Secret Appreciation

Just taking a short break because I'm way tired this morning. As I was sitting, staring out the window of Dunkin' Donuts on the corner of Hudson, sipping blue-collar coffee and eating my breakfast sandwich, my mind wandered. I thought of the dream I had yesterday. I won't go into detail but sometimes my dreams really surprise me. The random people that pop up in them and the mock/semi-real situations that occur. I'm always left wondering what my subconscious reveals about what I really think and feel and how reliable these revelations are.

As I marveled at all the early morning dog-walkers and avid joggers, I started pondering what the common thread was in the people I've loved. I asked myself a simple question: How did I come to love this person? I came to the conclusion that it has to do with having one unique, secret appreciation of this person that no one else was privy to. I saw a hidden side of his personality, an inner world, or a specific trait no one else could perceive or value. I don't think I've ever verbalized these points to any of them. Perhaps I myself, didn't even know.

It reminds me of that movie, "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton." Pete, who loved Rosalee remarked on his secret appreciation of her:

"Like do you know she has six smiles? One when something really makes her laugh. One when she's making plans. One when she is laughing out of politeness. One when she is uncomfortable. One when she is making fun of herself. And one when... she's talking about her friends. "

It doesn't have to be a behavior but maybe a characteristic no one else recognizes. I can think of several examples actually. Anyways, you get the point. Ok, enough sentimental shit. We're going out to lunch and enjoying the rest of this beautiful day. A nice meal sitting out in the sun is in order. =)

Quote of the Day - 3.30.06

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

- Barry LePatner

"Experience is the toughest teacher because she gives the test first, and then the lesson."

-Unknown

Disturbingly Heartwarming

I'm just a "blogging machine," that's what Mark just said to me. Ha. Not really. It's just that at 7:45 am and you get into work, what do you feel like doing but check email, read the news, drink your coffee...and maybe lay a few thoughts down on the good ol' blog.

Man, I know it's supposed to be nearly 70 degrees today but it sure didn't feel like it. Super chilly in the morning...well, perhaps it's because we didn't have hot water this morning and I had to take a cold shower. Ugh. I miss my apartment plumbing. The one in my house just ain't reliable.

So it's totally like twilight zone going into work and then returning home these days. Dad picks me up, Mom's got dinner ready, and Lynnie's doing "homework." We collectively eat around the living room, play with Dusty & Pepper, shoot the shit, and then eat some more (Mom's always slicing some fruit). Then we each retreat to our rooms and visit each other intermittently to lament about our day or postulate about what will happen in our lives.

Something about these familiar rituals is so comforting. Just to have everyone under one roof again. Where else can you find the same solace? Who else can you abhor at the same time but secretly like spending time with -- other than your family? I tell you, absence makes the heart grow fonder. You appreciate all the things that used to be, all the daily routines -- whether they are disturbing or heartwarming...or a little bit of both. ;)

Auspicious Eclipse

This morning, the Sun and Moon formed an auspicious eclipse. It was supposedly visible from all of Africa and Europe. However, no eclipse was seen from North America since the event ended here before moonrise. So why care about an eclipse?

Noted astrologer, Eric Francis writes:

"...As with all eclipses, the effects will radiate out for months or even years. The theme is about noticing the mental and emotional patterns that keep us trapped in negative patterns in our personal relationships. It's often amazing what we don't see, and equally wonderful how easy it is to make a difference in our own lives when we do take a look. Letting go of the past begins with acknowledging how we really feel, then speaking from our hearts to the people who matter the most."

Quote of the Day - 3.29.06

"Holy crap, you are so good you scare me. I’ll get you you specific comments but I am really blown away by the quality of this."

--J.Nolan, my boss on my analysis. I am completely awed by his kudos....it totally made my day!!! =) (Thx Jeff! Glad I got it in writing! ;)). I think all managers should motivate via positive re-enforcement. I'm lovin' working for SAP, it has great people. ;)

Tattoo Announcement

Rob has decided that in lieu of carrying around pictures of Max (since we're always asking), he will officially tattoo "Max" and "Holly" across his chest. However, I think perhaps a more refined version should be considered. Rob, you can class it up by taking the traditional big anchor tattoo (see left pic) and adorn it with Max and Holly's faces. =)



(Hey Rob, don't blame me...you asked to be on my chocolate blog!) ;)

Thought of the Day - My Job

It's pretty strange that I do what I do for a living. I'm often asked by girlfriends of mine, how the heck it is that I manage to discuss software product strategy and technology platform issues when I barely know what a RAM or bit or byte is. How is it that I got here? Shouldn't I be consulting companies on beauty products or something? Yes, I do know everything and anything about makeup and personal beauty products...all the niche lines and what each ingrediant is supposed to do, etc. And why do I pay attention to such details? I guess I find it interesting. But it is only one form of specialized knowledge -- there are many other forms and I guess enterprise software expertise is one that just fell into my lap. Much of what I talk about is seemingly abstract. I've never even touched or seen a lot of the software I consult on, yet I know much about what they're supposed to do and what their benefits are. I guess this role is not fit for someone who must touch and feel the things they command. It's almost having faith in the fact that if you are thorough enough, smart enough, and humble enough...you can learn everything you need to know to make a proper recommendation. Just today, I was thinking..."this is crazy that I am talking about the right approach for providing data schemas and data objects when I can barely explain what they are." It's an oddball job. But it's interesting and different all the time. I think I am lucky to have found this. There are many other things that are way more mundane. I like knowing things you need time and patience to develop. I like accumulating concepts and ideas to eventually build a hypothesis and frame of reference. Anyone can read about personal products in a catalog and gain consumer knowledge but knowing why SAP may win the war against Oracle by applying slowly accrued expertise to creative scenarios is how I earn a living. To me, it is less "mundane" even though to many people it may sound monotonous, geeky, and boring.

Quote of the Day - 3.24.06

"Toughen up, Buttercup!"

-Greg Trumbell - Kelly's weatherman, as she whines.

The Best Fra Diavolo

This is fast turning into a food blog! But then again, "Kosin loves to eat"... so there!

So last night, Z and I went to Giacomo's in the South End. Since it's nearly impossible to get into the North End location, I always wanted to try this second outpost. And it did not disappoint. What was disappointing was that they are a cash-only establishment. Oy, trying to decide between getting an appetizer or dessert was challenging. But I was willing to stay and wash dishes, or rather ditch Z and he can do it. ;)

The signature dish at Giacomo's is the linguine Fra Diavolo with seafood- either half a lobster with mussels and clams or just calamari with shellfish and shrimp. Either way, you can't go wrong...except eating a lobster is pretty messy and if you're like me, unless you're tackling twin lobsters, no way are you donning a bib. Always, always pick the Giacomo sauce to go with it! It has a hint of bechamel sauce in it to give the plain old marinara some texture and also some spices to give it a kick. We also got lobster ravioli. Now, we're talking lobster ravioli with big chunks of lobster in them. Sorrowfully, it sat in a very very creamy garlic sauce --- oh, about half a pint of heavy cream I would say. Not good for the waistline...definitely for sharing.

Now let's backtrack to appetizers. The fried calamari is pretty darn good. It's easy to make bad calamari but theirs is soft with a buttery crust...and the fried sweet peppers made it that much better! They also have a great spinach salad with goat cheese and walnuts and of course, carmelized onions. Reminiscent of the spinach salad at Maggiano's, which I actually prefer.

Ok, so we didn't know if we had enough money for dessert and coffee but decided to splurge. I got a chocolate mousse cake...it was decent but I would probably try something else next time. Now the coffee was really rich and dark...even the decaf! You know why? Because it's Lavazza coffee. I need to get me some of that for the long work days. Anyhoo, so there. Giacomo's continues to impress...but good luck finding parking nearby! =)

Quote of the Day - 3.22.06

"Hold on to what is good, even if it is a handful of earth. And hold on to what you believe, even if it is a tree which stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, even if it is a long way from here. Hold on to life, even when it is easier to let go. Hold on to my hand, even when I have gone away from you."

Pueblo Verse

Quote of the Day - 3.21.06

"To the world you are someone, but to someone you are the world."

Unknown

Quote of the Day - 3.22.06

This is why I don't go into the office =) ...

"The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning, and does not stop until you get into the office."

-- Robert Frost

Quote of the Day - 3.20.06

Q U O T E D

"I find it hard to believe anyone in charge of a bus capable of carrying 50 people would be safe driving with a PSP on their knees."

-- One of British bus driver Steve Allcock's terrified yet understated passengers, who heard sounds of screams and mayhem coming from the driver's seat and realized the man at the wheel was also playing "Grand Theft Auto" on a PlayStation Portable on his lap. Allcock got the sack.

Ramblings of an Insomiac

It's 4:15 in the morning and I feel like rambling. I guess this is the cathartic part of keeping a blog. Just got back home, it was flurrying a bit...so damn cold and windy these days. Don't feel like doing much. Kinda wanna crawl into bed and hibernate. Sigh. I wish I can run away again and go on vacation somewhere. Not even vacation, just a mental and emotional escape I suppose. Maybe even live someone else's life for a while. Wouldn't that be nice? Live in someone else's shoes for a change? Perhaps I just need a different environment...that or a portal into the future; sometimes I wish I could fast forward my life by 5 years or so, even 10 years. They always say you're at top form when you're 40. That's when you've got everything together and you know exactly who you are and what you value. Life has a purpose and you've found all the magic in living it fully. Right now is all experimentation and figuring things out and stumbling around a lot. I suppose the key is to have more fun while you're doing it. I mean seriously, some people never stop. I guess as long as I'm incrementally wiser and the better for it, that's good enuff.

Lucky Cat

We took our cat, Pepper to the vet this week and it was very very sad. Her cancer came back and she also developed a limp in her right leg. My mom was extremely worried. She was carrying Pepper around all day from couch to bed to food bowl like she was an invalid. Somehow, I don't think she would give my Dad the same treatment when he gets sick again. So Dr. Guzmorino said it's up to the family to decide whether to operate again. She's nearly 13 years old. I can't believe we've had her and Dusty for so darn long. It doesn't feel like it. The doctor could not stop marveling at how Pepper survived for 3 years after the last surgery since mammary cancer in cats are pretty fatal and life expectancy is like a year post-surgery. He kept calling her a "lucky cat"...though my Mom was like, "what's lucky about having cancer???" She's right. I guess it depends on whether the cup is half empty or half full. It'll be a sad day when she passes. It's like losing a family member. I mean seriously, when I called the doctor's office, I was leaving a voicemail and I didn't know whether to call her "Pepper Huang" or what. Anyways, at least Dusty is still a picture of health. That's the cup half full part.

Clay Pot Salmon Rice

Yesterday, I went to En Japanese Brasserie, a very hip West Village Japanese tapas place right around the corner from our Morton St. office. I passed by in the morning and then looked it up on Zagats. It seemed pretty interesting, not your typical Japanese sushi place. Indeed, it was because I finally finally found this dish I've been searching far and wide for. It was an entree called Clay Pot Salmon and Salmon Roe Over Rice. I remember an episode of Iron Chef years back when I saw Morimoto mixing up this homey concoction. It looked so simple, yet so divine! My mouth was watering as I searched the Internet for a similar recipe. All of them seemed pretty complicated and none was exactly what I was looking for. Then lo and behold, I happen upon this gem of a restaurant. They actually took 40 minutes to prepare it. It's a similar concept to those clay pot rice bowls they serve in some Chinese places. But this was so fragrant and light and the salmon roe added just the right touch of sweet saltiness to the light salmon rice.

We also had this homemade yufu-tofu that only comes out in timed increments (noted on the menu) so that if you arrive at the right moment, you can order yourself a freshly made bowl of tofu drifting in soy milk that you then pour a special soy sauce over. I was afraid it would be just like the tofu pudding you get at dim sum or on the corner of Grand St. in Chinatown for 2 bucks. But it was a different experience that I appreciated. We also had braised pork belly with garlic rice and beef tataki (I love raw beef). For dessert, we had a sweet potato sundae. It was interesting -- sweet potato with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with black sesame seeds and chocolate syrup. Actually the black sesame seeds made the whole thing come together, surprisingly so. Anyhoo, after that I was stuffed but now I'm ever more determined to find a good recipe for this salmon rice dish. Or perhaps it's easier to just go back to the restaurant?? My cooking aspirations seem to only remain that -- aspirations. =)

Quote of the Day - 3.14.06

Q U O T E D

"While about 39% of respondents of both sexes said they wear sweats while working from home, 12% of males and 7% of females wear nothing at all."

-- Sonicwall's survey finds that "casual day" is celebrated more frequently by telecommuters

Finicky FreedomTunes

I thought this was interesting. I guess globalization really does mean American companies have to play nice. They just don't play nice in their own backyard. Only when China and France step in do they all buckle.

iTunes to be rebranded "FreedomTunes" in France: The French are testing Steve Jobs' patience again. The French government has proposed a bill, known as the Author's Rights Law, that would require digital music merchants like Apple's iTunes to provide songs for sale in a digitized format that is compatible with all music players, rather than just their own, like the iPod. Parliamentary debate on the legislation is scheduled to end Thursday, with a vote to follow soon after. Should it be voted into law, Apple -- which has steadfastly refused to open up Fairplay (see "Actually, sir, on the "pigheadedness" issue, our polls show you ahead") -- will be forced to make a tough decision: peddle digital music files without the DRM scheme, or abandon the French version of the iTunes Music Store altogether.

You Can Take Me Out of BK But You Can't Take the BK Outta Me

Ok, so I've had to totally adjust my own self-perception. I was told yesterday that I have a very obvious and distinct accent when I speak. Apparently, it is what someone noticed about me upon first meeting me (that and my unique name) and supposedly, it left quite an impression. And what accent might this be? Why, it is the highly coveted accent everyone tries to mimic -- a half New Yawk and half Chinese accent. I was extremely stupified and vexed upon hearing this observation. "What? I don't have an accent!" "What?? You think I sound like a Chinese take-out waiter???" (That was my initial reaction). I got a couple of "Oh, no! Not a Chinese waiter! Oh no! I meant no offense!" Yeah right! That's a very flattering compliment. So I was like ok, now I've got to ask other people whether I talk funny! So I go and ask Lynnie who was like "Oh yeah, you talk in a Kosin-accent. I've always known that it's half New York, half Chinglish." Ugh! Then she proceeded to point out specific words I say incorrectly. I was like "Shit! I've been a NY FOB all along and no one bothered to tell me!" Oy vey! (Oh yea, I live near some Hasidic Jews too) ;)

Bathroom Decorum

This weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of using my first bidet. (A bidet, in case you are wondering is a suped-up toilet). I was at Cha-an, a Japanese teahouse around St. Marks and I have to say, the tea and desserts were just ok...but the bathroom rocked.

Upon arriving inside the room, the toilet cover automatically raised itself for me. Intrigued, I studied the manual next to the Japanese bidet. It looked awfully complicated. But nevertheless, I was up for the challenge. I picked "front wash" (instead of uh-hum..."rear wash") and it starts making a low grumbling noise and suddenly I felt this trickle of warm water gushing against me. It was SO ticklish. Then it would NOT stop! I finally realized after several minutes you have to manually hit "stop."

Finally returning to my table, I was all giggles and full of stupid excitement. My companion, Jeremy, was like "what the heck happened??" So I described in great detail and declared that I must, I must have a bidet in my future house. To not have one is just backwards. Jeremy nodded emphatically in agreement, "Yes, Americans are such neanderthals! How do they live!" ;) I highly recommended that he take a trip to the loo. But to his disappointment, there was NO bidet in the men's room! Shocking! Well, I suppose it makes sense. =) So he snuck a peek in the ladies' room before we left. Then I learned that when he went to Japan, apparently there was another button on those bidets where you can have it continually flush, the purpose of which is to mask the sound of an embarrassingly loud #2 since Japanese walls are so thin.

Anyways, so that's my bathroom story and no, it was not the highlight of my weekend...but it was close! hehe.

Goodbye Pastey Skin...Ok, Not Really (I'm Hiding Under the Umbrella)

Mi Caballo Mexicano, Mi Gato Mexicano, y Mi Perro Mexicano

Posing with Pauline, the 6 month old mare; Katrina, Copal's mommy-to-be cat; and an overheated doggie.

Whale Chasing Near El Arco

Cabo - Animals Gone Wild!

Estuary near our resort -- cranes and bald eagles...oh, and cows, wild horses and random dogs!

Quote of the Day - 3.6.06

Q U O T E D

"My daughter [Kathryn] does all the songs; I'm not very good with the technology; I'm not very good with any aspect of it."

-- U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair attempts to explain away the Christina Aguilera tracks on his iPod.

I May Be An Author Yet...

This is like Ofoto book-making but for your blog. How cool would it be to have a book made of your life's chronicles (or ramblings)? OMG, I'm such a geek! Sigh. At least it's counterbalanced by my expert knowledge on "in the know" beauty products and fashion. Yes, that's what I need to blog more about! Go back to being a girly-girl. But alas, I think SAP has sufficiently brainwashed me. =(

From Blogger To Published Author, for $30 and Up

Though not all blogs may aspire to literary permanence, they can achieve it through the new Book-Smart software from Blurb, a publish-your-own-book service. The software, which is expected to be available free later this month at www.blurb.com, features a "Slurper" tool that automatically downloads and reformats the contents of a Web log into a book that bloggers and their admirers can purchase online.

New Resolution

Ok, so it is already March (whew, time flies!) But I'm still going to make a new resolution. If I'm going to continue to live on the East Coast, this HAS to be a mandate. Two vacations per year. One short tropical beachy vacation required during the desolate Boston winter. One longer, far away - foreign --- meaning another continent, vacation that I can talk about with co-workers so I don't sound like some hick American who's never traveled before (no offense to Anda! hehe.) So there it is! I want to collect local artifacts (a.k.a. souvenirs) from local artists (people in 3rd world countries tryin' to make a livin') and display the stuff in my future house. I can let the decor outgrow my apartment before I outgrow my apartment. Each collectible will remind me of my travels and what I found interesting about the piece. Each will have a memory attached, or I hope it will...or it could be just, "it looked nice in the store!" ;) So in any case, I'm halfway there for 2006...still gotta plan the biggie trip tho. =)

Reaching New Heights

When you get sick, that's when you realize the limitations on your body that didn't exist before. It's like being trapped in your own body, unable to will it to perform even mundane tasks. I can see how people who become terminally ill make it their mandate to push their bodies as far as they can go. It is because you expect that you can do it, you know what it was like before. Plus, now there's a reason to go further whereas before when you were blessed with total health, you just sat around like a couch-potato. We all take for granted what we can do, the heights we can reach...even if it is all relative. If only we trained our bodies and willed our minds to do so, nothing is impossible. Sleeping 14 hours a day while the world passes by you because you can't even sit up, well, that teaches you something. It only pushes me to consider all the things I've started and committed myself to and know that I can't turn back.