Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

Here's something you won't see everyday (or month... or year...). Steve Jobs and Bill Gates on the same stage, battling for world domination! Well, not exactly... .

Me, That Old Guy, and That Girl

In my country, people often view native girls hanging out with expatriates (we call them bule here, pronounced boo-lay, perhaps not that different with 'haole') as hookers. Of course, this is not always the case, but the basic rules to tell apart the hookers from the non hookers are as follows:
1. Usually the expat is far older than the hooker. Like... 15-20 years older... .
2. Hookers wears skimpy dresses (courtesy of the expatriates).
3. Most importantly, only a handful of hookers are fluent in English, as they don't need to take an English Proficiency Test to apply for their job. They may understand basic English, but they sure aren't ace conversationalists.

Those rules will apparently be put to the test later in this blog.

By the by, I'm writing this in Starbucks. Sitting on a sofa in front of me is a 'bule' and his hooky (sounded sweet in my head, thought I'd give it a try here). She's sitting next to my sofa. Here's how it happened. I was waiting for my ex, we were supposed to have dinner tonight. But she's available after 6, so I went to Starbucks and settled down on a three sofa table accompanied by a glass of frappe. I took out my trusty Macbook, put on my iPod, and started to revise my final paper. All's well for an hour. Took a gander at my watch, got half an hour left.

Out of nowhere, this 40 something bule came to me and asked if the sofa in front of me is taken. Half listening to Daughtry, I gave him a nod. To my bewilderment, Instead of pulling the sofa to another table, he sat there and motioned her young (20ish) lady friend wearing a short-short-short miniskirt to sit on the sofa next to me... . The place was empty for God's sake! Does he have to sit here at my table? My mind was stuck between "crap, do these guys know me?" and "awkward... awkward... awkward...". I tried to ignore them at first, hoping that they'd somehow have the decency to move those sofas a bit. But noooo... they're comfortable sitting there and chatting while I'm here, writing my blog to keep my sanity... and while I'm at it, I thought, I might as well make good use out of this situation.

Now, I refuse to engage in any conversation with them because then it would be harder for me to leave. But I still have my iPod on. So, first order of business, turn the volume down so I can eavesdrop on this lovely couple (all in the name of studying human behaviour, of course... and entertainment :D). Beg your pardon, Anna Molly, let me turn you down a little.

Bule: "... dress. But you look good in that."
Hooky: "Yes, I like. Thank you."
Bule: "You're welcome."

1 minute pause

Bule: "You should eat more, you look so thin."
Hooky: "I not thin, I eat much."
Bule: "Oh, really? But you look so thin. Do you exercise?"
Hooky: "Yes,... I run."
Bule: "Oh, you jog! That's nice. That's healthy."
Hooky: "Yes, nice. You run?"
Bule: "Me? Well, not as often as I should. But, yes, sometimes."
Hooky: nods dully
Bule: "Do you mind if we go back to our room after the movie?"
Hooky: "...Yes, is okay."
Bule: "Oh, we should be going, the movie's about to start!"

they both got up, and took off... just when things are starting to get juicy!

Well, there goes my afternoon with two complete strangers. It's been... quite educational... not to mention entertaining. Life lessons in a coffee house.

HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR !!!

Get your daily dose of Brewster Rockit here: http://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2007/05/24/

Communicraving

As a certified nerd, I surf the web 4 maybe 5 times a day with varied periods of online time. Here's what I always open lately in my browser. Gmail, YahooMail, Blogger, and the post-cyberculture internet social network service known as Friendster (haven't got the time to update to MySpace). Maybe it's because I have the pleasure of free time at home lately that I'm starting to crave for communication from the outside world. Even a misaddressed email would leave a grin on my face. That sounded a bit pathetic, so before you switch to pitying mode, let me assure you that I am not at all deprived of human contact. I go out with my friends at least twice a week. So, yes, I am sane and normal. To help asure you of my sanity, I took a personality disorder test. I have a low tendancy of any personality disorders out there according to these results.

But I'm still craving for cybercommunication. A possible theory that could explain this conundrum is the doppelgänger theory which stated that in the not so distant future, humans will lead two separate lives. The first one is the ones we see every day. The old man sitting beside you in the bus, the girl you saw helping an old lady cross the street, the dog (yes, dog) you played with last week in front of the coffee shop. The second one is when he/she/it goes home and connects to the web. The old man becomes that very attractive young woman you met on some chatroom, the girl becomes a gold-digging nympho, the dog becomes a dog with a longer tail (dogs will be able to go online in the future but still lack those imagination skills). Similar to dissociative identity disorder or split personality, if you will. The subject grows more and more distant from the other identity until the identities completely disregards each others presence.

In my problem, my other half (literally), the one that took over everytime I go to the net, is lacking communication with the outside world. He (or she?) doesn't acknowledge my daily life at all. He doesn't know when I'm having lunch with the guys, he doesn't know when I meet up with my thesis counselor, he doesn't even know when I watched TV with mom and dad 10 minutes ago. But wait! I'm writing this blog online! Doesn't that mean that I'm him? Then who am I? What? Why? Huh?

That is of course a theory I made up completely for the sake of this blog (it was good while it lasted though, aint it?). Well, I'm still looking forward for an email, a comment on my blog, or even a short short short friendster message. Drop me a line... pretty please... .

Anchored to CNN TODAY

Meet Kristie Lu Stout, the anchor for CNN's morning program. She previously hosted Spark and Tech-Watch and also interviewed some of the most influential players of the business and technology world. Drop dead gorgeous and techno-savvy, now that's what I call an anchor! Whoa, gotta go, she's on again... .

Will You Ever Learn!?

picture taken from http://gallery.neosynthesis.net/manip-peace/how_to_heal_a_broken_heart_001

Signal Fire Marathon

Have you heard the new Snow Patrol Song? I have, and I'm lovin it (Parappa pappa... anyone? No? Ok...). It's called Signal Fire and it's on the spiderman 3 soundtrack (disappointing movie). Currently it's number one on my 'top 25 playlist' in iTunes. The music video have also captivated me. Take a look-see.


Oh, and for the musicians out there, I'll throw in the lyrics in case you suddenly feel the urge to sing. The chords are quite simple, really. A F#m E D for the verses, and A E F#m D for the chorus.

Signal Fire
by Snow Patrol

Verse 1

The perfect words never crossed my mind,
'cause there was nothing in there but you,
I felt every ounce of me screaming out,
But the sound was trapped deep in me,
All I wanted just sped right past me,
While I was rooted fast to the earth,
I could be stuck here for a thousand years,
Without your arms to drag me out,

Chorus

There you are standing right in front of me (x2)
All this fear falls away to leave me naked,
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety
No I wont wait forever (x2)

Verse 2

In the confusion and the aftermath,
You are my signal fire,
The only resolution and the only joy,
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes,

Chorus

There you are standing right in front of me (x2)
All this fear falls away to leave me naked,
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety,
There you are standing right in front of me (x2)
All this fear falls away to leave me naked,
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety,
No I wont wait forever (x3)