Veg

Relaxation has been great these past couple of days. I have been a 'vegetable' like there is no tomorrow. This morning, I woke up, went through my morning routine, went to the batting cages, ran some errands, and bought textbooks for my online class. I came home, and played vids the rest of the day. Productivity is wonderful. Actually, I did get some 'work' done and crossed off several items on my 'watch' list.

I often post about 'beauty' on my blog. Today is no different. 朱茵 [Athena Chu] was born on 10/25/1971 in Hong Kong. She is a beautiful Cantonese actress. I guess it comes as no surprise that one of the ultimate actors in the business, 周星馳 [Stephen Chow], has dated her before. What is 'charisma', what is 'feel'? She has definitely displayed what she is capable of in the way she depicts each character in the various genres.

Latest Viewings:
The Wire: Season 4 (2006)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Conman (1998)

15 Minutes of Fame

Pregame, Chris Ray walking to the Pen.

Jason and I caught two Orioles/Athletics games this past weekend. We suffered through the brutal beat on Friday night, when the Orioles couldn't support Bedard with any runs at all. Today, Jason and I got our 15 minutes of fame. We were very lucky in getting the seats that we got - the very first row in Right Centerfield. How close were we? Well, our 15 minutes of fame depicts us on this evening's Sportscenter/Baseball Tonight. During the BOMB by Nick Markakis, you will see me in blue and Jason in White. We did not lean over to get the ball.

Friday Night:


Today:

Latest Viewing:
The Wire: Season 1 (2002)
The Wire: Season 2 (2003)
The Wire: Season 3 (2004)

Summer

This past Tuesday marked the official end of the the 2007 River Hill Baseball season, as we had our final awards banquet ceremony. I arrived a little late, as I was told the banquet started at 7PM. It turns out that they had a dinner prior to that, so I ended up going hungry that evening. It was good to see the kids again, and I've got to say that their 'gift' for Arin and I was very meaningful. I can't wait till next season~! I am glad that the season is over though - for one, my shoulder feels like it is about to fall off; I've been in pain for a while.

I took my last final of the spring semester yesterday; I am very nervous. This was the class that I needed the grade in, but I am unsure of my performance. It'll be a tight several of days, as I'll be constantly checking my grades in all of my classes. However, I know that I'll be vegging to unwind from being so burnt out. What exactly will I be doing? I'll be watching season 2, 3, and 4 of The Wire. I will be playing XBox. I will be watching all of these NetFlix movies that I've missed out on these past several months. I will be eating junk food. I intend on eating McDonald's and collecting the Shrek cups. I will be a mindless vegetable.

I am not a big fan of 蔡依林 [Jolin]. I remember I was one of the few people that bought her album when she first came out. Why did I buy DON'T STOP? I saw it on MTV, and I thought her girlie CPOP was super catchy. Now, she has exploded, and turned into one of top CPOP stars in Asia. Her transformation has been awkward, to say the least. I remember when she first came out, she was a goodie goodie prepubescent; she attended 輔仁大學 (Fu-Jen Catholic University) and majored in English Literature. For some odd reason, she went from speaking perfect Mandarin to a fake ABC w/ a shady accent. But who am I to judge? She has made millions off of her physical appeal, her nails, and her newly -found cluelessness. Enjoy.

Slacker

I haven't been able to get much work as of late. In fact, I essentially slacked off for a second day in a row. I don't know what is wrong; being burnt out is rather frustrating. 我就完全沒有鬥志 - I'm completely unmotivated to do anything at the moment. I've got to pick it up though, the days are limited and counting down.

I spoke to my cousin, Chris, for a little bit today, catching up for the first time in a long, long time. While she may have been joking, her indirect, unintentional rib-poking probably hit it on the spot when she summed me up to be a 'hopeless romantic' after reading my latest blog entry. I was watching more episodes of 我愛黑澀會 that I haven't seen (accumulated). One of the episodes discussed Valentine's Day, and the most memorable V-Day they've 慶祝... No matter the prejudice that you all have of me in the way I treat women and relationships, it struck me that I've never spent any 'major' holiday with a girlfriend (birthday, VDay, holidays). I may have 'commitment issues' or I may just be horrendous in terms of relationships... Whatever the case may be, 我覺得很妙.

In any case, I can't get enough 卓文萱 (Genie Chuo)... Do you guys get a little Lena Park Vibe from her? So here you all go:

Oh, you better believe there is more... From one of their live appearances:

Work it, Play-YA.

P.S. Golden: 為什麼你還是不言不語?

One More Step

I took my second final earlier this morning. That means... I've got one last paper and one last final to take before I am finished with this Spring semester. After taking the exam, I grabbed the Grinch's Special from The Sandwich Nazi. I chilled the rest of the day after mowing the lawn. I figured I'll give myself the day off, considering I've essentially been burnt out for 2 weeks now.

Okay, I actually just wanted to put in a quick post... During this day off, I've watched several episodes of 我愛黑澀會, catching up on all of the episodes that I haven't had the chance to watch. I get to the one that showed on 1/22 and was just blown away. The topic of the show was 'The Top KTV Love Songs of 2006" and the special guests were 曹格 (Cao Ge) and 卓文萱 (Genie Chuo). Now, we all know how great 曹格 (Cao Ge) is, especially w/ his mentor/buddy being one with a great voice as well (光良 [Michael Leung]. But w/ 卓文萱 (Genie Chuo), the last time I heard her sing, I didn't think too much of it, nor did I think too much of her looks. Being a celebrity, I figure I would've figured one to be more marketable. I guess she has proven me wrong, as her hit with 曹格 (Cao Ge) is absolutely amazing. Oh, and she is looking gorgeous too. ^_^

The song is called 梁山伯與茱麗葉... How do I translate this into English? How about... The Butterfly Lovers Romeo & Juliet style?

Sing along:

曹：我的心想唱首歌給妳聽　歌詞是如此的甜蜜
　　可是我害羞　我沒有勇氣　對妳說一句我愛你
卓：為什麼你還是不言不語　難道你不懂我的心
　　不管你用什麼方式表明　我會對你說我願意
曹：千言萬語裏　只有一句話能表白我的心
卓：千言萬語裏　只要一句話就
合：能夠讓我們相偎相依
曹：我愛妳　妳是我的茱麗葉(卓:茱麗葉)
　　我願意變成妳的梁山伯
合：幸福的每一天　浪漫的每一夜
卓：把愛不放開
曹：因為　Ｉ　ｌｏｖｅ　ｙｏｕ
卓：我愛你　你是我的羅密歐(曹:羅密歐)
　　我願意變成你的祝英台
合：幸福的每一天　浪漫的每一夜
　　美麗的愛情祝福著　未來

Here was the version I watched on the show:



I love Live versions:



And Another:



Now go out there and grab your loved ones.

...The End...

I've been meaning to update since Monday afternoon, but I've just been so busy as of late. I decided to take some time this morning to put in a new post. This past Monday, Arin and I traveled with Varsity to Centennial. We lost to the Eagles, 8-3. It was a very bad way to start the game by leaving 3 on base in the very first inning. It definitely was worse to have four errors in the very next inning. After the game, the Becraft's warmly opened their home to the whole team - we had burgers and dogs. It was rather difficult for me, especially to see the seniors go out the way they did. It is one thing to be 6-14, and while I spent a limited amount of time w/ them, I know for sure that it sucks when you are not having fun playing a sport that you've been playing since you were five or six years old. Then... what is worse is when it all comes crashing to a disappointing end. They are a great bunch of kids, and I hate to see them hang their heads. I know that feeling of 'letdown', as it did hit me really hard after our loss to Damascus in the State Semi-Finals in 2000. Yet, looking back, the memories of having so much fun will always be with me. It has been a great experience this season, I hope to return next year to build upon the foundation we have set. "Goodbye and Good Luck" to those 7 seniors.

I seriously doubt that 孫燕姿 [Stefanie Sun] eats Steak-Flavored Lays Potato Chips like a champ. But no matter... She is golden. I've booked several parts of my August trip. First, my airplane ticket to Asia is locked. I'll be flying Singapore Airlines on 8/1 and getting to Taipei on 8/3, and will be returning to the United States on 8/16/17. Has anybody flown SA as of late? I also booked to stay at the JW Marriott in Bangkok from 8/5 - 8/9. This should be interesting. Is it crazy that I am spending $1300 on my plane ticket to Taiwan and then $100+ for a haircut? Every time I go back to Taipei, I always go to this guy to work on my hair. He has never ceased to amaze me. I've got to be sure to let him know that I am going to become a teacher and can't be having any crazy haircuts. Oh, the shampoo wash and massage by one of his many beautiful assistants doesn't hurt either.

I am burnt out from school. Another week of this and I will finally have some days off. Then, the intensity is surely to turn up, as the Master's program will begin. I"ll be in class from 9-6 from Mondays - Thursdays. I am looking forward to finally starting this career change. A year from now, hopefully, I will be having a classroom of my own.

Okay, the last thing for this entry... I find 吴克群 (Kenji Wu) - 男佣 (Man-Servant) to be absolutely hilarious. Before I get into my point, I wanted to ask all of the Korean readers out there... what are they saying in the beginning of the Music Video? Okay, watch the MV, and although the entire song is talking about how he is willing be the toolbag of his girl's life... The MV depicts an entirely different story - in the end, it is as if he used 'Man-Servant' as a ploy to show just how much he is a condescending, chauvinist player. HOLLA.

Memories

It looks as if I will need to scratch Bali off of the list as a sub-trip when I go back to Taiwan. Everything is either super booked (Four Seasons) or super-duper expensive (Ritz-Carlton). I have been an idiot. I just found out that they are commemorating the Prophet Muhammed during the days that I would like to visit. With Chris not joining me, and being a better overall value, I will seriously consider Bangkok now.

Today, Arin and I joined Varsity in going to Long Reach for a 4PM game. The game was very exciting - it was 1-1 going into the 7th inning. In the top of the 7th, we were able to score 2 runs and jump on top. Thacker threw a complete game, closing out the Lightning in the 7th with a strikeout. Since March 1st, this has been the first time I've seen some giddy-up, some happiness in these kids' eyes. All game long, I kept reminding them to keep their heads up, to never forget to have fun, to remember and cherish all of 'this'. I hope they never forget. Memories. Isn't that all we carry w/ us to our graves?

Speaking of graves... I took the night off from work and watched Shanghai Triad. Aside from the classics, (Grace Kelly [Rear Window, Dial M for Murder] and Ingrid Bergman [Casablanca, Murder on the Orient Express]), there is no actress out there on the same level as Gong Li. She is absolutely amazing. Lets see... of her films, I've seen:

Curse of the Golden Flower
2046
Shanghai Triad
The Story of Qiu Ju
Farewell My Concubine
Raise the Red Lantern
God of Gamblers III

Latest Movie:
Shanghai Triad (1995)

Oldness

My cousin, Chris, has decided that she would like to spend her 21st birthday in the States; thus, I shall be going back to Taiwan on my own in August. I purchased my airplane ticket the other day, and will be flying Singapore Airlines. This will be my first time flying Singapore Airlines, I have expectations, so this better be a good ride. I'll be leaving BWI on 8/1 and getting to TPE on 8/3. I still plan on doing some traveling while I am in Asia. With Chris choosing not to join me, I'm starting to lean toward The Oriental in Bangkok. However, I still have the Ritz-Carlton in Bali in sight. Like I said before, this may be the last home-run I hit for a long, long while, I'll be sure to enjoy this one. Jason and his brother will be in Taiwan at the time as well, so we'll be sure to check out either Room 18 or Luxy.

Arin and I have been helping out with Varsity, since our season ended on Monday. I've been very happy, having the chance to bond w/ these group of guys, hopefully teaching them a thing or two. Unlike some of the clueless, youthful eyes of JV, these Varsity players are so eager to learn and be better. It is amazing the difference a year or two can make in a teenager. I guess I'll be Bench Coach #2 when tomorrow comes around where we play 4pm at Long Reach. They are actually a great bunch of kids, I can only wish them the best. As great as classics are (see above: 王祖賢), oldies like me just fall behind in talent and physical ability. I can only pass down experiences.

I'm still hanging in there with the school part. I took my first final today, finishing Political Science 101. Let's get lucky, and see if I passed the course w/ the needed 'B'. I have two papers to complete this upcoming weekend, so it looks to be jammed packed reading and writing. It is Mother's Day weekend, so don't forget to show all of the mothers out there that we care. I'll buy a pony. Just kidding.

Plenty of movies and extraneous enjoyments await me, have to bang out this school work and go get what I've earned.

...Like I Said...

Today was our last game of the year. We defeated Wilde Lake 11-1, ending with the slaughter-rule in the 5th inning. I was out of it the entire game. I don't know what was wrong w/ me today. It all seemed like a blur to me - the entire season just passed by me. Finishing my first coaching season at 13-4 was positive; although, I would've traded any of these wins for the chance in making sure our players increased their baseball IQ, have them be ready for Varsity. Ultimately, the end of today's game was rather bittersweet, I don't think I am ready for the season to end just yet.

I am studying hard for my upcoming finals. I have a final and a paper due this week, I have a final and a paper due next week, and I have a final and a paper due the week after that. Thus, a very nice pattern we have here - I don't foresee any scheduling problems, as long as we stay on schedule. Unless disrupted by any unforeseen circumstances, I look to be visiting New York City 5/25 - 5/27. If I am unable to use any of these 'frequent' points, I would like to stay at The Alex. We shall see.

Okay, I have made a decision. I will be going back to Taiwan from 8/1 - 8/16. If things plan out, I will also be going to Bali, for either 4 days/3 nights or 5 days/4 nights and staying at either the Four Seasons Spa/Resort or the Ritz-Carlton Spa/Resort. This looks to be my last 'glamorous' vacation for a long, long time. I hope I will be able to enjoy this one. If I am lucky, maybe I will get a chance to help my cousin celebrate her 21st birthday in style. If not, then I look to get away from civilization and actually breathe.

I look forward in having this view in August:

Like I said... The movie was golden:

好感 覺

I feel numb right now. I am in a state of shock, an intense emotion that I have not felt since watching 'Old Boy'. After finishing up a report on Alexander the Great, I decided to treat myself, and wind down to a movie. This evening, I watched 傷城 [Confession of Pain], starring 梁朝偉 [Tony Leung], 金城武 [Takeshi Kaneshiro], and 舒淇 [Shu Qi]. While 傷城 [Confession of Pain] is not as perverted as 'Old Boy', the combination of quality acting and an exciting plot line leads to a brilliant movie. I am not quite sure why I can't feel anything right now. Is it because I am not surprised that such a thing is possible? Have I been desensitized from such dramatic media? Am I a victim of the so-called 'Unfortunate Reality of Life'? Whatever the case may be, I strongly recommend this movie. Bear in mind, this isn't a film for those with a weak stomach - imagine the combination of 無間道 (Infernal Affairs, or The Departed, for all of you American Folk) and Se7en.

'痛苦是必然的'

I have made it known that I am only a Yankees fan for 7 innings every 5th day. Today, I was a Bronx fanatic for 8 innings. 王建民 (Wang Chien Ming) almost threw a perfect game today. It is good to see him back on track, collecting his first win of the season. My dad and my brother are huge New York Yankees fans. Needless to say, they give me grief about this allegiance factor. The word, 'traitor', gets thrown around much, I can guarantee that.

It looks to be a super busy two weeks for me, as I am finishing up this semester. I am looking forward in going to visit the hoodlums in New York City for the weekend of 5/25 - 5/27. Who knows? I may go for an extra day, we shall see. It also looks as if I will be going back to Taiwan for my August vacation. The dates look to be somewhere around 8/1 - 8/16. I plan on squeezing a weekend vacation in Bali. As of right now, I am weighing my options between the spa/resort at the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton. I ended up deciding to scratch Thailand off the list, as I don't think I am quite ready for such exoticism, at least not quite yet. If all goes according to plan, I will be taking my cousin on this trip - she will be turning 21 on this vacay, so that should be huge.

Latest Movie:
Confession of Pain (2006)

天長地久

These past several days have been rather eventful. We had our last team practice of the year on Thursday afternoon. Instead of a regular practice, we played kickball. It has been a long, long time since I last played kickball. Subsequently, I went 0-3 w/ 3 flyouts. Our team lost to Coach Arin's team, 4-0. After the game, the kids thought I was joking around when I said, "Get on the Line." I couldn't hold my chuckle in, as I knew they would think I wasn't serious about conditioning, considering we had just played an hour of kickball. The look on the kids' faces could definitely have been classified as a "Kodak" moment. 'HUH?'

On Friday, we played Long Reach. Prior to the game, we had two players pulled up to Varsity. We also decided that we would start most of the kids that hadn't played much all year. We got off to a solid start, 7-0 by the 3rd or 4th inning. Albeit, there were some very embarrassing mental errors throughout these beginning innings. Long Reach made a valiant comeback by the 4th inning or so; that was when we put two of our starters back in. We closed out the game with a win, 7-5.

After the game, I came home to shower and headed right back out. I met up with Jason at Chicken Out, and carpooled into Baltimore for the Orioles game. We stuffed ourselves, starting off with a Pit Beef Platter from BOOG's. We continued with Pistachios, Nachos, and Pretzels. Those jalapeños were trouble last nite - SUPER HOT. I can't recall the last time I ate like that at the ball park.

I am a huge Brian Roberts fan. He is listed as 5'9" 180 pounds. I doubt this exaggerated roster figure is true. I would like to think that he is exactly what I would like on TV, should I have been fortunate enough to ever make it on the big screen - 5'7" 175. Last night's game was absolutely amazing! I had no idea that there are so many gorgeous women in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Left, right, top, down... ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM. Oh, the game was great too - Nick Markakis had a walk-off single to drive in the winning run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning. Here are some pictures of BRob, from our seats in the Left-Field Upperdeck.

The drive home was brutal though. The State Government decided it would be cool to turn 4 lanes into 2 lanes on a weekend evening, following a game. It took me almost an 1.5 hours to get home. Super Tired. The Orioles are 2-0 when Jason and I attend their games.

就算是這個世界
把我拋棄
而至少快樂傷心我自己決定
所以我說
就讓它去
我知道潮落之後一定有潮起　
有什麼了不起

生日快樂

It isn't everyday that we are fortunate to live and feel with our hearts. Most of us allow each day to pass without fully delving deep into our souls, to 'touch' existence. I've had constant reminders in the importance of living as of late - on top of the usual family and friends, I've read a great book, teach baseball to a group of wonderful kids, and every once in a while... I'll wind down to a movie. I haven't seen as many movies as I would have liked so far this year; however, I've got to say that the ones that I have seen have not let me down at all. Tonight was no exception. Throughout the movie, I felt that the role of 古天樂 (Louis Koo) was too weak, that the movie would turn out to just be another typical Hong Kong sob-story of disappointing acting. But the ending really sums it all up. 劉若英 (Rene Liu) was right on point, as she was in 天下無賊 (A World Without Thieves). I've seen several of her movies now, and have been impressed every time. I take back what I blogged about earlier, in that the Twins are able to be 'in the role' as any of the classic actresses. They are no where near Rene. Her acting in this movie was an absolute poignant and rousing performance. She is amazing. Grab a box of tissues, get 'a-hold' of your loved ones, and cozy down to an emotional tear-jerker for 107 minutes.

小小

I finally finished my reactionary paper on National Security today. I slacked off last night, and completely quit to go to bed. I don't know how I had the audacity to go to bed at 9:23 PM last night, but I did it, and it felt great. I had a nightmare, woke up around 5:15 to wash my face, and then went straight back to bed. I slept for another several hours, before waking up at 7 AM. Beauty sleep is golden.

I received a phone call from the Director of my MA program today during practice. I think I might have a shot to go GUNG-HO on this 1-year program. I'll call her tomorrow morning. Cross your fingers and kiss your lucky stars for me.

Okay, so while I was intelligently distracting myself earlier this morning, I came across some pictures online. Now, when I was blogging on Xanga years ago, I wrote about the "!YAY!" sign that all Asians do in their photos. Now, I don't know if it is evolution or free will, but the poses have become more elaborate.

The "!YAY!" will be used to accentuate the mouth/lower facial area:

...place more emphasis on the eyes/upper facial area:

Of course, on a solo shot, the "!YAY!" just isn't good enough. Does innovation work in this case?

What happens in a 2-person shot when one goes "!YAY!" and the other one 心機重 and tries to throw a cute pose? You tell me:

In a multi-person shot, does the "!YAY!" captivate the audience?

What happens when you add 2 older dudes in the back, doing the "!YAY!"? (黑人 [Left] used to ball on the national team and 藍波老師 [Right] is probably the best dance teacher in Taiwan):

Or how about throwing in an ABC in there? LA BOYZ, Machi member, 黃立行 Stanley Huang:

Yet, in the end... We realize that we have too much time on our hands, and that we really only love 台妹:

小小的戰鬥力可以翻越幾個丘
小小的一顆心可以承載多少痛
小小的這雙手可以握住什麼夢
小小的鞋缺一個口小心的向前走
我走到海邊看浪花翩翩
我在我小小世界哼著一首歌
抬起頭睜開眼星星堆滿天
1 2 3 嗯嗯嗯 會不會實現
深呼吸閉上眼風偷吻我的臉
嗯嗯嗯 4 5 6 某人在心裡面

Latest Movie:
生日快樂 [Happy Birthday] (2007)