Dee De Gedee Dang

This could be considered as a late post. It has been almost a week since I got back from the Red and I'm missing it sooooooooooooo much! My one week trip there was AMAZING. Now, I've mastered all the stuff essentials in rock climbing especially, sport climbing, and my climbing technique has improved a lot from 6 days of climbing. Except that I'm still afraid of height! For me, the rate of a route will increase if the height is taller than 5o feet. I know! That's lame! I can't help it.

Bling Bling Quickdraws!

I'm back to the Red!!

Just a short post.
I'm leaving to The Red River Gorge KY for 5 days climbing trip. I will be back next Thursday before Zes and Azreen's commencement.
Sorry Azreen and Zes, I can't attend the graduation dinner tonite! I'm leaving in less than 1 hr. It has been a very hectic semester that made me missed 3 or 4 climbing trip to the Red. And I dont wanna miss this one.
This is Joerg on 5.9 (his warm up route) at the Red couple months ago. He and another German dude, Olliver, are leaving Purdue for good this semester. Both of them taught me different techniques of climbing. I'm gonna miss them a lot!

See you guys in 5 days!

Huh! it's "Once"!!!

OMG! I am so proud with all the selection of films I chose in recent years to watch. Bunch of thanks to Rottentomatoes for giving me perfect guidance in choosing what are the best and what are not. Yesterday before going to Slayter Hill for Jazz on the Hill, I had the opportunity to see "Once", which one of the movies I've downloaded months ago, but still haven't had time to watch.

Here's the official website for the film.

Again, like "Into The Wild", I fall in love with Once's soundtrack, "Falling Slowly", prior to watching the film. Couple months later, when I heard "Guaranteed" was not nominated for Best Original Song, I was surprised learning that this was the only time when a song won in Golden Globe was not nominated in Academy and "Falling Slowly" was nominated and won the award that night. Right after that, I straight away consulted "Rottentomatoes" about "Once" and figured out that it gained 97% Fresh Rottentomatoes on Tomatometer, which is very not rare for such indie film.

'Once' has topped my favorite films of all time. It is one of those films that doesn't need powerful compelling plots to received stand-up critics . The idea of keeping it small gives me perfect guidance to tell stories from the most creative, yet truthful, perspective. Neither Hansard nor Irglova is a well-trained actor, but both of them show the charisma essentials in the art of acting.

Some critics labeled 'Once' as a musical film. Stagey set, glittery costumes, impromptu warbling and absolute fakeness, are the stuff to expect when you want to see musical films, like 'Dreamgirls', 'Chicago', 'Moulin Rouge', 'Enchanted' etc. But, 'Once' gives you a new perspective of making a musical films along with less budget.

When you see a musical film, have you ever felt that some songs come out in inappropriate parts? I have, and ALWAYS being annoyed by that. However, songs in 'Once' are rendered beautifully at the most relevant part in the film that you can think of.

Here's the tracklist for the film:

1. Falling Slowly
2. If You Want Me
3. Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy
4. When Your Minds Made Up
5. Lies
6. Gold
7. The Hill
8. Fallen Form The Sky
9. Leave
10. Trying to Pull Myself Away
11. All the Way Down
12. Once
13. Say It to Me Now

'Say it to me now' is my favorite!

'Once' is a wistful modern romance that incorporates organic and beautiful music together with honest performance by the actors.

Another Tagged post..

8 things I am passionate about:

1. My love to God.
2. Outdoor (esp CLIMBING)
   
3. Purdue Outing Club & Hiking and Camping Club
   
4. Poetry.
5. Being sentimental. (really really need to be emphasized! LOL)
   
6. Gorgeous friends around me
   
7. Damien Rice.
8. .

8 things I say too often:

1. well...
2. sweet!
3. *speechless, thinking of the word to say, while snapping my fingers*
   
4. oh yeah!
5. that is so....
   
6. douche
   
7. that's because the initial format of the file was .ppt but your instructor changed to .pdf, so there's an error when you print them out. I can refund it back if you want.
   
8. do you love it? do you love it love it?
   

8 books I’ve read recently:

1. Fences (play)
   
2. Marat/Sade (play)
   
3. Into the wild
   
4. The World is flat
   
5. The Red River Gorge: A Rock Climbing Guide Book. 2007 2nd E. Ellington
6. ...
   
7. ..
8. .

8 things to do before I die:

1. Explore "myself" as deep as I could
2. Saudi Arabia, India, China, Turkey and Alaska.
   
3. Let the people I love know how much I love them.
   
4. Climbing 5.13 routes
   
5. Playing Hinata Rhapsody #1 Opus 38 for the last time
6. direct a play
   
7. Come back to US and have my last Summer and Fall.
8. getting my own motor scooter!
   

8 songs I could listen to over and over again:

1. Hinata Rhapsody #1 Opus 38
   
2. The Blowers Daughter - Damien Rice
   
3. Amie - Damien Rice
   
4. Farewell - Dario Marianelli
   
5. Wings - Gustavo Santaolalla
   
6. Guaranteed - Eddie Veddie
   
7. We belong together - Mariah Carey
   
8. The Crane wife - the decemberists
   

8 things I learned last year:

1. Climbing is wonderful
   
2. There are so much things I still need to learn. 20 yrs old? Not enough experience.
   
3. What goes around comes back around!
   
4. EVERYBODY is special
   
5. I am too sentimental
   
6. I didn't know that I am a health freak until Laurie and Mark pointed it out!
   
7. How to differentiate kinds of hot drinks like latte, cappuccino, macchiato, espresso, mocha, americano, coffee etc!
   
8. living here, in United States, is not easy. No limit of knowledge and experiences, but they all need trade offs!
   

8 people to tag:

1. Azwan a.k.a. Kocek (oit! update blog!)
   
2. Faiz a.k.a. dwellsinnothingness???
   
3. Farah (Freshman cute dongengnya)
   
4. Timz a.k.a. gamat
   
5. Sureen a.k.a. katod
   
6. ...
   
7. ..
8. .

Spring Break: Appalachian Trail - North Georgia (Pt. 2)

We finally got to Unicoi Gap, paved GA Hwy 75, and we camped next to the parking lot a lil bit into the wood. Practically, we're not allowed to camp anywhere 100 yd near to road or trail, but, since, it was 11 at night, we had no choice. It was a freezing night, which I almost got frostbite! Yes! Frostbite! I had all frostbite's symptoms, but, luckily, Laurie was quick helping me warming up my hands and feet.

The coldness of that shitty night was paid off the next morning when there was a lady approaching our tents, who we thought was a ranger to arrest us for illegal camping, offering us free breakfast they've prepared in that morning. We had hot coffee and warm burritos, which were totally delicious!! On our way to get ourselves shuttled by a local to Springer Mt, Laurie said, according to a book she's reading about AT, those ladies are the backpackers called "Appalachian Angels" among backpackers. They do sectional hiking and give breakfast, or lunch to AT backpackers.
Above is the place where we met locals who shuttled us to Springer Mt, the starting of the whole Appalachian Trail.
On top of Springer Mt. Ready to start!! (Endo said something about Zach's Gandalf Stick)

*I would rather not to write anything about the whole 6 days of hiking. It's not that I'm lazy to type and don't want to share it. It's something that is better to keep it as a memory and stays in my mind. And I always believe that not everything can be expressed in words. Thus, I'm posting couple of pictures taken over the 6-day of hiking*

Spring Break: Appalachian Trail - North Georgia (Pt. 1)

"I started the trip not knowing anyone, but by the end we were all really close."
-Dan Heacock (Friend of mine)

This is my first backpacking trip in United States after 2+ years of not doing it. Although I have been to the Red, KY couple of times which tent needed to be pitched, this trip is considered as the REAL backpacking and camping trip. It was going to be 6 days of backpacking on 54.2 miles (approx 80+ km) trailS, 1 day of touring and 1 day of partying!! There are 9 of us in this trip:

Laurie Duncan (Backpacking Consultant)
Mark Endo (5.11+ Climber)
Dan Heacock (inactive member)
Rebbecca Lindberg (Aussie backpacker)
Erin Goheen (acquaintance of Mark)
Brian Hunter (inactive member)
Ryan Trevithick (Backpacker + Caver)
Zach Seaton (best friend of Ryan)
Myself

As quoted from Dan (Tripod), we started this trip by not knowing anyone except that I know a lil bit about Laurie and Mark before the trip. We gathered behind COREC around 9am in freaking freezing f**king cold Indiana's usual unusual weather and it was claimed by Laurie that I had the biggest backpack, but biggest doesn't mean heaviest. (Somebody's backpack was heavier than mine. I'll prove it later!). We left West Lala-land approximately 1030am in 1 truck with 5 peeps (Dan, Ryan, Zach, Beck and Brian - hula hoop team) and 1 car with 4 peeps(Me, Mark, Laurie and Erin - dee de gedee team).

It was 9+ hrs driving to Helen, GA, which passed trough Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina. Highlights for the driving trip:

• I had my 1st waffle at Waffle House, which according to Laurie, is the best waffle in South and it is everywhere in South.
• We had an accident somewhere passed Louisville. Laurie was driving the car after Mark said he needed a nap. When, we were talking about one of my metal sickness, there was a trailer passed by, and muddled up the snow straight to our car's front window. Snow covered the whole window and Laurie panicked and started cursing. She lost her control because the wiper couldn't get rid the snow as quick as it should to make it clear for Laurie to see the road. The car slid all the way to the left of the road and hit the divider hard! We got out of the car, tried to push the car, but it didn't work. Because all the tires were covered by snow and we didn't have good grips. About 5 mins later, there's a couple of moms stopped and gave us a shovel to clear up the snow a bit. Finally, we got out from the snow. After like 3 miles of silence, in the car, Laurie goes "I think they are lesbians". We were laughing out loud!
• The last night before our trip on the trail, we had our dinner at Ribs in South Carolina. I had the most amazing grilled salmon ever with country gravy and baked potatoes. Surprisingly, that full plate of salmon only costs me 5 bucks. We had a wonderful feast before, nights of Asian food in the woods. Here's our 1st group pic in front of the restaurant.

Spring Break - Sneak peek

"Georgia
the whole day through.
Just an old sweet song

keeps Georgia on my mind.
Talkin' 'bout Georgia
I'm in Georgia.

A song of you
comes as sweet and clear
as moon light through the pines.

Other arms reach out to me.
Other eyes smile tenderly.
Still in peaceful dreams I see
the road leads back to you. "

So, basically, this is my plan for this long-waited-to-come Spring Break. Purdue Outing Club, backpacking division, will be having a trip to Appalachian Trail, North of Georgia. I told Laurie, Backpaking Consultant,not to tell any climbers about my participation in this trip. Randy has been asking me to join Climbers to have a blast at the Red Rock, Utah. And Laurie goes, "They will know about it eventually." and I go, "Nope, until we're back from the trip!" It's gonna be 6-day trip and there won't be too many participants, which sounds good, for those who know how better it is to have few people to do hiking and backpacking in such period.



Georgia!!