I am a product of pop culture… TV, books, movies, soundtracks, magazines and websites. I am definitely a part of the jacked-in, 24-hour, constant buzzing of things that scream “YOU MUST DO THIS!”
I like to hear about the underdogs, people who were so determined with their vision and idea that they were able to overcome naysayers to turn their idea into reality.
When I was a teenager, computer hacking was still in its infancy. We used to hack phone company calling cards so we could call long distance for free and also pirate computer games. One was considered elite if they could distribute a game within three days of its release. I was elite.
Like any Chinese kid in America, I was forced to take piano lessons and also sent to Chinese nursery school to make sure we wouldn’t lose touch with that side of our roots.
I need quite a lot of alone time. It was a shock moving to Singapore where it seems like people can never spend a minute away from another person.
My favorite feeling is when you look at your appointment book and the whole day is clear. I don’t know why people are always trying to fill their days with things to do.
I dreamed about working as a Disney Imagineer. They’re the guys that figure out how to make all these fantasy lands into reality. How to make the rides, how to make the smell of fresh baked cookies drift down Main Street, and essentially how to engineer every moment of your vacation.
When Tanuki Raw was under construction, I put up a sign that said “Media Preview” and had my wedding on the balcony. Everyone had to walk through the rubble of the interior.
Things to do with feet or shoes gross me out. If I touch my shoes I have to wash my hands, so I wash hands every time I put my shoes on. I had a roommate that used to run long distance every day. One day he came back after a run, took off his shoes, took off his socks, and then put his sock in his mouth to keep his hands free to do something else. I felt like throwing up.
Back in university I was dating a black girl and she took me to this reggae club. Everyone else there was black and over six feet three inches tall. The style of dancing was to jump up and hit the ceiling with your palm. I did not fit in no matter how hard I tried.
In order to have time for love, you need to have money. That may be the most depressing thing I have ever said. Money buys you freedom which you can use to spend time together, explore new things and help minimize day-today stresses.
The meaning of life is found at the bottom of a just-emptied beer glass. You may need to empty a few before you find it.
