strawberry swing

Hey everyone, I apologize for my terrible skills in keeping in touch. Work has completely taken over my life... as of late I hadn't been getting home until 10:30 and I went to work the past two Saturdays :( I am freaking out because this Wednesday I have to do a 30 minute presentation to some of the teams in my department as well as a demo of my application to the people who are going to be using my program. The thing is, I don't know what I'm going to talk about for 30 minutes, nor have I finished implementing all the functionality that needs to be completed by Wednesday. Ahhhh!!

They asked me if I wanted to extend my internship by two weeks. The extra money would be awesome, but honestly I can't wait to get the heck out of there. I just want to relax!! According to my calculations, I wasted 210 hours this summer commuting :(

Oh, and volunteering...volunteering's been really fun. We've only had 6 kids during each class, which is really great because then I actually get the chance to talk to each of them. It's definitely something I look forward to during the week.

That basically sums up my life... oh, and I'm going to see Coldplay in exactly one week :D And if you haven't watched it yet, go watch the new Strawberry Swing video, it's absolutely brilliant!!

Time to start getting my things together for work and getting ready for bed. Yeah, it's only a little past 10:30... you guys should make sure I can continue these good habits during the school year :)

Sup homeboys

Hello, hello. Long time no post lol. Happy birthday to Julie :O

I've been keeping busy I guess since my last post. Went home on July 4 weekend and had some great time with family. We went to visit an Amish Village, then had some nice times at Hershey Park, land of chocolate :) It was a good weekend.

This past weekend was the first weekend in a while that I didn't see Penn Station lol. Spent it here in Boston. Had a pretty chill time. I FINALLY watched Transformers 2 with Jerry and Rich (can you believe it? I didn't watch it on the day it came out...). Good movie, although it was just like...everywhere. A bit hard to follow. But good movie nonetheless.

Sunday went shopping with Daniela, Lisa, Mofei, and Tim. I set out to buy a few shirts from United Colors of Benneton (70% off sale!!!! OMG.), but unfortunately they were closed by the time I got there. I got a pair of slim jeans from express though...hmm...they kinda make my butt look big :O Haven't worn them yet. Should be an interesting experience though O.o

ANYWAYs. Um...work has been pretty good. My advisor is out of the country giving a guest lecture for the week, so I'm left here in Boston to finish up some diagnostics tests and write my final paper. It's going along well. My last day here is around August 5th-ish, then I'll be heading to Hong Kong. Any souveniers in particular you guys want? :)

ALSO. Owl City is playing at Paradise Lounge (right out in West Campus). They have a new album out...here's a music video i think some of you might enjoy :) They're playing on Sept 18. Anyone wanna go? It's like $15 a ticket I think

anyway, this weekend I'm headed back to NJ. Helping out at my church's retreat, childcare and whatnot.

Have a splendid week :)

coffee strike! almost.

2:03 am. no coffee yet.

let's see how long i can last without having some...

i'm kind of sleepy.... i don't think i can last any longer really...

probably another half an hour or so?

be my MUSE!

need i say more?

WATCH. LISTEN. LOVE.

its gorgeous~~!! i think the best version of the song EVER.

sorry, i know you guys probably all have seen and heard.... but i was listening to it again... and i can't resist but share the love and joy of wonderful music :)

besides that, i have nothing new to report. OH. maddy came to visit!!! HAHAHA YOU NEW YORKERS MISSED OUT!

we went out to dinner @ pho pasteur :) i think jojo took pics. i assume he will upload at his leisure. but yes, she came!!!!

YAY!

HAPPY JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!!!!

peace + <3,

-Mofei.

Nostalgiatopia

Haha, this song is on my currently playing. It's by EleventySeven, this band which apparently no one else but me likes :( I am going to force a youtube video onto you guys. *FORCE*

In any case. Life's been good on my end since my last post. Haven't really made anything new, hence the lack of food updates. I've still been cooking though, fear not; just nothing new / picture worthy. The highlight of my cooking 'career' was maybe about a week ago, when I helped out BCEC cook dinner for 13 people. I ended up cooking by myself - made the dishes I was most comfortable with: bulgogi, tomato+egg+beef, soy sauce chicken, and bok choy. It was a miracle that everything turned out right (actually, everything was the best I've ever made it before), and I didn't finish cooking it too early or too late. Everyone was well fed, and no leftovers, so just the right amount too. Overall, took me 4ish hours of actual cooking + prep work, once I had all my supplies. So guys, dinner parties next year? :P

Just this past weekend, me, Stan, and Rich went down to NY (yay NY! and NJ TOO! X_X). We stayed over at Susana's (thanks Susana!), and met up with Julie and then Martin in the city for a fun-filled blast of a day. I'll let you guys express your own opinions, but I had a blast :) It was really great seeing you guys again, and it just makes me miss you NYers all the more. We'll have another trip though soon, we must! I'll post up pics on FB soon, once I get home and load up my camera onto my computer.

I ended up taking a late bus back because I had to be back early to help clean up my room; I'm hosting some people from PESI, the organization I went with to Kyrgyzstan last year, since they're having their pre-trip orientation in Boston this year. So yeah, I took a midnight bus, which arrived at 3:30AMish Sunday at South Station. I wanted to stay in the city till church started (around 9:30), but then I realized that probably wasn't the safest option. So I went back to the apartment and slept till early noonish, lol.

It's funny though, throughout the bus ride back and most of that day, I think God really moved in me; I've been feeling a bit moody these past few days (proof that I am a girl??), and I honestly felt kinda spiritually dead. It's a really sucky feeling. In any case, I was just chilling in a CFA piano room (CFA is maaad baller now yos!) that day, just waiting for the PESI people to arrive at the airport later, when I felt really moved to pray (sidenote: I have a confession to make. I don't pray for my friends a lot; nor do I pray out loud when I'm by myself. I think this was my first time in a while doing either, let alone both...) I think I was praying to the point of tears that God would help me find some refreshment anew in the gospels, and more or less provide some revitalization to my faith.

So then I was in BN today before meeting up with Stan, and I was looking for a book, when I noticed this book, "3:16 - The Numbers of Hope", by Max Lucado. Obviously I'm naturally drawn to numbers lol. But the book seems to provide a pretty interesting take on a verse that draws the entirety of the Bible to a high climax and main idea. It expounds upon the far reaching implications of John 3:16, and really brings fresh, perhaps not new, but definitely revitalizing perspective into the picture. Yet the verse itself is what holds power, not commentary. To take Lucado's words, it is "[b]rief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions". For sake of brevity, link to the verse is here. I just felt like, wow, God really did answer my prayer. So yeah, that's currently the book I'm going through right now, along with the other book I had intended originally to pick up.

I had lunch with Stan today and his parents. I will miss you Stan :( but I'll see you soon in September. Thanks for being my first ever asian roommate and giving me an awesome summer so far :)

Currently sitting in the science/engineering library, working at my research project. I'm like halfway through with the UROP program now (halfway done! oh my!). This week me and my advisor/boss are gonna start planning out the final paper for this project. I've made a lot of headway on this, a lot more progress than I had figured. It's given me an opportunity to learn a lot of stuff. And I'm getting paid too :D :D :D

Aaaand that is all. Check FB for pics!

the good samaritans

its 2:20 am

its been exactly 3 hours and 20 minutes since ive gotten here. ive picked up the phone 11 times and had actual conversations 9 times out of 11. one hang up. wonder who that was. maybe they just weren't ready to talk about stuff with me.

im hungry and im contemplating playing some games to pass time before the phone rings again. or maybe ill read my textbook and keep psychology fresh in my brain.

i really like this! but the people here all think im crazy to do all overnight shifts this summer. well, i gotta get my 9 in before summer ends! i can't do them over the fall. no way no how. i just hope there are other people here when im doing my shifts =\ i don't like to be here alone. it would be rather scary and sad.... :(

i wish you guys were awake to keep me company. i mean we don't have to talk, but just seeing people on my aim buddy list makes me slightly more comfortable. i guess it's all about not feeling alone. i guess that's why these people call our hotline- to not feel alone. and i guess if im talking to them, we are both working off of each other, and we both don't feel alone- and we both feel needed! like one of our callers said- people need people. (he's my favorite caller so far!)

and it feels SO absolutely wonderful when these callers thank me and stuff. it makes me feel like my efforts aren't a waste!

the good Samaritans of the world, i salute you!

<3 + peace,
-Mofei.

GAHHHHHHHH~@@@@!!!

DANG girls!

there's a proverb in chinese (forgive the asianness in me) that basically means usually quiet, but once one speaks it surprises everyone.... so the point im getting at is you guys are awesome?... er yeah!

anyway!

i read them!!! but im way too lazy to scroll back down and comment... hehe. please come to boston julie (your kitties are cute!!! too bad im allergic =\)! im so sick and tired of seeing the boys... grrrrr =\ and sus, i hope THE COMPANY is treating you nice and well.

it's been raining here in good ole beantown.... and that kind of sucks but that's okay. the biggest news is sus and i got an apt!!! yay! but unfortunately it's right next to the dude's building... UTTER RIDICULOUSNESS. we have two other roommates, and we are on the second floor. GOODNESS, im going to have AMAZING FUN with decorating!! GAHHH and bringing my baking supplies and stuffffffffffffffffff~~~~~~~~~ PLEASE COME OVER if you would like to have an AWESOME TIME :)

wow. i bet im high on something.

anyway. i have been cooking all the past fridays since my last post :) im making plum ribs today which consists of plum sauce, alcohol (<3), ribs (obviously), and flour thingy... too bad the butcher chopped them all wrong this time... they are a bit chunky~~~ may just have to steam longer. YES STEAM. yummy and healthy! and gets rid of my alcoholic needs...(jk).

i have taken pics of the food.. but i've just been lazy all this time... so maybe by the end of summer ill just HAVE TO HAVE a giant post with all the pics :)

oH OH! i finally FINALLY, after many stranious hours, have finished the training for samaritans :) im SO EXCITED. i just have two learning shifts (one this sunday, and one tuesday 7-11pm), and then im ON MY OWN. i plan on doing overnight shifts every friday from 11pm to 7am.... EXcitmENT~~~~

tim & i went to see UP toooo~~ it was most EXCELLENT. SO CUTE. SO SAD. SO CUTEEEEEEEEE~~ omgoodness~~ everyone must watch~!

transformers is coming out. i might go see that. surprise surprise. megan fox looks pretty darn good! i don't want to miss out on some girl action :) <3 (jk)

when should i go to nyc? =\ ill plan soon. tell me when are ya'll yankees free :)

peace + <3,

-Mofei.