I recently attended a live concert.  The performers were great! (Metric)  But I was not so happy with the other concert attendees around me...

Some general code of conduct/Ground rules of mosh pit in a concert...

1) Wear deodorant... its a must if you are going to be slathering against a fellow rocker... especially if they are complete strangers (probably should shower too... at least that day)
2) If you are like 7 feet tall, you really shouldn't stand in the front... i mean don't be an ass
3) Be aware of the position of your ponytail... depending on the location, it has big potential to smack someone behind you.  It's reasonable to have a low ponytail, even possibly high bun (assuming it won't give you a 5 inch height though)
4) Don't wear sandals or flip flops... you are guaranteed to get stepped on or lose your shoes
5) Don't wear heavy eye makeup... first of all, no one can see it in the dark, secondly, you will have mascara all over the face... not a good idea
6) Don't eat pungent food prior to the concert... it gets all sweated out and it is not pleasant...
7) If you are going to jump around at the concert... go up and down... no surprise slamming action...just stay in your space!
8) Don't sing along loudly!  I came to hear the band... not your crappy shouting/singing!  You are only allowed to sing along when the band points the microphone to the audience or says "Sing-a-long!"
9) I understand that you are totally cramped for space, but DO NOT put your arms around me!  Give me some personal space!
10) Don't take pictures of yourselves!  Most people don't like having unnecessary flashes in their face!  Its too dark anyways... what is there to see anyways???

But... i guess the whole point of moshing is to do whatever you want... sigh... I guess I need to just stand or sit in the back next time... ugh.

I had an interesting conversation today... An out-of-towner mentioned that its hard for him to make friends in Seattle... Is this true?  He heard about this when he first came into town.  He realized after he was burned 2 times, it may be true.  Seattlelites are super nice when you chat with them... then you exchange numbers and actually try to make plans... but that is where the problem lies... there is always something coming up...or they just can't meet.  Maybe he is the problem?  Maybe... but I think its kinda true...  I wonder why.  I think I only have 2 friends who are truly grew up from Seattle, but rest of my friends are from out-of-state...  Interesting...

Hi all,

Wow... its been forever! 

I was chatting with my good Kelly and she made me realized that I often get in situations that are potential for real danger while I am on Vacation. Hmm... I was thinking... Maybe she is right...

Evidence #1:

Cabo San Lucas (it was fun times!)

Me and 2 of my friends attempt to ride the water taxi to Lover's Beach.  I should've figured the danger of this... when we have to practically jump into the boat from shore... in sync with the waves coming on the beach... First attempt... just able to throw my stuff on the boat... crap.  The finally jump in... hitting my shin on seat.  Then I see that handful of other people are getting on the boat.  Few of the tumble in the boat as well... I am thinking..."at least i wasn't the only one".. whew...  The Lover's Beach is kinda boring to hang out in... so we decide to ride back to our hotel...  My 2 friends get on fairly quickly... but as soon I try to push myself on the boat, the wave is too big and I fall down on my back... "CRAP" (my thought)... the boat floats away a little and i am covered in sand and water... Then the boat starts coming back to my direction... I am still on my back... I've never pushed myself off the ground that fast in my life...and able to step back just in time before the boat ALMOST run me over... At this point my friends can't see me and thinks I am left on the ground all bloody (thinking the boat sailed over my body)... I think one of them almost had a heart attack... I finally jump into the boat... pretty much in the SuperMan position... and tumble on the floor... but I am in the boat in all in one piece... thank goodness...  My friends are still clutching their chest to catch their breath and recover.  They really need a steps on those boats!

Evidence #2:
Puerto Vallarta

We decide ride ATV in a tour.  I am terrible driver.  ATV + inexperience driver = diaster
My friend I decide to double up on the ATV and I decided to drive it first... The guides are explaining how to drive, break, and shift the gear.  We start moving out of the parking lot... I can not for the life of me figure out how to reverse.  When I finally do, i almost crash into a wall... with my friend screaming in my ear.  I slowly row out there, being the last one in line... great... sucks to be last... what if they forget about me???  There many instance of the drive that produced shrilling scream of my friend... not from excitement... but the fear that she might not make it out this ride alive... 

Evidence #3:
Souther Caribbean Cruise

Few incidences happend during this trip...
1) St. John - Snorkeling.  We were snorkeling right off the beach.  The corals were not far from the shore.  I decided not to wear the life-vest/floaties since I am able to swim decently and it was very far.  A friend (who had fear of swimming in the deep water) and I swam together to the corals.  She started getting water in her gear and it freaked her out with the deep water... so she said "hold for a minute" hung on my shoulders to get the water out... Mind you, she had her float vest on and flippers... but after a minute, one of my foot started getting a cramp for kicking my legs to keep both her and I afloat... I tell her to get off and that i have a cramp... but she didn't hear me and swims off to the shallow end.  I seriously feared that I was going to drown for a second... i started the swim my arms and one leg... make on shore.  At least there was a lifeguard... I was also pretty close the coral rocks and could have stepped on it.  Scary.

2) St. Martens - my friends and I decided to rent a car for the day.  Rented a Jeep Wrangler... oohh... red one! But it turns out the car is old... and the steering wheel sucks... the speedometer kept moving back and forth and wouldn't stay in place.  Then we got stuck in traffice for almost an hour... we've only gone few miles and the drive around the whole island is suppose to be only 3 hours... but found some cool beaches and loved it.  Then on our way back... we decided to take an scenic route... BIG MISTAKE... you really shouldn't do that unless you are familiar with the area... the crappy car barely made it through 3 hills and we had to drive through a mini-mountain... CRAP!  How will we even get over that????  Luckily, a guy come from that direction warned us of oil spill and told us to turn around... but then we have to go over those hills again??? Will we make it?  Unfortunately, there was a car in front of us with much better car and made us slow down too much to climb the hill... we made it up there 3/4 of the hill and stuck!  We reverse back down the hill.  We are freaking out... shall we call the rental place to pick us up??? We see a hotel and I inquire for an alternative route back to the ship... nope, there is no other way.  We try to make another attempt up the hill.  Unfortunately, the leading to the hill is a big curve and can't see cars coming very well.  My friend starts accelerating before the curve... thru the curve... crap there is car coming... we miss the car (just barely)... up... up... up... uuuuppppp... we all scream and jump up and down in the car... up... up... MADE it!!!  

3) Antigua - Zipline tour.  I kept spinning on the runs and my hand got in front of the roller on the rope and made sudden stop... and my finger was stuck on the wheel.  OOWWW.. crap!  So i had pull my self to the platform about 10 feet... However, on the other side... my friend asks the attendant if she can go... he doesn't see that I am did not make it to the other side yet .  He tells my friend "go!"  Then I hear a scream and she is gliding in just I pulled myself on the platform and she can't stop quickly enough... "SLAM" into me... knocked me out of the spot I was standing... We literally hit each other hip to hip. 

this made me think that I should really get good insurance.  I need to have more safer vacation... this is craziness... but i have lots of fun stories to tell... i guess...

1.  Places I want to visit for next year:

Europe

2. 
Favorite show at the moment:

Project Runway, Dirty Sexy Money, How I met your mother, 패밀리가떴다 (Korean - Family Outing)

3. 
Last good movie you remember:

Iron Man

4. 
Last good meal:

kimchee udon at Kushibar

5. 
Something “cool” you’ve bought recently:

electric cord cover (red) so that my cats won't chew up my laptop cord!

6. 
Something you want to buy:

New bed

7.  Recent outdoor activity:

Golf lessons!

8. 
Things you dislike at the moment:

getting dark early, parking next to a wall, tall people standing in front of me at concerts, taking out the garbage

9. 
Things you like at the moment:

honey nut cheerios, choir, girls night out dinners, cupcakes

10. 
Things you’re looking forward to:

Trip to CABO SAN LUCAS! snowboarding (thinking about getting season pass), Sundance

I saw my second film of the Seattle Film Festival... its called "Flow: The love of water". It is a documentary on water source... all over the world. The main issue is that the third world countries are taken over by the BIG corporate companies who want to privatize the water system... to "improve quality and conserve" the water source... but its main goal is for profit. The bigger issue is that there is nothing to prevent this from happening. That means that when they privatize the water source, the poor people are cut off from it because they can't afford it.  It also talked about how much we spend on bottled water and majority of the bottle water sources are tap water may even have undesirable chemicals and bacteria.  Whats worse is that the bottling industries are tapping into water source in local communities of US countries for profit and leaving the communities with diminishing water source.  It totally made me re-think about where water comes from and how much we take it for granted... especially in the US... So for me... from now on... NO MORE BOTTLED WATER! Thats the least that i can do at this moment. Supposedly, $30 billion will help solve water problems in the world... and the money we spend on bottled water is 3 times that amount or something... insane!

Check it out! the website is: http://www.flowthefilm.com/

here are some clips from the film...

I just got my hair done last week... I probably cut about 6 inches or so???  Maybe more... I love it... I kept the same hair color... I love it!  What do you think?

10 questions...

nice summary of what's going on with me....
if you're bored, let me know what's going on with you by filling out this short survey.

1. 
Places you’ve traveled to in 2008 so far:

Salt Lake City and Chicago.  More places to go this year so far... San Francisco, Boston, Cabo San Lucas... maybe NYC...

2. 
Favorite show at the moment:

How I met your Mother and
Lost

3. 
Last good movie you remember:

Juno

4. 
Last good meal:

Brunch at Salty's... Insane spread of breakfast/seafood buffet

5. 
Something “cool” you’ve bought recently:

Foodsaver...

6. 
Something you want to buy:

Piano Keyboard

7.  Recent outdoor activity:

Tulip festival in Skagit Valley... looking at fields of tulips... amazing.

8. 
Things you dislike at the moment:

Rain, canned cat food smell, doing the dishes

9. 
Things you like at the moment:

Sunshine, wearing sunglasses, ipod nano, korean dramas, fresh fruits, farmers markets

10. 
Thing you’re looking forward to:

VACATIONS and Seattle International Film festival

I went for my 3rd lesson today... It was actually fun today!  Since it was a weekday, the mountain was not crowded... So instead of a group lesson, I ended up getting a one-on-one lesson.  He was a great instructor and really helped me glide down the hill!  Yay!  On my 3rd run down the green run... I only fell 3 times!  Success!  I actually understood how cool it feels to snowboard...  Plus the instructor was kinda cute... that helped!  I am going back for my 4th lesson next week... Maybe I will finally get really comfortable on the snowboard... hopefully, if my brother visits me next winter season, we can go snowboarding together in Whistler!  

So i just finished listening to the audiobook of Into the Wild.  Its about a real life story of Christopher McCandles.  Back in 1992, Chris McCandles was found dead in Denali National Park in Alaska.  From 1990-1992 he wandered around the country and his ultimate goal of his journey was to live off the land in Alaska for few months on his own.  The author followed the trail of Chris of his journey during the few years.  Chris wanted to live a life away from the contemporary life and live in the wild and away from people.  It was a very interesting story and Chris' life and his views on life was fascinating.  I think the most difficult part was to understand a man who grew up in a pretty decent childhood totally detach himself from his family and totally cutting  off any contact during his journey... but at the same time, he kept pretty close correspondence with the people he met and made friends during his journey.  The story back then was very publicized and people had very divided opinions on the event... people who thought he was a hero who attempted to live a difficult lifestyle and others who thought he was an idiot who went into the wild ill prepared and gotten himself killed... I don't think he was either of those things... I think he was a man who wasn't happy with a life that he lived... and hoped that this experience will give him purpose/meaning of life...

I think its a definite must read...  The movie is great as well...

So on Sunday, I went on my 2nd snowboarding lesson.  Geez!  I am in so much pain!  Yesterday I walked with a limp all day like an old lady!  I have big bruises on my knees, shins, and BUTT!  AND... I almost broke every bone/joints on my body.  I can't even count how many times I fell... One time I fell so hard, i had the wind knocked out of me.  The snow was hard and slippery... which made the process even worse.  Even though I went down the green trail.... i ended up walking down at the end for the fear of breaking my wrist or something... aarrgghh!  Plus... I have 2 pairs of waterproof gloves at home and forgot to bring it with me... So i had to BUY another pair of gloves!  CRAP!  More cost to my snowboarding experience...  I think i even hurt my groin muscle...  ugh...

But... I enjoyed it a bit better than the first time and I do want to go back...  ugh...