tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74650490117187358742024-03-05T04:07:11.914-05:00emily lam | blogemilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-86612981108749440572017-05-04T23:59:00.001-04:002017-05-05T00:09:21.793-04:00Happy Birthday, EmilyI bought a new bike! Mostly because I wanted a new bike. But also because it's my birthday. And I'm finishing my last semester of classes ever! And maybe as either a celebratory or consolation prize for if I pass or fail quals.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's a pretty awesome bike! 19 lbs. Carbon Fiber. Climbs so effortlessly. I took it to the Arboretum like I do all my bikes. But I like the picture from Jamaica Pond better.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WyEKF9btFxE/WQv5qoYZ5dI/AAAAAAAAQo4/TdHuBsgHf9MLAMBsjxvVpa_RmpeVJw8rwCLcB/s1600/Bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WyEKF9btFxE/WQv5qoYZ5dI/AAAAAAAAQo4/TdHuBsgHf9MLAMBsjxvVpa_RmpeVJw8rwCLcB/s400/Bike.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy trails! =]</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-73245092316721474782016-11-22T09:33:00.002-05:002016-11-22T09:40:48.174-05:00Limor Fried and Phillip Torrone<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngrsrFOEa-Q?start=4286" width="500"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
So I'm such a fan of Limor Fried (Lady Ada). I think what she's doing is amazing: creating things to help enable others. It's great. She's that modern contemporary I want to be.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I was watching Lady Ada's interview with Zack of Particle about Particle's new Raspberry Pi features. And then I ended up watching the whole episode in the background. But what really got my attention was at the end, around 1:11:26, when Phil starts talking about his and Limor's relationship. He is such an advocate for her and I thought wow, that's awesome.emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-16827753692912228752016-11-19T16:57:00.000-05:002016-11-19T17:23:36.370-05:00Perception<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">"When you get, give. When you learn, teach" -- Maya Angelou</span><br />
<br />
The current turmoil in the the United States has partly been brought upon us because we are so deeply divided and unsatisfied. It's so hard for anyone these days to connect with the other side. Instead of trying to see eye-to-eye, we are dismissive to each other's ideas. And so there's a deep sense of misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
As a country, we have now elected an openly racist, sexist, bigoted man to presidency, which is not okay. And I don't think that was anybody's intention. But that just goes to show how discontented half the United States is with the status quo that they were willing to avert their eyes to those terrible traits (because those traits affect then less) in the hope that finally their voices will be heard. I do not believe Donald Trump is fit to be the president of the United States. But I'm way more interested in understanding the people who elected him into presidency and making sure the rights I enjoy are available to everyone especially if they don't have a voice.<br />
<br />
I've always been a person who was very different but tried very hard to relate to everyone, like a chameleon. Anyone who knows me during high school or college knows I tried to be friends with everyone: the nerds, the slackers, the illegal immigrants, the rich, the poor, the gang members, the mean people, the cool kids, the runners, the writers, the misunderstood, the sports fans, etc. I wasn't friends with everyone, but I tried. As a result, my interests are everywhere: I'm not really good at one thing, I don't have one social clique, my path in life isn't overwhelming obvious, and I find myself lost more often than not. This past couple years, I decided to not connect with people as much; the introvert in me was tired. I wanted to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. I got caught up in my own life. I put very little effort into befriending people; I closed off. I tell you this because I recently realized how selfish that was of me.<br />
<br />
The other day I found myself overwhelmed with helping students in the course I'm assisting in. I lamented to my advisor. His response was simple: it's because you're accessible, approachable. In that moment, I realized I don't ever want to be the person who is not approachable, regardless of the time-sink it is to me. If I can help, I'll help. If I can be your friend, I'll be your friend.<br />
<br />
Now, especially now, if you have a voice, you need to use it!<br />
<br />
I'm incredibly privileged, which means I really just can't sit passively on the sidelines when there are people who don't have those privileges. Actively, day in and day out, I have to do my share by: leading by example; working hard; creating and sharing my work; sharing my life with others; listening to others; learning constantly; trying to understand others; admitting mistakes and follies; being myself; and knowing my limits.<br />
<br />
On the web, you see entities making political stances that normally would rather not intrude in topics not up their alley. But it's reached a point where you need to take a stance. Even if it's controversial or will create a backlash. Even if you want to live under a rock and disconnect from this messy world (my case). This messy world is ours and we must take care of it!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_91fxIcITn0/WDDKGW4wU_I/AAAAAAAAL9E/Edg-3IAVHTgKxJPlfmetsykkReIGT3hvQCLcB/s1600/IMG_5104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_91fxIcITn0/WDDKGW4wU_I/AAAAAAAAL9E/Edg-3IAVHTgKxJPlfmetsykkReIGT3hvQCLcB/s400/IMG_5104.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
(This post is meant to be more of a reminder to myself than a message to the world. But there's something in immortalizing my thoughts in writing that helps me organize my thoughts and hold myself accountable.)<br />
<br />emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-18332004851614305762016-11-01T21:37:00.000-04:002016-11-01T21:37:51.322-04:00Brad Bird < 3<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/189791698?color=ffffff&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://vimeo.com/189791698">Insight: Brad Bird on Animation</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/keesvandijkhuizen">Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr.</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-60664437208865100852016-10-13T11:59:00.002-04:002016-11-01T21:38:15.894-04:00While My Guitar Gently WeepsPerusing through the Youtube, I came across this awesome performance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps by the Beatles in tribute of George Harrison. Oh geez, Paul's piano intro, Clapton's solo, the saxophones, the bongos, everyone nailed it!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rj4J6i_vw0w" width="500"></iframe></div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-16569464033863977182016-08-18T11:09:00.001-04:002016-08-18T11:11:47.709-04:00"I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul"You take inspiration whenever and wherever it comes from.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A1rHMg7t3LICgfTl2OsDn46" width="300"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
I really like it when I discover new songs from other artists. I think that's one of the beauty of covering songs: sharing a song you enjoy with someone else. This one, The Wind, originally by Cat Stevens, and covered below by Kina Grannis and Imaginary Future, is touching. Both versions are beautiful.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LLu7SosDqJI?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
I saw this dance cover of Crush by Yuna (ft. Usher) by Vinh Nguyen of Kinjaz that I really liked. Kinjaz has some really awesome choreography and videography. I thought their Adele video was amazing. Too bad it was taken down.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KJheYvgxCsg?rel=0" width="500"></iframe><br /></div>
<br />
There has also been a lot of lightning in the Boston area lately. Tried my hand at painting it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MpseZY7jntTgR-u3qShKTw7p-wxaNClqg_Yf1DMbQ96ACaFTxlm91mkNrSSD6T3G786-Q3Fs1z21_CEVYNxgLP2rU7N0c25lMlj2LwBCs0NheUVJea3lFvBJ2alMK3ZbYMXyq4KwZNR6/s640/blogger-image--714199883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MpseZY7jntTgR-u3qShKTw7p-wxaNClqg_Yf1DMbQ96ACaFTxlm91mkNrSSD6T3G786-Q3Fs1z21_CEVYNxgLP2rU7N0c25lMlj2LwBCs0NheUVJea3lFvBJ2alMK3ZbYMXyq4KwZNR6/s640/blogger-image--714199883.jpg" /></a></div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-430161839427199442016-07-12T09:47:00.000-04:002016-07-12T23:57:17.621-04:00Great Smoky Mountains & Pisgah National Forest<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A couple of weeks back I took a trip down to North Carolina to visit my friend and escape the city bustle. It was boring in that there isn't much going on where my friend was living. But that made it oh so more wonderful. And relaxing. It was quite nice; we adventured like the good ole times. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8clq4A-FPBQ/V3WIZhOtXJI/AAAAAAAAJkk/n6boNGPMfycVzh_r7fdBYnTLziD0JB3wgCKgB/s1600/IMG_3826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8clq4A-FPBQ/V3WIZhOtXJI/AAAAAAAAJkk/n6boNGPMfycVzh_r7fdBYnTLziD0JB3wgCKgB/s400/IMG_3826.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Smoky Mountains from the top of Chimney Top Mountain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and casually hiked up Chimney Top Mountains. Chimney Top Mountains has this bare rock top with a very angled and jagged slope that was quite fun to climb. Mountains are surreal. They're just so old and there. I love to just sit/stand there in awe and take it all in. They're very giving.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODr12Qvfv_c/V3WIZmI_d8I/AAAAAAAAJkk/3H-dQxgYbB8M_aJ7eja-en0DnorGPin0QCKgB/s1600/IMG_3825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ODr12Qvfv_c/V3WIZmI_d8I/AAAAAAAAJkk/3H-dQxgYbB8M_aJ7eja-en0DnorGPin0QCKgB/s400/IMG_3825.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of the rocks at the top of Chimney Top Mountain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gdoNJPLyz3e5kSbPehhZex_nvrIIGUb4_ejOyDYxq9VBH8kFkwuQ2Jt8_EKMxU9INZ0MEYNJjZY4bXpCrXAlwHPtmd3-lGAY_f2KyxGKOBRTEF1KIhBwsnZ46y5eO6n4RYnp6f7d0ug/s1600/IMG_3839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gdoNJPLyz3e5kSbPehhZex_nvrIIGUb4_ejOyDYxq9VBH8kFkwuQ2Jt8_EKMxU9INZ0MEYNJjZY4bXpCrXAlwHPtmd3-lGAY_f2KyxGKOBRTEF1KIhBwsnZ46y5eO6n4RYnp6f7d0ug/s400/IMG_3839.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caught this gorgeous sunset somewhere in Great Smoky Mountains. Ahh, just look at those layers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So the national parks services are celebrating their <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/centennial/index.htm">centennial</a>! It's kind of a great reminder that we have these beautiful parks to explore. I believe POTUS Obama is also hitting the rounds and has visited a bunch of the parks during his presidency. There are tons of parks, big and small, some more forest and some more history. So yeah, check them out! We also went waterfall hunting in the land of waterfalls, aka the Pisgah National Forest. Nature. =]</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O2YK5dyWtls/V3WIZmgYIAI/AAAAAAAAJkk/nuAuDqazyaMBiX5gwvpu4Sog1aGXvpsiQCKgB/s1600/IMG_3867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O2YK5dyWtls/V3WIZmgYIAI/AAAAAAAAJkk/nuAuDqazyaMBiX5gwvpu4Sog1aGXvpsiQCKgB/s400/IMG_3867.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the popular Looking Glass Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsOkPtmeMKW5crv0zXg5dS4D_HAEBq0JnhUI2oFblj_DvwfR6drOjWDwGVkADkdUNfhQGwUxxP4U7EgMB0iUvKV3hPqMC3ie285SU9yeEVC24Rc4SCaxE0lK-5AgU6RtLaRKl4KPp4ds/s1600/IMG_3914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsOkPtmeMKW5crv0zXg5dS4D_HAEBq0JnhUI2oFblj_DvwfR6drOjWDwGVkADkdUNfhQGwUxxP4U7EgMB0iUvKV3hPqMC3ie285SU9yeEVC24Rc4SCaxE0lK-5AgU6RtLaRKl4KPp4ds/s400/IMG_3914.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Precariously on a ledge next to Moore Cove Falls. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All and all, it was a great trip. More pictures <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/UZbswH8pq2MpxDsk7">here</a>. </div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-65844663459198599482016-06-20T23:12:00.000-04:002016-06-20T23:31:52.316-04:00Longest day of the year . . .Happy Summer Solstice. Enjoy the sun and moon and life.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F3FNgqZmWVw/V2iwAkzy8cI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/pPQ8R2XHwXY/s640/blogger-image--26766165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F3FNgqZmWVw/V2iwAkzy8cI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/pPQ8R2XHwXY/s640/blogger-image--26766165.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-9952354300612372602016-06-10T14:52:00.000-04:002016-06-10T15:03:18.137-04:00All I Could DoAll I Could Do, by Kimye Dawson, covered by Amanda Palmer, guitar by Jack Palmer.<br />
<br />
<div>
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/223971493&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>
</div>
<div>
<br />
It's strange that this is the song that brought me back to life. It's very easy to listen to; the melody is relaxing; the lyrics are complex and meaningful. It's nonintrusive, raw, and honest. The singer talks about her uncertain feelings about becoming a mother. She talks about doing something new that is completely foreign to her. How she might not be able to do what she has known and always done. She reminisces her past and how she's changed. She thinks back to all the things she had thought were all she could do at the time. Although, my life is completely different, the emotions feel familiar.<br />
<br />
I'd been struggling with my overwhelming amount of thoughts these days. I don't know who I am. I struggle a lot with deciding what I want to do. There are times I wished I thought less and knew less and was blissfully ignorant. But that's flawed thinking. It's comforting to hear the singer accept that we continue to change and that it's okay. It's easy to think that things don't change, that people don't change, that things won't be different, to lose hope -- I fall prey to this. That the world moves on while you stand still. But that's not true. Everything changes, especially people. Who I am today is a compilation of who I was in the yesteryears; ever-changing. I love how positive change is conveyed in this song.<br />
<br />
Accepting that change is the only constant is a paradox in itself. That's life. Gah!</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-17048653957899660582016-04-25T09:33:00.001-04:002016-04-25T11:15:00.102-04:00Waking up to one alarmThis year, I made a new year resolution to wake up to one alarm. It stopped making sense to me why I would set multiple alarms. I would set an alarm for 6:30am, 6:45am, 7:00am, 7:15am, 7:30am, 8:00am, 8:15am, 8:30am. Then I would allow myself to hit snooze a few times. It got really ridiculous. I never woke up at 6:30am. Despite how much I wanted to, deep down that was never my intention. So why was I setting an alarm for 6:30am and interrupting my sleep if I wasn't going to get up until 8:30am? I was basically ruining two good hours of sleep.<br />
<br />
Initially, I had used multiple alarms as a safety net. I think that's how most people use it because you just can't trust your unconscious self in the morning. But then I started to not take the first alarm seriously and would immediately turn off the alarm and go back to sleep and then miss the second alarm or hit snooze at the second alarm. I remedied that by setting more alarms closer in interval. If I don't give myself the chance to fall back asleep, then I'd be able to get up. But nope, that didn't work either. It spiraled so out of control that I'm guilty of setting alarms with five minutes differences from each other. Yikes!<br />
<br />
So I decided to cut cold turkey. One alarm. That's it. No safety nets. If I don't get up, I'd have to deal with the repercussions of sleeping until noon. I was done being that annoying roommate who sets 324094589 alarms.<br />
<br />
This post really isn't about how I got to being able to wake up in the morning because there's so many different ways one can try and their effectiveness varies. But the main goal is to have enough self-discipline and motivation to develop a routine and habit. Humans are creatures of habits. But if you put in enough effort, change is possible. Your sleep schedule is actually one of the easiest habit to hack because there's a circadian rhythm your body strives to maintain. Once you get yourself on a good schedule and you sleep enough and don't throw your circadian rhythm too out of whack, it's actually really easy to wake up, even if you do go a day or two of the week messing up your sleep.<br />
<br />
So I did it. I now only need one alarm! =] And most of the time, I wake up before my alarm! I know, crazy! It amazes me too. But the main reason I wanted to write all this is because no one really talks about how much less stressful it is to not have to worry about waking up. Now I can go to sleep in confidence that I will wake up when I need to. It's so so so beautiful. There are times I've forgotten to set alarms and I still wake up at the time I need too. Sometimes, when I know I don't have meetings or anything of priority I don't even set alarms. I'm giving my body the opportunity to get the sleep it needs. Because when there's no alarms, your body will naturally wake up when it needs to and compensate when it has too. So yeah, one alarm! =]<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z0M1sS2nLXU/Vx4d7miYfQI/AAAAAAAAJGg/ciI3rSP-B_A/s640/blogger-image-1305109725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z0M1sS2nLXU/Vx4d7miYfQI/AAAAAAAAJGg/ciI3rSP-B_A/s400/blogger-image-1305109725.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll leave you with a picture of some adorable goslings! =]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-80140041080081369142016-03-31T20:30:00.000-04:002016-04-25T16:57:38.775-04:00Hi! My name is (what?)My name is (who?) My name is . . .<br />
<br />
It's been more than three months since I last blogged, the longest stretch I've gone without blogging. I've been super stressed lately: flailing at the work, life, balance thing; accepting decisions, and just being myself -- sometimes you forget who you are. So really, I should have been more active in trying to consistently blog; you know, to help alleviate the stress and sort out my thoughts. A lot of the reasons I haven't been blogging is because talking about what stresses me out is a lot of effort. I have to explain the situation and then it's still confusing. But I think things are clearer now. I'm starting to feel more like myself. (Or maybe I've been myself and this self isn't real . . . oOoOoOoooooo.)<br />
<br />
Sometimes half the battle is just admitting you've been a little deranged.<br />
<br />
Maybe it's been the weather. It's been a very mild winter. But at the same time, spring has come and gone. Not really staying for more than a couple of days. Inconsistent weather.<br />
<br />
So what's new? Well, I'm going to attempt a stronger effort in work, life, balance. I'm going to try to be more productive. To stick to times better. And get more things done.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
. . . Slim Shady.emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-2620593508827188262015-12-16T20:13:00.001-05:002015-12-18T16:19:24.822-05:00I've Been Thinking About BoredomWhen I was a kid, I used to sprawl on the sofa, with my head hanging off the edge of it and my feet propped up against the backrest, and lament to my mother, "I'm bored. There's nothing to do." Of course, there was always something to do -- I could've cleaned my room -- but there was nothing I wanted to do. And when you're a kid, you can get away with not doing anything. You had time to be bored. And from that boredom, you started something new or you didn't. It was okay either way.<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The biggest problem with Twitter is that I'd be in a taxi and I'd be on Twitter and it would keep me interested. I realised I wasn't getting bored enough and [that I needed to get bored] to start plotting things and coming up with ideas." -- <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/abandon-social-media-and-get-bored-for-inspiration-20150105-12hwmo.html">Neil Gaiman, The Sydney Morning Herald</a></blockquote>
<div>
This quotation appeared on my blog recently. And I get Gaiman. Nowadays, I don't have time to be bored and with my thoughts. So often, I find myself with one desire and it's to sleep. Poor time management is probably part of the reason I don't have time to sleep, let alone be bored. But another is because I'm just doing things. I'm a graduate student, which means the bulk of my time is committed to my research and coursework. There's also the daily chores, social obligations, and sometimes hobbies. And time that used to be idle, such as, bus rides, breaks, when I just wake up, right before bed, lulls in conversations, etc., are consumed by smartphone checkups, social media. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's isn't much time to be bored when there's a never-ending queue of things to do. Done with work? Okay, now I can relax or check out that art exhibit or write that blog post. And so, I don't plan things too far in advance. I've been taking life as it comes at me, focusing on each day, each week, each month as it arrives, and trying not get overwhelmed. But yet, my schedule fills right up. I had thought that this would help. That by living in the moment and not worrying about the future, I'd settle into some sort of relaxed and restful groove. It kind of worked, I'm not too stressed these days. But do you know what I miss? I miss hanging out with thoughts.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By living in the moment, I was moving from one thing to the next. I stopped thinking about the future and reflecting on the past. Well I didn't really want to think about the future for more than one reasons. For one, I knew I had to make a decision soon about whether I wanted to stay in school for my PhD or not and I didn't really want to think about it nor did I have the time to really ponder it. I also didn't want to think about the future because I realize the importance of living now. As for reflecting, I don't know, lack of time, not prioritizing it? I watched a <a href="https://youtu.be/K5uRIb3o4-U">Jenna Marbles video</a> recently where she reflected on things she's learned in her 29 years on earth. She made one comment that resonated with me. She said that without reflecting, you don't get better at life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here's another quotation from Gaiman:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I feel that I'm getting too dependent on phones, on Twitter [..] It's a symbiotic relationship. That instant ability to find things out, to share. I want to see what happens when I take some time off." -- <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/14/neil-gaiman-social-media-sabbatical">Neil Gaiman, The Guardian</a></blockquote>
<div>
Everything is accessible from your smartphone. There's no process or hurdle in obtaining information. Even thoughts have become sort of just things you look up. What do I think about Climate Change? Let me look up what other people are saying. This whole post has a bunch of thoughts from other people. There are even events where you can go and listen to other people's thoughts, like TED. Recently, I went to TEDxBeaconStreet and I sat there soaking in other people's awesome thoughts instead of having my own. It was a great event, I thoroughly enjoyed it. But I do admit that it felt kind of lazy being spoon-fed thoughts, which leads to this next quotation.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking." -- Albert Einstein</blockquote>
Einstein mentions just reading but I think it applies to all mediums where thoughts are conveyed. Based on these quotations by Gaiman and Einstein, not only do we not have adequate time to think because we are no longer bored enough to do so, we are also lazy about the way we think. (Obviously, Einstein is not condemning reading. In fact, his threshold of "too much" is probably much higher than the typical amount of reading an average person does.)<br />
<br />
So what now? I don't know. Maybe I can dial down my social media usage and allow and prioritize some idleness in life. I've found walking to and from lab a good time to be with my thoughts -- you can't really safely use your smartphones while walking yet.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
And because I like to leave some sort of media for discussion, here's a video of a Juan Enriquez's TEDx talk from TEDxBeaconStreet. I really liked his talk because he talks about how really smart people are sometimes wrong, and it's not always the fault of the individual. It's important to create a space, where we don't shame people for having 'wrong' ideas because they/we just don't know they're/we're wrong yet.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fcqhS1ExiBQ" width="500"></iframe></div>
</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-58941213882875610222015-11-29T16:28:00.000-05:002015-11-29T16:29:36.375-05:00Inopportune BloggerThe last two weeks of the fall semester begins now. It is always an absolute crazy grind because the Thanksgiving break really throws off your groove. This year is no different -- although, I was little bit better than years past at getting work done. I have about a million + one things to do. And yet on the brink of all this, I decide to blog. That's who I am I guess, an inopportune blogger. Part of the reason I do it is probably just to procrastinate on more important work.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Currently, I have Everglow by Coldplay stuck in my head. It's off their new album A Head Full of Dreams. I've never really been a fan of Coldplay but I like this song. It's simple and quiet and just there. I've yet to listen to Adele's full album but the four performances I've saw on YouTube have been good. And I really like 3/4 of them. Mainstream music is on a good note right now. Even Bieber is sounding good . . . (Yes, you read that correctly.)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Aalbum%3A6wa9xdIlmIVnYgLWh34qNU" width="300"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's been busy and eventful and good since I last blogged. I got to hear some cool people talk: Amanda Palmer, Junot Diaz, to name a couple. I did sort of make a decision on something I've been contemplating a lot this year, mostly offline, but I'll get into that on a later post maybe. </div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-plt4MWG3XQs/VltpnaiMbKI/AAAAAAAAIl0/dBahqQuEpJQ/s640/blogger-image--1661216872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-plt4MWG3XQs/VltpnaiMbKI/AAAAAAAAIl0/dBahqQuEpJQ/s400/blogger-image--1661216872.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was able to make my annual trip to the Arboretum though!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-17143628578308246572015-10-12T21:32:00.000-04:002015-10-12T21:33:13.200-04:00Happy fifth!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYKcL4PYBduiTBU9dwf21RV2yng744zY-2XPbfZ1Sb-Q_9BnzQvFUyDsmW8SBQpC8nC6w6R1yw0Iu51cUcPPojw5xBuFafPYn2u_HRn5e9AN13OaABr3dwpzaFJQ9pLAgfFbnnixx1Oyc/s1600/Happyfifth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYKcL4PYBduiTBU9dwf21RV2yng744zY-2XPbfZ1Sb-Q_9BnzQvFUyDsmW8SBQpC8nC6w6R1yw0Iu51cUcPPojw5xBuFafPYn2u_HRn5e9AN13OaABr3dwpzaFJQ9pLAgfFbnnixx1Oyc/s400/Happyfifth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I almost forgot to wish my blog a happy fifth. That's all I have today. Happy fifth blog. Thanks for listening. Thanks for encouraging me to write semi-regularly. Thanks for holding onto my thoughts and memories. Maybe we'll have five more years! It's been real. =]emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-65383377893716672612015-09-27T16:48:00.002-04:002015-09-27T16:50:54.365-04:00Quotations Through the YearsIt's been three years and some months since I've last blogged a series of quotations (<a href="http://ewlmonkey.blogspot.com/2012/01/favorite-quotations.html">the ones on my Facebook</a> and <a href="http://ewlmonkey.blogspot.com/2012/01/quotations-from-angelina-jolie.html">favorites from Angelina Jolie</a>). And in many ways, inspiring words have kept me going. Back when favorite quotations was easily accessible on Facebook, I would read each friend's favorite quotations when I we became friends with them on Facebook. I always liked learning what motivates people. So here are some new favorites (pulled mostly from my Twitter because I can't remember things off the top of my head).<br />
<br />
"All the changes in the world, for good or for evil, were first brought about by words." -- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis<br />
<br />
“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you.” -- J. K. Rowling<br />
<br />
"You can't be 'good for your age' anymore. You have to be GOOD." -- Emma Coats<br />
<br />
"Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work." -- Chuck Close<br />
<br />
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself." -- Albert Einstein<br />
<br />
"Imagination, not intelligence, made us human." -- Terry Pratchett<br />
<br />
"Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Make some light." -- Kate DiCamillo<br />
<br />
"I was not inspired by old science fiction as much as I was inspired by how the future used to be seen in contrast to how it’s seen today." -- Brad Bird<br />
<br />
"The biggest problem with Twitter is that I'd be in a taxi and I'd be on Twitter and it would keep me interested. I realised I wasn't getting bored enough and [that I needed to get bored] to start plotting things and coming up with ideas." -- Neil Gaiman<br />
<br />
"Stay Hungry. Stay foolish." -- Steve Jobsemilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-28943123496991569672015-09-20T21:43:00.000-04:002015-09-20T21:51:20.467-04:00/shrug, pictures and stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Because I haven't blogged in a while, and to get things rolling, I thought I share a couple trivial photos.</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXj1yFOFSX3GPyJQ1UrDL1EQ2FZwyWT3FihSdg8xhGYGxvJXLCdF8khCotg2jMFMaeoEq0BP4tI65EHjA4CRLqEorgqTr24S9wXNL_LpTxDkedX6eyGTJI4bVIVQLLVnJkblZ2-zG5eLJ/s1600/blogger-image-1341779528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOXj1yFOFSX3GPyJQ1UrDL1EQ2FZwyWT3FihSdg8xhGYGxvJXLCdF8khCotg2jMFMaeoEq0BP4tI65EHjA4CRLqEorgqTr24S9wXNL_LpTxDkedX6eyGTJI4bVIVQLLVnJkblZ2-zG5eLJ/s400/blogger-image-1341779528.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">I moved across the river to Cambridge, MA. So I get to check out the Boston skyline on my way to and from BU.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0Yty66OhoLg/Vf9cymEZAbI/AAAAAAAAIh0/a5HZJRANH4Y/s640/blogger-image--1683001513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0Yty66OhoLg/Vf9cymEZAbI/AAAAAAAAIh0/a5HZJRANH4Y/s400/blogger-image--1683001513.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Kinetic sculptures are cool! I guess South Station is pretty cool too. These are by Theo Jansen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOLb6pjrJqJsx8F5DJYoUYXU_dPxF49lMwJe_nG702LVzxd0EqH0xe62_GxoNpwGJ0we6cXFz1GNQBlojHzxv0asUV5eNLNinYaDWC5iO8DnRe3taJaadaKMWu6BsZ9wDsRgIfms44YG3/s1600/blogger-image-995918258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOLb6pjrJqJsx8F5DJYoUYXU_dPxF49lMwJe_nG702LVzxd0EqH0xe62_GxoNpwGJ0we6cXFz1GNQBlojHzxv0asUV5eNLNinYaDWC5iO8DnRe3taJaadaKMWu6BsZ9wDsRgIfms44YG3/s400/blogger-image-995918258.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Downtown Portland. There's a heck of a lot of locks on this fence.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img border="0" height="300" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RNBDhFLg32s/Vf9czwHsJ1I/AAAAAAAAIiE/LhHKp1yh48Y/s400/blogger-image--1803937252.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Nothing is more ominous than looking up a rocky, fog-masked, mountain cliff (Acadia, ME).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG76oPhTRoPiRlfExtEyJqzR590XMVOyl9sO2-mPD6kR-HkzeTbgZDo0O5N9rTI7zRXtzaDffSAcV4sAhM9tLKIqZacJqc0AFGjejdKCeI0CkwucupaejR5RqN1KTXK5rXul5O1O-n_CaM/s640/blogger-image--1707073460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG76oPhTRoPiRlfExtEyJqzR590XMVOyl9sO2-mPD6kR-HkzeTbgZDo0O5N9rTI7zRXtzaDffSAcV4sAhM9tLKIqZacJqc0AFGjejdKCeI0CkwucupaejR5RqN1KTXK5rXul5O1O-n_CaM/s400/blogger-image--1707073460.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">I apparently now deal with stress by shopping at Whole Foods and eating an apple on the walk there . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Post Script: The "G+1" icon is beyond hideous.</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-67394596748365005862015-07-24T23:49:00.002-04:002015-07-25T10:58:48.693-04:00As If It Were Already HereIt's been awhile since I've blogged. About two months. And I still don't really feel like blogging. I think since graduating undergrad and now, I've become less concerned about my future than I used to be. There's less of a desire to chase and more of a desire to exist.<br />
<br />
My current favorite thing about Boston right now is this giant net sculpture by Jane Echelman appropriately called "As If It Were Already Here" -- I love the name. It lights up at night and shimmers in the wind all day. I think I like it so much because of its scale and presence and passiveness. I enjoy sitting underneath it. I'm comforted by it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wF9T_ccVXwI/VbMEtpVpMGI/AAAAAAAAHQs/Co6FwUL2HzU/s640/blogger-image--256461261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wF9T_ccVXwI/VbMEtpVpMGI/AAAAAAAAHQs/Co6FwUL2HzU/s640/blogger-image--256461261.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">What is Life?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Recently, I read an article about a kickstarter <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/07/somehow-teen-girls-get-coolest-wearable/">wearable for teenage girls</a>. What I really love about this idea is the lack of a screen. It's a social and fun way to use technology to engage youths. Screens aren't always needed. It's important to remember when to not overindulge.<br />
<br />
There's also <a href="https://vimeo.com/131254132">this talk</a> I truly would love people to see by Neil Stevenson. He talks about the general opinion toward science through the years including very recent trends and how storytelling has impacted it and what he sees for the future. Neil is passionate about this topic and I think the way he presented it was fantastic. His views also line up pretty closely with my own, just more eloquent.<br />
<br />
Here's a cool shoe-making process video:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/E-IcyDp3S1U/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E-IcyDp3S1U?feature=player_embedded" width="500"></iframe></div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-82229812549701101222015-05-20T19:22:00.000-04:002015-05-20T19:51:38.178-04:00Subtlety MeEvery once in a while I get these crazy ideas that I want platinum blonde hair or navy blue highlights. I get these ideas because I look at my black hair and think: boring and normal. While I've dyed my hair in the past, it's never anything too drastic or edgy, mainly blonde highlights. And that's because as much as I really want to be different, I also don't want to stand out. That's what I crave for myself: normalcy upon a glance but uniqueness upon a look.<br />
<br />
I'm a modernist in that I like to see the items I own/encounter take up functional and purposeful shapes that exemplify the materials from which they are made of. The school of Bauhaus comes to mind: simple, functional, and elegant. But I also want these items to feel organic. I like to have a sort of harmony between us and the outside world. Think Frank Lloyd Wright. And yet, I'm also a post-modernist; I like the extra details and frills that are sometimes completely useless. The iPhone 4 is a prime example. The back glass serves no function and is super prone to cracks, but the double-sided glass is my favorite iPhone design. Finally, everything needs a bit of character, imperfections if I may.<br />
<br />
So yes, my black hair is normal. But there's so much more behind it. My haircut is simple and functional: it doesn't fall all over my face when I'm hunch over a laptop. It's also heavily layered and organic; my hair is naturally black. And it's definitely got character. Somedays, it does what it wants and I just have to deal with it. Black hair can be boring, but everything, including boring, has a story.<br />
<br />
So like the black hair, I make my statements against conformity in small indistinguishable ways. I wear a watch on my right hand even though I'm right-handed. With everyday sneakers, I tend toward grey, grey-black, muted yellow, navy, than straight black. I love adding details with colors. Take this blog for example, it has a very simple design that makes use of different but simple colors against a white background and of course the watercolor backdrop. My lapdesk is basically just a piece of bamboo attached to a cushion with a handle, but it's bamboo . . .<br />
<br />
So I guess my point is that being different for the sake of being different shouldn't be my goal because my different just so happens to look, well, not different.emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-63302908817454079682015-04-26T01:07:00.000-04:002015-04-26T01:13:31.287-04:00Inch By Inch<div style="text-align: left;">
I ran that 5k I mentioned in the last post in 32:53 -- there's a story leading up to the race. Ask me if you're curious. All and all, it was a great marathon weekend for me. I got to cheer on two friends running this year's rainy Boston Marathon. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D3FkaN0HQgs" width="420"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Inch by inch, row by row, Someone bless the seeds I sow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Someone warm them from below, 'til the rain comes tumbling down.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pulling weeds and picking stones, man is made of dreams and bones.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Feel the need to grow my own 'cause the time is close at hand.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Grain for grain, sun and rain, find my way in nature's chain,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to my body and my brain to the music of the land.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Plant your rows straight and long, temper them with prayer and song.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mother Earth will make you strong if you give her love and care.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Old crow watching hungrily, from his perch in yonder tree.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In my garden I'm as free as that feathered thief up there.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Inch by inch, row by row, Someone bless the seeds I sow.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Someone warm them from below, 'til the rain comes tumbling down.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My elementary school assistant principal use to sing us this song with her guitar. I went on a walk today thinking about life. I thought of the universe and how we're just a tiny, tiny speck in it. I thought of a simple life. I thought of hard work. I thought about moving forward, inch by inch.</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-32086887922908792022015-04-05T19:37:00.001-04:002015-04-05T19:37:37.501-04:00Five years, exercising, et al.The passing of time. Five years ago, I was deciding on which college to attend. It feels so long ago, but yet I'm surprised still that five years have lapsed. But it also feels right. High School is in the distant and even undergraduate is starting to get a little bit hazy. I still feel young though.<br />
<br />
I'm running the B.A.A. 5k this year. This will be my first race in a little bit over five years. The last race I ran was in 2009, probably November-ish my senior year in high school: a cross country race. Throughout March I've been running on-off, averaging about 2-3 times a week. It does feels nice to be able to run again. I run without music, so it's just me, myself, and my thoughts. Yesterday was the first time I timed a good to honest outdoor run. And well, it was 37 minutes for about 3.3 miles. A little slower than I would have hoped. But not too bad. I have about two weeks until the race. I'd be thrilled for an under 30 minute 5k.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gQAmWUVfPfE/VSHG83he6TI/AAAAAAAAHLU/Gc7TEMolzIo/s640/blogger-image-825800457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gQAmWUVfPfE/VSHG83he6TI/AAAAAAAAHLU/Gc7TEMolzIo/s640/blogger-image-825800457.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Since the weather warmed, which is an overstatement since it's still fairly cold, I've been prioritizing getting outdoor: running outdoor, going on walks, and riding my bike.<br />
<br />
Post Script: Holy mackerel! It just hit me that 5 years ago, I was underaged, 17.emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-49207509189721344432015-03-14T11:23:00.003-04:002015-03-19T22:56:29.840-04:00Incomplete thoughts on failureLet's talk failure. I will say that I've never really failed before and that it bothers me. The advice the greats always seem to give is to don't be afraid of failure: you have to fail to succeed. For that reason, I feel as though I haven't risked anything and am not on a path to greatness, but on a path to mediocrity. By all means though, I don't wish for failure. I am not reckless.<br />
<br />
What do you mean you haven't failed? What's failure? Metaphorically, failure, I think, is when a step backwards happens; to lose something, progress, that was once there. If you are currently on block 5 in a board game, failure is to be reverted to block 1, block 0, block -5. The opposite of success, of moving forward. Inverse matter (yuck, inverse matter, that sounds gross and complex, bad analogy.). When I didn't get into Brown University or get those internships, I didn't fail. Sure, I was disappointed and didn't get what I wanted. But I didn't fail: it was a brief moment of stagnation. My life didn't move backwards. Flunking an exam? I didn't have that knowledge to begin with. And things that didn't work out, I never put in the effort or progress for it to count.<br />
<br />
The work I am doing right now for graduate school is difficult. I feel like I'm constantly playing catch up like I'm "half-drowning" or "floundering." But maybe this is the moment in my life where I keep pushing despite the hardship and accept whatever result I end up with. And that maybe all this effort and movement in one direction will pay off or maybe it will be for naught. But hey, I gave it shot.<br />
<br />
Oh and Happy π day! =]emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-28931038172039462362015-03-01T17:05:00.000-05:002015-03-02T15:09:13.359-05:00What the Hell Part IIIPart III? What? If you care, use the haphazard blogger search function. Recently, it's all been about music that keeps me focus in lab, which translates to cohesive albums or playlists with no need to skip songs. In no particular order:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqZfoK25lnY">Swan Lake</a>, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky is probably my favorite composer in the "classical" genre. I've been listening to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's version of Swan Lake just because it's on Spotify.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://youtu.be/hTMoSaDdlLs">Joe Hisaishi's Budokan concert </a>is great. It's a medley of pieces he's composed for Studio Ghibli films. Fantastic.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/FallOutBoyVEVO">Fall Out Boy</a>. They have a new album: American Beauty/American Psycho. But I just play their entire discography on Spotify. They're the kind of music that just pumps you up. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Like rap music! I usually listen to Eminem before taking an exam. But while working, happy rap like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ScottandBrendo">Scott & Brendo's</a> stuff is cool.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Recently, I saw <a href="http://songoftheseafilm.com/">Song of the Sea</a>, great film. So I've been listening to the <a href="http://youtu.be/LArtrE5Z0Ko?list=PL1ANzH-EEnrpESqbTyPd5Z8QrlMuIdREb">soundtrack</a> from that by Bruno Coulais, Kíla et al. It's got a Gaelic overtone. Great stuff! Go see the film. Go listen to the music. Go enjoy Song of the Sea!</div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-5644524563180621122015-01-31T20:02:00.000-05:002015-01-31T20:05:06.234-05:00I updated the RAM on my Macbook Pro =|It's a bittersweet day: I have just prolonged the life of my Macbook Pro by updating from 4GB of RAM to 8GB of RAM. The irrational side of me wants new gear! But the rational side is like $85.00 for more years out of your current system is way more reasonable than spending $2000 on new gear ($2000 because I pay a premium for Apple stuff and because I'm going to max off the specs, duh. I'm eyeing a 16GB of RAM system!). But I want new gear . . .<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CPgIhiAehSM/VM14Pt9IMdI/AAAAAAAAHDA/oCiYuu7SPMA/s640/blogger-image-711454119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CPgIhiAehSM/VM14Pt9IMdI/AAAAAAAAHDA/oCiYuu7SPMA/s400/blogger-image-711454119.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was actually on sale for $79.00.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was a pretty simple process: unscrew a couple of screws, lift the lid, pop out the old RAM, and snap in the new RAM. I'm currently running some memory tests to make sure the RAM is good. But so far, everything seems a-okay.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hNkBqWmbk1Q/VM14Qdk-cII/AAAAAAAAHDI/mEEOgZuhRvg/s640/blogger-image--1471679875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hNkBqWmbk1Q/VM14Qdk-cII/AAAAAAAAHDI/mEEOgZuhRvg/s400/blogger-image--1471679875.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's that patch of green with 8 rectangles (ICs).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My current specs for my Macbook Pro stand at:<br />
<br />
Processor: 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo<br />
Ram: 8GB DDR3 1067 MHz<br />
Harddrive: 320GB (5400-rpm)<br />
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256 MB<br />
<br />
Yes, everything is on the older side. I could use a new processor and a solid state hard drive would probably make things a lot more snappier and I could probably run more graphics intensive applications with a new graphics card. But it's nothing I can't live with. Despite wanting new gear, I'm pretty attached to this Macbook. It got me through undergrad! So the RAM upgrade was needed. It's also the easiest thing to upgrade; my system was really starting to crawl: I was regularly seeing the beachball of death . . . And here I am bittersweet.emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-39463067291326963152015-01-27T10:59:00.003-05:002023-03-01T08:20:18.368-05:00The Ideal GetawayI went on a 2.5 day ski trip (I didn't ski; I snowboarded, but ski just rolls off the tongue more eloquently) this past weekend at Stowe, Vermont. It was just the second time I went out to the mountains to snowboard. I've never gone to the mountains in the winter before this year -- my family doesn't partake in sports like skiing/snowboarding/tubing/etc. and they also don't particularly like being out in the cold. But I'm different and adventurous. As long as I have the right gear, being out in the cold is a pleasant time. I've gone snowboarding twice now, and I'm hooked! I'm still a beginner -- green circle status -- but I've got the basic gist of it down: I can feather down a steep hill, ride straight, turn left and right, carve accidentally, and sometimes ride goofy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eOKDLcTiAXc/VMekpgEXktI/AAAAAAAAHCE/2Mu0ly7lnDE/s640/blogger-image-86341861.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eOKDLcTiAXc/VMekpgEXktI/AAAAAAAAHCE/2Mu0ly7lnDE/s400/blogger-image-86341861.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
During my repetitive ride-fall, ride-fall routine, it dawned upon me how nice it would be to live out there, outside the hub of a city, away from the worldly distractions and constant chatter. I couldn't help imagine how wonderful it would be to live in a small house in the mountains, peacefully watch the snow, sip a hot beverage, and go snowboarding on whim. And then to go hiking and star gazing in the warmer seasons. And of course to take in the fresh growth and foliage of the in-between seasons. It seemed like the perfect place to live, especially since my current life is so draining.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidck_nxzhQ9NLHFIFOZnbw4ojEkvJbA8VEqsiZKyHVXCIVUFDWNge9z4tf-c6CnWp92HQ-ZV4y7IuIZCbkdOax2fcbsLumdfi4N-XhG539r0r1MyF6tw3Az5LKRUj6qeGmB0WhfUh_BVTf/s640/blogger-image-1237563822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidck_nxzhQ9NLHFIFOZnbw4ojEkvJbA8VEqsiZKyHVXCIVUFDWNge9z4tf-c6CnWp92HQ-ZV4y7IuIZCbkdOax2fcbsLumdfi4N-XhG539r0r1MyF6tw3Az5LKRUj6qeGmB0WhfUh_BVTf/s400/blogger-image-1237563822.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
But then I remembered my needs. I need to make a living and contribute to the world in some form. Out there in the semi-isolated world would not be where I would be able to do those things. For other people, yes. But not for me. I am not a writer, an inn keeper, a farmer or an artisan. I am an engineer; I work in teams to design, innovate, and create technology for the betterment of society. No quiet mountain side community would welcome the intrusion of the super contrasting industrial nature of an engineering company or research facility. So far now, I will just have to reserve that wonderful, peaceful, ideal for vacations, escapes, which is quite a luxury in itself, because I get a taste of both worlds.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduODXWsc6dcppIZ3Nclx-3kUT9Y8qmzyrcocD1Ev3dJgsqTwvNYmddIqQiZbkjzvkeU6yYSGbSkMTVyz7D05LwnoZzKhUgPTOceDL_BONn6Y8Z2yJyP1i-S0DV4EDQowJK2Nw4AE0uu4c/s640/blogger-image--583682547.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduODXWsc6dcppIZ3Nclx-3kUT9Y8qmzyrcocD1Ev3dJgsqTwvNYmddIqQiZbkjzvkeU6yYSGbSkMTVyz7D05LwnoZzKhUgPTOceDL_BONn6Y8Z2yJyP1i-S0DV4EDQowJK2Nw4AE0uu4c/s400/blogger-image--583682547.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Edit, March 22nd, 2015: Saw this: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadOfmkTtpw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadOfmkTtpw</a></div>
emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465049011718735874.post-63270316321167465472015-01-01T23:36:00.002-05:002015-01-01T23:36:45.927-05:002015 Offers A Fresh StartHello 2015, you wonderful, baggage-free, empty new year. Hello, Hello, Hello.emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792355379974158657noreply@blogger.com0