New Snowboard

Every year, my family, cousins, and I drive up to Mammoth Mountain in California to ski and snowboard. This year, my two friends, Brian and Brian, came with us to experience the fine quality of snow in Mammoth.

However, this post is dedicated to my new snowboard!!
I purchased the board from a shop in Bishop, a small city located 40 miles below Mammoth. For a couple of months, I have been looking at a particular board and bindings. Because the store is pretty much a warehouse, it was easy finding my particular board and bindings.

The board is a 2008 Morrow Press 158 and the bindings are the Flow Flite II's. It's an awesome setup and performs very well. I also got some comfortable K2 Pulse boots that are charm to put on and take off. I am extremely satisfied with this purchase, and I plan to use it to the fullest. Well, we all know a picture is worth more than a 1000 words, so... here are some pictures!



here's the front


here's the back


the sweet bindings






here's the binding opened up


bottom side


the full package :D

Enjoy!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

(Wing) STOP, Too Hot!

Today for lunch, my two buddies Jason and Brian and I ate lunch at a small store called Wing Stop in Lake Forest. It was all of our first times, and even getting there we had some trouble. But we finally found it, and there it was - such an innocent looking restaurant. Little did we know...

So we got it, and grabbed a menu and started looking. We all got 10 pieces of wings. When it came to picking the sauce, I got atomic and cajun because it looked good. When I ordered my atomic wings, the cashier warned me it was going to be hot. I told told him, "It's all good in da hood."

We sat down, got some napkins. And short time later, the food was here. So we picked out our chicken wings and got eating. My first atomic wing was pretty spicy, it was somewhat sour but quite spicy. I was able to finish all my wings along with most of the delicious fries. My refreshing sprite was definitely there to save my life many times from the heat blast in my mouth. So when were ready to leave, the cashier asked me to join the hot wing competition. I was like, "haha no thanks, I value my b*tthole."

So yea, here are some pictures of this crazy fun-filled day :]












haha owned!
Yea, I'm leaving to mammoth tomorrow morning - peace out!

Winter Break

School ended on the 19th and it's winter break. I'm so glad break is here because I really needed one.
Last night, we had our annual Christmas party with all the friends. It was pretty fun - the food was good, good people, and good fun. It's sad to know that that will probably be one of the last times we can all hang out together, but I hope we can do that more in the future.

On xmas day, my family and two friends are going to mammoth to ski/snowboard. For the longest time, everything was just being planned, and finally last night, we confirmed it. I'm so excited and can't wait to go.

Seriously, this is probably my first break with nothing super important to finish. My apps are done, and I just have the regular school homework, which I'm probably going to finish the night before.

Check out this song - it gets me mad pumped!!

Hamlet and more

Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
O, this is hire and salary, not revenge.
He took my father grossly, full of bread;
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;
And how his audit stands who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought,
'Tis heavy with him: and am I then revenged,
To take him in the purging of his soul,
When he is fit and season'd for his passage?
No!
Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in't;
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays:
This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.
-Hamlet

No matter how overstated it may sound, I believe Shakespeare is truly a genius. Having manipulated the English language so dramatically, Shakespeare has set a standard so high that very few, or maybe even none, can surpass.
I have to memorize this for extra credit for English class tomorrow and it is really hard.

Lately, I really like the weather. Some may feel that it is gloomy and dark, but the rain actually makes everything feel very...fresh - don't know why. Maybe its just the smell of the asphalt and the dirt. Driving is definitely more fun, and sleeping is way more enjoyable. I absolutely love sleeping in the rain! Hmm, that makes for a great song title.

-BTW- please check out my music website. Infrequently, I post up some little "shorts" I make when I'm bored. Hopefully, in the near future, I can improve on some of the "beats" and "melodies". But for now, I guess I just want you guys to check it out - and let me know how it is, good or bad, sall good in da hood.

TapeMasterHong

Mentatsu Ramen House

So my family and I have been eating at this small restaurant -Mentatsu- for about a year now. The style mimics that of an "authentic" Japanese ramen house, very small yet lively. The quality of the noodles, soup, and especially service is superb. Although the price is not exactly the cheapest, almost everything on the menu is between 7 to 10 dollars.

Mentatsu is located very close to Costa Mesa, and it is even open until midnight -for the late night shoppers. The restaurant itself is very small, maximum capacity around 20 or so people. They have 3 or 4 waitresses and they are all extremely nice. Depending on what time you decide to eat, there can be no wait at all or there might be a few parties in front of you. Wait or no wait, in the end, the food, no matter how full you are, will leave you wanting more.

At most Japanese noodle houses, the portion is... well not enough for me. HOWEVER, at Mentatsu, I usually have to take home my unfinished food - amazing, I know! Aside from the more than generous portions of food, the waitresses are nice and very quick. Its almost as if they are trained to hear the rattling of the ice cubes and the loud sips of the remaining tea.

Overall, Mentatsu is a wonderful place to eat with your family and friends. The food, service, and quality is more than fantastic. Even the location is pretty sweet. One day, I hope I can take my girlfriend there, after a long night of shopping :D I wish!




Here's the restaurant - look at the size!

Curry Ramen - my favorite

Acceptance Letters

So, many people are receiving their college results from applying early to some schools. Many schools like Columbia, Stanford, Air Force Nominations, Cornell, NYU, and some others I don't know are sending out their results this week. Although I did not apply early to any schools, I am scared, don't know why, maybe I am just a sensitive guys. pshh - yea right. But yea, some of my friends find out which college they are going to go to, this week. The thought of college acceptance is very frightening - it could be either encouraging or discouraging. But I think the waiting process makes it worse.

Again, winter is coming up. Did I mention I can't wait to snowboard??

Wus Crackin

Lately, my past weeks have been very relaxing. I got all my college apps in, and I only need to worry about school. I don't know why I haven't been updating recently, but maybe its just that I got lazy. It's kind of weird, considering that I have more time now. For me, when I do homework, I get easily side-tracked and surf the web, update my blog and what not. But now that I have some more free time, I don't waste my time as much anymore - maybe I just don't like homework.
Well, 2008 is coming to an end and there is just 2 more weeks of school left. I must say, time flies very fast because I can still clearly remember the first couple days of school.

This winter break, I'm so glad that I'm going snowboarding with my family and some friends. I seriously cannot wait because I absolutely enjoy snowboarding!!
I just had to get that out. But anyways, I'm going to start updating more.

Finished

Last Thursday, on the 27th, I sent in my UC application. What a relief - all these years of "hard" work finally paid off :D Now, the worst part is waiting until March :[
Although I'm applying to a few more schools, the good thing though is that I can reuse my essays, making it a whole lot easier.

I haven't been posting lately mainly because of UC apps, but also I'm getting rather lazy after submitting my apps. But, hopefully once school starts, I'm going to have to get my ass back on track and finish what needs to be done.
Hope you guys had a terrific Thanksgiving!

Restart

"Sometimes, the best medicine is the most bitter." - Mom

A week ago, I was ready to turn in my UC apps - my essays were "perfect" and my application was filled out. But I decided to give it to one more person to read.
She read my essay and completely tore it apart. I was about to cry, no joke. After all that hard work and time putting together my essays, I felt so devastated that someone can just rip up all my hard work in a matter of minutes. Because of this, I lost the motivation to correct them for about a week, which I regret. With a week left until the deadline, I realized I need to complete my essays. It truly sucks because I have to start from ground zero for one of the prompts :[

The quote above may sound very harsh if said to a person in need of that medicine. But looking back a few weeks ago, I completely agree. I now just have to take that medicine before its too late.
I hope that any of you reading this can realize that sometimes, the harshest of criticisms can be the most beneficial. Also, please work hard on your essays, because there is not much time left.

-best of luck


BTW, check out this song. Its pretty cool :]

Another Busy Week

With some cool-down time after the past hell week, I was able to get most of my college apps done. UCs are 95% complete, just need teachers to revise my essays. I plan on turning them in sometime this week.
What is really frightening to me is the fact that a major part of my life is being decided by two essays, some test scores, and high school GPA. Going to a prestigious four year university is something most people plan to do, like me. And whether I get in based on some documents is really a scary thought. I know its hard not to have any regrets later in life, but what if I feel I didn't work hard enough? Yet its 2am, and I'm not even done studying for my Gov test - in a few hours.
There's really not a point in this post. I just felt like writing because I don't want to sleep yet.
I'm really dreading this week, check out my schedule :[
Tuesday: Gov Test
Thursday: Hamlet essay and test
It's not as crazy as compared to a couple weeks ago - but still...
I just can't wait until college apps are over. By that time, I'm not going to care whether I did a sufficient job on the applications or not, I'm just going to be glad its over.
My bed is calling me.
-take care

Almost There

So the four day weekend is coming to an end. And what have I done??
Actually, I'm 90% done with my UC apps - finished the essay and need some teachers to read them - and I barely had any homework.
I'm feeling a bit less stressed, but man once I submit that application... gotta do some more!

So currently, I have been really digging this group called Jamiroquai, their name is a mix of "jam" and "iroquai" the Native American group. I think its pretty cool.

They mainly play acid jazz and funk songs and it is so sweet! I recommend the songs Virtual Insanity, Canned Heat, and Cosmic Girl. You might have heard Canned Heat in Napoleon Dynamite during the well known dance scene. They're just so awesome!!

Here is a video of Virtual Insanity.

Our Friday Adventure

Thank goodness this week is over!
My tests were alright, but more importantly, its a four day weekend! However, I have to spend a lot of time finishing up my UC apps. No worries, my friends and I had an awesome Friday.
Check out some pictures I snapped :D

New President and My Week

Can you find our president??

This truly is a unique election. Not only is he part African American, but also he is one of the few Democrats to be President - the sixteenth to be exact. However, this raises a problem. Before, when Bush was President, there was a divided government - a government where the majority party in the congress and executive office differ. Before we had a Democratic Congress and a Republican President. Now with Obama, we have a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President. What this means is that there might be a dominant power in our American government. But, I don't much about this - will there be a power struggle for the Republicans?
I think Obama will do a good job as president if he is true to his words. Furthermore, I think what determines an even more successful presidency is how well he chooses his cabinet and staff members. By choosing a well experienced group of advisors, Obama will be able to run a quite successful presidency - I think.
More importantly, I think Obama needs to bring us out of this economic depression. We already lost Paulson, and I think Obama needs to choose wisely for our next treasurer. I don't know, we'll see what happens.

Well, this week was one of my busier weeks of the school year. Recap!
Monday - I had a spanish test
Tuesday - I had a government test and a choral concert with a solo ;]
Wednesday - I had a calculus test at ivc (which was terrible!)
Tonight - I had an orchestra concert (which was alright but not our best)
Tommorow- party with the nukkuhs!

I am SOO glad this week is over. But the bad thing is that, college apps for UCs are due at the end of the month, and its approaching quick! damn...

Five Pi Over Three

Referring to my last post, I am going to have an intense week.
I just took a Spanish test, which has pretty freaking hard.
Tomorrow, I have a government test.
Wednesday, I have a calculus test at IVC.
>:[
I can't wait until this week is over...

Proposition 8: C'mon seriously...

Alright, so proposition 8 in CA is about "Eliminating the Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry." Voting yes would mean that you do not support same-sex marriage. And voting no would mean you do. I do not want to state my current position in this post, but you may have a slight sense of what it might be.

So there are these kids at school who are strongly against prop 8. They protest in front of our high school because they want to "educate parents and students about equality." They like to use the term "ignorant" describing the people who are for prop 8. First of all, you can't be ignorant on such a controversial topic. Same-sex marriage is a very moral issue, and it depends on your personal views - either you support it or you don't. Many times, it is also a religious issue. It's very wrong to call another person ignorant just because they don't agree with your views.

I appreciate their effort and everything, but their argument is very controversial and immature. I believe they are going all out to fight against prop 8 because 1. they are very childish and crave attention 2. because their friends are doing it or 3. they're flaming homosexuals. (LOL) And even more hilarious, they're not even 18!

Now I know I'm sort of being a hypocrite. I totally respect someone's decision to be against prop 8. But if there reason is because people are "ignorant" and they are demonstrating it very poorly, then I believe it is necessary to point out their incongruity.

Lastly, more about prop 8, I personally don't think prop 8 is going to pass. Why? In the state of CA, same-sex marriage is allowed. If it had already passed, it will be even harder to change the people's mind. But, who cares about what I say right?

So I guess my final statement would be, if your going to defend your views on something, please be able to defend it logically and avoid name-calling to justify your view - it's that simple.

Applying to TOO many colleges

So, many seniors are applying to college during these upcoming months, including me. But do you know what really pisses me off? The prevalent competitive attitude among many of the people who apply. Many people are applying to way too many colleges. I hear people applying to 15 schools, and some are even applying to 20 or more! Do you know that you can only go to one of these schools? Frankly, applying to a couple schools, between 5 to 10, is probably the most practical. I understand that one needs to have the dream schools, the reach schools, and the safety schools. But 20 schools? By applying to this many schools, you actually deny some kids to go their dream schools. Take for example, you apply to Standford, Harvard, Yale, Northwestern, Columbia, University of Chicago, Cornell, Princeton, and most of the UCs, just to name a few. But do you realize that you only get to pick one? Just one! So why do you want to screw other people? (don't take it literally) I believe that most kids do this just so they can brag to others, "cool, I got into Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and Northwestern! I'm so awesome." Simply put, MOST of the kids who do this are prideful, competitive, and selfish! Lets say, a very brilliant kid applies to 15 different schools, most of them the top notch, and he also applies to the UCs. He gets into most of the higher tier schools, and decides to go to one of them. Then what's the point in applying to UCLA or UC Berkely? You just screwed me over by taking my spot, and now you're not going to go there? You also screwed many of the kids who applied to the same top tier schools as you did. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the competitive nature, in fact I believe it leads to a stronger and prosperous future. But come one, there is a limit - 20 schools? Wouldn't it be great if everyone knew which college they were going to? As great as this sounds, I believe it will never happen. So what I am trying to say is to only apply to the schools that are your safety, some schools which are a bit of a reach, and then lastly apply to 2 or even maybe 3 of your dream schools. By doing this, I believe you can actually increase the percentage of kids who go to four year universities.

Another uncontrollable factor is the terrible economy. Many of the "smartest" kids are up to the Stanford or Harvard "level." But because the economy is so bad, their parents actually want them to go to the UCs or other less expensive schools. This actually sucks for some kids like me. Honestly, I think I am around UCLA and Berkley level, and most kids are. But because of the economy, many of the more brilliant kids are "forced," in a way, to take our spots. Now, I'm not say this is always the case, because most of the top tier schools offer financial aid, but usually it is similar to this.

Now I know it sounds like I'm whining or making up excuses. In some way, this might be true :], but think about it. Isn't there some truth to this?

Update on the house

So we finished the remodeling, and I must say, it came out pretty sweet. At first, when we installed the black and white and gray granite counter top, my mom and I were a bit skeptical if it was going to match our reddish mahogany floors. But, much to our surprise, it matches pretty well!
Here are some pictures, and sorry for the mess in the kitchen :D






Enough about the house, more about me!
Lately the school work load has been minimal. I haven't had any tests, and homework is quick and simple. My English teacher is super cool. He understands that we have college essays to write so he is giving us almost no homework for the entire Hamlet unit.
College essays are seriously a beezy, I just finished both my UC essays and already I feel that I may need to rewrite them both, ughh.
Overall, the last couple of weeks have been pretty chill, but that's how it is. Its like an oscillating graph. The graph reaches maximum height, representing the highest workload, on test days. And after test days, the graph reaches minimum height, representing the lowest workload. This may sound a bit nerdy, but right now, it feels like theta equals 5pi/3 on a sine graph. Not funny? I know I'm lame :] My current position indicates that in the coming week I will have a gov test and a calculus test at IVC - freakin sucks! Well, be glad I took some of my time to write this post, those of you know who you are ;D

Remodeling

For the past couple of days, we have been remodeling our house. It has been very dusty, loud, and extremely inconvenient because my mom cannot cook.
We have been eating out for almost a week! yuck..
It all started with a pipe leak behind one of the walls. The water from this leak ruined our wood floors. My parents thought it was about time to remodel, so what the hell, let's do it!
We just installed the new granite counter tops in our kitchen, and we will be getting new wood floors in a couple of days.


The plumbers had to pull out some of our original wood floors.


Here is the granite counter top, its freckled with black, gray, and white spots.

And this is my favorite part, this sink is so cool!

New scar

It freaking sucks! I can't shower for a couple days, and I have to be careful when I sleep.

I got it from playing basketball. I ran in to someones forehead, and only I got cut. But its okay, I'll have a pretty badass scar.

Weather change

For the past couple of months, it has been pretty hot. The temperature would range at mid 90's during peak hours, and drop down to the high 70's and low 80's. It has been like that for a while now.
Thankfully, the Santa Ana winds are blowing in. The temperature is very cool - I even have to sleep with two blankets now!
Although its nice and chilly, it is a bit too dry. But I think that will change.
-Matthew

Another horror flick

Alright, so I just came back with some friends from the movie theater.
We watched the movie Quarantine.

Let me just tell you that the movie is pretty damn scary.
But lets be clear, it isn't one of those movies that freak you out psychologically, this one is a straight up thriller filled with much screaming, weird noises, and graphic scenes.
What really was different about this movie was its "home video" style.
It is similar to the shooting style of "Cloverfield" where one guy is holding the camera and filming the events. I believe the producers chose to shoot this movie in such a way because we get the feeling that it is real and what they saw is what we see.
So the movie starts off with a woman named Angela at a fire station with her reporter. The firefighters immediately get called into action, and Angela and her camera man follow the crew.
They arrive at an apartment center, where the caller tells the crew that he heard a loud and unusual scream coming from an old lady. Already, I could tell that this movie required some vision blockage and audio dampening with my hands.
So the story continues with the old woman spazzing out and foaming at the mouth. After trying to calm down the lady, the firefighters and a police man get attacked by her. She bites and attacks two people. Everyone is freaked out now, and Angela constantly reminds her cameraman to "film everything!"
Basically, there is a disease, similar to rabies, which is spread through the contact from blood and saliva. If you're bitten, your effed. Everyone is frantically running around, staying in the first floor where it is "safe." Everyone is shouting, people are cursing, and I am freaked out.
A group of three people, the firefighter, Angela, and the cameraman run around the house; they encounter numerous zombies, probably around 6 or 7 and surprisingly kill them with a big ass hammer without getting bit. At the beginning there were around 15 to 20 people, but towards the end, most of them get bitten and become zombies - ultimately 2 people are left: Angela, and the cameraman, of course.
What is very strange about the story is that supposedly, the government knew that this infection originated in this apartment complex, so they sealed all the doors and windows and guarded them with snipers. They didn't want the virus to spread to the outside world.
Angela and the cameraman try to find ways to escape, and eventually...
I won't ruin it don't worry.

Probably around five or six times I jumped in my seat, shouting out "oh shit!" or "oh my god!" and maybe some variation of the two and other curse words slipping out. I must say, some parts got me good. I even hit myself in the eye, because I tried to cover my vision, but my hand just moved too fast. Everyone, my "friends" included, in the theater probably thought I was the biggest girl in the whole room.

Overall, the movie had its "jumping" moments which were pretty scary due to the sudden creams and creepy faces. I couldn't say that I was not afraid. The biggest setback though was the story. It was very typical, and the ending sucked, period. However, the "home video" style did add a nice effect, despite the occasional blur and jerky movements.

Would I recommend it? Uh, you should probably watch it online or on a DVD - it's not worth the ten bucks. But it wasn't horrible, definitely entertaining.
-Matthew

My first blog

So I just made this blog, and this can be my first official entry.
Today was a busy day.
There was a garage sale in my community this morning,
but I probably only saw one or two houses selling things.
Two weeks ago, a friend of mine rear ended my car.
Both of us are fine, but our cars are not.
Mine is actually still drivable, it just has a slightly crooked bumper and a broken light.
My friends car had to make a visit to the auto shop.

Anyways, today was the perfect opportunity to sell my car, a 1991 Mercedes 420 SEL.
So my dad and I cleaned it up, waxed it for about an hour, and detailed the interior and engine bay. We got out the "for sale" sign and listed it for 900 hundred dollars.
Yea, 900 hundred bucks isn't that much.
Thankfully, our insurance gave us 3k because they were not willing to fix the car,
for the cost of repair exceeds the value of the car.

A guy named Walter drove through our street.
He asked if he could take a look at the car.
He got in, asked some questions, and drove it around.
He liked it, I could tell. His kids were already playing in the the rear seats.
He gave us a down payment of 20 bucks and took away the for sale sign.
I thought that was clever.

This car is awesome.
It sucks that I have to sell it.
He will pick it up sometime this week - I really wish he didn't.
But then, that also means I might get a new car :]
-Matthew

-edit-

Yea, so as the title says, this is my first blog.
I've made a xanga before, but I never really used it.
Hopefully, good things will come out of this one.
I just hope that I don't waste too much time.
-Matthew