WHAT IS LOVE?
Today will be my last day of work.
written at 2:47 AM on August 28, 2007
I sunk his battleship!
My boss had us relocate to a coffee shop while a realtor showed the place. Crossroads, the coffee shop near the F train stop, was closed so we walked around the block and got to Lonelyville on Prospect Park Avenue.
It's a nice cafe. There is plenty of seating, ceiling fans spinning above, and some hip music playing in the background. We connected to the Lonelyville Coffee wireless, and proceeded to get to work after ordering drinks. The boardgames sitting nearby attracted our attention, so Wai grabbed Battleship for me and Brent.
I hit one of his ships right from the start. The game was so quick that it almost wasn't fair. In the end, I got Brent's 2 pegged minesweeper, and he called it quits. Battleship can be competitive. My minesweeper at A4-A5 and my battleship at B9-E9 had close calls, but were untouched by the end of the game.
We'll be heading back soon. I'll be meeting Stephanie later for pool and dinner.
written at 5:10 PM on August 27, 2007
Weekend of haircuts.
It's fun to watch me get a haircut. Stephanie finally got to see why on Saturday. Even though it wasn't necessary, I told her to take photos. I love photos of me looking like a retarded friar.
Today I went with Stephanie to a local salon for her own haircut. I didn't take any photos in the salon because I was lazy, and it's not as exciting as my haircuts. Plus, the only photo I have of her today is a closeup of her face, which is painful to look at. :P nyah
written at 3:00 AM on August 27, 2007
Anyone who uses the phrase "Web 2.0" should be shot.
Google "Web 2.0" and find O'Reilly. I finally read up on the term Web 2.0, and I wasn't impressed. What should have been a theory about the qualities needed for success on the world wide web, was instead a gratuitous marketing buzzword and internet meme. The technological components that Web 2.0 is based on, have already existed since the beginning days of the internet. Web 2.0 is appropriately labeled "Bubble 2.0" by its critics. I am tempted to write a longer argument against the use of the term, but it's really not worth my time. Instead, I will accurately describe the business plan of Web 2.0 below:
- Web 2.0
- ?
- PROFIT!
written at 3:07 AM on August 26, 2007
The last Friday of my summer
This is my last full week of the summer. I end my internship at mimoYmima next Tuesday so I can spend Wednesday packing. I'll be returning to Stony Brook on Thursday morning, to help out as a Welcome Wagon volunteer. Welcome Wagon helps incoming freshmen move onto campus, provide directions, and help the young'uns acclimate to Stony Brook University. Stephanie and I are participating in Welcome Wagon so we could spend the last few days of the summer together. I'm sure she needs a break more than I do, from working her internship.
This week has been pretty rough for me. Besides the rainy weather and cold symptoms on Monday and Tuesday, I forgot to bring a drink to work on Wednesday, and I dealt with site5's ineptitude on Thursday. And why did dinner last night cost $60 again? Eight pieces of fried mac and cheese should not cost $9. I'll make sure future dinners will be at McDonald's or Burger King.
This morning, I was nearly hit by a livery cab while chasing down the bus. I later thought about the incident, and realized how lucky I was. Ironically, I got into a similar incident later this afternoon at Union Square. I was nearing the opposite side of the crosswalk in front of Petco when a biker nearly ran me over. Instead of dodging, I actually stood my ground. My instincts aren't that sharp, I suppose.
written at 1:00 AM on August 25, 2007
Tuesdays are Mondays with a different name
Monday decided to call in sick yesterday, and take the Tuesday shift instead. It rained all of this morning. I arrived at work with soaked jeans, which led to a stuffy nose and other cold symptoms. I did not enjoy it. Thank you Monday, for being there for me.
On a different note, I was able to convince Stephanie to work earlier in our last week before we return to Stony Brook. Considering that she complains about waking up early, this is a big deal. At least we'll be able see each other after work from now on.
written at 10:38 PM on August 21, 2007
Googling my own name
I used to think that my name, Simon Tsui, was one of the most unique names in the world. I grew up being the only Simon that I knew of. No one else's last name was Tsui. When I went to register my first domain two years ago, simontsui.com was immediately on my mind. What would be a better way to leave an impression on the internet than to have your name as your website's address? That's when I discovered that simontsui.com was registered already.
I was seriously pissed. How could a squatter snag a website address that specific? While I hypothesized about squatters, I started to wonder if there was another "Simon Tsui" out there. So I googled my own name out of curiosity. To my surprise, there definitely were other Simon Tsui(s) in the world. Because my last name is so uncommon, I could safely say that the other Simon Tsuis may be of Cantonese descent.
Now here's where the shoulder-rubbing happens: I am a web designer. I make it my business to be W3C standards compliant, to know the ins and outs of website building, etc. Therefore, having my website show up first in Google for my own name was not just "strictly business," it was a matter of prestige. I struggled to assert stsui.com a full year ago, but I was able to top badsimon.com for "Simon Tsui" in Google. I thought that having my first name in the address would help, which was a factor in buying my current domain.
As of this moment, my website, simontsui.net is #1 for "Simon Tsui," and my Stony brook provided webspace comes in #3. It is only a matter of time before the other Simon Tsui(s) register the other domains and compete with my PageRank... but until then, I will continue basking in the Google limelight.
written at 12:26 AM on August 17, 2007
Congratulations to Brent and Teresa!
Sometimes I wonder if my boss is suspicious of me. I half-expect him to be looking in on me from the window when he steps outside. So today when he asked me to watch the stove while he went to check on his laundry, I stayed put and continued working. I only got up when the water started boiling, and I took care of the whistling kettle. But while going back to my seat, the title of a peculiar book on the coffee table caught my attention: "The Expectant Father." I stopped in mid-step, and went over to get a closer look. Another book nearby had a pink cover and read "Countdown to Pregnancy." I swear, my eyes bugged out. These aren't the sort of books that my boss reads in his spare time; they aren't related to web design! Besides, if he wanted to read something, he still has the sixth and seventh Harry Potter books. But then I thought to myself, "Why would he leave these books lying on the coffee table in plain sight? Is this a trick?" I decided that it was a trap, that he would accuse me of snooping around while he was out.
I held my tongue when he came back, and avoided looking in the coffee table's general direction. I felt as though my tongue was burning and that I needed to scream "PREGGERS!" nonstop until someone slapped me across the face. It wasn't until 2 hours later that Wai came in and mentioned the book, and I piped in: "ZOH MY GOD!" Brent let the cat out of the bag, and told us to pretend to be surprised later.
Congratulations to Brent and Teresa Lagerman! If you need help with baby names, I would suggest going through the W3C's reference table for HTML tags. I bet any child would love the name <strong> or <body>.
written at 2:16 AM on August 16, 2007
The Bourne Ultimatum
I watched the Bourne Identity on DVD about two years ago. It was so impressive that I watched the sequel, the Bourne Supremacy on opening weekend. I just watched the Bourne Ultimatum tonight. Although it has been in theatres for two weeks now, almost every seat for the movie was taken at the Loews theatre on 34th Street. The Bourne Ultimatum delivers. I daresay that it surpassed my expectations. This would be one of the few DVDs that I would definitely buy when it comes out.
written at 12:16 AM on August 15, 2007
For Stephanie
Stephanie and I really are inseparable. I can count the number of weekends that we didn't see each other, on one hand. Even when we were both unemployed at the beginning of the summer, we spent almost every day of the week together.
So every weekend morning, I take the F train from Brooklyn to Queens, a roughly 2 hour commute. I am a constant, getting on the same train in the morning and at night, and sitting in the same seat for 36 station stops. I travel four hours a day to meet her, and spend over 8 hours with her.
This summer has been significant for us. We've gone through the happiest and roughest times of our relationship. We have been able to make changes for each other, both small and large.
We have been together for only 7 months, but it feels like much longer. Every moment is intimate, and each day is meaningful. People are surprised when I say that I'm going to marry her some day, but I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.
written at 2:33 AM on August 12, 2007
My boss is actually human
It was chilly by 6 PM earlier this evening. I didn't have a jacket so Brent offered to lend me one of his. The light brown jacket that I borrowed was warm enough for being outside, and looked nice. Thank you Mr. Lagerman! My boss is actually human, and not that many people can make that claim.
written at 2:59 AM on August 11, 2007
When it rains it pours
When I woke up at 8 this morning, I barely heard the raindrops on my skylight window. I decided to go outside with only an umbrella, and not a jacket. But the moment I stepped outside, I began to regret it. It rained harder and the wind picked up, so I was peppered with raindrops on my way to the bus stop. This is one of the few occasions where I'd rather wait for a bus than walk to the train station.
I must never assume that a train with passengers sitting inside is leaving first. I was tricked into boarding the wrong F, and the empty train across the platform opened its doors, closed its doors, and left thirty seconds later. I shrugged it off at first because I was still on time for work, but the New Yorker in me was cursing at the fellow passengers. These are probably the same people who stand on an express platform on an off-day, fooling sleepy subway riders into stepping outside.
written at 10:21 AM on August 10, 2007
Wednesdays are the new Mondays
Early yesterday morning had thunderstorms which led to flooding and the subsequent crippling of the MTA subway system. Certain trains weren't running into Queens or weren't running at all, and their passengers were crowding into my poor F train. The little train that could, barely held on until Avenue P, where it suffered a malfunctioning door near the back. The conductor then said that the train was out of service, and booted everyone off. The frustrated and late passengers spanned the length of the platform. To add insult to injury, the next F train passed us by on the express track.
Wednesday night went out with a bang. My block and at least two others suffered a blackout around 12:30 AM. Not even the phoneline worked, and that was a first. I had no matches, and the emergency flashlight's batteries gave out. I was relying on the light from my cellphone in order to find my way around in the dark. I called Stephanie, and we talked about possibly meeting the next day to get her wind-up flashlight. I retired for the night rather than risk starting the stove just to light candles. The power came on at 1:30 AM, but it didn't provide much solace.
written at 10:00 PM on August 9, 2007
The end is near!
The colder mornings haven't kicked in yet, which is a good sign. It is a week into August and I am thinking about the end of summer. I'm both anticipating the return to campus (at the end of the month), and dreading it. College means actually working and writing essays, and sleeping early for classes. Not that I don't sleep early for work nowadays...
I have enjoyed working at mimoYmima this summer. Because of my internship, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are no longer as complicated as they seemed when I first installed them. My job has motivated me to update and work on my own website. I am currently reorganizing my website's directories, getting rid of old, redundant, or useless files. More to come as the month goes on.
written at 10:53 PM on August 7, 2007
9|11
While I was at Barnes&Noble with Stephanie earlier today, I purchased the DVD 9|11. I had seen the documentary already, but this is one of those videos that I want to have as a keepsake. 9|11 is a documentary film about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, directed by Jules and Gedeon Naudet, and NYC firefighter James Hanlon. The Naudets had recorded the only known footage from within the Twin Towers during September 11th. It is a very moving film, which showed New York City fire fighters at their bravest in one of the most defining moments in history.
written at 12:43 AM on August 6, 2007