Some people. I just saw a guy outside my office roll up in a Hummer and leave the door open as he walked away. He then proceeded to:
1. Cross the street to walk to a newspaper stand.
2. Cross the street again to throw something in the trash (I assume this was the case; he left my line of sight for about a minute or two before coming back in, empty handed)
3. Cross the street again to pay the meter
4. He finally crossed the street a final time to go back to his stupid car to put the ticket in his dashboard.

All told, he was probably away from the car a full 5 minutes.

Seriously, who just leaves their door wide open like that? We live in New York City! I was tempted to go down and steal his car just to teach him a lesson. I kept waiting to see a passenger in the car, keeping it safe, but no... nobody. Of all the crazy things I've seen living here, that is probably the worst.

So I hate end of year reviews. I also hate New Year's, New Year's resolutions, winter, and people. So we're not going to go into that; I already seem like enough of a crazy on here as it is.

Like if you think people shouldn't be allowed to speak on subways. I wish NYC was more like Tokyo.

Anyway, for the sake of prosperity and updating on the previous posts, here goes:

In 2011, I:
1. Moved back to America after almost 3 years in China (yeah this list totally ignores Jan-May).
2. Went to NYU with new college grads (and okay yeah I made some awesome friends while at it).
3. Was unemployed and homeless (at the same time!) for far longer than I would have liked.
4. Debated moving back in with mom and ended up taking an internship I'd like to think I was overqualified for, just to be able to stay in NYC.
5. Finally got a job--that I love so far-- at a great company. Oh and got a place to live.
6. Hung pictures for the first time in-- 7 years.

This sense of permanence is good right now but I give it 10 more months before I start to go stir crazy. X(

Oh and preview of 2012's review: Became an aunt, twice over.

Some of the kids in my program are quite a bit younger than I am. I'd say 90% of them either graduated from college this year (class of '11!) or last. I am worried for the future.

Overheard yesterday:

"Justin Beiber and Obama are in town at the same time!"
"Really? I knew Beibs was in town but didn't know that Obama is!"

Sigh.

So, um. I am in New York. I quit my job to move back to America and go full time to a (very short) certification course in Publishing at NYU. Crazy, right? It's certainly busy. And it's definitely a high speed life here. China, for all that it's developing at a crazy pace, is definitely more relaxed.

The above picture is a band of buskers by City Hall that I passed today. I am really busy and also buying into the whole speed of life that we have in NYC, so I almost didn't take the time to go the 15 feet out of my way to check these guys out. I'm so glad I did. These guys made my day.

Right now stress is high and the entire class is in a bad mood. That, compounded with the shitty weather and waking up on the wrong side of the bed today, made me really grumpy.

So, walked over to them and I stopped to look. I took a picture. I sat on a bench to listen. I almost didn't, cause that's 'not what New Yorkers do,' and I'm trying to fit in here... But you know what? So what if I'm the little naive girl that stops for buskers. They were talented. It made me WAY happier than I would have been if I had just ignored the music and not gone the 10 steps to figure out what it was.

It was definitely a reminder to me to stop sometimes, slow down and enjoy life. I tend to get so caught up in whatever thing I'm focused on that I forget to be happy. Why bother living if you're not going to enjoy being alive?

And I really don't mean that in a philosophical 'to be or not to be' type way, I mean it in a 'what are you waiting for' type way. Roberta Meyers, the Editor in Chief of Elle (hah hah yeah I know so not me) said something in her June Editor's Letter that really resonated with me: "I know so many women whose full-time job is fixing what's wrong with them: their diet, flexibility, body-fat percentage, hair, skin, the color of their teeth, the life of their breasts, noses, and rear ends. It's an endless cycle that prompts the question: If this is your life, what are you getting ready for?"

And that's so true. With me especially, since I'm a such a perfectionist. If you're constantly fixing something, you're fixating on what's not right, not good enough, or missing. What are you getting ready for while you're wasting your life away?

hi *waves* so.. that last post was interesting, right? I hope I didn't come off as crazy there. I might have. Whatever, that happens sometimes.

anyway I just had an interesting.. well okay maybe it's not so interesting but it's a story!

So I just got my hair cut, like a lot. I lopped off 12 inches to donate to Locks of Love, even though the minimum is 10 inches. I got a little overzealous when I was putting on the rubber bands for cutting. And then by the time it was all evened out my hair is in a bob that just touches where the back of my neck and shoulders meet. It's probably about 15 inches shorter than it was before the cut, at least. I don't know what I think about this yet. Last time my hair was this length was in 2005 when I was growing it out from a pixie cut.

Actually, it was really funny trying to explain the situation in the salon. The problem is like this: a) Chinese, as you probably know, has a lot of words that sound like each other but mean totally different things. And b) Charity, donating things, NGOs, etc. haven't really caught on in China. They don't really understand it. So trying to go in and explain that you want to donate your hair is like-- O_o "what are you saying to me? o_O I don't understand.. You want to roll your hair? You want to confine it? You want to select it? These words don't make sense together." So in the end my friend had to explain that I wanted to keep my hair for later. I'm glad she was there or else I would have stood there for ever going "juan (pronounced joo-en, not like the name lol)? juan? juan toufa? juan xian?"

Anyway, I also have to say that I hate the comments you get when you make a big change. Like if I had an event one day and wore a skirt instead of my jeans and people feel like they have to make a comment. I just feel like they're commenting because they feel obligated to make a comment, not because it's actually necessarily a good change.

So this morning I came in to work and of course everyone starts yelling about my haircut. After the explanation of why I did it ("I want to donate it" "what?" "donate" "what? why would you want to do that??" "they give it to kids with cancer to make wigs" "EH? you can do that??" etc. etc.), I have gotten three funny reactions so far that I don't know what to think about:

1. De Feng: Hm.. your hair looks like they used to in the 50's, right after the founding of Communist China. All schoolgirls had to cut their hair like that.

2. Wang Dan: Did you cut it yourself? It looks like it.

3. Hai Na: Oh, you really did cut your hair! It looks okay. I mean, it will grow out at least :)


So I'm feeling the general consensus is that they don't like it. Hahahhaa, oh well. Good cause and all that.

hello. excuse the incredible absences. But I really don't have much to post any more (this is code for I am getting kind of paranoid about what information about me is available on the internet... also I wash my hands a lot, do you think that's related?).

I just have random thoughts that should go on a twitter (and if that weren't blocked in China, tweeting would be possible). Plus I think Twitters are strange. I mean, everything is so short. Are we that lazy? I mean, the internet is strange in general. We've become this society of people that advertise some pretty private things freely, all on the internet for anyone to read. Whether that's bad or good I can't say. I'm just saying it's strange. Does anyone care? Are we just being arrogant in thinking that people give a shit about our thirty second tweet (sent from my iPhone! The one that I don't have, don't get me started on iPhones) about eating a Frank's Hotdog? Every time I think about posting on this journal about some random thing that pisses me off I end up not doing it because I think, "God, does anybody really care?"


This was not my point. At all. My point was actually to come and ask a question. I have been on fictionpress lately, there are some pretty good fictions on there considering. But there are also a lot of really bad ones.

My question is: What is it about badfic that makes you want to continue reading it? Why did I just read that story till it's horrible, nonsensical, cliched ending? I think I wanted it to redeem itself, but it should have been apparent in the beginning that it never would (main characters conveniently forgetting huge plot points for no reason...? [Actually no I thought that it was going to be incorporated into some devious MPD plot twist, after about the third time it happened]). Why do we do this? Really. Tell me. This isn't a rhetorical question. I need to stop wasting time on these. I'd like the last 75 minutes of my life back, payable at my current hourly rate of 8.5 dollars an hour. Maybe if I have the reason I can logic myself into stopping reading in the beginning.







ETA: I'm sorry for my brain. Reread this, and does it make any sense at all? My mom says that I don't have ADD.

Here's something I just realized about myself: I can't keep a secret. Is this bad?

And no, the person (or people, heh) I tell might not always be the same person. But I think this has something to do with my lack of brain-mouth filter. yes?

So, Creepy Boy: when the other night you told me not to tell anyone that you like me? I'd already told two. Yes, it'd only been thirty minutes; I work fast. I already had plans to tell at least three others. But at least it has to do with me so it's my secret to share! bwahaha. And sorry for posting this online for millions to see-- but what's a few people between friends?

So I am lame. I didn't realize till today that yesterday was Valentine's Day (We are in the future in China). And now I feel really lame. I just slept half the day away yesterday and didn't leave the house. I literally didn't see another person at all after waking up yesterday. Wow, I am lame.

(In my defense, I was up till 4 for the school's Chinese New Year Party)

Okay, I'm Chinese, right? And I grew up eating Chinese food. Even Panda Express (which, btw is the name of a movie that is coming out soon here, *giggle*) And like, I currently live in China. Will someone please tell me what General Tso's chicken is? I've seen two references to it in the past week and I have never heard of this. Kong Pao chicken, yes. General Tso's? No.

Oh and Happy New Year!

...This doesn't mean that I'll actually update. I just want to leave this journal not on a note that I sound like a complete LOSER.

But it is funny to read the journal entries from so long ago and remember. Not a long time year-wise, but a long time life-wise. As in (in no particular order):
1. Moved to China
2. Got a job, also going to school
3. BF and I broke up


Who knew huh?

Tomorrow I am going back to the US for a short trip. A good friend is getting married. I can't wait for freedom of the internet!!