Flashmob!!

So I'm perusing CNN.com as usual and I find that on the top ten list of most read articles, there is an article featuring a hugely successful flashmob in London. For those who don't know, and I was unaware of the exact definition as well, a flashmob or flash mob according to urbandictionary.com, is "a group of people who appear from out of nowhere, to perfom predetermined actions, designed to amuse and confuse surrounding people. The group performs these actions for a short amount of time before quickly dispersing. Flash mobs are often organised through email and/or newsgroup postings."

Apparently, in imitation of this popular T-Mobile commercial:



... in which, spontaneous "flash mob" dancing occurs in the Liverpool Street Station, some guy organized a similar flash mob at the same station, except this time its silent dancing, with each person listening to their own Ipod. Anyway, in the CNN article they linked to a similar, albeit, smaller flash mob that happened in Taipei!! during Chinese New Year. Read it here:


Needless to say, I'm sad that I missed out on the fun but I'm glad that Taipei gets recognized for even the silliest of things.

Also, in other news, I've been helping Rudy look for a new apartment for next year in Providence, which has been super fun! I love looking for new places and Providence is teeming with cute remodeled Victorians, some of them older than the state of Oklahoma! (Not that that's very difficult to accomplish!) Anyway, that's whats going on in my life! Please comment to say hi or if you're stopping by, leave me with your blog so I can check it out!

"Fidelity," by Regina Spektor.

LSAT Update!

Alright, so as you know, I've been preparing for the LSAT and I just took my second practice test last night. Let's just say, it did not go very well. On top of not finishing it because I took too long and it was way past my bed time, I am also pretty sure I bombed the reasoning section. This stinks because there are two reasoning sections (half of all the questions) on the actual test.

So tonight I'll have to finish the last section and then grade it! Well, hopefully when I get my new study books in, I can get better at the reasoning section with more techniques and then other than that I think I really just need to work on my timing. I want to score at least a 160, so we'll see how that goes!!

In other news, thanks to the generosity of the Taiwanese government, I was able to receive a sort of "tax refund" that the government handed out in efforts to stimulate the stagnating economy. Everyone here has been pretty appalled that as a foreigner, I was able to cash in on some of their country's money. BUT, I would like to point out that as a foreigner I pay 3 times as much in taxes as they do in the same pay scale. And if you knew how much I was making, you'd be annoyed too.

Note: That picture is the first picture that popped up on Google pictures when I searched "sad," haha. "You Don't Know Me," by Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor.

Obasans

I don't know if I've been lucky (that's sarcasm) or just have a big arrow pointing over my head that says "I'm a nice person, I'll help you out!" but I have been accosted by two obasans (Japanaese/Taiwanese word for "old lady") in these past two days in the subway station. Now, I say obasan just means old lady, but really I feel that it means, middle-aged/old, crazy, entitled lady. Usually they are the kind of old lady that comes up to strangers and reprimands them like they're your mother or they're the crazy ones that charge onto the subway cart only to shove you out of the way just to get a seat (I was going to stand anyway, thanks). While I enjoy a little crazy, once in a while, I don't appreciate it when they make me miss my train. Twice. In a row.

Both times, they asked me obvious questions about where to go, when we were both looking at the same signs, telling them exactly where to go. I think that is part of their craziness, their inability to read a sign that is obviously written in their mother tongue. Also, they feel entitled to stop you, even though you're already running late for work and are practically powerwalking through the station, and grab you on the arm to ask inane questions regarding the perfectly navigable subway station. Well, thats my rant for the day.

This may be my last song from "Twighlight" that I post. But I enjoy posting songs, so I may do more in the future, not necessarily from a movie. "Eyes On Fire" by Blue Foundation.

An Introduction

I found LOVE in Taipei yesterday!


I realize that most of the people that read my blog already know who I am, but since this blog is published on the internet and therefore accessible by the public, I feel compelled to introduce myself, finally, after three months of blogging.

This actually reminds me of when I was younger and tried to keep diaries, with each new diary I would write something along the lines of, "Dear Diary, my name is Stephanie. I am 11 years old and I just got you!" But really, I'm 22 years old and I recently graduated from college with a degree in East Asian studies. What did that major do for me? Not much, hence, why I'm currently living in Taiwan and editing for living... currently anyway.

My plans are to move back to the states soon and take the LSAT so that I can go back to school again! I'm not particularly a person who loves to be in school but I have also been backlashing against the nine-to-five routine.

Besides being completely consumed with work and LSAT studying right now, here are other little tidbits of information about me. (This is sort of like that 25 Facts note that has been floating around on Facebook!) I'm a Texan with a boyfriend living in Rhode Island, a fat, orange cat named Yoshi, and an obsession with books. I say that sums it up pretty well. Haha, anyway, here's the real reason why I wanted to post: "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron and Wine.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

I finally finished the "Island of Dr. Moreau" after much procrastination as well as with reading "Twilight" in between. Let me just say, that H.G. Wells was a fantastic writer in that he is able to convey the greatest fears of humanity as reflected in a true to life nightmare. If you're looking for a short and insightful read, take your pick among many of Wells' psuedo-futuristic science fiction novels from "War of the Worlds" to "Invisible Man."

Next on my list to read is "Invisible Man," but I'll have to take a break to concentrate on studying for the LSAT, hence my new "currently reading" selection.

Also, to touch on "Twighlight," since I also recently read it; I would categorize this book as a fairly addicitive, easy to read, rated G romance novel. Basically, as a woman, the book makes you fall in love with the perfect man, Edward Cullen, except that he's not a man, he's a vampire. Hence, making it impossible for any young teenage girl who reads this book to ever find a man that will be up to this fictional character's standards. Thank you, Stephenie Meyer.

On a different note, I fell in love with several of the songs from the movie reproduction of "Twighlight," that I will post in my next several blogs to share. Enjoy!

Full Moon by Black Ghosts

Fireworks

I said I wouldn't post until I got back from this long vacation but since I do have access to the internet I thought I would make a small post anyway.

Basically during this long vacation, I've been hanging out at my grandparents in Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan. The weather here is a lot warmer than it is in Taipei, which has been nice. The only requirement of my presence here is that I eat every meal with my humongous family and not leave to go anywhere else. This has been fairly easy to accomplish but it has also made me feel really cooped up and sluggish lately. I'll be glad to go back to being a little bit more active once Chinese New Year is over with.

One fun thing I did get to do was set off fireworks. I had never set off fireworks until this week. I've usually lived in places where it was illegal, aka. not the country. So my cousins and I got some fireworks to set off in celebration of the new year and they were so much fun! We set off little tiny ones that buzzed like bees and then big ones that shot off five times by themselves. Eventually, apparently someone called the cops on us and they came to warn us to be more quiet. The cops didn't really care very much about us setting off fireworks since apparently its a very common thing during new years and they pretty much just overlook it in the spirit of celebration. They probably thought this person was a lame-o for calling them, which I agree wholeheartedly.

So anyway, that's my story about my first experience with fireworks and Taiwanese cops!

I'm an Awful Person!

Am I such a horrible person, in that I am not in the slightest, interested in pregnancy pictures. Honestly, I don't really see the beauty in seeing someone's humongous bare belly, whether or not there is life brewing inside. Perhaps I only feel this way because I have yet to become pregnant or maybe I'm just really insensitive. But I DON'T CARE about you and your expanding uterus, sure I'm excited that you'll have a beautiful baby soon, but right now, it just looks gross, stop posting pictures of it everywhere.

Ok, bring on the haters, but that's just my 2 cents.

Anyway, I will probably be going on a hiatus for about a week during Chinese New Year since I'm not sure I'll have time to get on a computer during the holiday. Apparently, there are a lot of family time obligations... it's like Asian Christmas! But anyway, I'll take this time out to say thanks to everyone who reads my blog, I know sometime it can be way shallow (like all the time) but I enjoy writing it and if you like, you should become a follower or tell other people! Let's spread the love :).

Ok peace out lovers.