Today was one of those difficult days. Sometimes I can\’t believe that the clients for our project is just so stubborn and overly anxious. Optimistically, I usually say with my group members that having difficult clients will be like how it will be in the real world.

But at this point, I don\’t think so. It\’s her. Our teams drafted up a protocol that we started more than 4 weeks ago and revised a number of times based on her suggestions. As part of the project, we are supposed to visit our target users in Norfolk. We were supposed to go in early June, but it kept getting postponed because our clients claimed that: (1) they weren\’t ready (2) the navy wasn\’t ready for us (3) the proctocol isn\’t ready (4) our prototype isn\’t ready.

It just irks me that we have waited for so long especially when this particular client took off for Brazil (business trip), only notifying us the day before she left. Furthermore, do clients fall asleep while being spoken to? Today while I was conducting a dry run through our user study, she fell asleep. Not the first time either. There was one time when I was a describing a design when I was 2 feet away, talking to her face. Yet she still nodded off.

She did bring Brazilian chocolates to our meeting today. They were really good, but that is no excuse for her inflexible and inappropriate behavior.

One thing though. I wish I was more decisive…and bold, if those are the right words. Thank god for those people in the teams that can stand up to her and put down their foot.

Should you blog your way to a job?

What has worried me about jobs is that they would find my blog. This is why I rarely use my full name on my blog. To some though, a blog is a fantastic tool to showcase one\’s knowledge about a domain. Yet, I like to write about everything. Although I love HCI, I don\’t know how I could blog about it consistently. And even though there\’s me, I don\’t want to reveal too much or talk consistently about me.

As part of the social experiment I conducted on xanga, it\’s not a surprise that most Xangans are accustomed to writing their entire lives down. Why is there such a big difference between younger people and older people who blog?

I watched Secret Window, a Stephen King movie, with Janette since it was on comcast on demand. Yet as the minutes rolled passed, we found ourselves being scared. I suppose I am not a good watcher of the horror genre. Every strange noises and suspenseful music made me want to curl up in a fetal position.

Ok, maybe I am exaggerating. At the halfway point in the movie, Janette and I basically were so freaked out that we kept saying \”should we turn it off?\” I rationalized it outloud – \”do i really want to know the ending?\”

But we finished it. Secret Window doesn\’t really fit in the horror genre but with the bumps that go on in the night and Phillip Glass\’ spooky soundtrack…sometimes you couldn\’t help but hide as the camera hides what is really beyond view.

It was a well-crafted movie. I liked how the ending played out rather than playing toward an audience\’s satisfaction. The thing is, I could have been spared of the scary agony if I had paid attention to all the hints strewn throughout the movie.

When I was Marine World a few years ago, I got on this amusement park ride that just went up and down. There was a young girl that got on. As the ride began, she started screaming and crying. At the top of her voice, she cried for Mommy. Then when the ride stopped, she got off and ran happily back in line to ride again. I guess that\’s why people love horror movies. Because of that addicting fear?

I don\’t like it.

Nowadays, I have this tendency to eat a lot. Meaning, I would cook something little for myself. Just a little bit of satisfaction you know. Then I meet up with classmates, friends. And they suggest going out to eat. Unfortunately, I have trouble saying no.

I. Must. Resist.

The same way I am whenever my project team members bring in food to put on the snack table. I just can\’t stop. Yesterday Joon brought in six bananas. I ate three of them in a 24 hour period. Because hey nobody else was eating them!

One of our clients brought salt water taffy for our project teams. Real salt water taffy from a beachtown in the East Coast! A whole box! In true jennism fashion, I became addicted. And possessive. Meaning you could find me eating taffy throughout the day. Or taking some taffy from the other team. Or rolling the taffy back and forth into little balls. Pulling it apart. Then swallowing it whole.

I just love candy!

Howard Dean\’s best comment on the Daily Show can be summarized as thus:

So much of America allow themselves to be biased. No wonder people often know about Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie than the things happening in Guantanamo Bay. It\’s just sad.

I saw a firefly for the first time today in my friend\’s house. I was so amazed. It lights up even with no power! Like a green led!

One of my greatest addictions is writing. I love writing, introspecting and reflecting. What\’s more addicting is that what I write can truly influence someone. On another site, I posted a entry about \”home\” and entry of a quote. To my surprise, I received so many responses. Sure, a few were lame from non-thinking people. However, there were a few responses such as \”I never thought about it that way.\” or \”thank you for writing. you made me want to write better like you.\” And for one person, I inspired him to change his wallpaper to a quote.

Most of all, it\’s the quality to make people feel and think that appeals me the most to write. I admit I somewhat addicted to the \”fake\” popularity. But I have always had the lifelong dream of writing an autobiography. And this indicates that I still have the potential.

The realm of art, especially nowadays movies and books, have the ability to move people. To make the masses feel what you feel. What else can make them shed tears of joy for something they have not experienced? What else can make them smile and laugh?

You see, being a usability professional is only a side job.

My housemate is now officially grossed out by the fruit fly infestation of our kitchen. Anywhere she is, she sees black dots flying around and around. I haven\’t reached that stage yet. All I can think of is AP Bio where we experimented with genetically altered fruit flies.

This reminds me of the time when I had ants in my room. To this day, whenever I feel a slight tingle on my skin. I think it\’s an ant crawling. Usually thought it\’s just yet another piece of hair that I have shedded.

On another note, my friend observed that I rarely write about cmu here. Is that a bad thing? Perhaps, I am unconciously preparing for a job where I would be required to sign a NDA and could get fired for talking anything about its internal affairs. And also, I learned my lesson once when I wrote about something while I worked at rescomp. But besides that, nothing too interesting happens at cmu.

Fruit fly infestation downstairs. Source discovered. A rice cooker with month-old rice left by a former tenant. Thank you former tenant.

My sister told me that maggots probably are growing in the cooker. I am afraid to lift the lid. But upon this information, my sister being the scientist she is went on an information hunt.

One of the commonly asked questions was:
I think I ate a maggot. Will I die?

The answer is:
Yes, eventually; but probably not as a result of the maggot.

EDIT: I made a special fly trap according to instructions online. I was tempted to use all the beer that was sitting downstairs for the trap, but I decided against it. Instead, I used my half full bottles of iced tea that I forget to drink…but end up sitting on my desk for days. So I took a bottle of tonic water (from a month ago) and emptied it out. I cut off the top third and filled the bottom with iced tea. I added some sugar and a little of water. Then I turned the top third upside down. Then I took a plastic cup and filled it up with iced tea and covered it with saram wrap. I poked holes in it with a toothpick, making it large enough for the flies. Then I set these two traps on the kitchen counter. Now I wait.