Occasionally, I'll hear some music in a different context than what the composer probably intended, and it will completely blow me away - to the point that it's stuck in my head for days.  Two songs in the final episode of HBO's 24/7 Penguins/Capitals fit this description:

an epic version of the Star Spangled-Banner
Muse's Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 ( Read more... )

In 2010, I:

went to 4 hockey games
survived rounds 2 and 3 of the snowpocalypse
escaped the snow in January to enjoy 60-degree weather in the Bay Area
went back in August only to discover that it was the exact same temperature (not nearly as exciting)
saw my first Olympics in Vancouver!  and chanted U-S-A not ironically
had my heart broken by the Caps
( Read more... )

Ever since my family switched dentists a few years ago, my sister and I have dreaded dentist appointments.  Our new(er) dentist is a tiny, strict Chinese woman who is more likely to give you a lecture than teddy bears during your visit.  She once yelled at my sister about not flossing enough, lectured her on the finer points of flossing, and forced ( Read more... )

One of my German friends asked if my family did anything special for Christmas, and I couldn't come up with anything exciting.  We don't throw/attend any grand parties, have a big Christmas dinner, or vacation in the same spot every year.  But upon further reflection, there are certain things we like to do.  A typical Hsieh family Christmas break ( Read more... )

Possibly the two best compliments I've ever received, both within a week:

"When some people play music, you feel worried for them.  It's like you're nervous about them hitting the notes and you feel relief when they do.  With you, it's different - I can just sit there and enjoy the music."

"When you dance, I can't help but mimic whatever you're doing ( Read more... )

12 - 6am: read for seminar, throw nonsensical junk together, email response to TA
6 - 11am: sleep like a rock
11am - 12:30pm: breakfast, read depressing recap of Caps loss, read for seminar
12:30 - 1pm: line up for free food
1 - 1:30pm: sip tea, last-minute cramming for seminar
1:30 - 3pm: muddle through seminar, find out TA's computer is broken so he ( Read more... )

I finally gave in and bought the entire weepy Becoming Jane soundtrack.  I tried to stream part of it as background music during my QT this morning and found that I couldn't concentrate at all - I was too engrossed in the music.  Sad pieces are my weakness: overwrought Russian feeling, nostalgic Impressionist colors, yearning movie scores for ( Read more... )

The Princeton Activities Fair is pretty overwhelming but it has nothing on LSE's Fresher's Fair.  The whole thing is an absolute madhouse.  LSE doesn't have its own gymnasium, so the entire thing is held in an old building spread out over 6 floors.  Take a moment to imagine hundreds of students trundling up 6 narrow flights of stairs, shuffling ( Read more... )

The dorm welcome party had pizza, Smirnoff, and cans upon cans of Foster's Lager.  I love how we arrest people for chewing gum on the Metro, while London only banned drinking on the Tube two years ago.  I need to start training my liver.

I was a bit overwhelmed and depressed yesterday from the craziness of London.  But after visiting some markets, seeing some sunshine, and actually meeting some LSE students at a mixer, I feel a lot more excited about living here.  Or it's the rum and coke talking.

First impressions:

• One of the first Brits I met was a nice, middle-aged man who was ( Read more... )