let's all fail a little more

lately, i've been thinking about all the failure that has led me to today.

i was listening to NRP's piece on why so many ph.d.s are on food stamps and couldn't help thinking that could have been me. i could have poured my heart into my essays, drained my bank account with application and test fees, cried and pulled my hair out anxiously, and spent 8 more years in school only to come out unrecognized for my merits and to be on welfare.

and while i did do all of those things, and did them hard, i am glad all 8 programs decided i sucked as a ph.d candidate.

i am glad i failed.

though it's hard and heart wrenching and down right shitty a lot (pretty much all) of the time, it's when you've failed, stripped of everything, left with just the very core of your being, that you remember you can start over.

i say this, not from retrospect because i've still got a seat on the strugglebus, but with hope and optimism. i guess that's all you're ever guaranteed.

so, go forth and fail more because with failure burgeons new dreams.

and no one said you're only allowed one.

- melissa

Tereza Lee and the DREAM

Tereza Lee

Over on the Hyphen blog, there's a great post about pianist, Tereza Lee, and how her story helped the DREAM Act come about.

While on the surface, her life seems like every tiger mom's dream: she was a child prodigy, accomplished pianist at a really young age, accepted into prestigious music programs, and now earning her doctorates, there were major hardships and struggles to get there.

it's a touching story and a call for action to get the full DREAM ACT passed. we want more success stories like Tereza's.

-m

houstonian wins Masterchef

Season 3 Masterchef winner, Christine Ha

i'd be lying if i said i know what this show is about or any other cooking show on tv. i just eat. pan-seared or flash fried, all i care about is if it's tasty.

but i have to give props to one Christine Ha, a blind chef hailing from my very own streets. in the finale, Ha's competitor whipped up "butter-poached lobster with sweet corn grits, rack of lamb with curry spice and spring vegetables and bacon pecan pie" which was no match to Christine's "Thai Papaya and Crab Salad, braised pork belly with kale and a fried egg, and coconut sorbet with a ginger tuile. "

cmon, it doesn't take a culinary aficionado to know pork belly trumps all. helloooo it's thicker-cut bacon. the only thing that can beat bacon is more bacon. obvi. plus, an egg on top? someone get me Ms. Ha's number. i've got a hunger that only pork belly and fried eggs can cure (it's like breakfast on steroids!).    

what's funny is this yahoo article states the show's host, Gordon Ramsey, was quoted saying Christine won by sticking to her Vietnamese roots---did i read wrong or was the winning dish she made Thai inspired? whatever right? asian is asian! it's all the same! yeah yeah, fuck you too.

to read more about the season 3 Masterchef winner, click here  or read about Christine Ha in the Hyphen Magazine weekly TV round up! 

-m

boba 'til i die...which apparently may be soon

say it ain't so! according to some german research and the huffington post: tapioca pearls cause cancer along with happiness and chew-induced-delight.

i'm waiting for the counter article calling bull shit. i'll be in the corner with my bubble milk tea if anyone stumbles upon it.

-m

calling all texans

today is the first day you can start registering for mail in ballots/absentee ballots.

contact your county voter registration officials for any questions/to register/to say hello.

REMEMBER, last day to register to be able to vote in november is October 9, 2012.
for more deadlines and dates, go here.

and one last thing, do the world a solid and vote President Obama for a second term.
thank you. no, seriously.

-m

gangnam ma

by now, you've all heard the obnoxiously (damn-it's-so-good) catchy song by a south korean rapper by the name of PSY. i first heard it when a friend had it blasting from his gchat window with the message: YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS.

it was a lot of strange images set to lyrics we didn't understand; we shrugged our shoulders and got on with life---and then 6 hours happened: because with the internet now a days, all you need is 6 hours for SHIT. TO. BLOW. THE. FUCK. UP.

it was everywhere. CNN covered it. WSJ's Jeff Yang got in on it. and even our friends over at the Asian American Writer's Workshop had something to say.

but it wasn't until i stumbled upon 'gangnam style mom' on the 'ol youtube, where a son teaches his 60 year old mother the gangnam dance, that i became obsessed--nay--enamored with this pop cultural blip. mama tuts like a boss and for damn sure, this kid got it from his mama.


fuck k-town, i say someone makes a show where gangnam mama battles punk kids in the streets set to a soundtrack of repetitive synthesized beats and the same one or two lines over and over again. the plot doesn't need to be particularly existent, just have people gather in large circles every few minutes, have mama do a lot of handstands, throw her hands up in the air like she just doesn't care, and dress her up in all different colored track suits. you've got yourself a 3+ movie installment (with 3D release!)---jon chu, you're welcome.

-m