Sunday, May 28, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
Sunday, March 26, 2006
I'm a survivor
I went to Seattle for Spring Break. And I almost died.
Halfway through my flight (and my nap coincidentally) the captain came over the loudspeaker to announce that we would be making an emergency landing in Salt Lake City, Utah. Apparently one of the engines failed. I thought little of it until the flight attendants began running through the emergency procedures again. "Duck and cover upon landing. Find the emergency exits. Emergency vehicles will be standing by on the runway. Oh, and the guy sitting next to you has to go the back of the plane to help with the door and slide." The plane was silent. You could hear a pin drop. Literally.
During those few moments, a lot goes through your head. You have to come to terms with the fact that you could possibly die. And being in a plane, there really is very little you can do about it. Nor do you have the time or the means to prepare. Sorry - you're not taken by surprise so as to be completely unawares, but you have only a few minutes to contemplate your life. Hope it was good. Oh, and no time for friends or family. You're alone - with 149 strangers.
Extremely scary at first, and then sort of peaceful. You realize everything is out of your hands. What happens will happen. Once again, you're 5 years old. Not a care in the world, because you don't know any better. Because someone else takes care of things.
It's an extremely strange emotion, to say the least.
Luckily, we landed fine. Hats off to the pilot. Everyone clapped and cheered, happy to be safe.
I should probably end the post there, seems deep enough. Despite my better judgement, I shall continue.
So we sit on the runway for a little over an hour before they decide they can't fix the plane and they will have to put everyone on alternate flights. We deboard and wait in line. I'm at the back. It takes me almost 3 hours to reach the front, and by that time the only flight with space leaves at 9pm. I was supposed to be in Seattle at 11am. I hate Salt Lake City.
So within the course of the day, I think I felt the extreme range of emotions. On the plane, I thought I would die. Waiting in line, I wanted to die. And being put on a 9pm flight and wasting a whole day of freedom stuck in a shitty airport, I wanted to kill someone.
Turns out I wasn't the only AIESECer in Austin with a near death experience. Jeff got his arm caught in a subway train door as it was leaving and he was stuck outside. Johnny and Eric just missed a vicious tornado. Daniel's camp was invaded by bears. And Sarah, Ondra, and Ryan were in a car accident in Colorado. AIESEC Austin is now known as "The Survivors".
Oh, and a guy running a red light almost hit me and another pedestrian on Thursday. If the other lady hadn't hesitated, I'd for sure be a goner. I never hesitate.
What a weekend!
Lots of fun experiences this weekend. Five hours dress shopping in the mall, a new chic Greek restaurant downtown, a cake that says Fuck and Bitches 0n it, International Consulars Ball, drunken air hockey, a Venezuelan festival in Spanish (which I don't speak), and a sunburn to show for it. All in all a fantastic weekend. I'll detail it all later. With pictures.
What a mess
I got caught up in life. Don't we all? That's why I haven't posted in a while. It's kind of like my apartment. Or my homework. Something happens and shit piles up. I'm so overwhelmed by the mess that I just try to ignore it until it drives me crazy and I do something about it.
The problem was I didn't know where to begin. Where do I start writing in my blog again? What makes sense? So I came back to the realization that why not start from this moment. After all, this blog is for me, not anyone else. Who cares if there are gaps?
So here I am again. Let's see how it goes.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
These are a few of my favorite things!
One of my favorite authors ever, Max(x) Barry has a few books that everyone should read. They're very light easy reading but the content is rich and insightful.
Syrup - Scat wants to be rich, shallow, and famous, so when he gets a million-dollar idea for a new soda, he realizes it's his ticket to movie premieres and vacuous, drink-slurred lunches with celebrities. But first he has to deal with 6, a street-smart, miniskirt-wearing corporate assassin, who is possibly the love of Scat's life or possibly just ripping him off. Then there's Sneaky Pete, marketing genius, refugee from Tokyo, and Scat's best friend—at least as far as Scat knows.
------
Jennifer Government - Welcome to paradise! The world is run by American corporations (except for a few deluded holdouts like the French); taxes are illegal; employees take the last names of the companies they work for; the Police and the NRA are publicly-traded security firms; and the U.S. government only investigates crimes it can bill for.
Hack Nike is a Merchandising Officer who discovers an all-new way to sell sneakers. Buy Mitsui is a stockbroker with a death-wish. Billy NRA is finding out that life in a private army isn't all snappy uniforms and code names. And Jennifer Government, a legendary agent with a barcode tattoo, is the consumer watchdog from hell.
Company - When is physical violence an appropriate response to management policy? Why is that one reserved parking space always empty? Taking an extra donut during mid-morning snack: inconsequential or criminal act?
At Zephyr Holdings, no one has ever seen the CEO. The beautiful receptionist is paid twice as much as anybody else, but does no apparent work. One of the sales reps uses relationship books as sales manuals, and another is on the warpath because somebody stole his donut.
In other words, it's an ordinary big company. Or at least, that's what everyone thinks, until fresh-faced employee Jones—too new to understand you just don't ask some questions—starts investigating.
Jones uncovers the company's secret: what Zephyr really does. It plunges him into a maelstrom of love, loyalty, management, and corporate immorality, and whether he can get out again... that's a good question.
Holy A-team Batman!
<inside joke>
So I'm walking in Austin and all of a sudden what do I see? The AIESEC distress signal! It's an AIESEC emergency! Maybe even an AIESEC crisis (crAIESEC?)!
</inside joke>
-_- I love you April.
zzz....AIESEC
I'm so incredibly exhausted right now - it's unreal.
AIESEC every day this week. All of my dreams were about AIESEC as well. In fact, I bet almost 1/3 of the words that come out of my mouth now are either AIESEC, opportunities, impact, or exchange. Oh my oh my.
I'm so behind in my classes already. Being LCP is so much more work than I could have imagined. So much more rewarding than I imagined though. As much as I think I'm going to die from stress and exhaustion, at least I'll die happy.
Well, info sessions are over. I think they went over well. We have a slew of new applicants. Hope they survive the gauntlet.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
On reincarnation
Reincarnation is a very fascinating idea for me. The concept that I've been here, that I've lived another life, and the thrill and security of believing that I'll be able to live another life, and experience all new adventures, excites and perplexes me.
It certainly is an easier concept to grasp and even understand than trying to imagine an "afterlife", i.e. a heaven or a hell. Mostly because eternity is unfathomable. And it's certainly more comforting than the thought of nothingness after death.
What confuses me is, if I did live another life, why can I remember none of it? Why is my consciousness, my soul not imprinted with pieces of me?
And even more so - if I AM reincarnated, and I don't retain my old memories, and I'm in a new body, a new environment, with new ideas and experiences, am I really the same person? Do I still have the same consciousness? In that sense am I really reincarnated?
To extrapolate the concept, I can't remember ever really existing before I was 3 years old. Does that mean I didn't exist then? Does that mean that I was a different person at that time? Does the fact that every moment changes me mean I'm going to be a different person in a few minutes than I am now? Are we all simply snapshots on the fabric of time?
Why is this so hard to grasp?
So much to do, so little time!
I have an interesting condition - I'll call it "Too Much Syndrome" or TMS for short.
So the deal is there are so many people here at UT. I walk by dozens of people all the time. Interesting people. And I always wonder what their life is like. What stories can they tell? I want to know them all - to be friends with them all. It really distresses me that it's simply not possible.
And it doesn't stop there. I'm fascinated by the seemingly endless array of opportunities and experiences available to us in life. I want to live nearly all of them.
The problem is that we have so little time here on Earth. Every moment is SOOO fleeting! And I tend to focus on and regret the things I'm missing, the things I'm passing up.
I feel constrained by time. By space, by being even. Why can't I experience being someone else? It frustrates me at times. Oh if I were the author of my life.
I drink therefore I am...April?
I have to point out this post by April, because I think it's quite an interesting and insightful read.
"When IS the truth most revealed? In a waking state, or in dreams; in confusion or clarity?"
"Do people really do what is true to them when they're wasted? Are they really normal people that are affected by alcohol, OR...are they really themselves when drunk, and only "normal" when under societal constraints (i/e: the judgment that can only be ignored while under the influence, etc)?"
Interesting topic.
Monday, January 30, 2006
First rule of Fight Club...
Fight Club has some interesting messages.
And it makes me wonder - if I were able to manifest a perfect alter ego like Tyler Durden, both as an attempt to become who I want to be and as a companion to get there - would I? Would you?
"If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?"
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Year of the Dog
Happy Chinese New Year!
Surely more exciting things will come from the Far East. To all my Chinese friends, enjoy your red envelopes and tasty food! I hope to join in the celebration in my own little way today and my planned adventures for the summer.
Define Irony:
MPAA is accused of piracy for unauthorised copying of a movie -
"The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is the most notorious for fighting movie piracy and even their website makes it clear that making copies of motion pictures without the copyright owner's consent is illegal and carries serious legal consequences...the last thing anyone would expect is for the MPAA to be accused of piracy!"
"They say that they are entitled to make a copy without authorisation as they are not selling its copies for commercial gain."
From MPAA's site on piracy: "Anyone who sells, acquires, copies or distributes copyrighted materials without permission is called a pirate."
Hmm...
