Geek in Heels - Page 215

Jun 16, 2007 • In Personal

Meeting Allan Houston!

I met Allan Houston last night!

In case you don’t know, Allan Houston is one of my biggest celeb crushes. I was crestfallen when he retired, but was always ecstatic to see him do correspondence work on ESPN. I always told people that I’m convinced if he ever met me in person, he’d leave his wife and marry me.

We were drinking beer and shooting pool at Slate last night when a friend returned from the men’s room saying, “I think I saw Allan Houston in the bathroom.” At first I thought he was teasing me and I told him that’s not funny. Then he pointed at Mr. Houston…

He was with a small group playing ping-pong. He looked even better in person than he does on TV. And naturally, very, very tall.

In my pleasantly buzzed state, I insisted that I need to go over and talk to him (I’m not sure I would’ve had the balls to do so if I weren’t under the influence of alcohol). When his bodyguard wasn’t looking, I snuck over and introduced myself. I shyly asked for an autograph and he happily did so. But when I asked for a picture, his bodyguard (who appeared out of nowhere) barked, “No pictures!” and shooed me away.

However, I feel very lucky because afterwards, a few more people tried to talk to him but was always blocked out by the bodyguard.

Here’s the autograph….the only piece of paper I had was a receipt!

Sadly, I don’t think Allan wanted to marry me. 🙁

The Worst Break-Up

I was reading an article about how break-ups via emails, IM’s, and text messages are on the rise. This made me think back to my worst break-up…

The year was 2001. I had just decided to take some time off from school. I had just gotten out of a draining relationship with my first boyfriend (and first love). There were so many changes in my life that I was in a very volatile, emotional, insecure state.

Then R walked into my life. He was suave, good-looking, and charming. I couldn’t believe that a guy like him liked a shy, plain girl like me. My friends got along with him, my sister liked him, and my parents approved of him. I met his family and they liked me as well. His mother even commented that they need to buy dinner for our friends for introducing us. Needless to say, I soon fell head over heels in love with R.

For my 21st birthday, he took me to a swanky Italian restaurant in the theater district with a prixe-fix menu (I had never been to anywhere like that before and I was impressed). We then headed to a lounge where he immediately ordered a bottle of ’96 Dom Perignon. After toasting my birthday, he told me he had three presents for me. The first was a Precious Moments figurine of a couple in love. The second was a picture of us that he had framed. The third was a diamond necklace. A solitaire with a HUGE diamond. It was his grandmother’s, he said. She had told him to give it to the girl he could see marrying, whenever that might be. Obviously I was shocked and although extremely grateful, I told him that I couldn’t possibly accept the necklace. However, he insisted and I kept it. I never took it off.

Fast-forward a few months, when I made the decision to return to school. Since school was back in Maryland, we became long-distance. After a couple of months, I felt him pulling away. But I held on. We were in love and after a couple of more years of school, we could be together again….or so I thought.

A few weeks before our one-year anniversary, I received an email from a girl who introduced herself as R’s ex-girlfriend. She said she had found my blog, and after apologizing for intruding, she explained how badly R had treated her, including all the lies he had told her. In fact, they were dating when R and I first met. She even told me the specific date when he broke up with her – this was the day after R and my first date. She continued on to say that I seemed like a nice girl and she felt the need to tell me the truth.

Don’t trust him, she warned. He is a liar and a cheat.

I dismissed the warning as the rantings of a psycho ex bent on revenge. I emailed her back and told her that our relationship was great – thanks for the concern but we were fine. I was wrong.

A week or so after I received the email, one of R’s friends IMed me. He confessed that he suspected R was cheating on me. He felt he needed to tell me because we had become pretty good friends ourselves…he didn’t think R would confess to me anytime soon and he felt that it was only right that I know what’s going on.

I immediately called R, but he didn’t answer since he was at work. A few (anxious and long) hours later, I saw him online. I asked him to call me but he said he preferred to talk online since he was still at the office. I confronted him about what happened. He didn’t deny anything.

“Are we breaking up?” I asked him.

“I guess so,” he answered.

I begged him to reconsider. I told him that we can work things out.

He then said he needed to finish his work for the day. He said we’ll continue this conversation later that night when he’s home. He said he’ll call me as soon as he got home.

He never called.

So yes, I’ve been dumped via IM…just a week shy of our 1-year anniversary.

I’m not sure why, but I checked out all the stories his ex-girlfriend had relayed… they were all true. He had lied to me about several big things also.

Weeks later, after much tears and heartbreak, I visited a jewelry store out of curiosity. After examining the necklace in a huge machine, they politely informed me that the stone was fake.

What do you consider your worst break-up? Would you ever break up with someone via email, IM, or text message?

The Anatomy of a Photogenic Face

I admit that I’m very un-photogenic. Even my own mother tells me so. “Why do you look so bad in pictures? Practice how to pose in front of the mirror!” Perhaps it’s my natural awkwardness and/or low self-esteem manifesting itself on film. Or maybe I just don’t have the face for it.

Being an artiste, I’ve studied human anatomy and the human form many times (heck I had to stare at naked bodies for 8 hours straight every Saturday for an entire summer). Working in marketing, I sometimes have to pour through hundreds of photos, examining face after face. And I’ve noticed that there are certain features that definitely makes one easier to draw, or more pleasing to the eye when photographed:

Large eyes with dark, thick lashes
Small chin on women, large chin on men
Full, thick lips
Fairly symmetrical features

This isn’t too surprising. After all, these are the same features that scientists have declared to be what we, as humans, find the most attractive in the opposite sex.

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any of those features. I have small eyes with non-existent eyelashes, thin lips, and a strong, prominent (masculine) jawline. However, I believe that these features “work” for me. I don’t have classically beautiful features, but I have been described as being “exotic” several times. There have even been instances where strangers have stopped me on the street to tell me that I’m beautiful (and not in a shady, I’m-hitting-on-you way).

Nonetheless, the fact remains that I still don’t photograph well due to these features.

I know a girl (I won’t mention her name lest she gets embarrassed) who is drop-dead gorgeous in real life, and many people agree with me. However, the very features that give her the unforgettable, exotic look (upturned almond-shaped eyes, slightly asymmetrical face) make her look horrible in pictures.

I also know of some people who look fabulous on film (thinner, younger, and generally more attractive) but they don’t look that great in real life. I often find myself comparing their pictures with their real-life-selves and wondering how they could look so good in pictures, even better than they are in real life. And I see that they have the same exact features I’ve outlined above.

There are also those who look exactly the same on film and in person.

Which category do you think you fall under? Are you happy with the way you look on film? Do you think you’re unphotogenic?

Also, if you want to know my opinion of whether I think you’re photogenic, leave me a comment and I’ll let you know.

Pho32 & Shabu

Last Friday a friend and I had planned to have lunch at BonChon Chicken. However, upon arrival, we were disappointed to see that they weren’t yet open for the day. Walking around K-Town for an alternate restaurant, I noticed Pho32 & Shabu:

It’s a tiny place on 32nd St, and we wondered why we hadn’t noticed it before (did it open just recently?). The decor was cute, and each table had two round heated openings for the shabu-shabu pots. I was in the mood for some pho but we ended up going for the “Land and Sea” (combination of beef and seafood) shabu-shabu instead.

Yummy….my mouth’s watering just looking back at this picture. Needless to say, the food was great. The majority of people were eating pho so I assume their pho isn’t too bad either. We were very lucky to have arrive just as the lunch rush hour was starting – we only waited 5 minutes. However, those who arrived after us waited up to 30 minutes.

The bill came out to a little over $30 for the “Land and Sea” shabu-shabu and extra sides, which was perfect for two people. I highly recommend this restaurant. And since they’re open 24 hours, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit after a night out on the town.

Kept Women

This month’s Elle magazine has an interesting article titled “The Smart Girl’s Taboo: Wanting to be a Kept Woman.” In it, the writer contemplates the success of the E! television show The Girls Next Door and even spends some time with Hef’s three main ladies. She then asks why so many women are attracted to the show – can it be that deep down inside, even successful, independent women dream of being a kept woman?

I know many single or unmarried women who are well-educated, have successful careers, and live very comfortable lives. However, more than a few have told me directly:

“I only went into this field to meet successful (rich) men.”

or,

“I’m proud of what I’ve done and I’m happy with my life. But I want to meet someone who can support me and my lifestyle. After we’re married, I’ll quit and he can bring home the dough.”

Having attended Johns Hopkins, I’ve even met a few girls who admitted they only worked hard in high school to get into a good college so that they can meet a successful man (or a future doctor, in this case).

When I was younger, I thought love conquers all. “All you need is love” – John Lennon was a smart man. Just as long as you love each other, it doesn’t matter if you’re short on cash. The love you have for each other will more than make up for it.

Now, I admit that although love can be powerful, love can also be a lot easier if you have money. Would I love my future husband any less if he didn’t make as much? No. But I know we’d be struggling a lot more.

I’m not sure if I want to be a “kept woman,” per se. But I do know that after I’m married and have kids, I want to stay home for at least the first few years of their lives. And I want to know that my husband can financially support the entire family during this period.

I’d be lying if I said I never daydream about the lives of Holly, Bridget, and Kendra (okay, I watch the show sometimes). Granted, they will never have Hef’s 100% devotion. But aside from that, their wish is their command. They live the lives of princesses.

Are you or do you know anyone who dreams of being a kept woman?

Chicken Scratch

This is yet another incident that can only happen to Jenny.

“Doctors’ sloppy handwriting kills more than 7,000 people annually,” according to an article from Time magazine earlier this year. And who knew I would be a victim of poor handwriting as well?

(Before I continue, no, I am not dead, as I am — obviously — writing this. And the story is actually pretty funny.)

Back in January, I noticed some horizontal ridges on my right thumb nail. I looked it up online and most websites attributed it to stress – psychological or physical. Well, I had been stressed from moving back home, starting a new job, and adjusting to living with the ‘rents again. So I ignored it.

Fast forward to now. The ridges got worse. They look like huge bumps on my nail. And last week, my nail actually started to hurt a lot.

So I found a dermatologist through my insurance company and went for a visit yesterday. She told me that it’s an infection in my nail bed. The pain is from the very deep bumps traveling up as my nail grows. She could either remove the entire nail (eww), which would take an entire year to grow back, or prescribe some topical medication. Of course I went for the medication. She also prescribed something that will soften my nail considerably so that the pain will ease.

I picked up the meds just now. I read the instructions. The first one was fine – on to the second. I almost spit out my lunch.

“This medication is used to moisten and soften rough, hardened, dry, cracked, calloused skin; and other uses as determined by your doctor.”

Instructions: “Apply to groin twice daily.”

I have a rough, hardened, dry, cracked, calloused vagina.

Nip Tuck

Lately, I’ve been having more and more conversations regarding cosmetic surgery. With the rising number of people electing to go under the knife and the increased social acceptance of plastic surgery, I guess it’s only natural that we start to wonder how a certain tweaks here and there could improve our appearance.

Would you ever have cosmetic surgery? If so, what kind (assuming money was no object)?

I admit it: I’ve gone under the knife. I’ve had Asian blepharoplasty (more commonly known as the Asian double eyelid surgery) back in 2000. And I don’t regret it at all.

I’ve always had small eyes – had kids tease me in my younger years, and was very self-conscious of it. It was actually my parents who suggested that I get the surgery. At first, I was too proud and insisted that people should not change themselves just to conform to society’s superficiality. But as I got a bit older, I realized I was just too unhappy about my eyes.

It wasn’t all aesthetics – the lack of a fold forced my eyelashes to point straight down, often poking uncomfortably into my eyes. After some research, I found that blepharoplasty can fix this problem. And I’d finally be able to wear eye makeup without looking like a raccoon by mid-day.

I didn’t go back to Korea over a summer and have it done, as many girls do. We found a nice cosmetic surgeon in Fort Lee, NJ. At our first consultation, he explained the two types of Asian blepharoplasty. With the first type, the doctor makes an incision where the fold should occur and actually extracts fat and tissue. The second type is less evasive – the doctor makes three tiny sutures above each eye to create the fold. This method is reversible, so say, for example, if someone wanted an even larger fold later down the line, it can be done without any major reconstructive work.

The doctor said I was an ideal candidate for the second type because my eyelids are very thin (if the eyelids are not thin, this type does not look natural because the fold looks forced). Plus it cost about half as much as the first method.

The actual surgery lasted less then two hours and I was pleasantly chatting with the nurse the entire time. Swelling lasted less than a week and bruising was very minimal. After two weeks (and a follow-up visit), I was finally able to try makeup on my new eyes.

I loved it.

Here are some “before” pictures:

(Sorry for the crappy pictures….these are
the only old pictures I had in my computer
and I’m too lazy to scan more)

And here are some “after” shots:

(Yeah, I don’t know what I was doing with the ketchup bottle either.
But this was the best picture I could find where you can see the fold clearly.)

(You can’t see it too well here but there’s clearly a
difference between now and then.)

After surgery, most people didn’t even notice. They said I looked less tired and one guy even asked, “Did you lose weight or something?” Only a couple of people noticed right away.

Whenever I tell people that I’ve had the surgery they’re always shocked. “But it looks so natural!” The best part is that when I close my eyes, there is no fold, which is a clear-cut sign that someone had the surgery.

Before going into surgery, I had asked the doctor to make the fold very small as to make it less obvious. “Are you sure?” he asked. He said that most people, once they get used to the fold, end up wanting a larger fold. And I’m starting to think that he was right. Now I want larger eyes!

I think that if having surgery makes someone genuinely happier, they should go ahead and do it. I know I’m happier and much more confident after having done it.

There are some types of surgeries I would never do, such as breast augmentation, because I developed very early and was always self-conscious about my (larger-than-most-Asians) boobs. But I wouldn’t mind a few more tweaks here and there in the future (nothing major).

However, I no longer have the Bank of Mom and Dad supporting me and I would much rather spend my cash on new gadgets. So although I’m not beautiful, I will stay the way I am.

SK-II Air Touch Foundation

I had read in last year’s August issue of InStyle and the September issue of Vogue about a new foundation that SK-II was releasing: the Air Touch Foundation.

A description of the product from the SK-II US website:

At a touch of a button, the amazing ionisation technology delivers foundation one particle at a time for a most precise and natural coverage. When the ioniser is switched on the positively charged micro foundation particles are instantly attracted to the negatively charged micro particles on the face, covering the skin in a single, even and precise layer – no mess, caking or streaking.

In addition, Air Touch Foundation is formulated with SK-II’s seemingly miraculous ingredient, Pitera, and moisturising agents to provide skin caring benefits and hydrate skin.

Both InStyle and Vogue had raved about this foundation. Personally, I wasn’t sure if I believed all the ion mumbo-jumbo; after all, so many cosmetic companies these days claim scientific breakthroughs in their marketing campaigns that I’ve started to ignore the majority.

Besides, the damn thing costs a whooping $150.

And it was sold out everywhere.

However, this was touted as one of the best foundations out there…in a gadget form. My inner geek wanted to try the little battery-operated ionizing machine.

I continued to research this product on the web. There were very few bad reviews on this product, if you can even call them bad. The only repeating complaint I read was that it’s too expensive. This is VERY rare for a foundation, since there are so many different skin types and preferences.

By Friday, I had read enough – I wanted this foundation! I called Saks to see if they had it in stock – luckily, they had just received a shipment. I hopped on over during my lunch break to try it out.

As soon as the makeup artist finished applying it and held up a mirror for me to see, I was amazed. Wow. I was sold.

Because the particles are only attracted to negative ions, it doesn’t get on your hair, eyebrows, or clothes (unlike airbrush foundations). In addition, you’re supposed to use it AFTER you put on your concealer, eyeshadow, blush, etc. Only mascara and lipstick come after the Air Touch Foundation.

Not only does this give your face a glowing, finished look, it also FEELS great. My face feels moisturized and it really, honest-to-god feels like I have nothing on.

I should, however warn that this isn’t the product for you if you’re looking for medium to heavy coverage. It’s very sheer so that your true skin shines through.

You can buy refills in packs of two for $80. Each refill is supposed to last 6-8 weeks, so I figure, after paying for the dispenser, you’re not spending TOO much.

Okay, so I’m done with my quarterly luxury expense. 🙂

Don to Earth

One of the many blogs I subscribe to is Get Rich Slowly, a personal finance site written by a man who was successfully able to dig himself out of major debt and want to help others do the same. Today, he posted a link to Don To Earth, a “blog written by a 93-year-old-man. There’s more to wealth than money. Health, long life, and happiness are more important, in my book. This is awesome.”

Fascinated, I checked out Don’s blog. Don is the third oldest blogger in the world. His entries are filled with wisdom and advice that can only come with age. Some of them are downright bittersweet, and a few even brought tears to my eyes.

And reading his blog just reaffirmed something…

I’ve been having a lot of conversations with friends these days about work, money, and lifestyles. I personally think that I make a pretty decent wage for my age and profession. However, I work in NYC, where you can’t even buy a nice one-bedroom apartment for $1 million. Next to all the finance people and lawyers whose first-year salaries reach $150k, I don’t make much at all.

However, I work in a field I love. Although it can be a bitch waking up every morning, I actually enjoy my time at work. I only work 35 hours a week and in my first year, I’m eligible for 41 days off (counting vacations, holidays, and sick leave) and 45 days starting the second year. And when I calculate how much I earn per hour, I actually make more than my peers who have the $100,000+ salaries but work 60+ hours a week. Now how many people can say that?

Jigg wrote an entry about this a while back, asking if you had the choice to make $150,000 a year working 120 hours a week, or to make $50,000 a year working 40 hours a week, which would you choose? I would definitely choose the latter, not because I don’t want the extra cash (who wouldn’t?) but because I like my personal time. I want to spend time with my loved ones, read good books, and work on the 10 different side projects I always have going on at any given time. There’s always more money to be made, but you can never buy more time.

In contrast, a lot of my friends are willing to work the extra hours knowing that there is extra cash at the end of the road. I applaud them for their discipline because I could never do that. Years down the road, they’d probably be multimillionaires, living the high life. However, I’m content with a middle-class life with the occasional luxuries.

Which would you pick?

Sony Ericsson M600i Review

When I first watched Casino Royale, I instantly became transfixed by the smartphone used by Vesper Lynd in the movie. Since I had been in the market for a new phone, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase an unlocked version from eBay.

Being a gadget/techie geek, I had done some pretty extensive research before making the decision to purchase the phone. The phone’s OS, UIQ3 running on top of Symbian 9.1, is still fairly new (well, not that new…but very new compared to say, the Blackberry OS) and as a result, buggy. It seems that SE wanted to jump on the smartphone bandwagon a bit prematurely when this phone was released last June. There were some major complaints when the phone first came out with reports of automatic restarts, lagging, faulty applications, etc. However, one good thing about SE is that they provide free firmware upgrades via their website. So by the time I was contemplating getting the phone, the latest firmware was pretty stable.

I must admit that when I first tore open the packaging, I was a bit disappointed with the casing – I had expected a glossy white finish from the pictures I’d seen. However, after some usage, I now applaud SE for choosing the matte, pearly white finish; this baby is pretty damn resistant to scratches (and you know how much of a klutz I am).

I had been considering two other phones: the Motorola Q and the Blackberry Pearl. What made me decide on the M600i? Well, one major pro was the touchscreen with handwriting recognition. Neither of the other two have it. I had also read that the Motorola Q was pretty buggy, and besides, I don’t like Motorola products much after having owned the over-hyped Razr. And while the Blackberry Pearl has the Blackberry name behind it, but I had read that since it runs on a modified OS, it isn’t as reliable.

Believe me – I was tempted when I read that a white version of the Pearl was due to come out “very soon.” However, I also knew that I would be doing a lot of web browsing on my new phone and the Pearl’s screen was the smallest of the lot. And I was right – I’m already wishing my M600’s screen was larger, when it’s only a little larger than the Pearl.

A few more pro’s:

I’m starting to see more and more Motorola Q’s and Blackberry Pearls these days. I feel special that I have yet to meet anyone else who has the M600i.
The M600i comes installed with ActiveSync, which uses the Microsoft Exchange Server network to sync data using direct push. So all my work emails, appointments, and contacts are synced simultaneously without having to install anything else or pay additional fees (unlike Blackberry).
It’s just so pretty! The physical phone itself and the UI are just my style.
There are just so many ways to navigate and use the phone – I love the integration of the keypad, the touchscreen, and the jog dial.
While the M600i’s QWERTY keypad looks like the Pearl with two letters to a button, they’re actually different. The M600i’s keys are curved so that you get a different letter depending on whether you press the left or right side. With the Pearl, you have to press the button twice to get the second letter.
I like how there is a landscape/portrait orientation view option.

Some con’s:

Like I said, the screen could be larger. But I guess they couldn’t make the phone too large or else it wouldn’t be fashionably slim.
While the keypad is a pro now, it was a con earlier because it takes a lot of practice to get used to it.
No camera. This is a big con for many people and the main reason they decide not to get the phone. Well I carry around a camera most of the time so it’s ok.
No Edge. Again, this is a big con for a lot of people but I don’t really care.
Although the latest firmware is the most stable (and I don’t have any problems 95% of the time), I still notice little bugs here and there. Hopefully they’ll be rectified with the next update.

I almost forgot – I immediately purchased a screen protector for my new phone, and it’s one of the best out there. Anyone who has an LCD worth protecting should get theirs at Martin Fields – everyone’s amazed when I tell them I have a screen protector on my phone.

One last thing: since I first became interested in the phone after watching Casino Royale, I wanted to make the experience complete by using Vesper’s distinct “ping” as an alert tone. Upon doing some research, I discovered that
many people had been looking for the tone – several even called SE! They eventually found out that the tone was especially made for the movie and was not available to the public. But did that stop determined geeks? Never! One person get a recording of the tone from the movie, converted it to mp3 format, and uploaded it. And then another person put it through various filters to clean the sound. And now I am the proud owner of the famous “ping.” 🙂