Reposted from Facebook, and also my other blog..bc for some reason it's not cross posting my blogs anymore...so there's a couple more over there than over here.  OH well.

This took forever! Read and analyze at will but don't judge. Judging is for people with judicial appointments or elected seats. And even then, you should try to limit the judging to potential criminals.

1. I can fit inside a duffle bag, albeit a larger one. Although I used to be able to, haven't tried recently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqZn9rQ-T-I

2. I always have stickers in my wallet. It's to lure small children away from their parents and sell them for a profit. (I don't kidnap the stinky ones those..it's hard making money on those).

3. My biggest fear used to be that I'd turn into my mother. But now that she's slowly changing I think I will change that fear into being afraid of my dad dying. (Because he talks about it ALL the damn time.)

4. Food I will mostly never pass up: corn on the cob (esp. the Mexican kind), Korean BBQ, shaved ice, corn chowder/corn soup, most kinds of bisques, 三杯雞, sauteed 豆苗, grilled cheese sandwich, empanada, okonomiyaki, banh cuon, banh xeo, bun bo hue, 海南雞飯, food from Thai Avenue (Boulder), Thanh Long crabs (SF), Sushi Tora special sashimi (Boulder), 雪魚, 炒大腸, Korean waffle ice cream, scallops, asparagus, mushrooms, roasted chestnuts. (That's mostly it haha).

5. Number of piercings - 5, number of tattoos - 1, planning on increasing both numbers if I don't end up in a job where it matters. My next tattoo will be my last name, 葉 because it's the best name in the world. :D My tattoo reminds me to live every day to its fullest, to do everything passionately. I got it so I could remind myself to change if I ever found myself just going through the motions. Easier said than done.

6. I think everyone deserves a second chance. But probably not more than that.

7. I'm a chronic daydreamer - worse than Amelie. Name a fantastic scenario - I've probably daydreamed it.

8. I make a better man than woman (based on socialized gender roles), as evidenced by my hobbies (video games, comic books, sci-fi, gadgets, building IKEA furniture), attitude towards relationships and my love of women. j/k j/k. or maybe not. Depends on the day.

9. Nah I'm pretty girly too - in a sorority, do my makeup every morning, love to shop, intrigued by crafty things, have too many bath products, love Asian drama, love androgynous-looking men, love non-androgynous-looking men (but not beefy men) - also depending on the day.

10. I don't like wearing clothes, nope not at all. I believe all my previous roommates have had the (mis)fortune of knowing this firsthand. Some (David, Amanda and Azizah) are bold enough to attempt face to face conversations with me in this state - it's not a free show people.

11. Contrary to how I act, I believe I actually am getting older/maturing. Exhibit A: Body Aging. Exhibit B: I'm actually getting along with my mother. *crosses fingers*

12. I have way too many pillows (body, down, microfiber, microbead, cotton). I like to switch them out depending on my mood. There is one I do not share and you are not allowed to touch.

13. I like to organize my closet by color (when all my laundry is put away that is...) Laundry is the bane of my existence. If I ever keep a child-slave for myself, it will be the laundry-slave.

14. I'm going to adopt a kid. Have always wanted to since volunteering every year the Heritage Camp. (Camp for trans-nationally adopted kids). I know why not just steal one right? I might go legit this time.

15. Pets I want: hedgehog, sugar glider, chinchilla, boa constrictor.

16. My parents always say I am am "手hen" (I have no idea what the character for "hen" is). It means "itchy hands"..like my hands always have to be doing something - tearing, tapping, poking, scratching, etc.

17. If I become a billionaire - I will buy a bunch of houses in the same neighborhood and move my family and friends there so we can be separate but still be close together. This is also the beginning of my clan/army/plan to take over the world. Plus I believe kids should grow up with tons of other kids.

18. My closest friends are wacky, spontaneous, good listeners, patient, love food, again patient (I am not a very good friend), beautiful, intelligent and passionate. (I am all but a good listener and patient-working on it!)

19. I am a movie star. If you have ever seen any of the movies starring Spirit the Dog from Qwest (the telecomm company) that is indeed me in those movies.

20. I fall asleep a lot and in random places - most recently - at a rally after Obama was announced winner (mainly due to alcohol).

21. Found this old blog post from 5 years ago, predicting where I'd be 5 year from then. Two out of three isn't bad.

"1. Working...where? Hmm not sure. Qwest in their law dept? Some non-profit? Toy store? Who knows...
2. Thinking bout settling down...
3. Not in Colorado...one of the coasts...maybe in another country"

22. 5 years from now, 1) I'll not be in DC, maybe another coast, maybe another country 2) Thinking about settling down... 3) Working...still not sure where. Some non-profit? Toy store? Corporate sell-out?

23. I still don't have my driver's license. Though, I have been driving for several years - I don't have the legal ability to do it. I tried this last time, really - but there was a crack in the windshield and they said I couldn't drive in that car.

24. My first kiss was forced by Helen Su. She bullied us into it.

25. I trust too easily, and don't love enough. Is that a contradiction? Maaaybe.

26. I can't sleep.

Hola Folks

I was gifted by a cool cousin with my own domain name!  And she set up a wordpress blog for me...so I'm going to use it!  And maybe even blog consistently and write like I took English classes with proper sentence structures and grammar and interesting word choices and shit.  (OK maybe not).

I also am on twitter now after one friend kept asking me if I had one.  I sort of like micro-blogging; it's a nice medium.

But let me know if you care to follow the new ramblings and I will give you the links.  No hard feelings if you don't.  I wouldn't read my crap either haha.  But I don't write for you so there.

I am sleepy - it is 3am in DC - though I am in Vegas for the 5th time this year.  We are doing the last final push for voter outreach.  The community here is amazing - we've been getting 80-100 volunteer a day...and their goal is to contact every single Asian and Pacific Islander house in Clark County, NV - and they are nearly finished with this goal.  Amazing.  The passion and drive of the community here is exhilarating.

For something that has consumed my life almost a year now - it seems surreal that it's about to come to a close.  Well not quite yet, there's transition and policy recommendations for the new administration - that'll go until late January.  I feel like almost every day, I look at what I'm doing, who I'm working with, who my mentors are and I'm just stunned.  Like I'll wake up and realize it was all some intense dream.  Working with the the Divas - it's like you literally feel on a daily basis your impact and your place in the movement.  Tita Gloria says "everything we do is newsworthy and we don't do ANYTHING small."  She's so right haha.  We've been working hard at pitching the story of the AAPI vote to media - we've been covered by BBC, CCN, Wash. Post, SF Chronicle, CBS and a slew of smaller papers.  This movement is "fast and furious" and it's not slowing down, only picking up for the months and years to come.

I think I am too tired to make sense.  But I feel like my head is heavy with reflection and it's not all coming out in a satisfactory way.  I love my life.  Yea, I don't have a separation between work and personal.  Yea, I don't have that many non-work/community friends.  Yea, last date I was on was...6 months ago?  But it's ok - despite the personal life taking a backseat - I really love where I am geographically and career-wise.

I've been traveling a lot - at least one trip a month.  A few weeks ago I was speaking at a conference in Atlanta.  I met so many amazing young activists from around the country - it was inspiring and humbling at the same time.  I loved what I saw of Georgia.  The population is really diverse and the history is rich -I went to the MLK museum/tomb - it was very intense! 

And now the part of the blog that goes partisan:

Vote Obama! 

I was going to try to focus on work and not do too many side partisan things but that didn't happen.  I've been trying to organize phonebanking and canvassing for Obama in Colorado.  My friend was able to get me the Asian-specific list.  It's like pulling teeth getting Coloradans to give a shit.  Voting is the BARE minimum of your duties to this country.  People act like "hey I voted..get off my back.  I have a job."  Well guess what - I do too and I bet I work longer hours than you and I'm still trying to organize for this guy in my spare time.  My dear friend who is unable to vote just sent me a heartbreaking email.  About how she follows politics closely but can't vote.  She's angry at all these apathetic people who don't vote or don't organize.  It's like you have this privilege - and you throw it away because "politics isn't my thing".  It's sad and pathetic.  Not only that but there are a lot of really harmful ballot initiatives this time around - anti-affirmative action, anti-abortion, funding for schools, right to work...there's a full 2 pages of these!  The fact that a handful of citizens can decide for a whole state if a woman has a right to an abortion - seems ludacris.  The majority of people don't vote all the way down the ballot anyway.  Isn't that what legislators are for?  That is putting too much power into people's hands. 

I could go on for awhile about how frustrating it is but I'll stop.  I love my homestate but that was the one major thing I found stifling - the apathy and laziness of the Asian community.  It's such a stark contrast to the Nevadans and Virginians. 

When I got on the plane earlier, I was thinking "bye DC...next time I see you it'll be a different city."  Dramatic I know but despite the anxiety I have over this election, I just have to believe we're going to win and things are going to be different.  Not like the second coming of Jesus different, or even "hey I switched from a PC to a Mac" different - but hopefully we'll see a marked improvement (at least of morale) around here.

OK time to get off!  GO GO GO ....VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Travel Schedule:

• In Nevada til the 6th, then back to DC
• Go to Oakland for 3 days late Nov
• Fly to Hawaii for 10 days (working vacation...paid by boss lady...)
• Back to Oakland to work in our West Coast office for another 2 weeks, Back to DC
• Stay in DC for one week, go home to CO for 2 weeks until New Year's...wha...why do I pay rent?
  

Well I guess it's time to write one those posts you're sort of obliged to write at milestones like getting older, celebrating the new year, birthing children, etc.

Things I've realized/learned:

-I LOVE architechure!!!! LOVE it. Maybe in another life when I had better technical skills and more discipline I was an architect. I mostly started noticing buildings when I took an architechural tour of Chicago last year. Since then, and especially since being on the East Coast - I always pay attention to the buildings - their lines, the symettry, use of windows and doors, etc. I don't know the terms for anything at all but I love looking at buildings and thinking about all the design and engineering that went into creating them. DC is wonderful for all kinds of architechure all in one place. You can see Victorian row houses on one street and modern minimalistic condos the next.

-Common sense is not common. Since working, many things I think would take me a day to finish takes others a few. Things I think are common sense are apparently not to others. Many things I think just should come to people easily, aren't really that easy at all. I know this sounds really cocky - but for some reason simple values like moral decency, working hard, respect, and humility for others seem really hard for a lot of people. I've met a lot of interns and peers and so many don't seem to get the idea of paying your dues.

-My pond was so small. This fish is in an ocean of geniuses who work hard, work long and get shit for pay and stil have a long way to go. It's overwhelming to meet so many rockstars.

-It's good I'm taking time to work. Every person I've met says if there is one piece of advice that is to work a couple years before grad school. I haven't met a single person who's told me otherwise. So ha! Take that parents - I'm doing the right thing. And it feels good.

-I'm much more free spirited than I thought. I'm not worried about my future - I still don't know where I'm going but I'll get there eventually and I'll be OK. I just know it. People around me still look at me doubtfully but I'm the only one that has to live with my decisions.

-Simple rule to managing relationships of all types - manage your expectations at all times. Be clear of yours and ask others for theirs. Stick to them or change them but always be clear.

-I'm more of an introvert than I thought. I'm perfectly happy staying home, reading, or spending the day alone walking around the city. Of course I love social company as well but surprisingly I really enjoy a lot of alone time.

-Never forget your roots. Vida gave me a Mickey watch to keep me in check - so I remember my roots. A lot of people seem to forget where they come from and start acting high and mighty. But you can't do politics or policy without the community and vice versa.

-Age is but a number. I've met a guy who is an Executive Director and founder of an organization at 25, a woman who is a fiery politico at 75, a 17 yr old delegate at the DNC - all these people just have passion what for they do and yea...age doesn't really matter.

-Schlepp it at every age. I've met a lot of wonderful woman who are twice my age who are doing the menial chores or errands. They don't act like the divas they are. One board member bought us breakfast when we were too busy to eat, one politico cancelled her dinner plans to help volunteer - it's amazing and I need to remember that I'm never too good to schlepp it.

Goals

-Become a true diva like all the political/community divas I've met. Being a diva means putting in a ton of hard work, thinking on your feet, being flexible, adapting to quick learning curves, being gracious, being generous, knowing how to handle egos, being humble yet confidant, giving everyone respect regardless of title, training others for leadership succession, managing expectations, and look gorgeous while doing it.

-Traing my brain to remember more. Since I'm such a techie, I let my gadgets search for the information I need. But I need to work harded at remembering and analyzing with less help from technology. Plus it helps me from getting senile..haha.

-Work harder at maintaining my relationships. Working a lot makes it hard but after the election season - I'll schedule call times if I have to. I've been terrible at keeping in touch with my family and friends.

-Take more risks. Especially emotional ones.

-Bring credit card debt under $1,000. It's not that far off but it didn't help moving and needing to buy all your household things.

-Read more. I'm currently reading about 2 books a month - I'd like that to increase to at least 4 if possible.

-Stay up on the news. I get my RSS feeds and read them on the metro every morning but I still feel like there's a lot of news I'm behind on.

-Exercise more. Right now I work out...4 times a month. Boo, no good. I was at 3 times a week last month but the busier we get, the more I put it off.

-Figure out how to light pictures better. I've been taking a lot of photos but many times it's not lit how I'd like it to be. Need more photog practice.