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March 30, 2003

Special Sunday

So much for sleeping in on weekends! I drove my parents to SFO for their 7AM flight, then came back and attended Sunday service with John and Tammy. It's been a long while, but... from praise/worship on, I pretty much felt right at home.

There are still some deeper personal issues/conflicts I have to confont, but that's another entry(?) for the future. For now, I'll just say that I enjoyed the pastor's message, and the general welcoming, friendly demeanor of everyone. =) I was pleasantly surprised when the pastor heard of my church in Davis (First Baptist), then found out he was raised in Sac!

After a very enjoyable/interesting lunch with John and Tammy at King of Thai, I got dropped off at home where I had some time to rest before heading out to Rachel's surprise birthday party. =)

All I can say is: Rachel has like one of the cutest families, ever! Both in terms of personalities and how they interact with one another! I hope my family turns out like that some day... =) Oh, and all of them are also cuties in the looks department, too. Hehe. =p

I'm seriously bummed that I didn't bring the spare battery for my camera! Arghhhhh.... there were some really great photo ops I missed out on: cake fight between Rachel and her sister; sister and her friend "hiding" under the table; gift opening... ahh well, I learned my lesson: always bring my camera case with me, no matter what! =)

Happy Birthday Rachel!

Finally, thank you John and Tammy for that awesome piece of news today! That totally made my day! I can't wait to see where this goes. *fingers crossed* Sigh... I'm such a dork. Hehe. =D

Posted by stevelee at 07:05 PM | Comments (1)

March 29, 2003

Journey to Self-Discovery

Woke up early today to drive down to Hayward State and participate in OZ's Journey to Self-Discovery project, which they've been working hard planning and preparing for. I'm so glad I went to support them; it was an awesome event!

The day consisted of a series of leadership/communication/personal discovery workshops, geared primarily towards a high school audience. Along with that distinct OZ spirit and enthusiasm everyone around Section 4's come to love. =)

OVERALL, I thought the project was a huge success: very well planned from start to finish; good attendance; and most importantly, it seemed a positive learning experience for all. I saw a lot of high schoolers who seemed genuinely touched by the conference, and it allowed all present to bond with each other.

I knew I was feeling very happy and comfortable because: (1) I was constantly smiling and never really felt tired, and (2) I tried c-walking (haha, it was pretty bad).

Jigga wha?? Yeah, you read that right... we were doing a Soul Train runway thing, and I only hesitated to think of my dance move. =p If you know me, and how self-conscious I can get, you know what a big deal this is... in plain daylight, with no alcohol even!

That should give you a sense of the energy and positive vibes at the event. =) Hopefully I can continue conquering these inner demons of mine, and have the confidence to "be myself" around everyone... The day I can do that is when I finally complete my Journey to Self-Discovery.

"And just cause we talkin', what you doin' C-Walking?" - Snoop Dogg

Then I came home and saw evil's entry about the heavenly hapa, Jaymee Ong! Wow, she is hot/pretty! Seriously, check that site out (I couldn't even pick 1 picture out for here! ;))

Oh, err... to keep this relevant to the topic: I've come to a self-discovery that like Sung Hi Lee, Jaymee's totally mastered the smoldering "come hither" look! Thank you, Wahine! ;)

Posted by stevelee at 07:45 PM | Comments (0)

Beef: It's What's For Dinner!

These pics are absolutely pointless... but whatever, that's the beauty of digital cameras/pictures!

Have to admit, I was really happy with how tasty and juicy the fajitas came out! Yum yum yum! =D

To complete the randomness of this entry: Rachael Ray, cute or annoying?

Posted by stevelee at 03:59 AM | Comments (13)

March 28, 2003

More IR musings

Just an update to my previous entry about IR: Eric and aforementioned geeky friends have since corrected me about IR! The ability of IR to penetrate material depends primarily on the material, and not so much its color.

Hello, wavelength?! I feel ashamed to call myself a life science or engineering "geek." =x

BTW, Eric has done quite a bit of research resulting in a very informative writeup on digital IR photography!

Excerpts from our discussions... maybe Eric (or other image gurus) could add comment? =)
----
Red dye absorbs all and reflects red... So it appears red...
It is possible that the red dye overlaps into the IR and would reflect IR also...
Shouldn't that effectively block the see-thru effect of IR (instead of enhancing it?)
----
I don't remember WHY, but I *do* remember hearing on the news that darker colors (black, dark blues), as well as thin clothing were affected the most.

I'm with you on the red color part, though... if the CCD camera is sensitive to colors close to IR, then red should appear the least transparant, no?
----
As for the casino cameras, being black and white is OK since you don't get color with an IR image anyways.

I would surmise that darker colors absorb more body heat, so it makes the fabric more see-through. I don't know why red, in particular, makes any difference.

From Will: Home English Home...HEH, one of the most random things I've ever seen, yet I found absolutely hysterical!

I definitely am easily amused! ;p

Posted by stevelee at 12:24 AM | Comments (11)

March 26, 2003

Et cetera

Hmm, this article on Why you should never wear red in casinos seems vague and hoax-ish. But after discussion with some friends, decided that it's possible since casinos generally use black and white CCD cameras with high IR-sensitive lenses!

The great thing about having lots of geeky friends is that it's so easy to prove/disprove tech-related things... or laugh at all the improbable things in movies that defy the laws of physics/nature. =p

Oh, and for a practical example of that IR mumbo-jumbo above, here's something on IR pass filters sold for cameras and camcorders. Kinda neat/scary, eh?

Have a good bruise pic that you'd like to share? Send it to the evil wahine! =)

Check out this cute engagement pic of Chamspell and her man! Doesn't she look like some hot HK movie star? You can follow more wedding news and more on her site.

*sigh* I definitely want to take both western-style and HK/Taiwanese style wedding pictures when that special day finally comes! So pretty! =) Just need to find that special someone first... hehe.

Update - More random links from Wahine: a National Do-Not-Call/Solicit List! God knows I need this, since I hardly ever answer the phone anymore without screening first... damn you blood-sucking bastards!

And looks like I'll be watching The Bachelor... well, so long as Courtney remains on the show. ;)

Don't bother reading the rest of this entry unless you play Warcraft 3...

I finally played my first public games on Battle.net last night! I play private games with my friends, and watch my brother (who's a damned good player) as well... so I wasn't nervous.

Have to say though, the game didn't look too good for us: the 4 of us (yeah Rui, I know you think 3v3+ is gay ;p) were a L1 team playing against a L5 team, I randomed to Human (my weakest race), and accidentally picked BRILLIANCE AURA as my first skill!

I'll let the replay (right click and save, of course) tell the rest. ;) Everyone on both sides thought it was a good, exciting game!

I shouldn't have let my Archmage die as many times as he did though... =(

And speaking of hero control, check this replay out!

Posted by stevelee at 04:22 AM | Comments (11)

March 24, 2003

More Academy of Friends

So sad... only managed to take these precious few pictures. =/ Was working hard the entire night, and didn't get much of a chance to enjoy the gala other than chatting with a few random APO people. =)

Scary moment: While taking out some trash bag, I got poked by something, drawing blood... it wasn't a syringe, and I put on some neosporin... so hopefully, that's that...=x

Random thoughts: It was funny seeing a huge line for the guys' restroom, versus no line for the women. And you KNOW you're at a gay event when you notice way more cute guys than women. ;)

Posted by stevelee at 04:03 PM | Comments (6)

March 23, 2003

Birthday Celebrations

We went to celebrate my uncle's BD at his new custom-built home in Los Altos. Three words: heated bathroom floor! Sheesh, talk about big ballers. ;)

As you can tell from the pictures, my cousin Max stole the spotlight from his daddy. =)

Afterwards, I rushed back to the city to meet up with some buddies to celebrate Tammy's BD; met some very cool people! Had a blast dancing and getting our drink on at 1015 Folsom (wow, they play hip hop there now! My, how things have changed...)

We then went to John's place to hang out "for a little bit." That ended up being like 2-3 hours of intense foosball action, with the ladies passing out on the couch. Hahaha, Dub and Cal put up a good fight but they can't hang with Puppetmaster and Beefcake... ;p

Posted by stevelee at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

March 22, 2003

Academy of Friends

Just a few shots from tonight's orientation -- I wish I took more, but I was stuck in line since certain people *coughCeliacoughJen KimcoughJoyce(?)coughSareencough* are major line cutters! ;)

No respect for the elderly, I swear! Don't make me bust out with the Flailing Elbows of Mayhem (tm), 30 Stockton grandmama style! Haha. ;p

I got "stuck" with gopher boy duties in the VIP area -- something I fully blame on Sareen and her guilt trip: "Since you're service chair, you should take any position! (And save the fun shifts for me!)" Hehe, kidding! =)

Even though she was just kidding, Sareen brought up a valid point: when we do service, why do we do it? Do we do it to help ourselves, or others? ...So, with an admittedly resigned sigh I told Jarvis to sign me up wherever they needed the most help.

...Damn, I am such a sucker. Haha. ;p

Some people, knowing that I knew Jarvis and Irene (Gamma Gamma alumni, and Academy of Friends staff), tried convincing me to pull some strings and change shifts around... As tempting as that was, I couldn't... that'd just be... wrong. =)

Arghhh... stoooopid conscience! =x

Anyway, after the orientation I dropped off Stephen and Team Malaysia home: hopefully they enjoyed the little exhibition I put on (my car, not me!) -- it's been a while since I stretched my baby's legs. =) Then drove to meet Alex and my lil sis Denise for lots of Korean BBQ goodness and soju!

I think I just about ate and drank as much as both of them combined! Fun, fun stuff... great way to end the night. =)

P.S. The graphic art goddess herself, Steph, introduced me to the Photoshop technique of clone stamping, which you see a crude example of in the picture of Celia. The idea was to clone Dave out of the background, leaving a blurred Celia with all the cool colors! Cool, cool stuff...

P.P.S. Finally watched Infernal Affairs. Despite what my lil sis Gina (super fob extraordinaire) thinks, I thought it was an excellent, gritty movie; much better than Hero!

Plus, gotta admit that Tony Leung still looks good, especially considering he's 41! It's still kinda hard to take him seriously though, since he was typecast into goofy, comedic roles during his younger years.

P.P.P.S. Fricking Mississippi State!!! I picked them to go all the way to the Final Four! Looks like I won't be winning the pot this year either. *sigh*

Posted by stevelee at 05:38 AM | Comments (1)

March 21, 2003

Merry elves

From Steph, it's Lord of the Rings caption time! Enjoy (especially you, evil!):

I doubt this is legit, but: Alton arrested for fighting at a Make-a-Wish event. As if we needed further evidence of his ...character? (Obviously edited for my own sake. ;)) Thanks Gil for the link!

Posted by stevelee at 05:16 PM | Comments (2)

March 20, 2003

A Solemn Past

Rather than use my clumsy words to rephrase, I think it better to just copy and paste my dear friend's entry, followed by my own response (edited for coherency):

have u ever thought about killing urself?

i was suicidal once- when i was 12 or so. i had knife to wrist one afternoon when i was struck with something short of a brilliant thought...

"if i'm gonna kill myself, i might as well 'live it up'... after all, what do i have to lose[but my life, and i'm controlling that at the moment]?"

in hindsight, it was probably a call for help and attention. but most of all it was shortsighted and selfish. i didn't think about all the people i would leave behind and hurt. on one hand i felt they really didn't care if i was gone. they'd probably be happy. yet on the other hand, i didn't care either and IF they noticed, i *wanted* them to hurt, and to miss me. after all, they didn't care i was hurting now.

it was stupid really.

but it seems no matter how selfless i'd try to be, i'm really being selfish. maybe i thought i was doing the world a favor by taking myself away. in reality, i just wanted to end my own pain and suffering.

when i realized what i was doing to myself, in that moment i found the key to living- i mean really living. in the end, all that matters is how i view myself.

a lesson learned when i was 12. i'm still learning to love myself... i believe before anyone can fully love someone else, one has to truly love and be happy with oneself. don't know if i'll ever be completely happy with myself... but i get closer and closer everyday ...

there are still moments i have suicidal thoughts. but quickly i think, if i'm gonna go... i might as well have some fun first. what else i gonna lose?

it works. i'm still here, aren't i?

*hug* And every day I count myself blessed for another day with you in my life. =)

I know you were asking a rhetorical question, but yeah, I contemplated suicide (and came close to doing it) many, many times during middle and early high school.

In the end, I think I was just too chicken shit to go through with it... and in hindsight, well, you summed it up perfectly.

Ironically, I think this suicide experience and others like it, really helped give me added perspectives on life. Perhaps that's part of why I was able to relate to and understand so many people around me. Which also drove me to make sure loved ones didn't follow in my same footsteps; I wanted to "save" them from making my mistakes and experiencing the same pain.

At my old church (Chinese Bible Church), the elders/pastors would give a little speech/recap on all the graduating high school seniors. My distinguishing characteristic? How I exhibited so much maturity for my age. Not cool, not funny... but mature.

Heh... I guess I was always super-serious, eh? (Much more so than now) I knew I always felt old for my age. Sometimes, I look at all the old scars on my body from various injuries... and wonder if I'm more scarred on the outside or inside?

Here's to a happier future where we finally find peace and healing within ourselves.

Posted by stevelee at 06:44 PM | Comments (2)

March 19, 2003

Wonderful Wednesday

Happy BD to my mom and Jenn! =)

After dinner, we came home to watch a lot of Chinese movies. Does anyone remember Return of the Condor Heroes? Well, I bought my mom the DVD set and watching it brought back so many memories!

The acting and props were pretty cheesy (what do you expect from a series made in 1983?), but God, I remember the music and key scenes like it was yesterday! Images of a certain over-imaginative young boy came to mind -- like how this young boy memorized the "super kung fu" moves so he too could shoot lasers from his fingers, or do Kwok Jing's infamous Hong Lung Sup Bak Jerng (18 strikes of the conquering dragon) attack!

Strangely enough, this boy (name withheld ;)) was never able to shoot lasers or shatter stone walls with his attacks. =( This despite frequent practicing on his younger brother and relatives, much to their dismay. Of course, I was the "Supreme Commander," so they had to take it willingly! Hahaha, I was such a bad kid; thank God they're all such good sports, especially since they're all taller than me now! Hehe. ;p

Hmm... now what? Sing old Chinese songs for nostalgia's sake, or watch Infernal Affairs? ;)

Speaking of family, here's a new set of pics from my grandpa's 80th bd, taken by my Uncle Mel.

Finally, from the WTF?! files: National Guardsman renames himself Optimus Prime! Thanks Steve for the link. =)

Posted by stevelee at 11:21 PM | Comments (5)

Katia's: A Russian Tea Room

Knocked another restaurant off my list today. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera (I am such a tourist!) so no pretty pictures this time!

Katia's is located at 5th and Balboa, a nice, quiet little area of the Richmond. Like Seoul Garden, the decor and atmosphere is clean and more upscale.

Plus, Katia herself -- a warm, affable woman -- comes out to talk with, and entertain, you.

But for all this, you pay a hefty premium! We're talking painful hefty here. It made yesterday's lunch at Seoul Garden seem like an absolute bargain! I tried the recommended dishes of Beet Borsch (traditional Russian vegetable soup with beef broth base), Beef Piroshki, Sauteed Pel'meni (beef filled dumplings served with a special house curry sauce), and Golubtsi (ground beef, rice and onions wrapped in cabbage leaves and baked in tomato sauce).

Everything was tasty and fresh, but nothing stood out. The borsch tasted like the spicy vegetable soup you get from ABC or similar restaurants that serve "HK style western food." The pel'meni reminded me of mini potstickers. Did I mention the expensive prices yet?

Basically, for the price I paid, I expected a lot more. These feelings are accentuated when you check the prices/menu at Cinderella Bakery across the street -- basically prices were HALF of what we paid at Katia's! With all this said, I find it hard to recommend Katia's... unless you have money to burn.

Thank goodness I have a bottle of Sansachun (basically, rice wine with a sweet, rosy aftertaste... pretty good!) to help dull the pain of my depleted wallet! ^_^

P.S. This entry by Grandizar is cute. I'm sure all us guys can relate -- remember ladies, we're admiring your beauty, not leering!

P.P.S. ABC Bikinis by Victoria's Secret? WTF? Women always get the weirdest/coolest clothes thingies! =)

Posted by stevelee at 03:52 PM | Comments (2)

March 18, 2003

Seoul Garden

Ate at Seoul Garden for lunch today. Even for Korean restaurants, this place is a little on the pricier side. But for the extra premium that you pay, you enjoy meals in a nice, clean atmosphere, and get waited on by attentive, friendly (and cute) waitresses!

The food is excellent! I tried the Kimchee Dolsotbab (Kimchee, meat, vegetables and rice served in a hot stoneware) and Soon Tofu Chige (Soft tofu stew with beef, oysters, vegetables in spicy sauce); great flavors and heat! The kimchee side dish is also good. =)

I plan on returning to try their other dishes. =) Oh yeah, I mentioned cute waitresses, right? Here ya go:

Here's some of the old pics (basically, the non-blurry ones) from Kev's wedding, too.

Man, I need to get some real work done. =x

So today also represented another first for me: flirting with a complete stranger... I'll let you guess which waitress. ;p

It was strange... and I felt odd while doing it, but it basically boiled down to this: Why the hell not? What do I have to lose? I found her attractive, so might as well act on it and see what happens!

Like my friend Lin said a while back: just do it, before you overthink things and screw yourself over. =) I wasn't very smooth -- felt odd, so I held back a lot -- but it's amazing what smiling and being honest can do. And feeling confident enough to express those thoughts, I guess. Hehe.

Her: "Wow, you really like the kimchee; are you Korean?"
Me: "No; I just know how to appreciate good food and even prettier ladies." ;D

Gil, John, and Willy: see, I'm slowly learning from the masters! Hehe. ;p

P.S. Thanks to uber geek Jack, my new server is up and running! Muahahahaha!!!

P.P.S. I'm reading through the girlie matters tips and tricks site for MovableType again; some very cool stuff there... like should I add a most recent comments or clippings feature to the sidebar? Would it clutter the sidebar too much? It'd be cool, though! =)

P.P.P.S. Anyone want to buy me an iPod? I'll love you for life! =)

The iPod website has the following disclaimer: Don’t steal music.
Hahaha, I find that hilarious... not that I steal music or anything. O=)

Posted by stevelee at 03:53 PM | Comments (2)

GG/MZ Dinner pics

Some pictures from tonight's dinner at Olive Garden; surprisingly good turn-out from both chapters. There Erick, you have the picture spotlight, are you happy?! ;p

I'm in the process of converting my old pics (from the Geocities site) to the new format, and I think I need to update my links to accomodate the 1234254 of you Xanga people. Hmm, maybe I'll just add the link to my Xanga site to link to you guys instead...

Whoa (or as JJ would say: "What tha?"), "Plots within plots, within plots... as you know best, Maud'dib." (Yeah baby, I've been watching Children of Dune!)

Beyond fiddling with my digital camera, I've been trying to catch up on movies (ahhh, gotta love pirated, not-released-yet legit DVDs) and TV. Tonight's episode of Battle of the Sexes was pretty boring, but Punk'd was funny. This expression on Justin Timberlake's face is priceless! =D

Can't wait for tomorrow's episode of Real World! Annie Wang: see, didn't I tell you Alton was shady scum? I still can't believe you defended him! =/

Happy Birthday CZ! (What's up with all the March babies... especially all the ones this week?? What tha? ;p)

Note to self: Maybe I should put up a listing of restaurants that I've tried, and have yet to try... so many restaurants that I want to eat at, but I'm starting to lose track of them all! =x

Besides, this way I can get reviews from my dear readers... and you're more than welcome to take me out to a restaurant that sounds appealing to you too! =D

Posted by stevelee at 04:28 AM | Comments (3)

March 17, 2003

Why Wahine Rocks My World

Let me count the ways:

- She recommends yummy Hawaiian restaurants.
- She has great reviews/commentary on like every reality TV show and Asian movie in existence!

This despite not picking My Sassy Girl as one of her Top 5 Korean movies... ahh well, there's no accounting for taste. ;p

- I get to live vicariously through her, what, weekly trips around the world!
- She's just frickin' cool as hell!
- She tells me about cute Korean girls that she thinks is my type! =D

She's right. ^_^ *ahem* Although for the record, I appreciate beauty of all types, equally! *big grin* ;D

Dammit Wahine, you just want to make me spend more money at YesAsia!

Random: I recognize her buddy Greg; we were in the same AP Chem class in high school... and I think he also was part of APhiO at Cal? Small world. =)

Random #2: I think about the most random things when I'm bored! For example, while driving along Sunset today, I wondered what it'd be like to suddenly make a hard left and ram into the car next to me! The scary thing is, that got me grinning/snickering for a good minute! =x

Also reminds me of how as a kid, while my parents were backing a car out of the garage, I stuck my foot out to see what it felt like to have it run over! (didn't hurt =))

Random #3: My aunt dropped off some snacks for us... after reading ggx's entry, I couldn't help but check to see if the Pringles' seal was opened!!! (it wasn't, of course) =x

Random #4: Finally got around to finishing the Picture Archives link; woohoo! =)

OK, mini APhiO rant... and this is strictly my personal opinion, not that of staff nor my "official" view as Service Chair: (I'll probably delete this later when I come to my senses =p)

I see too much apathy and lack of spirit. No one really seems to take pride in themselves, each other, nor their actions.

I could easily be more bitter than most of you, yet I remain loyal and proud to my alma mater. Is this a sign of the times? Is this based on the type of people/leaders present in the chapter today? And does any correlation exist between this and the "fact" that chapter history seems such an unimportant part of the pledge/active education process?

We had to learn (and I still remember) pledge classes from 4 years prior to mine, and had better relations with alumni.

It also bugs me that I see an increasing number of generic "projects." It seems that as long as more than 2 brothers gather in a single place to do anything, that constitutes a fellowship event. Or if there happens to be a brother from another chapter present at an event -- even if he/she doesn't participate or interact -- that's declared an "interchapter" event. Personally, I think that's weak and defeats the entire purpose.

It's no wonder people are less proud, when credit is so easy to come by. No, this rant is not directed towards any specific people or offices at all. And yes, I realize that I made sweeping generalizations. I just think some bad habits have been passed down over the years...

Posted by stevelee at 03:54 AM | Comments (5)

March 16, 2003

Digital Photography for Dummies

I finally had a chance to play around with my camera and new software; I would really appreciate it if you could look through my set of pics and offer any comments! =)

There are 3 sets of each pic:
- Left: Edited pic, saved at max quality; roughly ~300+ kb in size
- Center: Edited pic, saved at middle quality; roughly 70-120 kb in size.
- Right: Original, unedited picture resized to 640 x 480 pixels; roughly 200 kb.

All "edited" pics were handled through a standard application of Photoshop Element's "Quick Fix" (with the exception of 2 pics that were cropped).

Personal notes/questions:
- Does Photoshop's "Quick Fix" over-edit the images?
- Are the HQ, edited pics that much better than the MQ ones?
- When I resize an image, there's some loss of quality. Is there any way around this?
- I now know what Exif is! Basically, it contains all the info/settings for your digital camera and image. Kinda neat stuff; it really allows you to compare and study your pics.
- My hands shake too much; luckily, the awesome camera is able to compensate most of the time!
- For the night time moon shot, I had to lay on my back and prop the camera against my body to keep it steady enough for a proper exposure! I think I need a tripod...
- So far, so good: I love the camera, and the software makes life so much easier! BreezeBrowser is definitely worth every penny!
- There, I added an automatic slide show feature for you lazy asses *coughThanhcough* who don't like clicking buttons. ;p

Posted by stevelee at 07:33 PM | Comments (2)

March 14, 2003

It's WTF?!? News Day!

Drinking Urine: BAD

Well kiddies, in the off-chance you ever considered drinking urine, it's official: urine's bad.... mmk?.

Dammit, I guess I gotta flush the rest of my urine shake down the toilet...

Women dig sweaty armpits!

OK fellas, next time ladies complain about your BO or sweaty armpits, tell 'em: "Oh hell nawww... woman, you jus' playin hard to get, yo!"

...researchers collected samples from the underarms of men who refrained from using deodorant for four weeks. The extracts were then blended and applied to the upper lips of 18 women, aged 25 to 45.

Yuck.

Disclaimer: In the event that you get slapped, ignored, dumped, or what not, Steve Lee assumes no responsibility for your obvious lack of game!

Instead, he will respond with: "Join the club my friend, join the club!" =p

FINAL FANTASY BONUS NEWS:
Woo, check out this music video/teaser for Final Fantasy X-2! Looks awesome, and the story teasers are enough to make me want this game now! Thanks Leon for the link! =)

*sigh* Makes me more sad that Square had to make that God-awful Final Fantasy movie, and lose so much money that they were acquired by Enix. =(

Posted by stevelee at 03:14 PM | Comments (3)

Spring Break

Off to Cancun for a wild orgy of booze, women, and sun!

...Ha, roiiiiiiiiite! ;) Quite the opposite: I'll be stuck studying for exams and working on more projects. YES!!!!

Finally watched an episode of Are You Hot? Oh my God, what a stupid show. =x Not that I was expecting quality programming, but still!

I'm bitterly disappointed (I'll get over it though, thanks) that Janet wasn't deemed "hot" while Brandy was. Dude, Janet looked wayyyy hotter than Brandy who seemed to have nothing more than a big set of... oh, nevermind. ;D

Got to cheer on Erick, Jason, and the rest tonight in their rollerhockey game against the #1 seed; they lost a tough game... but on the bright side, I got to try out my new camera! =D Based on Eric's recommendations, I also got some new software: Breezebrowser/Downloader and Photoshop; nifty!

Posted by stevelee at 02:19 AM | Comments (5)

March 12, 2003

One Camera to Rule them All

My new camera finally arrived; woohoo! So many cool features... and what more fitting way to bid adieu to my old camera by using it to take pics of the new one?? Hehe.

Jaylene and Susannah, if you read this: thanks so much for the hugs today! I felt depressed, but you guys helped cheer me up. It's amazing how much power/warmth a small token of affection like that can carry with it. =)

I guess that's why I crave affection so much from loved ones... yet, somehow I don't think I really give off the friendly/affectionate vibe; like, I can't/don't give everyone hugs -- does that make sense? I see other people (sorry for the stereotype: such as my Pilipino friends) and kinda envy how open and affectionate they are with each other.

Part of me feels that signs of affection should be saved for special people or something; but lately, I'm wondering if that's just me rationalizing/covering up some inner fear of rejection by the other person? Cuz I love giving hugs, and the only time I don't give them is when I feel like the other person feels uncomfortable/unwilling to hug me?

Blah; I overthink things too much.

Posted by stevelee at 05:05 PM | Comments (2)

March 11, 2003

Fast food folly

"Would you like freedom fries with your order?" Werd.

So I've been up over 24 straight hours programming... man, this feels like working at the dotcom again... without the dotcom pay! WTH? Something's not right here... =/

Speaking of food... I'm craving it. As usual. This time, I can't get dumplings out of my mind... thinking about trying Russian food at Katia's: A Russian Tea Room; mmmm, borscht, piroshki, pelmeni, stroganoff, and more! =D

*sigh* It must be some minor miracle that I'm not obese by now! Haha.

P.S. For my fellow newbie digital photography enthusiasts, Eric has a nice, helpful resource page; check it out! =)

Posted by stevelee at 04:46 PM | Comments (2)

March 09, 2003

Trip down Memory Lane

So do you younger Lowellites know that there's a swimming pool on the 4th floor?!?

Today turned out to be a really cool day (despite someone flaking on me this morning! *cough cough* ;))! Firstly, I saw Christina, Henry, Elena, Kalen, Jason, Erick, Milly, her Jason, and James for lunch at Coriya. Felt great chatting with them about random things, such as: the UCD days, trying to get on the wall for IM sports, Miss APhiO...

As I was picking food off James' and Erick's plate without their permission, Milly pointed out that all us guys must feel comfortable with each other since we all did Miss APhiO. I dunno about that, but I did come to the sudden realization that yes, I did feel comfortable around these guys. And that made me feel happy. =)

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay and hang out too long, because I had to meet a group of my high school buddies at the Lowell basketball courts! Apparently, they still play there every weekend or so, but me... I hadn't set foot on Lowell in about 4 years.

While walking towards the courts, I noticed that the door to the music wing was open, so I went in to check it out. And seeing that the doors to the band and orchestra/symphony rooms were also open, I peeked in... and saw Mrs. Winter! She was my orchestra conductor at Hoover and last year at Lowell (she took over for Mrs. Zhatilla... I dunno what's the point of sharing all this info either, haha); to my shock, she remembered my name!!!

I guess when you're one of her top cellists, that sorta thing happens... haha, j/k ;p

Anyway, it was cool hanging out with John, Calvin and some other high school buddies... Calvin and I walked around Lowell, reminiscing. Dude, they totally changed the back courtyard, and tore down that old tree! WTF is up with that?? They also added these tables in the middle courtyard with lights -- kinda like a studying area or something, and have all this construction going on outside the foreign language wing!

Dork that I am, I tried taking pics but, as expected, all the daylight shots just came out looking like crap.

After that, I had to rush home, shower, and rush down to Left Bank in Menlo Park for Mimi (Huang... my pledge mom! =D)'s surprise BD dinner! Whole bunch of people I hadn't seen in ages were there: Karena, Sammy, Vivian, Anna Leu (James and Anna in the same day!), Ben, Sung, Mimi...

Oh, before I go any further, I MUST talk about the food at Left Bank! Hahaha... I had the Onion Soup au Gratin and Portobello and Gnocchi (with truffle oil) entree... YUM... oh, so delicious!

After dinner, we went back to Mimi and Sung's place for cake... and Mimi got her second surprise when she discovered her place filled with balloons that the rest of the gang had inflated earlier in the day. That was sweet. =)

Off-topic: Thanks to wahine's recommendation, I have a new HK movie to get off YesAsia.com! ^_^

Posted by stevelee at 02:47 AM | Comments (6)

March 07, 2003

I heart Food Network!

Ahhh, nothing like watching Food Network while enjoying spaghetti from Jollibee! Nuff said! Yum, yum, yum! I have more recipes that I can't wait to try making! =D

I realize that when it comes to cooking, like with other passions of mine (cars, electronics, etc.), I try not to skimp. Like for my Italian recipes, if it calls for prosciutto, fine premium cheeses, or something, I'll use them. Needless to say, my cooking's not for the light-hearted or those on diets. ;p

Which is probably why I'm better suited cooking for special occasions, rather than on a daily basis! ...So Will, when's the next cook-together? =D

Check out Leon's pics from China, they're gorgeous! I hope my pics come out looking as good when I go in May! Can't wait!

My new digital camera arrives Monday, woohoo! *grumbles bitterly about his old digital camera*

Speaking of pics, I just went through Tony's sets from Sectionals; going through pictures always makes me so happy! =) I guess the nickname I got during my freshman orientation (ages ago) still remains the most appropriate for me: Sentimental Steve. *sigh*

Posted by stevelee at 03:02 PM | Comments (0)

March 06, 2003

Mental Health Day! (Corn off!)

I corning hate being sick. Haha, I bet Cz thinks I have a weak immune system or something because every time I chat with her, I always seem to have something! *sigh*

Basically, it (a bad cold I think) got so bad, I completely lost my voice Monday and Tuesday! Hahaha, yeah I guess that's one way to get me to shut up. ;p

Anyway, I think I'm almost fully recovered; woohoo, just in time for the weekend! Hopefully this great sunny weather keeps up. =)

While drugged up, I managed to watch a lot of movies: Yupki/My Sassy Girl for the umpteenth time (I still think the 2nd half to ending is one of the sweetest/most romantic scenes, ever.. and that Jeon Ji-Hyun is a major cutie), Hero (which according to Agent Evil, THE Entertainment Guru, is a "non-legit" version), and *dum dum dum* The NeverEnding Story! Awww yeah!

Along with The Princess Bride, The NeverEnding Story has to be one of my favorite all-time movies! As I sat through and watched it for the first time in over 10 years, I instantly warmed up to the movie and could remember why I liked it so much in the first place!

The God-awful bowl haircut that all boys had back in the 80s; the feeling of not quite fitting in with the "cool" crowd; the countless hours spent reading countless books and imagining myself in another happier world, where I could be and do anything I wanted.

And what young, highly imaginative boy wouldn't get excited dreaming of being the lone hero that saves the world? =) Or riding some magical dragon and getting revenge back on annoying people? *grin*

One detail I missed as a kid: the entire movie was dubbed! Apparently, the movie was first released in German...

Another cool thing about watching NeverEnding Story: I remembered why I named my first-ever MUD (JediMUD) character Nothing! =D Nothing was an "evil" anti-paladin (go figure). Have to admit, that character was a gimp... had less than 18/00 strength, and could barely OBLITERATE through sanctuary!

Hahaha... you can call yourself a geek if you understand these references. ;p

You know you're a dork: when you read the most random reference, a song pops into your head, and you start singing/humming it! ;D Case in point: Henry wrote "master of my universe" in an entry, and I started singing Master of the House from Les Miz! Hehe.

Posted by stevelee at 11:40 PM | Comments (3)

March 05, 2003

Section 4 Staff rox0rs, yo!

While doing my daily (nightly?) blog/journal reads at 3AM, I came across this entry (which shall remain "anonymous"):

"oh, great news! haha, so weird cuz me and annie were talking earlier during saturday that gamma gamma's rep was that we're anti-social and so on. however, we have been trying really hard to get out there to ic's and meet other chapters and yet, it seems as tho our chapter never got recognition for that fact. then, during awards time at banquet, gamma gamma won basically all the fellowship awards that there were! meng won an individual award that isn't often given out for fellowship while the chapter won the gold pan for fellowships as well as interchapter participation."

This makes me happy for two reasons:
1) This shows how involved and dedicated members of our section staff are! I know I'm busting my ass trying to support our Service VPs and just trying to understand/recognize what the chapters are up to. What's the point of having a section staff that doesn't even know what problems and successes each chapter faces?

For the first time in a long while, I feel proud of my involvement with APhiO again. It's an honor to serve under Anna (Supreme Dictator Ng! Hehe) with the other members of staff, and can only hope that I can continue to contribute.

People have asked me why I don't pursue more of an executive role, such as chair/president. Well, beyond my inability to speak in front of crowds (I don't mind running meetings or telling people what to do delegating though ;)), I've never found that role fulfilling. I'd much rather work on focused goals from the background, without the annoyance/distraction of the public spotlight. Let someone else with the time and vision steer the ship. =)

But, I digress...

2) This also shows how trustworthy and mature our section staff is. Despite the number of people serving on staff, everyone took the nature of the closed meeting to heart, and no one divulged any sensitive information. Even when some were unhappy about the hard decisions made. Kudos to you all! =)

Too often these days, I see that bond of trust taken for granted.

(Wow, talk about awful grammar...)

Posted by stevelee at 11:22 AM | Comments (7)

March 04, 2003

Pics!

Enjoy my Sectionals pics! =) Sorry about the poor quality with a lot of the shots. =/

Just had to rant about my camera. I think this last weekend was the final straw for that POS... almost half of my pics either came out too blurry or pixelated! And there's still the minor problem of not being able to take outdoor, daytime pics! Arghhh!!!!! So many great shots, ruined. =(

Anyone have recommendations on a good quality, reasonably priced point-and-shoot digital camera? One that caught my eye, but is on the pricier side, is the Canon PowerShot S45.

3/5 UPDATE: Call me an impulse buyer or whatever, but once I have my eye on something, it's hard for me to change my mind... say hello to a proud (and much poorer) new owner of the PowerShot S45! =x

P.S. Experimenting with a slightly new photo display format, inspired by the photography guru (not to mention, cello, computers, etc.) himself, Eric Cheng. =)

More Pics: Yay, got more pics from Nghi's website; man, she has a ton of pics... more incentive for me to get a new camera and take more shots! =D

And... why do so many people have xanga sites?? Especially when they already have other personal sites already? I had to make my own xanga profile just to leave comments for you people!!! ;)

Posted by stevelee at 03:46 AM | Comments (7)

March 02, 2003

S'03 Sectionals

Dammit, I already forgot what I wanted to write about! Arghhh... OK, time for super stream-of-consciousness writing:

Thanks Christina for driving me to and from Davis; I think that was one of the first times we actually got to really chat and get to know each other better? I'm still amused that she flat-out asked me if I were bisexual; who else thinks so? And like I constantly say, if you're wondering something about me, just ask... =)

(For the record, the short answer is: I'm still only sexually attracted to women, thanks.)

Thanks Will and Sam for letting me crash at your place; thanks for letting me play Halo and with your Nerf toys! Muahaha! Will, I'm just starting to realize how right you were in saying how alike we are. =p

I'll spare you the torture of reading through a huge list of names that most won't recognize, so I'll say to you all: It was great seeing you all again, chatting, hanging out, taking pictures... truly, I felt happy, and I think that really showed in the pictures I took. =)

I have to admit... it felt damn good being cheered and stuff when I went up to speak at the business meeting, and to run up to get my certificate at the banquet. I felt the love, and that totally made my day. =)

On the flipside, that probably means I'm going to get even more sucked back into APhiO! Arghh... ;)

Finally, those of you present at the business meeting: damn, I can't believe how much I sucked at public speaking! I felt confident and prepared going in to my section, yet for some reason... as I started speaking, things just started feeling worse and worse, and I got increasingly nervous! Blah, that was embarrassing. =(

And yes, I know all you care about are the pics... well, I apparently took about 200 shots over the weekend, so it'll be a little while before I get them up. Stay tuned. =)

Man... I'm so screwed with my work, it's not even funny. =x Ahh well, it was worth it! =D

Here are my shouts-out (long list and lots of smileys... but whatever!):

Jenn: JJ, Super Jenn, you did it! I'm glad I could help out, but really it was all you! =) Remember, one step at a time, and no matter how bad things get (or how many stupid people you deal with), just keep smiling! =) And never forget: Boom Boom Room, bowling, and SoCal!

Christina H.: Hey, it was my pleasure being your personal bitch. As if I had any choice... God forbid you get all psycho bitch on my ass! Hahaha ;p

Jess (AAX): Not that you'll ever read this, but I hope you're feeling better; no need to test how high your threshold of pain is... just let me serve breakfast! =)

OZ: Thanks for inviting me to lunch at RedruM Burger, and making this old man feel welcome!

MZ: You guys also make me feel so welcome; but as much as I love you guys, you know I just can't switch membership... IPhi for life! =)

Meng: You're a cool, classy guy who always goes out of his way to make others feel welcome and comfortable; that Fellowship award was well-deserved. =)

Janet: Why? Easy, because you're a Bright Spot. SVPs never get the recognition they deserve, so someone has to look out for them! =)

Julie and Susannah: Thank you for always saying the sweetest things; almost makes me believe I'm not as bad as I think!

Anna: Thanks for being such a good, supportive friend and always encouraging and believing in everything I do. Congrats soon-to-be-Mrs. Section Chair, and it'll be my honor to serve under you again. =)

Nghi: Hahaha, I'm glad you liked the mask so much; enjoy! Thanks for cha-cha'ing with me! =p

Clarissa/Trinity: Woohoo, I got to dance with the sexiest and most talented woman at banquet! =D

Milly: I was wondering why it was getting so hot in there; then I turned, saw that you were sitting next to me, and then it all made sense!

Henry: Thanks for the rides and awesome roll call for section staff! You still fall asleep way too easily, though. ;)

Voltaire: Hi! See, I mentioned you in my blog! ;p

Finally (for now, at least), major major congrats to the sectionals chairs and staff for putting together such a successful sectionals! Over 300 people; that's just amazing! =)

Posted by stevelee at 04:08 PM | Comments (5)