of day.

Change, but not at the cost of freedom

Wikipedia is going down for a day in protest of SOPA/PIPA, and I believe most people support Jimmy Wales' logic.  Piracy is a serious issue, but taking away freedom is definitely the path to the dark side.  I'm actually quite surprised that such an aggressive bill came at this specific time frame.  Most of us probably aren't entirely guilt free when it comes to piracy, but I was rather happy to note at the end of last year, I barely had any incentive to resort to piracy.  Free services like google docs, pandora, hulu, and sites like "http://www.canistream.it/" help a lot.  And I was especially pleased with the introduction of reasonable price points.  Netflix, Spotify, Kindle, Steam, and various apps all have fees that I gladly pay.  It doesn't feel like price gouging.  It feels good to support art.  So while I'll be at my dumbest tomorrow (and possibly shirking all social contacts), ah, what's that quote by Gabe?  "I will personally burn everything I've made to the fucking ground if I think I can catch them in the flames."

Back to school: Enter the Dragon

Our school mascot is the Dragon, which is pretty fitting for this year.  Having your baby next year means getting the Snake for the zodiac.  Not as cool.  Quick, there's still roughly 3 months to find someone and have a baby to make the deadline.

MLK Day

While the Occupy movement ultimately seemed like a protest without clear demands/solutions, the "town hall" nature of the rallies was something to keep in mind.  People need a place to express their thoughts, vocally and artistically.  Sometimes it takes a collective to feel okay to shout out loud, but extremes never last long.  Compromise between government and people should be reached so voices aren't confined to breaking points.  A place to remind, a place to express.

A photo a day, keeps the doctor away

New New Year's resolution, 15 days late.  Going to post a picture on here everyday, along with mailing my family.  This was taken in Singapore over winter break at Jee and Pete's place.  Baboo and Bibim never look at the camera.