The storyline itself contains several cliches that we’ve all seen in Asian dramas before (thankfully no one dies in this one!) but the chemistry between Ady An and Vanness Wu makes it a beautiful and moving story to watch and I found myself unable to stop. I flew through the first 13 episodes in two days, and the 14th episode just aired today! Like I said before, it’s currently still airing in Taiwan right now (and capturing first place in ratings!) but the episodes are usually subbed within a day or two so us non-Chinese speaking viewers can happily follow along too. That’s actually why I started looking for a new drama to watch; I’ll be studying abroad in Shanghai starting in February and I wanted to keep reviewing and listening to Chinese to prepare myself. I can understand bits and pieces as I watch the drama now, but I still need subs to fully understand everything ^^;

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Either way–and let’s face it–the villain monologue is simply a way to infodump the reader with any missing pieces to the plot puzzle.

But Dan Brown couldn’t even do that! His villain monologues were always something along the lines of, “I am powerful. Look at me thump my manly chest while I talk about how I’m going to destroy you.” Cliched much? The characters and dialogue also seemed rather silly and overwrought at times. When I finished the last page and closed the book, I felt cheated of my time. “The Lost Symbol” definitely did not meet my expectations in terms of writing or plot; it seems like Dan Brown is stuck in a rut writing the same kind of stories every time. If he hopes to keep producing best-sellers, he needs to find a new writing strategy, because you can only read about the same character finding himself in the same kinds of situations again and again for so long. The only positive thing I can say about the book is that it inspired me to go do some Googling of my own to satisfy my curiosity about some of the people and trivia mentioned. Other than that, don’t waste your time reading this book.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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Funny how the pro-life movement is all about how fetuses have a right to life, but they can go and shoot people and bomb clinics, injuring innocent bystanders in the process. How is murdering an abortion doctor any better than aborting a baby? Isn’t a life lost in both cases, according to pro-life groups’ definition of a life? Dr. Tiller had a right to live, too, and the shooter took that right away from him, in the middle of a church, of all places. How does that make the pro-life movement any better than the pro-choice groups that it looks down on? It’s just downright hypocritical. Yes, a lot of the pro-life groups are condemning the murder and saying they would never advocate such a thing, but you know privately they’re probably rejoicing at the fact that it’s one less abortion doctor to provide services to women. Great timing, too, what with Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings coming up.

Personally, I’m pro-choice, but I don’t agree with the late-term or partial birth abortions like the ones Dr. Tiller offered. I believe a woman has a right to choose, but as with everything, that belief is conditional. If a woman was raped or it is medically necessary for her to have an abortion, then by all means, go ahead. Or if her child is going to have a medical condition that leaves them with little to no quality of life, then why bring the child into the world only to make them suffer, such as babies born with multiple congenital defects? But if a woman was just stupid or careless and couldn’t take the time to find a condom or take a birth control pill, then she needs to take responsibility for her actions.

I don’t understand why people lose their heads over this issue, especially when a lot of them simply support the stance that they do because of their religion or they’re following their parents’ beliefs. It’s called thinking for yourself and considering all sides of the issue before choosing a personal stance. I would respect more people if they could articulate just why they believe the things that they do, but sadly, most of the time they can’t give me a good answer.

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As written on Yelp:

*drool* I love this place. I was so sad when I came to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech and realized there weren’t many good Asian restaurants in town, besides the standard chain restaurants and Chinese takeout places. Then I discovered Seoul and I’m so glad I did!

The prices are pretty good: they’re actually lower than what you would find at a normal Korean restaurant in Dallas, and you still get the same amount of food. I love getting Bulgogi (Korean bbq beef slices), which is about $6.95 for a plate, and most meals come with all the yummy little side dishes, like bean sprouts, kimchi, seaweed, etc. They also have a huge flat panel TV on the wall that plays the latest Korean music videos or soap operas, haha.

The only problem I have is that they’re closed everyday from 3-5pm, and they’re not open on Sundays like the other Asian restaurants in town :( Where am I supposed to get my Korean fix when I get a craving on Sunday?? Other than that, I love stopping by this restaurant once in awhile for a delicious, inexpensive dinner date or lunch.

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