The View I See
2010-08-16
Two-Body Problem
An interesting story about the "two-body problem" -- the difficulty for academic couples to find two professional jobs in the same location -- : Is the Husband Going to Be a Problem?
2010-06-29
Fun Fact
Fun fact: My mom notified me yesterday that the average age at first marriage for women in Taiwan is 28.9. (Not sure where she got that statistic and don't bother to check. So let's assume that is correct.) Right now I am 28.75, which means unless I get married within next month, I'll go above the average and raise the national average marginally. Go curve!
2010-04-25
Oh Yeah, Babe!
Should I say this was an accomplishing week?
For one (and very trivial one compared to the next), I finally got up in time this morning to have a "breakfast" at Portage Bay around 11am, right before their breakfast menu ended. The quarterly mission accomplished (a goal set up at the beginning of the quarter). For the other, as a longtime TV junkie and a talk-show lover, I got to see Conan O'Brien's live tour in Seattle and hi5'd with him (oh yeah, my second celebrity hand) this Monday! More than a stand-up comedy as I originally expected, it was more like a variety concert with the Seattle-established rock band Pearl Jam showing up and crashing the crowd. My favorite piece and moment of the entire show was Conan's singing and interpretation of "I Will Survive"(*1), the song which was virtually the highlight of my (how could I say ...) state of mind. It was also a great song for desperate jogging by the way. The time and money spent on the ticket were totally worth it. (The ticket price, though not cheap, was not a big deal compared to other performances. As for the time, while the show had been sold out at the time I was aware of the tour, my constant effort at surveying ebay, Ticketmaster and some other second-hand ticket websites eventually brought me a seat at the centered orchestra, the 5th row from the stage! At the original price! Closer to the stage than ever expected!)
Side note: Another thing done this week, research-wise, was the seemingly reasonable results. Though there were some hidden flaws to be fixed. God bless me.
--
(*1) I've got a heads-up from his previous stop at Eugene Oregon that he was gonna perform this song and I have been trying really hard to avoid the spoiler on the YouTube. Believe me, songs have their moments too!
For one (and very trivial one compared to the next), I finally got up in time this morning to have a "breakfast" at Portage Bay around 11am, right before their breakfast menu ended. The quarterly mission accomplished (a goal set up at the beginning of the quarter). For the other, as a longtime TV junkie and a talk-show lover, I got to see Conan O'Brien's live tour in Seattle and hi5'd with him (oh yeah, my second celebrity hand) this Monday! More than a stand-up comedy as I originally expected, it was more like a variety concert with the Seattle-established rock band Pearl Jam showing up and crashing the crowd. My favorite piece and moment of the entire show was Conan's singing and interpretation of "I Will Survive"(*1), the song which was virtually the highlight of my (how could I say ...) state of mind. It was also a great song for desperate jogging by the way. The time and money spent on the ticket were totally worth it. (The ticket price, though not cheap, was not a big deal compared to other performances. As for the time, while the show had been sold out at the time I was aware of the tour, my constant effort at surveying ebay, Ticketmaster and some other second-hand ticket websites eventually brought me a seat at the centered orchestra, the 5th row from the stage! At the original price! Closer to the stage than ever expected!)
Side note: Another thing done this week, research-wise, was the seemingly reasonable results. Though there were some hidden flaws to be fixed. God bless me.
--
(*1) I've got a heads-up from his previous stop at Eugene Oregon that he was gonna perform this song and I have been trying really hard to avoid the spoiler on the YouTube. Believe me, songs have their moments too!
2010-04-03
2010-02-20
Unexpected Obsession
The first time I watched the 2006 movie【The Lake House】 was like two years ago, the result of random channel switching. When turning to HBO, my eyes were immediately attracted to the postcard-like scenes and dreamy dialog and music. Last weekend, random internet surfing led me to rewatch this movie again. And about four more times after that. An unexpected obsession.
Somebody told me this movie was adapted from a Korean movie. Not a big fan of Korean movies, I am not going to do the comparison. Not a big fan of Sci-Fi, the technical inconsistency of time travel part doesn't bother me at all. (I didn't even perceive those as inconsistencies as suggested by some reviews. Everything works just perfectly for me.) What I see is ... modern and classic beauty of Chicago, and amazing chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, though they don't share many scenes together. Chemistry comes out with no reason. Some people seem meant to be paired but some are just discordant (Like Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart in 【Love Happens】, the worst screen couple ever!)
The main message the movie tries to convey might be the spirit of soul mates. Don't settle for anyone unless he or she is the one. It's worth waiting. This is the ideal scenario though. The movie also raises the question: What if there is no one there waiting for you? The time and faith could be in vain. Anyway, life always works in a mysterious way. And there is only one single choice at a time. We'll never know what is gonna happen unless we proceed.
Somebody told me this movie was adapted from a Korean movie. Not a big fan of Korean movies, I am not going to do the comparison. Not a big fan of Sci-Fi, the technical inconsistency of time travel part doesn't bother me at all. (I didn't even perceive those as inconsistencies as suggested by some reviews. Everything works just perfectly for me.) What I see is ... modern and classic beauty of Chicago, and amazing chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, though they don't share many scenes together. Chemistry comes out with no reason. Some people seem meant to be paired but some are just discordant (Like Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart in 【Love Happens】, the worst screen couple ever!)
The main message the movie tries to convey might be the spirit of soul mates. Don't settle for anyone unless he or she is the one. It's worth waiting. This is the ideal scenario though. The movie also raises the question: What if there is no one there waiting for you? The time and faith could be in vain. Anyway, life always works in a mysterious way. And there is only one single choice at a time. We'll never know what is gonna happen unless we proceed.
2010-01-11
旅途早餐
突然很想念在拉斯維加斯機場裡頭 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 吃的早餐，其實也只是一杯冰卡布奇諾加一個巧克力瑪芬（？其實有點忘記是不是這個，忘記拍下來），飲料和食物都很細緻，兩個配起來很合口，吃起來也順口，不確定是不是因為那天從起床餓到進候機室才吃東西的緣故。
不過價錢貴的誇張，點餐的時候我還想說一般咖啡店咖啡加一個 pastry 應該頂多六塊，結果一結帳好像八塊多九塊，還好吃起來它還真的有八九塊的價值。這家是連鎖店但西雅圖沒有分店。
不知道是不是因為影集電影看太多，很愛在外吃早餐的感覺，尤其是旅途中，記得去紐約時在公路總站等車時也吃早餐吃得很開心（下圖）。早餐其實也沒有太大胃口，大部分的時候一杯香濃咖啡配上一個甜點就相當滿足了，如果住連鎖 Inn 的話通常飯店都會提供大陸式早餐，熱美式咖啡加上自助式現烤奶油鬆餅（我比較愛 waffle 勝於 pancake）就可以讓整個比較有精神起來，Inn 的早餐廳常會有電視撥報晨間新聞，這會讓平常早上根本起不來的我有種錯覺覺得自己活在當下，並且覺得這將會是個充滿朝氣的一天。
目前旅途早餐由 McCarran Airport 的 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 居首！
==
我還是不太愛美國人愛吃的早餐像培根等的食物，也不愛中式飯店會提供的像稀飯小米粥等的。在家的時候早餐常都就現有食物亂配，也常趁早餐放縱食慾（因為自以為早上吃比較不會胖），像今天早餐是昨天半夜煮的粉絲煲配黑咖啡，原本要分兩餐吃的粉絲煲被我從早上八點半起床到十一點全部解決。
2009-12-29
聖誕旅程
這趟旅程是在忙碌生活中的小小抽離，休息、遠走是為了走更長遠的路。
難忘的聖誕夜，在冷的半死亞利桑納州小鎮 Flagstaff 的商務小旅館上網上得很開心，我想以後想起來還是會會心一笑吧，儘管後來發生一些不愉快。
焦頭爛額在美第六年，一個冬夜，與一起在西雅圖活過第一年的伙伴，以及兩位萍水相逢的朋友，一起走在手腳差點凍僵零下十幾度的大峽谷，待到太陽完全下山見不到半點光才離開，在又黑又冷的雪地上開兩個多小時車程到附近的小鎮投宿，這小鎮有異常多的中國餐廳，路上吃了我在GPS上看店名亂選的四川菜，沒想到經過前兩天在LV暴飲暴食吃buffet後，這家川菜店居然又是個buffet，當看到門上貼著說聖誕夜有提供蟹腳，前兩天已經吃了一堆蟹腳的我們，笑地合不攏嘴的地說，這真是destiny。吃到熱食的我們總算在冷了一下午之後得到些許溫暖，最後的幸運餅乾我居然抽到了一個爛籤，說錯事犯第二次就別怪別人了，雖然盡量覺得只是玩笑，但仍心有餘悸，H好心把她的好籤給我，讓我沾點好運。這天晚上住了一個不錯的小旅館，外面零下快二十度（攝氏），我們在房裡把暖氣開到最強，盡情享用闊別已久的網際網路，X狂發電子郵件跟我們分享一些文章，我們女生則是看在大峽谷拍的搞笑video，C自言自語胡亂說著一些話，小感嘆地說下次見面又不知是何時了，電視則放著聖誕夜音樂晚會，一直到凌晨兩點也沒人去洗澡，大家都捨不得放下這寒冬中一點點的溫暖。（最後大家都很晚睡，隔天睡過頭，在快九點旅館提供免費早餐結束前趕去吃最後剩下的食物。）
* * *
難忘的聖誕夜，在冷的半死亞利桑納州小鎮 Flagstaff 的商務小旅館上網上得很開心，我想以後想起來還是會會心一笑吧，儘管後來發生一些不愉快。
焦頭爛額在美第六年，一個冬夜，與一起在西雅圖活過第一年的伙伴，以及兩位萍水相逢的朋友，一起走在手腳差點凍僵零下十幾度的大峽谷，待到太陽完全下山見不到半點光才離開，在又黑又冷的雪地上開兩個多小時車程到附近的小鎮投宿，這小鎮有異常多的中國餐廳，路上吃了我在GPS上看店名亂選的四川菜，沒想到經過前兩天在LV暴飲暴食吃buffet後，這家川菜店居然又是個buffet，當看到門上貼著說聖誕夜有提供蟹腳，前兩天已經吃了一堆蟹腳的我們，笑地合不攏嘴的地說，這真是destiny。吃到熱食的我們總算在冷了一下午之後得到些許溫暖，最後的幸運餅乾我居然抽到了一個爛籤，說錯事犯第二次就別怪別人了，雖然盡量覺得只是玩笑，但仍心有餘悸，H好心把她的好籤給我，讓我沾點好運。這天晚上住了一個不錯的小旅館，外面零下快二十度（攝氏），我們在房裡把暖氣開到最強，盡情享用闊別已久的網際網路，X狂發電子郵件跟我們分享一些文章，我們女生則是看在大峽谷拍的搞笑video，C自言自語胡亂說著一些話，小感嘆地說下次見面又不知是何時了，電視則放著聖誕夜音樂晚會，一直到凌晨兩點也沒人去洗澡，大家都捨不得放下這寒冬中一點點的溫暖。（最後大家都很晚睡，隔天睡過頭，在快九點旅館提供免費早餐結束前趕去吃最後剩下的食物。）
2009-12-02
Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy
Howie Day's 【Collide】 is such a great song. It reminds me of a clip in 【Scrubs】.
[Excerpt]
[Excerpt]
Dr. Kelso: Life is scary. Get used to it.
Dr. Kelso: There are no magical fixes. It's all up to you. So get up off your keister, get out of here, and go start doing the work.
Q: What if it's too hard?
Dr. Kelso: Nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy.
Narration: You can never truly capture the past.
Narration: You still have to try, though. Because as a recently incarcerated doctor once said, "Nothing worth having comes easy."
2009-11-30
Petite
剛看到 Ann Taylor - Loft 對 petite 的定義，不知道為什麼覺得很好笑。
話說我又違背誓言開始逛起購物網站。雖然下定決心不要再亂開購物網站，但每次一打開 gmail 信箱就一堆折扣的 newsletters，或是上個紐約時報看新聞，旁邊卻有 Banana Republic 或是 Loft 在打廣告，真是無孔不入。每次都騙自己說進去看看最近有什麼新貨，一定要把持住不要買東西，但每次只要一進去就會自動開始搜尋有什麼好看價格又不錯的東西，偏偏我搜尋能力似乎很強、慾望更是無窮，每次都會 end up wanting something，這時就會想說趕快把瀏覽器關掉應該就沒事了，偏偏這時還會自己扮起台灣百貨公司專櫃小姐催眠自己「這件真是太適合你了.....」。
Anyone under 5'4'' or anyone over 5'4'' who finds that a regular size top or bottom is too long in the sleeve, torso, rise, hem or log is petite. Being petite is all about height and proportion -- not weight.所以每次在美國買衣服自以為開心可以買 petite，其實完全只是自己騙自己。只要夠矮就可以當 petite，和胖瘦並無關。
話說我又違背誓言開始逛起購物網站。雖然下定決心不要再亂開購物網站，但每次一打開 gmail 信箱就一堆折扣的 newsletters，或是上個紐約時報看新聞，旁邊卻有 Banana Republic 或是 Loft 在打廣告，真是無孔不入。每次都騙自己說進去看看最近有什麼新貨，一定要把持住不要買東西，但每次只要一進去就會自動開始搜尋有什麼好看價格又不錯的東西，偏偏我搜尋能力似乎很強、慾望更是無窮，每次都會 end up wanting something，這時就會想說趕快把瀏覽器關掉應該就沒事了，偏偏這時還會自己扮起台灣百貨公司專櫃小姐催眠自己「這件真是太適合你了.....」。
2009-11-29
Romantic-Comedy Marathon
算了算發現這學期看了好多電影，且全部都是 Romantic Comedy，以前只會偶爾看一兩部這種浪漫喜劇，最近把平常一年的量都看完了。主要原因是現在完全無法看需要花腦筋的劇情片，這種浪漫喜劇 no-brainer 實為最佳娛樂消遣。
八月看了【Adam】【The Time Traveler's Wife】【500 Days of Summer】
九月看了【The Proposal】
十月看了【Before Sunrise】【Before Sunset】【Bribe Wars】【Ugly Truth】
十一月看了【Made of Honor】【Four Christmases】【27 Dresses】【13 Going On 30】
就我最近的 mood，其實【The Time Traveler's Wife】都稍嫌嚴肅（這部應該算劇情片，不算喜劇），最好就是像【Ugly Truth】這種好笑的，或是像【500 Days of Summer】這種輕鬆小品， more cheerful。比起去年同時期熱衷的政治片（見舊戲新癮），今年整個腦力嚴重退化(*1)。
近期出的浪漫喜劇都看完了，就開始看一些舊片，剛剛重新看了 【Serendipity】，明明記得大二在清大禮堂看過，但對劇情完全沒有半點印象，只記得男主角是約翰庫薩克，還有那位怪怪的百貨公司店員。不知道為什麼當初看時並沒有留下很深刻的感受。
==
想想自己也挺誇張，明明有做不完的事，一學期十週還沒過完，就看了超過十部電影，再加上第五季【Grey's Anatomy】也被我全部補完至第六季最新一集，【How I Met Your Mother】、【The Big Bang Theory】也全部趕上。
【Grey's Anatomy】第六季不知道是不是順應時事，反應西雅圖近況，每集都是打雷下大雨的。星期四才從雨中走回家，一打開電視又開始閃電打雷的。抱怨歸抱怨，我還是看得相當開心，很喜歡一個新角色小兒科醫生 Arizona。
--
(*1) 目前處於不問世事的政治乾枯期，連新聞都只一星期看一次。
八月看了【Adam】【The Time Traveler's Wife】【500 Days of Summer】
九月看了【The Proposal】
十月看了【Before Sunrise】【Before Sunset】【Bribe Wars】【Ugly Truth】
十一月看了【Made of Honor】【Four Christmases】【27 Dresses】【13 Going On 30】
就我最近的 mood，其實【The Time Traveler's Wife】都稍嫌嚴肅（這部應該算劇情片，不算喜劇），最好就是像【Ugly Truth】這種好笑的，或是像【500 Days of Summer】這種輕鬆小品， more cheerful。比起去年同時期熱衷的政治片（見舊戲新癮），今年整個腦力嚴重退化(*1)。
近期出的浪漫喜劇都看完了，就開始看一些舊片，剛剛重新看了 【Serendipity】，明明記得大二在清大禮堂看過，但對劇情完全沒有半點印象，只記得男主角是約翰庫薩克，還有那位怪怪的百貨公司店員。不知道為什麼當初看時並沒有留下很深刻的感受。
==
想想自己也挺誇張，明明有做不完的事，一學期十週還沒過完，就看了超過十部電影，再加上第五季【Grey's Anatomy】也被我全部補完至第六季最新一集，【How I Met Your Mother】、【The Big Bang Theory】也全部趕上。
【Grey's Anatomy】第六季不知道是不是順應時事，反應西雅圖近況，每集都是打雷下大雨的。星期四才從雨中走回家，一打開電視又開始閃電打雷的。抱怨歸抱怨，我還是看得相當開心，很喜歡一個新角色小兒科醫生 Arizona。
--
(*1) 目前處於不問世事的政治乾枯期，連新聞都只一星期看一次。
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