Guess who stopped sucking?

Before I get going, I uploaded all my pics from Kuala Lumpur (what the cool kids call KL) to my flickr page. Also some of snow for those who haven't seen it.

Well I've ended a marathon of lethargic relaxation with: practicing card tricks, applying for real jobs, being helpful, and hangin' with the fam. Let's take these one at a time.

Lethargic relaxation: Hah! Bet you didn't think this was first! Anyway, it's a bit of a misnomer. I was sleeping a lot and in my pajamas all day, but I have actually been doing this stuff for a while. Just not as much of it.

Card tricks: I refuse to comment. But check this site out if you want to learn some new ways to shuffle.

Applying for real jobs: the tally is now Boeing (failed!), metacritic (will probably never turn into someting), Progressive (2 apps in today, no news yet), WebFinance (this company just emailed me -- is that a bad sign?), and a resume I sent to my employer last summer to forward to some friends of his who have a startup software company in PGH. A custom resume for each (+1 for my networking event in Silicon Valley), toss in a few cover letters, and it's been keeping me busy.

Being helpful: I've revived a philosophy I discovered in high school and really almost always follow (though sometimes to a lesser degree). It's basically that I should help people. Not because of karma or anything but just because I can and it makes them happy. I'm not talking about starving children or anything. It basically came about because my mom would always ask me to do things like walk our dog for example. And I always tried to weasel out of it or just plainly not do it. Not for any real reason. So one day I thought she works all day and I'm just watching TV, why don't I walk the dog? She was impressed, happy, and it turns out I enjoy the solitude of Bainbridge streets at night. I've extended that at various times to walking across campus in the winter to help Boss 2 pick a lock, always finding anyone who's upset, and going with my Grandma to return a heavy panini maker to William Sanoma. I've done it a lot lately because I really have little pressing to do and it's been nice. I guess Aaron Tarnow's been all over this one for some time.

Hangin' with the Fam: So much more fun than Mr. Cooper. This has been great too. My gram cooked dinner (which she used to do every Friday) on Wed which she hasn't apparently done for some time. I've been shopping with cousins, meeting up with my sister, eating with my aunt and uncle, watching movies with various extended family members. It's been nice. Especially considering that I saw Jeanne for the minute she was in town and I feel no burning desire to see most of my friends from high school.

Coming up: A coffee that's been brewing for four years, holiday gaiety, gift exchanges, gaiety in my voice on the phone?, skiiiiiiing, and suits in San Fran.

Wow Double Post.

I am like the Ken Tew of blogging. Anyway...

Sometimes I do wonder what it's all for. Authors, poets, musicians, scientist have tried to give answers to why we struggle with pain, love, and the pain that comes from the problems of love. But lately (and by this I mean the past 6 months or so), it's been hard for me to tell if it's been the happiest or the saddest time of my life. I have only been sad because I miss things or people who made me happy. I am only happy when I find new things or people who I will eventually be without (temporarily or permanently) which I know will make me sad.

But at the end of the day, I am really glad to be alive. I am so grateful to whom or whatever deserves my thanks that I am intelligent and that I do things for a reason. I may be bored or angsty or feel lonelier than ever shortly after feeling happy to be back around those who love me, but at the end of the day I feel like this time is really shaping who I will become. Good or bad, I feel glad that I am here to experience it. Maybe it's just hard to explain.

As was said by the main guy in Motorcycle Diaries, "Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land."

This is not meant to be an insightful post.

I was just brushing my teeth to go to bed (yes, at 10:10pm*) and after a very long tooth brushing session (I feel guilty and start having proper oral hygiene every so often) I rinsed my mouth with water from a plastic cup on the counter. Now I have always been of the camp to have a real cup in my bathroom because I always use it and using plastic cups always involves so many cups. But alas, I am only a guest in this bathroom, so I use the plastic. Nonetheless I am an avid reuser of my cup, as are a few of those I share the room with.

After placing my now freshly wet cup back on the counter, I realize I had used the wrong cup (mine is above the sink not to the left). However, the fresh wetness clearly shows my guilt. My first thought is to switch the cups, but this would mean my cousin using my cup innocently thinking it was her own and that can't be right. I could throw out the cup and replace it, but that defeats the whole purpose of saving the cups in the first place. So I decide to leave evidence of the mistaken identity and call it a night.

Anyway, I finally sent out some resumes! Look at me not wasting my life!

*Well, I was planning on reading for a bit, but I have been going to bed quite early and waking up between 7 and 9 with no alarm clock. Weird, huh?

I can't believe I live in this world sometimes.

My exchange friend from SG is in Australia now. He posted this to his blog:


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