people i don't get

i had a nice little impromptu play-date with a friend this week post-hurricane sandy.  it was so lovely - we ate beard papa's while we discussed our favorite books & music.

we were both sharing our disdain towards people who hate reading and/or books.  i might come off a little elitist and pretentious (as some people have already labeled me), but i don't care - because i think it's pretty sad that reading has become an "elitist" activity (especially considering that libraries are free to anyone). 

but living in this A.D.D. generation obsessed with instant gratification, taking the time to actually sit down to read a book (or even a long article) can be considered a tedious activity.  it's sad, yet understandable. but i think something that boggles my mind even more are people who are indifferent towards music.  i actually have a friend who once told me "i don't really care for music."  how...why... i don't even understand that statement.  it's like saying you hate puppies - it doesn't make sense. it's not human.

i remember i actually gave up music one time for lent.  i was able to manage, but it was a quite dreary 40 days.  yes - i became more aware of the outside world as i wasn't consumed in my own world within my headphones, but i felt my soul was starving for its usual musical accompaniment.

as mentioned before, i don't care too much about the details about my future wedding (if i have one), but the one detail i will fuss over will be the music.  i will not allow any overly cheesy/bad music at my wedding.  never!  i will curate each and every song on that playlist to perfection.

in Walter Isaacson's biography on Steve Jobs, there was a story about Jobs meeting Yo-Yo Ma.  upon hearing Yo-Yo Ma play a piece by Bach, Job's actually teared up and told him "You playing is the best argument I've ever heard for the existence of God, because I don't really believe a human alone can do this."


and speaking of yo yo, i love this (& many other) npr tiny desk concert series:

the joys of strolling

I love walking. I came back from an impromptu night stroll with a buddy of mine (I think he felt a bit obligated to walk with me, even after I assured him that I always enjoy walking by myself this late at night) - it was nice though, because we got to chat and catch up a bit.

I noticed that walking has always been one of my favorite past-times.  Ever since a young age, I'd be constantly walking around the house (at times, skipping on my couches), because I think it was some type of physical (& mental) release.  As a child with a busy mind & an overactive imagination, I just couldn't sit still and think/imagine properly.  As my mind is churning, my body had to be active also.

I remember when reading Steve Job's biography that he loved taking walks whether it was with his son for some good quality time or his partners working out deals.

I like taking walks by myself because it helps me organize my thoughts.  Though I also find these quiet times necessary for me even if means I'm thinking about absolutely nothing and just observing the random happenings on the streets.

Look at Colin Firth - all brooding/pensive as he's walking around the neighborhood.

I also enjoy walking with company.  Some of my favorite things to do when I go back home is to go on my ritual morning walks with my mom - sometimes my dad joins in too, but he can't hang (physically) the whole time. It's our special, quality time together as a family as we find ourselves pretty much talking about anything from our family to relationships to careers to God.  I also think that's one of my favorite things to do on a date.  It's much more relaxed than sitting down at the table for dinner and just conversing over drinks, because in both those cases you're pretty much stationary at a table - just staring across at each other.  Nothing to fill in the silences but blank, awkward stares as you nervously crumple your napkin and sip your water for the upteenth time.  Whereas if you're walking, you can focus on walking and looking at the things around you, so the awkward silences don't seem so obvious.

My pastor told us he goes on walks with his wife everyday and it's kind of become their "thing."  I hope that whoever I end up with in the long run, won't mind a bit of walking either...

the last paragraphs of steve job's bio (spoiler alert)

One sunny afternoon, when he wasn't feeling well, Jobs sat in the garden behind his house and reflected on death.  He talked about his experiences in India almost four decades earlier, his study of Buddhism, and his views on reincarnation and spiritual transcendence. "I'm about 50-50 on believing in God," he said. "For most of my life, I've felt that there must be more to our existence than meets the eye."

He admitted that, as he faced death, he might be overestimating the odds out of a desire to believe in an afterlife. "I like to think that something survives after you die," he said.  "It's strange to think that you accumulate all this experience, and maybe a little wisdom, and it just goes away.  So I really want to believe that something survives, that maybe your consciousness endures."


He fell silent for a very long time. "But on the other hand, perhaps it's like an on-off switch," he said.  "Click! And you're gone."


Then he paused again and smiled slightly. "Maybe that's why I never liked to put on-off switches on Apple devices."

apple of my eye

r. i. p. steve jobs

my first apple purchase. ever.

and since then, i was sold.

self-made men/women

As I was taking cover for Hurricane Irene yesterday, I decided to watch "Coco Avant Chanel"- a biopic depicting the early life of Coco Chanel.


It's amazing to see how this girl who was practically an orphan was able to overcome the traps of poverty & a rigid, chauvinistic society and build one of the largest fashion dynasties in the world. And it was interesting to see the influence of the men in her life from the Baron, whose life and kingdom she weaseled her way into through the most aggressive means, to Boy Capel, the love of her life who gently encouraged her to pursue her gifts.

In a world where woman weren't supposed to work and were only seen as accessories to men, she was able to revolutionize the fashion industry by becoming the first female designer and entrepreneur. In a world of excess and frivolity, she was able to showcase a style based on simplicity and elegance (i.e. the little black dress, two-piece suits).

"As soon as you set foot on a yacht you belong to some man, not to yourself, and you die of boredom."- coco chanel

I've been going on a binge of reading up and researching these type of rags-to-riches stories, specifically on people who come from less-than-fortunate backgrounds and truly pursued what they loved. With all the recent news about Steve Jobs stepping down, I started researching (or googling) on his life, and I was blown away by his story. From being an adoptee to being let go from his own company to suffering from cancer and other health problems, this brilliant man has gone through a helluva lot. But his technological prowess, his emphasis on aesthetics, his hunger for innovation, and his love for his craft pulled him through even the darkest of times.

Unlike his rather 'square' contemporaries, Steve Jobs has the unique gift of knowing what consumers want in their products. I still remember my brother criticizing me for getting my first iBook when I was 18, saying that the only reason I wanted it was because it was "pretty." Which was entirely true (though I didn't admit it at the time), and Steve Jobs knew that.

My friend sent me this clip of a commencement speech he gave back in '05:


I know commencement speeches can be a bit gimmicky and "for show", but listening to this speech made me want to re-evaluate my life path. It made me really think about what I truly value & love and how these things can translate into a career. I'm still thinking.