Pham I Am

What If?

2010-07-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking. What if my family had never moved to Texas from Minnesota? What if I didn't go to UT for college? What if I didn't go to UT-H for medical school? Looking back on that sequence of questions, it seems almost as though one decision led to another. I mean, if my family had never made that initial move, would I still be a medical student in Texas today? Hell, would I even be a medical student to begin with? Sure, I do have other family here in Texas, so I suppose I could envision a scenario where I came to Texas to be close to family. But who knows? I guess when it comes down to it, my real question is: Is there really such a thing as fate? Am I really at a place that I'm "supposed" to be?

Don't get me wrong, I feel like each of the aforementioned decisions has led to the formation of really great relationships with people, and I certainly wouldn't trade those relationships or the experiences I've had, but I still wonder about what relationships and experiences I have missed out on, had I chosen an alternate path. Am I even missing out on anything? Would life be better? Worse? The same? It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"I've always believed that life is divided into two parts: 'what is' and 'what should be'. And that, with a lot of effort, some hard work, and maybe a little luck, there are moments in your life when the two parts touch. When 'what is' and 'what should be' are the same...I can't help but think that this is one of those times." - Ed Stevens, "Ed"

Maybe when "what is" and "what should be" are the same, you just know, and there is no question about "what could be". But does anyone really achieve that level of certainty in their lives? I dunno, maybe I've just been watching too much FlashForward, haha. If anyone still reads this blog, I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Well Hello, Old Friend

2009-05-02T21:13:00.002-05:00

Bryan and Zong's Asian Adventure 2009. It's on.

I Can See the Light...

2008-12-17T18:28:00.004-06:00

12 days, 10 tests.

9 down.

1 to go.

Bring it on, Anatomy.

Where'd You Go, November?

2008-11-20T17:36:00.003-06:00

Wow, I can't believe November is already almost over. October seemed like it would never end. I guess it's all good though. With the end of November comes Thanksgiving! It's looking like I'll be staying around in Houston this year, with the family coming down. Which is good in that it saves me pretty much an entire day in study time. Is it bad that I measure things now in terms of how much study time I'll lose? I am a little sad that I won't get to get out of the city though. I've been here since school started, haven't had a chance to really get out. Christmas break, I suppose.

Hmmm, looks like my break is up. Kinda a pathetic post for the month of November. I'll make up for it over Christmas break. Maybe I'll get around to finishing that EuroJournal...maybe not. haha

Seriously?

2008-10-31T01:56:00.002-05:00

New horoscope:

Continuing yesterday's theme of hard work may not sound like a lot of fun, yet your involvement can turn an impossible project into a success. Don't get distracted by any shortcuts, for they won't likely work for you now. Instead, focus on the details until the larger picture comes into clear focus. When it does, you'll know exactly what to do next.

This guy is good. Hopefully success translates to passing my next (and last...at least for the next month) exam.

The hard work I put in yesterday? Probably got me up to passing. I hope it did anyway. That test was a lot more difficult than originally anticipated.

T-11 hours.

So close to the end of the tunnel.

A Look Into the Future?

2008-10-29T18:05:00.003-05:00

It feels like so long since I've posted, but looking at the dates, it's only been 10 days. Man, what 18 hours/day in the LRC will do to you...

I couldn't pass up this opportunity to post, however. So, I have this horoscope application on my iGoogle page. It's been eerily accurate in the past. Here's what I have for today:

Working harder isn't always the answer to being behind schedule, but today that extra little push can make all the difference in the world. Although you may have some resistance to accepting additional responsibilities now, this may be part of the package. Don't waste energy fighting it; just do what must be done.

I have my biochemistry block exam tomorrow. I blew it off pretty much the entire block, in favor of anatomy. I also have been blowing off histology. That one is on Friday.

I guess we'll see how the next 48 hours play out.

Time to rock 'n roll.

Obligatory Post for the Month of October

2008-10-18T12:37:00.001-05:00

Super duper combined Block I and II tests in a week.

No bueno.

Obligatory Post for the Month of September

2008-09-24T23:42:00.001-05:00

Day 13, still no electricity.

No bueno.

A Few Thoughts...

2008-08-27T19:30:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Zong's blog (which sadly has dropped off in posts recently...*ahem*), I decided it would probably be a good idea to also keep track of what happens to me over the next year or four, to see how much I've grown both as a budding physician, and as a person. Quick recap...

White Coat Ceremony: Hard to describe how I felt, but it was overwhelming (in a good way). It was here when I finally realized that I'm in medical school. And what a great feeling that was. I think it was exacerbated by the fact that it took me three tries to get to this point, but it was well worth it. To finally feel like my life has direction, that's a feeling that's hard to put into words. I remember sitting down in my seat at the Ceremony and seeing the big seal of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Awesome.

Retreat: I will never look at some of my professors the same way again. And that is all I will say about that, haha.

First Week: Both overwhelming and underwhelming, if that's possible. Overwhelming because I've been out of school for a while, so getting back into that mode was a bit of an adjustment. Underwhelming because I don't feel like we cover the material as in depth as in undergrad. Like biochem seems to be pretty superficial. But as I think back on it now, it really isn't. It is being covered in just as much depth as undergrad (not only that, but it is most certainly being covered at a much faster rate). I guess I just have some bad memories of undergrad biochem, haha.

First Weekend: Went to the annual drink-all-the-leftover-beer-from-Retreat party. Pretty good, but completely exhausting. I guess wading in a pool for five hours, in the hot sun, drinking beer will tend to have that effect, haha. Went out to midtown later that night, which was probably a bad idea because of how tired I was, but was probably a good idea because it meant I wasn't studying (I spent every evening during the first week studying from about 5pm-1am. No joke.).

Second Week: Starting to burnout (probably more because I've been sick the last couple of days) but haven't gotten to the point where I have started wishing that I was elsewhere, as Kunal said would happen. But today reenergized me. Went to a lunchtime meeting for SIGHT (Students Improving Global Health Together in Texas). They talked about all the opportunities abroad, and the annual Spring Break trip. I don't think I'm over the travel bug as much as I thought, and so that was a nice boost. Then this afternoon, I went to a meeting for the humanities certificate program. I got railed on in one of my interviews for not having many non-science credits, and that is something that I'd like to change. The program sounds really cool, and seems like a great way to achieve balance from the demands of school.

I'm cutting this a little short, but all in all, I'm in a very good place in my life. I don't think I've been this happy in a long time. I know medical school won't always treat me this well, but that's OK. For now, things are all gravy. And on that note, I'm gonna go back to anatomy studying...

This Is My Time, This Is My Place: Revisited

2008-08-12T22:52:00.004-05:00

I'm ready. Let's get this show started.

Coming Soon...

2008-08-08T16:39:00.004-05:00

EuroJournal 2008. I think I'm going to create a separate account for those posts. Stay tuned...

And the Plot Thickens...

2008-07-13T22:41:00.001-05:00

I spent the entire weekend trying to work out the details of my trip, and what do I do? I end up changing a couple of things, haha. I guess that's kind of making progress, right? I decided to go with Venice over Florence, mostly because I wanted to have one city where I can just sit back and relax for a couple of days, and it sounds like Venice is a better place than Florence to do that. I also decided to cut a day at the end from London and add a stop in Salzburg (en route to Prague). I'm fully expecting my time there to be one non-stop musical, a la The Sound of Music. Because that would be absolutely awesome. The Salzburg stop does make for an interesting end of the trip, though. It means I will be flying each of the last three days of my trip...I hope I don't miss any of my flights, that's really the only thing that worries me. Ever since that fateful day during my last Eurotrip...

I'm still sad that Istanbul had to be cut. Maybe one day, when I have money, I can go. One day.

I Can't Believe I'm Really Doing This...

2008-07-11T19:20:00.006-05:00

I am about to click "Purchase" for my ticket to London...it's kinda scary. Ah hell with it! Here we go...

Done and done. There goes a huge chunk of change, haha.

It took me a couple of days to hammer this out, but here's my proposed itinerary...

July 22: Dallas to New York
July 23: New York to London
July 24: London
July 25: London to Barcelona
July 26: Barcelona
July 27: Barcelona
July 28: Barcelona to Florence
July 29: Florence
July 30: Florence
July 31: Florence to Prague
August 1: Prague
August 2: Prague
August 3: Prague
August 4: Prague to London
August 5: London
August 6: London to Stonehenge and back to London
August 7: London to New York
August 8: New York to Dallas
August 9: Dallas
August 10: Dallas
August 11: Dallas to Houston
August 12: The beginning of the end (med school orientation stuff).

I can't believe I'm really doing this. Most of the trip, outside of Italy, will be solo. I think it'll be a good opportunity for me though. Build up some of that self-reliance and all. Alright, better get to booking the rest of the trip. The travel bug sure bit me hard. I really hope this trip satisfies my desire to travel. Otherwise first year is gonna be really miserable...

Reykjavik

2008-07-10T17:49:00.006-05:00

The other day, I decided to go ahead and do a last minute world adventure before school starts (I had originally planned on doing South America with some of the BMEs, but that, for whatever reason, never got off the ground). So, for the past couple of days, I've been spending a lot more time than I care to disclose on Lonely Planet, trying to identify countries that I'd want to hit (both for this trip and in the future). And I can only say that there are a lot of countries that I want to visit.

A lot.

Maybe it's just because I'm so indecisive, I don't know, but damn. I think I've settled on Iceland, however. It's off the beaten path, so it shouldn't be too busy, and I can get my ticket for about $1000. Of course, I can also find my way to London for around $700, which is about how much I paid last time. If I went that route, though, I'd definitely book a ticket to Spain. They got left off during my last trip. Ack, too many choices. I guess I better go make them now...

EDIT #1: I just looked at lodging in Iceland...damn it's expensive! Hostels are almost as much as some hotel rooms in the States! Hmmm, this might require some reconsidering...

EDIT #2: Yea, Iceland is out. London, Barcelona, Prague, Istanbul, and Florence/Venice (haven't decided between the two, though I might cut out Italy and spend some extra time in the other cities) are in! Nows all I gotta do is buy the tickets...

Is It Really July Already?

2008-07-05T11:02:00.001-05:00

Time sure flies when you're...not really doing anything. I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th. I ended up doing my traditional 1812 Overture (which I'm listening to right now :D) and fireworks in Hermann Park. Although we sat pretty far away from the orchestra, it was still glorious hearing the cannons go off. It probably would have been even better close up, but I was still satisfied, so I guess I can't complain. The fireworks themselves, however, have kinda lost their allure. I think part (or most) of it is because the best fireworks show I ever saw was in 2003, in New York (mark this occasion, because this is the only time I will ever give that city any sort of credit), when they had fireworks in the shape of smiley faces. I haven't seen a firework like that since, and have been very sorely disappointed. OH! For my BESIPS readers, the best part of the night was running into Pinta on my way home. She apparently recognized me from the back of my head, haha.

Earlier this week, I went to dinner with my future classmates. Even though I've already met some of them before, meeting new ones is getting me--ah, the cannons just went off in the 1812 Overture .mp3...glorious--pretty excited to start school. It's only a month and a half away...but I have a feeling it'll be here before I know it. Which reminds me, I need to do my financial aid stuff. I think I'll work on that now...

Stuck.

2008-06-25T23:37:00.003-05:00

I decided to take the following intelligence test:

http://intelligence-test.net/part1/

I got 20/33, which apparently qualifies me for "genius" status. Awesome! I probably could figure out a couple more if I spent some more time on it, but I should probably get to sleep. So I'll leave you, my lovely readers, with the task. Here's what I managed to get (look away now if you want to do this on your own)...

1 26 L of the A: 26 Letters of the Alphabet
2 7 D of the W: 7 Days of the Week
3 7 W of the W: 7 Wonders of the World
4 12 S of the Z: 12 Signs of the Zodiac
5 66 B of the B: ...?
6 52 C in a P (W J): ....?
7 13 S in the U S F: ...?
8 18 H on a G C: ...?
9 39 B of the O T: 39 Books of the Old Testament
10 5 T on a F: 5 Toes on a Foot
11 90 D in a R A: ...?
12 3 B M (S H T R): 3 Blind Mice (See How They Run)
13 32 is the T in D F at which W F: 32 is the Temperature in Degrees Fahrenheit at which Water Freezes
14 15 P in a R T: ...?
15 3 W on a T: 3 Wheels on a Tricycle
16 100 C in a D : 100 Cents in a Dollar
17 11 P in a F (S) T: ...?
18 12 M in a Y: 12 Months in a Year
19 13 is U F S: 13 is Unlucky for Some
20 8 T on an O: 8 Tentacles on an Octopus
21 29 D in F in a L Y: 29 Days in February in a Leap Year
22 27 B in the N T: 27 Books in the New Testament
23 365 D in a Y: 365 Days in a Year
24 13 L in a B D: ...?
25 52 W in a Y: 52 Weeks in a Year
26 9 L of a C: 9 Lives of a Cat
27 60 M in an H: 60 Minutes in an Hour
28 23 P of C in the H B: ...? I'm thinking Psalms of Christ in the Holy Bible, but I dunno if that even makes sense, haha
29 64 S on a C B: ...?
30 9 P in S A: ...?
31 6 B to an O in C: ...?
32 1000 Y in a M: 1000 Years in a Millenium
33 15 M on a D M C: ...?

EDIT: Got #24: 13 Loaves in a Baker's Dozen

And the Countdown Begins...

2008-06-17T13:52:00.002-05:00

I did it. I picked a final work day. July 18th. After that, it's on like Donkey Kong...

Birthday = Awesome; Hangover = Not So Much

2008-06-16T20:17:00.004-05:00

I'm getting too old for this drinking business...

Thanks to everyone that wished me a happy birthday and/or came out to help me celebrate. I tried thanking everyone personally on facebook, but (a) I'm sure I've left some people out (in fact, I can already think of two people off the top of my head), and (b) I feel like if I post on another wall, my laptop will explode.

I'm thinking about taking a trip before school starts...anyone have any suggestions for places to go?

62.

The 5 Stages of Grief

2008-05-20T14:37:00.002-05:00

Denial: They did not just score another goal.
Anger: FUCK, they DID just score another goal.
Bargaining: Alright, we need to trade in for some better defense/offense/goaltending.
Sadness: Fuck, the season is over.
Acceptance: There's always next year...Dallas Stars - 2009 Stanley Cup Champs!

Although the season ended with a poorly played game (at least through the first two periods), I am still proud to be a Stars fan. I guess the benefit of being ranked 5th is that no one expects you to achieve anything, certainly not a spot in the conference finals, haha. Ah well. With this loss, I'm done following sports for another 101 days, when UT's football season kicks off...

On a completely unrelated note, food poisoning sucks. And so do old women who cough on you.

More Stars, Life

2008-05-09T17:55:00.002-05:00

So many of you may recall my talk about purchasing a Stars jersey (see August 2007). Well, I finally got around to it. I ended up going with the white one...my decision was more or less made for me, since the seller had run out of the green/black ones, but hey, I was leaning towards white anyway. It's kinda funny, when these jersey designs were first unveiled, I absolutely hated the white ones. Go figure, haha (to be clear, I bought last year's design, not the new ones unveiled this year...I still hate those designs. With a passion.). The logo crest is absolutely ginormous...it was definitely made for a jersey that's twice the size of mine, haha. Still very pleased however. Although, this does present a problem when I go to Game 6 (assuming there is gonna be one), as the Stars have asked all fans to wear black to the games. Perhaps that's a sign I should also purchase the green/black one. If only I had the money to do that...

I'm thinking about quitting my job earlier than originally anticipated. My motivation to work is so low that, the first thing I do when I get to work, is start a countdown clock of the time left before I get to go home for the day. That's pretty bad. I don't even do anything 80% of the time! It would be one thing if I felt useful, but I definitely don't. Though I have to admit, it is pretty nice to be paid for doing nothing...in any event, I guess I should decide soon...you know, so that I can give two weeks notice and all.

Oh yea, my new camera came in this week, but no pictures of the new place yet...you'll just have to come visit...or wait until I pick up a memory card (though the camera does sport internal memory, I want to have all my pics taken on a memory card. Call it a character quark).

Off to Round 3!

2008-05-05T08:55:00.004-05:00

Mmmmm, another California team falls to the Stars. Glooooooorious! So let's see here...Round 1 against the defending Stanley Cup champions...done. Round 2 against the team ESPN picked at the beginning of the season to win the Stanley Cup...done. Round 3 against the team picked to win the Stanley Cup going into the playoffs...

I took a quiz on ESPN a couple of weeks back that asked me if I'd be willing to give up a year at the end of my life to see my team win a championship (to which I answered "yes"...of course). Although I have already had that pleasure twice (though technically I didn't get to see the Horns win, not live at least), I think I have paid my part of the deal with last night's game (not that I was ever really worried, but I was definitely starting to have heart palpitations). Whatever. Bring on the dead wings! I'll be looking forward to games that start at normal times, instead of games that start at 9PM (to accomodate those fuckers on the West Coast). I made this prediction back at the beginning of the second round, and it's looking like it might actually come to fruitition: Stars-Flyers final. Stars in 5 (just so they can win it at home). I just don't like the idea of Sidney Crosby and the Penguins raising the Cup. Or any other team, for that matter. I better order that Stars jersey soon...

OK, enough hockey talk. In other news, I moved this weekend. And I don't plan on moving for another four years, if I can help it. Or if I do, I'm just going to sell all my stuff, rather than pack it up. Pictures to come once my new camera comes in, which should be sometime late this week. Stay tuned.

Stars, Austin, and More

2008-04-29T08:19:00.003-05:00

I don't want to jinx it, but the Stars are absolutely devouring the San Jose Sharks. Me likey! I just hope they can keep it up. Because if they do, they're definitely taking home the whole thing. I think they will, actually. In fact, I have already made plans to attend the game when they win it. I'm just hoping that game will be played in Dallas, hah. Well, I guess if its an away game, I'll at the very least be in Dallas for the official watching party. I probably shouldn't be getting ahead of myself, but hey, I BELIEVE!

The BME reunion in Austin was completely out of control. Or at least I was. Damn back to back Patron shots...haha. No, but it was really great seeing BMEs together again. It was a long time overdue. I think I'm getting to old for going out though. I wasn't as hungover as I thought I would be (or as I probably should have been), but man, it's rough partying hard like that. I have a new respect for frat boys now. Only thing that sucked about the weekend was losing my camera. I'm thinking it can be in one of about four places. I still need to call to find out (I have left messages, but they have been unreturned so far...which probably doesn't bode well). I'm really hoping it's in one of those places, because I have no idea where else it could be. I don't think anyone would actually take it. I mean, I'd like to believe in my fellow men and women. I think really the only question is where someone would turn it into, not if. If it doesn't turn up, I think I've at least made peace with the fact that the pictures are gone. Ah, so much for my continuous absence of "things that suck" posts.

Oh, I'm thinking my Houston readers should come help me move this weekend. I'll make it worth your time. I promise.

Bound for Round 2

2008-04-21T14:29:00.002-05:00

Ahahahaha...OK, normally, I'm not a fan of desecrating other teams' logos (for example, I will never understand why aggies and sooners buy Longhorn stickers only to stick them upside down), but I thought this was too funny to pass up. Only 12 games to go!

In other news, I finally move next week. Although moving is a pain, I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a nice change of scenery. Come visit (after the 3rd, that is)!

Bryan Goes to St. Louis

2008-04-15T10:39:00.005-05:00

So work has been getting rather...hectic in recent weeks, with 45-50 hour weeks starting to become the norm. Now, I really don't have a problem with this, since I get to rack up the overtime pay, but it was getting to be pretty exhausting. Luckily I had planned a trip up to St. Louis to visit Zong and Melissa (while also crashing WashU's second look weekend). It was definitely what the doctor ordered. A few highlights:

Best Pickup Line Ever: "Good evening. Would you like to go to medical school?" - Dean of Admissions, Washington University School of Medicine. HAHAHA.

Best Breakfast in St Louis...Ever: Omlettes at First Watch. Mmmm...

Best Purchase Ever: Shoelaces at the Shoelace Factory in the City Museum. This was actually Zong's purchase, but I still got to experience it vicariously. Only $2!

Best Free Thing Ever: Beer at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Tasted the Sun Dog brew, which was pretty good, and the Michelob Lime, which was not as good. The latter tasted like watered down Sprite. Of course, it's Michelob, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Best YouTube Video Watched Ever:

Best Thing Ever: Sitting in on an OT class. I was one of three males in a room of about 100 people. 100 ridiculously beautiful people. Think sorority house. Minus the pillow fights in lingerie. It's a wonder I was still able to pay attention to the presentation going on.

Best Thing Ever, Ever: Getting to see Zong and Melissa. Enough said! :-) My trip was definitely long overdue, and I'm so glad I finally came up!

Mmmmmmm, sleep.

2008-03-12T18:43:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture of my old futon...

Not sure where the blanket went, but either way, it's not particularly impressive.

And here is a picture of my new bed :-D...

And then one with the bedding...

So between my three trips to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and my one trip to Linen 'N Things, I learned quite a lot about bedding. Like what a sham is (a frilly decorative pillow). And the benefits of down comforters/pillows (sooooooo soft...mmmmmmm). And how expensive down comforters/pillows can be ($100+ for a pillow?! Far too expensive for my taste).

It's still a little too early to comment on the quality of sleep, seeing how work has forced me to get up before the sun does, but this weekend, when I get a chance to sleep uninterrupted, I'll comment.

Off to lie in bed for a bit...:-P

Holy Crap.

2008-03-08T19:12:00.002-06:00

It just arrived. And it's ginormous. Damn, they were actually on time! Nicely done. Off to buy bedding.

Sleep? Yes, Please.

2008-03-08T18:00:00.008-06:00

For the past four years, I have been sleeping on a futon. A futon with very lumpy pillows, in fact. Needless to say, it has been a very uncomfortable four years. I honestly don't know how I have made it this far, but today, I went and bought a REAL bed. :-D Considering the fact that I will be moving within the next five months, it probably wasn't the best timed purchase, but it's definitely long overdue. It will be delivered tonight. Pictures to come!

I guess I also have to buy new bedding now. This is getting to be a rather expensive week.

This is My Time. This is My Place.

2008-02-01T00:25:00.000-06:00

At last. :-)

The Golden Rule

2008-01-23T14:15:00.000-06:00

There's something to be said about respect. Now, I like to think I'm a very professional person (though I have a feeling my professionalism will be going out the window as a result of me posting this...whatever, it needs to be said). Throughout my job search, I have sent out handwritten thank you notes to anyone and everyone who played any sort of role in my interview process. I mean, that practice is pretty standard, but it's professional behavior nonetheless. In return for the respect I show, I feel like I am entitled to be respected in return. That's not too much to ask, right? Well, let me tell you a little story...

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a recruiter in California. She wanted to set me up with this company who does pharmaceutical clinical trials research out in Austin and San Antonio (I will leave them unnamed here, to salvage at least a portion of my professionalism...refer to my Google Talk status if you wanna know their name). Fine, great. It's nice to feel wanted. I completed a phone interview, and they said, and I quote, "The next step is a face-to-face interview, we'll be contacting you shortly." After the interview, I call the recruiter and get her voicemail, so I just leave a message telling her what happened. Later, I get a call back from the recruiter saying that they were going to go in a different direction. Apparently, it wasn't worth it to train me if I was going to be leaving school in a year. Now, I can understand their concern, but why couldn't they tell me that to my face? I mean, really? Is it that hard? Fine, whatever.

It gets better...I get a call a week or two later saying that the person I interviewed with talked to her supervisor and they wanted to bring me on after all. There was a huge alarm going off in my head at this point, but I need money, so I said yes, and they set up another interview. The interview goes fine, I tell the recruiter, and she responds with an e-mail a few hours later saying that I wasn't a good fit because I didn't know what I wanted to do and I don't have much research experience. Again, they couldn't tell me that to my face.

OK, first off, I wasn't aware four years of work in the research lab wasn't a lot of experience. Second, I graduated a year and a half ago. How much experience do you realistically expect me to have? My work at MD Anderson was practically the same type of thing that this company was going to have me do. I would think that would be enough. As for me not knowing what I want to do, I told them I wanted to expand my life experiences a bit before settling down into med school. And that was more to appease them to get the job. Not that what I said is untrue, I really would put off school if the job were right. However, in my two experiences with this POS company, the job definitely was wrong for me. So I'm not mad about that, but the fact that they disrespected my experience makes me respond with a big FUCK YOU. I mean, they contacted me both times, I didn't contact them. They could've saved me a whole lot of time and cell phone minutes by just saying no the first time and leaving it at that. I am very tempted to write them a nice letter, but that would just eat up more of my time. Time that I would rather be spending on, say my Xbox. So, unnamed company, I wish you the best of luck in pushing your drugs, and I am more than happy to not be selling my soul to be a part of it.

/rant

Welcome to 2008, Bryan.

2008-01-07T10:19:00.000-06:00

I think I finally found a new year's resolution I can keep: I'm generally pretty bad about budgeting my money, and I'll be the first to admit it. I have no problem putting everything away in a savings account, but whenever I need/desire anything, I just take it out without a second thought. And so, my new year's resolution is to keep track of how much I spend.

Ambitious? Yes. I have actually tried this before, and I quit after about two weeks, for reasons both under and out of my control. So far, I've been good about it, it's just rather depressing to see how much I spent in one week alone: $304.95 +/- $53.20. :/ I'll get to the plus/minus part in a bit. Granted, 2/3 of this is a once a year type thing (I bought new clothes), but at the same time, this also doesn't include my rent and utilities. Otherwise, I'd be ecstatic, haha.

On to that plus/minus bit. Warning, ranting ahead. Saturday night, Justin Choi called to see if I wanted to grab dinner. Not remembering the time I spent $40 at Papasito's with him (a rather common occurrence for anyone when eating with him), I said yes. We decided on Lupe Tortilla. Now, I wasn't impressed the first time I went there, but Choi convinced me to give it a second chance. We eat, food is blah, but whatever, the bill comes. $45.20 (you can probably see where this is going). Not too bad, managable, Choi pays me his part in cash, and I put it all on my card. The waitor (who was absolutely horrible, he knocked my food off of the table and didn't even apologize) brings the form for me to sign. But wait, how much was I charged? $53.20. "WTF?" I ask (I'm not actually angry at this point). He apologizes and says he'll fix it (how you go from typing in "45" to typing in "53" still befuddles me). He comes back a few minutes later and says "Oh, I pulled it off, but when I try to rerun your card, it says 'declined.' Do you have another card?" Remember before when I said I didn't have a problem putting money in a savings account? Well, I really don't. I only keep ~$100 in my checking at any one time, the rest is in savings. I also don't have overdraft protection, so whenever a charge exceeds what I have in checking, it's automatically declined (I like this way, I didn't need a $35 overdraft fee to add to this fiasco). Anyway, I had about $80 at the beginning of the night. So while he may have removed it (or may not have, as I suspect to truly be the case), that $53.20 is still locked up until the bank finally removes it (I called my bank afterwards, they said it takes from 2-10 days to refund :-X). Essentially, they wanted me to be out nearly $100 until the charge was removed. I wasn't willing to take the risk that the waiter was smart enough to actually pull the charge off (I didn't actually want to BE $100 out), so I told them no, I didn't have enough money in cash + other card to cover (which is true). Choi didn't have his credit card either, so he couldn't take care of it. The manager comes, and gives me this look. This is where I get angry. They made a mistake, and now they're giving me this look like I can't pay for my bill. It was accepted the first time, it's a legitimate card. Your stupid dumbfuck waiter doesn't know his numbers (or perhaps intentionally did it, in which case he's a thief), and you have the gall to treat me like that? He finally says that since we don't have any money, they can't charge us. And we leave (but not before he takes down info from my driver's license...I suppose I'm no longer welcome there, no matter I wouldn't eat there if it was the last place on earth). The charge is still listed (hence the plus/minus), but I'll definitely keep an eye on this one.

/rant

I can certainly do without this kind of drama in my life, haha. Hopefully your new year started out better (though NYE in Austin was pretty good, especially since it was followed by the infinitely better tasting Salt Lick).

Rover, Wanderer, Nomad, Vegabond...

2007-12-01T19:51:00.000-06:00

I have quite a lot of traveling in store for me...

Dec. 4: Houston --> Lubbock
Dec. 5: Lubbock
Dec. 6: Lubbock --> Houston --> San Antonio
Dec. 7: San Antonio --> Dallas
Dec. 8-9: Dallas
Dec. 10: Dallas --> New York
Dec. 11-12: New York
Dec. 13: New York --> Dallas
Dec. 14: Dallas --> Houston

Sweet.

Gone

2007-11-15T21:49:00.000-06:00

Jim Lites, the Dallas Stars' GM, was fired recently (along with a bunch of other people in the Stars' front office).

Finally! Maybe the Stars will start winning some games now.

At the end of this past summer, Lites released an "open letter" justifying the lack of action by the Stars in the free agent market. He commented on how the Stars have been doing just fine for the last 10 years, how they had one of the best overall regular season records during that stretch, and how they did it by building team chemistry (not by getting the big name players). He did not mention, however, how the Stars have exited the playoffs in the first round for the past three years. Regular season records mean jackcrap in the playoffs. I mean, look at the Mavericks last year. He also failed to see how players' productivity goes down over the years. Even if you keep a group of players who work well together, age is going to take its toll sooner or later. Now, I am by no means an expert on anything, especially sports management. But, a man who is so resistant to change and unwilling to take risks should not be in the position he was in. I for one am glad to see him go.

This and That

2007-11-09T15:57:00.000-06:00

I think I'm going through a quarter life crisis.

On an unrelated note, I have come to realize that I really don't like the page setups in Blogger. It might be time for another move...

Gross.

2007-10-14T15:59:00.001-05:00

I went to Barnes and Noble today to pick up a book that I had heard many great things about. As I was searching, this really old man with a cane comes up to me and says, "Hey wow, your shirt says 'WOW'!" (I was wearing my Week of Women 2004 shirt). I just smile and say, "Yea, it does." I run into him again and he makes another comment (something to the effect of "Mr. WOW is back!"). I smile (mostly just to be polite) and kind of nod in agreement. I run into him a third time, and then he starts talking to me. The conversation goes something like this:

Old Man: This place is so big. So many books. If you can't find your book here, they don't make it!
Me: Yea, I'll say. There's quite a lot out there. So much to read, so little time.
OM: So do you come here often?
M: Not really, no. Just looking for something to fill my time, you know?
OM: Yes, yes, that's good. That's why I'm here too. So are you finished with school?
M: Yea.
OM: College too?
M: Yup.
OM: Oh, that's good for you. Ready to go out into the real world and start working?
M: Actually, I'm looking at going to med school, so there may be a lot more school in store for me before I get to the working world.

[OM proceeds to praise my decision to enter a career in medicine...then mentions something about how I should stay in the US for med school, instead of going to Mexico. I don't know where he got the idea that I was going to go to school in Mexico, or for that matter, why he thought that I was Mexican...he just couldn't seem to get it through his head that I am Asian, and am an American citizen. Still, up to this point, it was a normal enough conversation. Then it got REALLY, REALLY weird...]

OM: You'll definitely make it. You're very well groomed. Your hair is really nice. What do you put in it to make it so stiff? Is everything else stiff?

[I feel like I should say that I don't put anything in my hair, other than shampoo.]

M: Uhhhh...yea.
OM: Oh that's good. You could make a lot of money you know, with some of the lonely girls in town. There are a lot of lonely girls in this town. Could make fifty a night easily. You know, just sit there and let them enjoy themselves, that's all you have to do. What are you doing later? We should go out in your car and have some fun. Go to another bookstore you know, there are three down the street. We could pick up some girls.

[At this point, I'm starting to feel a little trapped: the guy is practically breathing on me, and there is a huge book case directly behind me. I could feel the back of my head touch the books, that's how bad it was. I start inching away, telling him that I'm just gonna stick around here, but he just goes on...]

OM: So have you ever had head? There's nothing like it when her lips wrap around huh?

[My slow inching turns into an all out bolt.]

WHAT THE FUCK?!? I mean, I know old people can be senile, but WHAT THE FUCK?!? To make matters worse, I didn't even find the book I was looking for. I guess on the bright side (and trust me, I really struggled to come up with a bright side), I will never, EVER, have a more awkward conversation with anybody. Ever. I think I'm gonna go shower now. That man made me feel dirty.

This and That

2007-09-24T16:21:00.000-05:00

So those jerseys in the post below this one ended up being the real thing. I will admit that I don't hate them as much as I did at first, but I still think they're quite hideous. Whatev. I am definitely buying one of the old style jerseys now. Whether it's a home or an away jersey, I haven't decided...I guess it doesn't matter quite yet, since my money is all locked up in my savings account right now. I withdrew one too many times this month :( This has proved to be very problematic since my checking account was very low to begin with (and thus I have had very little to live on ), Really though, I suppose it's nothing that can't be combated with a trip home to mooch off the parents. I guess it's a good thing I also have that unemployment money! Not sure how long I have to last in this state -- I was under the impression that my bank cycle ended on the 21st of every month -- but I'm still unable to transfer anything...boo. Hopefully not much longer.

Speaking of unemployment, I had a job interview with Baylor today. They're cool with my applying to med school. That was the biggest thing that I was concerned about with taking a new job. So, given that, the fact that they pay better than MD Anderson, and, well, a lot of other things, if they offer it to me, I definitely would take it. But stay tuned for an update on that...

Ummm...I guess that's it for this post.

I Think I'm Gonna Be Sick...

2007-09-04T19:51:00.000-05:00

So the new Stars jerseys won't officially be revealed for another 10 days, but these surfaced over the weekend...

Excuse me while I go vomit....

I should say that the jerseys in the pictures are actually for a junior hockey team in Dallas. However, that team has traditionally worn the same style jerseys as the real Stars team. If it turns out that I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new jerseys, only to be met by these pieces of shit, I'm gonna be one angry fan. C'mon, a freakin' 4th grader could come up with a better design than that! There's been some talk on message boards that these are in fact the real thing, but I'm hoping -- PRAYING -- that it's just some guy talking out his ass though.

For some reason, I blame Gary Bettman for all of this. Looks like I'll be picking up one of the older jerseys after all...

Free at Last...

2007-08-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

And so we have arrived, at August 28th...I'm really only writing for myself right now, but feel free to read on, those of you that still come here...

Today was rather anti-climactic. Actually, it started the same way as any other day...with me doing absolutely jack. I came in and promptly began searching for some artwork to decorate my place with. I also bought a Longhorns poster. \m/ It's strange, I find out I lose my job and what do I do? I go on a spending spree. Go figure.

When I finally clicked "Purchase", it was about time for lunch. Adrian, Senthil, and I decided to hit up Guadalajara for a nice ELB (Extended Lunch Break)...well, it wasn't *that* extended...I mean we've definitely taken longer lunches in the past, but this one served its purpose. When we came back, I began the process of checking out. M. D. Anderson may be the number 1 cancer hospital in the world, but their HR department must be somewhere below the bottom. They seriously don't even know how to do their own jobs! I guess it's no use complaining, it's over and done with now. On a side note, I think Dr. Follen STILL does not realize the gravity of the situation. Apparently, she called the office today and was wondering why people were packing up their things. ...sigh...

Honestly, I couldn't be more relieved. This has been the longest month of my life. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Sure, I don't have any idea what's in store for me next. And yes, that is scary (though I've sort of gotten used to the uncertainty in my life). But what is done, is done. There's nothing I can do about it except move on. And move on I shall. As I said, I don't know what's in store for me, but I'm 99% sure it does NOT involve Houston. Although I have many great friends here, I think getting out of this city will do me some good. It'll give me a chance to grow and learn a lot about myself, especially if I end up taking a job where I don't know anyone (which I kinda want to try out).

Stay tuned for the next chapter in my life...

Time to End the Streak...

2007-08-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

There are too many posts in a row under the "things that suck" tag...that streak is just gonna have to end. Now.

I'm thinking about picking up a Stars jersey, especially with the potential of me moving back to Plano...but I can't decide whether to pick up the home or away one...

Until recently, I always liked the darker ones more. But the white has definitely grown on me. Alternatively, I could just wait until the new jerseys are released and pick up one of those...but from what I hear, I'm not particularly convinced I'm gonna like them as much.

I guess there's no harm in waiting til the new ones come out...I mean the old ones will still be around, right? I guess I'll be back with another post on September 14th...(the day the new jerseys come out).

What a Predicament

2007-08-24T17:46:00.001-05:00

I guess it's been awhile since I last posted. I certainly can't say not much has happened! I should warn you, though, that what lies ahead is rather negative...

The situation at work continues to get progressively worse each day. When this thing started going down (way back in December), I was reassured that my position would be saved. Even when my entire department and I were laid off at the beginning of August, I was told that my job would be re-posted "soon" (albeit in a different department...though honestly, I don't care what department I'm in...they could put me in Janitorial Services as long as they pay me the same). First it was gonna be posted on the 16th...then the 20th...then the 21st...then today...I, of course, stopped believing the empty promises long ago (it's still not up, by the way). Still, I convinced myself recently that it wouldn't be a bad thing if I stayed, even with all the crap that happened. I mean, I like a change of scenery as much as the next person, but no other job would really give me as much freedom as I have now (and by "freedom", I mean "screw around" time). That's part of the reason why I haven't spent as much time on the job search as I should be (well, that and the stupid outplacement company is taking their dear sweet time critiquing my resume). If you're told you will have a job, and if that job lets you get away with so much, then why seek other opportunities, right? Well, this is why: today I found out one of the head PIs is pulling out of the grant renewal.

What does that mean exactly? Well, the research definitely comes to a grinding halt, at the very least until we find a replacement (which, quite honestly, I don't ever see happening...how the hell do you replace the person that developed the technology?). If there is no research, there is no reason for me (or any one else) to be around. Thus, job posting falls through.

This is one fucked up situation.

I really feel bad for the international employees who are on work visas. They're not having any luck securing new positions. They REALLY got dicked over. This experience has definitely taught me that there certainly IS such a thing as too much pride (I guess it's called hubris, haha). It has also taught me a thing or two about blind loyalty. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything Dr. Follen has done for me. But there comes a point where the good outweighs the bad. I should mention that through all of this, Dr. Follen is still nowhere to be seen. She is still on her leave. Now, I understand that she has had a horrible year, and that it has taken a huge toll on her, but it has also taken a toll on all of us. And really, shouldn't leaders LEAD?

Alright, enough about work.

Stage 3

2007-08-07T07:52:00.000-05:00

I think I've hit the stage I never thought I'd hit: Bargaining. The reality of having to move home is starting to set in.

I don't want to move home.

I love my family and all, but I can't live at home anymore. Denial didn't last very long, I think it was over as soon as I left the "meeting". Anger lasted quite a bit longer, but has passed for the most part. I'm thinking Depression is gonna set in if I really do end up moving home. And Acceptance will come once I find that new job. Which I hope comes soon...

I'm Not Having a Very Good Week.

2007-07-31T12:22:00.000-05:00

Wow...I am out of a job.

Suck.

Lame

2007-07-31T08:29:00.000-05:00

I have long joked about how my job is just like Office Space. I got this e-mail this morning...

Dear Bryan,

Please attend a meeting in my office, HMB 5.529A, at 11:00 am this morning with myself and David Taylor, M. D. Anderson Human Resources Consultant.

The meeting should last approximately 20 minutes.

Thank you,
Cathy

I think what really irks me about this email is how ominous it sounds.

5:59pm

2007-07-27T19:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Officer Apalacios,

Fuck you. May your soul rot forever in Hell.

That is all.

Sincerely,
Bryan Pham

Bryan Goes to California

2007-07-04T13:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we got lost trying to find Chinatown, so we stopped at a gas station to figure out where we were exactly. Towards the end of our stop, in walks a guy wearing a ski mask.

Hmmm...

We didn't stick around long enough to see what happened. Later that day, we were at Fry's and when I walk out, there are five police cars waiting outside. The officers make their way inside. I'm thinking, "five cop cars...it's gotta be something big. There's probably gonna be a shootout. I should probably find some cover, just in case." A few minutes later, out come two people in handcuffs. The charge? Selling weed in front of the store, haha. At least I know that if I were ever to live in this city, I would be pretty safe. Or at least I would hope. If there are five cars for a drug bust, there should be at least ten for more...errr, violent crimes, right?

I hope everyone is staying dry in Texas. I saw FLOODING in nice, bold, blue letters on the news this morning. I'm not sure I want to/ever will come back anymore. I like the sun. And all the beautiful women driving around in bikinis (sorry, I just had to rub it in) :)

Awww Hell Naaah

2007-06-29T08:57:00.000-05:00

If this is what the Stars' new jerseys are going to look like next season, I don't know if I'll ever watch hockey again. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for those hideous extra stars down the side. What the hell am I saying, it's absolutely terrible.

Bryan Sucks at Life These Days

2007-06-25T15:18:00.000-05:00

It's true...I guess it's been awhile since I've updated. Well, let's change that...so, while I was at lunch last Thursday, I got a call informing me that my boss wanted to see me. It absolutely couldn't wait, and it was so important that she wanted me to take a freakin' taxi cab back to work (which I didn't end up doing, since it was quicker to just wait until my co-workers finished their lunch). When I got back, guess what I was asked to do? I was asked to go print out research papers.

I kid you not.

This is the kind of thing that kills employee morale. If it were an emergency, I would understand (only, nothing that I am involved with at work could possibly qualify as an emergency). As Adrian can tell you, I've talked about quitting quite often in recent weeks, and this certainly pushed me to the brink. I think the only reason why I didn't is because I don't have anything else lined up, and I don't really want to make that kind of jump without something waiting in the wings first. But believe me, I am now working very hard on changing that.

Whatever. On a more positive note, this past weekend in Austin was pretty good. Friday night was spent with John and Joanna at Pluckers and the pool hall. I must say, the quality of Pluckers' wings has gone down in the past year. They're defintely smaller, and I think they all come with fried skin now...sad. As for the pool hall, I've found that even with all the practice I've done on Noah's pool table (which really isn't that much), I still suck. I don't think I won a single game on my own, just by default, haha.

Saturday was spent at Twin Falls with some frisbee diving. For the record, I can't catch a frisbee. But that shouldn't surprise too many people. It was even harder to throw the frisbee while in the water. I'd like to think I can do that, however...at least when I'm out of the water. I am definitely good at falling though. No doubt about that. I took a couple of tumbles and now I am down to one functional butt cheek, and nine functional toes. :( Well, maybe nine and a half, the feeling is starting to come back. Saturday night was spent downtown for one of Melissa's friend's 21st birthday party. It was a rather tame night on my end, since I was DD, but it was still good being out and people watching. I also ran into Chris Jew that night. Too bad we couldn't get caught up more on the past year...perhaps when he moves to Houston in the fall.

I had my first real breakfast in a very, very, long time on Sunday morning: french toast, eggs, and strawberries, courtesy of John and Joanna. :-D It's nice not to have something fried for once. And that pretty much concluded the weekend.

But now I'm sad again because I washed my MP3 player. At least I'm not this guy. I guess I'll take my victories where I can get them. What a complete douche bag.

Rock On.

2007-05-13T22:07:00.000-05:00

The Fuel concert was awesome. I have never been so close to the stage (second row! I was actually able to reach out and touch the guy)...I just wish I was sober...then the concert wouldn't have felt like it zipped by like it did. No matter, that just means I'm gonna have to go again when they come back to town. :-D The only thing is that I may never be able to get that close again. The new singer did a great job of rockin' out, I was very impressed. Fuck all the naysayers, I say. It was pretty sweet to be able to meet the band afterwards too, especially since it was a small venue (meaning there weren't that many people to compete with for face time).

I guess that really was the only highlight of my week (not that that's bad). I went home this weekend for Mother's Day...and barely got to see my mom. Go figure.

For the Trash Talking Rockets Fans...

2007-05-07T15:18:00.000-05:00

The entire world can't be wrong, can they?

Holy Crap.

2007-05-02T16:18:00.000-05:00

Fuel's coming to town next week.

I am so there.

They have a new lead singer. He sounds pretty familiar, I just can't quite pinpoint who it is that he sounds like...yet. He's different from Brett (Fuel's former lead singer), that's for sure. I'm interested to see how he sounds singing the old stuff. The new stuff has a pretty standard Fuel sound (as far as the melodies go). Sweet, I just realized that this will be my fourth Fuel concert.

Hooray.

In other news, I called T-Mobile again yesterday to confirm my replacement phone order, and they offered me a different phone this time. :-X I don't understand why they can't get their facts straight, but I guess I won't complain. It's the phone that I originally wanted. :-D

Vamos A La Playa

2007-04-30T19:37:00.001-05:00

Vacation good. Bryan like vacation. I guess I'll take it from the top...

Diego and Jiroko's Wedding. Although I've kinda sorta already blogged about it, I haven't really blogged about it. Though I don't know what there is to say, really. It was beautiful ceremony with a beautiful bride. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to share in the day. Favorite moment: The look on Ganesh's face when Jasmine told him she was 17 (she's not).

Beantown. As it turns out, Boston is very doable in two days, but it was still nice being up there for four and just hanging out. Not to mention the nice weather. And, above all, seeing Pam. I hope we didn't disrupt her schedule too much. Favorite moment: Three random girls walking up to me on the street and handing me a bunch of packets of what I originally thought were condoms. They turned out to be samples of Orbit gum. Mint Mojito flavored.

Austin. Of course, I had to fit in a stint in Austin. A bunch of BMEs came back this weekend, which was awesome. It was pretty active for me, which was a nice change of pace from the previous week (though I suppose walking up and down Boston is pretty active in itself). I discovered just how bad of an idea it is to go running after not doing so for a month. But I missed the Town Lake trail that Matlis and I used to run last year (in fact, I think it was exactly a year to the day since I last ran that trail). So thanks, John, for putting up with my slow ass. haha. Favorite moment: sinking the game winning shot in a pickup basketball game...after having missed all but one shot prior to that. Least favorite moment: slipping while crossing the water at the Green Belt and almost face planting. I broke my fall with the shoes in my hand. The shoes that I wanted to keep dry. And the only shoes that I brought to Austin with me. It was rather depressing watching the shoes go slowly into the water. It really was like watching it happen in slow motion. My only consolation (and it's actually a good one) is that at least it was my shoes that went in instead of what was in my other hand: my camera.

Dinner and 24 time.

Heartbreak

2007-04-24T23:33:00.000-05:00

The Stars lost. They were down 3-1 in the series, came back to tie it, then blew it.

Sad.

In other news, my trip to Boston has made up for the Stars' failures. Pictures forthcoming on facebook once I return.

A Toast.

2007-04-21T17:05:00.000-05:00

It's unfortunate that Diego and I grew apart during college. I suppose distance does that to friendships. But in the end, I still keep in touch with him more than anyone else from PSHS. And I'm sure glad that I do. Diego is one of the most stand-up guys that I have ever met. I remember talking to him on AIM once during the first summer that he and Jiroko dated...he was so stressed trying to figure out where to take her for lunch (if my memory serves me correctly, they ended up going to Quizno's). But you see, something as simple as picking a lunchspot had Diego working so hard to get it perfect. I've seen Jiroko display this same devotion. She planned a surprise birthday party for him a couple of years back, and I could tell that it was a lot more work than she had planned on. But nevertheless, there was that attention to detail. Although my experience with the both of them together is rather limited, these two experiences were enough to convince me of two things: 1) they are going to take good care of each other and 2) they have something really special. If they both pay this much attention to the small things, they'll both definitely take care of the important things. The world needs more people like that. Hell, the world needs more relationships like that. And so, this post is devoted to Mr. and Mrs. Lopez. Congratulations!

The Good and the Bad, Pt II

2007-04-18T09:25:00.000-05:00

I got my cell phone replaced last Thursday. It lasted until Tuesday night. It didn't even last a week! I can't help but think that my experience and this story are related. (I came across that article on accident, by the way) I <3 Motorola.

Not.

At least T-Mobile is now giving me the choice of a different phone. I was prepared to raise some hell if they didn't.

Two days until the 20th!

UPDATE: T-Mobile didn't let me pick up a new phone. Their policy is that you have to have a problem three times before they let you pick a different phone (translation: they like dicking over their customers). Not only that, they didn't even let me pick up the same model while I was at the store. I have to have it mailed to me. Something about wasting time. I guess the jackass that said I could pick up a new phone at the store didn't know what she was talking about. Absolutely fucking ridiculous. Perhaps I should be counting down the days until my contract expires, in addition to counting down to the 20th...

Everybody's Kung Fu Fighting

2007-04-16T08:12:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I attended a three day taekwon-do instructor's seminar/training camp. Holy crap, what an amazing experience. It was limited to black belts and red belts, so you already knew going in that the people around you were going to be good. Really good. So much so that it got to be a little intimidating. Not that each person didn't have something that could be fixed--that was definitely true--but the level of talent was nevertheless pretty staggering. We had first through ninth degree black belts. Ninth is the highest you can go while alive in my style!! (I think you can be promoted to tenth degree posthumously) Not to mention the fact that a sea of black belts is quite a site to behold. Really, it was just great to suit up and fight again. It reminded me just how good taekwon-do has been to me over the years.

Only four days until April 20th :-D...

The Good and the Bad

2007-04-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

My phone's screen died. Sad. At least I can still make and receive phone calls (not that anyone ever calls me :-/...kidding...sort of). Still, making calls is difficult when you don't know people's phone numbers by heart.

I dislike the RAZR.

A lot.

The day that my contract expires, I'm going back to Sprint. They've got cooler phones.

On the plus side, I'm getting a raise at work. I'm also getting a new office. AND, I'm now allowed to wear scrubs on clinic days.

I like my job again.

:-)

Pham I Am

2007-04-01T18:55:00.000-05:00

You know you're a PHAM when...

1.) You stand strong among the TRANs, the LEs, and the NGUYENs ...by yourself.

So true!

2.) After meeting another PHAM, you go home and tell it to the whole family at dinner, then ask your parents if that PHAM is a long lost sibling.

True, but only because of number 1.

3.) You introduce yourself as FEM, because if you said FAM, there is a high probability that you will be called FARM.

False. Though in the fifth grade, I had a social studies teacher who, after telling her that my mom said it was pronounced "fam", kept asking me how *I* pronounced it. For some reason, I guess she thought I'd pronounce it differently than how my mom pronounces it. Go figure.

4.) You hesitate to hang out with the CAOs, because sooner or later somebody will call you a "Cow Farm" pair.

If number 3 were true, then maybe.

5.) You read Vietnamese history, and always try to find a PHAM hero.
6.) ...and your thoughts always land on PHAM NGU LAO.
7.) ...and you're not even sure who he was.
8.) ...the other famous PHAM that you know is Pham Duy.
9.) ...and again, you're not even quite sure who he is.

All true, haha.

10.) When you spell it out, you emphasize on the "Mmmmm", because way too many times in the past people had written your last name as "PhaN".

TRUE! I go to Pierre and Neal's place three to four times a week. When I get there, I have to sign in with the security guard. The man sees me nearly every day and still doesn't know how to spell my name. And yet, he feels comfortable enough to ask me for a smoke.

11.) You fight harder to show people the difference between "PhaN" and "PhaM" than you do to show people the difference between Chinese and Vietnamese.

Yes, yes.

12.) For some odd reason that you have yet to understand, your last name always reminds white people of pho.

I've actually had this conversation before...

13.) You get excited explaining to people there's a dot accent missing in PHAM.

Not really, no.

14.) People never assume you're Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or any of those Asian ethnic groups after seeing your last name. As a matter of fact, they don't even know what group you belong to...

If I had a dime for every time this happened...

15.) ...until you told them you're Vietnamese.
16.) ...then that lead to the "war" discussion.

Not so much anymore, but definitely back in middle school.

Pretty accurate overall, haha.

Austin Antics Vol. 9

2007-03-26T22:39:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday was the 11th Annual Texas State Taekwondo Championships. Really, it's just a fancy name for UTTKD's yearly tourney. There were only half the number of competitors this year, which I guess is both good and bad. Good because we finished pretty early. Bad because fewer people == less money raised. Good because it provided a prime opportunity for me to put a bid in for the torunament's Grand Champion. Bad because I haven't thrown a single kick since September. In the end, I didn't end up competing. For this very reason. It was nice seeing the taekowndo people again though. The state of the club wasn't as bad as I've been led to believe...there are definitely people who still attend class (ever since I've been with the club, we've had issues with retaining members). So that's good.

Saturday night, I went downtown with Jacob, Vivek, and their friend Alex. Pretty chill, which was just what I needed. Unfortunately, missed out on meeting up Mae :-( On Sunday, I caught a little bit of Melissa's frisbee tournament, got skooled in Super Mario Bros (on the Super Nintendo, haha), then grabbed dinner at Trudy's with Lil John, Joanna, and Fabi before heading back to Houston. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good trip.

Stanley Cup playoffs are just around the corner (hence the profile picture)...something tells me the Stars are gonna have a pretty short run, however...

March Madness

2007-03-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

Hahaha...hundreds of thousands of people (and counting) can't be wrong! Perhaps I shouldn't be laughing this hard...since I have a million dollars riding on OSU going to the Elite Eight and all. Then again, the question is who is most likely to lose before the Final Four. With my luck, OSU will probably end up screwing me over twice in a year. But who knows, maybe I'll be able to have my cake and eat it too...

Wanderlust versus Self-Preservation

2007-03-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

I was recently invited to travel to Nigeria with my research group at work. On the surface, it sounds like a wonderful deal: my meals, housing, and time are paid for, plus I get to up my continent count to five. However, I have heard lots of not-so-nice things about Nigeria. So, while I was at the bookstore this past weekend, I decided to check out what the travel guides had to say. The very first thing I read was something to the effect of:

"Nigeria is a chaotic place. Police harassment is rampant. Beware and check conditions before you go."

I didn't bother reading further. But today, the person who is in charge of organizing the trip handed out a National Geographic article talking about the situation there...no bueno.

This is all in direct contrast with every experience that I've ever had with Nigerians. I've always found them to be really friendly. I'm generally an adventurous traveler, but I don't want to die. Honestly, it's probably not that bad...I mean, the group has gone there twice already. And they've all come back...

Speaking of continent counts, I just found out that one can actually set foot in Antarctica. I want to go now. At least if I die there, it'll be from the cold and not a bullet to my face.

All Things Must Pass...

2007-03-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

...it was about time for an overhaul of the blog anyway. Though, whether or not this site will win out over Xanga remains to be seen...

I think I'm getting stoopider. It took me twenty minutes to write this post.