8. I'm deathly afraid of public speaking. One time I was at a panel discussion with hundreds of people and I had something important to say. But as soon as I went to the podium I had a total brain fart. It didn't help that everyone's eyes were fixed on me, and the longer I stood there the harder it got for words to come out. I ended up saying something, I think. But it was more like how that Miss Teen USA contestant sounded.... completely lame. To this day I shudder at the thought of even going near a mic.
7. I don't like birthday parties for myself. My parents threw me a surprise party for my Sweet 16th. They gathered all my different groups of friends at Shakey's and we ate pizza and sang karaoke. As much as I love my parents for thinking of me, I absolutely hated the party. I was constantly worrying whether everyone was having a good time or not. I knew that based on their personalities some friends would have a hard time getting along with certain others. So I monitored them. In the end, I was a big ball of stress. When my birthday comes around now, I opt to have friends take me to dinner, one-on-one. It's just more personal that way.
6. I'm a little neurotic, can you tell? I've been diagnosed with social anxiety phobia. I've seen a therapist, so she can vouch for me. Luckily, I'm a lot better these days. On a lighter note...
5. I can do the splits. I nurtured this talent as a young girl when I'd watch TV with my legs hooked around the back of my neck. Other parts of my body are pretty flexible too, but other than that I'm a physical dunce. Though lately I've taken up jogging. At first I could barely fast-walk a mile. ( I hated the Presidential Physical Fitness Test.) These days I can go for 3 miles given breezy weather conditions. I'm also learning to do back-handsprings in order to entertain friends during dull conversation moments.
4. I'm a part-time Buddhist. Part-time only because I don't bother attending my local temple services, and Buddha tends to come to mind only when I'm feeling crappy. I suppose I'm a part-time Christian, too, because when I'm feeling crappier than crap I clasp my hands and pray to God, hoping he'll forgive me for not actually believing in him. But generally, I side with Buddha because I really do think that life can escalate to a point where we're spending too much time jealous of what others have and resentful of what we don't. When I'm feeling low, I try to mentally and emotionally separate myself from my surroundings. It'd be cool to live in a monastery for a year, doing nothing but meditating and sweeping the concrete floor. Though I think I'd be too afraid to give up an entire year of my life. Still, it's a nice thought.
3. I believe my kindred spirit is waiting for me... somewhere. Somehow I imagine him to look a little like Fred Savage, but that's only because I had a crush on him during half my teenage years. At night, I hug my pillow as if I'm holding him and try to imagine his arms wrapped around me. It's cheesy but it's better than thinking God/Buddha/Mohammed has no plan for me.
2. I didn't learn to swallow pills until recently. I was born a mouth-breather and one of the outcomes was that I would swallow food using my mouth muscles more than my tongue. So when I tried swallowing my first pill my tongue just couldn't bring it down to my esophagus. So I had to see a speech therapist who made me practice the proper way to swallow. She had me do repetitions of tongue pops where you suction the roof of your mouth and pull away, creating a popping noise. It strengthened my tongue muscle and from there I practiced swallowing water using a tongue rolling technique which most people do naturally. I can now swallow pills!
1. An MMORPG helped me understand men better As John Grey says, guys can be very goal oriented. In my MMORPG days I'd get back from work and decide what quest to do or what vegetable to farm. I'd be completely okay with eating a piece of toast for dinner if it meant reaching my goal before bedtime. I'd get irritated if a girlfriend called me to simply talk. Talking without an end-goal seemed valueless. Peeing in a jar just to remain in front of the computer seemed silly but not bizarre. One day I went cold turkey and completely stopped playing. I didn't know what to do with all the free time I had after work. In fact, I didn't know what to do with myself, period. Luckily I'm back to being a girl, but it's kinda cool that I can still sort of understand the guy's mindframe. ===
Basically, this is a commercial announcing the coming of digital TV in Shizuoka, Japan. A man is bored of the samurai drama and tries switching channels. Suddenly the actors begin talking to him, trying their best to keep him amused. Obviously though, he needs digital TV...
Some friends treated me to an omakase dinner at Wakasan in West Los Angeles on Friday. It emerged a few months ago after its predecessor Mincha's short stint along Westwood Blvd. People have been calling it an izakaya (due to the floor-to-ceiling shelves of sake, no doubt) though I'd consider it katei ryouri (homestyle cooking) since there's a distinct "my mom used to make this at home" flavor, as opposed to "what the heck?! ... I can make this at home!"
For $30, you get 11 dishes starting from vegetable appetizers and ending with a hot cup of chawan mushi--slices of kamaboko, shrimp, chicken, mushroom and greens suspended in a boiled mixuture of dashi and egg. I'd say my favorites of the night were the yakitori and chawan mushi, though I give props to the chef for the pickled persimmon. Very creative.
