belated answers

I know I haven't touched these question and answer things for quite some time. I do promise to answer all of the ones that are currently posted by the end of the year. So here are some of them...

Q: What's your take on "Western" attitudes/values in conjunction with the rest of the world. (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
This is the one question that has tripped me up for a while. I wanted to give a long version of this one, but over time I have felt a shorter answer would do. I have been fortunate enough to have lived in both cultures. In many ways I am still submerged in eastern thinking. I suppose it's not something I would lose just because I have been uprooted from Asia.

The main difference between the two cultures is personal centricity. In eastern culture, people are more family centric, where as in western culture, people are more individualistic. As far as I can remember, every achievement I have made in and outside of school had been for holding up my family's name. Although my parents appear to not care as much, I know they had been relieved that I am the least screwed up grandchild in both sides of my family. They made it a point to not really talk about me nowadays I know. I know they still love me, but I know I've brought them down a notch. I'm just somewhat glad my grandparents all thought I was still the best before they passed. Yeah I know that's kind of harsh, but that's the way it works for my families.

Now that I have explained where I was coming from, you can probably guess that it was the Western culture that messed me up. After I came to the states, I did fairly well for a while. But I knew I had been unleashed. I started to put more focus on things that would please me, which is definitely not academics. The whole culture encouraged me to go and do what I really want. To tell the truth, I still don't really know what I want.

So I guess I don't really have a point here. I just wanted to talk about how the mixture of two cultures have messed me up.

Q: Who or what do you think you will reincarnated as and why? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
I always imagined I would come back as a penguin. And yes that was way before the documentary. Don't ask me why because I really don't know.

Q: If you were a man for a day what would you do with yourself? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
To quote one of my favorite movies of all times, "two chicks, at the same time". I'm dead serious.

Q: Would you ever go on vacation/a bar by yourself? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
Of course. In fact I went to the bar by myself last night. I don't feel there is anything wrong with it. I guess I'm just confident. As for vacation, I would love to go by myself. I can't seem to shake friends and family every time I go though. Actually the next time I go on vacation I would love to do it off the grid.

Q: Would you move to another country? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
done and done. Ok I guess I didn't have a choice the last time around. I still might want to do it. I'm really not going to make the call until I have traveled around more and find I place I really like.

Q: Would you move to another country? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005) Again, maybe.

Q: Would you eat a live cricket for $500? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005) No

Q: Would you ever "take a bullet" for someone? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005) Yes

Q: What magazine, news print do you read regularly? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
Newsweek, US News and World Reports, O, The Economist, Foreign Affairs, 2600, The Wall Street Journal, The San Jose Mercury News, The New York Times, The New Yorker, slashdot (if that counts)

Q: What hobbies do you enjoy most and why? (10/16/2005)
A: (12/7/2005)
Shopping. That's because I have a hoarding problem. Knitting, because I get something out of it at the end. Making "mixed tapes", because I always have a sound track in my head. Running, there is no better feeling then to be fully awake and drenched in sweat with a promise of a hot shower at the end. Bowling, more for the company then anything. Cooking, because I like to feed people with my awesome cooking. Reading, because it fuels my knowledge base and imagination. It makes me a lot smarter then my peers. Blogging, because I would like people to know I'm more then what meets the eyes.