Where can you see yourself in 10 years?

Um, in a mirror, just like how I can see myself today.

Jokes!

Today, I got that call from the Schaumburg company.  Interesting it should come on a Saturday. Anyway, it was the CEO, Boon.  I think he's really trying to get me an honest chance because he said that he wants to give me until about mid January to brush up on my programming and then talk to them again.  Those that know me, however, know that the extent of my software knowledge, even at its peak, was insufficient, to say the least.  I do feel inclined to (re)learn as much as I can about programming languages, but...I got an email from a staffing company that works for John Deere.  The job sounds really interesting, I would be working on the wiring and stuff of John Deere products and such.  The two drawbacks are the location and pay.  It is in Dubuque, Iowa, near the Illinois/Iowa border, about 3 hours out of Wheaton.  Then the pay is a little lower than I would like, but if the various benefits are included and cost of living low enough in Dubuque, then it could be a great first job.  I am going to call the number I received in the email on Monday.

Until then I work at Shane's all day tomorrow.  I worked there all day today, but its just more money in the pocket.  Ron's mentioned that he might start charging me rent at the beginning of the year, bummer.

I finally got Skype working on my laptop and got to catch up with the likes of Lizzie, Wheeler and Dane.  I like Skype, the only thing is, I can't figure a good way to "end" a conversation.  To me, it's like a non-verbal version of "you hang up!"..."No, you hang up!"  Do any of you struggle with this/have tips to make it not like this?

Last night I went to a Chinese American fundraising banquet thing to appease my Grandma.  While driving downtown with PoPo, we discussed the Asian attitudes in America.  1502 knows my frustration/borderline racism with these attitudes, but PoPo offered a reason for these attitudes.  All along, I thought they were super clicky and generally impolite because they don't use formalities like "How are you today?" or "excuse me".  Apparently, according to PoPo, they don't do say these things because they are shy and they are shy because they are polite.  I guess in Chinese culture, it is respectful to stay quieter around people who are older than you.  Granted, I was the same age as a lot of my classmates, I guess this custom just leaked to people that you don't know too well.  The more I write this, the less sense it makes.  I mean, I'm not the most outgoing with people I just met, but at least I met them.  So many of the Asians on North Campus were just clicky and never tried to meet people.  They just stayed in their little groups and talked about academia or things in another language (like Stev's cartoons).  On the few occasions I did talk with them, be it group projects or similar classes, they just wanted information from me it seemed.  Here's an example, at the banquet last night...tons of Asians.  There were some white people too, and black people.  Anyways, there was a Caucasian girl there, about my age and really cute, like my kind of style cute.  I think she helped plan the event or at least volunteered to help or something, because she didn't have a seat and was standing the whole time.  So it was this dinner thing, the whole time though, they had light entertainment going on at a front stage to try to raise money for this organization, CASL.  Most people weren't paying attention.  So I was facing towards the back of the room, where this girl was standing.  I swear we kept exchanging glances.  Eventually, she walked to our table and was standing directly across from our round table, facing the stage.  So we were pretty close...Then, this older Asian woman sitting behind this girl yells, "Excuse me, some of us are trying to watch this!" and promptly shoos this cute girl to the back of the room again.  Of course I was watching the whole time, and that Asian woman was mean mugging her with this look of "Stupid girl, what's wrong with you"...Ok, at this point, I should have done my part, maybe gone back and talked with her, but I just never got the courage.  I was out of my element ok?  It wasn't South U, its harder out here, without liquid courage, might I add. So that's my example of Asians being rude.  Note, I am aware that there are a lot of cool Asians out there, but I think those are the ones that understand the different cultural nuances that our societies have and can be more socially aware when in American society.  I don't want to say that everyone should adapt to the American lifestyle, but thats the style I am most comfortable with, I'm not racist.

This is Rahm Emanuel, running for Chicago mayor, and my sister, he showed up at the beginning of the banquet.  I will be voting for Carol Moseley Braun, if I live in the city because she came by and said hi to my table, I shook her hand!  Rahm was impatient...

Anderson and I are trying to make plans for New Year's downtown, should be a blast.  Feel free to come to Chicago!

Here's to that cute girl I should have talked to (it was even new friend Friday!),

Chin