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quicklymilktea
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Name: Dai
Birthday: 3/23/1979
Gender: Male
Interests: Being silly with friends, BOBA (fuc's a boba?), music, basketball, pool, guitar, jogging, 3rd-level communication, snowboarding, watching crappy reality shows, text messaging
Message: message meEmail: email me
Website: visit my website
AIM:  quicklymilktea
MSN: dd7@duke.edu
ICQ:  3064571
Member Since:
5/16/2003
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| So before I get into my India update, I should tell you about everything I did before I got here (which is a lot!). So I got on an airplane the day that my last exam ended, landed in HK after sleeping for 8 straight hours on the plane, and hopped on a short flight to Taiwan.
Emily and I took a romantic stroll by the water in Tamshui...
Then we retraced some of the places we went to when we first got together 5 months ago...
Then I headed off to Hong Kong for my IBD Project...this is the view from Victoria Peak, beautiful isn't it? I don't think I've ever seen a city with so many skyscrapers
Goofin' off with my IBD teammates in front of Ruins of St. Peter's in Macau. This is our boy band shot...
Then I had an epic battle with Bruce Lee. This was my finishing move, I distracted him and then unloaded on his 'nads. He couldn't walk for 4 days...
Then to cap everything off, Emily came out to spend the last 5 days with me! Here we are at Avenue of the Stars, getting our hands molded in wax haha. Cheesy, we know, but that's us.
Celebrating Em's birthday at Grappa's in Pacific Place...we had cheese lollipops, lamb chops, risotto and tiramisu. Happy birthday babe!
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| It's been a long time (long time)
Shouldn't have left you (left you)
Without a dope beat to step to (step to)
- Timbaland feat. Aaliyah "Try Again"
It's been a helluva long time! For those wanting an update, all I have to say is -- life can't get much better than this. School is going well, I'm feeling more and more like a second-year student (read: more chill) every day. I leave next Wednesday night for my Asian adventure -- after landing in Hong Kong, I'll take a short flight to Taiwan to see Emily and my parents for 9 days. Then I head back to HK for my 3-week consulting/research project -- working with GAP and 3 classmates on developing a women worker's empowerment program in Shenzhen.
After that's done, I head to Bangalore, India to start my 9-week internship with Infosys Technologies in their marketing department. Not exactly sure what I'll be working on, but the Global Internship Program that they run seems to be interesting and engaging. For someone who loves to travel, I couldn't ask for anything more this summer (except to hopefully contract some painful, yet non-fatal, stomach virus from Indian street food which will allow me to drop 10 lbs or so...fingers crossed!)
I just sent Emily to the airport last night, but I've really been spoiled to have her be here for the last 6 weeks. I really can't believe that 6 weeks have flown by so quickly. She was great while she was here, taking care of chores, cooking, taking me to school, spending time with me -- I was SPOILED. We've really grown very close in that time and are struggling to picture life without each other around. We'll have to figure a way around this long-distance thing. I'll definitely see her for 4 days next week and again at the end of the summer.
My Warriors are in the second round of the playoffs (against the Rockets hopefully), and it was an amazing experience to go to both Games 3 and 4 against Dallas. So THIS is what it feels like to cheer for your team in the playoffs! I had no idea. I'll wake up early in Taiwan to catch them on TV. My intramural bball team is in the finals this Sunday. Two of my best friends will get married this summer. Car runs, health is good, friendships are great. Like I said, life is good.
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| I spent a lot of time this winter break frequenting a veritable murderer's row of boba shops behind the old Tonlin department store. Located across from the shops was a cool arcade where my friends and I went toe to toe daily in arcade basketball. Outside, they had this row of "diao wa-wa" machines -- watching Eugene fish for a snowboarding Doraemon got me thinking -- fishing for the perfect stuffed animal is very similar to finding the right girl in real life.
What's the process like? Well, first you have to find the right category to fish from. Maybe snowboarding Doraemons don't really do it for you. You might be more attracted to suction cup monkeys or plush rainy-day dice. In real life, you know what kind of girl you're typically attracted to, and often fish from a limited "bucket" of girls.
Next you have to pay money. In many cases, you have to pump 10 NT after 10 NT into the machine. In reality, you have to invest in the chase, if you expect to get anywhere, whether it's buying drinks, choosing gifts, spending time on the phone, or taking her out on dates.
The more you play, the more you realize that some of the stuffed animals are simply impossible to acquire. They may be impossibly positioned or pinned under other stuffed animals. This is also frequently the case on the real dating scene -- a girl may simply be out of your league, perhaps the ex of your best friend or in a commited relationship. You may be able to get your metal claws on the stuffed animal for a quick grope, but you'll never be able to land it in your bucket.
To get the stuffed animal of your dreams, everything has to be perfectly executed. You have to pinpoint the exact horizontal and vertical position before time runs out, and click the button at the opportune moment in order to grasp your prize. Oftentimes, you'll watch helplessly as your the prize slips through your metal claws. Other times, you'll have the thing in your clutches, only to have it fall on the way to the exit hole.
Finally, like in real life, you have to want it. And sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and be ready to throw everything you've got at it. Be ready for both great disappointment and a sense of utter joy and accomplishment. With that said, I'm unbelievably happy with my prize!
Check out the intensity here. You gotta want it. | | |
| I'm back in Taiwan now and the weather is horrible, it's been pouring for the last two days, only letting up occasionally. But I've still managed to eat some good food and hang out with Chuck, Eugene, Marshall and Wendy. Can't wait until more people mosey their way back to Taipei, it's going to be a blast.
Lookit the syiiiize of that boy's boba.
Someone's hungry.
Marshall, Chuck and I with the working woman, Wendy.
Drunkords.
The rest of the pics, enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/quicklymilktea/sets/72157594429353964/
Some random notes from watching MTV in Taiwan: 1) Jolin is hotter than before, raor...2) I forgot how fobby Taiwanese VJs can be; one of them was talking about the new 50 Cent song "You Don't Know" and she kept saying "ni bu liaaaaaoooo, ni bu liao!" Sigh. | | |
| Two more days until freedom -- at 12:01 pm on Thursday I will be a very happy man, with a Warriors game to go to, a day of snowboarding adventure to partake in and a plane to Taiwan to catch. Tomorrow is a 3 hour accounting final exam, following by a 12 page marketing essay, of which I'm about 30% done. As Ben Stein used to say before crushing his opponents (or not) in the Test of Knowledge: "I shall do my best."
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