'Tis the season to be fuzzy

Mmm...opened my presents last night at 12:30 am. I had just enough for 'presents' to be plural (2); complicated ceramic cat calendar thingie (it's hard to explain, cute but useless) and new pyjamas. Fuzzy ones. I feel like teddy bear.

Ho-ming is bitter. He got none, poor baby. But he did get a fiancee for Christmas (Yay!) Congratulations to Ming and Katie! Proposed in Florida, much to the "surprise" of many of the church youth.

Christmas dinners galore, mostly with mom and dad's cell group posse (too many uncles and aunties to remember names).

Fuzzy Christmas everyone.

I really should update this thing shouldn't I?

So I'm home. From Kingston. There and back again.

Stupid Prof exam went surprisingly well. Went back to house, drank a glass of Bailey's and milk in celebration, watched two eps of Cowboy Bebop and then to bed, and then to bed. Took a 2 hour nap, the best sleep I've had for the three weeks since exams started.

Non Sequitur #1: words we've invented since the beginning of the school year - smiggle (verb, to smile/smirk while trying not to giggle), blong (adjective, (hair that is) long and blond), frankquilly (adverb, to be frankly tranquil).

Watched Return of the King twice already. Awesome both times; I think I like this best of the three films. Have I mentioned how much I love Pippin? I love Pippin. With any luck, Nem will be able to catch him for me when she's in New Zealand. Ke ke ke ke ke...house hobbit. I can install him in Melilywa and he can cook for me. Seedcake and whatnot. And I can laugh at him when he's smoking his pipeweed. Aragorn is all kingly like, but he's better when he's all dirtied up. Thank goodness the film only conveys how he looks and not how he smells.

Denethor was excellently prat-like. Much like Nerdy-High-Schooler-Who-Sat-Next-To-Me-And-Wouldn't-Stop-Flirting- With-Girls-But-Only-Before-Movie-Started-Or-Else-I-Would've-Beaned- Him-With-My-Shoe. Jerk jerk jerk jerk jerk. I wanted to bing him.

Non Sequitur #2: Other Chinglish phrases frequently repeated as a source of entertainment during exam period: "It's in the hup." and "I can't wun anymore! AUGH!!"

Ha ha, Gandalf obviously got his hair straightened while he was dead. And then re-bleached at Edoras before he rode off with Pip to Minas Tirith. Of course this (watching ROTK, not Gandalf's hair maintenance) means that I have to re-read the books to remind myself of what happened overall. So that's how I'll be spending my week.

Happy Belated Birthdays Marge and Maggie!

Many Christmas dinners/meals/belly busters this week, too. Will be as plump and rolly-polly as Fatty Bolger or even Bombur by the end of the week. But stomach-linked jollity tempered by the fact that my mom is making me drink Chinese herbal medicine this week. Ugh, it's like drinking cleaning alcohol mixed with gasoline mixed with essence of slug and bat and Wormtongue.

Non Sequitur #3: I am such a geek. That much is evident.

Afterthought

Oh yeah and I'm twenty. As of last Thursday. Weird. Ate ice cream and chocolate covered coffee beans in celebration and then studied my ass off for my chinese history exam.

My inner child is ten years old! The adult world is pretty irrelevant to me. Whether I'm off on my bicycle (or pony) exploring, lost in a good book, or giggling with my best friend, I live in a world apart, one full of adventure and wonder and other stuff adults don't understand.

Yo Pumpkin Head

Shinichiro Watanabe is a genius. Cowboy Bebop has been around for a while, it's on the Cartoon Network (blurry bastards), and I've seen the series at least twice now, but it gets better each time around. It really is "a genre that will define itself." Cool bounty hunters, spaceships, characters with intriguing pasts, a crazy little kid and a dog. Just watch it. Velly good stuff.

Yokko Kano is also a genius. After looking through the music section (under downloads) at The Jazz Messengers, I went and listened to all the CB soundtracks I have (which is most of them) and looked up the info for each track on the website. I'm not really into jazz or blues (okay, I'm not into them at all) but the soundtracks include both genres, as well as some classical, rock, mambo, classical and more that I can't define. Kickass kickass cookass kickass. The Seatbelts are cool.

It's Revolutionary

This is the coolest thing I've ever seen:

Taiwanese Shirt Folding

I just folded all of my shirts, t-shirts, sweaters and tank tops in under 3 minutes. It really is revolutionary.

(Courtesy of the bwg. Show him some love.)

Yes I'm Still Alive

Caught in a huge blog backlog. Surprisingly, lots happening in the weeks around exams. This is what I can remember:

• finished the term without taking a boot to Stupid Prof's groin


• survived another Big Sugar concert with eardrums still intact


• wrote my CISC 124 exam without too much trouble


• bought obscene amounts of shampoo/conditioner because it was always on sale at Shoppers


• went home and ate and ate and ate


• watched the extended version of The Two Towers twice


• discovered that alcohol merely makes me sleepy while attending Emmy's 19th birthday party (Belgium Dream martini at the Tir Nan Og: two shots)

Thanks to WND, you will now know even more silly useless facts about me:

[Series 1 - you]
-- Name: Kobuta, Hoyan, Liane (2 of 3 are real)
-- Birthday: December 11
-- Birthplace: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
-- Current Location: Kingston, Ontario
-- Eye Colour: Brown
-- Hair Colour: Black
-- Righty or Lefty: Righty
-- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
-- Font: Verdana all the way

[Series 2 - your favourites]
-- Music: Rock (Big Sugar, Bon Jovi, U2, etc.), anime/movie soundtracks (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, The Matrix, The Beach, etc), even some pop when I'm in the mood
-- Cartoon: Too many to say; Daria, Undergrads, RuroKen, Cowboy Bebop, Furuba, Thundercats (ha ha)
-- Colour(s): Blue
-- Magazine: The weekly A&P flier
-- TV Show: Gilmore Girls, Scrubs, What Not to Wear (guilty pleasure)
-- Song at the Moment: Dario G feat. Vanessa Qui - Voices
-- Language: French, Mandarin, Japanese (need to learn the last two)
-- Food & Beverage: See me in person for these two, and block off five hours of your time.
-- Subject in School: English in high school, Lunch in university
-- Weekend Activity: Transforming into a slug
-- Ice Cream Flavour: Ben & Jerry's - Half-Baked (finished a tub by self in 12 minutes. So proud.)
-- Roller Coaster: Minebuster at Canada's Wonderland - feels like it's falling apart

[Series 3 - what is...]
-- Your most overused phrase online: "bip bip", "wibble", "jiggy schnitzel"
-- The last thought you go to sleep with: "I'm hungry"
-- The Best Name for a Butler: RoboButler. Or Butler-san. Or Alphonse.
-- Your best feature: My wonderfully obedient hair
-- Your bedtime: 12 am to 2 am
-- Your greatest fear: The velociraptors from Jurassic Park. Damn them.
-- Your greatest accomplishment: Making it through the day without walking into a doorframe
-- Your most missed memory: Grades 4, 12 and OAC, CNE with my buds, all of HK and Ecuador

[Series 4 - you prefer...]
-- Pepsi or coke: Ugh. I hate pop. Neither.
-- McDonald's or Burger King: Mickey D's
-- Dogs or cats: Cats. So delightfully human (read: selfish)
-- Rugrats or Doug: Rugrats, although Chucky and Doug both annoyed me.
-- Single or taken: Single as a duck. Does that make sense? Neither do I.
-- Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: NESTEA. Please. Remember whose blog you're reading.
-- One pillow or two: Heh. Three. It keeps the heat in.
-- Chocolate or vanilla: I'll quote Wnd on this: "do you even need to ask?"
-- Hot chocolate or hot cocoa: Hot chocolate.
-- Cappuccino or coffee: Cappuccino (French vanilla!)

[Series 5 - do you...]
-- Take a shower everyday?: Yar. Therapeutic.
-- Do you think you've been in love?: Yes. His name is Colin and he's part of SWAT/CIA/the Daredevil universe.
-- Want to go to college?: Sure.
-- Like high school?: Sometimes. Like when I forgot about the snootiness/bitchiness/students-as-cash-cows atmosphere.
-- Want to get married: Depends on what the gig is.
-- Type with your fingers on the right keys?: Yuss
-- Believe in yourself?: Not always
-- Have any tattoos/where?: No
-- Have any piercings/where?: None
-- Get motion sickness?: Yes, dammit
-- Think you're a health freak?: Does eating your own weight in (candy) corn count?
-- Get along with your parents?: In general, yes.
-- Like thunderstorms?: Yar. BOOM!!!

[Series 6 - the future]
-- Age you hope to be married: around 30 or earlier?
-- Number and Names of Children: 2. Have yet to think of names with a minimum of schoolyard mocking potential
-- Where do you see yourself in five years?: Hopefully travelling the world with all limbs intact
-- How do you want to die?: Happy
-- What do you want to be when you grow up?: Dunno. Something that allows travel.
-- What country would you most like to visit?: China (Hong Kong!), Russia, Australia, Egypt, Morocco, New Zealand, Costa Rica, France, Japan, England, Ireland, Spain, Brazil, Korea, Malaysia, Ecuador and Mongolia, among others. Pick one.

[Series 7 - opposite sex]
-- Best eye color?: As long as they aren't red.
-- Best hair color?: Whatever.
-- Short or long hair?: Middling to short.
-- Best height?: Taller'n me.
-- Best weight?: I dunno...to match above
-- Best articles of clothing?: Ooo...tux. Any guy instantly looks better in a well-cut tux or suit.
-- Best first date location?: Anywhere that involves my first love: food
-- Best first kiss location?: Mrph. ^_^
-- What facial feature do you find the most attractive?: Eyes. Preferably no more than two of them.

[Series 8 - other]
-- When's the last time you slept with a stuffed animal?: Last night. Stitch and my teddy.
-- How many rings until you answer the phone?: 1. I usually sit right next to it.
-- What's on your mouse pad?: Cogeco advertisement.
-- How many houses have you lived in?: 4 including Melilywa
-- How many schools have you gone to? : 4 - GMPS, HAPS, SCS, Queen's
-- What colour is your bedroom carpet?: Icky brown here, blue at home
-- If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only take one thing (not person) with you what would you take? : Satellite phone with solar panels. Or a cruise ship.
-- What was the best time of your life so far?: Hong Kong, baby!

PAST
First grade teacher's name: Miss.... I forget. All I remember is that she seemed huge at the time.
Last word you said: "Smiggle"
Last song you sang: The Cadbury bunny song

PRESENT
What's in your cd player?: Big Sugar - Hit & Run (Disc one)
What colour socks are you wearing?: Grey
What's under your bed?: lint
What time did you wake up at today?: 10

NOW
Current mood: Ravenously hungry
Current music: The Beach soundtrack
Current hair: Curly, messy, just-out-of-shower hair
Current clothes: Glow in the dark Pooh pj's, grey wool socks, sun low with teddy bears and sunflowers on it.
Current smell: Herbal Essences Leave-In conditioner
Current longing: A yen to travel (thanks to reading Bruno, watching The Beach, and looking at photos of HK)
Current desktop picture: Wallpaper with colour scan from YKK.
Current fingernail colour: Remnants of a sparkly pink
Current crush: I told you his name is Colin. He's a cad.
Current hate: Stupid Prof, these damned northern latitudes, Wendy (for making me do this survey)
Last CD that you bought: Big Sugar - Hit & Run (greatest hits...highly recommended)
Favourite place to be: either at home or (you guessed it) travelling in a foreign country
Time you wake up in the morning: around 11
Do you believe in an afterlife?: Yes
How tall are you?: 5'8" but not to my mom. She still insists that I'm two inches shorter than her, which would make me 5'3"
Current favourite word: Spiffy is mine! Always has been, always will be!
Favourite book(s): LOTR, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, I Want To Go Home, Discrete Mathematics and its Applications (okay, one of those was a lie)
Favourite season: Summer or winter. None of this wishy-washy-wet-weather spring nonsense.

Big Sugar - December 3rd

Just bought my tix for the last Big Sugar show in Kingston. Bedouin Soundclash opening again. So about two weeks from now I'll be wandering around deaf. Sorry if I have to ask you to repeat yourself several times.

Mmm....Trouble in the City...

Stupid Prof, prepare for a roasting

Oh the frustration. The anger. Urge... To smite... Overwhelming....

Anyone who has spoken to me anytime in the last three weeks knows how hacked off I am about Stupid Prof. No names, but suffice it to say that everyone in second year computer science hates the guy. He can't teach, he's oblivious to student needs, etc. I could go on for hours. Although the class isn't large at all (only 40 people or so) the vast majority of us are second years who only know some Java, yet he prattles on and on about the material without even bothering to explain the foundations of whatever we're talking about.

I have to fight the temptation to throw things at his head.

"Okay, so he can't teach. It's always easy to do well on work outside of class, right?" WRONG.

He doesn't understand that we're all taking 4 other courses at the same time and that we can't devote 100% of our time on his outlandishly complicated, poorly explained assignments.

The midterm was so long that half the class didn't even finish the questions. Let me tell you that binary conversions, although easy to do, can take an awful long time to finish and check over for mistakes. Take 4 binary conversions, two floating point representation conversions, a C to assembly language conversion, an assembly language program trace and some short answer questions and you do not have a 50 minute midterm. Thankfully I managed to get to every question, but I lost at least 9 marks because I didn't have time to check and of my answers. Needless to say, not a single person finished the test early.

Finally, ask him a question outside of class (email, bulletin board, etc) and he doesn't help. Standard answer, "Figure it out on your own." The T.A.'s for the class are no different.

I don't want to be spoonfed or coddled. But at least give us a fighting chance to do well in this course.

But when the class rep hands out those professor evaluation forms at the end of the term, he is getting the most scathing evaluation I can fit into that little comments section. Bento suggests writing "see attached" on the form and then stapling a 5 page report to it.

Now. I have two essays to write, four assignments to finish and a test to prepare for so I'm leaving this rant and Stupid Prof's assignment for later. *kicks mattress a few dozen times and pulls out English books*

So Not Over

Big Sugar is coming back! Another show just announced for Dec. 3 at AJ's Hanger! Nearly dragged Margaret off her feet when I saw "IG SUGAR" on the AJ's billboard and ran to verify what it said. Lo and behold, it read "DEC 3 BIG SUGAR". One more show before they split! Come on, you know you want to kill those eardrums of yours. Who's with me?

A little later...
Have been researching concert dates on the Big Sugar site BBS; apparently there's a show on Nov. 29 at Waterloo. So here's my Big Plan: Nov 28 - last day of classes, go home. Nov 29 - travel to Waterloo, make Jen go to concert too. Dec 3 convince brother to give me ride back to Kingston and go to concert with me at AJ's. Dec 4 - start studying for CISC 124 final. Dec 5 - write CISC 124 final.

Am laughing maniacally. Muwahaha.

A while after...
Curses. Big Plan ruined as stinky brother is being a party pooper and doesn't want to drive to Kingston again. I told him that Bon Jovi was opening but he didn't believe me (smart cookie). Pooper!

Almost...a...Gundam...

From TIME Magazine's Coolest Inventions of 2003:

• Leave it to Japanese person to invent a Power Suit to transform scrawny wimps into car-lifting macho men (or women). Add a little armour and some scary looking eyes and you've got yourself Alphonse from Patlabor



• Mmm... luminous handbag... In case thieves and muggers couldn't see your purse in the dark, here's a way to lend them a hand.



• It's Pinchy 3000. Watch out MAHA.



• Now this would be useful in K-Town, but imagine how dorky you'd look: Ice Bike



• "They are NOT for eating!"

Damn Tree Rats!!

I used to think that squirrels were cute. That lasted until last year, when I encountered the Freakishly Unafraid Kingston Squirrel.

These little buggers will not balk at stealing food from you. They will play chicken on the sidewalk with unsuspecting university students. I've seen one pick up a half-opened tube of Ritz crackers, try unsuccessfully to grab one from the open end, find that his arm was too short, and then carry it off in his mouth to whatever wormy little hellhole that he was spawned from.

And this morning I find that one of the demons has crawled up my window screen, into the hole at the upper left corner and has begun to use the space between the glass and screen as it's personal larder! Damn tree rat! Git!

I am a big, big, big geek

So much so that I find this website very cool: Sorting

Also this: BookCrossing

And this one is just plain funny: Evanjellydonut (Evangelion fans only)

[Edit: November 11, 12:30AM - I just spent 6 consecutive hours working on my CISC assignment. And then I walked into the door. Go me!]

Ugh...Depressing

Matrix Revolutions.

Watch it, but don't expect too much.

Am staying home, skipping Stupid Prof and CISC 124 to work on my many assignments/essays/test preps.

Sugar Coma

I'm still suffering the aftereffects of a self-induced sugar coma that started sometime before Hallowe'en.

First off, peanut butter squares. Here's the ingrediant list: a ton of butter, a ton of icing sugar, and a generous dollop of peanut butter. Topped off with a centimeter thick layer of dark chocolate. Ate two the next morning and was ricocheting off the walls for several hours afterwards.

Second, Hallowe'en! We didn't go trick or treating, but Bento, WND and I went to Hallowe'en Harvest and collected food for a food drive. Candy from people who think that we are trick or treating can't hurt either. No, most of the sugar from this event came the day after, when Shopper's Drug Mart had all candy on sale. Oh yes. I am well-stocked and wired for days.

Also, Happy Birthday, Mom (and Accordion Guy)!

"Everyone wants to be found"

Watch this movie. Just do it. There's no way to describe the plot because there isn't really one. Though that doesn't mean that Lost In Translation is meaningless. Take one middle-aged, washed-up movie actor (Bill Murray) and one recent university graduate (Scarlett Johansson), plunk them in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world (Tokyo) and watch as they try to find themselves. Sort of.

Oh, and after you watch it, get your grubby little hands on the soundtrack. Is good.

I forget who this is from, but there's an article out there that talks about both the anonymity and anxiety of being alone in a big city. You feel both independent and lost, both set free and at a loss. It makes me miss Hong Kong because that's how I felt the whole time I was there.

Again, I feel that familiar desire to travel.

Cafe Alpha

If you have time or need something calming and tranquil, I highly recommend downloading and reading Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (Record of a Yokohama Shopping Trip). It's a manga (Japanese comic book) by Ashinano Hitoshi and has been running in a monthly Japanese manga anthology for years.

I think I'll quote the site where the translations are found: "YKK is a remarkable series. Quiet, thoughtful, and meticulously constructed, the story unfolds with grace and elegance. It became a favorite of mine almost from the second I first set eyes on it." And since it is a manga, gags common to Japanese comics abound, so YKK has lots of humour too. Note that the website I've linked to is a fan translation of it, as YKK hasn't been picked up by any North American companies for official English translation.

To be honest, I prefer it this way. The site does a great job translating, it's more accessible than official (expesive) releases, and it offers incentive to buy the series in the original Japanese by allowing you to sample the storyline in advance. But now that I've started re-reading it, I can't stop. Oops.


Bruno

"Widely regarded as one of the best realized comic characters on the World Wide Web." - Newsbites Magazine

On the other end of the comic spectrum, Bruno is an American comic strip that ranges from funny to depressing, from political to inane but it's always interesting. I don't agree with many of the things that the title character talks about (who is a girl by the way), but it's a refreshing change from comic strips that are constantly fluffy and pointless in content.

Good stuff.

The Top 12 Things Overheard from Klingon Programmers

12) "Specifications are for the weak and timid!"

11) "This machine is a piece of GAGH! I need dual Pentium processors if I am to do battle with this code!"

10) "You cannot really appreciate Dilbert unless you've read it in the original Klingon."

9) "Indentation?! - I will show you how to indent when I indent your skull!"

8) "What is this talk of 'release'? Klingons do not make software 'releases'. Our software 'escapes' leaving a bloody trail of designers and quality assurance people in its wake."

7) "Klingon function calls do not have 'parameters' - they have 'arguments' - and they ALWAYS WIN THEM."

6) "Debugging? Klingons do not debug. Our software does not coddle the weak."

5) "I have challenged the entire quality assurance team to a Bat-Leth contest. They will not concern us again."

4) "A TRUE Klingon Warrior does not comment his code!"

3) "By filing this bug report you have challenged the honor of my family. Prepare to die!"

2) "You question the worthiness of my code? I should kill you where you stand!"

1) "Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and let them flee like the dogs they are!"

Mmmm....geekiness....

The Weekend Where Nobody Slept

Okay, Thursday night went to A&P with WND and the MA half of MAHA for midnight food forage. Since I still hadn't bought groceries since getting back to Kingston from Thanksgiving at home, this is a good thing. However, the nice people at A&P finally managed to restock the candy corn supply. I needs my sugar, b'y.

Therefore, no sleep.

Friday night, went to KCCF and then to birthday party for Mike the Engineer. WND and I spent the day baking a "Death By Chocolate" cake and slathered "Death By Clogged Arteries" icing on it. It was a chocolate brick. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, lots of poking (okay that was just me). Lots of booze, though not on my part. Apparently my face turns inside out when I try anything alcoholic. Which is fun for others, not so pleasant for me. Cake served late, party ended later.

Therefore, no sleep.

Saturday night ended a quiet day at home. Ventured outside nice warm house with Margaret and WND to buy cheap pillows from Zellers ($3.97 for overstuffed, oversized pillows!) and bought a purdy skirt from the used clothing store. Did some "homework" (i.e. stared at PEP/7 program for a while and then watched 7 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion). Was about to curl up around my giant new pillow when WND kicks open door and makes me watch Fight Club (hee hee) until 2am.

Therefore, no sleep.

BUT. Tonight is a school night. Tomorrow I have classes until 5:30 PM. I am determined to go to bed before midnight tonight, come "fire, fog or Fall" (Pern quote. I am such a geek.)

Tally

So far this year, I have...

...fallen down the stairs 4 times 7 times (or as some like to call it, pokked).

...finished one jar of Nutella.

...gone home two times.

...poked an innumerable number of people an innumerable number of times.

...written three essays.

...sang the Oil Thigh zero times.

...learned three new recipes.

...wished several wishes.

...practiced slacking off many times.

Hijinks

Me housemates and I have been up to our usual tricks. Well, by "usual tricks" I mean embarassing ourselves.

Gaff #1: So Bento and I are on a midnight A&P run to buy ice cream and candy in preparation for a viewing of Totoro, when we see a Chinese someone wearing a purple windbreaker and jeans, with shoulder-length highlighted black hair. I.e. a Wendy look-alike. Needless to say, it wasn't Wendy. Unfortunately for us (and that poor girl) we didn't know that and we ran up behind her and gave her a slap on the back. Each. Well, we apologized profusely and ran away and that was the end of that.

Gaff #2: So Margaret and I are on our way to HIST299 and a biology lab (respectively) when we get to Princess. So we creep out in preparation for jaywalking. It's Kingston. Everyone jaywalks. We see a green SUV barreling down the road, so I pull back. Only Margaret pulls forward. So I move forward, but Margaret pulls back. Finally, we both dart forward and get beeped at by the Green SUV Of Doom but the traffic fairy is with us and we make it across, laughing ourselves silly as we run away.

Gaff #3: So we're making cheese biscuits today and I completely overeat. Okay, that one was just me. But I couldn't run away. Too full. Sat on squashy couch like sack of wet cement and moaned while starting on my sixth biscuit of the night. Sever lack of sympathy from Wendy. Ingrate.

Sugar high

As WND says quite often, I am in a perpetual state of sugar-induced hyperactivity. But this week I've been especially wired, to the dismay of those who live with me. This is because of two reasons:

1. BIG SUGAR ROCKS. The concert was awesome, Gordie is cool, the Old Guy even more so. I think my hearing is finally returning, but it was worth it. They played all the best songs (Better Get Used To It, The Scene, Nicotina, Diggin' a Hole, Turn The Lights On, If I Had My Way, Red Rover, etc) and we were about 5 feet from the stage, so we had a great view of the band. Big Sugar is really overlooked in terms of concert announcements and hype because they tour so much. This is apparently the last time they'll be touring as a 5-man group (Gordie's leaving. Boo.), but none of the campus newspapers even mentioned it in the concert listings (Three Days Grace over Big Sugar? Unlikely). Oh well, it's their loss. Really an awesom, awesome show.
   
   Noticed:
   • Orange juice is the drink of choice when on stage
     
   • The SGJ made an appearance
   
   
   • The Old Guy is very very cool. And boy, can he dance.
   
   
   • Mojah is a neat name. And he has cool pants.
   
   
   • Gordie is indeed "the best-dressed rock musician in Canada." Sparkly.
   
   
   • The drummer is slightly mental. In a good way.
   
   
   • The keyboardist looks like Dan Akroyd.
   
   
   • It's very tempting to whip out the old taser on the overly-enthusiastic dancer flailing in front of you. Of course, half an hour later, I was that over-enthusiastic dancer. Oops.
   
   
   • The drummer for Bedouin Soundclash. *dimple*
   
   
   Discovered afterwards:
   • The Old Guy's name is Garry Lowe.
   
   
   • The Keyboardist's name is Kelly Hoppe.
   
   
   • I can't figure out what the drummer's name is. Sorry.
   
   
   • Gordie is a Hugo Boss model. Or at least clotheshorse.
   
   
   • They watch a lot of hockey.
   
   
   • Bedouin Soundclash will be releasing a new album soon.


2. I have consumed roughly my own weight in French Vanilla cappuccinos.

I think I broke my ass!

Fell down the stairs again. I think I dented my caboose this time. Ouch.

Food is always good.

Did my A&P run today. It's surprisingly fun to go grocery shopping at 1 AM with your housemates. It's all empty and quiet and you can pretend you're a plane taking off in the canned soup aisle.

Things I Bought:

• McCain Frozen Pizza (8 pack)


• random cheddar cheese


• Schneider's All-Beef Weiners
  
• two A&P cheese buns


• two packs of Equality spaghetti


• pack of pita bread (5 pieces)


• six Royal Gala apples


• five bananas

Things I Need To Buy As I Have Completely Run Out:

• giant tub o' Nutella


• meat of some sort


• carrots


• mushrooms


• cereal, preferably Cheerios


• Pocky

Big Sugar! Big Sugar! Big Sugar!

Bento, WND and I are seeing Big Sugar at AJ's Hanger next week! YAY!

I've been hankering to see these guys perform ever since I got to university, and they've finally come to Kingston! This show is especially special (ha ha...does that count as alliteration?) because soon Gordie Johnson (frontman extraordinaire) will be leaving the band. Show is part of the Best Of album promotion/Hit and Run Tour.

Cannot wait. W00t.

Curses

Digitalrice, the hosting service that I've used for over two years is shutting down. No warning, just an email that says "Hey, sorry, we're shutting down tomorrow, been a blast, hope you don't mind, no hard feelings, etc."

Hence the garish, pre-made orange BlogSpot template in use now. And the depleted links list. And the lack of archives because I can't find the "republish archives" section on this newfangled Blogger interface. Thingie.

If you know of any good, ad-free (no pop-ups, banners, etc) free webhosting service with FTP support and at least 5 megs of space, please contact me: kobuta05[at]yahoo.com. Thankee kindly.

*sniff* I feel like I've been evicted. I miss my happy tea themed banner.

Modnar

Today was one of those perfect, perfect days. A warm sunny day with a hint of autumn present in the slightly chilly breeze and reddening maple leaves...and then Hurricane Isabel comes and smashes it all to bits! RAAARRR!! In other words, rainy weekend ahead.

Speaking of which, may be going home this weekend if I can bum a ride off Mr. Aaron or Ms. Katie's friend. To quote Nitz, "I'm all out of food and clean clothes, so I'm going home this weekend." Well, I never really had much food to begin with, so I'm wallowing in guilt for bumming off my housemates for two weeks. To remedy this, am planning to stock up on siu long bao, rice noodles, wheat noodles, Chinese vegetables and Vita Lemon Tea, (also known as my other crack).

Professors are all decent this year. History prof is slightly flaky (and by slightly, I mean very). Computer architecture prof has a pot belly! Hee hee! Same cheery Java prof as last year. English prof is both interesting, informative and funny (lucky!). And my discrete mathematics prof is weird and kinda German.

There are more keeners/know-it-alls this year. I want to smack them and hear all that hot air slowly hissing out of them.

Good to Go

All systems go! Internet finally working! Tons of email to write, scores of manga to download, a plethora of instant messages to be sent. And one CISC 124 Java assignment to finish. Crap.

Celebrated connection to outside world by reading most of the MacHall archives. Have hooked WND on it too. Anime to follow. She's pretty much the only one in the house that doesn't like anime, but that'll all change soon. Ke ke ke ke ke...

Happy (belated) Mid-Autumn Festival! Ate mooncake and watched TV (What is this "TV" of which you speak?). All is well.

Type and Dash

Quick update. I am still alive. Not hungry anymore.

In Kingston. Moved in. Room set up. No internet. No phone. No car. Dammit.

Phone soon. Internet soon. Still no car. Yay!

Must go. Library full. People waiting. Sidewalk sale to be plundered. TTYL.

Pack, Shove, Tape, Lug

Rinse and repeat until room is strangely empty and hallway is bursting with boxes and duffel bags stuffed full of sweatshirts, shoes, forks, computer gear, papers and books. The sad thing is that in packing to go back to Queen's, I finally unpacked the boxes that I brought back home in April from residence. I'm told that this is normal (ahemWNDahem) but it's still unsettling.

Getting excited over moving in. Well, I'm not looking forward to cleaning the house before we move in, or setting up the internet and phone accounts. But once all that is settled and done with, room decorating and furniture arrangement sounds good to me. I've never had the chance to set up my room the way I like it (see: Granny room I currently live in at home, complete with maroon paisley print wallpaper and nubby blue carpet) so I'm happy.

RANT TIME. Like Miller Time, only instead of beer, you get a nice toasty bottle of anger. Yeah, drink it up. This summer I've been noticing that when I go to a Chinese mall or restaurant, I sometimes get stared at. The hell--? What are you looking at? Giant mole? Vestigial horns? Vestigial tail? Vestigial third eye and/or arm? Last I checked, I had none of the above. What I do have, however, is thick frizzy hair, 5 feet 8 inches of height, darkish skin, hips and a butt, and a penchant for speaking in English rather than in Cantonese. All of which sums up to: un-Chinese characteristics. Face it, most Chinese people (well, girls at least) are small, petite, pale and in possession of obedient, straight black hair. These people just can't figure out if I'm Chinese or not.

That's not the part that irks me. What gets me angry is that they keep staring until they conclude that I am: A) Not Chinese and hence eligible for condescending behavour, or B)A CBC, a jook sing, a second generation Chinese Canadian that is a disgrace to the Chinese community and hence, also eligible for condescending behaviour.

Puh-leese! Don't sneer at me. Don't speak to me in overly clear, overly evident, overly loud English. Don't ask me if I want a fork (well, that hasn't happened yet.) Don't treat me like a lesser being just because I can't speak Chinese properly or because you think I'm Filipino or Malaysian or Indian.

It only happens once in a while. But hot damn it pisses me off.

Sw33t!! B00k 2!!

Dark Horse and Megatokyo!

Heartache?

I don't know.

I miss Hong Kong. I want to travel.

Reading Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou and looking at the BWG's photo galleries makes me want to wander.

If it weren't for that 20 hour long plane ride, that is.

(On second thought, it also makes me want a digital camera.)

Burn baby burn.

Still alive. Candles are fun.

Thank you to all those who directed traffic. I hope you were paid well in water, ice cream, and, in some cases, beer.

*shakes fist at impending heat wave*

Queen's has a Macdonald Hall, too

This one strikes me as slightly ominous.

This one is slightly familiar.

This one is proof that I learned something last year because I actually understand what he says.

This sounds like fun.

This one's for Wendith. Shovey shovey!

This one's for Bento. Damn whiteboard thieves.

This one's for ME!

And this one is for the wonderful virus-infested carpets of Vic Hall.

Anger Management

Sometimes my dad makes me so mad, I want to throw something at him. Like a tomato. Or perhaps the couch.

Running With Scissors

So I checked my bank account today on one of the computers a work (shh...my little secret). Okay, $15.98 phone bill paid to Primus Canada (greedy bastards), preregistration fee paid to Queen's (greedy bastards), payment for new hamster and lunch with brother (greedy bastard) and... what the heck?

Who wrote this check?! Some greedy bastard out there is stealing my hard-earned cash! Curse you Primus!

It took me until 10:30 tonight to figure out that I had indeed written that check, (three months ago), to pay for the rent over the summer on the apartment in Kingston. Yes, will have to look after myself next year: no more cafeteria, no more frosh coddling, no more tolerant professors and dons.

Just me. And five cruel housemates. Just kidding I ruv them... except Lydia. Eat my fist! Ha ha, who's a pig now? Oh right. Me.

But seriously, if I can't ever remember writing a check for such a large amount of money, how will I survive myself? I'm going to forget to eat dinner (it's happened). I'm going to make the oven explode (yet to occur, although I did set myself on fire when baking cookies once). I'm going to forget all those elementary safety rules I learned in kindergarten and hurtle down Princess Street with a pair of scissors in each hand.

Naw, just panicking a bit because I'll be moving back to Kingston in less than three weeks. I'll survive in my own blundering way, bruises and scrapes included.

$340 a month, minus utilities. Greedy bastards.

SARSapalooza! EXCLAMATION MARK!! Part 2!

Wow.

What a show. Even though we only showed up for the last two acts (pre-show dinner at home took considerately longer than we thought), it was amazing. AC/DC kicked ass (I *heart* Angus and his darling little shorts and bobby socks. Back in Black, Highway to Hell, You Shook Me All Night Long...sigh...) and the Stones were cool (Justin did a duet with Mick...poor boy got water bottles chucked at him on stage). Very nice of Mick to open the show in a bright pink jacket so everyone could see him.

We (me, Ming, Katie and Ant) managed to get pretty close to the stage. Well, relatively speaking anyway; we made it past the 101 marker to the left of the stage near the seated section. Some guy climbed to the top of the 101 marker and stayed there for the rest of the show. He had the best seat of all 450, 000 of us (damn him). Too bad by the time he climbed down, there were several secuirity guards and cops waiting to give him a stern talking to.

A Stupid Fat Old Drunk Guy approached me at one point and started rambling about backstage passes, would I like one, did I speak English. I just smiled nervously and sidled away until rescued by brother and co. SFODG said he felt like going onstage and doing Stuff (like taking off his shirt...oh geez). Which we whole-heartedly encouraged him to go far, far away and try. I hope he tripped on a lobster.

Also, similar to the Foo Fighters concert, lots of people high on, umm, the music. Yes. The music.

SARSapalooza! EXCLAMATION MARK!!

Off to see the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Tea Party, The Guess Who, Justin "One of these things is not like the other" Timberlake, and Sam Roberts tomorrow after everyone gets back from werk. Managed to beg (well, it wasn't really that hard. I'm only supposed to werk M, Th, F) Wednesday off. I'd really rather get Thursday off. I don't think I'll be functional after crawling home from Downsview Park at 1 am. I'll be lucky if I don't I don't fall asleep in the photocopying room and wake up with a staple remover attached to my skull.

In other news, I finished reading the new Harry Potter (three weeks ago) in less than 8 hours. Don't worry, no spoilers here. Lots of Angry!Harry, Fickle!Cho, BarelyThere!Hermione and a moment of DumbledoreYouGIT! Loads of funny icons here. Like so:

	Ahahahaha! ... That is all.		Oh look, it's Oliver Wood. Why? Because I can.
	"She was all naked, and...articulate!"		Raaar! Kenshin SMASH!

Itadakimasu!!!

Chock full of sashimi, tofu and mango ice cream. If you have twenty bucks to spare and an hour or so to waste, I highly recommend going to Yangs All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Bar. Too bad I forgot the address. It's somewhere in Unionville (on HWY 7). I think. Too full to think.

I've been neglecting this blog lately (see: over two weeks since last post. Oops) Let's see...what's been going on lately in the crazy (normal) busy (tired) too-much-to-do-to-post (too-lazy-to-open-Blogger-and-write-something-dammit) life of mine...

July 4 - sleepover at Jen's: Went to Dave & Busters' with the G/Jens and Tiff, won a bucket of tickets and exchanged them for two plastic army men and a diecast silver Porsche model. Afterwards, Gen decided that we were hungry and that only Asian food could sate us. So we drove up to Commerce Gate and had bubble tea and Taiwanese rice. Not enough, so we drove down to Pacific Mall (deserted), and then Metro Square (night festival with hundreds of people!) Ate Chinese hamburger, drank cheap bubble tea and smelled chou dofu.

July 7, 2003 - Foo Fighters concert: My first angry teenager concert. Lots of sweaty, stinky people high on ahem, the music. Ahem, ahem. What's more, it was being filmed for the Foo's upcoming One by One DVD. Therefore, roasted by giant floodlights set up to capture audience reaction. We managed to gradually work our way around a big white guy (nickname: The Hulk) to somewhere closer to the stage. A great show, but Green Shirt Guy kept energetically moshing into my ribs so I turned around and gave him an equally energetic shove into Red Shirt Guy's stomach. Ha. Ha ha. Stupid man.

July 11, 2003 - Papercut Friday: stubbed my toe, sliced sundry fingers on several life insurance applications, walked into a door. Walked. Into. A. Door. Now I have a bruise the size of my fist on my hip. This is beyond clumsy. This is-- this-- is stupid! Stupid stupid stupid bloody hip sticking out and arms that flail around hitting things indiscriminantly and TOES THAT GET ATTACKED BY INANIMATE OBJECTSARGGGGH!

Ahem. And I've been working everyday. And reading a lot. And bitterly watching the webcast of Bon Jovi's concert at the Molson Amphitheatre. Right now. Jon Bon Jovi. Ding dong.

See you in Vancouver!

Meet you on the snow-covered hill somewhere in Vancouver, in the middle of winter sometime in 2010.

Have touque, will travel.

B.C.! B.C.! B.C.!

More good news: Piro and Seraphim to attend CNAnime. Sw33t!

Happy 136th Birthday!!!

"That was my Super-Duper-Jumbo-Boomer. You owe me one Super-Duper-Jumbo Boomer."

- Cathy Burton, Beware the Fish

"What better way to celebrate the birth of your nation than by blowing up a small part of it."

- Apu

HAPPY CANADA DAY! BONNE FETE, CANADA! Celebrated this Canada Day by sleeping in until 11 a.m., wearing new Smart Set skirt (like me, also...Canadian), eating at Maxim (opened by...Canadians), shopping at First Markham Place (located in...Canada), listening to my newly created Canada Day 2003 CD (featuring...Canadian artists), and blowing up part of our front yard via ancient firework found in the van Ho-ming won from MuchMusic (nation's music station) in promotion of the movie FUBAR (movie from...Canada).

Also read part of the new Harry Potter book (Great Britain... well, we are part of the Commonwealth.)

Must by more exploding bits the next time it's legally available. Oh yes. My day will come.

And now for a song that only a true Canadian can appreciate, an anthem to my home province, a tune dear to my heart, give it up for The Last Saskatchewan Pirate by The Arrogant Worms!

I used to be a farmer and I made a living fine
I had a little stretch of land along the CP line
But times were hard and though I tried the money wasn't there
The bankers came and took my land and told me fair was fair
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always no
'Hire you now?', they'd always laugh, 'we just let twenty go!'
The government they promised me a measly little sum
But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum

Then I thought....who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone
I'm gonna be a pirate on the river Saskatchewan

And it's a heave, ho, high, ho, coming down the plain
Stealing wheat and barely and other types of grain
And it's a ho, hey, high, hey, farmers bar your doors
When you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores!

Well, Mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat
He followed on the shoreline cos he didn't own a boat
But cutbacks were a-comin and the mountie lost his job
And now he's sailing with me and we call him Salty Bob!
A swinging sword, a skull-and-bones, and pleasant company
I never pay my income tax and screw the GST screw it!
Prince Albert down to Saskatoon, the terror of the sea
If you wanna reach the Co-op boy, you gotta get by me

And it's a heave, ho, high, ho, coming down the plain
Stealing wheat and barely and other types of grain
And it's a ho, hey, high, hey, farmers bar your doors
When you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores!

Well, pirate life's appealing but you don't just find it here
I've heard that in Alberta there's a band of buccaneers
They roam the Athabaska from Smith to Fort McKay
You're gonna lose your Stetson if you have to pass their way
Well winter is a-coming and a chill is in the breeze
My pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze
I'll be back in springtime but now I've got to go
I hear there's lots of plundering down in New Mexico

And it's a heave, ho, high, ho, coming down the plain
Stealing wheat and barely and other types of grain
And it's a ho, hey, high, hey, farmers bar your doors
When you see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores!

Dear Ms. Rowling...

I'm sure this book will be great. I really can't wait to read it (but seeing as how I'm the several hundredth person to place a hold on one out of forty-two copies, I'll just have to stew).

But if Ron dies, I'll never forgive you.

Ar.

Sincerly,

The Pig

Takka-takka-ouch-takka

On the plus side, I found a job (yay!)

Unfortunately, I can barely type properly because my fingers are too dry/papercut from filing papers all day. Ouch. Takkity-tik-tak-ouch.

Working in the office of an insurance company is very cushy and easy, but a little dull sometimes (lots o' filing, void of fun). Actually, time passes surprisingly fast in there: file some papers, bathroom break, file some papers, bandage finger, file some papers, bandage other fingers, file some papers, lunch break, etc. There's a little cafe downstairs that has sells stuff like at Vienna (across from the church) and The Last Drop (near Yonge & Eglington). Excellent...milk tea and a cheap lunch. Everything a Chinese Canadian needs.

Grudge match against the Great Canadian Bagel store (also downstairs) for being closed at quitting time beginning.....now!

Dad-zilla! Very nooo!

Everytime I see my dad in a bad mood, I have to fight the urge to ask him if a dingo ate his baby.

Puu... No more RuroKen scanlations. It's been licensed by Shonen Jump. I think a dingo ate Sano's baby:

Jeepers! Look at that grass grow!

Someone, please, give my something to do. Am bored out of my SKULL.

(Ew. Mental image.)

Reduced to cleaning house and doing laundry to pass the time.

Funny story: Andy Lau Goes for Coffee. He should have worn an N95, too.

Dookie, February 2002 to June 2003



It is with great sorrow that Hoyan announces the passing of her dear friend, the most feared Sith Lord in hamster history, Count Dooku (Dookie).

Dookie, alternatively known as Dooks, "DOOKIE!!!", Tyrone, Shinji the Ninja Hamster, Pig, Sesame Pudding (think Chinese dessert) and the Thing, was liberated from Petcetera (Kingston location) by Hoyan's older brother as a high school graduation present in May 2002. The tiny black bear hamster soon developed a feisty, yet somewhat neurotic personality and adjusted well to his roomy Habitrail abode.

After several months of delinquency and botched escape attempts (resulting in remote control button massacres and the destruction and defacement of important tax documents), the Dookster abandoned the Dark Side and his former Sith ways and happily spent his days sleeping, eating, gnawing on the bars of his cage and traversing tens of miles on his trusty grey hamster wheel.

Dookie was a survivor, outliving his archnemesis Boh-Boh, his smaller Siberian cousins Toasty and Melinda, and his short-lived girlfriend the love of his life, April. Unfortunately, he was struck down by a mysterious illness, believed to be contracted from archnemesis number two, the scruffy Fut-Fut/Pigpen (didn't live long enough for us to decide on a name). Dookie died a fighter to the end, battling for every tiny breath. But ultimately, he succumbed to the sickness at 7:52 PM on June 1, 2003. He lived to a ripe old age of one year and four months.

I miss him.

I'm back

Unemployed, tanned and very hungry.

Still need to find a job. Library, office, but no factories. At least, no plastics factories. Worst comes to worst, I'll volunteer at the hospital (if they'll have me, that is. Damn SARS)

Galapagos was great. I miss the sea lions. Bleeeeeh! Bleeeeeh! Tanned, though. Unevenly tanned, con sarnit. Darn equatorial sun!

Very hungry because there's no food in the house.

And in other news... You have got to be kidding me.

Tengo que ir al bano.

The only Spanish phrase I remember from grade 10 Spanish. Still a useful phrase.

Off to Quito tomorrow. Will do my best not to be eaten by a shark or trampled by a giant tortoise. And to find an internet cafe from which I can post something.

My mom is bemoaning the lack of Chinese food we'll face once they reach Ecuador. Ah, pobrecita...

Continuing good work...

And now, a tally of events this week...in the style of Bridget Jones!

• Boxes of university stuff unpacked: 0 (v. bad)
  
• Items packed in preparation of trip: 0 (even worse)
  
• Amount of floor not covered in junk: approximately 0.25 square feet (normal for an adolescents)
  
• Kazaa downloads: 540 MB (mmm...illegal)
  
• Kazaa downloads after installing KazaaHack: 700 additional MB (mmm...illegal-er)
  
• Things eaten in desperate attempt to clear out fridge: oh, too many to list (bad health-wise, but so delicious)
  
• Books read: 7 (Dune, Catherine Called Birdy, My Blue Country, Ecuador guide book, Dragonsong, Memoir Of A Geisha, Journey To The West)
  
• Movies watched: 1 (very surprising)
  
• Hamsters with an eye infection: 1 (poor Dookie)
  
• Pregnant hamsters: possibly 1 (crap crap crap...)

I miss my locker.

Got a call from Monique the EngGeek today.

"I'm bored. And I start work the next day. Let's go and do something."

So we hopped on the TTC and went to visit SCS. And gloat over being done exams, school, etc. Ha ha. Very strange to see everyone in uniforms. And to walk up Yonge St. and see all the stores that have gone bankrupt and are now a Future Shop. And to hear the school bell go off ("Ding ding ding ding, ding ding ding ding"). And to sit at a computer and abuse school resources one last time. Let's hope Ms. Osborne doesn't kick us out. Hush now, there she is.

I like cheese.

Actually, I couldn't think of a better title, so that's that. But I do like it. I thouroughly enjoy the consumption of cheese.

Nothing much happening lately. The WHO (see below) has lifted the travel advisory on Toronto. I finally bought Dune and Catherine, Called Birdy. I still haven't unpacked my university stuff yet. I still haven't packed my Galapagos trip stuff yet (very excited, am going to the Galapagos Islands. Besides the whole tourist thing, am going to be a ship's monkey. I called it!). It's going to rain tomorrow. Our lease on the new house begins in two days. May be watching X2 on Friday (very cool website).

All in all, a very "I ate a cheese sandwhich today" kind of entry.

But like I said... I like cheese. ^_^

SARS you!

Well, the World Health Organization has declared a travel advisory on old "Terana". Citizens everywhere scoff. Scoff scoff scoff.

True, 'sa problem, but certainly not enough to warrant a travel advisory. If it were truly that serious, I would've stayed in Kingston. People would be leaving the city. New SARS cases would be heard of as often as that ridiculous new Madonna song. Hospitals overflowing with feverish, coughing Torontonians. We would be dropping like flies. Flies, I say! Hogtown becomes Ghost Town! Skateboarding daredevils replaced by dustdevils! Prepare the cellar! Stock up on canned foods! Break out the rations! Bring on the yams!!

Blah. Soap + hands + scrubbing = germ killing. My mom's been nagging me to wash my hands twenty times a day, even when I stay at home. Don't suck your thumbs, don't pick your nose, don't lick the subway poles. Wear a mask if you're really worried. Scrub scrub scrub...

I am a nonchalant bunny.



Congratulations. You are the kiss my ass happy
bunny. You don't care about anyone or anything.
You must be so proud.

Which happy bunny are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

One more time

And then no more ultra-fast residence internet connection. With any luck, I'll be able to hook up my computer to the house internet service when I bring it home (continuation of Chobits (21 to 26) downloads on Kazaa if I do). So much stuff to pack!

Veg Night Take II

Alright. Enough of this "Rez Express is closed" business. I want Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough ice cream and I want it now.

Nothing, barring residence wide blackout or sudden case of flesh-eating disease, is going to stop me from having my veg night.

Plans include bubble tea if not too rainy outside, watching The Exam, eating own weight in ice cream and splurging on Rez Express food to finish off my flex dollars.

Veg, veg, veg!

You see this?

Right there. See this?

This is my "I'm Done Exams So I Get To Slack Off And Eat Ice Cream Dance."

How sweet it is.

*dances out of the room with Jamiroquai playing in the background*

Dumb Criminals

Well, these aren't all criminals, but some are. Taken from the Queen's University security alert website.

March 14, 10:42 pm: PhysEd Centre - A caller reported he just witnessed three males kick in an entire main door window and then run off - the group was described as appearing to be intoxicated and at least one was wearing a Queen's jacket. The Security Supervisor responded to the report from West Campus and noted a similar group on Johnson Street - where one of them appeared to be beating up an arm chair and yelling obscenities at it - but the original witness could not be located to confirm it was the same group responsible for the vandalism. A tradesman was called in to make repairs and completed his work by midnight.

March 14: 12:05 pm: Clark Hall - Pub staff informed the ERC that a patron just claimed to witness someone stealing a keg from inside the pub. The Security Supervisor searched Campus but there was no sign of suspects or keg.

March 16, 12:20 pm: Student Housing Area - An AMS Walkhome Team reported they discovered an intoxicated person passed out at the corner of University Ave and Earl Street, then a group of the people came along, picked him up and carried him away. No description of the group or where they were headed was indicated.

March 18, 1:45 am: Victoria Hall - Security Supervisors, while on mobile patrol of Campus, noticed two students carrying a couch out of the Residence. When questioned, the two claimed they were actually walking in the opposite direction and in fact had been trying to return the couch to the building. However they soon realized they'd been caught and were cooperative in returning the couch to its original location.

March 27, 3:38 am: Leonard Hall - A caller report some individuals yelling and making noise outside the Residence. The Security Supervisor attended and spoke to some males who claimed someone had lobbed a muffin at them from an upper floor window, but agreed to keep the noise down.

March 28, 7:16 pm: Victoria Hall - A student contacted Security to report there was an unknown male passed out in his bed. The student reported he'd left the room unlocked for a few minutes to run downstairs, and when he returned the door was locked. The desk clerk provided access to the room and then they saw there was another person in the bed. The Security Supervisors attended, managed to wake the individual and convince him to get dressed. It turned out this other student actually lived on another floor in the Residence and had pressed the wrong button on the elevator. He then walked into the unlocked room thinking it was his own..

Boh Boh: 2002 - 2003

Poor Ah-Boh died two days ago. I miss him already. No more dumbfounded hamster face, no more cuddling him when he's sleepy, no more watching him attack his cage, no more waiting for him to fall asleep in the laundry basket, no more feeding him into oblivion. I lurv him. And now I will drown my sorrows in Nestea, Cheetos and a good sleeping in. Just like Ah-Boh would have done. I'll make you proud, Ah-Boh, that I will!

Edit: Here's the obituary Ho-Ming sent out via email:

Dear friends,

It is my sad duty to inform of you of the death of my special friend, Boh Boh. Ah Boh (as he was affectionally known) had been sick for a few days and at 8:18 pm, he nhaled his last tiny breath. The funeral service was held at 1 pm in my garden. Boh was put to final rest under our giant evergreen tree.

Boh was and will be always my favorite pet for a variety of reasons. First, he was a very special gift from thoughtful friends on my 22nd Birthday. But more importantly, he was a good pet. He had an easy-going personality, a playful spirit, a love for life (particularly sleeping) and for food. Though he was often woken up by his master, he never complained about it and continued to sleep regardless of his location. Interestingly enough, despite his good looks, he remained faithfully celibate all his days. He brought much joy into our lives, and he will be missed dearly.

I am confident I will see Boh Boh again, as God loves every creature he created (besides, he was Christian hamster). I will leave you with words that best described his life on earth: "Boh Boh: He ate...and ate well."

R.I.P. Boh.

Your friend,

Ho-Ming

Ah Spring...

Beautiful weather lately, but nature is a tricky bugger. Apparently, it was 17(!) degrees yesterday, so I thought, "Perfect sandal weather! Sw33t!" and pranced off in my Tevas and went for lunch with Wendy (Ug. Waffles delish, but so very guilt-inducing) at Ban Righ. Half an hour later, I look out the window and it's raining cats and dogs and bison. Sandals soaked, toes gritty, pants dripping from the ankles down.

So, yeah. Wet day. You might be thinking, "Good gravy, Batman! This girl just wrote a pointless whiny ramble about rainy weather! How pathetic can you get!" Well, I ask you this, Mr. Sarcastic Pants (Ooo...I want sarcastic pants! Good for debates and fits of angsty teenage rebellion) What's more pathetic: a penguin wearing a blue pinstripe suit or the fool that tailored it?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a calculus test to fail and some angry sandworms to thwart.

In other words, nothing of interest has happened this week, except for the usual assignment cramming and Sharescan trawling. Therefore, Hoyan has nothing better to write about than the weather, penguins and obscure Dune references. Mmm...spice...

Busy as arse

Yet I still had time to re-read Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason before getting to work on my essay. It's a strange, strange world.

Kekekeke! Me? Unhinged?

Which Saturnalia Character are you?

I'm a maaaa-niac, maaaaa-niac! So much work lately, not even funny. CISC midterm, english essay (Heart of Darkness....*sigh*) and a calc mastery test coming up soon. Completely not ready for any of them.

Melinda died last week. Poor li'l hamster. Homing's track record with dwarf hamsters isn't too great so far (2 down). No matter. He's recovered and has bought a female long-haired Syrian hamster named April, after the Ninja Turtle's chickee (the old one, not the "new, hip" version). All we need now is a trashy, scruffy male one named Casey and we're set.

Three more weeks of class! Kekekekeke!

General query...

Can anyone tell me where to find lyrics for Catherine Durand songs? French Canadian artist, very cool. Need lyrics to "Peu Importe" so that I can sing along badly and loudly.

Ah, life in residence.

Food makes me happy. Chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwhiches, Greek style potatoes and pepperoni calzones for lunch and dinner respectively. Good day in the caf. However, not so good in the dorm...

Crapulance! Someone stole the vacuum from our wing! They shall pay. Oh yes. They shall pay.

Eww...gritty carpet...

"Reading" Week

Ah ha. Ah ha ha ha. After two weeks of academic clutter (assignments, midterms, quizzes, more assignments on top of assignments), I finally get a chance to rest, recuperate and prepare for the next round of pain. Literally. After working on a Java assignment for four straight hours, my eyes hurt. Ow. *poke* OW!

Current obsession: Reading Rurouni Kenshin manga, which can be found here and here. Very amusing, de gozaru-na?

Sad news: Firefly has been cancelled. No more "pitter patter of tiny feet in combat boots." :..(

Waiting for: The next installment of The Very Secret Diaries. More specifically, Legolas' diary. Nance, puppets, nance!

Desperately seeking: A house for next year. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Giggling about: Kenshin fanfic. Only, what the heck happened to Kenji? I mean, he just disappeared and/or turned into a little girl named Kiriko. Fuu Fuu...

Wapow!

It's my new word.

It's aliiiive....it's aliiiiive!

But I'm dead. So very, very dead. Frankenstein essay is printed and ready to go, but I still have a computer assignment to finish by monday, a computer midterm on tuesday, a calculus quiz on wednesday and an algebra assignment on thursday. And I'm going home this weekend for Chinese New Year (Happy Sheep!), so lots of hamster cage cleaning for me (will stand up to Ho-ming this time. No Biku, not a pigeon. Or device.) and mass family dinners to attend. Whee!

Don't point that thing at me.

Ow. Donated blood yesterday. Felt like a giant bee came and attacked my arm while asking me if I had visited Guatemala in the past 20 years and, if so, whether I had come into contact with anyone who owned a dog who sniffed a cow that belonged to someone who had slept with a man who had slept with a man who had slept with a security blanket that was made by a woman who had worked in a potato factory managed by a latte guzzling Beanie Baby collector on steroids. Or something like that.

No more work tonight

Network copy of The Two Towers is up and running. Mmmm....

Addition: Augh! They've been anime-fied! Too girly! Bishounen factor increasing exponentially! Help!

Damn straight!

What Color Eyes Should You Have?
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What annoying Celebrity do you most wanna kill?
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Oh crappy.

Lovely weather for househunting in pedestrian Kingston. Wheeee! Bring on the windchill!

Blah blah blah.

I know I do my share of complaining (see post below, read: sarcastic rambling whining), but some people take it too far. Take someone with a decent family, going to a good school, with all the luxuries that many people dream of (regular meals, decent home, relative personal freedom) and they still moan incessantly about how it all sucks. Several things I'd like to say:

1. Parents are not as dumb as you think.


2. Okay, maybe high school ain't that fun. Learn to like/tolerate it. Don't just sit there and complain about how horrible it is. Go out and do something about.


3. Please, for the love of Pete, don't whinge about lack of cellphone/designer clothes/perfect figure/etc. Geez, piss me off.

Must. Not. Use. Foul. Language.

So I'll just scream instead.

AUUUUUGH!!! BLAAAAGHHHHHHAAAARR!!

Not much better. Three false fire alarms last night (minus 20 degrees) due to a fault in the system. That might not be fixed yet. So tonight there might be more. Gargh. Level of displeasure can only be expressed in monosyllablic grunts. Ug. Blargh. GUH!

Another quiz-nyar?

....chuuuu.....

You're a mascot!

You're small, you're cute, you're fluffy. You're the essential schoolbag accessory for every magical girl; you're probably sitting on the bishounen's shoulder; you hang around the base and provide comic relief from the mecha pilots; and once an episode you get squished by the Villain. You've somehow become necessary for every self-respecting anime series, although your plot functions are negligible. We all hate you, you know. Which generic anime character are you?

Continuing on the anime vein, found all of Cowboy Bebop. And Lydia brought back all of Digicharat with her. So many things to watch. Including Firefly. Mmm....

You know it's stormy out when the snow is continuously blowing up. Again, damn these northern latitudes!

We received our midyear transcripts a little while ago. Did surprisingly well in computer programming (yay for bell curving and high marks!) English was average (I figure the best you can realistically do in this class is 80%). Algebra and calculus were okay, as was psychology. Hey, A average is great enough for me (unlike many other people here who stop at nothing short of 90's in all classes, including living in residence).

House hunting rocky. Still haven't quite decided how many people in our house, many four persons, very few fives, therefore need to decide soon. Like tonight at dinner. Can't wait until all the hard stuff (finding a house, sucking up to landlords, signing a lease) is over and the fun times can begin (picking rooms, deciding who's bringing a rice-cooker, thinking about the prospect of being able to eat real food, etc.)

Hee hee. Captain Tightpants.

Oh, I am smitten. Started watching Firefly a little while ago. Too bad it's been cancelled by Fox (bugger). But it might be picked up by UPN, so fingers crossed everyone.

Jayne: "Don't think you can change my mind by goin' all...bendy..." *passes out*

Wash: *playing with plastic dinosaurs* " 'And we shall call this land.....This Land!' 'I think we should call it your grave!' 'Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!' "

Kaylee: "Oh, don't be upset! He makes everybody cry! He's like a monster."
Mal: "What? I'm not a monster!"

Mad Packing Race Begins!

Jeans, sweatshirts, parka, igloo, team of sled-dogs. Done and done.

Well, not really. I'm almost done packing, but every five minutes I remember that I need something else and find myself rampaging through the house until I find it. So it isn't so much a race as it is a scavenger hunt.

Paraphrased Kitsune: Why am I rampaging again? Oh well. No time to think! *unabashedly continues rampage*

Back to Kingston tomorrow with Lydia. Too bad I won't have my taser with me in the car. Now that would have been interesting. Zappy zappy!

Twenty centimeters of snow outside. Fresh, white, inviting snow. Perfect for toboganning. Too bad it's already dark out. Damn these Northern latitudes!