Got a free ticket from my colleague, who in turn got it from his boss. Well since I had nothing better to do, I decided to go for my second NBA game.
Building right beside Monument Circle
Name of Pacers' arena: Conseco Fieldhouse (Conseco bought the naming rights)
"Monkey" show during half time
Our boys in action...
Final score -we won!!
I attended Men's Glee Club's concert twice during my years in U of M, partly because I was coerced into doing so by my senior who happened to be a member of the club. Last weekend, I ended up in Hill Auditorium again for my 3rd Men's Glee Club concert. Sounds gay? Nope, because firstly their performances were quite good indeed, and secondly, I went there with yy :P
This year, the Friars weren't as funny as before, probably because I couldn't quite hear what they were singing from the balcony. However, I should say that the pianist did a great job again, and I was delighted that their first performance actually used a pipe organ as the accompaniment. The effect reminded me a lot of "Phantom of the Opera".
Hill Auditorium
Up close shot. If you are sleepy enough, your mind play tricks and those singers actually turn to penguins...
:)
Last week when I drove to Ann Arbor, I finally reached my second 88888. It was nothing special except that I took a picture of 88888 for my first car last time, so I wanted to do the same for this car as well:
(Yup engine light is on...had it checked and it was no big deal...)
Speaking of which, I have already put more than 5k miles on this car in less than half a year. Coupled with the miles I gained from my old car (>13k miles I think...in a mere 3 months!!), my total mileage (excluding those that I earned on other cars) would have let me complete about 70% of the journey circling the earth if I were to travel in one straight line.
That being said, having experience does not mean that you are less prone to accidents...conversely, as the Chinese saying goes: 上得山多终遇虎!
The accident occurred when I was driving Pei Ying, Huey Shann and Szu Ling to Meijer on Carpentar Road. It was raining, and I was driving on the outer lane of the southbound road. A cab cut into my lane from the right, and I was rather annoyed because he turned in rather abruptly. I did not slow down, and to be honest did not intend to due to my annoyance. Then it happened; the traffic in front of the cab stopped suddenly, and the cab tried to turn left in order to avoid ramming into the cars in front of him, but later decided against it and drove back to my lane. I hit my brakes hard, but due to the slippery road the car skidded forward instead of coming to a halt. My car finally dedicated its first kiss to the sweet ass of that cab.
I stepped out to check the damage, and thank god it was nothing serious. The cab's rear suffer a slight dent, and my left signal lights were shattered. The cab driver asked if I could follow him to Showcase Cinema, since there's where he's dropping of his customers. We went there, and had the police officer come and write a report. I could blame no one but myself for this totally avoidable accident, and I would like to apologize to my fellow passengers. Bright side: no one was hurt in this incident.
So yeah no doubt that ruined my day.
Epilogue: Firestone managed to find out a series of problems with my car when I sent it to them for the signal bulb fix and oil change. Fresh off from an accident, I decided to get most of the critical stuff repaired. Together with the citation (because ass-kissers are always at fault), I had to shell out a total of 1500 USD...yup right now I am still getting sporadic coughs of blood.
The next day we headed out to pick Steve up before going to Chinatown for a DimSum lunch. The wait was insane; we decided to go downstairs for some bubble tea before resuming our wait. I'd say that the food there wasn't that exceptional, on par or possibly worse than Great Lakes'.
After lunch we decided to walk around in downtown. I wanted to see the Buckingham Fountain and the famous Crown Fountain, since I missed it 3 years ago. To my dismay, both fountains were shut down presumably because of the cold weather. I got the chance to revisit my favorite in Chicago though, the Cloud Gate sculpture or more famously known as "the Bean".
Group photo in front of Jay Pritzker Pavillion (don't have the one with Vivian in it...dang)
The Bean!!!
What are you waiting for? Spit out some water dude!!!
Chicago river
Our next destinations included the Magnificent Mile, Ghirardelli Chocolate and the Grand Lux (dinner). The hot chocolate that I ordered in Ghirardelli (not the regular one) was just...too chocolaty. It was like drinking melted chocolate, and I suspect one could possibly suffocate to death if he or she takes a big gulp of it. The dinner at Grand Lux was great, but again I don't think it is worth the one hour+ waiting time (of course we did not wait there the whole time). I guess this is how things work in big cities...
Want to kill some brain cells?
Shrimp Scampi
The weekend was a short one, but it was sure fun to meet up with old friends!!
Eric reached IND at about 10.15 pm. Since I noticed that there was an accident that caused a massive traffic jam on my opposite way while driving to the airport, I decided to take a detour passing by Indianapolis downtown to get back home. We stopped by the Monument Circle and took some photos.
The very next day after work (a Friday), we headed to Chicago after a stroll in the park nearby my house. I was planning to show off the fall colors of the beautiful lake which I took photos of earlier, but was greatly disappointed by the view. Well, one word could sum it up - hideous!
Apartment new look (I still prefer brick color facade)
We reached Chicago probably about 9-ish, and Vivian and Felix recommended this Korean BBQ place for dinner/supper. The atmosphere of that restaurant was "great". It was authentically Asian, as smoke filled the place and people crammed themselves together, enjoying the sizzling meat and steaming soup. I pictured that it should be great if a bunch of guys hang out in this place, each having a bottle of beer and talking loudly about obscene stuff while gobbling down chunks of burnt meat (ok too much of tvb...)
We ordered too much and in the end Vivian had to request for a box. We headed back home after, and I managed to try out some wii Mario go-kart before calling it a day.
More about Chicago in next post!!
So what have I been doing in the past few weeks? None other than study, study and study...the outcome? I seriously don't know :(
Anyhow, life feels good right now. I am loving the fact that I don't have to study...for now.
Well, will update on my Chicago trip when I get the chance (reads when I am not in my lazy mode).
Hope you are in a better place now. Although we didn't know each other well, you were the only grandparent I've had, and I want to thank you for what you have done to raise your family. RIP.
My faithful Canon A85 finally succumbed to old age (~4 years), and I was actually amazed by how it managed to last this long. 3 years ago it suffered a dramatic fall from the top of a full size fridge (in some Mr Jones' house back when I was in North Carolina), and it went hay-wired for a while before working normally again as if nothing had happened. Lately though, noticeable bands started to appear in the photos it captured, and that's when I decided I need a new camera.
I should thank my dear girlfriend for giving me this wonderful present. It's Canon PowerShot A2000 IS, a model came out as recently as September (yup this month). Let's look at a self portrait:
Wanting to do some testing, I took it out to a park across from my apartment and a small lake nearby to take some pictures. I didn't really try out the features, just taking random shots instead. I wonder when I will actually get the chance to use the various functions packed in it, to name a few the fireworks mode and the aquarium mode.
Here are some of the pictures I took:
Meadowland Park not far from my apartment
Small bridge that connects the park and path to lake
Looks like a resort huh?
The lake I mentioned...it beats Yosemite's mirror lake (haha at least in this picture compared to what we saw in winter)
Another view..
Trying out the micro function.
Yesterday also we had a potluck (8 people in total), and I prepared my favorite Malaysian food - Bat Kut Teh!!
The main ingredients
End product
Also, when I was done with jogging at Monon Trail today, my neighbor (an Indonesian, but his wife's a Chinese) invited me to his apartment and we chatted for quite a while. Then his wife suggested that we have dinner together, which I did not reject :P. I found out that he has the same surname as me (I do not have a common one), and also discovered that the very first guy I met in the chinese church for badminton is actually his uncle!!! What a small world it is!
I'm currently writing this in UGLI using my laptop which is connected to the UM wireless network. Glad to know that I can still login to the university network using my umich name and password...or should I be worried??
Recently I have been playing quite some sports. In fact, for the past few days, I managed to play (just to be clear, I am not talking about wii sports here :P ):
Sat - Tennis
Sun - Bowling
Mon - Badminton
Tues - Golf
Wed - Tennis
Fri - Volleyball in AA??
Had my first golf experience 2 days ago, wasn't too bad. I stole some balls from Ken and Jill to practice some swings. Personally I think that driving wasn't too hard, as long as you practice to the point of being able to swing consistently (well that's the key to most sports). We also played some putting on the green. I ended up treating both of them Coldstone because I foolhardily challenged them to a putting game...(gosh)
For sports listed above, other than badminton I'd say I'm playing at beginner's level. Hope as time passes by I will get better in those games...and be a sporty actuary! (as Kai said, insert evil laugh here)
Let me start with an interesting discovery (pardon my ignorance):
"Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer."
-Wikipedia
So I guess fall has officially taken over. For the labor day weekend, I drove back to Ann Arbor to meet up with py and friends. It was another great weekend yet, and as usual enjoyable time flies by. I'm really glad that the Umich Malaysian kampung now has two more members of my age: Wei Ping and Billy. Welcome to the big family!!
On Saturday afternoon, py and I finally got the chance to watch Wall-E. The show had been running for quite a while, and I was quite surprise that they still showed it in Showcase. We enjoyed the movie a lot, and I was again awed by the creativity of and originality of Pixar production. Before the show I had read a lot of great reviews about it, but the movie still topped my expectations, unlike the Dark Knight which disappointed me due to me having high expectations. I personally think this is the best movie of Pixar, even better than my old favorite, Monsters Inc. I'd really like to see this movie get at least a best picture nomination in Oscar...
Speaking of which, I'm actually upset that Pixar is making Cars II. It is understandable why they want to do Toy Story III, but Cars??? I thought it was the lesser one of Pixar's production. There should be a Monsters Inc II....
Back to topic. During my stay in AA, I managed to attend a "Merdeka" bbq organized by UMIMSA. The food was...hmm did I even eat? (lol), and there wasn't much activity going on except chatting. This year the park was pretty crowded, compared to the previous few years. It's sad to say that now I'm already among the oldest in the community...
Also, this time I managed to play some real tennis in daylight. Jason must be pretty impatient seeing my bad strokes, but I learnt a lot amidst the chaotic flights of balls. Now I start to realize that tennis isn't as easy as it first appeared... Well, I'm still learning and hopefully this weekend Ken will be able to give me more tips.
I shall revisit this lovely college town (and lovely person living in it)soon.
In no time after the existence of Chrome was made known, geeks all over the world have been rushing to download this latest product of Google, unalike to how those Ah Lian-s change their wardrobes once the latest trend in fashion is revealed on Vogue. And yes, geeks and Ah Lian-s alike, they do not forget to flaunt it.
So just let me finish by saying that I'm one of the geeks (nerd might be more appropriate) before they start taking it personally and clamor...
Purpose of trip: renew my passport and also you know what :P
Date: 8/21 - 8/24
Since 8/21 was a Thursday, I took my first personal day for this trip. A friend fetch me to the Indianapolis airport after work, and basically the check in was my most pleasant one ever. There was virtually no line throughout, I guess due to the fact that it was a Thursday and Indianapolis was not a popular airport. In a mere two hours I was already in the Big Apple (factually incorrect since my destination airport was Newark International).
When the moment I had been waiting for ages come, there was no explosive/emotional reunion, because somebody was very shy :P. Luckily the shyness and hint of foreignness didn't stay long; soon enough my PY was back to her cute self. Hugggss (finally).
During my stay in New York, I managed to get my passport renew in one day (for once let's cheer for the efficiency of Msian officers). Other than that, basically we spent most of our time walking around in the city, with me savoring every moment of it.
Unique way to park your car
Rockefeller center
ToysR'Us in Times square
Times Square
New York Public Library (didn't get the chance to go in during my freshmen year)
We tried to visit the St Paul Cathedral too, but we ended up in another St Paul near the Columbus circle. Guess we shall visit it some other time.
On Friday night, we watched Phantom of the Opera (again....my 3rd time!!). To obtain the tickets, we lined up for a good one hour + to get the tkts discounted tickets! The tickets were really cheap though, only 51 USD per person, which was about the same as what I got 4 years ago. I recalled how awe-struck I was when I first watched this broadway show, and how I secretly vowed to bring my love one to watch this show again. There I was in the Majestic Theatre, finally fulfilling my wish. PY said it was rather boring in some parts though :S, but I'm glad that she loved the 2nd act.
Look at the size of crowd the show still gets after years of running..
Of course, I also managed to meet up a bunch of friends (mostly Michigan folks). We chatted for a while, and it was great to meet May Ying again after so long...
In Melissa's apartment (888 8th Avenue!!!)
What's a trip to New York without excursions to Malaysian restaurants? We went to Nyonya and New Malaysia, and I finally got my cravings satisfied.
Char Kuey Teow in Nyonya, absolutely delectable!
The Wan Ton Mee was actually bad...not recommended (Nyonya)
The dish that I had been thinking day and night....kai si hor fun!!! (New Malaysia)
Laksa. Good recommendation by Eric (New Malaysia)
Last but not least, I should thank Kai Li, Guang Hui, Kai Yuan and Jian for their hospitality and company. In a nutshell, it has been a great weekend!!
When I first entered my apartment building, I realized something was wrong. It didn't take me long to find out that the lights in the hallway were not turned on. Upon entering my apartment, a quick investigation confirmed my fear: there was a power outage.
Straightaway I called the office to ask what's going on. Apparently the whole neighborhood was facing the same problem, and I was promised that the power would be back on around 6pm. Thinking that it wasn't a big deal since the day was still bright, I tried to cook, but to my dismay discovered that the stove won't work without electricity. Hence I did some marinating and decided that I could use my laptop powered by battery to do some surfing online. Maybe not. Modem needs electricity no?
Wanting to kill some time, I did some exercise and finally dragged myself out to Monon Trail to jog after much debate. Still no electricity when I came back. Starting to get frustrated, I rested for a while before taking an early shower. Same thing after shower; no electricity. It was then I started to get worried. If that persisted I would need to dine out and go to bed straight after dinner unless I manage to find a hangout place.
I started calling my friends in my neighborhood and asked if they still have the same problem. One friend said he got power a few minutes ago, and right after I hanged up the lights finally went on.
My purpose of delineating such a mundane occurrence was to express my realization of how we have to lose something to realize its real meaning to us. Things as simple as electricity can truly make a difference in our lives, yet when it is available in abundance we fail to see its value. I guess this incident serves as a reminder that I should not take things for granted and start being grateful for everything I have.
This got to be the longest wait ever...and now the end is near. Can't wait can't wait!!! :):)
Just witnessed Phelps securing his place as the most successful Olympian in the history of modern Olympics. 8 for 8!!
But I have to say the most memorable moment of today (US time) was the 100m men's finals on track. I missed seeing it live this morning (I thought it would be broadcast at night time), but managed to catch it on NBC later. Usian Bolt, the Jamaican who won the event, broke the world record in the most relaxing manner ever. And it was almost hilarious the way he looked right and looked left while running, and was already celebrating when he had not even finished the race!!
Bear in mind we are not talking about marathon, in which you have plenty of time to do all sorts of celebration you want if you have a clear advantage; it's 100m race which normally finishes in 10 seconds!!! And there he was, palms up, slapping his chest before even completing his race. And still managed to smash his old world record...
Oh, did I mention that he ran with his shoe lace not properly tied?
Just saw how Michael Phelps got his 7th gold...one word: UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Phelps was like one body length behind the leader during the 50m turn (it's 100m butterfly race btw)...but he never gave up and kept giving his best!! Towards the very end the guy next to him (earlier leader who still led) was already stretching his hands for the wall, and although Phelps himself was also close enough to reach for the wall, he did an additional butterfly stroke....and VOILA!! Phelps did it and won the race by a MERE 0.01 SECOND!!!!
Gosh...what a great race....although it's not a world record, it's an Olympic record still. And great great moment in the history of swimming!!
(and really, every one should see how Phelps mother reacted...she was stunned for a few good seconds, then collapsed with relieve..)
My weekends were usually uneventful, as I'm gradually becoming more and more like a 宅男 (guy who stays in home all the time) as Jill noted. Well, other than the fact that doing nothing at home is the most economical way of spending the weekend, I do really enjoy being with myself and just take things easy over the weekend.
I don't really fit in the mold of 宅男either though, as I don't really eat instant noodles while staying up late watching anime (that's my idea of the term). My typical weekend boils down to surfing the Internet, doing groceries, doing laundries, jogging on Monon trail, exercising with Wii (:P) and nowadays studying. Some Sundays I did go out for bowling (now I have my own pair of bowling shoes), and catch movies in cinema, but pretty much that's it.
Last weekend however Ken organized a bbq in Morse park, and finally I ended my streak of not venturing out from my home for more than 10 miles since July 4th. The location was ok, and the food was good. The only downside of the bbq was that no one brought anything other than food; no football, no frisbee, no cards. Hence all we did was just eating and chatting...I'd prefer if I could sweat a bit...
Lake by the park
Fishing for food?
A portable grill that we bought (not the rusty one, the one obstructed by guy in green)
And guess what I did after stuffing my stomach with food? I went back, rested for a while, and went to office at night to do some studying and finish off some work...great way to spend a Saturday night huh?
(Time to watch Phelps chasing his 6th gold)
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