Hanging with a Homie

My friend, Horacio, his beau David, and I kicked it back at The Big Cheese. Good times, good times.

I Heart Ninjas

The Flying Car

iPod Shuffle Song Game!

My iPod contains about 400-500 songs collected from iTunes, nefarious peer-to-peer servers, and ripped CDs from various sources (libraries, siblings stash). I've got a hodgepodge of songs that if you looked thro' my collection, you would think I've got a schizo musical personality. So when my friend Horacio blogged about this game and I saw his results, I was intrigued to see what I would get.

Here's how the game goes:
The directions are: You turn on your iPod. Shuffle. Play. The songs that come up answer the following questions in order (You can't change the questions and you can't skip songs. Be honest).

1. How does the world see you?
Interpol [Obstacle 1]

Brooding. Intense. Pensive. Interpol's all about intensity. I can be intense and brooding. Depends. When I was in school, fulltime, I was pretty intense. Once I got out of class and into summer, I relaxed, kicked back, and took on another persona. But at work, yeah, you can call me intense and broody.


2. Will I have a happy life?
Coldplay [Square One]

"You're in control, is there anyplace you wanna go?"
Hell yeah! One of my more favorite songs from the X&Y album that doesn't sound wussy. From the rocking guitar synths and riffs to Martin's lyrics, this song is straightforward to me: you're in charge of your own life, no matter how small you may appear to others, what life puts in your path, it doesn't matter who are, don't let anthing hold you back
This song just adds more fuel to my fire. Life is hard but its what you make of it.

3. What do my friends think of me?
112 [Dance with Me]
According to the song, I'm flirty, like having a good time, and telling boys that they should be here with me, chilling with me, freaking with me (according to Dru Hill at least). Well, I know that when I'm in the mood for a good time, I definitely don't hold back and don't care if I look like a fool while doing it. This song definitely brings back memories of being single--oh those were the days! Hahahahaha. This song also reminds me of AASA Asian Date Auctions and partying in the clubs. And also, apparently, I'm sexy because I'm clapping to this song. Clap, clap, clap!
:)

4.Do people secretly lust after me?
George Michael's [Too Funky]

I am a hottie tamale. I'm not making this up, this did actually come up and yes, I do listen to George Michael! This song makes my booty twitch and reminds me of the video that I saw on VH-1 in the 90s: Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks, Naomi, Linda Evangelista walking along the catwalk looking sexy as hell. Well, since I was named after Cindy Crawford, apparently, I am lustable, drive men crazy, and can get funky. Lyrical choruses include:
"Would you like me to seduce you?" + "Everybody wants a lover like that!"
How flattering.

5. How can I make myself happy?
Elastica [Connection]

Ahhhh. This was one of the first songs that connected me with my alternative feminista self-identity. How can I make myself happy? Easily... make others fall for me for who I am [and the connection was made]. Very short song. Otherwise I can interpret it as being a rocker chick, taking no shit from other people, and breaking walls down cause that makes me happy.

6. What should I do with my life?
Kelly Clarkson [Walk Away]

Wow. Haha. Apparently, I should just walk away if I don't have the answer to my question. In my life right now that would mean leaving my job. Kelly Clarkson's no-nonsense, wailin' voice is saying, "Should you stay or should you go? Hey, hey, hey, hey! Just walk away!" Does anyone really know what they want to do with their lives, jobwise? I think for alotta us, myself included, we can always count to rule out what we don't want to do.
That's what I want to interpret it as...lol.

7. Will I ever have children?
Paramore [Whoa]

"We gotta everybody singin' Whooaa, Whoooaa, Whooaaa....We can do this on our own! We got everybody singing' Whoa Whoaaaa!!" "I don't want you to get me through this....I don't want to start over again..."
Wow, I think this question makes me think I'm going to have kids, justfinethankyouverymuch! Either way, it looks like I got the whole damn rock band cheering after me. Either I'm going to be a single mother or I'm gonna have problems getting pregnant, then I'll finally achieve pregnancy, and have, like, septuplets.
Whooaa indeed.

8. What is some good advice for me?
Justin Timberlake [Cry me a River]

Always take revenge on those who do me wrong.
You're so right JT! Never, ever, date cheaters. When, not if, I find out they were, those bridges will burn and they'll cry me a river for all I care.

9. How will I be remembered?
Madonna [Hung Up]

Those who run seem to have all the fun..."
Oh my god, this is one of my favorite Madonna songs, right after Bad Girl and Nothing Really Matters. How will I be remembered? As a chameleon? A phoenix rising from the ashes of disco glitter? I prefer being remembered as a person who doesn't tolerate waiting on others and grabs life by the roller skates. As a girl who's fed up with people who can't commit and has friends who understand that mindset. I hate indecisiveness but I can be very indecisive just like Madonna's predictament in the beginning of the song. But once I straighten out, I go all out. I have little patience.

10. What's my signature dance song?
Coldplay [Shiver]

Hmmm....one of Coldplay's more optimistically sweet songs from the Parachutes album.
Romantic, shy, shuffle-side-step, shuffle-side-step type of song. Its the type of song you can belt out to your boyfriend, in the car, hand motions timed to the lyrics....how do I know this? Cause I've actually done it! Ha ha ha! This song played at Revolver, back when it was near Sunset Place in my freshman year. I swayed with the crowd, singing with everybody at the top of our lungs. I love this love song...

11. What's my current theme song?
Queens of the Stone Age [Go with the flow]

Hard guitar thrumming....cool detached voice of the singer dreamily singing along: "I can goooo with the flow...don't say it doesn't matter with the floww...you believe it in your head.... "I want something to die for to make it beautiful to live."
This song sums up my attitude in life. Go with the flow, don't sweat the small details, and life is too short to be stressed.
More advice I should take to heart.

12. What do others think my current theme song is?
DJ Amin Van Buren [Burned with Desire]

This whole song's about mourning a love lost and being the one left behind.
iPod, are you trying to tell me something I'm not getting?!
Ummm...not too sure about that. I'm happy in my current relationship.

13. What shall they play at my funeral?
Scissor Sisters [Take Your Mama]

Wow this is eerie. I would actually play this song at my funeral. Its a cheeky, piano-banging Elton Johnish tale of living large, not afraid of shaking your hair out, and celebrating.
Lyrics go like this: "We're gonna get your mama out, we're gonna show her all what it's all about get her jacked up on some cheap champagne and let the good times roll out....and if the music gets cut out, we're gonna sing it out....

14. What type of men do I like?
Bjork [Hyperballad]

I like men who like Bjork. No, no. I like men who can understand this song. About understanding my sense of loneliness, whimsicalness, melancholy, curiousity, and the desire for feeling safe in someone's arms. I played this song on Bjork's Telegraph CD till it got scratched. I love Bjork's wonder-child voice and her lyrics, she's unique, one-of-a-kind ingenue, truly original.

15. How's my love life?
Franz Ferdinand [Take Me Out]

This song makes me feel hot. Quick, somebody get me a leatherclad guy so I can wrap my leg around him (fanning self furiously). This whole song's about anticipation and I am big about anticipation. That's the spice of life and thats all I can afford to say without going X-rated.
Let's just say I am happy about my love life.

She works hard for the money

[Blogging to: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gold Lion +
The Killers, Mr. Brightside (Thin White Duke remix)]

To more serious matters.
Every summer I always had a predictament when it came time to internships. No, it wasn't the "Am I prepared?" or "Will they like me?" or the usual, "Where am I gonna live?" phase.
It was about bags.
Finding the perfect work bag that I could wear on a day-to-day basis that could carry me through the gauntlet of interviewing, commuting, workplace scrutinizing that will either sum me up as a dowdy, frumpy intern or as the hip, fashionable, respectable youth that I am (or envision myself to be, naff). I always looked forward to the the workbag quest then I ever did getting the work wardrobe, urgh.

Right now, where I work, I could sum up my attempted fashion as clever downtown prep.
That means, lotsa v-neck sweaters, button-up blouses, and pin-striped pants. Occasionally, I'll throw in some graphic tees and skirts with heels.
Oh, and my Converses and Diesel sneakers. I try to keep it down-to-earth, clean, and most of all, comfortable.

Meantime, my taste in bags has varied but there's almost always one constant thing:
I buy one personal bag and wear it to death. One year, it was a silver tote bag my mom got with a free Lancome gift purchase. Another year, a red crochet Old Navy bag. Last year, a Gucci hobo bag I got on Canal Street.
My work bags haven't fared so well. Usually bought for one purpose, getting me through a summer's work, I usually stash them in the back of my closet and forget them till next summer comes.

This year, I think I finally broke my streak. I got a Marc Jacobs Venetia bag from NYC (don't ask where) and I love it. It takes me through day-to-night and matches my style with function.
Anyway, this inspired in me a desire to share with others some bags I thought would take you from work to play.

Here's Cindy's choices:



Botkier, Bianca bag




Lush Fashions, Big Buckle Bag




Hayden Harnett, Ibiza tote




Chloe, Edith tote




Marc Jacobs, Venetia

To my Asian Sisters - n/ Sistas

Watch this short film.
Winner of the Jury Award, Media That Matters Film Festival

"Slip of the Tongue": “What’s your ethnic make up?” A young man makes a pass at a beautiful stranger and gets an eye-opening schooling on race and gender.

Ed note: This made me laugh so hard. The film's done in 4-5min. and is shot very well. Everything done in Final Edit Pro. The director? A high school teen girl.
Girl power!

Feeling the lurv

[Blogging to: Zero 7's Waiting in Line]

Thank you.
To my friends who've wished me Happy Birthday on my 24th year of existence. Especially to the ones who rang me up and who, I know for certain, knew it from memory alone. It puts me to shame that I can't do that for many people.
I'm not a very good friend to be honest.

Friendship is something I value and I know I don't have that many people I can call true friends. I've always applied the practice of knowing many acquintances but keeping few friends--it keeps life simple.

Does it sound ruthless? I don't frankly care.

I'm not the most trusting person and I have no patience for people who I consider stupid--or who I perceive artificial. Different friends may know different personas about me, sometimes I wonder what they see in me that's worth associating for?

Have you seen what this girl just wrote above?

I know I'm not a fool but sometimes, I swear I deserve a slap upside the head.
I forget this rule sometimes. I'm done with holding on to old friendships, the phone calls that don't get returned, and to ambivalent phone conversations from the other side. My inner self has been chiding me to clean out my acquintance closet for the longest time; my inner self doubt's been holding court too long and I am done.

It's back to the old rule.
Time to really take care of the friends I've neglected too long. I'll reflect on my inner qualities another time. I think my navel's pretty clean right now.

Instead, dear readers, I leave you with this last quotation for the day:

"Don't be humble. You're not that great."
--Golda Meir, former prime minister of Israel


PPS: For those curious, I've updated my radioblog entries on the right hand side. For your auditory pleasure, check out some of the singles I've posted. They go great w/ a side of blog reading....I recommend Gnarles Barkeley + Bloc Party.

Big Apple - Part II

Okkkk....
So here's what happened when I went to New York for Memorial Day Weekend for those who were curious to ask.

Day 1: Touchdown
Had an uneventful flight through American Airlines. Will decide to not fly AA again because the plane was plagued with technical problems, ie. tv didn't work, seats were cramped, and the plane must have been from the 80s. Will probably pay the extra to fly on JetBlue since Song is no longer around...

Checked into Club Quarters hotel in the Wall Street district and decided to grab lunch at, where else? Chinatown!

After lunch, I started my massive search for bags. After my conscience made me return my Marc Jacobs Sienna hobo bag 2 months ago, I decided my new favorite MJ bag would be THE VENETIA. Since EBAY was flooded with knockoffs of it, I figure I could find it in NYC.
My search was unsuccessful for the first round so I decided to give Nick a poor break and we went to MoMa (Musem of Modern Art).
Since I am the Queen of Frugality, I did some research beforehand and knew MOMA has free admissions Friday nights after 4pm (it closes at 8pm).
I prefer the MOMA over the Met Museum, modernism over traditionalism. I especially liked the industrial design exhibit it had on its top floor + and its design gift shop across the street.
Check out these salt + pepper shakers... :)



Afterward, we decided to explore the Midtown area as it turned into dusk. Walked along 5th avenue and passed Louis Vuitton, Bergdof Goodman, Bottega Venetta and found the new Mac Store. From the street, the store's designed as a clear glass cube with the Apple logo suspended in the middle. To enter, you walk into a glass elevator or take the glass stairs that takes you down into the huge basement that displays the wares.



Hunger drove us out of Midtown and into the East Village. Nick heard of this British-Indian restaurant and when we got off the subway, I felt like I was in the real New York. East Village is populated with hipsters, punks, and college students from nearby NYU. The nightlife was phenomenal here, open-air bars, basement restaurants, indie shops, and brickstone architecture. We arrived at Bricklane Curry House and had some of the best Chicken Tikka Masala....

Day 2: Touring West Village, Greenwich Village, East Village
We didn't make it to Magnolia Bakery but the West Village apparently is Sex in the City territory. My bf's sister was in town and commented that when she passed the bakery where Carrie Bradshaw frequented, the line was a block long. Heeelll no, I'm not waiting that long for $3-$4 cupcakes!

Fav food find: Belgium Pomme Frittes Shoppe
I've heard about Belgium pomme frittes for the longest--they're basically steak french fries that are fried, wrapped in wax paper, and served alongside a variety of delicious condiments (the BPFS had over 90+ flavors to choose!). We got a free sample that included: Irish curry, white peppcorn cheddar, and pineapple chutney. They were all good but the pineapple chutney won me over.

Greenwich Village: NYU George Washington Park scene.
NYU has a great vibe. Those kids are lucky to go to school there!

East Village had the best indie design/toy/graphic shops around--I made a trek to Giant Robot's NYC store (GR2) and bought a design book and mini-qeebear. The store clerk recommended me to visit Tokyo Toys where I got some pretty awesome indie toys for myself (more cubicle decor!).

Afterward, we hit up the Metropolitan Museum of Art....
My favorite exhibits were the medieval armory and Egyptian wing. We only had 1.5 hrs to spend here and we didn't crack even half of the museum. You could have spent days inside here.

Dinner find: Yakiniku Juju
Korean BBQ...this place was a mix of Japanese/Korean food and was frequented by 99.9% asians.

3rd Day: Legs are killing me
More Chinatown! Nailed 2 bags. The MJ bag I wanted in black leather and white stitching. AAA+ replica with genuine leather, suede interior, and 99.9% identical to what the Venetia does look like. I saved $850 dollars buying this version versus the real one.
The other bag I found was a white Chloe Paddington.

Had brunch with Nick's sister in Midtown near Rockefeller Center. Nick and I stopped by Kinokuniya where I bought Abra a Japanese fashion magazine and some stationary for myself. Saw Dean & Deluca (Whats the fuss? Just some nicely packaged wares). Went to Bloomingdales briefly, saw H&M (nothing I liked).
Explored the Lower East Side and went to TEANY, the teahouse that Moby co-sponsored.

Last dinner place: Little Italy.