10placesofmycity-Dallas
~DALLAS.TEXAS~
SMU Foreign Language Lab
– My work place, my sanctuary. For three years of my college life, I spent most of my time outside of class here. Come to think of it, I spent a lot of should-be-in-class time here too 
I love this place, and everyone I’ve met here. Not to mention it built my passion for Macs ☺
La Madelaine, outside Collin Creek Mall
– where a lot of my friends like to go when we are out of ideas for a meeting place.
Richardson Public Library
– I think I’ve utilized everything they offer here. From CDs to books to magazines to study rooms to references to foreign books to internet access… you get the idea.
Friendship Park
– I love this park,. Don’t know what I’d do without its bike track, swing sets, and basketball court.
Park off of Renner, with a name I can never remember
– There’s a lake there. I take my rollerblades and my laptop. Although my plan to do homework never gets accomplished under that lovely breeze.
Target, 75 and Lemmon
– You have no idea how many lunch hours I spent walking through here.
Starbucks, anywhere
– I don’t drink coffee. I just like to smell it.
UTD Activity Center
– It’s much better than the SMU one I tell ya. Although if you went to UT you’d probably disappoint yourself.
Half-Price Books, Northwest Highway
– I love cheap stuff. ☺ Also, it’s a nice place to just go sit and relax.
12633 Hornbeam Drive
– Home sweet home ☺ What would I do without my harbor of safety?
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The Snake
周末爸爸从未见过面的堂弟从纽约来。各位亲戚们争先恐后的为他们夫妇接风洗尘。从不喜欢凑热闹的我也冒着大风雨当陪客，嘻嘻，算是给足面子了。
家庭聚会不值一提，最大的收获是一条十分可爱的蛇。你不得不佩服玩具/卡通设计师们。可怕如虎师，面憎如蛇鼠，平凡如猪狗，到了他们手中却成了可爱的Simba, Mickey, 和Porgy Pig.
可惜不是每个人都这么想。这条色彩斑斓表情滑稽的大头蛇，却是我姑奶奶的致命伤。当初不知道是哪个孙儿孙女留在这里，她却望着它可憎，想丢掉又害怕，看到我拿着它玩得不亦乐乎忙不极的要我把它带回家。那我当然是恭敬不如从命啰！
不过首先呢，可怜的，好久没有被宠爱过的Slimy（嗯，他的新名字）要跟大家来个告别仪式。而我可爱的家人们都十分合作的陪我玩这个无聊的游戏。所以我说。大家真的是很爱我的:P
10placesofmycity-长沙
~湖南.长沙~
岳麓山后门
－小时候常常偷偷从后门爬上山，不走水泥大路，不到满身泥巴决不回家
师大篮球场
－回家探望朋友，最难忘的便是在这里看到记忆中的讨厌小男孩们一个个在球场上大展英姿
附小外面的橘园
－偷橘子还是次要，记忆里那些叛逆的时光啊...
四医院门诊大楼的屋顶
－常常入夜还和死党们在那里玩得不亦乐乎，宁愿回家挨骂也不肯放弃在一起的欢乐
防空洞
－四处大大小小的防空洞，是我们练习胆量的秘密基地
中华书店
－跟爸爸去书店是我们每个星期的约会
中华书店外面的削面馆
－而我最期待的却是买完书去吃一碗热腾腾的面条:P
橘子洲头
－那时侯湘江的水还不是黑的，一到夏天我便盼着水位下降可以去水里嬉戏
烈士公园人工湖
－看过了很多比它美丽的湖，比它壮观的海，却仍然怀念那些破破旧旧的天鹅脚踏船，和跟我抢着踩的表弟妹们
我家厨房改造的小书房
－想当年，大人在外面打牌我们在里面打麻将，我可是大家的师傅啊。。可惜现在连新手都不如了>___<
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イイタイコトガナイトキ
没有话说的时候，没有事情做的时候。
让一些死板的电脑程序，告诉我我是谁。
结果是十分可笑的。
（但也许只是因为我没看懂题目:P）
http://garden2-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/sindan/index.htm
来自小宝。
君の診断結果です。
診断結果はあまり深く考えず、お遊び感覚でお楽しみ下さい♪
（この診断テストについてのご案内)
君の恋愛はＥランクです。（Ａ～Ｈランク）
現在君のことが好きな人は3人います。
君が今までに泣かせてきた男性は18人です。
君はあと5回恋をすることが出来ます。
FT.... 特别是最后一个，我发誓绝对没有这样的心思哦~~~
君のグラフです。（各最大20ポイント）
優しさ 12
真面目さ、知性 14
明るさ、積極性 8
美しさ 7
色気 7
健康 12
環境 10
起码都还是正分。
君の恋愛をする上での長所と短所
君の長所は運の良さです。ここぞという時に上手くいく、なんてことは多いのではないのでしょうか？恋愛に限らず人生において運の良さは重要です。あなたの努力でさらにいい人生が送れるように心掛けて下さい。
君の短所は恋愛に対する関心の低さです。勉強や仕事など、恋愛よりも大切なことがありすぎて、今はあまり恋愛したい気分ではないのでは？時には恋愛にのめり込んでみるのもいいかもしれませんよ。
嗯... 有一点点道理啦...
君の理想のお相手と出会いの場所は？
君にぴったりのお相手は、あまり男女ということを意識せず、あなたを対等に扱ってくれる男性です。あなたの考えをじっくりと聞いて、話し合ってくれる男性と一緒なら、お互いを尊重出来るいい関係を築いていくことが出来るでしょう。
君が理想のお相手と出会える場所は、学校や職場です。一緒に勉強をしたり、仕事をしたりしていくうちに、自然と「この人だ」という人に巡り会えるでしょう。
不准不准不准>___<
君の結婚は？
君の結婚適齢期は30歳～35歳です。
遊びも仕事も一通りこなした30代以降に結婚のご縁がありそうです。決して早くはありませんが、じっくりと相手を選んで、幸せな結婚が出来そうです。
君の運命の人の顔は？
君の運命の人の顔はこんな感じです。
垂れ目で小さな鼻、丸い輪郭が特徴的です。
こんな人と出会ったら、絶対に逃しちゃダメですよ。
哇，不要，我跟妈妈说过30岁还没嫁出去就要带我去相亲了
その他、アドバイス
・あなたはあまり恋愛に関心がない、または今恋愛する気分じゃないのでは？そういう時は無理に恋愛しなくても、自分が楽しいと思えることを思いっきりやってみるのが一番です。恋愛以外にも楽しいことはいっぱいありますよね。
・あなたは真面目で思いやりもある人ですが、いい子になりすぎて、なかなか本当の自分を出せない…なんてことはないですか？時にはわがままも言って、周りに甘えてみるのもいいかもしれませんよ☆
接受。
women
I sometimes get these emails at work. They are funny. People don't know who I am but they just like to forward things to everyone on their list. I think this is how I met Hanh, when we somehow got crossed on the random AOL forward lists way back in high school when it was still cool to forward crap. She later became a really good friend of mine as well as lots of my UT friends. Anyway, even though the ending is cheesy, it was kinda funnie. Brightened my day for about 5 seconds.
Pregnancy, Estrogen, and Women
PREGNANCY Q & A & more!
Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.
Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.
Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.
Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's
borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?
Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but
pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.
Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.
Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in
labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.
Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.
Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.
Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act
normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.
"ESTROGEN ISSUES"
10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"
1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.
2. You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet
3. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
4. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
5. You're using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker
that says: "How's my driving-call 1- 800-"
6. Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
7. Everyone seems to have just landed here from "outer space."
8. You can't believe they don't make a tampon bigger than Super Plus.
9. You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.
10. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday.
TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND
10. Cats' facial expressions.
9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors.
8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds.
7. Fat clothes.
6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time.
5. The difference between beige, ecru, cream, off-white, and eggshell.
4. Cutting your hair to make it grow.
3. Eyelash curlers.
2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made.
AND, the Number One thing only women understand:
1. OTHER WOMEN
Send this to bright, funny women you know and make their day..
WE ALL NEED TO SMILE !!!
公主 快乐
幸灾乐祸
在书店一共卖$500多块的四本课本，被我在网上以~1/3的价钱购入。我想，half.com是不是被各地大学书店的老板们恨得咬牙切齿啊？>:P 谁叫他们这么多年来都一直惬意的看着学生们忿忿的掏出他们的血汗钱买下过两年就刷新版的教科书，学期末又愤愤的把那些没翻过几次的书以1/10的价钱卖回来。:D
星期六是最后一天可以去书店退书，而网上订购的书却还没到。算计了一下，最实惠的方法便是先去把课本前几个章节的作业复印下来，再读完那些章节做好笔记，就不用怕第一堂考试没有课本复习了。于是一早就跑去学校，啃完四个章节的课本记了十几页的笔记，在1：55分（书店两点关门）把三本又厚又重的教科书丢在柜台上，笑眯眯的对营业员说，“请把我的三百块还给我。”：）走进家门不到两分钟，门铃响起，邮差笑眯眯的把那两本我还在等的教科书放在我手里，笑眯眯的说，“请签收。”-_____-"
早知道就不用那么辛苦的先把书念完了嘛。
对那些觉得我改性了，怎么这么努力在学习的人，嗯，现在知道原因了吧。:P
乱中有序
老公送的圣诞礼物，现在正七零八落的散落在我房间的地毯上，惨不忍睹。
爸爸每次走过我的房间，都是欲言又止。终于妈妈忍不住了，问我，“你不是忙得连洗衣服的时间都没有了吗？怎么还有闲情在这里拼图啊？”
“我需要放松我紧张的神经。”我一本正经的告诉她。
母系遗传
星期天早上一起来就看到妹妹坐在电视机前。这当然不是什么新闻，但是新鲜的是，电视里面居然讲的是中文，而她居然还看得津津有味。
等看清楚内容，心里可笑翻了。我老爸天天想让妹妹看看中文电视练习中文，而第一个让她感兴趣的电视剧居然是--《倚天屠龙记》（苏友朋版的）。
学武术的老爸，对“写得不知所云”的武打小说是没有任何好感的。他觉得看完学校要看的书，在家里就应该看看什么鲁迅，黑格尔，古文今止。要是实在需要消遣呢，水浒，三国还是可以看看的。而我呢，自从发现网络图书后就电脑上重温金庸，爸爸骂我知道是毫无用处，只好对着妈妈大吼“你看，都是你的遗传！”
但是，为了培养他亲爱的小女儿对中文的兴趣，他也只好默默的陪着我们母女三人看他痛恨的武打片了。（可是说实在的，一张碟看完了他比谁都跳起来的快去换新的哦....)
万般挑剔
我十分喜欢看漂亮的女生。在学校看到美女走过去会目不转睛的盯着，在男生的房间找到杂志会仔细评论哪个模特身材比较好，还会跟男朋友说你以前的女朋友好漂亮哦。
终于可以不用偷偷摸摸的看武打片，除了跟妈妈两人大话与书中不一样的剧情以外，就是七七八八的讨论里面那个女孩子最好看。基本上，觉得周芷若太黑，杨不悔脸太方正，小昭的脸太宽，朱九真跟武青婴太没特色，顺眼的只有赵敏跟蛛儿。
妈妈说，幸亏你不是男生，这么漂亮的女孩子都被你说得一文不值，怎么会找得到女朋友？
哼，妈妈你是没听过我挑剔男生，要不然就会说我一辈子都嫁不出去了。
妈妈说，你还说杨不悔的脸型不好看，不是跟你的脸型差不多么？
这你就错了，我是以客观的态度去批评别人的，可没说我自己好看。要拿我跟她比，她也比我漂亮多了呀！
其实我对自己何尝不是万分挑剔。只是呢，爱美虽是爱美，却也不觉得不美就不值得人爱。就当是我那只吃不到葡萄的狐狸吧！^_^
黄昏过后暖暖的晚风中
在小公园里头
眼眶红了
看老公公和老婆婆在散步着
把手牢牢握着
星星亮了我觉得幸福就是这样的
几十年后你也变老公公我当你的拐杖
扶着你走眼睛花了
你老花眼镜就是我
把时间忘了慢慢走
美丽风景我为你转播不让你错过
能和你牵手我是幸福的
你就像温柔又顽固的石头
用心盖了座最美的城堡叫永久圈住我
不管过再久也会幸福的
我们都走过了动摇的时候
爱已变成树就算是有风会平息的
被懂我的人爱着我是幸福的
连沉默都能是交流
你总是能给我比我想的还要多
我爱你 不做你的公主 要做你的快乐
寄出那封邮件，心里沉沉的，于是出去遛遛旱冰吹吹风。听到最后一句，便牢牢记住。
1st week
第一个礼拜结束了！终于：）
心得如下：
- 不要在未确定课程之前上网买＄150的教科书
- 第一堂课坐前面，分组的时候就会分到和一群好学生一起
- 选停车位的时候绝对不可以小气，一定要买最贵的
- 在电话上买书谈价钱的时候，也该问问那本书的破损程度
- 看清楚学费账单，一堂课如果要加$240的额外费用，就换一堂吧
- 原来老师跟同学们一样，知道7-10点的课过完9点就没有人继续听了
- 大学课程和研究生课程的不同：那些书原来真的是需要读的
- 好好的利用自己的中文优势，因为某些课上一半以上同学都会讲中文 -_____-"
下个礼拜就可以背着轻巧的iBook去上学了，哦也！:D (Thanks Alex~ ^_-)
attention computer ppl
Will someone do my grunt work for me? 
My poor little (actually, heavy and huge) Toshiba Satellite has been with me for over 2 years now. Its 1.4GHz P2 CPU and 128MB RAM need to be laid to rest.
Need a laptop to take to school pretty much every day. Budget's around $1500 (tax included), the cheaper the better. If I could afford it I'd get the Sony VAIO S270P or the 14 inch iBook G4, but they are just a little out of my price range. In no hurry so still waiting for that perfect deal to come along.
Maybe I'm dreaming but here's my preferred configuration:
CPU: P-M or centrino, the faster the better
Weight: 5-7 lbs, but hopefully less than 6
HD: 40GB (I guess I can always carry my iPod around as removable storage...)
RAM: 512MB
DVD ROM (can live without RWs, I barely use the ones I have at home)
My knowledge of hardware is limited so I'm definitely up for whatever advice you have on it.
Now here's the important thing... I want a PRETTY one. If I gotta take it around with me and show it to everyone I don't want to lug around an ugly Inspiron or something like that.
Anyway, back to work... (actually, back to my search for the perfect laptop )
tire story
On route from Tokyo to Narita
I have a reason for lacking in my blog posting these past few weeks. That is -- pure laziness. But after this weekend, I'll have a much better reason for not blogging. That is -- 40 hours of work + 15 hours of grad school + the long commute from downtown to UTD. I doubt I'd have time to eat much less write snippets of nothingness online.
Then again, I always find time to do useless things while neglecting important tasks. Hmm... maybe I should take "prioritizing" off of the list of personal attributes on my resume.
So Christmas and New Year's went off quite uneventfully but quite memorably. I never thought I'd be content to sit in an empty and cold apartment waiting the whole day, but I was, somehow. I guess that's what hope does. It calms your restlessness despite your natural urge to change things about yourself and what surrounds you. Hope for something better, hope for a surprise, hope for a miracle... isn't that what drives life in general? Even when such unexpected disaster like a tsunami happens, it's amazing to see the amount of effort that is going into rebuilding things. So maybe there's still hope for humanity despite all the hatred and warring among nations.
One of my tires blew out today as I accidentally swerved onto a curb to get out of the way of a crazy driver. Pulling into the parking lot, a shabby looking man came up to me and offered to help me change my tire. It's probably one's natural instinct to be alarmed at a stranger's offer to help now, considering how many cases of crime often start at such a scene. I politely said "no, thanks", yet eventually, I let him help me. Unfortunately I was missing a jack and ended up having to wait for help anway, but I got a chance to talk to the guy. He told me that he was asking for donations for a church that spreads the gospel to drug addicts and gives them food and shelter, and somewhat proudly admitted that he had been one a while ago. "I'm tired of being out there, being sick, being chased by cops, and now I'm just out here to help people, because that's what God wants me to do."
Honestly, I don't know how much truth is in his words. You see, I've been warned too many times by parents, society, and news to trust people at their words now. Yet I choose to believe him, as I watched he and his friends walk away with my humble donation at the bottom of their little box.
Sometimes, even if things are untrue, if it doesn't hurt you, wouldn't you rather turn a blind eye and believe there's still goodness and hope in the world?
1, 2, 3号了
It's cold up here.
1.
没带机票。看错时间。排错队伍。到后来还是有惊无险的坐上飞机倒数第四排。行李笨重，里面塞满了碗啊瓢的，身边的小生看我挣扎一直询问だいじょうぶですか。我挺着笑脸回答没事，心里在骂他怎么不拿出点实际行动来看看。两人小心的用日文说了些无关紧要的话，等到服务员来了却彼此用纯正的英语要了两杯橘子汁。也好笑，等到知道了有共同语言却发现没有共同话题了。
和一个人在飞机上如此紧密地坐十几个小时是需要些缘分的。很庆幸身边的小生不打鼾，不侵略我的范围，还会体贴的让我先去洗手间。只是一件小事却让我对他的印象大打折扣。我一向以为在飞机上买免税商品是件十分无聊且没有意义的事情，因为自己决不会在飞机上买价钱与品质相差甚远的东西。小生一听到PA，马上就拿出catalog翻了5秒钟。真的，绝不会超过5秒。买下了一条心型的项链，看也没有看一眼，便丢进书包。我冷眼旁观，小小的鄙视了他一下子。礼物如果只是一种形式，一种责任，那我情愿不要。
2.
新烛台里的烛光在墙上映出一个个小窗户，随着暖风悠悠荡荡。屋顶的小瓷猪一直打着转儿，偶尔摇晃它的铃铛发出清脆的问候。烛光偶尔会照到坠着的星星与纸鹤，一眨眼却又消失在黑暗中。
躺在床上发呆，音乐稍停的时候发觉外面有客人。听到自己房门敲响，眼睛一闭便开始装睡。上午飞机才落地便打电话到公司请假，一下午睡得昏昏沉沉的，醒来却无比清醒身在何处，不想睁开眼睛面对。
收拾好行李，桌子上一堆未开的邮件，里面装的是温馨还是烦恼看信封便知。想一想还是先打开一张张让我欢喜的卡片，再去解决那一叠叠让我心烦的账单。
日前把自己的地址摆上网页，原是一时好玩，收到了好几张不在意料中的卡片，十分感动。不能及时和大家说声节日快乐，在此补祝。
妹妹的新钢琴放在客厅，我的小电子琴也回到自己房间。坐在前面好一阵子，盯着那些一直搞不定的小蝌蚪，终究还是弹不出半个音符。
睡到一半电话铃声响起，没有接，正如没有回复电话电邮里的祝福。每次旅行回来都会陷入的低潮，不知道什么时候结束。
3.
突然觉得很多该做的事情，想做的事情，都没有做到。
牵着手站在圣诞树下，挂上一纸小小的愿望。
去海边，看雪花在浪涛上飘舞。
做蹩脚的杏仁豆腐，看你努力笑着吃完。
给snoopy和它的粉色新欢拍合照。
两个人去唱卡拉，唱那些要练的对唱。
一起吃绿茶冰淇淋。
....
不要埋怨自己。时间永远都不够。要做的事情永远都做不完。所以可以一直期待下一次，再一次，又一次的相聚。