[anna chang]

sunday night

2010-03-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

I took a long walk:

melting

2010-02-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

In the recent years, my concept of language has been reduced to abstractions—from classifications (genative, dative, idontgiveative) to formulas (VP→ (NP) V (NP)),to oohs and aaahs. With each linguistics class, the puzzle of language is broken into smaller and smaller pieces, making it harder and harder to put together. Simples sentences, everyday conversations, small talk—all labor intensive efforts. Verb where go, noun? What? But my linguistics education is just a scapegoat, the red-headed middle child that I regret having and subsequently blame all my misery on. The truth is, if I’m to be very honest with myself, my brain is melting

bird in tree

2010-02-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

curve

2010-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

pink and green

2010-02-02T10:58:00.001-08:00

gloomy day

2010-01-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

the bee's knees

2009-12-08T10:02:00.001-08:00

my brief stint as an engagement photographer

2009-12-03T00:16:00.001-08:00

branch

2009-11-26T22:50:00.001-08:00

Jean-Luc

2009-11-03T14:54:00.001-08:00

for georgia

2009-10-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

on which i am terribly dependent

2009-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Moments after I loaded myself in to my friend's car, I realized that I left my Ipod in my room. I thought, “Oh well, I guess I could live without it for a day.” Clearly, it was too early for my brain to make good judgments. Hour three has come and I feel as limp and empty as a shucked banana peel. Slowly decaying, life diffusing out of me. Dramatic exaggerations you might say, but have you heard the cacophony of a college town? It’s abysmal--a dystopia filled with Jeff’s explanation of his economic graphs, Susan’s lamentation over her lost phone, the bus driver’s “humorous” side, printer whirs, raincoat shuffles, incessant clicking. Oh to feel the warm electricity of my Sony headphones nuzzling my ears!

Regina’s jumpy, staccato riffs, I miss you! Nina Simone’s weary warble, I miss you! And Sufjan’s melancholy falsetto, I miss you most of all.

i lick one and hug the other.

2009-10-12T10:29:00.001-07:00

I love my friend Christina. I love ice cream. I secretly love that boy with the blue cap.

A foggy day 2.0

2009-09-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

a foggy day

2009-09-19T00:04:00.000-07:00

my friend

2009-08-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

is a walking painting of Jesus.

I got lost

2009-08-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

in the sounds.

doomed

2009-08-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

goat

2009-08-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

This guy knows how to work it. He's also friendlier than that pelican.

for my little buddy

2009-08-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

I talked to her on the phone yesterday--she hugged and kissed it.

lesson learned

2009-08-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

After I took these photos, I learned that pelicans are scary and dangerous.

i sure love

2009-08-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

dem taters. Mmmmmm. I'm glad I live in city that makes french fries readily available to me at almost every corner.

i can't hide it anymore

2009-08-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

i love pink. i used to be embarrassed to admit it because so many sad and silly things are colored pink, like salmon.

everyday

2009-06-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Everyday I wake up to the cacophonous melody of construction. For all the morning hours it has robbed from me, this new building better be fanfuckingtastic--a testament to the art of architecture.

beauty, beauty all around me

2009-05-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day for green, blue, and gold.

my mother in three lines

2009-02-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

Her response to the video message I emailed her:

"Nice! At least i get to see you, sweetie.

Your lips are winter-burnt. Dont u have

chapstick? love u!"

(I kinda stole this post concept from Christina. I wanna be her when I grow up.)

My Love for Bacon Knows No Bounds.

2009-02-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Apparently, I'd rather eat a pig than see it frolic through the meadows. About a month ago, I buckled and ate meat. And once you open that gate again, it's almost impossible to close. Maybe I'll try again someday...when they make a bacon substitute that's just as seductive as the original.

Recommendation: Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Apple-Smoked Bacon. No Nitrates! Their turkey bacon is also delish and it doesn't shrink when you cook it.

I wish I owned this before I turned vegetarian

2008-08-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's an alarm that wakes you up, not by a sound, but by the smell of
bacon. Mmmmm...

Since we're on the subject, I've compiled a list of meats/meat dishes that I miss:

Bacon
Smoked Apple Chicken (Top Dog! What!What!)
Kielbasa and fried rice
Country-fried Steak
Salami
Beef a Cavalo
Garlic Chicken skewers
Lemon Chicken
Chicken and Waffles

Even if I wanted to go back to being a omnivore, I couldn't. Every time I think about eating meat, the opening sequence of Babe, which starts with Babe's mother being hauled over to the slaughterhouse and ends with a close-up of Babe crying, plays in my head.

too much of my time

2008-08-11T01:41:00.000-07:00

...has gone into revamping this blog, which I never write in. I changed the template five times, made 12 headers, and spent most of the weekend trying to learn html. I could've finished a novel. I could've written a novel! But instead, I spent that time obsessing over blog templates. The sad thing is, I'm still not completely finished and I'm not so hot about how it looks. However, so the time spent won't be such a complete waste, I will try to write in this thing everyday for a month.

Things to look forward to:

"Cows Hold Grudges and Why that Fact Made Me a Vegetarian."
"I Was Sorta, Almost Eaten by a Mountain Lion."
"Shia LeBoeuf Laughs Last."

P.S. I think Christina is the only one who reads this, therefore I blog just for you.

Interesting turn of conversation

2008-03-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at a computer booth in the library. A few moments ago, I overheard this from a nearby booth:

Guy on cell: "I've got the runs, dude. (slight pause) So what's up?"

I guess he was right in changing the subject. At the same time, I feel that if you're going to mention diarrhea loudly over the phone, you gotta commit to it. "I've got the runs, dude." by itself is kind of an odd, floating comment. Why not anchor it down and give your friend and the eavesdropping public a little bit more information. A "Man, I really shouldn't have eaten 10 tacos for breakfast" or something of that sort to liven things up a bit. Then it would have potential to be a funny, little anecdote. Otherwise, big whoop, no one cares.

Fun with Shapes

2008-02-20T13:47:00.001-08:00

When I walk around town or on campus, I notice that most of the cliques I pass by consist of members who look like each other. They have the same hair style, wear the same trends, and funnily enough, they all seem to be about the same height, creating a nice, even skyline. If you had to guess one thing they had in common, you would quickly say that it's their love of overpriced Abercrombie sweaters.

I'm happy to say that the people I hang around with are all different shapes and sizes.

I Maid a New Blog (Don't worry, it's a pun.)

2008-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

So I got rid of my old blog and created this new one. I can't really find a good reason as to why, especially since this one is almost identical to the former. I suppose I just like power of destroying and creating.

The other day I decided to check out Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket. All was well and good until they introduced Luke Wilson's love interest, Inez, the hotel maid from Paraguay. All I could think about was Racialicious' criticism on Wes Anderson's use of non-white characters as tools to aid the growth of the emotionally stunted/vulnerable white male lead. This is pretty apparent within the first few minutes of their interaction. She can barely speak a word of English, yet he follows her around, babbling whatever thought enters his head. She's just an attractive pair or ears for him to talk at. The fact that her English is very limited gives him the freedom to say whatever he wants--she can't understand, therefore she won't judge or object. She's barely a character at all. It was sad and frustrating to watch, so I didn't finish the film.

Speaking of Latina maids, Maid in Manhattan, in which Jennifer Lopez plays a maid vying for the affections of an affluent white male, grossed $93,815,117, while Enough, in which she plays an empowered woman who kicks her abusive husband's ass grossed only $39,177,215; and The Wedding Planner, in which she's a successful professional, grossed only $60,400,856. You can make the case that she just happened to be more popular when Maid came out, but still, it's an interesting bit to chew on.

I've also updated my photoblog.