These definitely bring up some memories.


跳 Everbody 跳! TEEHEE. The clothes are fantastic as well.



Oh man. It's been so long. And listening to these songs again makes me wonder if I really liked these guys .... =.= HAHAHA

Sitting in the Cold, originally uploaded by lisapoo.

I went to the botanical garden to take pictures of the snow. I figured it'd be one of the few places that the snow/slush would be relatively undisturbed. I was right! :) So prettyful.

More pictures at Flickr.

It snowed for maybe 10 minutes with ominous looking clouds, and now all of the sudden it's sunny! with cloudy skies. Man, this weather is insane!

BUT IT SNOWED~!!!! And I was looking at the weather forecast for the rest of the week, not much snow, but some sleet. Although there's still chances for snow tomorrow. Snow! Snow! Snow! Exciting. But I hope it doesn't ever snow too much because I don't have the shoes for it. BUT SNOW!!!! (can you tell I'm excited? I am!)

Sun and snow! I think I will have to go out today. :D As long as it doesn't sleet or pour because it was pouring this morning before it turned to snow.

Ahh ... <3 snow!

Ok, so it's not really homemade because I didn't make the crepe skin (is that the right term?!) from scratch, bought it from the store. But! I did add some pork and mushrooms and cheese and eggs to it. SO GOOD. Although my crepe wouldn't close, and it kind of became a pancake with toppings, but hey, it tasted good! Then I did the old banana and nutella crepe with strawberry ice cream dessert thing. It was so good. You really can't go wrong with nutella and banana. Now if only strawberries were cheaper, but we'll stick with strawberry ice cream for now. Ahhhhh, I love crepes! Thank you Europe for having ready-made crepe skins. They also have batter/powder, but that's too much hassle. Mmmmm.

I was looking for pancake mix because I was craving chocolate chip pancakes, but I couldn't find any. So I might end up trying the crepe batter. Make it thicker and add in the chocolate chips. Wonder how that would taste.

I should've taken a picture, but I was too excited and just scarfed it down. They're also not very big because the skin is kind of small. Oh well. Yummy in my tummy.

Also! I got an external ISP, so not dependent on school's limited internet any longer. Wee! I am excited because I can watch youtube and stream tv shows without having to worry about limits. Oh my! It's fantastic. :) Although I heard there's potentially problems with Skype, so still have to try that out. But, I can always just revert back to school internet to do the webcam/internet telephone thing. I guess having options is good. :P

I've been accident prone and stupid lately. What with falling flat on my hands and knees on the stairs or hitting my head against the upper bunk or oversleeping class, but I think today's takes the cake. It's so stupid and ... stupid that I don't even know what/how to title the entry.

Basically I was enjoying my hot ramen for lunch because it's a cold day here in Leuven. Mmm, warm, steamy, hot soup. Good stuff, right? Until I decide to share it with my laptop. Yup! I spilled my soup all over my desk, in the electronics area. Basically my laptop. My Mac. My baby!!! Ahhhhhh, I think I nearly had a heart attack and proceeded to have an emotional rollercoaster ride for the rest of the afternoon.

So as soon as it happened, I turned off the computer, unplugged everything and started wiping and cleaning. It was a mess because it was all over one side of the table, had to wipe my speakers, save my white printer paper, etc. and it was on the floor as well. I didn't realize it was on the floor, so I was tracking it everywhere in the room with my slippers. Well, long story short, it was a lot of cleaning and cursing and thinking, what the hell was I doing?! Even now when I try to think back to what happened, I can't remember how it happened. It didn't fall out of my hand or anything, it just tipped and spilled. But how did it tip? Why did it tip? I have no recollection. Sigh.

Anyway, so after that I called my sister to try and figure out what to do with the laptop because I had no one else to call (sigh). So after hearing that I should either air dry it or take it to an Apple service center, I decided to take it to a center just in case they had better advice. There's an Apple Reseller downtown near the train station, so I walk out in the cold (AND RAIN) to wait for the bus. I get to the Reseller, and the salesman tells me I have to take it to their service center, which is a 15 minute walk away. 15 min. Ok, not so bad, so I take his directions and head out into an area I have never been before. It was also where the Stella Artois and assorted other manufacturing companies were located. They even had a port-ish area with a canal and boats! I have to admit, I was a little sketched out and scared because it was kind of desserted and didn't look so ... um ... friendly and clean and happy like the rest of Leuven.

After wandering around a bit in the area (because salesman just told me how to get to the area, but not where the shop is actually located), IN THE RAIN, I finally find the service center. Turns out what they advise is pretty much the same thing, use a blow dryer to dry it for 30 minutes and hope it turns on. If it doesn't, then I take it back to them, pay 70 Euros for an inspection fee, and wait 5 to 7 days. Definitely not the alternative I wanted - expensive and long and no guarantee on how much more it'll cost to fix it (what if I had to replace the logic board?! AHHHHH). So, I trek back home and proceed to blow dry my laptop.

And pray pray pray that it would turn on. After 30 minutes of drying, I plug in my battery, cross my fingers, and hit the power button. Wow, hearing that startup chime has never been sweeter. Seeing the password screen has never made me happier. Then I tried to type my password. Nothing. Nothing came out. Well, technically not true. One or two keys actually worked, but everything else was dead. !@#$@#$!#$%! Ok, I told myself not to panic. It turns on, right? Just the keyboard's not working. I can go and get an external USB keyboard, plug it in, and all will be well (for now), right? So, I head out to my local computer store (which is pretty close by, thank God) and get the cheapest USB keyboard I can find. I come home, plug it in, turn on the computer, and type my password. IT WORKS! Yessssssss.

Then I realized I needed to plug in my ac adapter because I was using my crappy battery. *Plug* Why isn't the light coming on? WHY ISN'T THERE AN ORANGE LIGHT?! I unplug, replug, clean the plug area, plug, nothing. I couldn't believe it. By this point I was so frustrated at the computer, angry at myself, and all this negative shit, that I just couldn't take it anymore. It's like up and down, up and down, up and down, all in the matter of 2 hours. The soul cannot take it, at least not mine. So I call my sister and BAWL like no tomorrow because I'm just so mad and angry and UGH, and suddenly, mid-bawling, the light comes on. AHHHHHHH!!! I stare at it for a few seconds unsure if it was a fluke or me hallucinating or it really came on. And after it stayed on for a few minutes, I proceeded to bawl with relief.

Sigh. So right now basically all is well *crosses fingers* except the keyboard. And since it's my fault, it won't be covered under warranty. Since for now I can get by with an external keyboard, I think I may wait till I get to the States and hope it's cheaper there to get it fixed. But yah, that was my stupidity for the year, I hope. I am keeping liquid away from my computer from now on. Ahhhhhhh. SO STUPID. Why am I so CLUMSY?!

And of course this has to happen in a totally foreign country where I don't have the computer store and employees to help me out. Sigh. Just my luck. Woo.

Being sick always puts a damper on my study plans (heh heh heh). So, I actually have a bit of work I need to get done, but right now, I just want to cough up a lung. In order to pretend I'm doing something productive, I'll list down the things I need to get done and maybe this will spur me to do some actual work.

[x] Research for group presentation (meeting Mon.)
[ ] Read Ethics/questions/theses (Fri.)
[ ] Sexology Seminar paper (due ?)
[ ] Heath Prevention readings (Dec. 8)
[ ] Sexology Presentation (Dec. 10)
[ ] Biological Reproductions Questions (Dec. 15)

First two most important. Actually should have started on Ethics reading this weekend, but this cold it crazy! Worse than the last two considering how the tears and snot don't stop dripping out (ewwww, GROSS!!!).

Also need to grocery shop. Running low on stuff. Sigh.

And buy train tickets to Germany. I don't understand why I can't buy it online. GRRR.

Did I mention how much I hate being sick? MMHMMM. Sigh.

Yeeeeep, I have caught meself another cold. That's the third one in the three months I've been here. Averaging one a month so far, not a good sign. I don't even know why I got sick this time. It's not like I haven't been dressing warmly and none of my classmates have a cold. Oh wait. Except one. Ah .... mystery solved. Oh this sucks. CURSES.

But yah, this time around it's worse because I have stuffy and runny nose (that seems like an oxymoron until you realize one nostril is being runny and the other one stuffy. Ironic!) and sore throat and headaches once in a while. Blah.

I don't want to be sick. I don't like being sick especially when there's work to be done. My brain's all muddled and not wanting to do any hard thinking but will be forced to tomorrow. Sigh.

Woe. :( This is one sucky year. Need it to end .... like now. Sigh.

Oh my, blogger update as become sporadic! Mainly because I don't have anything interesting to say currently. Seems like school work is catching up and biting me in the butt! Well, not yet, but I'm starting to feel the same old sensation of deadlines approaching (not quickly just yet, but approaching nonetheless). How is it that in a little over a month it will be winter break and I'll be heading to D.C.? Where ... did the time go?!

I can't believe I've been in Belgium for ... three months only. What. Why did I feel like it's been way longer than that? Time is messing with me. Passing so fast, yet passing so slowly. I'm confused.

Speaking of time! Yup! I totally missed my class this morning due to oversleeping and bad alarm clock setting. Basically I set my alarm for 7:45 pm rather than am ... and since it was a morning class, and I've been having problems falling asleep, my body clock did not wake me until 12, which is an hour after class has already ended. I woke up, thought to myself, "my I feel good for five hours of sleep." *Looks at cell phone* OH SH!T. Aih. So stupid. So I frantically called my colleagues because we were supposed to stay after to talk about a presentation for another class. Thankfully they were still photocopying readings for next class, so I was saved to go and meet with them. Also thankfully they are super nice people and photocopied my readings too and didn't make fun of me too much for oversleeping. Although I was all over the place because I was still in shock at my stupidity ... aih. Anyway, so yah, that was my adventure for the morning, week, weekend, ever (I hope). Never again!!!!!!!

I don't know why I'm having problems falling asleep. It's not like I'm stressed or have much on my mind. I just end up tossing and turning though, no matter how early or late I go sleep. Ugh. This sucks. Any remedies for insomnia?!

[EDIT] It's 5:30 am and I'm awaaaaake. Talk about ridiculous. There's also a mosquito flying around and it bit me! three times!!!! AND IT WON'T STOP BUZZING IN MY EAR. ahhhh. and I can't find it!!!!!! and I can't cover my head with the comforter because it's hoooooot. sigh. Woe. But yah, why can't I sleeeeeeep? :(

Did some more decorating and rearranging around the room. Went out and bought some of those really flimsy but pretty clips (as you can see in the above pictures\). Got the idea to decorate one of the less used cubbies with ribbon and pictures. =) Maybe I'll do that with two other cubbies as well, but still debating because not sure if I have enough ribbons.

I love doing these little decorating/artsy things! They're so fun and kills a lot of time.

Don't want to just list and complain about all the bad things. Have to balance it out! So ... here goes.

- I get to run around naked without worrying someone will see me (as long as I keep the curtains closed). WAHAHAHA. Not that I do. Just that sometimes I'll forget something after I've de-robed for showering, and I can come back out and grab it. It's actually quite a free-ing feeling.

- Music can be blast as loud as I want! When my mom was staying with me, she'd always complain that my music was too loud and noisy and giving her a headache, when it really wasn't that loud! or noisy! Aish. But now I get to just play it at whatever volume, especially during the weekends because no one else is here. All the Belgians have gone home, and there aren't that many people around.

- I can be a slob and no one will know! Unless I blog about it. Hah! or if my classmate comes over suddenly. The other day due to some mix ups about class, we had an hour to kill before the prof showed up. We didn't realize this at the time because we hadn't checked our emails, so ended up coming back to my place since it was the closest. Thankfully we did that or we would've missed that class, but that's another story. Anyway, I felt so bad when she walked in because my room was kind of a mess, and I hadn't had time to do dishes before I had to go to class. Sigh. I was so flustered. But yah, I can be a total slob until I gross myself out.

Hmmm, that's all I can think of for now. :D

On another note, I found the public library today, and they have English novels! and movies! and CDs! Of course the selection is kind of small, but hey, better than nothing. And the membership fee is pretty cheap, 2.5 Euro, and I just have to pay .50 cents per cd or dvd. So, I'll have more to read after I finish all the books I brought/bought. Yay!

Another crappy thing about living alone is you have to take care of your own bugs. :( I just had a pretty big insect (picture above) crawl up my lamp ... I sat there for a good three minutes before taking a picture while complaining and screaming at a friend via IM. Then finally went in search of a little plastic container to trap it in so I can release it later. But first I had to stand there for another good five minutes panicking and sweating and shaking. After it took like five circles around the lamp it finally decided to head back down. And that's how I caught it and shut the lid and dropped it outside on the balcony and prayed it wouldn't land on me and just hope no other bug would fly in through the open window. And it sucked. AHHHHHH. I hate bugs I hate insects I hate these .... THINGS!!! They look so gross ... antenna's all moving around and tiny little legs and .... eeeeek. I still get all shakey when I think about it. >.< Sigh. Someone save me from this phobia.

But Prop 8 passes ... sigh.

Although not sure if Obama's good for Taiwan, but then again, our own gov't isn't so good for Taiwan either. And if our own gov't ain't so good, then does it matter whether the new president of the U.S. is good for Taiwan?

Speaking of Taiwan, there are pictures [Billy Pan @ Wretch] that illustrate the police response I blogged about yesterday. A picture is worth a thousand words, right? And I still can't put down my thoughts and feelings clearly, so these pictures will have to do for now.

But Obama won! And is it wrong that I teared up when I saw those pictures all over the net of people crying, hugging, cheering when Obama won and during his victory speech? There's so much hope for change! People are so excited about their new president!

Now if only Taiwan had something to hope for and be excited about as well.

It's been a while since I posted about Taiwanese politics, mostly because I'm further removed from it now. I get my news from Taipei Times and assorted English bloggers. Normally I just read the articles, but the anger and disbelief that I experienced back in Taiwan isn't there anymore.

However, not this time. On the eve of the U.S. Democratic Presidential Election, a huge event that everyone has their eyes on where the citizens of the U.S. pick their next leader, another democratic country is going through something it shouldn't ever have or need to. A high level Chinese official, Chen Yunlin is visiting Taiwan, and any sort of protest or any form of patriotic (Taiwanese) display has become forbidden. That is ridiculous. We are a democracy; we have freedom of speech and the right to express our opinions. But it seems like these rights have been disregarded and tossed away because of the need for "safety" of this Chinese official and the fear of pissing China off.

I may not be physically in Taiwan, hearing and seeing these things, but all the way here in Belgium, while reading the news articles about how Taiwanese people are being treated by the police for holding on to a Taiwanese or even Tibetan flag, I am in disbelief. And angry. This is not what Taiwanese people had in mind when they chose Mr. Ma for our leader.

Preventing harm from coming to the Chinese official is one thing, but when people who are expressing their pride in being Taiwanese and their opinion on the state of Taiwan (peacefully) are detained or forcibly removed from a location is a totally different thing. When did freedom of speech, either through speech itself or a visual display become something that can get someone arrested? My sister was so angry when she heard that she said she wanted to carry a flag in one of those locations where the Chinese official will be and see what would happen. When I heard that, I had the fear that she would get arrested or even harmed. I shouldn't have had this reaction because all she would be doing is holding on to a Taiwanese flag. There's nothing remotely threatening about that. She wasn't going to go throw eggs or do anything that would harm the official. This irrational fear is no longer irrational because it is occurring, right now in Taipei, the capital of a democratic country.

I can't stress enough how sad and wrong this is. When Mr. Ma was elected president, I was told that this is just a part of the democratic process - parties will win and lose. That is true, look at the U.S. - Republicans and Democrats have both been in the presidential office throughout its history. However, they never had to worry about one party selling them out to another country. The people of Taiwan didn't vote for Mr. Ma to reunify with China; he even said in his own campaign that it wouldn't happen during his term. Well, maybe in name it's not happening, but it certainly feels like he has a higher regard for China than for the people of his own country, the people who put him where he is now.

I didn't live in the martial law era, same with my peers. But from what I've read, many people who had lived during that time see a resemblance of what's happening right now in Taipei to how it was back then. And that is a scary thought. It might be only a temporary occurrence for now because of the Chinese official, but when it has happened once, it's that much easier for it to happen again.

More readings of what's happening:
- Measures Recall the Martial Law Era [Taipei Times]; detailed article of the protests and arrests that have occurred on Day 1 of Chen Yunlin's visit.
- Editorial: Fear and Loathing in Taipei [Taipei Times]
- ARATS Visit Roundup [Michael Turton]
- Martial Law Type Incident [A-Gu]
- Security Detail [The Foreigner in Formosa]; how many police officers will be protecting the official.

At around 5, my room was getting darker and darker because I hadn't turned on the light (lazy), and I realized there was a pinkish glow coming in. I look outside, and the color was absolutely gorgeous. So of course I took pictures. I didn't enhance or anything, that's just how the color really was. So so so beauuuutiful.

On another note, I am cold. I turned on the heater, but heat doesn't dissipate very well, it just stays localized to where the heater is. Ugh. I have half the mind to just sit right next to heater, except the floor is cold. I think I need to switch places with the printer. So the picture below is what I look like, in my own apartment (yup, hoodie and scarf). Sigh. And they say this is just the beginning of winter (*tears*). I just might turn into a popsicle.

I love it when random pictures I take without thinking come out well. Sometimes I'll overthink a shot. Sometimes I'll go with an instinct and just take the shot. Guess which one turns out better?

I wonder if that means I have no skills in photography. Sadness. But it's so fun! Now I really wish I'd paid attention in photography class (exposure? whatever whatever? random terms?) back at NEHS instead of skipping class or not paying attention to the poor student from Jiao Da or Ching Da trying to teach short-attention-spanned high school students. Hah! Regrets regrets.

But it's ok. Not like I have to waste money to develop photos anymore, so I can just take as much as I want and practice! Maybe one of these days I'll have enough money to get a DSLR, then I get to practice all over again.

Who wants to come and have a photo session in Europe with me? Let's go!

Although I've realized that I can't really concentrate on taking photos when I'm with other people. Alone and at my own pace is the best way to take pictures, but y'all are still welcome to join me. :)

I have little fruit flies flying around my kitchen area. I don't know if they're fruit flies actually, but they lookit. I don't know where they're coming from either! >.< I think it's the sink, so I've blocked off all possible entrances, but there are still some flying around. Ugh! It might be my trash, but the trash isn't close to the sink, so I don't know. I was going to take the trash out anyway, but! the light outside is broken or something, so it's super dark and I can't see where the dumpster is. Ugh! So I ended up just putting my trash out on the balcony. I hope hope hope there isn't a sudden rainstorm tonight *crosses fingers*. That would suck. Sigh.

It's also cold out. I nearly froze to death outside. Maybe that's because I only wore a sweatshirt. Heehee. But it felt nice. After being in my room all day long, a little fresh air is good.

Anyway, I hate bugs. HATE HATE HATE. Sigh.