Fortune Cookies

Confucius say:

"You will move to a wonderful new place within the year."


Well, not exactly.


It was the fortune I got in my fortune cookie at dinner this evening. Mel, his brothers, sister, cousin from Germany and I had dinner at Ollies, which is a Chinese restaurant chain that has a branch near school.

I sort of believe in fortune cookies. I have not been eating much Chinese food lately (kind of makes me gag, and the only thing I can really bank on is lo mein), but when I do I often eat the fortune cookie. It is tasty. And, of course, I read the fortune and say it out loud to anyone, usually Mel. I really don't believe in the superstition of trading fortunes within the cookie with your dining partner, or that if you say it out loud, the fortune won't come true. You get the cookie, crack eat open, and hopefully enjoy what the mass-produced pieces of paper have to say.

I have a few saved fortunes from previous cookies. But I really enjoyed this one tonight because I am really hoping that I have a good time when I leave for Kyoto. I am a bit nervous because of my experience in London; had a good time with the school part - I knew I made a good decision with that - but had a hard time with the outside-of-school part. Adjustment, making friends, trying to fit in, trying to have fun and be able to afford it, etc.

But that information, most people know anyway. Time for some new information:

1) Going to Philadelphia this Friday for three days! Finally, a vacation away from the city with Mel. I am really looking forward to it, as I have looked on the Philadelphia tourism site and they have a plethora of usefull information. I don't even need to buy a guide book. And, unlike D.C., the touristy/historical stuff is pretty much confined in one area. Unfortunately, its going to be a bit rainy on Friday and raining on Saturday, according to the weather forecast. I am kind of worried, as there is a free jazz show at Penn's landing at 7:30 pm this Friday for free. Free is good. I still have that student mentality. If worse comes to worse, Mel's coworkers who are from Philly say that there are alot of good museums there. Need to make an itinerary tomorrow.

2) While in Philadelphia, making a pitt stop to UPenn. I was accepted for the master's degree in East Asian Studies, and requested a 2-year deferral, like I did (and got) for Uni Michigan. I still have not recieved the letter and after a summer of mild bugging, I finally find out today that it's really the overall grad school's fault that I haven't got the letter, not the actual department - they don't have as much autonomy from the overall school as some other grad schools do. So, I told the coordinator at the EA Studies office that I will be in Philly this Friday, and is it ok if I drop by to pick it up? No problem! GOOD - I want my letter. Not that I will actually go for a master's degree when I have done (with what money?) but they told me that they will reactivate my application for the Ph.d prog (I told them that I would most likely not enter the master's but reapply for a Ph.d) and I don't have to pay the application fee. Hell, its 90 bucks! I save where I can, and I think that my file was already copied for the history dept. since I made a mention of applying there anyway.

3) Macbook! Finally got my laptop this Sunday. Got a free printer (all in one with a scanner so that means I can photocopy my research docs onto the comp to take with me as opposed to carrying alot of paper) and my sister got the iPod video for her birthday (comes with the Mac via rebate) - I didn't want the iPod since I have no use for a iPod that plays video. They don't have Grey's Anatomy on iTunes yet so frankly I see no point.

4) I am published - again! Or rather, forthcoming. My abstract was selected for the East Asian Architectural History Conference at Kyoto this December and will be "published in the conference proceedings". Have to edit my paper down to 10 A4 pages but after formatting its at 17.

Not much else to report.

Published!

Everyone,

head on over to the following:

www.newpaltz.edu/asianstudies/nycas/

I am PUBLISHED!*

There is a Midwest Conference on Asian Studies and I am going to submit my thesis for that one just to see. Again, can't go to the conference, but if I am selected, this time the paper will be published in an actual, hard-copy, physical journal of undergraduate research.

No word yet on the Kyoto Architectual History Conference. I should probably e-mail that professor in Australia, since I got all my questions answered through him last time.

*If you count the internet as a means of publication. The link is dead at the moment, so I hope thats fixed soon.

We're Having a Heat Wave...

So the heat wave is over.

And I did not lose power.

Woot!

However, my fridge is still an empty hole - we are still somewhat wary of Con Ed and their plottings, so my family just buys the stuff we need as the day requires it with the exception of non-perishable stuff like Costo-size Special K cereal.

There are still generators all over Astoria; according to the papers there were about 87 of them. They are rather large - there are CAT (Caterpillar) generators the size of small SUVs scattered even in my neck of the woods. However, my mother and I were not able to go to the public hearing.

Nonetheless, Mother Nature's latest leash of fury upon the United States was not very enjoyable. I have a slight propensity to pass out when the mercury tops 95, especially when there is a heat index of 100+, so I have been chugging down the water. However, waiting in the subway stations - the underground ones, not the el - is like sitting in one of Dante's circles of hell. Take your pick. 34th Street - on any platform - should be renamed "Ninth Circle" because it is...hmm, can't even use the word "stifling" because it is much worse than that. If the word "stifling" had a superlative of the nth degree, that would describe 34th street. And that is even on a regular summer day, so imagine when it is 115 with the heat index. Add to the fact that you are underground and I can imagine the little blobs at the end of those old-school thermometers bursting into smithereens Looney-Tunes style.


I'd say there is about a month and a half left of summer (HOLY CRAP). Let's see if the following two things will occur:

1) Con Ed gets rid of all 87 generators that have now populated Astoria like hawks on a carcass and fixes the LIC power grid (Fat chance!)
2) I predict at least 1 more heat wave. For three days. Leading to a brownout in Astoria - where else? Pah, 65% of the city's power plants are in the LIC electrical grid and we are the ones that get the blackout from hell.

Yeah, I still hate Con Ed (what New Yorker doesn't?) and am still mad over the blackout.

As Robin Williams Satirized: "I Won!"

It's not that I am making fun of something. I just like the tone of voice that Robin Williams used when he said that as he made fun of something or other (I forgot) in his "Live on Broadway" show that aired on HBO in 2002. Mel has the DVD, so once in a while I watch it. In a very twisted way it's a great piece of archival work - he makes fun of everything and anything that happened between 2000 and 2002 so if one wants to learn about the first few years of the 21st century and have a laugh, I highly recommend the DVD. Watch it first, make a list of the topics he mentioned, look them up, have a think and watch it again.

It was kinda like that sound when one goes "OoOoO!!!" in a somewhat high-pitched tone. I sorta go like that when I get excited, especially when I got something that I had no clue I would get.

Case in point: when I got the Monbusho, I was in my school's library checking my email for the millionth time that day. So it pops up, I read it and start hyperventillating (in a quiet tone because its the library, SHH!!!) and practically run out into the lobby of Lowenstein. I think it was my professor back in London who I called. So, in the midst up jumping up and down (I literally did that) in the middle of the art gallery on the main floor with passersby looking at me strangely, I practically shrieked into his voicemail. I then ambush Deena, who is always more mellower than me, but her friend Jon shared in my excitement (after I explained what the Monbusho was) by giving me a high-five and jumping with me. Now he is pretty tall so it must have been a funny sight.

I know I act like an idiot. But I worked my butt off and had to act so professional at times its just good to let loose. Especially when it is the first big, REAL fellowship that I get. Always best to go cuckoo when you get the thing.

So yesterday I check my email in the evening and I see this email entitles "2006 NYCAS Marleigh Grayer Ryan Prize." It doesn't jog my memory so I open it and "OoOoO!"

Turns out I won first place (one of two prizes) in the New York Council of Asian Studies essay competition in the undergrad division. I get $100 but that was not the reason I sent my essay in; it was more for recognition and to see if I can build up my CV for grad school.

There is a interesting back-story to this: A few years ago (when I was a sophomore?) I signed I for the H:Japan List-Serv which is an email service for people who are in the Asian Studies field and specifically in Japan. I get things in the mail about topics of discussion, postings related to Japan and to Asia in general and about fellowships. I got the email about this contest back in 2004 for Fall 2005 but I think I forgot about it and didn't think that my thesis was good for it. So I saved it in my Gmail account and waited till the next year (2006).

Wrote the deadline in my organizer, which truly proved to be my lifeline: the deadline was June 1, and I totally forgot about the whole thing. I flip through my organizer on June 1 while at work and I see the notation: "NYCAS Essay Comp. Due (40 pgs.)".

O CRAP.

I had totally forgotten about it till the last minute!

Luckily, I had my USB stick with me at the time so I popped it into the computer, made the necessary additions/cover page and emailed it at the verylastminute. I didn't get a confirmation email or a "Thank you for submitting email," so I thought I didn't make it in time.

So I was surprised. Unfortunately, I cannot attend the conference. It's on October 6 & 7, and that is when I am going to be in Japan.