Archive for November, 2005

FYI

Thursday, November 24th, 2005

UPDATE
On the ride to work this morning mom asked what that black thing on my face was.

Have been a little short sighted with dermatological experiment as hosting a party this saturday for nearest and dearest. Was planning to wear new sweater. Believe present condition of face will defeat that purpose. Aborting experiment.

Also, apart from a little more gas than normal, the butter chicken seems to have had little negative effect. Not really feeling any elated sense of vindication, however. *farts*

A Bunch of Bad Ideas

Monday, November 21st, 2005

LUNCH TODAY
so, in addition to the butter chicken, mom had also packed me a sandwich and a frozen entree. Normally, I dont bother popping the entree in the freezer and i just let it defrost in my lunch bag and then just nuke the dish for half the time. This hasnt proven to be a problem until today. Mom had packed a “Hungry Man” lunch- their BBQ ribs entree. and when it started to thaw, the tangy southwestern sauce got into the brownie section of the tray.

very disappointing as I was looking forward to some chocolately goodness.

I still ate it though.

SPITE AND BUTTER CHICKEN
My mom laughingly criticized me for putting leftover butter chicken in my thermos overnight to take for lunch. She warned me of bacteria, admonished me for not refrigerating it, and laughed at my feeble-mindedness, telling me i’d be best off throwing it out when i got work. I felt emasculated (forgive the gendered term) and belittled. So much so that when i got to work that morning, the first thing i did was pop open my thermos and eat my butter chicken at my desk. all of it.

I know, i have issues. So far, no ill effects. I’ll keep you posted.

ACNE
I have of late, spent quite a bit of my time contemplating the condition of my facial complexion. While physical appearance is always a concern, it normally takes a back seat to other, more bankable personal qualities as a value-indicator. Being gainfully employed, demonstrating strong academic promise, and generally being a chatty, easy-going gal have served me well over the years in getting me through life reasonably unscathed. They’ve even allowed me to share in some of the more pleasant experiences life has to offer.

In more recent years however, performance in this arena has been steadily declining, often falling short of expected gains (bouts of joblessness, a stalled academic career- both of which have dampened my mood and soured my cheery demeanor) , and I have been forced, consequently, to explore my options in previously untapped areas to compensate.

While I havent delved very deeply into the world of skincare I have experimented with toners, moisturizers, masks, exfoliators and even facials (of both the at-home and professional variety)- all amounting to very little in terms of results. I once bought a mask at the recommendation of a friend (there’s something quite childish and yet at the same time glamourous about smearing mud all over your face). But when I applied the mask to my face later that night(after testing it on the inside of my wrist)- my face started to burn. At first i thought it was *supposed* to feel that way and, like an idiot, I actually KEPT THE MASK ON trying to wait out the full 20 minutes. Eventually the common sense that comes with pain finally kicked in and i washed it all off with little damage to my face (bit of redness). Unfortunately, a delayed response to pain isn’t the only flaw in my evolutionary design and months later, thinking that perhaps the irritation was caused by something else and/or the “tingling” sensation wasn’t all that bad I went through the same experience again.

Simlarly, toners and moisturizers seem to give me rashes or clog my pores and whether due to the quality of the product, misapplication and/or infrequent use, in any case, I have been unsuccessful. Upon speaking to a couple individuals, I have come to believe that perhaps excessive washing may be the problem and accordingly, I have embarked on an experiment. Hoping that perhaps if i didnt strip my face of its natural oils that I would get a silky, smooth complexion, I have used nothing but water to wash my face for the last week and a half. Results you ask? Definitely more spots. And not just little superficial zits but big ones that are kinda sore and swell and seem comfortably nestled under my skin. This morning I woke up to a reddish bump just below my left eye. Hadnt seen one of those before. They do however seem to all be popping up on one side of my face. I am beginning to wonder if i need to change my pillow.

But despite these observations, like with the mud mask, I insist on riding it out until the end of the week before taking any decisive action. Will keep you updated.

Dad

Wednesday, November 16th, 2005

THE MEANING OF LIFE
Arrived home late last night after salsa and drinks with D. Was planning on going straight up to bed but was (easily) convinced into having some 육개장 (yuk gae jang = soup) before doing so. Dad decided to join me and made some 자장면 (ja jang myun = instant noodle in black bean sauce). While my dad puttered between the fridge and liquor cabinet wondering what beverage would go best with his meal, I started into my soup.

The braces have turned me into a more polite diner. Gone are the days of shovelling food into a mouth of violent gnashing teeth and swirling tongue (oh, how i miss eating with reckless abandon). Now, its smaller bites, slower pace, and precise manouevring. Anyhoo, dad sat down with his beer and noticed my laboured chewing. He shook his head, and then in his teacher/priest/scholar voice he pronounced:

We live to eat.
You, cannot eat.
Your life- is meaningless.

Then he laughed and dug into his instant noodle.

Dad had actually been in a bit of a silly mood all night. On the ride home, he asked what I had been up to that evening. I told him that I had gone out to salsa.
“Sul-sa?” He asked in an overdone tone of naivete while purposely pronouncing it wrong. I nodded.
“How long did you sul-sa for?” he continued in his affected tone of innocent curiousity. About two hours, I tell him.
“Gee, that’s a long time to sulsa.” And then he chuckled to himself, clearly pleased with the set-up and execution of his bathroom humour pun (In Korean, sulsa means diarrhoea).

OW!

Tuesday, November 8th, 2005

MY TEETH
they hurt. sorry, i dont have anything particularly insightful or even amusing to write about the pain in my mouth. but i believe the pain to be noteworthy. and people should know. my teeth hurt. tightening braces, and wearing elastics… all very brutish.

blog one

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005

LUNCH
i told my mom not to pack me a lunch today (yes, i’m 26 and my mom still packs me a lunch). Said i was going out for lunch with a coworker. but there is no such plan. its just that i forgot my lunch tupperware at D’s last night. and i left lunch tupperware from monday at P’s. wanted to avoid drawing any attention to this matter as it would only irritate mother. and one does not want her irritated.

There does seem to be a problem with returning lunchware with me. this is the second time i have left empty tupperware at D’s. many times i leave my lunch containers at work on nights when i don’t head home right away. Last week after work, I put the accumulated empty lunchware in a big plastic bag ready to lug them home and then left them at a Burger King on Yonge St.

I find something very depressing about my lunch containers. Something about its frugality-the smell of bread, the lids fastened with elastic bands to tops of dishwasher-warped plastic, commercial drink containers filled with tap water, crinkled over-used shopping bags.

turn packed lunches from drab to fab here or here!

BLOGGING
my goodness. what have i gotten myself into.

i’m way too neurotic to have a blog. the thought of being published and judged is all i think about and already i am less concerned with what i’d like to do with my space than what others would like to see in my space.

I just googled “what is a blog”… there is no mention of any merit requirements. glad that i have documentation backing me up. validation validation validation.

negative thoughts aside, this is neat! *hits the ground running*