Brinjal's got my back

For a brief 2 minutes every morning I have the impulse to quit my job and be a housewife, or to retire.

This takes place during my walk from my building to the gate of the compound to get to work.

This morning there was an exercise group, in the yard by our building, of women in their forties who were doing very PG belly dancing in sweaters, sweat pants and tennis shoes. Two buildings south and one minute later there was an exercise group of women in their sixties and seventies who were doing... some abstract moving about in unison. Synchronized motion and mind, they moved in pride and paid particular attention to the silky, long, pink ribbon they wore about their waists and waved about gracefully.

And of course, there's the Taichi sword group, which I once found myself surrounded by. Same group of old people with iron will that will not lower their swords to let innocent and blunt trespassers through without a showdown. However, if you have an impossibly cute dog with you, say... Brinjal, they will let down their guard, nod at you in approval and make way for the dog.

Brinjal is 独孤求败, the sword devil. Everyone knows not to mess with her.

first taste of spring

I'm wearing my skirt and sandals for the first time this year, and successfully turned many heads.

I've decided not to fit in the "Yeah... you dress like you could be working at Microsoft" category.

Although... something has to be said about being able to put my feet on the desk at work. Can't do this in my skirt.

do you lomo?

It's official, I'm a spec-crunching machine.

On a more pleasant note, the debut roll from my Lomo LC-A is out! It's tricky taking pictures with Lomo, half the roll didn't come out at all. The other half that came out were mostly out of focus, but with amazing hues.

I like it, I like anything that has an attitude and doesn't yield.

I need to go back to Andy, my lomo master, and grill him about how to unleash the secret magic of my Lomo.

I'm so in love with this quirky metal box. It has a big ego and needs to be gently coaxed to perform at top form. My lomo loves flattery, unquestioned faith and patience from its owner. It is irresistable.

I'm clearly submissive in this relationship.

upper bounds

I've been working on overdrive and adrenaline for the past week:

• I wrote an 8-page specifications in one day.
• I acquired data that unblocked 2 sub teams in one morning.
• I had lunch meetings 3 days this week.
• I was off sick for a day.
  
• I took the afternoon on women's day off and for the first time experienced how wonderfully shop therapy works.
• I spent 5 hours in meetings yesterday, with the remaining 3 hours I produced work that would have taken a language expert 2 days to complete.
  

I wonder how far I am from my upper limit, and when I'll be pushed over my limit.

Shopping, Glenmorangie, and good sushi saves the week.

murder

... and it pains me to the spine to type each character -

Last week my closest aunt in Taiwan died.

I learned of her death yesterday. It was odd. I haven't thought of her for a while, but just last week I dug up her name card and gathered the files I said I would email her. I was going to do that next week.

"43 year-old Taiwanese woman was strangled to death by her English husband during their vacation in the Philippines."

Now the death of a daughter, a wife, a little sister, an aunt, is presented as that of a victim of an interracial marriage.