party
my party is tomorrow. it is at the red cafe on 35th street in manhattan. there is an open bar from 10pm to 2am. i know a lot of people aren't reading this, so i will say this: my parents are paying. $30 a head. so anyone who walks through the door my parents have to fork over $30 for. if i had known that, i certainly would have invited fewer people, but my dad is into it. and so is my mom. they want to give their daughter something in return for the prestige of being able to say they have a daughter with a master's degree. ok, it's a bit more than that because they do love me and am proud of me but fundamentally in that asian way there's the prestige thing.

i'm not saying this to whine or brag. i just want to take another moment and thank my parents. they will never read this, but you guys will know just how generous they are. because how do you think i'm getting to new zealand? it ain't by flapping my arms really hard. five months of living -- including a month total of traveling before and after my course -- will all be funded by my direct genetic predecessors. so thanks. very much.