[Navigator of the Seas] is where i'll be for the next 8 days. yup, gone to get to know Jeanne and the remnants of Ivan. hopefully, i won't get to know them *too* well - eeps. just in case - you can check where i'll be on http://www.royalcaribbean.com.

[burfday shoutouts] to andy chang - where in the world are you? i tried calling your phone, but for the past year, i've had no luck?! weird. happy burfday 8 mile paul - don forget to eat some noodles on you birthday for the long life k? happy burfday richard - don give out too many dollar bills now ;)

[bop bop in the office] as much as my new mini ipod makes me concentrate at work - drowning out the noise of others' conversations, the funny old man who burps and farts without realizing it, and regular cube bustle - it makes me want to sing! how can you not bop to BEP's "let's get retarded", and how can you not sing to On The Rocks' rendition of Coldplay's "Yellow"? (thanks steve, i listen to it ALL the time -- isn't peanut vendor just the funniest song?)i had to seriously stop myself from singing singing singing :) it's kind of a nice feeling -- but boy could it potentially be embarrasing. xP

- yesterday's bulb relit -
just b/c it was interesting to me and i got inspired by "golf for dummies"
A brief history of golf
There is general agreement that the Scots were the earliest of golf addicts but who actually invented the game is open to debate. We know that golf has existed for at least 500 years because James II of Scotland, in an Act of Parliament dated March 6, 1457, had golf and football banned because these sports were interfering too much with archery practice sorely needed by the loyal defenders of the Scottish realm! It has been suggested that bored shepherds tending flocks of sheep near St. Andrews became adept at hitting rounded stones into rabbits holes with their wooden crooks. And so a legend that persists to this day was born!

The very earliest club makers were thought to be the skilled craftsmen who produced bows and arrows and other implements of war! The first authentic record of a club maker was in 1603 when William Mayne was appointed to the court of James I of England to make golf clubs for the king and his coherts! Two Scottish club makers are recognized from the late 1600s, Andrew Dickson of Leith and Henry Mill of St. Andrews. These clubs featured carved wooden heads of beech, holly, dogwood, pear or apple and spliced into shafts of ash or hazel to give the club more whip. Improvements were made by filling the back of the head with lead and by putting inserts of leather, horn or bone into the club face.

In 1618, James I of England commissioned James Melvill and an associate to make feathery balls for the court. It was an exclusive grant for 21 years with the balls stamped by Melvill and any other ball found in the Kingdom not bearing his trademark were confiscated! You may well be surprised at the distances achieved by these feathery balls. In dry weather, a well struck feather ball could travel 180 yards (165 m) but when wet only about 150 yards (135 m). The gutty as it was known was not an instant success as the smooth ball tended to duck in flight. Players soon found that its performance improved at the end of a round when the ball received some nicks and scratches. Therefore, newly molded balls were scored all over with a saddler's hammer with such good playing results that the demise of the feathery was certain.

Modern balls have a more durable cover of balata or surlyn and various solid core balls with new synthetics have become popular. As well, we have seen the art of club making go from the original wooden clubs, to forged irons, then steel shafts and finally all manner of metal heads with many types of synthetic shafts. Technology has done wonders for the average golfer but practice, dedication and raw talent still remain a factor as witnessed by Greg Norman's amazing 63 at Augusta on April 11, 1996, during the first round of the US Masters Championship.
-the end-

[secret korean hide out] thanks to terry, b and i now frequent this korean market on junipero serra on our own. to me, it's a little hide out - it's right off the freeway, behind this fence of bushes, and it's standing there alone amongst the mcd's, denny's, and krispy kremes of the united states! the sign actually says "ASIAN FOOD" - do i sense some korean pride? in any case, they have a morning glory store!! yay to the days when cc and i used to rampage one of these and emerge victorious with multiple pencils and colored pens! haha :)

are you guys ready for it?
- today's new light bulb -
(for the love of golf - how to prevent injuries)

1. Take it easy

Most golfing injuries result from overuse. You might practice your swing for hours, with the hope that it'll help your game. However, if your musculoskeletal system isn't conditioned for the extra strain, over-practicing a swing will do more harm than good. As with all sports and exercise programs, start out slowly and work up to your desired level of activity. "Get in shape to play your sport. Don't play your sport to get in shape," Dr. Laskowski says.

2. Warm up

Several practice swings are definitely beneficial, especially if you go through the motion slowly before taking full swings. But before grabbing your clubs, walk — or jog — a few minutes and be sure to go through your stretching program. Golfers who rush from the parking lot to the first tee often report that they don't really get into the groove until the fourth hole or so. Avoid this by giving yourself plenty of time to check in and get warmed up. Who knows? You might just shave a few strokes off your score.

3. Be flexibile

A daily stretching routine is recommended regardless of your athletic pursuits. Improving your flexibility helps your muscles accommodate all sorts of demands. In golf, stretching is important to make sure that your body can move through the range of motion required in the golf swing without causing excessive stress on the muscles or joints.

4. Strengthen your muscles

You don't need bulging muscles to hit a long drive, but strength training is important for overall fitness and avoiding injuries. For golfers, Dr. Laskowski emphasizes strength training and flexibility in the lower back, abdomen and hip areas, as well as your shoulders. Aim for balanced strength. Work the front and back of your shoulders equally, as well as the muscles around the shoulder blade and the front, middle and especially back deltoid muscles —the top muscles of your upper arm. Balanced strength in the front and back shoulder muscles provides protective stability to the rotator cuff, which is prone to golfing injuries — especially as you age. Similarly, strive for a good balance of strength in your lower back muscles and abdominal muscles. It's beneficial for golfers to improve the strength of their forearm muscles, as well.

If any of this gets to be an utter bore, please provide feedback :)

[drowned in work, dry of knowledge] my one year anniversary at my first job has passed - and no longer can i resign myself to "don look at me, i dunno nothin'!" the cool thing is though, that i don't think i have to resign to that anymore. as i interact with our new set of first years, i'm reminded of how much i've learnt in the past year. not just accounting knowledge, methodology, and what-not, but also about how to balance my work life, deal with people, and extract what you need to get the job done. haha, indeed, i may sound like a ruthless corporate type, but to me, my attitude at work is to get the job done with as little harm to others as possible. so far so good.. but who knows what that'll be like as the working years progress..

given all this -- b and i bumped into his old boss yesterday, who is the well of all possible knowledge. a harvard grad, i think his brain is always thirty for more quirky and unusual things to know about and tell other people about. perhaps that's the difference between students of elite schools and the regular lot - the regular lot is happy knowing what they know, whereas the other group is always searching for more. me? i've realized the hole i've dug myself into at work and in the whirlwind of life i'm living, and from now on, i'd like to dedicate this space to knowledge. perhaps you all will find it more interesting than reading about me anyways ;) i'll post one knowledge-worthy every time i post (ideally, every day? ha!) it'll simply be called...

- today's new light bulb -
(since i went to the geisha exhibit this past weekend)
"Gei" means arts or performance in Japanese. "Sha" means people. Geisha are professional hostesses who entertain guests through various performing arts. Geisha girls and women are not ordinary hostesses and are not prostitutes. Geisha girls and women are trained in a number of traditional skills; Japanese ancient dance, singing, playing instruments (a three stringed instrument called shamisen is an essential instrument), flower arrangement, wearing kimono, tea ceremony, calligraphy, conversation, alcohol serving manners, and more. Geisha girls and women are talented Japanese women who patiently go through extensive training. Even after becoming a geisha girl, they keep improving their skills by taking many lessons. When you do request, make it clear that what types of performance you would like. There are two basic types of geisha. One is called "tachikata" which mainly does traditional Japanese dance (mai). The other is called "jikata" which mainly sings, or plays an instrument. Tachikata are usually maiko girls and jikata are older geisha women. The cost for a party with geisha varies depending on the number of geisha, food, drink, hours, and so on.

[another day, another year] thus begins the days of punching in 23 on the precor machine. thus begins the days of no more "21 in 2001" on my driver's license (it's expiring soon). thus begins another year. sigh.

not much to reflect on except that it's gone by far too fast. i'm catching up with y'all! thanks to the people near and far who remembered and helped me celebrate through techno music cards and capitalized subject lines. :D *muah*

ta for now.