Days 13-20

Belated because I hate you. I added another element to the questionnaire to perhaps give some insight as to why I kept them so long. I am a sentimental person. Because I am lazy, I've also condensed the format.

Day 13:


When (or how long), Where & How Much: Over 4 years ago, no idea (probably some thrift store)
What shoes are good for: Pretending like I'm athletic
Pleasant experience in these shoes: In high school, I remember hanging out with some friends (Will was there) and we decided to go to the Jackson Park golf course late at night. Of course this meant that we had to sneak in by navigating through wooded areas. I think that same night we went to another park and lit fireworks. Considering this is illegal in Seattle and since it was dark, the moment my friends set the fireworks off, I got scared and ran away. I remember not being able to see and running with full force into Will.


Day 14:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: Two years ago? I have no idea again!
What shoes are good for: Acting like I'm the shit.
Pleasant experience in these shoes: I'm pretty sure the Halloween of my freshman year in college I wore these shoes to go with my "librarian" costume. I remember getting shitfaced at some random party. I guess that's pleasant.

Day 15:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: I bought these in December when I was on Guam (in transit from Beijing) at Ross for $15.
What shoes are good for: Walking in urban terrain.
Pleasant experience in these shoes: I haven't had much experience in these shoes but I remember buying them mostly because they matched the jacket (houndstooth) that Dusten gave me.

Day 16:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: Two winters ago. Eamon bought them for me at Nordstrom. $60?
What shoes are good for: Having warm ankles
Pleasant experience in these shoes: I brought these shoes on the two week excursion to Qinghai/Gansu because I was told that it would be cold there. Since these shoes are lined with some kind of fur, I figured that translates into warmth. However, I soon discovered that although my ankles are nice and warm, the soles of the damn shoe suck. So, while we were at Blue Lake in Qinghai picking trash up, my feet immediately got wet while walking on the beach. Son of a bitch. My feet weren't even that warm.

Day 17:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: Last fall in Beijing (Xidan shopping district) for about 40yuan (~$4)
What shoes are good for: Looking like plastic
Pleasant experience in these shoes: I can't really say much about these shoes because I haven't really worn them. Do you notice a trend of me not wearing shoes? I guess you could say that the interview I had on the day that I wore these was pleasant. Let's just hope I get the job or else these shoes will be a reminder of the day that I could've sold myself better.

Day 18:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: Senior year in high school. Journeys (sorry guys) for$30?
What shoes are good for: Being commercial
Pleasant experience in these shoes: I really need to wear different pairs of shoes more often. I can't think of any past experiences in these shoes. Again, I did have a pleasant experience on the day I wore these shoes. That was the day Tim and I went to Lunchbox Laboratory and almost gave ourselves heart attacks (I think Tim had a minor one but didn't realize it), got shitfaced and went to the French Kicks show (which sucked).

Day 19:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: Three years ago when I worked at the Gap for like $5. I don't think these are outdoor shoes?
What shoes are good for: Making myself vulnerable to slipping in public.
Pleasant experience in these shoes: I've actually had more bad experiences in these shoes because of the lack of soles. I actually wore these shoes on the same day as the Day 15 shoes but that was the day where I underestimated the weather and didn't prepare myself for adverse weather. My feet were wet, the ground was slippery and I'm pretty sure I could've been hurt terribly if I went on in these shoes. You know how much I hate wet clothing.

Day 20:

When (or how long), Where & How Much: Some time in high school. Urban Outfitters $50.
What shoes are good for: Kicking it and listening to the underground shit
Pleasant experience in these shoes:I always feel weird wearing these shoes because they don't quite look right on me. I feel like I should only wear baggy pants or urban gear to match these shoes. I don't know why I bought these. Perhaps its because everyone had a pair. Not a good reason.

I only have 4 more days left of shoes! Are you guys excited for me? I'm pretty excited because I'm tired of having to wear these bullshit shoes. I refuse to get rid of them because these shoes (as a collective) act as the first defense if anyone tries to break in my house.

Nostalgic

Dear Readers,

It's ironic how I grew up on Guam where I was exposed to hot weather year round but now that I live in Seattle, when similar weather occurs, I go crazy. Hot weather, especially when I'm at home, can easily induce sleep. In the last two days, without even knowing, I've passed out on my bed for hours at a time because it was too hot to move. Tonight, for example, I had ambitious plans of finishing my homework early. I was about 10% there until I fell asleep for three hours. Now it's almost midnight and I have no completed assignments to my name. Why do I do this to myself? I need to stop sleeping so much.

Did I tell you that I even have scheduled naps when I'm at school? On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when I am at school from 9-5pm, I take power naps at the Suzallo/Allen bridge area after having lunch with Liz and Tim. Considering our hearty [ride-or-die] appetites, a lot of energy is dedicated to digesting after eating so it is only appropriate for me to take naps. Now that you know my secret, I hope you don't come harass me because nap time is precious time.

I'm not in the proper condition to continue writing in paragraphs because I am still half sedated from guerrilla napping.

Therefore-

1. I miss high school buddies and yes, that includes Eamon. Everyone is doing their own thing these days. I need to hang out with them. Which can segue into-
2. Folklife this weekend. It's been a tradition, kind of.
3. My brother is coming in Thursday night. He says I have to schedule a photoshoot for headshots.
4. Sasquatch on Monday. I wonder how that will be.

These pictures were taken around the same time.

Three years ago:


Wyatt, Eamon and Dana at Folklife


Eamon, Will and Dana in Wedgwood

Two years ago-

Eamon, Dana and Will (Barnacles -Martin) in Olympia


Eamon and Dana at Folklife

One year ago. (RIP bike)-

Dana somewhere in Capitol Hill


Vanity and I at Westlake

This weekend-


Tim and Liz on the way to Chop Suey


Liz and cat by my house (And yes, she is pooping)

Goodnight everyone, I have a paper to write. Ask me about my windbreaker sometime.

My Mom's Concern

I apparently secrete anger about work so much that my mom found a relevant article to deal with that. Like this is going to happen-

10 Tips for Getting Along with People at Work

1. Keep a tight rein on your tongue

How you say something counts for far more than what you say. How many times have you been chastised on the job by your supervisor, and you walked away angry because of the tone of voice used? When confronted with a difficult situation, always say less than you think. Curbing your tongue in a stressful situation will be more likely to create fewer stressful situations because how you handle yourself in a crisis will give others confidence in you and in their ability to bring problems and issues to your attention.

2. Be careful what you promise to others

If you intend to make promises, you had better be prepared to keep them, no matter what the cost. The easiest way to lose the respect of others is by guaranteeing things that you are either unable or unwilling to deliver. When you tell someone that you intend to do something, it is your responsibility to see to it that you follow through. Others will note an irresponsible attitude and be wary of approaching you on any level in the future if you continually break your promises.

3. Be kind and encouraging to others

Never let an opportunity to show kindness or encouragement to others to pass you by. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. Sometimes you can turn even the most hardened of your fellow workers into real softies once they realize that you are not afraid to compliment them or give encouraging words, despite how they may perceive you ordinarily. At the same time, when giving criticism, do it helpfully and gently, never spitefully. Show concern for another's feelings and well being. You will benefit greatly from even the smallest kindness shown.

4. Take an interest in other people

Learn about others' interests, their homes and families, and even their problems. Gaining the confidence of fellow workers is made much easier when you demonstrate that you have a caring attitude. When others are joyful, rejoice with them; when troubled or in mourning, be sympathetic. Let everyone with whom you have contact, no matter how humble, realize that you regard them as people of importance.

5. Be cheerful

We all carry a load of some sort, and although the old saying "misery loves company" is still widely held up as truth, keep in mind that making others miserable is truly a disservice. Don't dwell on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Maintaining a cheerful attitude at all times will not only make others more comfortable in your presence, but you will feel better as well.

6. Keep an open mind

Don't let yourself get into arguments. Discuss things with people rather than argue. Being disagreeable is likely to put others off; they will much prefer to deal with those who have a calm and reasoned approach. When confronted with a situation that you either disapprove of, or dislike, keep this in mind: it is the mark of a superior mind that can disagree without being disagreeable.

7. Be mindful of only your own vices and virtues

Refuse to discuss others' vices or problems. Don't allow gossip to rule your life. Tearing down another to prop yourself up is an extraordinary waste of time; furthermore, it can be very destructive. Especially in the workplace, morale is vitally important. When we lift our voices against others, we open ourselves to the thought, "I wonder what they say about me behind my back!"

8. Be careful of others' feelings

Humor at another's expense is rarely worth the trouble. Not only that, the hurt and pain felt by that person will often come when least expected. Take into account another person's feelings before you poke fun. Things said in jest are often the sharpest barbs to be felt.

9. Pay no attention to what others say about you

Remember, the person making snide or rude comments about you may not be well informed. Live in such a way that what is said about you cannot be taken to heart. Let your own actions determine how others see you, and that they will not believe the negative things said.

10. Don't worry about credit which is due you

Do your best. It's the best you can do. Concerning yourself about how much credit you receive will only burden you with more stress. Let others see your work ethic, and you will be able to take pride and pleasure in a job well done.

Burritos

Dear Readers,

If there is one skill I'm really good at, it would have to be my ability to rationalize my actions, namely in relation to displacing things. Today's execution of that skill would be spending the afternoon rotating my closet for hot weather, taping more things to my wall and "cleaning my room" instead of working on a paper due on Monday. The two papers that I've spent all nighters have recently been returned, one paper was mediocre and the other was terrible! Something tells me that I shouldn't rely on all nighters as the means of producing papers. Something also tells me that I'll be just fine. I think we can all expect a frantic post indicating my inability to write with some sort of comparison to poop. I'm becoming too predictable, I need to come up with some new material.

There are two things I really wanted to address for today's post, both in relation to living by myself-

1. I snack enough to have a small supply of snacks hidden around my room. I don't intentionally hide these things, they kind of just get lost in the piles of clothes and papers. When we were younger, my brother, sister and I would all read my sister's collection of Baby Sitter's Club during long periods of power outages that followed a typhoon. I remember that my favorite character was Claudia because not only was she the first introduced minority of the series but also she was kind of a hipster illustrated through her distinct fashion style. I also remembered that she always had snacks hidden throughout her entire room and whenever they had BSC meetings, she'd always be snacking. Is this uncanny foreshadowing? Maybe I subconsciously internalized her habits because I want to be a hipster. Maybe. No. (I don't hate people with bikes or glasses but those who have a combination of the two are questionable, FYI)

2. I have an obsession with taping things to my wall. In the post before this, I mention that I have papers taped on my wall that have important information on them. However, it doesn't stop at that. There is a good portion of my wall that is covered by pictures of pictures from National Geographic Magazine, on the wall parallel to that is a wall full of old receipts, sharing the same wall is my newest addition which is basically old Chinese homework assignments that I've used to its maximum by practicing characters on it. Aside from attempting to make my own recycled paper (which I don't know how to do but would love to learn), I couldn't think of anything else to do with it except to tape it on my wall. It's weird. I think I lack creativity so I just tape things to the wall to make up for that. Or to make a statement. I don't know!

I feel like I should be taking pictures of things but I am really lazy. Perhaps this weekend.

Things I'm Looking Forward To In The Near Future:
1. Show on Friday
-[Getting] Shitty
2. Olympia on Saturday
-The Jackson house yard sale where my old things are being sold
-Prom show with Calvin Johnson and Karl Blau
3. Memorial Day weekend
-Paulo is coming
-I have Friday-Monday off
-Sasquatch with the gays

Anyway, I don't want to spoil you readers too much. I need to keep myself viable through limiting my posts. I know you guys want me [to write more].

PS.
Denim cut-offs and boots. Everyone should have that outfit for summer.

Cornholing

Dear Readers,

I'm too lazy to post pictures of my shoes. No need to worry though, I'm still keeping up with the project, even if Liz and Tim think I'm cheating by wearing two pairs of shoes in a day. In my defense, I wasn't prepared for the weather and I ended up having very wet feet so in order to alleviate my soggy mood, I changed shoes. I'll take the risk of being called a cheat but I promise you it was for the better.

-

I was always told that I needed to keep my living space clean because, if not, people would think that I possess unfavorable characteristics and, ultimately, I'm a bad person that no one will like. I'm not exactly sure what kind of thought process my mom went through to reach this conclusion but this was something that went unquestioned in our house. However, these days, having the luxury of living by myself challenges everything my mother has ever force fed me.

Let me describe the phenomenon- there is a shoe blockade in the kitchen, dead plants in the living room, unopened mail on the counters, trails of clothes, unfolded laundry on the floor, papers, books, empty chip bags and more clothes circling my computer table creates a makeshift workstation alcove. On the walls above my computer are random pieces of paper (that pretty much dictate my life) posting reminders, bills, classes to take, addresses, important numbers and dates. It's a mess. According to my mom's lesson, a man would not want to marry me if he saw my house's condition for himself.

I'd like to associate my wild, ride-or-die way of house life with the fact that I had never really had a room* to myself growing up. I'm just compensating for lost time! There are times when I wonder if I can ever have a roommate again. Would my roommate(s) appreciate my clothing trails or the inspirational quotes that I place in strategic places to get me through the day?

As a self titled psychologist specializing in my personal mental health, I'd like to think that my messiness is attributed to my loneliness. I know I don't say I'm lonely but my actions -manifested through my weariness of my dead/dying plants or refusal to do laundry- call for people's company. I could be a good host. Take a shower, have a bagel, pet my stuffed dog, it doesn't matter. I know the messiness isn't the real me, so save me from my clothing trails!

--

Dusten turned 24 today (or yesterday in his part of the world). I'm sure you all have questions concerning our relationship (both romantic and platonic). For those of you who don't know, Dusten and I were in the program in Beijing when I studied abroad last Fall. To avoid a ridiculous tangent and share my life story, I'll just put it simply- we like each other. To illustrate how much we like each other let me provide you with an example. It's been over 5 months since I've left China. Throughout this entire time, Dusten and I have been communicating with each other almost daily. Doesn't that demonstrate dedication? For those of you who knew me during the years of the Eamon-era, you know how important communication within the relationship was to me (or lack thereof at the time).

While I have the capacity to produce a lengthy narrative on why I like Dusten or should celebrate him, I will not do so in fear of appearing to be a hopeless romantic. Instead, I will do what I do best.

Top 5 真的 Qualities I Like In Dusten**: (真的=really,seriously)
1. He has no shame in pooping/puking and will gladly describe the respective movement in great detail.
2. He will wear the same thing over and over for months at a time.
3. Pretentious asshole (although I say otherwise, I have a special place in my heart for the type)
4. Cave dweller
5. He will 真的 fight me.

And to celebrate his glory:

This is a picture of him flossing his teeth during our trip to Qinghai/Gansu/Tibetan regions. Look at that hair!

In two months he'll be coming to Seattle. I think you will all like him. He is very handsome.

I need to do homework. Have a good night everyone.

----

*I once had a "room" that had no closets or a door that my mom used to do the ironing in or store her sewing materials. Instead of a door, I had a fake Mickey Mouse fabric that hung over the doorway.

**There are better reasons why I like him but I wanted to save you all the discomfort.

I swear!

(From left to right- day 9-12 respectively. I know its dark but get over it you pieces of shit.)

Day 9
I have no idea where I bought these from. Probably some second hand store for real cheap. I have the best luck buying new shoes from second hand stores! I think I've had these for at least two years? I really don't know. These shoes are good for fitting in with little old ladies.

Day 10
Refer to day 5 below. The only thing that distinguishes this pair from the gold ones is that these used to be my work shoes so that means that they are fucking disgusting from all the milk/icecream/dirt/poop residue that I get from work. These shoes aren't good for anything.

Day 11
Journeys, $40. Sorry, I didn't get them from a hip store like all you motherfuckers out there. These shoes made the trip to China with me last year so thats why they are dirty. This is the other pair of shoes that I constantly wear. These shoes are good for pretending like you know something.

Day 12
Value Village for $5. They were new! One of my coworkers asked me if I weaved these shoes my self. I said no. These also made the trip to China. I'd like to think these are my sunny weather shoes. When I was in China, I wore these shoes so much that I got a tan line on my feet. It's not very attractive. These shoes are falling apart as we speak. Regardless of how shitty they will be, I refuse to throw them away for posterity's sake. These shoes are the reason why I'm friends with a certain group of people. Do you want to know the story? These shoes are good for attracting cute boys, dancing and making people think you weave your own things.

Can you tell I'm losing enthusiasm? I'm getting to the point in this project where I have to start being creative about what I wear since I have to match it with performance/athletic shoes. Maybe now is a good time to start wearing sweatpants/spandex.

Nothing else to say today. I'm beat. Look at this funny person-

Haven't forgotten

Dear Readers,

You probably thought I gave up on the shoe project but I've actually been keeping up with it. I'm only posting for the sake of letting you all know that I'm still doing it. You should believe in me.

Because I am tired, lists are what my energy limits me to-

More news-
1. I got into CISB
2. I am officially booked to Guam. I'm leaving August 12 and will be returning September 13.
3. I am still poor, especially now that I have to find a way to LAX.

Current aspirations-
1. I have over 50,000 in frequent flyer miles (This is what happens when I fly to Guam every year). Going to Brazil/new continent is now realizable!
2. Have a clean house
3. Find a new job
4. Indian buffet and drink a lot of wine this weekend.

WELCOME TO THE WORKING WEEK

Official:

1. Got into the Business School. I now have a major to match my uniform/apron.
2. Going back home to Guam (I know) from August 12 to September 13. I'll be flying out from LA since it is $800 cheaper to do so. That also means I'll be flying back into LA. Who wants to hang out with me in LA?

I am going to celebrate my acceptance by eating ice cream!

Day 6-8

Day 6



I bought these shoes at Urban Outfitters downtown for probably less than $10. I didn't really want the shoes but they were cheap. I think that is the Filipino bargain hunter in me. You wouldn't understand. I think I bought them around Christmas 2007. These shoes are ridiculously comfortable. The thing I hate about these shoes is that the dye will rub off onto my feet and it is really unattractive. It also doesn't wash off in one go so my feet have a waning blue hue for a couple of days. These shoes are good for when you need to have blue feet.

Day 7



I cheated and bought these shoes this weekend. Don't judge me. How could I resist? Look at those laces! And the blinding whiteness! They were from Red Light and they were $15. I haven't had much experience with these shoes but they seem promising. I believe they will be good for being a spectator at a tennis match, power walking and being around people who wear visors for practical purposes.

Day 8 (Today)



One of my friends was donating a bunch of shit so, seeing that I love free/cheap things, economically disadvantaged AND could benefit from charity, I took these shoes. It's a triple threat! I've had them since the summer of 2006. There is no good reason for why I don't wear these shoes. Maybe its because they're brown. They are good for urban sprints, stepping on things and fitting in with the crowd.

--

So I spent some time coming up with two lists- one of which is a list of ways I would hate to die and the other a list of unnatural ways I'd prefer to die. I feel kind of weird posting it because I think it may come off as insensitive or even offensive to some people. Don't even ask me why I have to write about my death. I'm not depressed.

Should I or should I not post it?

I'm tired and I need to catch up on sleep. I'll do this later.

Fruit

Dear Readers-

I'm sorry but Day 6 and 7 of the shoe project will have to wait. I am in the process of writing a paper that is unimpressive as it is painstakingly slow to produce. I would describe this as an unproductive bowel movement, constipation if you will, regardless of the amount of mental laxatives* I've consumed. Do you like how I always relate writing a paper to poop? That's usually the content of my papers anyway.

The paper I am currently writing discusses Foucault's claims concerning power in regards to the body and sexuality. Again, similar to last week's episode, I address the hegemonic role of institutions and their constant dissemination of ideologies regarding the morality of our bodies, our perceptions of beauty, sexuality etc. and how they are so deeply ingrained in society to the point where we do not question or challenge but rather participate in the cycle. I focus on a woman's body because, hey, I'm a babe. Women's bodies are highly sexualized because of their role as the child-bearing bodies and, as a result, they are [both women and their bodies] seen as public interest and an object to control. I then discuss the media as the regulating body to illustrate the short term reign of Vanessa Williams as the first black Miss America as well as coverage of "Freaknik" and the violence against women. I'm not exactly sure.

--

It is now 10:20pm and once again I have stayed up for more than 24 hours writing this stupid paper. I wish I had better skills when it comes to organizing my thoughts or making a legitimate argument because I feel that both these papers do not have any of those qualities.

On a better note, I hung out with Eamon today and he gave me some fruit from Top Banana including some muscat grapes, yellow mangoes, some orange variety and a pink lady apple. Now I just have to wait for my reparation checks.

These are some things that I need to do:
1. Study for Chinese test
2. Finish my laundry
3. Take a ridiculously good shower
4. Sleep like/with a bear.

*The word "laxative" could not come to mind so, in hopes of stumbling across it by searching its definition, I Googled "things that will make you poop" and "remedies to constipation". It didn't exactly help me find the word but I did find some interesting things that will make me poop!

Day 5

Day 5:

I hate taking pictures and I hate shoes. One thing about working at the Gap was that we got pretty good discounts: 50% off new items and 30% off everything else. These shoes, for some reason, were like $7 on clearance so, being a discount predator, I used my discount and bought this and a pair of black ones for super cheap. You do the math. I guess these are my "special occasion" shoes that I wear with business casual/girl clothes. At first these shoes sucked because they weren't broken in and they are a little too small for me (the thing about buying things on sale is that I don't necessarily buy the right size for the sake of a discounted price!). The elastic is tight so I always have those marks on my feet. I'll tell you what these shoes aren't good for- walking in the forest. I have nothing else to say about these shoes except that they are gold. I also seem to have a lot of gold jewelry.

--

Updates:
1. My plans for going back to Guam keep changing. I have no idea anymore.
2. I am definitely going to San Francisco with Dusten
3. Liz and Tim are lame because they stayed in tonight
4. I love chips!
5. When the hell am I going to hear back from the Business School?

Day 4

Day 4:

I've had these shoes for so long that I don't even remember when I bought it. A reasonable estimation would probably between the years of 2004-2005. I bought them for $4 at this really small second-hand store on Lake City Way (RIP) that was sold new Keds in a rainbow assortment of colors! If only I had known then that colorful Keds would be a lucrative item then I would've purchased them all. I wear these shoes all the time because they work well with everything I wear, mostly just tight pants and collared shirts. Liz wore her lime green shoes today and got really offended when she saw that I was wearing mine as well. Do you guys think this is ridiculous? I think she should be flattered. I wear these shoes so much that the soles are starting to wear out and I think there are holes that are starting due to the intense use I get out of them. I also like them because I never have to tie the shoelaces. Are you starting to pick up on some of the qualities I like in a shoe? I think they are the same for my standards in men. These shoes are good for walking over curbs, tip-toeing, blending in the foliage, fly kicks, being at hipster parties, wearing tight pants and pissing Liz off.

I haven't been keeping up with my lists so here is a list of updates-
1. I am not going back home to Guam
2. Dusten is coming here for real in July!
3. FAIR FOOD season is here!
4. Sasquatch in 25 days
5. I am so poor it is pathetic
6. Why haven't you guys tried to find me a job?
7. My boobs are growing.
8. Liz and Tim suck big 香蕉苹果