02/28 - no  it's not a leap year, so today is the last day of the month.  how are you enjoying the day   i had a so-so day.  there were some really good moments, but there were also some law points as well.  .  the good moments were when i hung out @ The Lounge on Campus.  i had a good time catching up w/ some friends inside the room, & having a fun conversation w/ some peeps right outside the room.  later i went down to the restaurant, but i stayed there for only an hour 'cause i had to do the laundry.  since the washing machine @ home is broken, i went to a nearby laundromat.  just when i finished putting the clothes in the machine, my mom called me to say some of my friends came down to the restaurant.  i went down there after the machine stopped.  the boys & i had a fun talk.  thanks for coming down guys !!  i hope you had a nice lunch.  after they left i picked-up my older sis, dropped her off @ home, & then picked-up my bro from school.  then i went back to the laundromat to dry the clothes.  now i'm finally home.  whew, i'm tired.  Thank goodness it's Friday .  i need the rest, but i gotta study for a midterm .


02/26 - my ES 331 midterm was today.  i think  i did quite well.  the grade will by determined by a class curve, so my grade shouldn't turn out too bad.  i'm so tired  now.  studying too much can wipe a person out, & fry their brain .  i gotta go finish a reading assignment, & study for a chapter test for Chinese.  bye bye !!!


02/20 - it's a lovely Sunday morning, & i'm @ home.  my bro is @ the restaurant now, & i'll be going down there in the evening 'cause my older sis is @ a sorority sleep-over.  i've got a 1 midterm this coming Wednesday, & another 1 next week.  it's kinda scary  to know 1/2 of the semester is already over.  i need to work extremely hard now.  besides that, this past Friday Trio, the k-drama that i've been watching on & off finally ended.  aww , that means no more of hot  guy Lee Jung-Jin (pic on the right) on the weekends.  Trio was very good--revolved around the friendships of 3 guys from their beginnings @ 12 yrs. old, through their tumultuous high school days, & the ups & downs of their early adulthood & strained relationships w/ each other.  ain't Lee Jung-Jin good-looking ?!


02/20 - let me share w/ you a very funny .  a couple of nights ago, i was up really late completing my Chinese homework.  no ...that's not the funny  part.  my bro was sleeping , & i had the television on.  the Visa credit card commercial w/ Yao Ming & Yogi Berra came on, & the most shocking thing then happened.  here's how it goes:

[Visa credit card commercial]

yao ming: can i write check?

cashier girl:  yo.

yao ming: yao.

[in my room] my bro: yo!

LOL !  he's sleeping & turns around to shout out yo! w/ perfect timing of the commercial.  oh my gosh, it was frickin' hilarious.  my older sis came running in to my room 'cause she heard it too, & was wondering what he had said.  my bro has been saying all kinds of things when he sleeps .  last time he swore.  i was on the comp & heard F*ck from him as he tossed in his sleep  behind me.  i told my bro 'bout the Yo, & he cracked up.  i guess he's part of the commercial now...LOL !!!


02/18 - i just finished watching the L.A. Lakers-Houston Rockets b-ball game.  i'm soo heated .  yao ming fouled out in the 1st overtime, & he didn't commit a foul!!  he just lifted his arm & the Laker guy who was guarding him started floppin & fell on the ground as if Yao Ming just elbowed him hard.  nice acting dude, you should move onto films after you're done w/ the b-ball career.  ugh !!  earlier he got called for a block on Kobe Bryant when he obviously was in position w/ feet steadily planted when Kobe charged into him...but it worked itself out when Kobe got fouled for a charge on Yao Ming.  the Houston Rockets could've won the game if Yao Ming was still playing .


02/17 - i worked @ the restaurant for most of the morning & afternoon, & it was kinda slow.  therefore, i popped in The Scent of Green Papaya tape in to the VCR.  i had finished watching it the other night, but watched it again w/ my mom hoping i'd understand the storyline the 2nd  time around.  however, i was still left confused .  The Scent of Green Papaya is a vietnamese film that won a cannes film festival award in 1993, & there's not a lot of talking going on during the film.  the background music sometimes overwhelms a scene, & much louder than when the actors & actress spoke.  the girl Mui seemed retarded when she was older, & didn't speak 'til the last couple of scenes in the film.  i have no idea what The Scent of Green Papaya was trying to portray or the message it was trying to send.  there's so much dead air that i sometimes thought i muted the t.v. .  don't waste your time watching  The Scent of Green Papaya unless you wanna see a Vietnamese girlcontinuously clean a house, cook, stare @ her pet crickets, stare @ ants, & clean herself.
Synopsis: Set in the period between the fall of French control & the rise of American aggression in Vietnam, it's the story of a poor rural girl in Saigon whom works for an affluent family trapped in grief.  It begins in 1951 when 10-year-old Mui begins work as a maid, but becomes a substitute daughter to the 1 they lost.  Mui brings hope to the mother & grandmother as she grows in the home.  After the never-do-well father runs away for the 3rd time w/ the family's fortune, they fall on hard times.  Then shifting to 1961 when the family is in desperate straits, the mistress is forced to sell the 20-year-old Mui to Khuyen, a family friend whom she's loved quietly since a child.  Khuyun is an attractive, sophisticated pianist w/ an expensive mistress.  Mui serves him as she has served the family--w/ perfection & silence.  Gradually Khuyen takes notice of Mui, & eventually falls in w/ her.  He teaches Mui how to read & write.  She later becomes pregnant w/ his child.  (found & altered from imdb.com & blockbuster.com)


02/16 - i chilled @ home all day, & it was soo relaxing .  i love snuggling up in my bed on a chilly day watching videos.  i borrowed 3 videos from the library, but spent most of the day watching Miss Congeniality.  i joined my brother, who was already watching Miss Congeniality, in the 2nd half of the movie.  after finishing it, i rewinded the tape & watched it all over.  i love  sandra bullock.  she's so versatile in playing different roles, & 1 of my fav. actresses.  i'm definately adding Miss Congeniality to my fav. movie list.  the storyline was so orignal & hilarious .  sandra is so beautiful, & seeing her w/ bushy eyebrows was so funny !  if you haven't seen it yet, you should.
 Synopsis: A serial killer indicates his next target is the Miss United States pageant, & the F.B.I. decide they must infiltrate the pageant w/ an undercover agent.  The search uncovers no suitable candidate other than agent Gracie Hart.  Her captain reluctantly agrees to let her join the team working the case.  The team is led by agent Eric Matthews, a womanizer w/ an apparent reluctant attraction to Gracie.  Then enters "Gracie Lou Freebush" as the Miss New Jersey replacement when it's discovered the contestant acted in a porn film.  The pageant managers are immediately aghast about an F.B.I. agent appearing in the pageant, but arrange Victor Melling, a pompous top pageant consultant, to give her a quick makeover.  After an arduous conversion, Gracie must play the role of beauty queen w/o blowing her undercover outfit.  When the killer is suddenly caught & everything seems to be over, Gracie's convinced something is still not right.  She discovers the pageant managers are being dismissed after 21 years for younger people, & they may not be as solid as they seem.  (found & altered from imdb.com & blockbuster.com)


02/14 happy valentines day !!!  share the love.  i may not have anyone special to share this day w/, but it's a wonderful time to remind family & friends how much they mean to you.  celebrate the wonder that's called love during these trying times in the world....


02/13 - i found a funny  movie playing on the AMC channel last night--Pillow Talk starring Doris Day & Rock Hudson.  Rock Hudson was so handsome.  too bad he's gay--according to some Hollywood people.  some claim he was bisexual & others claim he was gay.  either way, he died from AIDS years ago.  Pillow Talk must've been a racy movie when it 1st came out.  i was watching it, & the "pillow talk" made references to sex.  i've seen quite a few movies made in the 1950s & 1960s, & none had dialogue close to that.  Pillow Talk was soo funny  & enjoyable.  go check it out.
 Synopsis: Composer Brad Allen & interior decorator Jan Morrow must share a telephone party line.  The 2 take an immediate dislike to each other w/o ever meeting in person.  Jan sees Brad as a playboy who ties up the line constantly making romantic overtures to a variety of women.  Brad sees Jan as a sexually frustrated prude who has nothing better to do than snoop into his private affairs.  Coincidently, Brad's best friend & Jan's boy friend is millionaire Broadway producer Jonathan Forbes.  Jonathan is trying to persuade Jan to become his 3rd wife, & describes her to Brad.  Then Brad recognizes Jan's voice in the booth next to him in a night club, & discovers how attractive she is.  He then devises a plan to seduce her by masquerading as a visiting, virtuous Texan Rex Stetson.  (found & altered from blockbuster.com)


02/12 - let me start off telling you what happened yesterday. after i got home, i was feeling very tired . therefore, i decided to take a nap @ 6 p.m..  i told my bro to wake me up @ 7 p.m., & guess what time i actually woke ???  no  it wasn't 7---it was 10 p.m., & i woke up on my own.  can you believe that ?!  my bro only responded, "oh, i forgot.  hee hee ."  !!!  so i stayed up 'til 3 p.m. finishing my Chinese homework.  then, in the 3 hours i slept  this morning, i had a really strange dream.  after you finish reading it, you're gonna go "what the (fill in blank here)?!!" here's how my dream went: i was @ a jungle themed water/amusement park, & i had an interaction w/ Houston Rockets b-ball player Yao Ming.  then, for some reason unbeknown  to me, i started running away from him because i thought i had done something to pissed  him off.  during the entire dream, Yao Ming never spoke, but chased me feverishly.  running as fast as i could up escalators, down stairs, past rides, & through water w/ Yao Ming not far off--closing in on me w/ a smile .  then my "best friend" Mariah Carey appeared & had me stop running.  when Yao Ming finally caught up w/ me, he was still smiling .  then it suddenly hit me why he was chasing me--not 'cause he was furious  @ me, but that he liked me & thought i was an interesting girl.  so we're standing in front of each other looking into each other's eyes.  the last scene of my dream, which i can remember, is Mariah Carey flirting w/ Yao Ming, & i'm standing right in front of them. that's when i then i woke up. ain't that 1 freaky, weird dream   can you beat that 


02/10 - starting yesterday i've been feeling under the weather. typical flu-like symptoms have been showing up--sneezing, running nose, headache, & a slight cough.  it must be the flu season.  maybe my not feeling well lead me to do something i've never done before.  i bought this week's Sports Illustrated magazine 'cause there's an article 'bout Carl English (& Yao Ming is on the cover--Chinese pride!!). i'm such a weirdo.  i'm not obssessed 'bout Carl.  i wanted to read the mag 'cause it pertains to the UH-manoa men's b-ball team trying for a 3rd consecutive NCAA tournament bid, but the recent road trip & game against SMU has burst the bubble.  the 'Bows are now 6-6 in the WAC, & 1-7 on the road.  i watched the SMU game on the Fox Sports Network, & i was so disappointed. they should've won most of their road games.  they kept slipping up in the last few minutes when their should've wrapped up their win.  Several of the road games were lost by 1 or a couple of points, & they were leading most of the game.  i just don't get it.  the 'Bows play so amazingly @ home, but it's completely the opposite when they go away--they're like Dr. Jekyll & Dr. Hyde. hot @ home, cold on the road. they're finally coming home after a long road trip to play San Jose St. to try extend their 24 consecutive win  @ home. the 'Bows can still get the bid if they win the WAC championship.  Let's Go 'Bows!!!


02/09 - my mom has recently been mentioning that she wants to move to San Diego or somewhere in Cali--meaning i'll be going w/ her if she does.  hmm..life in Cali, i don't know how that'll be.  i'd totally miss all my friends & beautiful Hawaii.  she's floating the idea around (as she often does w/o any results), so i doubt it'll really unfold.  but if the family does move, the chances of me coming back to Hawaii for a visit will be unlikely.  i doubt it'll happen, but you know what's gonna happened .  let me talk 'bout something else now.  i haven't mentioned the korean dramas i've been watching lately.  it's probably 'cause i've been watching  3 1/2 out of 7 dramas, & none have been able to catch my interest that much.  Who's my love? revolved around a family & extended family all living under the same roof, 3 single grandsons pushing 30 or already 30-something finding love & getting married, & the trials & tribulations of family life.  the drama was really funny , but now it's over .  now On The Prairie will be playing.


02/07 - Friday is finally here. i'm exhausted  from school. i've yet to do any of the readings--ain't i pathetic ? luckily the weekend is now here, & now maybe i can get it done.  however, all the talks 'bout war against Iraq are heating up.  what do you think 'bout it ???   the Oprah show has been covering the topic, & it's helping me become more informed 'bout the situation.  i'm beginning to feel that maybe the U.S. should go to war w/ Iraq.  but it's not  just to disarm the nuclear weapons.  i believe the U.S. should go into Iraq to strip its regime of it's power, & help the Iraqis liberate the country.  w/ U.S. assistance, they'll be given the opportunity to shape & form a more democratic & egalitarian government. i don't  want Americans going in to Iraq  & place a puppet government of our own.  the citizens of that country should be given the chance to form a government of their liking that will give equality & freedom  to all.  i've heard enough to know that's what the Iraqis want.  you don't  hear much going around saying that because 1 word against Saddam could land you in prison or even get you killed.  maybe it's time the U.S. pledge fully their willingness for a marathon war which outcomes would weight more than the sacrifice.


02/05 - 2 friends came to the restaurant for lunch. they're such nice guys for dropping by. besides that, my classes went fine.  i did get to watch the last 20 mins. of Thousand pieces of Gold.  i guess i don't have to go rent the video after all.  tonight is a bit unclear for me.  my younger bro got 2  free tickets for the sneak preview of the film Gods & Generals--it's 'bout the Civil War.  however, there's a little problem. the film is rated PG-13, so he'll need an adult to go w/ him. my older sis has a sorority meeting tonight & is still a bit sick.  so i'm left to fill in @ the restaurant (or be on-call), which makes me question : "who's going to go w/ my bro??"  my mom told me to go w/ him, but i'm worried  the restaurant will be busy w/ no one else to go down help.  hmm, what should i do ?  should i go w/ my bro since he doesn't get much opportunities to go out ??  but won't that means i have to turn my back on my parents ??  i don't wanna leave my parents hanging w/ a burden to handle everything when they're tired  & worn-out as is.  help me !!!  *[back from the movies]  i made the decision to go w/ my bro to watch Gods & Generals, but i don't much great things to say 'bout it.  if you walk in to the movie not knowing much 'bout the Civil War, you'll end up watching the 1st half quite confused like me.  i know the Confederates were the Southern states of the U.S., & the Union were the Northern half.  however, it's not explained early on which army is uniformed in which color, & it left me confused & frustrated  during most of the movie trying to figure out who was who.  1 of the main reason the Civil War was fought was because of the slavery issue, yet it's wasn't mentioned until the last hour.  when the issue came up, the 2  characters from the Union army explained it perfectly.  the Civil war didn't  start out as a war against slavery, but the aim & reason for war do change.  the Confederates claimed they fought to protect the state they loved, & to keep President Lincoln from imposing on their way of life.  it doesn't  make sense to fight for independence & freedom, & selectively chose who will receive them.  when you fight for a cause, you fight to get it for all the people.  w/ the title Gods & Generals, i expected a lot of references to God & a strong religious storyline.  but i wasn't expecting the main character to continuosly stop in the middle of a conversation to break out in a prayer, which irritated me. his acting was quite overdramatic.  everytime he spoke, he tried making it sound like a victory speech.  Jeff Daniels' characters had to make speeches to inspire his brigade during a battle too, but his was more solemnly & poeticly done--much more inspiring than someone continously yelling & screaming .  1 good thing i could say 'bout the movie was Robert Duvall was a good Robert E. Lee, & Jeremy London was dashing  in his uniform.  but Robert Duvall didn't  have much screen time, & Jeremy London didn't  have a lot of dialogue.  i spent 3 hours & 40 mins. sitting in a cold theatre to watch  Gods & Generals, & i left unsatisfied.  i'm glad i didn't pay to watch  it.
   Synopsis: The prequel to the 1993 hit 'Gettysburg,' which follows the rise & fall of legendary war hero "Stonewall Jackson" from 1861 to 1863.  It charts the early yrs. of the Civil War, & how the campaigns unfolded from Manassas 1 to the Battle of Fredericksburg.  Illuminated are heroes from both sides of the war.  Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of Maine, a prof. who gave up his academic career to enlist in the Union army, became 1 of the North's finest military leaders.  Confederate General Robert E. Lee, a distinguished veteran of the U.S. Army & native Virginian, was forced to choose between allegiance to his country & loyalty to his home state.  Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was a devoutly religious man whose faith, courage, & audacity made him an outstanding soldier & Lee's most trusted lieutenant.  Also unfolding is the story of the wives & families who were forced to assume responsibility @ home.


02/03 - my ES 331 class watched  a very interesting & good  movie today instead of having to listen to another lecture.  however, i had to find the class 1st in order to watch  it.  there was a switch in classroom today to accomodate the viewing of the movie, but i forgot  that.  i only realized it when i walked to the class finding it empty & dark.  so i turned around & walked toward the Kuykendall building, stopping a classmate on the way to question  the classroom change.  LOL ..he forgot , too.  so we both began walking to Kuykendall, & he stopped another classmate of ours to tell him 'bout the switch.  now there's 3 of us which forgot  'bout the switch & walking towards Kuykendall.  the guys chatted, & i chimed in from time to time (they were cute ), too).  we finally found the class, & walked in to see  the movie already began.  Thousand pieces of Gold starred Rosalind Chao whom was also in The Joy Luck Club.  the class ended before the movie ended .  that sucked .  Thousand pieces of Gold was getting really good @ that point, but i had to go.  i wanna know how it ends.  i guess i gotta go find it @ a video rental place.  i've already check the blockbuster website, but there's no location on this island w/ it.......
Synopsis: A poignant true story of a young Chinese woman torn from her homeland & forced into the frontier of America.  In late 1880s China, young Lalu is sold into marriage by her poor father.  She's transported to the U.S. by a slave trader, Jim (Li Po), whom she develops a crush on. Though conflicted, Jim fulfills his obligation to deliver Lalu to her husband Hong King--a saloon owner who renames her "China Polly" in a Idaho miningtown w/ plans to make her an exotic prostitute. Refusing to become a whore, Lalu works to buy her freedom, & wins the adoration of Charlie--Hong King's white, genial alcoholic partner.  Charlie, a good man when not drunk, is attracted to "Polly."  When Hong King decides to auction his wife to the highest bidder, Charlie wins her in a stroke of luck.  She lives w/ him in fierce chastity. Meanwhile, Jim returns w/ enough money to buy Lalu's freedom in hopes of marrying her & taking her back to China.  When he finds her living w/ Charlie, he considers her hopelessly damaged & abandons his plans. Lalu heartbrokenly continues working w/ hopes of returning to China while brushing off Charlie's affections until after a violent incident casts him in a different light.  Then does Lalu recognizes Charlie's admirable qualities.


02/02 - let's talk about something light-hearted in regard of the event that occurr yesterday morning.  late in the afternoon yesterday i took a 2 hour nap.  wow , i've never slept in the afternoon for soo long before.  then i worked @ the restaurant to fill in for my sick older sis.  when following the tradition of celebrating chinese new year, you're not supposed to work, but we did.   @ least we ate jai--monk food (vegetarian dishes, no meat).  when i finally got home @ 10:45 p.m., i watched  the replay of the UH-Tulsa men's basketball game.  it was a white-out--the people in the nearly sold-out arena wore white t-shirts cheering  w/ white balloons. ain't that cool ?  Hawaii has so much love for it's b-ball team .  it was an exciting b-ball game.  it went in to overtime w/ the UH men's b-ball team coming out victorious 73-67--extending their 24 home game winning streak. now they're going back on the road to try get their 1st road win, hopefully.  now on to the 2003 NFL Pro Bowl game.  it was played today @ Aloha Stadium, but i watched  it on t.v..  2 years ago i attended the Pro Bowl game, & i had an extremely fun  time.  my cousin got the tickets from her bro, & he got it from his boss. his boss couldn't go 'cause she was working, & gave it to him.  he couldn't go 'cause he was working or busy, & gave it to his sis.  since i wasn't doing anything that day she asked me & another friend to the 2001 NFL Pro Bowl. i'm a b-ball & football fan, so going to the Pro Bowl was exciting for me.  i had never gone to an event anything like this.  another perk of going was seeing   Dream & 98 Degrees perform.  our seats @ the stadium were great.  we were in the 1st tier, & not so far from the edge.  wow , was i impressed, but 1 incident kinda sucked.  there were 'bout 4 huge beach balls being tossed around the stadium by the fans.  @ 1st i thought they were cool & fun, but thrice people accident hit my head w/ the ball.  1st, the beach ball hit the back of my head, the next it hit my face.  i laughed  it off the 1st time, but the 2nd  time hurt a little 'cause i was wearing my glasses.  the people sitting around us were laughing  'cause those damn beach balls hit me so many times.  i got a headache  out of it.  overall, it was a nice experience to see  the pro football players & the dancers up close.


02/01 - happy chinese new year!!   xinnian kuaile [mandarin]!!   kung hee fat choy [cantonese]!!  chuc mung nam moi [vietnamese]!! gone is the year of the horse, coming is the year of the ram!! it's that wonderful time of the year again where many Chinese kids will received li see (money put inside red packets for good luck) from parents & adults. as i mentioned earlier, it's now the year of the ram--my younger bro's year.  i'm the year of the boar. i'm popping firecrackers on the right to scare away the evil spirits & cleanse away the bad luck to welcome in good luck for the new year...hee hee . hopefully it'll work 'cause i want a joyous year full of many happiness .     [note: i wrote that a week ago for this page, here the rest of today's entry.]
it's a sad  day in this nation.  i woke up this morning @ 9 a.m. & turned the t.v. on today see  the news talkin' 'bout Israel's 1st astronaut.  it's Saturday morning, there's no morning news on major network channels--i knew something big had just happened.  @ 1st i thought the Israeli astronaunt died of a heart attack or something health-related.  then Brian Williams goes on to talk 'bout the tragic re-entry explosion of the space shuttle Columbia over Texas killing the 7 people onboard.  i was floored .  it reminded me of the Challenger explosion.  though i was not old enough to comprehend the accident @ that time, it came close because 1 of the person onboard was from Hawaii, & 1 of my teachers in elementary had known the family.  the images of the Columbia breaking apart & burning is saddening.  there were also some reports that body parts were found.  can you believe that..?  my heart goes out to all the families of the astronaut.  they truly were heroes putting their life on the line in the name of exploration & science.