Just Dance

currently listening to: "Just Dance" Lady GaGa. Jermaine Stewart "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off"

it is RIDICULOUSLY HOT in Los Angeles! Southern California is embroiled in a heat wave. temperatures in downtown Los Angeles are above 90 degrees.

meanwhile, bugs are eating me alive. seriously. I woke up one day and found four bites on my leg. the temptation to scratch was unbelievable, but I resisted and dabbed anti-itch cream on them multiple times a day

I've also gotten into the MTV show America's Best Dance Crew. the crews are so sick. last year's winner was this group called Jabbawockeez. the fact that they got their name from the legendary Lewis Carroll poem "Jabberwocky" only makes them even better. I tivo-ed an entire ABDC marathon just so I can watch their performances. hah hah

Vidéo

finally! a post that offers some insight into the eccentrically eclectic music tastes of yours truly

www.holytaco.com recently listed the 14 songs you should never play from a bar. judging from the excellence of the list, it is safe to say the author probably has never experienced a bar. the list is

14. "All I Wanna Do" Sheryl Crow (okay, he can get away with that one)
13. "Mr. Brightside" The Killers (ABSOLUTELY WRONG. one of the best group sing-a-longs for this generation. the author even goes on to say that it's only played by the wannabe hipster. wrong again)
12. "It's the End of the World as We Know It" R.E.M.
11. "Dancing Queen" ABBA
10. "Sweet Home Alabama" Lynyrd Skynyrd
9. "Don't Stop Believing" Journey. (uh....no. truly, one of the few songs that everyone knows the lyrics to)
8. "Smooth" Santana and Rob Thomas (meh)
7. "Hotel California" The Eagles
6. "I Will Survive" Gloria Gaynor
5. "Paradise By The Flashboard Light" Meatloaf
4. "Bawitdaba" Kid Rock
3. anything by the Beatles. (HAH! Beatle music and bars belong together like baking soda and vineagar)
2. "Piano Man" Billy Joel. (I think this song didn't make my generation. but a lot of older people know - and love - it)
1. "American Pie" Don McLean

sheesh. that is a pretty harsh list. while some of those songs deserve to be on the list (Kid Rock), most of these are actually just fine to play at bars. they allow you for some good bar bonding time, albeit superficially. therefore, you can find the courage to talk to the cute stranger screaming "DON'T! STOP! BELIEVING!" with "Journey is the BEST BAND EVER!!!"

continuing, I feel like I'm mired in mediocrity right now. it's summer, which is awesome, but everything has boiled down to a routine

Message In A Bottle

if I had guitar hero at home, I don't think I'd ever find / need an excuse to interact with people again. seriously, I am saving my paycheck to buy a console and guitar hero. then my life would be complete

currently playing: Guitar Hero

The Little Things

currently watching: Penelope. (James McAvoy. one word: Wanted. sums it up nicely)
currently listening: Journey, 'Don't Stop Believing'

went to Melrose Avenue (again), this time with my roommate. I was sorely tempted to get another Free City sweatshirt, but thankfully was talked out of it. I did score some sweet sandals from Urban Outfitters that were sixty percent off. I think I'm slowly turning into a shoe fanatic. Urban is really upping their shoe section! I saw an entire division, with gorgeous sandals exclusively making up one of them. seriously, strappy sandals are in full force, especially gladiators. I saw amped versions of them for near one hundred dollars. I wonder if I would ever buy a hundred dollar pair of sandals one day

the other chief turn in Urban's trends has been towards v-necks. I remember when I used to get the Urban catalog, and the most prominent shirt option would be screen prints - screen tees. now the trend has shifted to screen printing on v necks, and unlike the tees, the v necks do not cling to your form, but instead hang boyishly. so there's no curve, but for many people (including me), this is perfectly fine. androgyny is in?

oh man. while writing this I was looking at online jeans, and I found a pair of Diesels whose price has been reduced from 180 to 120

the week is going to start again. I believe this is the first week for the reinvented SCEC UseIT program, which was my summer activity last year. changes: instead of 10 weeks, the program is 8, although the people are still getting paid the same amount of money. this year is also the first year that previous interns did not automatically get to do it again. from what I hear, some people got rejected. wow

stay fly

Who Gives A Fuck About An Oxford Comma?

haven't really written in a while, I know, but chiefly because I haven't really had anything too remarkably interesting to write about. this entry's been in "draft" for such a long time, and as my title is usually the song I'm currently listening to, it has changed from "Acting Like A Fool" (Matt Costa) to "Dance 2Night" (Madonna) to "Who Gives A Fuck About An Oxford Comma" (Vampire Weekend). so here I go

currently listening to: Kansas

the gym's been going pretty well. I've tried running on the tread, but I end up getting really sore and looking even more like a dumbass next to the super-athlete going 9 MPH

work is going really well. I've been carpooling to work with some USC students, so that is really helping on the gas prices. seriously, I haven't used my car for anything else but work and groceries. okay, and maybe the occasional froyo bucket trip, but even then I just feel like I'm bleeding money. but the carpool is great because you get to enjoy other people's company, and you don't have to drive every day! in addition to this I'm getting to know the other interns. some of them are from far places in the United States. today a group of us went out for lunch, and we talked about our classes and ASCE. you know, typical civil engineering stuff. hah hah

ever since I've turned 21 I haven't really had the chance to take advantage of its privileges and 'rites of passage.' that started to change last week, because Tuesdays after work all the USC interns gather for a happy hour. this week, I went to that on Tuesday, followed by another happy hour on Thursday. it was at a pretty crowded bar that reminded me of Rosarito, and the basketball game was showing. of course it was the first half, so everyone was super excited because the Lakers were dominating Boston. saw the rest of the game at the gym though...wow. what a comeback

I have a routine: wake up, shower, work, gym, dinner, teevee, crash

I don't know what I am going to do this weekend. gah

Tessellate

I've been really tired lately. I guess it's because I've been in a cycle of work, gym, read / watch teevee, sleep, restart. example tonight it's barely 10 PM and I'm pooped beyond belief

I am officially in love with my Free City zip up. I've already worn it twice this week, and want to continue wearing it. I think it's because the zip ups are well designed and soft and unisex. I prefer unisex, loose shirts. if I had the option (and the money) I'd totally buy another sweatshirt

I need to make a "Wish List" with my paycheck money. I've decided to save about 75% of my paycheck and spend 25% on whatever I wish. so far my list is (somewhat in order of desire) - iPhone, Guitar Hero III (which unfortunately means I would also have to buy a console), Free City sweatshirt number two, more denim jeans, gladiator sandals

currently listening to: "Dance 2Night" Madonna. The Shins. Duffy!

yesterday was my mother's birthday! I sent her a card, it is quite nice. she ate noodles, a symbol of long life

the weekend's coming up again. I don't really know what I'll do this weekend. I want to go swimming or to the beach because the weather's supposed to be really good. however, the beach is somewhat far away, and with the current gas prices, hitting the pool appears to be a better alternative. maybe I'll take the dash downtown to explore Little Tokyo

Los Angeles Is Burning

So...remember that $175 Free City zip up hoodie that I endlessly praised from several months ago? I tried to buy it online, but it was sold out, so in my depression I bought two pair of expensive jeans?

I GOT THE SWEATSHIRT!!

(yes, it really was $175)

how did my fortune change? you ask. where did you find the sweatshirt? I found it at the one and only Fred Segal on the legendary Melrose Avenue! (well, technically there's two Fred Segals; the one on Melrose got sold to the Ron Herman brand, and the true Fred Segal is on Santa Monica Blvd, I think. it's complicated)

yeah so today I, being bored and fairly unproductive, decided to wander to Melrose Avenue and check out this legendary Fred Segal. researching the nearby area, I found an American Apparel and a Target nearby, so I made some errands, such as purchasing stamps and replacing lightbulbs.

I set off on my adventure, driving the short distance. I brought along my new handbag that my mom had bought me before I left San Francisco. it was a very sunny day, and I drove on the freeways, windows down. I was fortunate to find parking, and even more fortunate to find the meters and time limits unenforced. once I started walking down Melrose, I was amazed to see the number of clothing shops and boutiques with such familiar names. the brands I saw on clothes at the mall were the name of stores. I don't know if it was a good or bad thing that I recognized about 90% of the store / label names

Diesel. Nanette Lepore. BCBG Max Azaria. Fred Segal. Ed Hardy. theory. American Apparel. Urban Outfitters. Aldo. Marc Jacobs. Agent Provocateur. Versace. Betsey Johnson. Miss Sixty. The Original Penguin. heck there was even a rainbows sandal store. AND a surf store. man I want to learn how to surf

probably the most pleasant surprise was the Sunday fair at the Fairfax high school. every Sunday there is a flea market where people come and sell stuff. you can get vintage t shirts for very cheap here. I plan on going back another weekend, as I did not carry any cash with me when I went

currently listening: Duffy!
currently watching: The Forbidden Kingdom