it's monday. sales meeting day. typically a day to revel in the fortunes of free lunch, but not this day i can tell you. like moths to a flame we came to the 1st floor, carbonated beverages in hand anticipating a feast of italian cuisine, only to be met with other confused co-workers wandering around, hands in their pockets attentive to sounds of doors opening, foolishly hoping it was the delivery man. our collective wondering soon turned into offense, frustrated our generous lunch tradition was disturbed. our final disposition, being that of children whose favorite cartoon was interrupted by a "Special Report", slowly walked back to the elevators, every once in while turning back for once last hope of paid-for sustenance...never coming.

so, i had to go to lunch...and this was my problem. i was in the mood for chinese food today, so i went, but i always feel weird going to any asian food establishment alone. i feel like people are watching me thinking to themselves, "huh, typical". for those that don't know, i am only half-asian, meaning i have spiky hair, but DON'T have a spoiler on my car. secondly, i feel like the people taking my order speak less clear english than they normally would because they think i'll be able to tune into my asian-ness and decipher their words better. however, this talent is only kind of true, an occasional "l" sound would help. then after that whole ordeal, i can just imagine people watching me eat...saying to themselves "look at him, he loves it" almost like watching the Discovery Channel.

anyway, i am ABSOLUTELY not ashamed of my half-korean ethnicity, i guess i'm just over sensitive, although i wouldn't be offended if the NCAA had a team called the Fighting Zhu or something. i mean, seriously.

one last thing: people, when you use a revolving door, it's okay to go in the door when someone comes out...you don't have to wait for a completely empty space.

ok guys, get off my back, i have been busy for the past month, recieve my post now.

a couple weeks ago i went on my very first cruise, it was saved by the fact that i was with some great friends. holy america, there were some typical cruisers on that boat, you know those types of people who will stop in the middle of the hallway or sidewalk and look at something, completely ignorant of the fact that they stopped right in front of someone causing them to spill their slurpee on themselves. you know the type, the type that'll not notice the line of people, then just cut in front of you when they think it's their turn. those kind of people. i was happy i could retreat to the sanity of my friends.

also, we couldn't even play frisbee, all around a disappointment. it was SUPER relaxing though, i mean how could it not have been? all there was to do during the day was eat, sleep, or eat or sleep in the sun. that was nice.

i think next time we should go somewhere with a beach and more than one resturant, but that's just me. btw, my roommate became one of my favorite people ever.

one more side note: it's not that i don't really like iPod's, i'm just not sure if i like what they seem to do to us. so, it's okay, you can stop sending emails, have fun with your little white click wheels, i DO like them, it's just so...typical right now. i didn't mean to offend you, but if i did, feel free to get over it.

it's not like i'm not a fan of music and/or technology, in fact, it's what i do...but this whole portable audio thin is getting out of hand. first, there was flash memory, then CD MP3 players, and now the dreaded iPod. i should declare that i think the iPod is brilliant and wonderful to bring your music with you wherever you go, but it also helps in taking us away from each other. everywhere i look i see these little white ear buds sprouting from people's ears, completely closed off to the sounds of their environment.

i think Apple has exceptional designers, but everything they make looks like it belongs in a doctor's office, perfectly white and sterile. Steve jobs did for Apple what Rudy Guiliani did for Manhattan, he made it hip and trendy and for the rich. now, not only are we physically removed from each other...we are subconsciously separated by class, who's in? who's got iTunes?

it feeds this consumerist society, it's perfectly American. buy more, eat more, think you're better. of course, this all comes from a graphic designer that drives a jetta and has a blog.

today on my train ride in from the western burbs, i saw this city from the tracks. i couldn't help but feel like it looked so serene from a distance, like every part of it was peaceful. and as we pulled into the station, i saw it's underbelly and was faced with how deceptive that thought was.

like a tree infested with termites, it feels so fragile, so close to falling apart when you see the suffering. city of big shoulders. sandburg was an idealist. i wrap up on city with a phrase seems to not give poetry justice. to assume it can hold an urban jungle in it's palms, gives literature so much credit, it jumps to too many conclusions. not enough room to breath.

this city is bold, but it's scared, and i'm part of it

happy independence day america (one day late). yesterday i was going through some of my music and i came across this cd my friend gave me that i hadn't listened to ever. i always saved it though, because i knew i'd listen to it when i was supposed, so i did yesterday.

it was a Johnny Cash cd, with a little Charlie Daniels Band mixed in there too. but i came across this song whose lyrics i thought were appropriate for the day i listened to it.

the song was Ragged Old Flag.

i'm not a nationalist, but i am a patriot...with all it's screw-ups, i am glad to be in this country, even if i'm not proud about it all time. this is my independence-ness.