Thursday, January 15, 2009

Vladstudio

I found the cutest website for moniter backgrounds. This guy, Vlad Gerasimov, from Russia creates these amazing backgrounds that apparently I can't find the right words to describe so here is a small picture of the one I'm using right now called "Google Library." Check it out!


In other news, I just found out that on top of the new clothes, hair cut, and clean house that you need to have to bring in Chinese New Year, you also have to have new money. When people send those little red envelopes full of money to their families, they can only be filled with brand new money. So today at work, one of our conference rooms was turned into a tiny little bank where everyone could (and did) trade in all of their money for brand spanking newly minted notes. I don't think I had ever seen that much cash in my entire life. It's really interesting to learn about all these cultural affinities that I missed growing up in the U.S., although it seems a little over the top obsessive with new-ness.

Tonight, I have my appointment to get my hair cut! Hopefully it will be nice and I won't be left with an awful mullet-like 'do. I will post pictures if I approve, if not then I'll leave you to your imagination!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

New Year


Chinese New Year is coming up and the entire country is winding up for the big moment. It is way bigger than Christmas and "regular" New Year here and its very exciting to finally get to celebrate it for real. In the past I would just get a call from my mom telling me that it was Chinese New Year and to expect a red envelope with some money in it whenever I got a chance to get home.

Chinese New Year is a time for new beginnings so everyone here starts to clean everything and everyone gets new haircuts and new clothes to wear on the first day of the new year. I also have an appointment to cut my hair on Friday so I'm excited about that. The last time I got my haircut in Taiwan, I was not pleased, so hopefully this time will be much better!

Rudy left today, it was sad but now it just means that I have to study everyday for the LSAT. My new beginnings will be hopefully to concentrate more on applying for law school and such, as well as doing more reading and excercising.

I'm excited, with Chinese New Years, I get two New Years, so hopefully that means twice the amount of hope for a fresh start. My life needs a makeover!