glimpses.

Travel Tips from the Frequent Flyer (Part II)

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:16:00 -0700

Just an addendum to my post from November 19, 2010.

More travel tips from the frequent flyer:

Always bring a pair of slippers or flip flops. Many nicer resorts offer this amenity, but I've found that the majority of hotels do not. You really don't know what's been on the carpet/floor of your room...
Bring a small quick dry towel (camp towel). Something like this large one will set you back $20, but is worth it when your hotel is stingy and you're packing several of your friends into one room to save on travel costs. (At Fashionhaus in Miami's South Beach, they charge $25 for each extra towel you request!)
Pack anti-bacterial cream/spray in your carry-on bag. A friend recently met a famous international DJ on our trip to Miami, and was embarassed to shake the DJ's hand because he had just used the portapotty immediately prior to the chance meeting.
Especially if you're female, carry a pack of tissue paper on you! I was able to provide toilet paper to two friends at Ultra Music Festival because of the tissue pack I carried with me.
Check-in to your flight as soon as possible. For almost every airline, you are allowed to check-in 24 hours in advance. This is an especially helpful tip when it comes to Southwest Airlines where seats are first come, first serve according to check in time.
Vaseline + Q-Tips. You may think it's random that these two items are on the list, but here's why:

Vaseline not only helps to soften skin, but it's a great makeup remover.
Q-Tips are great for removing eye makeup and cleaning gunk out from under your nails. Music festival attendees take notice.

That's all for now. :)

For more tips, visit my old post here: http://angelachang.posterous.com/travel-tips-from-the-frequent-flyer

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Writing = Therapeutic

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:26:20 -0700

After what can arguably be defined as two of the best weekends of my life, I was not expecting to face an emotion I haven't been in touch with in awhile: anger.

I am angry right now. Extremely so.

This morning at 9 AM, I was scheduled to meet with my attorney, a mediator, & Unitrin's attorney (Unitrin's an insurance carrier).

Unitrin's attorney didn't show up until 10:15 AM. Furthermore, without ANY heads up, Unitrin's attorney brought along the woman who changed my life nearly 3 years ago. They brought the drunk driver who had hit me that fateful night as I was driving two friends home. Why? For no reason.

I broke down into tears. I haven't seen this woman since the night she struck me. The years of treatment, the months I was banned by my doctors from dancing, & the countless hours I had to take off from work to handle this case...I was reminded of all these events the second I saw her. The sight of her made me sick to my stomach & brought upon me an influx of negative emotions.

Hurt. Pain. Frustration. And finally, anger.

I feel disrespected by Unitrin's attorney. I'm writing because writing has always been therapeutic for me, and I'm trying desperately right now to let all the negativity go. But alas, I am human. Even as the anger subsides I'm left confused & annoyed. Hurting.

Just as I had hoped, I feel a lot better typing this all out. Time for me to get it together. I need a good cry.

Please don't drink & drive. For your own sake, & the sake of others.

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Domo arrives in Jamaica.

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:50:35 -0700

A little explanation behind this Domo madness:
I was given a playa gnome named Gonzo in October 2010 by my friend Louis who adopted him. Gonzo was supposed to accompany me on my European adventure, but alas, Gonzo was fragile & I didn't want his porcelain body to fall to pieces while traveling with me.

Last week I searched high & low for a mini-Gonzo to take on my Miami-Jamaica-Grand Cayman-Orlando-Miami adventure. Sadly, I couldn't locate a mini-gnome...

Anyhow, Domo has become Gonzo's de facto body double, despite the fact that they look nothing alike. Domo's a little easier to travel with, so he gets the honor this time.
Right now Domo's getting ready to go ziplining in the Jamaican rainforest. But below, please find Domo's pictures of his time thus far in Jamaica! :)

Oh, & Domo's even had to attend a business meeting hosted by the CEO/President of AIG!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! (Chaos + Resolution = Complete!)

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:23:25 -0800

Every Lunar New Year, my dad & I volunteer our time at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, CA. Today was no different. Waking up at 5 AM, I dragged my exhausted body to the temple in a reflective bright yellow vest, ready to serve as the liaison between the LA Sheriff's Department and the temple. Months and months of planning culminated in today's events, and I was (theoretically) prepared to handle any and all challenges.

I must premise in stating that compared to last year, everything today felt like child's play. Up to this point in my life, nothing has been able to remotely measure up to the amount of exhaustion I felt during last year's Tiger Lunar New Year. Last year, LNY happened to fall on a long weekend, on a Sunday, and on Valentine's Day (February 14, 2010). As a result, 80,000 people descended upon the temple in the span of 12 hours. It just so happens that my dad & I are the annual LNY coordinators for all the traffic logistics for the temple.

A little background:

Each year, thousands of people descend upon the temple to make wishes for a prosperous year. Most of them are not regulars of the temple. The temple has enough space on-site for ~230 cars. Approximately 40,000 vehicles seek parking spots during LNY celebrations.....

Which, as you might have been able to figure out, is a logistical nightmare.

So, every year it is our duty to negotiate with the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District a deal to rent out their La Subida School property's field. We then hire people to draw lines to denote parking spaces.

To get people to the La Subida School from Hsi Lai Temple, we hire around 40 buses of different shapes and sizes. We also have to hire around 50 Sheriff's Deputies & Reserves. I figure out the contracts & draw up different plans for how to route traffic.

Then I approach the LA County Department of Public Works to rent cones, barricades, and signs. With the County Supervisor's office, the bus drivers, the Sheriff's Department, & the temple monastics, we draw up a blueprint for where people are allowed to park and how we want traffic to flow during the day.

It's not easy and it can be a pretty thankless job, but someone has to do it.....

Some of you might find it interesting that 1.) I'm not a religious person (although I would argue that I'm spiritual), and 2.) I "grew up" at Hsi Lai Temple.

Hsi Lai Temple served as my Chinese language school for 13 years of my life. I am indebted to Hsi Lai for my fluency in the language -- my ability to read & write was drilled into me by the Saturday school, after school, & summer school teachers who believed in me. I also am grateful to the monastics of the temple for instilling in me the belief of "karma." To this day I believe that everything happens for a reason....what goes around, comes around. Thus, every year I willingly volunteer my time & energy to coordinate the traffic logistics.

Anyhow, I spent all day today riding alongside Deputy Wells who serves as the LASD's liaison to the temple for each year's LNY activities. We were the dynamic duo last year, and again this year. Things went off without a hitch aside from the 3 times I got yelled at by people angry that they couldn't park at certain spots. And I mean truly YELLED at. I mean, sorry. "No Parking" means NO PARKING.

So, now that all the chaos is done with, I wanted to take the time to wish all of my friends & readers a Happy New Year!

May the Year of the Rabbit be amazing, wonderful, awesome, & SUPERRRR for each and every one of you!

& now it's finally time for me to catch up on some sleep......

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"Inside" - Reflection, Introspection, and the Person Beneath the Surface.

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:27:00 -0800

Just began a wonderful conversation with a new friend, and it made me pause and think about WHO I am as a person, and HOW I want others to know & view me.

[Thanks Dorothy for giving me reason to pause and reflect!]

Admittedly, very few of my friends outside of high school and college know about my academic pursuits & professional background. I've met most of my recent friends through adventures in music & dance, and these things are rarely discussed in the "get-to-know-each-other" conversations in these settings. I mean, imagine a conversation like this:

Me: "So, who's your favorite DJ? Oh, and how'd you like studying Comp. Sci. at CalTech?"

You:

So who am I?
I graduated from GWU with a major in International Affairs with a double concentration in Asian Studies and Cross-Disciplinary Film & Media, and a double minor in Chinese Language & Literature and SocioCultural Anthropology. I am a huge nerd, and was in the Women's Leadership Program and the University Honors Program. I graduated a semester early with cum laude honors.

On campus, I was heavily involved with student government, the intercollegiate Model United Nations team, and residence hall life (as a RA and Dean's Intern). I worked on Capitol Hill, was a part of a Panhellenic social sorority, and was a founding member of a professional sorority developed for women interested in joining the U.S. Dept. of State's Foreign Service. In my final year on campus, I was a member of GWU's award-winning orientation team and served as a senior interviewer for the admissions office.

After college I moved to New York City to work in the legal industry as a paralegal for White & Case LLP. At W&C, I juggled 16 cases, focusing primarily on antitrust, intellectual property, and commercial litigation. Although I was in the litigation department, I helped with several M&A cases and oversaw many Hart-Scott-Rodino filings.

My passion for music and dancing is obvious, but I hope to be known and remembered for so much more.

I don't ever want to be given the label of "party girl." That's not WHO or WHAT I am.

I am Angela, & I love music....but I am so much more than just that.

I love conversing about politics & diplomacy. I was hit by a drunk driver. I serve on the Boards of 3 non-profit organizations. I started my own non-profit project. I speak fluent Mandarin Chinese. I think penguins are adorable. Most of my friends know me as Angie. I tend to sign off as Ange for emails. I love to travel. I'm a bit of a shutterbug. I used to play CounterStrike for hours on end. I still own all three gaming systems. I was named after Los Angeles, California.

New friends, I'm glad to have met you. Let's get to know each other outside of the events and the parties. Let's get to know each other for who the person inside is, what we're about, what we represent, and what we hope to achieve.

I can't wait to get to know each of you better.

It starts now.

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Grateful (+ thanks @celestronica!)

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:33:00 -0800

Despite all the craziness that's going on in my life, I wanted to take a minute to reflect on how amazing life is, and how I'm truly blessed.

To do so, I want to premise that I didn't learn how to ride a bicycle until my first night at )'(.

Here's a short breakdown of the timeline for how I learned...

Phil lent me his BMX bike because he knew I needed one for the playa. It was short enough so that my feet could touch the ground -- I was too scared for anything taller.

The bestie, Shawn (@shawn__jun), then helped me fix the bike's brakes. Shawn also taught me how to ride in circles around my neighborhood on it, because he didn't want his best friend to die in the desert from her lack of ability to ride a bicycle.

One of my close friends from college, Rob, on a spur of the moment road trip from Massachusetts to California to Iowa, spent an entire night watching The West Wing DVDs with me & helping me customize my bike -- everything from the funny faux fur to the basket to the crazy spinning lights. That darn basket took so much effort to attach, but we did it!

Jon (@jonhsiung) helped me fix up the bike, and offered up his car to transport it, nearly missing a seminar he had to teach. Jon, having the most knowledge out of anyone I've ever met about moving vehicles, offered his expertise and helped me make sure my bike was safe for the road.

On my first night on the playa, Tim (@timwut) & Khoa & Thong & Haz (@haztan) helped me on my first ever playa bike ride. I was sweating bullets, to say the least. I was nervous as hell...but with the guidance of good friends, I successfully made it to Center Camp.
Then, day 2 on the playa, Wayne spent the entire day making sure I didn't die from exhaustion on the most epic journey I've ever been on in my life .... to the "edge of the world." A 3.5 hour bike ride from Camp No Cure to Center Camp to the Temple of Flux to the perimeter. I did it. And I met some pretty ridiculously amazing people along the way....

Yesterday I was gifted a really great bicycle by a woman who knew I needed a bike for this year's )'(. Thank you Celeste (@celestronica)!! I can't believe that via Twitter I was able to secure myself a method of transportation for this year's burn. I am so grateful. <3

I seriously have some amazing friends, and I've honestly been super lucky with some of the opportunities that have come my way. Life is full of amazing treats.

People + kindness = this world is indeed a beautiful place.

And that my friends, is simply wonderful.

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Hardships, Challenges, & Progress (a repost from Facebook) @givewarmth @opwarmth

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:09:00 -0800

2011 is just around the corner. It's hard to believe, but this will be the 3rd year Operation Warmth is in existence (I was in NYC for the winter of 2008-2009, so unfortunately O/W was skipped for one year).

The amount I've seen this project grow is astounding.

In 2008, when I first started O/W, I drove from house to house to collect donations from individuals who wanted to contribute to the cause. In 2008, I only had 1 shelter to donate to, the Fullerton Armory. In 2008, I did the sorting & distributing of the donations by myself. And in 2008, I went to the laundromat for the first time in my life.

The laundromat? What?

Back when O/W first started, a lot of donations that were collected were not nice & clean (or new) like the donations we've received in 2009 & 2010. Unfortunately, amongst the items donated to O/W, there were a lot of unusable items -- everything from old underwear to ripped and dirty clothing. I went to the laundromat to try and clean the comforters & sweaters that were donated that were unwashed but still usable. It was quite a humbling experience for me, for I had always used the regular-size washer/dryer at my parents' house, and had never ventured out to a laundromat. I'll have to (sheepishly) admit that it was a daunting experience for me; I had no clue on how to use the "7 minute cycle for each quarter" machines.

Back then I created O/W with the sincere hope that I could, at 21, do something for those in need. I never imagined that I would garner THIS much support from family, friends, & the Southern California community. In O/W's inaugural year, I collected ~500 items. I was super impressed by the amount! Back then I was able to count how many items I collected while sorting and bagging the donations...something I'm unable to accurately do now, as the collection amount has increased to be over 10x that!

In 2009, O/W received over 7,000 items. In 2010, I believe we're well over 10,000.

Although it was absolutely exhausting, I'll admit that I miss driving all over Southern California to pick up items. I got to meet people from all walks of life -- a kind 92 year old woman in Pasadena who donated her 4 extra comforters, a 58 year old mother in Villa Park who donated all of her grown up son's old suits, and a 71 year old man who attempted to donate his car (I couldn't accept that donation as I didn't know where I could give a vehicle to!). People who heard me talk about my dream of helping other Californians out on my dad's "A Beautiful Life" radio show on AM 1300 and responded. It was humbling back then. It's even more humbling now.

One of the most difficult challenges I've been facing in the past and this year is storage space for the donations before they're distributed to the shelters. When donations come in, they can't just go right out to the shelters because the shelters each have different needs & the items need to be sorted through for quality assurance. Many of you know that I've had to store donations in my apartment. I've been VERY lucky that my dad believes in me & the cause, and has lent me his offices to collect items and to store donations. Operation Warmth would not be around today if it weren't for my dad, and I love him & am SO grateful to him for all of his support. I still have to borrow his Honda Odyssey van every time I'm making a donation drop off, because only his car is big enough for me to transport items.

Also, I have to thank Sheriff Lee Baca & my dad for helping me modify O/W. When I first conceived the idea for O/W, it was based on an observation my friend Joe had made in DC. As he was walking through Washington Circle, he noticed a couple of volunteers distributing blankets & coats to the homeless. I initially intended on doing something similar. I had told Sheriff Baca that I wanted to collect donations and walk around the downtown Los Angeles "Skid Row" area distributing them. He kindly reminded me that 1.) I'm not trained to defend myself in the event of an emergency and 2.) a lot of the transient population unfortunately has mental issues. With those reminders, I started reaching out to shelters and asking them how I could be of assistance.

And thus began Operation Warmth...

Last year, in 2009, a woman named Ann contacted me about donating brand new heavy duty jackets to O/W -- 3,000 of them. I was so excited to have received such a large donation, but I was also confronted with the dilemma of how to pick up the boxes of jackets. My dad stepped in and contacted his close friend Rick, the CEO of www.Meritline.com. I owe Rick a HUGE "Thank you!" for lending me an enormous truck and a driver for a day to pick up the donations.

On Friday, December 17, 2010, and on Saturday, December 18, 2010, Southern California started experiencing heavy rainstorms. Still, about 3 dozen people came out each day to sort and bag donations at the two "Sorting Parties" Operation Warmth hosted. This winter, three non-profit organizations chose O/W to be their holiday project, and as a result, a LOT of hands were on deck to help out. I never could have possibly imagined that O/W could get this big, and I never could thank the people who were a part of this year's efforts enough. Thank you thank you thank you to the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (www.UVSA.org), Miss Vietnam of Southern California (www.tetfestival.com), and the Taiwanese American Professionals - LA (tap.tacl.org).

I also must express my deepest gratitude to Anthem Blue Cross, Diamond Wipes, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's City of Industry station, and every single person who has donated or helped out. A couple of stories I want to share --

Anthem Blue Cross heard about my project when they came to my office for a meeting and saw the boxes of donations. Lenny, Melinda, Tim, Shahram, & Debbie of the Anthem Blue Cross team then decided to take it upon themselves to collect items for Operation Warmth. They then drove all of the items they collected from Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks to Hacienda Heights...which is over a 1.5 hour drive WITHOUT traffic.

Vivian, the COO of Diamond Wipes, heard about O/W and offered to donate antibacterial wipes to the shelters in need. Boxes & boxes of wipes were then dropped off at my office!

Also, the LASD Industry station deputies, who I work with every year to coordinate logistics for the Lunar New Year events going on in Hacienda Heights, became involved by collecting items & helping me locate additional shelters in my area to reach out to. Above & beyond their call of duty!

Special thanks also to Assemblymember Mike Eng, Congressman Adam Schiff's staffer Yvonne Hsu, and TAP-LA's President Connie Hwang, UVSA's Victor Nguyen-Lieu for your help & guidance!

Last but not least, I need to thank my colleagues at KCAL Insurance Agency. Thank you for putting up with all of the donations I've been storing in the office, and for helping me answer questions asked by interested donors. Thank you to Michelle for helping me contact the shelters when I was swamped, and to Shawn and Roy for always being on hand to help me carry the boxes & bags that I couldn't physically lift. Most of all, thank you all for the moral support.

From humble beginnings...to now. I tear up every time I think about how far along Operation Warmth has come along.

I feel so blessed. Happy Holidays. <3

All the best,

Angela

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Ange's Top 10 Dance Tracks of 2010

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:30:00 -0800

In June 2010 I posted 10 songs in a "Note" on Facebook that were my "Top 10 of 2010" [house/electro].

Here's my "Year End" list...my true "Top 10 of 2010"

Notice that only one song from my original list made it to this one....

10.) Classixx - I'll Get You (Treasure Fingers Remix) [original was released in 2009]

do you like bass? do you, do you like bass?

9.) Afrojack - Pacha on Acid

this song just makes you want to BOUNCE.

8.) Pendelum - The Island (Steve Angello, AN21, Max Vangali Remix)

amazing build up!

7.) Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand

woooowooooooowoooooowooooooowoooooowoooooooowooooooooooowoooooooooooo. BARBRA STREISAND.

6.) Fedde Le Grand ft. Mr. V - Back & Forth (Fedde's Future Funk remix)

...back...dun dun dun dun....forth...

5.) Age of Love - Age of Love (Wippenberg Remix)

come on, dance with me, move your body & dance with me

4.) Adrian Lux - Teenage Crime (Axwell & Henri B Remode)

we don't sleep when the sun goes down...we don't waste no precious time....

3.) Tim Berg - Bromance (Avicii's Arena Remix)

I tend to just grin for no reason when this song gets played :) :) :)

2.) Dada Life - Unleash the F* Dada

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! enough said.

1.) Swedish House Mafia - One (Congorock Remix)

Jerry & I first heard this song 1 week before EDC, but couldn't find it anywhere. It was love at first listen. Then I heard this at EDC and cheered like crazy. Heard this at Nocturnal and cheered like crazy. Basically, I will cheer like crazy WHENEVER I hear this song. This, my friends, is my song of 2010.

Music is love.

With love,

Ange ^_*--V

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I'm Moving!!

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:52:10 -0800

After a little over a year living in my current apartment, I've really come to love my bachelorette pad.

If you've ever been to my place, you'll know just how much time and effort was put into decorating the walls & putting together the furniture.

True story -- all of the furniture that required assembly in my living room was put together solely by yours truly! I love building stuff. :)

Many fun days & nights have been spent there, and many many many friends have crashed on my futon.

But alas, I am moving!

Anyhow, short blog entry. Just wanted to throw it out there that I will be needing some help from friends (hiiiii, ) in the next couple of weeks to get my stuff into my new place (which is less than half a mile away from my current place).

Any volunteers?

I'll pay you in wine, food, & hugs!

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Too Funny of a Convo Not to Be Memorialized

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:41:41 -0800

in a conversation with one of my two "big brothers"...this came up:

me:

you like em young!

Brian: i like em cute

i dont care about age

lol

well

as long as they're not chris hansen status

lol

me: chris hansen?

Brian: u know that show

to catch a predator

basically

as long as they're not illegal

is what was i sayng

lol

me: .........HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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Operation Warmth @opwarmth @givewarmth #OpWarmth

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:24:10 -0800

Just a reminder to all of y'all...today's the last day we're collecting donations for Operation Warmth!
[I mean, unless we've made prior arrangements to get your stuff to me at a later time...then don't worry!]

Thank you for the support!! <3
http://www.opwarmth.com

We're having a sorting party on Saturday, December 18th from 10 AM - 3 PM.
Is anyone free that day to help? We can grub as well!

Give warmth!

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Quality Friendships.

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:42:20 -0800

Lately I've been forced to question the standing of my friendship with certain people (admittedly, largely due to my own insecurities).
This entry isn't about that.

This entry is about how much I appreciate those friendships that I don't have to question.

I started feeling sick a couple of days ago...you know, the onslaught of the cough, runny nose, and then eventual headache that hit me like a train. I haven't felt like myself for the past two days, and it's been a struggle to stay positive.

Tonight at the Hollywood Palladium, Above & Beyond will be hosting one of the biggest trance events of the year, Trance Around the World episode 350.
I've been looking forward to this event for months now, having bought my ticket within 2 minutes of them going on sale.

However, I'm not feeling 100%. In fact, I'm barely feeling 40% right now (don't let the fact that I'm at the office working fool you...).

When I made the announcement that I might skip the event via email & Facebook, I was truly surprised by the response. How so?

1.) I wasn't quite expecting the well-wishes and the good advice. The messages that I've received back are genuine. Since sending out the message at noon, I've received everything from the "I hope you get better soon" message to "I don't want to go if you're not there." Others have offered up remedies that they think will help my situation improve. By the way, to the 3 people who have said they don't want to go if I'm not there...please go. Go and have an amazing time and recap every moment, minute-by-minute, for me!
2.) No one has written me to try and take my ticket. I was half expecting people to write and tell me how badly their friend wants to go to the event...and since I'm not feeling up for it, if I could give up my ticket so that their friend could attend. Nope, none of those! Just a lot of "I want you to feel better, because I want you to be there" messages. [Full disclosure: typing this out brought a tear to my eye.]

I'm feeling a huge mix of emotions right now. Down, because I'm sick and might potentially miss the event. Up, because my friends truly care about my well-being, and want me to be enjoying tonight with them.

...and thus I know these friendships are real. Thanks guys for the support, advice, and love. I really, honestly, appreciate it.

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My Impending Hibernation

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:42:00 -0800

Let me start this entry off with this plea: Think twice before you drink & drive.

Notice, my statement wasn't "don't drive drunk." Simply drinking before you get behind the wheel is dangerous, and you could seriously affect someone's life. Someone like me.

Not to beat a dead horse, but in 2008 I was struck by a drunk driver, and life hasn't quite been the same since. For over half a year I didn't have clearance from my doctors to dance. I have "clearance" now, but I still suffer a lot of pain, and dancing hasn't ever felt the same.

The pain gets worse when it's cold out, as my shoulders, neck, and back tense up. It's been excruciatingly painful for me lately, and as a result I'm going to have to cut back on attending events that I'd like to be at in fear of exposure to the cold. It scares me that I might not be leaving the warmth of my apartment much...

Please, if you're my friend, don't drink & drive.
Don't potentially mess up someone else's life. It's not worth it.

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Cyber Warfare -- The Ugly.

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:41:00 -0800

A good amount of time I spend in the office is spent doing damage control.
I work for the largest insurance agency serving the Asian community of Southern California. This company was founded by my father in 1992, and with a lot of blood, sweat, & tears, the company has grown to having 6 branches and 80+ staff.

Long story short, I was recruited to join the management team in 2009 and leave my life in New York City in order to prepare for full immersion into the company.

Recently, a huge part of my job has been combating cyber warfare. Cyber warfare? What?

Cyber warfare:
1.) Branding -- Confusion.
One of the most powerful tools the internet provides us with is the ability to have information at the tips of our fingers in a split second. This information is largely unchecked, unfiltered, and inaccurate.
Case-in-point: Our competitors have gone to various search engines (Google & Yahoo! being the biggest targets) and have taken the liberty to create their own listings using my company's name.
They've attached my company's name to their phone number, their address, and their email address contact information. My company does not yet have a branch in Cerritos, CA, but thanks to Mr. K***, we have a listing for Cerritos with his company's information. In talking with the facilitators of Google & Yahoo!, we were able to determine that this was "user submitted information," meaning that someone from Mr. K***'s company (probably himself), had to take the time to create a fake entry.

I am proud to say that my company has a very strong brand in my community. Having such entries online causes confusion for our clients. I am now pursuing legal action.

2.) Reviews -- Defamation.
How many of us don't check Yelp! before going to a new restaurant? This may be a bold claim, but I'd say less than 10% of my friends don't check Yelp! prior to eating at a new place.

The internet has given us the convenience of "checking up" on companies prior to using their services, whether it be food, entertainment, or insurance. Our competitors have been posting "reviews" of our services. IP logging has allowed us to identify this. False reviews? Really? How very ethical of your business, Mr. Competitor.

3.) Search Engine Results -- Hours & Closings.
Yahoo! Local has been aiming to be the online Yellow Book for local businesses. Unfortunately, Yahoo! Local doesn't have a very good system for actual business owners & administrators to "claim" their listings. As a result, our competitors have been pulling all sorts of pranks on us.

Our office hours were adjusted. Our main branch was marked as "This business may be closed."

What BS, and what a headache for me to have to correct all of this incorrect information.

All's fair in love and war? I sure hope not, because you do not want to deal with the wrath of Angela. Fairness would likely go right out the window, and that is guaranteed to get ugly.

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The Forum of Music -- Free Event TONIGHT!

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:19:00 -0800

Can't believe I didn't post this earlier, but please come show your support at "The Forum" tonight.

What's "The Forum" you ask?

....here's an excerpt straight from the Facebook event page (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114374718628597)....

"The Forum" is a community collective that welcomes and inspires underground and up-and-coming musicians, and anyone who considers themselves to be artists to use our venue as their starting point for performances at no charge (in other words FREE/NO STRINGS) to them or any of their guest and other attendees!

Setlist for December 2nd:

Hawdwerk & Jansport J - http://www.hawdwerkjanspor  tj.bandcamp.com/ http://tj.bandcamp.com/

West Bound Dance Company - http://www.hitthefloorprod  uctions.com/

Shin-B - http://www.shin-b.com/

Jen Chou - http://www.youtube.com/yay  aitsyoyo

Special acts by Angela Chang (www.twitter.com/angelachan  g) and Florence Yeh (http://www.floyeh.com/)

Hosted by "The Forum Council"

18+ to Attend

21+ to Drink

All music lovers welcome!!

Yes, you're reading that correctly. Yours truly is a "special act" guest performer. And, yes. I have performer's anxiety. And, yes. I will appreciate your support in the form of your presence.

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A Little Bit

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:14:38 -0800

The trip to Madrid was a sort of a cleansing. My parents were initially confused as to why I scheduled a side trip to Madrid when our cruise was concluding in Barcelona, but they went with my plans and agreed to an additional two days in Spain. Yesterday, as I teared up over dinner & laid it completely out there for them, they finally understood why I was torturing myself. A little bit.

To be honest, I didn't see much of Madrid. Sure, the four of us took the Madrid Vision double-decker tour bus around the city, but the quality of that bus (& it's audio tour) was crap, it was freezing (& snowing), and my mind was elsewhere.

Day one of Madrid, I spent seven hours on the Internet, sitting simply in front of this very laptop in my hotel room. My dad & grandfather hadn't made a peep since retreating to their room after lunch, and as I predicted, they fell asleep. My mom also took a "short nap." That siesta lasted from 6 PM until 6 AM the next morning. Seeing as they were all in deep slumber, I too decided to stay in....but I didn't sleep a wink until I forced myself to at 2 AM.

Truthfully, it was also probably because I was too scared to see Madrid outside of my hotel room. I didn't want to be reminded over and over of everything I could have experienced back in 2008. Yet, I couldn't escape it. I kept seeing signs of places I was told about. "Puerta del Sol," "Plaza Mayor," "Gran Via," the main sources of life for the city. Reminders surrounded me, but that little bit of torture was completely necessary.

It was only fitting that I ended my travels with this "little bit" of torture. I've come to realize that when I've become completely emotionally drained, I've grown and evolved into a stronger individual. I didn't mean to get teary at dinner, but my parents needed to know that they had taken away something so important to me, and that I was still torturing myself as a result. But now I'm stronger. And the "little bit" of pain, the "little bit" of hurt...I will let it pass and I will completely rebuild from nothing.

After all, that's what I'm known best for in my family. Going from place to place, and starting from nothingness to having "something." My ability to adapt has always been a strength and a weakness; it is but a double edged sword that not only helps but hurts me.

Los Angeles, I'm ready to come home.

Madrid, I'll revisit you when I'm stronger. Thanks for the fleeting hospitality.

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"Who Says You Can't Go Home?"

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:46:10 -0800

One of the people I respect most in the world told me that he listened to this song whenever he was homesick in Madrid for the United States.

I can't say I'm homesick, necessarily. More like, I'm ready to go home, back to my own apartment where my parents live half an hour away, and reconnect myself with friends, music, & life.

So here's my last meal in Spain -- my one & only non-Chinese meal here. Thank you Barajas airport for WiFi in the VIP lounge, & thanks for the non-Chinese cuisine as well.

Bon voyage. See y'all soon.

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It's SNOWING in Madrid!

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:11:11 -0800

Just a brief update - it is in fact snowing in Madrid! Thankfully it's just specks right now, but I am freeeeezing. Kind of wish I had a snuggie (haha) or heating pad right about now...

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How the Internet Saved My Family Vacation...

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 07:44:11 -0800

Many of you have met my dad, & I've been told that you guys think he's funny/cool. Well, in all actuality my dad is kind of a primadonna sometimes, & after 1 week without Chinese/Asian food, he threw a fit in Florence.

So in Florence, as the rest of us sat down to eat our "traditonal Italian meal," my dad bolted down 5 blocks towards a Chinese restaurant he had seen on our walk to the restaurant. Using charades, he ordered several dishes, & tried to explain that he's vegetarian. He got his food, it wasn't very good, & again he had his cravings.

Yesterday we docked (and permanently left the ship) in Barcelona. We ate 2 meals in a row at this restaurant called Rio Azul. Yep, a Chinese restaurant. We were in Barcelona for ONE day, & we ate CHINESE food! Twice! In a row!

I landed in Madrid about 2 hours ago. We checked into our hotel, which BTW, has really random decor, & again found ourselves at a Chinese restaurant...

But get this! We're at a Chinese VEGETARIAN restaurant! Shi-Shang in Madrid at Concepcion Arenal, 3. Thank you www.happycow.net for the suggestion.

Anyhow, I desperately hope my family will give me the chance to sit down & eat some Spanish tapas with a glass of sangria for dinner. Any more Chinese food & I might cry.

Oh, & remember how I said I was gonna detox on this trip...no wine...? I pretty much had at least a glass of champagne or wine everyday on the cruise. What a huge fail. :( ooooops.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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Happy Birthday Mom!

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 14:21:02 -0800

Note: This entry is a lot darker than the previous. Sorry for the temporary change up.
---

Today was my mom's birthday. Her birthday was one of the main reasons my family took this European trip in the first place, & I must say it probably wasn't the best way for her to spend her special day/week. I've memorialized this trip in the most positive of ways, by recapping the good & great parts. I've chosen to leave out how dramatic this trip has been between my parents & my grandfather. My grandfather is a brilliant man, who is clearly very intelligent. But at his age, and with his habits, he can push all the wrong buttons. Although she'll (hopefully) never see my blog, I want to wish my mom a happy birthday & let her know that I believe she's already done the best she can to make her dad happy. I'm reminded by her relationship with her father that our parents always mean well, but their words & actions can say contrary. I hope my father never throws a fit on my birthday, & I hope that if he does, I can take it with as much grace as my mom did today.

Barcelona's a beautiful city. I will definitely be back, & next time I'm here, I hope that there is absolutely no drama whatsoever.

After this trip, I've become fully conscious of the fact that my parents, despite being in their early 50's, are still aiming to please their parents by sacrificing their own happiness. I hope they break the cycle...

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