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8th-Nov-2009 03:55 pm - "What kind of idiot would buy into this materialistic crap?" -American Dad

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.blogspot.com/2009/11/kind-of-idiot-would-buy-into-this.html

I have been wanting a lot of (tangible) things lately.

I've been wanting a lot of stuff.

Now is not the time to be wanting stuff, for two very valid reasons. First of all, I have no money. Second, I have no storage space. But, as my good friend Ruby puts it, "you're filling a void, Mela." Guilty as charged.

So what do I want? Birthday's over, but hey Christmas is coming up!

1. a car. Because I miss having one. OK, so I'll need to get my US Driver's License first, but man do I miss driving my car. I hate taking public transportation in California -- it takes me 3 or 4 times longer than if I had my own ride. It's worse now that I'm done with school and I'm not staying in a place where I'm relatively near most of the places I need to be. I want a caaaar!

2. decent earphones. I just bought some earphones a few months ago but the buds are way too big for my ears. I shoulda gotten the kind that fits over your ear. I hate having to ram the buds in just so they stay in place. My ears feel so sore, afterwards.

3. a nice cellphone. Ever since I ruined my pretty, pink cellphone by giving it an unwanted water bath, I resorted to a basic Nokia phone. Really basic. It does the job -- calls, and texts -- but I miss having a pretty phone I can tinker with. And I'm bothered by the fact that it's so primitive, it totally screwed up my phone book. Now I have to look up people by last name.

4. a DS Lite. Just because.

5. that black hat I saw in Boston. It fit me perfectly. And it looked good, too. I still think about that hat, every now and then. Anyone going to Boston? :P

6. a makeup organizer. One of those clear, plastic tray ones. Just so I don't have my junk all over the place. Right now all my stuff's in a heap in my carry-on luggage.

7. a massage. Technically a service. But I want one.

Oh and while we're talking of services...

8. I want to go back to my TMJ specialist and get head injections again. Please? My TMJ's coming back in full force. Since school ended I no longer have health insurance, and I am not willing to pay $350 a session for weekly TMJ visits. My aching head! And this is actually the reason why I'm writing stupid lists like this one and not going to sleep. I dread going to sleep for the headache I'll eventually wake up with. Ugh.

7th-Nov-2009 08:40 am - "But I remember Boston, and that victory was as sweet as the cream pie for which the town was named.

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-remember-boston-and-that-victory-was.html

OK, I know I'm probably whoring this picture too much but I love it. I love, love, LOVE it. I took a break from my photo editing so I could post in Flickr, tweet about it, and bug people on my Yahoo! Messenger to see it.

This was taken at a park in Boston, Massachussetts.

Current photography goal: that all my future photos end up looking like this, if not better.

6th-Nov-2009 09:48 am - "Green" by Ted Dekker

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.blogspot.com/2009/11/by-ted-dekker.html

Rating: 4/5

"Green" is a story of the end (and a bit of the beginning.) It talks about a world set 2,000 years into the future, where history has repeated itself, and mankind is (once again) approaching the apocalypse. The protagonist Thomas Hunter's son, Samuel, has rallied large numbers of Elyon's increasingly dissatisfied followers into war, Teeleh reappears in full force to poison the hearts and minds of men, and the boundaries between our world and theirs blur. How can Thomas Hunter save his people, and his son, from falling into ruin?

Ted Dekker weaves a tale which is slightly reminiscent of C.S. Lewis' "The Last Battle," except it is much darker, and that he fully explores the emotions and passions of human beings. The characters in his book battle many of the insecurities and doubts we face today -- believers who struggle with their faith: doubting the existing of their God after being dealt with the tragedies of life, questioning previously held tenets of faith under the microscope of rationalism; reveling in one's evil nature; listening to, and ignoring one's conscience; giving in to seduction and temptation; the passions involved in swearing allegiance to good or evil. There is also the issue of relationships -- how Elyon and Teeleh treat their respective followers; how a daughter continues to love a father sworn to kill her kind; how a father continues to search for the son who has led his people to betray him. The book also stresses how the decisions we continuously make define who we are -- there are numerous characters whose very appearances are changed -- from Horde to albino, from Forest Guard to half-breed.

All in all, a well written, fantastic yet realistic tale. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars out of 5 is because I felt that the book provided too many unexplained references to the other books in the series. Yes, I'm aware this is part of a bigger collection, but I kind of wish there was a bit more explanation with some of the events (I ended up Googling parts of it just to answer some of my questions). I guess I'll have to get the rest of the books then to satisfy my curiosity!

==
Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program

4th-Nov-2009 02:21 pm - "If they're anything like Philly, we may never get out alive." -Dawn of the Dead

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.blogspot.com/2009/11/they-anything-like-philly-we-may-never.html

Next stop: Philadelphia!

We had 24 hours to explore the city, which was enough. We made our way to the Philadelphia Museum of Art then walked all the way back to our hostel. We passed by all these places showcasing the rich history of the city -- there were statues, parks, and buildings adorned with plaques proudly trumpeting each place's historical significance.

Went to see the sites related to the American Revolution the next day! While going on tour, YanMei and I couldn't help but comment on how interesting the docents made US history seem. I remember being bored to death during my HeKaSi (what does that stand for again, anyway) classes a decade ago. But here I was, interested as hell at another country's history. 'Course, being surrounded by all the well-preserved buildings and artifacts made the events come alive, cliche as that sounds. But our docents were also so passionate about the subject that I couldn't help but be interested, too! (Made a mental note to check Wikipedia later, but then as time went by the interest waned, so oh well.)

And about pop culture...
1. Has anyone here played the game, "Pepper's Adventure in Time?" I used to love it as a kid! 'Course, I was never patient (or smart) enough to figure it out without a walkthrough, but I adored the game nonetheless. Anyway, in the game, the protagonist (Pepper) gets sent back to Philadelphia during the time of the founding fathers. I kept thinking back to the game as we walked through historic Philly. Hehe.

(Typing it made me want to play the game again, so I just downloaded it and DOSBox so I can relive my Pepper days. Woohoo.)

2. On the bus ride from the Grand Canyon, they showed National Treasure. Couldn't help but feel excited as I saw Nicolas Cage and Co. walk/run/chase/take hostage/gun down in places I'd just been 2 weeks before!

3rd-Nov-2009 02:30 pm - "Why the sudden interest from Washington?" -Alias

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.blogspot.com/2009/11/sudden-interest-from-washington-alias.html

The first stop on my tour was Washington DC! (Well, technically we landed in Virginia, but anyway.) This was the only leg of the trip where we were pretty unlucky with the weather -- it was raining the entire time.* Fortunately, thanks to the numerous free museums, our time indoors was well-spent!

The first thing I noticed about DC was its subway system. So awesome. They looked so sci-fi with a touch of bomb shelter. Haha!

Photos out and about!

* there was actually a solar competition going on. Felt so sorry for them. Scheduling fail!!

2nd-Nov-2009 02:37 pm - "Isaac's gonna want to show us pictures from his vacation so I'm going to get a welcome back cake...

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.blogspot.com/2009/11/gonna-want-to-show-us-pictures-from-his.html

I'm back! Tired, sore, and a year older since my last post. The past few weeks were definitely fun -- I got to set foot in 9 states: Virginia, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Maine, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona. Topped off my vacay by spending Halloween at a rooftop bar overlooking the Las Vegas strip! Now it's November, and it's time to be serious about stuff again.

Stay tuned for more photos!

+++

Backtracking a little -- here are some photos from lunch at a Korean restaurant I went to last October.

10th-Nov-2009 02:22 am - Moving my blog.

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/moving-my-blog/

http://thenextmela.wordpress.com/?p=1033

I finally got annoyed at the lack of customization options here at WordPress, so I moved my blog to The Next Mela @ Blogspot. Same name, now with a nifty new theme.

Please update your links!

(Livejournal RSS feed will be updating shortly to reflect the new URL.)

9th-Nov-2009 03:41 pm - JIN - 5

nomanymore

ourhour

JIN
Episode 5, RAW
Rating: 20.3% XDD!

( last )

Tags:jin

9th-Nov-2009 06:55 am - “What kind of idiot would buy into this materialistic crap?” -American Dad

thenextmela

http://thenextmela.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/what-kind-of-idiot-would-buy-into-this-materialistic-crap-american-dad/

http://thenextmela.wordpress.com/?p=994

I have been wanting a lot of (tangible) things lately.

I’ve been wanting a lot of stuff.

Now is not the time to be wanting stuff, for two very valid reasons. First of all, I have no money. Second, I have no storage space. But, as my good friend Ruby puts it, “you’re filling a void, Mela.” Guilty as charged.

So what do I want? Birthday’s over, but hey Christmas is coming up!

1. a car. Because I miss having one. OK, so I’ll need to get my US Driver’s License first, but man do I miss driving my car. I hate taking public transportation in California — it takes me 3 or 4 times longer than if I had my own ride. It’s worse now that I’m done with school and I’m not staying in a place where I’m relatively near most of the places I need to be. I want a caaaar!

2. decent earphones. I just bought some earphones a few months ago but the buds are way too big for my ears. I shoulda gotten the kind that fits over your ear. I hate having to ram the buds in just so they stay in place. My ears feel so sore, afterwards.

3. a nice cellphone. Ever since I ruined my pretty, pink cellphone by giving it an unwanted water bath, I resorted to a basic Nokia phone. Really basic. It does the job — calls, and texts — but I miss having a pretty phone I can tinker with. And I’m bothered by the fact that it’s so primitive, it totally screwed up my phone book. Now I have to look up people by last name.

4. a DS Lite. Just because.

5. that black hat I saw in Boston. It fit me perfectly. And it looked good, too. I still think about that hat, every now and then. Anyone going to Boston?

6. a makeup organizer. One of those clear, plastic tray ones. Just so I don’t have my junk all over the place. Right now all my stuff’s in a heap in my carry-on luggage.

7. a massage. Technically a service. But I want one.

Oh and while we’re talking of services…

8. I want to go back to my TMJ specialist and get head injections again. Please? My TMJ’s coming back in full force. Since school ended I no longer have health insurance, and I am not willing to pay $350 a session for weekly TMJ visits. My aching head! And this is actually the reason why I’m writing stupid lists like this one and not going to sleep. I dread going to sleep for the headache I’ll eventually wake up with. Ugh.