Actual conversation I had with Brian over the phone:
Brian: I saw your favorite person today.
Me: XXX?
Brian: Nope
Me: YYY?
Brian: No
Me: ZZZ?
Brian: Wow, you hate a lot of people.
Me: Hahah, yeah I guess I do. Damn, I am a hater!
I have no shame about it. That’s why I must have this ring. It’s only $200!
Unfortunately it looks like it’s only for men. I must find a way to make or commission a ring or necklace of my own somehow.
The other day, I met up with two friends from school. We were having drinks and one friend mentioned some websites where you can look up public record information about anyone mildly important. For instance, she could see how much the director of our program donated to Obama, and how much his house is worth. That’s how this conversation came into place.
Another friend, John, is from another country and is a super nice guy. One of the nicest, happiest, most easygoing-est people I’ve known. I only say this because he isn’t one of those typical rich douchebags, and that he’s coming from a good place:
John: I heard that professors don’t make a lot of money. How much they do they make? Like $300 – 400,000?
Me: No! College Presidents make that much. Then if you’re a dean or director of a program you’ll probably make between $100-200,000.
John: What? Then how much do professors make?
Me: 60-90?
John: How do they survive on that????
Me: Well, if you’re a professor making 70, your husband or wife probably makes around the same amount and that’s a pretty good amount for a family to live on.
J: Oh I forgot about combined incomes. But if you’re 50 years old and only making $100,000, isn’t that bad?
Me: No no no! For one person? That puts you in the top 10% for income in the U.S!!
That was the end of the conversation and we moved on. I think he just honestly had misconceptions about what it means to be wealthy here and that blew me away. That kinda makes me wonder about how rich people from developing countries see us. (Meanwhile, someone else probably overheard our conversation and is blogging about how we’re douchebags)
On another note, I am so sick of bougie American graduate students complaining that professors “don’t make a lot of money”. Ok, un-tenured professors make shit. But tenured professors make at least 60 and top out at 100k; where I come from, that’s not shit money. And that’s just me using a state university as reference; it’s probably more at a private school. Plus it’s secure, you get you good benefits, no one really tells you what to do, no manual labor involved, and your summers are free. They complain about crappy salaries, but at the same time they want to pretend they’re the proletariat all the time. Wake up calls are in order.
I like to do weird things. Check out this absolutely insane-sounding dinner/performance that I’m going to this weekend:
That didn’t quite give me enough information, so I looked into what the heck tactile dinner parties were like. They’re based on The Futuristic Cookbook, written in 1931, by F.T. Marinetti. Here’s an exerpt from the book’s instructions for a tactile dinner party:
Polyrhythmic salad: the waiters approach the tables carrying for each guest a box with a crank on the left side and a china bowl. In the bowl, undressed lettuce leaves, dates, and grapes. Without the help of cutler, each diner uses his right hand to feed himself from the bowl while he turns the crank with his left. The box thus emits musical rhythms: and the waiters dance slowly with grand geometrical gestures in front of the table until the food has been eaten.
I’ve only been able to read articles written about the book, but it’s amazing how similar the food sounds to what I would consider today’s futuristic and modernist foods (French Laundry and Alinea most obvs). And it was written in 1932! Futuristic then, still futuristic 70+ years later.
If it sparks your interest, read some more passages from the original book.
Anyway, I’m excited to be witness to this crazyness and I even convinced two of my classmates to go with me. I’m not sure how much they’ll be into it, but they’re generally adventurous and it’ll make a good story to tell our friends back at Brown.
(also posted on my food blog)
Things I hate about DC:
Things I like:
Things that I neither like nor dislike, but just think are weird/quirky:
It was a great day to leave the house. I decided to go hang out @ Borders. On my way there, I saw a piece of paper on the ground and I slowed down to look at it, just in case it said something funny a la Found Magazine. Even better. It turned out to be a postcard with someone’s username and password for four accounts. It’s ironic since today I had to write a consumer article on keeping your online information safe. Some kid probably lost it during freshmen orientation. Sucker!! Not that I would do anything with them; I am happy enough just knowing that I could.
Then I got to the store and was settling in with a magazine, but I was distracted because a woman on her phone would not shut up. I also love people-watching and overhearing peoples’ conversations, and this one was pure gold. This woman was giving her sister a peptalk about the sis plotting to secretly leave her husband. I heard such tidbits as “You need to get [???] back into the house. Don’t raise any suspicion… don’t let him know that you have a lawyer, don’t say anything… Get a jump drive, keep everything on there… If you say anything he’s going to tell his lawyer and use it against you…” and so on. This went on for about 45 mins, and the woman’s tone was dead serious, saying every sentence like she was talking someone off of a ledge. For all I know her sister’s situation was that serious, but the entire bookstore could hear her and was squirming with awkwardness. I loved every second!
Finally, I finished my BUST magazine and I looked up to see this gem: Garden & Guns magazine. Apparently, that title exemplifies high end Southern living.
Woman 1: Hi! Oh, where’s Kate?
Woman 2: She couldn’t come, she’s protesting gay marriage.
and…
Me: Can I have a grande iced coffee? Wait – does that come in decaf? Can I get decaf?
Cashier: (pause) I think it already comes decaf. Do you want me to put an extra shot of decaf in there for you?
Me: (pause to try and to figure out if she’s joking) uh…. no… thanks. Make that a small.
You know that Corelle dishes commercial where they grease the runway to show that the dishes are breakproof? My personal consumer report test just proved it false. I don’t know how this guy did it on concrete.
I swiped two plates & two bowls from my mom’s house precisely because those plates were super lightweight, sturdy, and oven safe. Well, today on my second day using them, I was drying a bowl when it slipped out of my hand and shattered into a million pieces on the linoleum floor. It didn’t just break in half or a few big chunks, it shattered. Keep in mind that this dorm room is depressingly small, so the mess covers half of my floorspace. To make things even better, it’s 10pm, I don’t have a broom, and I was never told if there was an RA or office where I could get a broom. I just picked up half of it by hand before having to take a break, lest I cry in frustration.
Racist Camera! No, I did not blink… I’m just Asian!
Originally uploaded by !!! :: jozjozjoz :: !!!
You’d think that an Asian camera company would have this figured out. (reposted from Boing Boing)
I made a lil dress for my niece. It’s not a very good picture, but like most babies, she’s always on the move. There are a couple of other shots on the Flickr if you click. I’m gonna go crazy missing this little monkey when I’m in DC!
All of her clothes are pink (except for the clothes I buy her!), so I made her a black & white dress. This dress is the 9-12 month size (largest) and it fit her perfectly. I want to make her more stuff from this adorable book, but the clothes only go up to size 12mos and I’ll be without my machine for the next 3 months. It just means I’ll have to buy different patterns when I’m back. I am also lucky to know 3 other babies that are under a year old, so the book will still be put to good use.
I’m so impressed at how well this turned out. My family was also really impressed at my skillz. A little too impressed, because now people think I can sew anything.
Other things that were on my camera: a little red hat for the gift stash (i also made one in green), and a pair of ugly socks.
I thought that my 3 weeks between the end of finals and leaving for DC would be full of fun and relaxing. I don’t know what happened, but I’ve barely had any time for anything! I’ve been frantically trying to do all of the little errands that need to be done before I start my big internship, plus I’m trying to log as many work hours as I can so that I can have as much money as possible. I have about a week left, but on Wednesday my dad is getting his big cancer-removing (hopefully) surgery. I need to get everything packed and done so that I can spend Wednesday – Monday in CT with my family, and my flight leaves on Tuesday! I hate having to leave while my dad will still be in the hospital but I know he’s in good hands. I’ve been so nervous about packing my stuff and about my dad that I haven’t even begun worrying about my new job! My parents have been telling everyone that I’m going to Washington “to be Monica Lewinsky.” Let’s not think about how inaccurate and disgusting that is, nevermind that my parents are saying that to everyone. (I will not be working at the White House, btw).
But you know what helps with stress? SHOPPING, and I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. So ladies, wanna read about my work wardrobe? Read the rest of this entry »
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