british invasion

Again, it all started with grey's anatomy. I checked couple artists from their soundtracks and found what I like. So I downloaded couple albums from bands like Snow Patrol, The Dears, Jem, Rufus and martha Wainwright, Joe purdy, KT Tunstall, Damien Rice to every single songs featured from season 1 to season 2. while downloading songs, i noticed that most of the bands are british/irish. so i guess i'm in the mood for those mellow songs at the moment. Here is the video of "set the fire to the third bar" from Snow Patrol and Martha wainwright. one of my fave songs ("it's fan-bloody-tastic!")

also different videos from jem , a Welsh songstress. it's called "they"

and an unplugged version of "flying high", featuring in grey's anatomy season 2 ep 20-band aid covers the bullet hole. She sounds just as wonderful (if not better) live as she does on her CD! It's exactly the same as on her album. what a great performance and voice.

well this isn't my first time posting stuff about music from grey's and not going to be my last i think :) there's so many good music from that series :p

9 crimes + new day

I found it!!! one of the ending song from the last episode of Grey's anatomy. It's called 9 crimes by Damien Rice. Such an amazing live performance. Beautiful song and awesome voice (the same band that sang "the blowers daughter" from Closer).


Also introducing kate havnevik, one of my new fave singer. Her song "Grace" from season 2 grey's anatomy really got me into listening to her other songs. Actually couple of her songs were featured in grey's anatomy (unlike me + nowhere warm - season 2, so-lo + kaleidoscope - season 3). I've been itching to get my hand on her new album but it's so hard to find one. amazon sells it for $27!! (i guess they have to import it from UK). well hopefully her album will come to North America. Back to one of the ending songs from last episode of grey's anatomy: it's called "new day" by kate havnevik. this is what i can find from youtube... sorry for the bad quality.

from a whisper to a scream

In some ways, betrayal is inevitable.
When our bodies betray us, surgery is often the key to recovery.
When we betray each other, the path to recovery is less clear.
We do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust that was lost.
And then there are some wounds, some betrayals... that are so deep, so profound that there is no way to repair what was lost.
And when that happens, there's nothing left to do but wait.

fall/winter + thanksgiving

First it was autumn. Nice and cold days. Didn't expect to be this freezing around November. It seems winter has come early. I went out today to post office and looked what I've found! Snow. Snow in Fall? Well from the forecast, it's going to snow until Tuesday and that means i need to bundle up... i hate freezing cold weather. This is what the forecast says "Tuesday, day in seattle: very cold with clouds and sun, 0 C highest and -5C lowest" . Well in between that.. it's thanksgiving holidays in here. Had 4 days off. Time to relax and off course shopping. Went to the premium outlets on Thursday midnight, and that was going to be my first and last one. the lines were super long (both outside and inside). so in the end didn't buy stuff on that day. I went to northgate mall with anissa the next day and got something for my mom, a christmas gift. Saturday afternoon... went out again to downtown to look around and got a perfect b'day/christmas gift for my sis. A pair of flats that she's been dying to get. Nice and comfy shoes... thinking of trying it out first for a month hahahaha but then again i realize what if she has to return it? sigh.. oh well.. not a good plan i guess :) After that, went to look for something for my lil sis and my dad.. i did manage to get something for him. just hoping he can memorize how to use it and really use it. haven't found something for my lil sis yet. i'll just let dian to get stuff for her and we can split the costs :) Oh.. i went to university village on thanksgiving day (nov 23). QFC was the only store that opened. Uvill looks so deserted and empty. I took couple pictures using my phone.

negative energy

mellow songs + depressive/pessimistic conversations = melancholy/despondency/depression attack or in short word: anxiety attack! sigh... why is everything has to be in negative moods for this couple few days? so many worries, so many unanswered questions, so many what if. I wish i had a river to skate away on and just forget everything and quit this crazy scene. I wish i had a river so long i would teach my feet to fly. Damn it... i hate this anxiousness. not only i have to worry about my own personal problems, but also worry about certain matters that just got dropped into my lap. making things a bit more complicated....i'm starting to think maybe i need those anti-depressant medication (well rest assured that i am not that kind of person to depend on drugs to solve problems :-p drugs will just make things even worse i think).

oh how nice it is to forget everything. i wish i could get a brain transplant ( i want mcdreamy to operate hehehehe) and start everything new again (wishful thinking). but then again.. i bet in 5 years from now, i'll have a different point of view and when i look back at what have happened, i'll be able to laugh it off and say how silly i was.

how to safe a life

Can't resist to post this lyric - The Fray "How to Safe a Life" (someone was saying that he decided not to kill himself after listening to this song :-p). Currently loving this song. Heard it from Gray's Anatomy. It was ok at first but for some reason after listening to it over and over, i'm starting to like it more and more. well... i bet this will be overplayed soon enough on the radio. not only kiss 106.1, but star 101.5 and mix 92.5 are also playing this song at the moment. the same thing goes for "Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol. overplayed. Speaking of overplayed music, Danity Kane's showstopper is consider as one. I don't mind their music but i think they aren't that great - mediocre. they don't put their energy into the song and seriously, i don't think they have talents at all. their voices are so so, nothing special whatsoever. they are just using their sex appeal to sell their song. p diddy needs to pick better singers/vocalists in the future.

-------------------------------------------------------
The Fray - How to Safe a Life

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you’ve told him all along
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you’ve followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

some people...

That I’m crazy. Its often very simple like that.

Some people say that I’m true.
Some people call me quiet.
Some people know I’m a friend.
Some people realize who I am.

Yet no one knows, as my life is often changing.
They witness, as my reality zips on by.
Everything changing at the drop of a dime.
I wonder, is living life my only crime?

No one would know. It is often lost in the past.

No one would know
The simple thoughts I shared with them
No one would know
The moment I stood behind them, without ever being there
No one would know
The feeling I had when I looked them in the eye
No one would know
if I was just dreaming, losing myself in believing

Yet they see me, wandering through life and asking questions
They ponder my actions, as much as I wonder about my own
Every step, leading to another, a question upon itself
and I find myself being the only one who reached the answer

So I ask, if not for myself, would I still ask for you?

I simply accept life,
one step at a time
I move forward
taking a breath
and viewing the world again
from a vantage no one shares

and I care
to look back,
to reach out
and hope
that I’ll find someone
just like you

love and coffee

Love is like a cup of freshly brewed coffee on a cold September morning -- sweet, addictive, hot enough to scald your tongue, warm enough to keep you drinking it anyway, and potent enough to leave a tingling feeling throughout your body and a bitter aftertaste in your mouth long after the last drop is gone...

designer flash drives

My sister told me about these cute flash drives from mimoco a while ago and I haven't bothered to check mimoco's website until today. They are so adorable! Almost got me thinking about buying one :) but too bad they are a bit pricey...Well for now, i'll just look around.

what i've been up to lately

went to snow patrol concert on sept 20, 2006. it's really been a while since i went to any music concerts. it was a nice concert. the opening band, surprisingly, was better than what i expected. Augustana, an indie rock band from illinois (i think... they didn't say where the exact place they came from...they made their first record in Atlanta, Georgia). one of their song, Boston, has been on my winamp player for this past few days. nice vocal, nice songs. i think both bands have a similar kind of music...melancholy rock.

other than that...i haven't been doing much. lazying around before school starts (by the way, school already started few weeks ago). ohh almost forgot to mention about the new season of grey's anatomy (s3). the long awaited show (well not that long as i've been watching season 1 and 2 like crazy just before the third season started. made it in time though). the third season started off a bit slow but the second episode turned out to be unexpected and interesting. McSteamy is back again and will stay for this season! found the show by accident and luckily i watched it just in time before they took it off from youtube.

One more tv series that got my attention: "Heroes". i watched the first and second episodes and so far it's pretty good. here's the summary of heroes (taken from www.tv.com):
"Heroes is a serial saga about people all over the world discovering that they have superpowers and trying to deal with how this change affects their lives. The relatable superheroes include Peter Petrelli, a 30-year-old male nurse who believes can fly, Diego Medina, a 28-year-old junkie who has the ability to paint images of the future when he is high, Niki Sanders, a 33-year-old Las Vegas showgirl who can do incredible things with mirrors, Hiro Makamura, a 24-year-old Japanese comic-book geek who literally makes time stand still, D.L. Hawkins, a 31-year-old inmate who can transport himself through walls, Matt Parkman, a beat cop who can hears other people's thoughts, and Claire Bennet, 17-year-old cheerleader who defies death at every turn. Not only are they discovering what having superpowers means to them but also the larger picture of where their superpowers come from. Eventually their superpowers draw them together when they try to evade the series' antagonist who wants to harness their super-DNA for himself. Their ultimate destiny is nothing less than saving the world."

well other than that, i'm not really doing anything else...hmm my room is messy (again and will always be....). anyone wants to volunteer cleaning up my room hehehehehhe??

grey's anatomy

Just finished watching Grey's Anatomy: Season 2. Can't wait for the third season to come :-) So far it's pretty good...really like the stories, and the characters. oh and i also love the songs! I downloaded every songs from season 1 and season 2 plus the OST 1 and 2 :-p talk about being maniac.....or addicted.... :-p

for the moment.. can't have enough of the ending (S2). The last 2 songs: grace and chasing cars are really perfect for the last scenes.


I'm on my knees
only memories
are left for me to hold

Dont know how
but Ill get by
Slowly pull myself together

Theres no escape
So keep me safe
This feels so unreal

Nothing comes easily
Fill this empty space
Nothing is like it seems
Turn my grief to grace

I feel the cold
Loneliness unfold
Like from another world

Come what may
I wont fade away
But I know I might change

Nothing comes easily
Fill this empty space
Nothing is like it was
Turn my grief to grace

Nothing comes easily
Where do I begin?
Nothing can bring me peace
Ive lost everything
I just want to feel your embrace

feeling annoyed....

blarrghh....i've been fairly annoyed with my coworker for these couple days. well not that much but maybe when i'm working, i tend to do everything at my pace and hate it when someone interrupt mine or even worse slow me down. well this lady that i'm working with... she's nice and friendly but she hasn't worked for a while (a while = a looooong period of time). She doesn't know anything about word or excel....well thank goodness she knows how to type! ditambah lagi...it takes her longer to digest some information down (well maybe her age got something to do with it) and sometimes when i explain stuff to her, she keeps asking the same questions that i've answered....that really frustrate me....ignorance is bliss but maybe in this line of work, it's not...if you know that you are lacking in certain area, why not try to improve it?

second thing....."jam karet"-nya orang indonesia (promise to meet at certain time but fail to show up in timely manner...aka being tardy). this happened to me couple days ago where my friend told us that she was going to pick us up in 10 minutes but 10 minutes went by and it was almost 1 hour before she showed up. by that time, it was already a bit too late as i had to work in the morning. well that's not the first experience...it also happened to me during indonesian mass last month. it stated in the email that the mass was going to start at 1 pm...but it was not. it started 20 minutes after 1. yeah... that sucks. that's why...whenever there's time involved (with indonesian), i always take it with a grain of salt.

caesarean birth triples maternal death risk

"LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A Caesarean delivery more than triples a woman's risk of dying in childbirth compared to a vaginal birth, according to a new study from France.
The risk is still quite small, but many developed countries have seen a dramatic rise in the number of Caesareans performed each year as more women elect to avoid a vaginal delivery.
Researchers, led by Catherine Deneux-Tharaux of the Maternite Hopital Tenon in Paris, looked at 65 maternal deaths recorded in the French National Perinatal Survey from 1996 to 2000.
All of the deaths followed births of a single child and were not due to conditions existing prior to delivery. The women had also not been hospitalized during pregnancy.
The researchers found that the risk of death -- from blood clots, infection or complications from anesthesia -- was 3.6 times higher for women who had Caesareans.
The risk of death after childbirth was increased whether or not the Caesarean was performed before the onset of labor or during labor.
The study was published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Although rates of maternal death in most developed countries are relatively low -- U.S. women have a 1 in 3,500 chance of pregnancy-related death -- the incidence of maternal mortality has not significantly decreased in the last two decades, according to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists."

- taken from CNN.com

the prayer

I pray you'll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don't know

Let this be our prayer
As we go our way
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your Grace
To a place where we'll be safe

The light that you give us
I pray we'll find your light
Will stay in our hearts
And hold it in our hearts
Reminding us
When stars go out each night
That in my prayer
You are an everlasting star
Let this be our prayer
There's so much faith
When shadows fill our day
Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we'll be safe
We dream of a world with no more violence
A world of justice and hope
Grasp your neighbors hand
As a symbol of peace and brotherhood

The strength that you give us
We ask that life be kind
Is the wish
And watch us from above
That everyone may find love
We hope each soul will find
In and around himself
Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer
Just like every child

Needs to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

And the faith that
You've lit inside us
I feel will save us

addicted to technology

couple days ago i went out to do some grocery shopping....cuma pergi ke safeway di 85th st., which is not very far from my apartment. paling2 15 min drive from my place. pas di tangga safeway, i was thinking about my cellphone and checked inside my bag. crap... i just realized i forgot my cellphone!! at first i thought i left it in the car but after squeezing my brain, trying to remember, i had a feeling that i left it inside my bedroom. since i couldn't do anything about it and hoping that no one called me (for some reasons, everytime i forgot my phone, it ended up with several missed calls from "no number" --> parents or sister yelling at me to return my mom's phone call), i went downstairs. well well well..... i couldn't stop thinking about my damn phone!!!! i practically just grabbed whatever i needed and went straight to the cashier. the first thing i did when i got home was run to my bedroom and checked my phone.....phewww it was there -_-; dang it!!!! how can a cell phone affect you that much????
well not only cellphone but also internet....i don't think i can live without internet connection...it's definitely going to drive me nuts (well maybe for couple months before my brains start accepting the evil truth that there's no internet connection... :p). anyway... technologies are made to help human, right? but i kinda feel that we are being enslaved by them.....are we? as long i have my computer, internet connection and my cell phone, i am happy. so i guess.... i am addicted to technology.

"I'm a slave for you. I cannot hold it; I cannot control it. I'm a slave for you. I won't deny it; I'm not trying to hide it."

million dollar baby

Saw this last night without knowing what to expect. I hadn't read the reviews for it, only knew that they won oscars and couple other awards. Eastwood definitely has made his best movie. Swank carries the film and is at her absolute best. Swank is Maggie just like Foxx is Ray. The last 45 minutes are some of the most powerful film-making I can remember. It's sad but at the same time it's a good ending. Flawlessly written, acted and directed. Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece. You may cry through this film, you may cheer. Whatever the case, you will love it.

very funny ads

I really like these ads....really funny :D
- Top Charoen Optical
- Shizuoka Broadcasting
- Jamochas Fresh Food Cafe
oh...what happen if you have a dad like this one?? LOL.....

for more of funny ads, check this link

Honda Accord commercial

an interesting commercial from Honda :-)

manusia itu emang aneh

pertama kali tulis dalam bahasa indo...biasalah lagi bengong trus otak mulai deh berkeliaran ke tempat2 yg tidak diinginkan...well ini yg gue lagi pikirin...waktu masih sama x gue, 99% gue habiskan sama dia, weekends and sometimes weekdays. kalo weekdays paling ketemu abis kerja trus makan malem bareng, hang out for a bit and then gue pulang. on the other hand, weekends pasti gue abiskan ditempat dia. ga kerjaain apa2 sih.. paling waktu itu kita berdua lagi tergila2 sama game jadinya hampir pasti maen game and stay di rumah.... yah.. awal2nya sih ok but after a while gue mulai ngerasa bosen...kadang2 mau pergi keluar tapi rada males kalo disuruh pergi sendirian dan lagi gue tau dia ga suka shopping/jalan2 (what's wrong with men and shopping??). i have to admit di pertengahan hubungan... gue dah mulai ngerasa bosen and ga begitu exciting...rasanya tiap weekends gue mau spent sendirian aja... but ga pernah gue sampaikan perasaan gue ke dia... (that's my fault... :-( lack of communication i guess, ditambah lagi gue orangnya suka nyimpan everything for myself... jadinya apa yg gue ucapkan keluar belom tentu mencerminkan apa yg gue rasakan dihati). well can't do anything about that anymore :p sudah menjadi history....
while at this moment, kebetulan gue lagi deket ama 1 org...well bisa dibilang dia itu part-time bf lah... so many things yg buat dia jadi pt bf:
- tempat tinggal dia yg bisa dibilang jauh abis dari tempat gue... 1 jam-an driving (+/- macet)
- kerjaan dia yg bikin hubungan kita absolutely no-no...(yah bisa dibilang hubungan antara guru and murid.. kalo ketauan...ditanggung sendiri resikonya).
- trus dia itu juga super sibuk baik itu ada hubungan ama kantor ato ama hobinya ato diminta tolong ama temennya
well gue emang ketemu ama dia tiap hari di tempat kerja.. but we can't do anything during that time...jadi paling2 ketemu either sabtu or minggu buat hang out for a moment (well i know he's trying hard)... sigh...terus terang sekarang gue ngerasa bosen abis hahahahahah... aneh tapi nyata... dulu gue pengen banget bisa spent time sendirian ehhhh gitu dikasih kesempatan... malah maunya yg lain... :-(
kesimpulan gue.... manusia itu emang aneh...dikasih a minta b, dikasih b malah minta a....jadi maunya apa ya?? hmmm entah kenapa gue tiba2 lagi pengen clubbing nih... hehehehe.. udah lama bgt ga keluar2...

just a small note: tadi gue barusan pergi ke pacific place... trus gue sempetin ke Barnes&Noble.. lagi browsing buku2 sci-fi/ fantasy eh tiba2 ada 1 orang cowo muncul disebelah gue and start talking about book covers, and why i like fantasy books, and other stuff...guenya yg lagi baca enak2 terpaksa harus ngeladenin itu orang deh... dari aksennya gue tebak orang eropa.. after gue liat tampangnya emang ternyata org eropa..
him: "why do certain books have different covers?.. just like this one.. (showing me a book and comparing to others)"
me: "uhhh.. maybe it's from different publishers or some of them are old edition?"
him: "..... well you know that you can't judge book by its cover but sometimes we look for nice cover rather than an ugly one..."
me: nodding
him: "why do you like to read fantasy?"
me: " i like the story and it's fun to read"
him: "true.. it makes you feel powerful and strong...i like to read about ancient egyptian books...there's one book that's really nice.. " and he start babbling about that books and author....while i'm still trying to read my book...
him: "do you like art?" ehhhh... what's the relation between art and fantasy???
me: "well i know about some general stuff...define what kind of art are you talking about?" -->art = drawing.. that's what i have in mind
him: "oh.. i like comedy.. improv and acting... that's part of art itself"
me: " ahh i see.. i like music myself..."
him: "why music?"
me: "why not? i play piano so that's why i like it..."
him: "i can see that... " (kesannya dia tau kalo gue bisa main piano...liat dari mana coba??)
him: "where do you come from?"
me: "from indonesia... and where do you come from?"
him: "romania"
me: "oh.. so you are from eastern europe"
him: "impressive... you know your geography.. you have to know not many americans know about it. i do admit that i don't know much about america and all the states. I just went to utah and...(somewhere else...i forgot what other state he went besides utah). how about you? have you ever been there?"
me: "uhh not really.. i've only been to california" well that's half true...he doesn't need to know about it.
him: "why do you like west coast?"
me: "i like the weather i guess... not as cold as east coast"
him: "yeah me too... i also like the weather"
me: laughing......put my book back into the shelf....i have a feeling that the more i stay there the more chance that he will probably ask me out to have a drink or something
me: "ok.. i have to go now..."
him: "oh.. what's your name by the way?"
me: "jennifer"
him: "i'm chris... nice talking to you.." while extending his hand...
me: "nice meeting you ... bye" gladly walk away and at the same time feeling a bit annoyed that i can't read my book in peace... blahhh

uggghh.. is he trying to hit on me??? well he's not that bad looking but not that good looking either ...definitely not my type... he's short (well a bit taller than me) and the way he dresses himself...wearing such an ugly bright colored tshirt... *shudder* you are out of my list boy!!! go and find some other chicks!!!

did you know?

From Anissa...

Highlight the ones you've done...

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (not really a mountain, more like a steep hill :p)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day (Indonesian accent?)
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (uhh…I have 4 J)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (danced with my ballroom dancing instructor, does that count?)
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (not D&D but WoW / Guild Wars more than 6 hours straight)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo (henna tattoo?)
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - goats & fish
137. Skipped all your school reunions (I don’t think we’ve ever had any)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (when I was a baby)
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

headache vs PMS

Migraine headache and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) often occur in women at the same time as their menstrual cycle. Now researchers believe that migraine headache might actually make PMS symptoms worse.

Vincent Martin, MD, professor in the internal medicine department at the University of Cincinnati, led a study that found PMS symptoms were more severe when patients were experiencing migraine headaches. The research appears in the January 2006 issue of the journal Headache.

“We believe the pain of migraine headache worsens the perception of common PMS symptoms such as bloating, abdominal cramping, anxiety, irritability and depression. In a way, it is like a ‘double whammy,’” Dr. Martin says.

The researchers followed 21 menstruating women with migraine headache and asked them to record the severity of migraine and PMS symptoms in a daily diary for three months. They found that PMS symptoms were more severe when patients were experiencing migraine headaches. This association occurred not just around the menstrual period, but throughout all phases of the menstrual cycle.

The researchers then gave each woman a medication that turned off the actions of the ovaries—inducing “artificial menopause.” Even when hormonal fluctuations were eliminated, the women still suffered worsened PMS symptoms when experiencing migraine headache.

“PMS symptoms are highly dependant on cyclic hormonal fluctuations encountered during the menstrual cycle,” says Dr. Martin. “Therefore, the fact that the association remained even after an “artificial menopause” was induced would suggest that migraine headaches were more likely to worsen PMS symptoms than vice versa.”

Migraine headaches that are triggered by hormonal changes at the time of menstruation have been called “menstrual migraine.”

“Both migraine headache and PMS have negative effects on the quality of life of countless women,” says Dr. Martin. “Up to 70 percent of women with menstrual migraine suffer from PMS. Our study demonstrates that migraine and PMS symptoms may not occur independently, but may influence one another.”

Dr. Martin says it’s important to contact your health-care provider if you suffer from migraine headache or severe PMS symptoms, as they may be signs of a more serious problem, but adds there are some things you can do on your own to alleviate the symptoms of migraine headache.

• Get plenty of sleep—at least eight hours—to prevent migraine and reduce symptoms of PMS
• Minimize stress through exercise and relaxation techniques
• Avoid prolonged fasting, which can trigger migraine—especially around menstruation
• Avoid or reduce consumption of caffeine, which can also cause migraine

-Taken from http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=3516

ahhhhh no wonder... i had a bad migraine headache today and later on i also found out that i just got my period. What a nice combination eh? So that's why I've been having those mood swings for couple weeks...anxiety, irritability, frustration, depression (not really a good week for me -_-). I can't really say if it's a blessing or not... i don't really like PMS (sometimes it can hit me pretty hard)... but at least I know my period is coming...Being a woman is hard, don't you think so?

new music: Corinne Bailey Rae

I recently stumbled upon and downloaded the new self-titled album by Corinne Bailey Rae and am loving the laid-back soulful sound of her voice. If you like jazzy, soulful vocals, you should check it out. Just found out that the track "Like a Star" was featured on Grey's Anatomy (don't ask me when and where as I'm not following that series :-p). Hmmm makes me wondering.... maybe I should check that show just because they have pretty good songs (that's the same reason I'm watching 6 feet under right now :-p....well we'll see).

memorable and fun quotes from 6 feet under

Tracy Montrose Blair: Why do people have to die?
Nate: To make life important. None of us know how long we've got. Which is why we have to make each day matter.

Ruth: David, are you bringing a special friend to dinner?
David: Why are my friends always special?
Ruth: Okay, then, is the man your having sex with coming to dinner?

Officer Keith Charles: Most guys I meet, they kinda just want me to be one thing.
Claire: What? Like, big black sex cop?

David: I have to get control of myself.
Claire: No, David, if you were any more controlled, you'd be a sculpture. You know what? Last night I had a humiliating homosexual experience of my own.
David: Seriously? What happened?
Claire: Not much. I never even went down on her.
David: You can stop there.

Claire: Great. So I get nothing.
Ruth: You get an education, something not all people are privileged to.
Claire: Well, what if I don't want to go to college?
Reader of the Will: College is a necessity in life not only to excel in learning, but to survive. Claire: Spare me the tough-love rationalization, just bottom-line it, please.
Reader of the Will: If you choose not to go to college, the money will be available to you when you're 25.
Claire: It's like blackmail from beyond the grave.

Claire: I know stealing a foot is weird. But, hello, living in a house where a foot is available to be stolen is weird.

Brenda: You know what I find interesting? If you lose a spouse, you're called a widow, or a widower. If you're a child and you lose your parents, then you're an orphan. But what's the word to describe a parent who loses a child? I guess that's just too fucking awful to even have a name.

David: You can't ever really know a person and if you think you can, you're living in a dream world.

Ruth: [to Claire who's feeling sad for her break-up from Russell] I guess we all want to be loved. It's hard to say no to that, no matter who it's coming from.

Olivier Castro-Staal: [to Claire on her new-found love with Russell] If you get lonely, have sex. But if you think you meet someone who really wants something from you? You're doomed.

Officer Keith Charles: [talking to David about marriage] You're in my will, I'm in yours. We basically are married, even if the law refuses to recognize it. But then again, I refuse to recognize most of the Bush Administration. I guess it all evens out.

Claire: I wish I was gay.
David: Ohh, no.
Claire: Well, then I wouldn't have to deal with unfamiliar sex organs!
David: They're all unfamiliar unless they're yours.

True human fulfillment found only in love

Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist, states that “true self esteem and a true sense of identity can be found only in the reflected appraisal of those whom we have loved”.

The experience of love is what makes life meaningful, for love implies a commitment and dedication to another. Giving the gift of oneself in love leaves one with a deep and lasting satisfaction of having done something good with one’s life.

Love does not promise instant gratification, only lasting fulfillment.
Satisfaction and fulfillment are the by-products of genuine love.
‘Good times’ should not be confused with a ‘good life’.
The endless pursuit of ‘good times’ can only end in a sense of emptiness and disappointment.

“Many a life may be regarded – and experienced by the subject – as good, yet may comprise a relatively scant measure of what is commonly called fun and enjoyment.

“Few would deny that a fair share of the goodness of life befell to such persons as Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pope John XXIII, and Martin Luther King. “Hardly anyone, however, would say that these persons’ lives were marked by lots of fun.
“Such contamination of the notion of the good life with that of a good time obscures and distorts the issue.” (On being human: Marian Kinget)

The tension between self-fulfillment directly sought and self-fulfillment as a by-product of loving, is seen by John Powell SJ, author of Unconditional love, as the greatest crisis facing our society today.

The ‘Gestalt Prayer’ of Fritz Perls reflects the first view: “I do my thing, and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations. And you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you and I am I; If by chance we find each other, it’s beautiful. If not, it can’t be helped.” These words express very forcibly the human need for independence and self-expression, but at the same time they ignore the fact that we are interrelated and interdependent social beings. It ignores one of the deepest truths of human existence: for a person to be is to-be-with others.

The supplement: ‘Beyond Perls’ by Walter Tubbs, a psychologist speaks for itself. It redresses the imbalance in the thought of Perls, giving a fuller view of the human condition. True human fulfillment is found only in relationships of love: “The truth begins with two”.

“If I just do my thing and you do yours, we stand in danger of losing each other, and ourselves. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations; but I am in this world to confirm you as a unique human being. And to be confirmed by you. We are fully ourselves only in relation to each other; The I detached from a thou disintegrates. I do not find you by chance; I find you by an active life of reaching out. Rather than letting things happen to me passively, I can act intentionally to make them happen. I must begin with myself, true; But I must not end with myself; The truth begins with two.”

- taken from somewhere. Interesting article :-)

you could be happy

You could be happy and I won't know. But you weren't happy the day I watched you go and all the things that I wished I had not said are played on lips 'till it's madness in my head. Is it too late to remind you how we were? But not our last days of silence, screaming, blur ... Most of what I remember makes me sure that I should have stopped you from walking out the door.

You could be happy, I hope you are. You made me happier than I'd been by far. Somehow everything I own smells of you and for the tiniest moment it's all not true. Do the things that you always wanted to without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do. More than anything I want to see you go, take a glorious bite out of the whole world.

I'm sorry...really sorry for what I've done. Wish I could turn back time but I could not. Wish I wasn't a coward but I am. Should I start letting you go... slowly? A part of me not wanting to let you go. Want to hold to that last thread that bind us together. Confusion is what I have now. Smiling face with bleeding heart inside. I'm sinking...sinking into this dark pit. No light to guide me out. How long will I stay in these two worlds?

chasing cars

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

spanky in the house

We have a guest living in our apartment for 5 days. It's not a normal guest. It's Spanky!! ok.. maybe you are wondering who the hell is Spanky. Spanky is a hamster.. almost look the same as the one in the picture and let me tell you he is really really cute and super soft.. just like a stuffed animal :-) (that's what my roommate keep telling me... heheheheheh), So why he's with me for 5 days? Apparently his master is going out of town for wedding until next tuesday and instead of letting Spanky staying in the office alone, I asked him to lend me his pet. goshh.... he's so adorable... i fell in love with Spanky when i first met him. But let me tell you.. there's always a thought of squeezing him everytime i pick him up (that made Ryan a bit nervous to lend me Spanky.. lol ^_^ but he has to see how anissa handle Spanky :p). Sorry nis... but I'm still amazed on how you react when you play with Spanky...both of you are so cute :-D makes me feel sad to return Spanky to his master again. hmmm maybe i should just get you a hamster... (lol.. that's just a thought) or we can even just kidnap Spanky and tell Ryan that his hamster ran away :D Well.. Spanky is still going to be in our place until tuesday morning. So until next tuesday, we still have time to *torture* him :-D

not meant to be

I went to school just now, thinking about doing my homeworks. I checked the time on the website...okay.. it's supposed to be open. So i drove there and it turned out they posted a new summer schedule: Saturday is closed!!! ....grrrrr.. dang it!!! basically i wasted my time by driving back and forth to school and the damn computer lab is not even open... man.. they need to update the website.

yeah well.. so i guess no homeworks on saturday :-)

summer is here

Summer is definitely here! These past 2 days had been really hot, reaching over 90 degress. Definitely the sign that summer is coming... hopefully this phase will change. Mid 80 is probably going to be the best weather instead of high 90.

Last Sunday night, I couldn't even sleep at all.. well maybe i did sleep for a bit but it felt like I was just closing my eyes but my mind was still running around, wide awake. I opened up my two windows... turned on fan (eventhough I turned it off because the noise was kind off a bit annoying), my room is still freakin hot.... like an oven.. I tossed my blanket to the floor, practically sleeping with my shorts and tshirt... but still couldn't fall asleep... Well...that lack of sleep kinda affected me during work :p I felt that my feet didn't touch the floor when i walked.... lol...i was flying..... hahahahah (i wish :-p). Anyway, I learned my lesson.. so I turned the fan on high, left it running the whole night, opened up my two windows and slept only with tshirt and undies ( :-D). I slept like a baby. Really nice....I wish it wasn't this hot... but better hot than freezing cold...

excited?

While munching some carrots and tomatoes, my mind start wandering and thinking what I am going to do for the next few days. In 2 more weeks, I'll be taking a 3 months "vacation" from work and I'll be going back to school to study project management. The program itself is for a year, so during those 3 months gap, i'll be taking summer course first. Why am I doing that? Blame it on the visa... I'm still waiting for my new working visa to come out (it will come out probably few days before oct 1) and my current OPT/working student visa will be expired on June 28th and in oder to be able to stay here legally, I have to keep maintaining my F-1 student status (which is by going back to school again) or going home. Hmmmm the second option is kind of tempting.. but I told the lawyer that I was planning to take classes during those 3 months before he applied the visa for me. So if i'm going home, that means he has to contact the INS and make some arrangement so that my new visa can be sent to the US embassy in Jakarta. I don't really know if it will work or not since it's already in the process....so that leaves me the first option.

Truthfully trying to find a school + program that I want was really a pain in the ass.... At first I was interested with one school but it turns out that they have a new curriculum and that changed the whole matter. After browing around, in the end I was able to find one and everything is already (so far) under control. Going back to school......not really sure if i'm excited for it or not... hahahahah i'm more excited that I don't have to wake up early in the morning anymore as I'm taking night classes....But still, there's a part where i can't really wait to start school again...So I just have to wait and see how it goes during the first week of class. Hopefully it won't be that bad as I'm taking easy classes this summer.

Counting down to my last day at work, and to my first day back at school again.

what I'm listening to: Anggun + Transporter 2 OST

I don't really know when did I start to take interest with Anggun. I know that I used to listen to her songs such as "snow on the sahara" and "still reminds me" from her previous album. After that period, I kind of forget about her until recently. I was trying to find something to do and ended up browsing the net for her and found out that she has new album "luminescence" and "open heart". One of her song "Saviour" was also a soundtract for Transporter 2 (yeah... imagine my surprise when I found out about it.... instantly, I downloaded her albums and also Transporter2 OST). It turns out that her 2 new albums are pretty good. I've been playing them non stop ever since and even Transporter 2 OST is a good album to listen to when I go to gym. Below is the video clip of "Saviour" or "Cesse la Pluie" (French version). Just a fact... this video is banned in Indonesia (just because of what she wears in that clip......doh... *rolling my eyes.... ). Enjoy yourself :)

movie vs book

I think I'm expecting too much on this movie. I thought the movie would be as good as the book (which in this case not true at all). I'm a big fans of the book, so much that I've reread the book for couple times. So when I knew that they are going to make the movie out of it, and two of my fave actors - Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou - were playing in the movie, I was so excited. But after seeing it, as what the critics were saying, it turned out to be a disappointment. In my opinion, the film was slow (some said that it was a bit too rushed) and they changed some of the story (like the opening scene, and also the ending where they told sophie that her grandpa wasn't her real grandpa...and she didn't even meet her younger brother...). The other thing that bugs me down was that there wasn't enough chemistry between tom and audrey. They played good but not enough. Tom Hanks doesn't really act as good as what he's capable of. He seems too confused in this movie. Surprisingly, Ian McKellen plays really well as Sir Leigh Tobings. The witty conversations, the remarks that he made, those history on Da Vinci stuff and the charm as the bad/good guy. Thumbs up for that. Audrey on the other hand wasn't that bad but there are times where her french accent got in the way of the conversation, making it a bit hard to understand (I'm not complaining about this as me myself am not a English native speaker and I do admit I have accent and sometimes it was hard for people to understand what I was trying to say). I think maybe because I've watched "Amelie" so many times that I kind off expected her to be more that playful :p

Anyway, overall I think it was ok. Not that great. This is the second time where I expect too much from movies adapted from novel. My first (maybe not first but so far that I can remember) was Memoirs of a Geisha. It was one of my fave novel but the movie was such a disappointment. It was just a beautiful but an empty movie, one that you can forget easily just like Da Vinci Code. You just watched it for entertainment and forget about it the next day until you rewatch it again. This whole movie and novel thing makes me wondering was it hard to adapt a novel into a movie? I know there are so many things in the book that you can't even put it inside the movie and so many stuff to consider. I know the notebook wasn't a bad movie and so is pride and prejudice (for me) and I believe there're movies - based on novel - out there that are pretty good. But the Memoirs and Da Vinci.....maybe because i've read the novels and they are such a good one that I put a lot of hope into the movies. sigh... so sad....

Interestingly enough, comic books adaptation were not totally bad. Take X-men and V for Vendetta. They are both adapted from comics and I think they are pretty good (well not guarantee that comic book adaptation can be a good one... like the early batman series or even fantastic 4). Well.. so i guess just because it's from a popular book/comic, don't expect a good movie will come out of it.

reconciliation

So in the end, after all those piercing and stabbing, I finally made peace with him. It's really nice to know that someone isn't holding any more grudge towards you. I felt peace and even though that chapter of my life has already been closed, there was still some tiny gap that need a proper closure. I did that and now I can fully close it. Everything will be alright now.

an evening reminiscent of old and happy times

I know it's a bit too late but better be late then never :) Anyway, I have to admit i'm such a procrastinator. I have so many pictures in my digital camera that I haven't uploaded them yet to my computer until few days ago. Couple of them were taken at UW's quad under the cherry blossoms. I really love UW during this time of the year. The cherry blossoms bloomed so beautifully. I think it was still in the first few days of spring, so it was pretty cold out there.


Here are some of the pictures that I took. The first picture is me with the twin buildings as my background. The one that is seen in here is the School of Art. The other one that's not seen is the School of Music. It was a really nice day when we went out there. The second picture on the right is still in the same location but different end.



This picture on the left was taken from the middle of the quad. The quad itself is a rectangle (i think so if i'm not mistaken). The road shown in here will lead to HUB (Husky Union Building aka Student Union Building). Speaking of HUB, i kind of missed that place even though the food there were so-so and expensive. There's a bookstore in there that I spent my break time (sometimes) browsing around for books, and any other small stuff. Not a bad place.... ahhh I missed UW's bagel and strawberry cream cheese and also their bluberry muffin :) I used to eat that alot during classes just to keep me awake :) Oh not to forget Italian soda :) Nice stuff there....(why am I talking about food :p).

what i wish for at this moment...

1. Vacations. a week worth of vacations would be awesome right now....no need to worry about work, getting up early, driving to work. can sleep in until noon :p i'm such a lazy person :)

2. A piano. just because I watched a piano concert few weeks ago, the urge to play one is a bit overpowering right now. I've been checking some websites for renting one, even I checked craigslist.com (be careful in spelling that website... once i wrote "craiglist.com" instead of "craigslist.com", it turned out to be a porn site... imagine my surprise hehehehe). So far i'm still thinking about the space constraint since i don't have enough space in my room and any other constraints. I'll wait for now.

3. A trip to San Francisco. I wish I had a long easter weekend but too bad none whatsoever. But.... we will get one in May for memorial day weekend. I'm thinking about a trip down to SF to visit my sister. It's kind of expensive though so maybe not. (how i wish that money isn't a big issue :D sigh that's why we have to work and save money...)

4. Go home and sleep/relax. yeah right.....i wish i could do this right now at this moment heheheheh.... *rolling my eyes oh well.... 6 more hours to go.

5. and any other stuff that i can't think of right now....

forgetting the past

So, in the end, I decided to try to say hi to my ex again. I just want to see how his reaction is towards me and from the reply; I can see that he’s still mad/angry/pissed with me. I already put my cards on the table and whether he accepted it or not, it’s up to him to decide. Oh well… at least I tried and I’m kind of glad that I did it just because I’m a bit curious how his feelings are toward me after we ended our winter/spring fling. To tell you the truth, I should’ve listened to my inner voice back then. There’s a certain part of my heart/brain that told me that we weren’t compatible enough to make it last. I should’ve stayed away from him/not going any further with the relationship. But the choices were already being made and I had to stick with my decisions even though it was a bad one. At least I hope that I can learn from my mistake and not making it again the second time.

Here’s what I wrote to him:
“hello ....how are you doing these days? Even though we already broke up, and i know it's not easy to become friends again like we used to be, I just want to say hi to you. Have a great day.”

Nothing personal in the message, just saying hi to him and whether there’s any small possibility of becoming friends again or not.

Well judging from his reply to me, I guess not:
“I know it probably took some courage to send me a message, so I will at least reply to this message. I am sorry to say this, but I don't think I can be friends with you like we used to be. There are just too many things that happened in the past for me to forget.Move on and enjoy your life, and please don't contact me again.”

Interesting isn’t it… I have to say that the reply isn’t really “soft”, it’s pretty straightforward and to the point that it’s quite mean and inconsiderate. I guess break up can change people. If you know him, you probably won’t know that he can utter such words to others. He is honest that’s for sure…or crude? I don’t know and I don’t really care either. Another words that he wrote also saying that he still can’t forget what happened in the past that made him very disappointed and pissing him off, and that holds him back from maintaining any sort of relationship with me again, be it friend or more. Apparently he wants to forget about the past and probably in his opinion, by not contacting me is the fastest way to forget. I do agree with him on looking forward but on trying to forget about the past and not looking back? I don’t think I agree wholeheartedly with that. There will be a time where you have to pause and take a look back before you make choices/decisions. We definitely don’t want to repeat our own mistakes again, right? And the only way to do it may require us to step back and take a look at what we’ve done in the past.

just a thought

Just a thought that came to me when i was working (daydreaming? :p) ...
if you broke up with someone and then he/she decided to delete all your contact numbers, emails, friendsters, and any other stuff to forget about you, in couple months/years later should you say "hi" to him/her again just as friend? Well ok.... i broke up with my ex almost a year ago and when we did, he decided to erase everything about me like email address, friendster, msn messenger (that's so far that i know. I am not sure whether he deleted pictures and all that personal stuff... maybe he did). So my question is that... should I send him an invitation for friendster again or drop him email and just say hi to him again or should I just move on and close that part of my life? what happens if we met again somewhere someday? should I ignore him or just say hi and bye? Well... i don't know :) The thought of that already cross my mind couple times but so far no action ever taken yet..... just wait and see.

ok lunch time :D gotta go and eat..

another test

Animated Inventor

Interesting test. Some of them are quite true but I think there's some other parts that aren't. Well for you people that know me, feel free to give me any comments on my result. hmmmm just for precautioni, here's the link if that thing doesn't pop up.

what I have seen (and heard) so far...

This is one of the best movie I've ever seen for this year. The film was written by the brothers responsible for the Matrix movies, Larry and Andy Wachowski, and is based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore. Below is the summary of the movie...for those who haven't watched this movie, I suggest to skip this part or if you don't care that much, then proceed.

"The opening scene offers a quick lesson in English history. London in the 17th century is re-created to show infamous saboteur Guy Fawkes foiled in his attempt to blow up Parliament, an act for which he is hanged in front of a mob of thousands. They're almost certainly computer generated, but the special effects aren't obvious. The film is almost old-fashioned in relying on solid storytelling instead of trickery to engage the audience.

Flash forward, way forward, to London in 2020 or so. A totalitarian regime has taken control, terrorizing citizens and routinely lying to them via a government-controlled TV station. It's unclear whether the news readers are telling the truth when they dryly report that the former United States is in a state of chaos brought on by a civil war.

The British people's self-appointed savior (Hugo Weaving) goes only by the letter V. But we know what that stands for. Sure enough, he's hell-bent on bringing down the government by carrying out Fawkes' failed mission. Keep the mental image of Weaving as the "The Matrix's" ubiquitous Mr. Smith, because he's little more than a disembodied voice, albeit one with majestic resonance perfect for intoning the long-forgotten principles of democracy. V is never seen without an eerie Fawkes mask covering his entire face -- the heavy lines of the eyebrows and mustache form semicircles around squinty eyes, with the mouth glued shut. To hear his words coming from some other place takes some getting used to.

Natalie Portman gives her strongest performance yet as Evey, an orphan who slowly comes to understand the truth behind the deaths of her family. Even after Evey's hair is shaved off by torturers, Portman keeps you focused on her words and actions instead of her bald head.

V rescues her from government henchmen. Her deep brown eyes first reflect gratitude, then horror when the terrorist brings her to his safe house and plots to keep her locked up there. Parallels to "The Phantom of the Opera'' are obvious when V plays his jukebox for her ("Cry Me a River,'' of all songs) and invites her for a spin around the floor.

Light moments like their slow dancing or V fencing alongside "The Count of Monte Cristo'' ("the one with Robert Donat,'' he tells Evey, distinguishing it from inferior remakes) come as a relief after relentless gloom and doom. Gruesome torture scenes seem intended to evoke both World War II concentration camps and Iraq. Persecution of gay people, described in long letters written on toilet paper by a lesbian who's been incarcerated, are another reminder of the Nazis, as is England's Hitler-like chancellor (a terrifyingly believable John Hurt). Times do change -- most of "Vendetta'' was shot in Germany to save money.

The chancellor appears on a large screen barking out orders to his underlings to stop V after he blows up the Old Bailey to the accompaniment of the "1812 Overture." Not one to miss an opportunity to show off, V sets off fireworks around the incinerated building as if it were the Fourth of July. A chunk of the budget must have gone into impressively convincing scenes of British landmarks exploding.

To the credit of everyone involved with this movie, it's about a lot more than explosions. Provocative thoughts are what rise up from the ashes." ~~Ruthe Stein

This is one of the movie that makes you think while you watch it. I have to say that the movie has some political message in it that will make you question the amount of involvement of government has in our lives. It also shows how hunger for control and power will put people's lives in jeopardy. The acting is really good and the depth of the story will keep you intrigued because the situations of the story is almost the same as the situations of today's world problems. Overall, I love this movie and I wouldn't mind watching it again.

Sakura - Con 2006

Well, the picture is saying "Sakura-con 2007".. ooppss my bad... but basically it's the same stuff....So, what's Sakura-Con? Sakura-Con is the premier Pacific Northwest Anime Convention devoted to East Asian Culture, with a particular focus on Japanese animation (anime), Japanese Comics (manga), and video gaming. Sakura-Con is the gathering place of thousands of fans who get together to have fun sharing their love for anime. I'm not really enthusiast to go there this year but someone wanted my companion... so what can i say... (i mean i do love manga and anime... so why not?). Anyway... the 2 main reasons for me to go there... first... cosplay... I can't wait to see how people dress up to be like his/her favourite anime/game/manga characters. Let me tell you... I appreciate art...a GOOD one....there were some people out there that I have to give thumps up for their artistic choice of clothing...but most of them are not even close to that level...here are two websites that I found while searching about Sakura con : first website and second one Well, I'll let you be the judge of the cosplay then... :) My second reason is to check some goodies/items....they have so many interesting things inside there but too bad...some of them were pretty pricey....So yeah... I spent my saturday morning by going to University of Washington's quad to see their cherry blossoms... oh my.. they are so pretty... I took couple pictures there (i'll post some in another day) and after that, I went to the sakura con and spent my whole afternoon there. Conclusion... I don't think i want to go there again next year... waste of money i think... not really that worth it....

Here come the best part.... Yesterday, I went to see Russion National Orchestra at Benaroya Hall. They were playing Rachmaninov piano concerto 3 in D minor Op. 30, Rachmaninov's Vocalise op. 34 no. 14, Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 3 in G major, Op. 55, and theme from sleeping beauty as the extra piece. Words can't describe it... It was amazing and superb. The performance was really good. The guest pianist is also really well in playing the piano concerto eventhough the simple tune proves a potent catalyst for astonishingly difficult pianistic gymnastics thoroughout the entire movement. I got to know and love Rachmaninov 3 from movie "the Shine" After watching that movie, I was falling head over heels with that piece and seeing it in live last night really makes me appreciate the beauty of classical music and also the genius minds behind those pieces. Exuberant, larger than life, this febrile music uses further transformations of the concerto's opening theme in demonstrating Rachmaninov's predilection for variation technique. The driving rhythmic intensity of the finale is twice interrupted, once by a deft and delectable scherzando and again by a sad lento, before notching up to vivace, then vivacissimo, and ultimately presto. It was really a night to be remembered.