l'anniversaire

So it was my birthday yesterday. How old did I turn, you ask? If you don't know me, you'll have to figure that one out. Just know that I'm "getting there." It's been a fun, not-too-crazy experience (I take that back; Saturday night was some crazy sh!+). A couple of friends from New Jersey and SoCal flew in to relive our Bostonian collegiate memories while helping me get completely wasted. It was cool seeing my friends from back east hanging out with the friends that I've made here in NorCal; almost like two worlds colliding. Dinner was at Thirsty Bear in downtown SF, and after some tasty tapas and a few beers, we headed to DNA lounge for the Google/Orkut Party. All in all, Saturday night was a good time. I know this because everyone told me so, not because I remember any of it post dinner.


Happy people.


Jeff, me, Trish, Laura


Can I blow it out now? How about now? Is now a good time?


It looks like Jeff really wanted some of that frothy milkshake thing.


Susan, Trish, me, my boy Pourya, and Young.


Why this picture has a bronze tint, I have no idea; Young, me, Susan

For those of you asking, "where are the other pictures?" There are no "other" pictures (besides than the ones I deleted). So you can stop asking.

And finally, I would like to pay a tribute to my long-lost beta fish, Alpha by introducing my new beta, "Iri-des" (like iridescent. get it? nevermind...). One of my coworkers actually read my blog and after reading Alpha's sad story, she brought me a new beta. K.Lew, you rule.




Iri-des, just being iridescent.

Let me make this the longest post ever by sharing a story about the present my mother sent me. So a few months back when I was at home for Christmas, she told me that she wanted to get me a small sachel (translation: man-purse) that I could carry my belongings in, and that all the hip, young, trendy men in Korea had them. I then gingerly explained to my mother that we reside not in Korea, but in the good 'ole US of A, where (straight) men don't carry such forms of luggage. My explanation apparently fell on deaf ears. I received a package from my mother on Monday containing exactly that; a satchel... a man-purse. You be the judge:





Mom, I love you, but this thing is definitely going back to the unisex section of the Tumi store from which it came.

Artsy Stuff

A few weeks ago, I picked up two pieces of artwork at a street side exhibit during a trip up to Lake Tahoe. Little did I know of the additional costs that would ensue; framing them turned out to be more costly than the pieces themselves. Lesson learned. Regardless, I'm happy with the way they turned out and according to my nerdy KPMG accountant friend, art never depreciates so I guess they were good investments. The following are pictures displaying the fruits of my labor:


Both prints side-by-side, dining area.


A far-away look.


Cabernet Sauvignon?


A quaint French town.

On a side-note, does anyone need one of these? I got one for free and since I use an iPod Shuffle at the gym, no need. [EDIT: This has now been accounted for.]

Aspiring journalists discovered

YJC: hahha, i wrote this article on vicky and sent it to her
YJC: cuz she was telling me that she figured out a new diet
YJC: she called it the "staple" diet
YJC: where you eat something (ie. bag of chips, snacks, etc)...and after you eat a little, you "staple staple staple"
YJC: and you put it aside so you won't eat anymore
TEK: hahaha
TEK: then what
YJC: so then later today, she wrote me an email saying that she went through and removed all the staples with her hands and STILL ate the rest of the bag
YJC: so i wrote the following article
YJC: let me forward it to you..

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The "Staple" Dieters Revolt
(San Francisco, AP) In San Franciso, California, it was determined once and for all that the "staple" diet is a fraud. According to sources, many dieters have clung to this new form of dieting that requires the dieter to literally "staple" their food shut to prevent further binging. It has become more widespread in the past week than Atkin's has been in the past few years. Ironically, it has spread among working young urban professionals ("yuppies") and gay urban professionals ("guppies") throughout the U.S. due to the abundance of "staples" in these work environments. However the downfall began, when hungry dieters across the nation began to revolt and TEAR OPEN the staples with their bare hands in efforts to attain the unattainable. One dieter stated,

"Pry! Pry! I'm eating M&Ms now. Double demerits for me." -VC

As of 4:50 PM (pacific standard time), dieters are flocking to a new form of dieting where one consumes as much junk food to their desire. After the initial satiation attained from this binging exercise, they run to the nearest restroom and purge themselves of their prior consumption. This diet is now known as "BULEMIA". More to come next week on the statistics of this new and upcoming diet.
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In response to this fabricated article, another article was fabricated, and the cycle of lost productivity continues...

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Productivity Decline Attributed to "TMTOH Syndome"
(Silicon Valley, AP) Employees in the hi-tech and most notably, Accounting and Consulting sectors are experiencing a new wave of problematic ailments which actually inhibit productivity in the workplace. Toomuchtimeonhandsitis (TMTOH Syndrome) was first discovered in lab rats that were left to their own devices for an extended period of time, and was found to affect both male and female alike (although recent tests show that females are much more susceptible than males). There is also an increasing amount of evidence that Toomuchtimeonhandsitis also affects humans cross-culturally, although subjects of East-Asian descent were found to be more susceptible for unknown reasons. Medical experts caution that the primary symptoms to watch for in it's early stages are the fabrication of false or foolhardy (albeit, entertaining) diet plans, the rebuttal of these plans through the creation of false news articles, and any follow-up articles in reaction to initial false news articles. Dr. Jonathan J. Doolhardy Oblong II of the University of California, Berkeley medical school warns that the social subset of young professionals located in urban areas, such as San Francisco are exponentially at a much higher risk, since "yuppies are lazy bastards," Oblong states. There were no further comments from other medical professionals.

One worker who chose to remain anonymous, elated that getting Toomuchtimeonhandsitis was much more favorable than getting any type of venereal disease. However, much like Chlamydia, there is currently no cure for Toomuchtimeonhandsitis, and professionals in the medial and research and development fields are working strenuously to develop one. In the interim, medical experts suggest taking extended vacations, two-hour lunch breaks, and superfluous trips to the water cooler to avoid the feeling one might get when they are being completely and utterly worthless at work.

TK, Associated Press.
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