The Inside Vancouver blog featured an entry about White Spot recently. Reading through this article, I was reminded that White Spot was very much a part of my childhood: my father was the (General?) Manager at various White Spot locations across the Lower Mainland and thus, White Spot was a familiar reference in our household.
Though I recently discovered that very few locations have the carhop option still available (sad!), White Spot wasn't just about the food or the dining experience. In fact, despite liking the key-lime pie, strawberry tart, drinks that had grenadine in it {what must have been a shirley temple}, pirate paks and the very chocolate ice cream (and the toys: playmobil pirates and dinosaurs), and zoo sticks and mushroom caps, we had more than a few too many meals at White Spot.
But, I have memories beyond the food: our kindergarten class was given a kitchen tour of White Spot; my Holly Hobbie doll, Pam Pam was named by a White Spot employee (named after another employee), and we even ended up with White Spot memorabilia: strawberry towels, the legendary t-shirt (like the one on Inside Vancouver), old paper placemats, mugs, and even their radio commercials with their jingle on cassette. White Spot also had Christmas parties for staff and their families, with Santa Claus (and toys from Santa!) in good times and in leaner times, weathered through a strike.
Since then, White Spot has become almost something entirely different - with new menu items, redone interiors, the disappearance of the drive-in option in many locations, and new Triple-O fast food counters at gas stations and food courts, but it's definitely a nice reminder of home.
When I was a kid, I was extremely scared of natural disasters, namely the ones where we had drills for in school: fire and earthquake (and remember the Killer Bees?). Because we were in BC, the Big One was due to come in our lifetime and especially so after the great earthquake in San Fransisco in 1989. So we had to prepare ourselves. In an earthquake drill, we were taught to:
Crawl under the desk facing away from the window, facing the floor with our hands interlinked around our necks - this is to protect yourself from falling bits
Count to 30
and if the quaking stops by then, to evacuate the building - in case of an aftershock
If a desk or table wasn't available, we were advised to find a door frame, as that should be the strongest part of the building. In high school, I often encountered somebody else's dried up gum under the tables, which was pretty gross.
At the time of the 5.0 earthquake last week, I was in my chair thinking that I was really cold, so I got up. When I stood up to get my jacket, I noticed that my coworker was looking at me funny. Turns out, he thought I was rocking my chair so hard that he felt the vibrations when in fact it was the earthquake. Strangely enough, neither I nor my other coworker felt a thing, but sure enough, immediately after, twitter confirmed it with over 1,500 tweets!
j.w calls and the first thing he says is not "are you okay?" or "did you feel it?" but "I lied." About what? Turns out Ontario DOES have earthquakes and is on a plate near a fault line too (just not as massive as BC I guess).
When people start to exchange stories about where they were when it happened, it's a good sign because it just means that God's protection were over the people. I found it especially funny to hear that some parliament members scrambled under their desks, while others tried to exit: just separates those who have had earthquake "training" from those who aren't from earthquake prone areas. But in a situation where one is on a higher level, are you supposed to duck or flee?
So by now, people are laughing at me for watching too much TV or thinking that the mysterious box outside my house was a possible bomb. And, as a result, bent my garage door and shattered a pane of glass.
On Friday night, I came home and biked over to a friend's to feed their chinchillas. However, when I got there, I stupidly realized that I forgot their key, so I tried to call j.w to see if he was on his way home so that he could bring his key over. Of course, he didn't have his phone with him, and of course, he wouldn't show up until after 1:30 AM.
So just as I was about to get home, I passed by this plastic box that had cables coming out from it, locked in chains. I had never seen a traffic counter before, but that's where Facebook came in and my friends helped identify it. Before I had thought to take a photo, I decided that I should notify the local police.
I figured that the police might want me to stay at my location while I called, so I parked my bike behind my car in the garage instead of leaving it out (which I would've done if it was just to grab a key) where it could be stolen. But, in my haste to get inside (to safety), I didn't realize the handle bar hadn't completely cleared the path of the garage door. All I heard as I was about to go in was loud screeching and crunching noises, and glass shattering everywhere!
At first, I thought it was my taillights, but then I saw the garage door was bending and one of its window panes was broken (must have been the pressure trying to escape). I was amazed that the door didn't reverse its course or stop and continued to go down until I pressed the button again! (the first time I had dialed my friend's number in Toronto, as I thought my cell phone was my garage remote). I also discovered that once you stop the garage door, if you press the button again, it continues its course instead of reversing it.
Some help they were: I called the local line, and when I mentioned "strange box", she immediately transfered me to dispatch. Dispatch couldn't really understand my description and didn't accept my offer to email a photo to them. Instead, she told me that she would send a cruiser by when they weren't busy to check it out, which could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 3 hours for example.
Surprisingly, my bike was still in good shape (despite my garage door taking the damage), so I hightailed to my friend's and spent a few hours there until j.w came home and told me matter-of-factly, "it says PeekTraffic on it."
(in the daylight, I can also see big red letters that say DANGER and in small print, "City of Kitchener". Thanks for the scare, City of Kitchener (which resulting in damaging my garage door)
Thanks to RSS feeds from sites like RedFlagDeals.com and SimplyFrugal.ca (from BC - dare I guess, Surrey?), I get notified of deals, coupons, and freebies. As a good practice, I generally sign up for freebies using a junk email address so that I don't risk getting spam in my personal account. Earlier this month, I learned that this is one practice that I recommend all of you to adopt if you don't already. Why?
For example, some companies send you freebies or discounts around the time of your birthday in exchange for your personal information, like your email address. Most privacy policy around giving information would read something like,
"So rest assured, any information you share with us, from your email address to your favorite flavor, will be carefully guarded through our use of industry-standard security software to encrypt your credit card number, ordering and shipping information and other personal information."
However...!
I'm not so sure that my email address is safe anymore. In my frustration of not being able to reprint a coupon (because it was cut off the first time), I tried to see if there were ways to disable or get around the print restriction (javascript, I surmised). Not only did I accidentally discover that I could access someone else's coupon, but when I looked at the source code, I was able to see that person's email address too! Wow, I didn't expect to see someone else's personal information so easily.
I had tried to contact the company to alert them of this through their contact form, but they didn't respond and when I finally got a hold of them through the phone, they couldn't promise that they would tell me when it was fixed. However, as I write this entry, they seem to have done something since the URL doesn't work anymore.
So dear readers, be careful with your personal information. I'm not saying that you don't give any of it away (some may be public already) but just know that there is that risk.
Also, if you actually Google that disclaimer (like I just did), it's really funny because three different companies in the same food services space uses it! You can probably guess who copied whom.
In a "people-centred design" workshop today, we had an exercise that ironically, as someone astutely pointed out, didn't have any people in them. However, we put on our "The Mentalist" hats, and tried to infer the type of people that lived in the home that was featured in just 8 photographs. Collectively, we were able to piece together a pretty accurate profile, right down to the type of home, the location, and what people live there! The lesson was that one can learn a lot about someone just by observing their environment. Can you tell by looking at these photos what type of accommodation it is, where it is, and what kind of people would be staying in these places?
Can you identify:
Geographical region?
Who lives there including characteristics like ethnicity and age?
The person(s)'s interests?
Feel free to share why you came to those conclusions. Have fun!
What does cheap mean to you? Inexpensive? Poor quality? Both? Does being thrifty or frugal sound better than being cheap? Definitely Not the Opera (DNTO) is a great radio show on CBC. This particular podcast episode is especially applicable for my see-lai self:
(1hr 8mins) Listening to this now: "cheap dates win!" (vs. an expensive date)
"You pay for the experiences, not the material."
That sounds like me. Reminds me of the day I went into R&W and came out with a leather belt that was marked down to $4.95 minus $1 ($3.95 plus tax) because I brought in my R&W bag to re-use. I do a have general guideline that CDs should cost no more than $10 for one, DVDs/Blu-Rays $20; for clothing: shirts/tops $10-$20, leather shoes <$40, pants? $25 is pushing it. Yet, I would be willing to pay more for home repairs and renos, travel, social experiences, good food (no excessive sodium, artificial flavours or colour), some kitchen gadgets, and dining out.
What do you save on? What are you willing to splurge on?
In the last couple of weeks, many of us have read, heard about, or seen the stories of inspiration at the Olympics. From the beginning, where the Georgians honoured their teammate (who died tragically at a trial run) by staying to compete, to the Canadian athletes who quietly "owned the podium" in golds, despite the early pessimistic outlook. I remember telling our friends (after watching Canada lose to the US in the first game) that I enjoyed watching ice dance, and her comment was that most people don't like it because there isn't the triple axles, but the synchronized movements of the pairs are incredible. Who would've known that the juniors at the World Junior Championships in Kitchener back in 2005 would someday become Olympic celebrities and champions? (well, maybe they did, but I went to watch them back then for enjoyment value). I regret missing their performance but watching Virtue and Moir's winning pieces just made me realize how much they have matured, in both skill and age!
Stories of inspiration wasn't limited to the Olympics. Local attendees at Region Waterloo's first independently organized TED event, TEDxWaterloo and Ignite Waterloo had the privilege of hearing some inspirational stories from a wide range of speakers. Some of these speakers were more renown than others, but the ones from Ignite Waterloo were restricted to speaking without notes and having only 5 minutes to share their story where each slide would automatically advance after 15 seconds. At TEDxWaterloo, we watched past TED videos together, one being Aimee Mullens, a double amputee who took her disability and made it an ability with her 12 pairs of legs. And, the audience was hung on to Marty Avery's story of the hero: how someone who wasn't so close to her had prepared to trade his life for hers; the audience was so silent that you could literally hear a pin drop.
Makes me think - how can my life inspire others in a way like these people have?
This term, I opted to take a film studies course as a part of the requirements for my diploma. When I tell people that I'm taking a film studies course, I often wonder if people have the impression that all we do is watch movies in class, and what kinds of movies we watch. Actually, I find Film Studies classes like English lit classes: there are presentations, discussions, and papers (50% of your grade!), as well as tests. In addition, instead of reading a book a week, you watch a movie a week. Yet, it feels more challenging in comparison to literature.
Unlike books, you can't easily grab a copy of a movie, quote from them or reference them easily. Most probably haven't heard of the movies we watch as they're not typically mainstream ones (can't find in video stores), but thankfully, today's technology allows for easier access to them. They're more drama/artsy (more my type than action/thriller movies); the only one I had heard of prior to this class was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I now have been exposed to the more famous directors from China at least (e.g. Zhang Yimou who directed Hero and Raise the Red Lantern). Some of them the plot is confusing or abstract, but yet those seem to do very well in film festivals around the world. Hopefully, I'll come out of this more cultured as a result!
In my head, this feels so surreal, so artificial, so much like a production. All this planning and rehearsing, like a play. I think I will be going through the motions and just forcing myself to enjoy most of it (I don't like being in the centre of attention, nor am I any good at acting any longer). As a child, I used to love acting and participating in plays, musical productions, and interpretative (creative) dance, but I'm not sure what happened over the years to move me away from that shell.
The biggest production of my lifetime is bringing people closer than I would have ever expected. Imagine my mother's surprise when I told her that one of my friends said that his mother knows her from high school. They had lost contact and when his mother had seen the invitation, she recognized my mother's Chinese name! (in Chinese, it is common practice to include the surname) What are the odds? My mother now lives on the other side of the country, and my friend's mother in the GTA. They'll be seeing each other in less than two weeks' time. I can't picture what it will be like to meet my high school friend in 30 plus years and seeing them again at their child's wedding, but they're sure excited.
On a unrelated note, my mother gave me a skirt that she bought in HK many years ago. Just the other day, I realized that a friend of mine had the exact same skirt! She bought it in Hong Kong years ago too - the strangest thing is that she and I have this similar fish pouch too that we both got from China.
The majority of the weddings that I have attended to date have been Chinese Christian (Protestant) weddings. Or so I thought. Instead, after being to a wedding in Hong Kong (last year), I have come to think that Chinese Christian weddings in Canada are westernized!
In Hong Kong:
The bridesmaids, with the exception of the maid of honour, sit down for the duration of the ceremony. Only the maid of honour goes through the procession and sits at the head table. These bridesmaids ("sisters") are essentially what we know as helpers. Same with groomsmen. The helpers' roles include registration table, assistant to maid of honour, move gifts/bags, etc. They do, however, participate in the bride games. Here in North America, the bridesmaids join the bride and the maid of honour in everything: standing up front, sitting at the head table, etc. and leave the helping to the helpers!
The wedding song (bridal march) is played throughout the procession. In North America, should the couple choose to use it, is only played for the bride and groom, and not the rest of the wedding party
It does not appear to be a tradition for the bridesmaid(s)/maid of honour/best man/groomsmen to make a speech at the dinner, nor the couple to do a first dance.
The garter toss was not done either (but I've seen North American weddings skip out on that) and the bridal bouquet is tossed outside the church after the ceremony to the "sisters" (bridesmaids).
Chinese Christian brides have their hair combed the night before, to wish blessings on the new bride (might happen with traditional families here)
The head table is great. That is, there IS no head table! (well no long one across the stage, but a round table on the same level as the guests)
No embarrassing couple games and no dancing :)
Prior to being married, the official status of a man is "Bachelor"; for a woman, the title is "Spinster". I kid you not.
Dinner begins at 9 PM. In the afternoon, guests just come in to play MJ (mahjong) until dinner time, but appetizers are served to hold them over.
Of course, I have only been to 1 wedding in Hong Kong, so that might just influence my impressions of a true Chinese Christian wedding. @youngvo: this is for you. :)
Life has really taken me away from blogging regularly, even though I want to blog about it, but by the time I have time to sit down, I don't.
The other day, I was remarking to people that getting guests to RSVP to confirm their attendance is like pulling teeth. By the RSVP deadline, we had confirmed numbers below the required minimum, which reminded me of a parable that Jesus told (as recorded in Luke 14:15-24):
"A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'
"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'
"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'
"'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'
"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'"
Imagine what it would be like to invite the homeless and strangers to the party? It probably was a blast for those people, but this man must have been frustrated as well. If he was, I can completely identify.
I lurk on some strangers' blogs (due to interest, usually because they're in the web field) as some of you do. One of them blogged about his experience with a local dealership (part of the Schlueter Automotive Group) that let him test drive a vehicle for a couple of days. This is unheard of - what's more is that the dealership offers the deal through Twitter. Finally, I have use for Twitter!
The catch? Tweeting for at least 3 times a day about your experience with the vehicle in exchange for a Chevrolet, Hyundai or Acura vehicle for a couple of days, a full tank of gas, and up to 800 KM of mileage. Works for me!
Reviews on the vehicles are available on their website or just check the #twittertestdrive feed. Looks like I may be the first girl participating :)
Symptoms of a worst flu ever as the days progress:
Itchy throat, dry cough
Dry cough becomes cough with phlegm, fever (100-102F), muscle aches, dizzyness, headache, cold and hot chills
Fever (99F), cough with phlegm, stuffy nose
See doctor. Doctor prescribes antibiotics and says they no longer test for swine flu unless you're hospitalized.
Diarrhea (side effects of antibiotics?), stuffy nose, fever (98F)
Sleep early intending to go to work. Can't sleep. When when I feel like I fall alseep, the doorbell rings. At 1 AM. It was the police. At this point, I was annoyed and disappointed that the police list hasn't been updated yet by KWCAC. He hasn't worked there for over 1.5 years! Normally, I can go back to sleep, but for some reason, I couldn't until past 3 AM.
Diarrhea, wanting to sneeze, mild fever, nausea
AYCE that night (not my first choice) which surprisingly stayed down
On Thursday, I didn't make it to Japan 102R - even the doctor told me to stay at home from work for another 24 hours (and provided a doctor's note). What really irks me is that I can potentially lose 3% for missing class, even with a valid excuse. I feel like I should've just dragged my sick bum out of bed and infected the entire class, if it means I get my 3%. It's not like I want to miss class - because I know that if I do miss the 3 hours, I fall too far behind for my liking. Thankfully, this happened before the midterm. And, the week I fell ill, the weather was mild. If I had been stuck at home now, I would've boiled to death. So, it could have been much worse!
As a Rogers Yahoo! customer (or know someone who is that doesn't use Flickr), I have been enjoying a great perk for the last few years: Flickr Pro for free! However, I got this today:
Your existing photos or videos will not be deleted as a result of this change. If you have more than 200 photos in the free Flickr account, only the most recent 200 are displayed. Other changes include:
100MB monthly upload limit (10MB per photo)
2 video uploads each month (max. 90 seconds and 150MB per video)
Only smaller (resized) images accessible (though the originals are saved in case you upgrade later)
If you enjoy the full flexibility and storage capacity of your current Flickr Pro account, you can maintain your Pro account by subscribing directly to the service for $24.95 (USD) a year. Subscribe before September 1, 2009 and get two months free. Click the link below to subscribe:http://flickr.com/upgrade
I don't quite remember how I managed to become aware of Colin Ellard online. I do know that I only became aware of him after being a participant of a psychology study last year sometime. Coincidentally, I had just bought a new house then and seeing some virtual environments certainly gave a different (yet still artificial) perspective of "home". (Why his research students used an email address under his name is beyond me; now it's even on my Google Talk.)
Anyway, his field of study and research certainly piqued my interest - so much that I want to read Where Am I?: Why we can find our way to the moon but get lost in the mall. Any book that is published by a UW researcher (and prof?) I automatically associate as textbook (academia); however, I think I'd enjoy reading this book, but would not spend money to buy it (at least not until I know I want to keep it). Knowing this, I have tried my hand at the contests that have been posted but have yet to get anything, because either my mobile device has failed me (in getting the code reader to work), I don't have any good stories about being lost, or because I am bad at facial recognition.
I wonder if anyone submitted stories about being lost on campus. How many people have no trouble finding their way around campus, but once inside the buildings, lose all sense of direction? Perhaps this is because some buildings often look the same on the inside; maybe it is because the buildings lack windows or easy-to-recognize landmarks; or perhaps it is because the hallways go in circles. I know that I tend to get lost quite easily in at least 3 buildings: MC, DP library, and the PAS building, especially the research floors.
In applying this to our spiritual journeys, what does a story of being spiritually lost look like and how does it parallel with experiences in the real world? I know that whenever I go into a new store that may seem intimidating (such as a a giant hardware store), I try to disguise that I'm lost(and don't know where to begin) by looking confident. Sometimes, it works; but other times, the experienced see right through me. How do you recognize the lost?
In this province, it seems that finding a family doctor is a very challenging task, much less finding a good one. Thanks to a friend who spotted a post advertising a new doctor in town, I can now say that we have a family doctor - a female doctor too!
After 10 years, I can stop going to walk-in clinics to see random doctors who rush you out. Now, I can see the same doctor more consistently, one that actually takes the time to provide explanations and answer my questions. This makes the wait time (despite the appointment) more tolerable since I've waited 30 mins+ to see the doctor for a 10 minute appointment in other clinics.
The staff at the clinic are also friendly and the technology they use are modern, and room sizes are pretty spacious too. I'm pretty impressed.
I hope the first visit's impression will be an accurate reflection of future visits - maybe then, I won't dread doctor's appointments so much.
A few of us thought about playing at the University of Waterloo Badminton Club on the weekend and because it was my first time playing with them this term, I decided to read the waiver form (PDF) that they (and the UW Running Club) expect us to sign before participating.
Two statements in particular caught my eye (bold emphasis mine):
WARNING! BY SIGNING THIS LEGAL DOCUMENT, YOU WILL BE GIVING UP CERTAIN LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO SUE.
RELEASE OF LIABILITY, WAIVER OF CLAIMS AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT: in consideration of approval toparticipate in the University of Waterloo, Campus Recreation Badminton Club, I hereby agree as follows:
______ TO WAIVE ANY AND ALL CLAIM that I have or may in the future have against the University of Waterloo, its Initial directors, officers, employees and representatives, game officials, club executives, my team mates, and other players(all of whom are hereinafter collectively referred to as "Releasees".
I asked one of the execs, "What happens if the ceiling falls down on us?" to which she replied, "That never happens." I realize that the probability of happening is very low, but never?! What if the roof does fall on us because of some maintenance negligence on the school's part? A former exec once me that the Campus Recreation Membership is for insurance purposes, but the Assumption of Risk page implies otherwise as well.
Can it actually be true? That if something happens to us because of UW's fault, we forfeit our right to take any legal action or make any claims?
Addendum: Skipperloo pointed out that places like Whistler (PDF) or Chicopee has a similar form, but at least in those forms, it gives some provisions:
This Agreement and any rights, duties and obligations as between the parties to this Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted
solely in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia and no other jurisdiction; and
Any litigation involving the parties to this Agreement shall be brought solely within the Province of [Province name] and shall be within
the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of the Province of [Province name].
Since the upgrade from Vista to XP, I can't believe that I forgot to turn on ClearType, which gives an anti-alias feel to fonts - a smoother effect that I prefer. But, it does look blurrier. That's why my site fonts looked so different to me and I couldn't pinpoint why until last night (I actually think Isaac Tai told me about this a very long time ago). And, I've changed my settings at work too since I recently reformatted that as well.
How?
Control Panel > Display > Appearance > Effects.
Select ClearType and use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts.
Apply. All done!
I can't seem to find this tip in my archives, so for those out there who have Rogers Internet, you can also get Flickr Pro for free, thanks to them!
How?
Simply associate your Rogers account to your Yahoo account and sign into Flickr with it. I don't remember what I did but from searches on Google, it seems you can log in to your Rogers webmail and click on the "Photos" link at the top right corner of the page where you will be redirected to Flickr to sign up for the pro account.
Or, for existing Flickr users, you can try to take your Rogers email ID and update your Flickr account to add your Rogers Yahoo email address.
Enjoy!
PS. And to make my life even more convenient, I use Picasa to manage my photos and upload them Picasa post-processed (including the captions) by using the picasa2flickr plug-in/button after installing the Flickr Uploader. Picasa is now Mac-friendly too!
Who would've thought? I knew we would have a white Christmas; it fact, I knew that we'd have a white Christmas from coast to coast this year, but I didn't actually expect it to last this long! Thankfully we went to Vegas for a few days to escape from the snow. Anyway, this Christmas has been very unusual: spent extended 1:1 time with parents (sister living w/ now-husband, brother in HK), didn't spent time with many friends (apart from New Year's Eve, tea with virtualawrence and dinner at BP), had big family Christmas gathering cancelled because of the snow and flu (twice!), dinner with sister's in-laws cancelled (flu), hair and docotor appointments cancelled twice (snow), lunch and bubbletea plans cancelled (snow), and even church cancelled (snow). I didn't expect to spend so much time at home with family, but it's a blessing (like playing blokus with parents). With church being cancelled, I didn't have chance to see my friends either (including baby Asher and his parents, a Hebrew name meaning happy", albeit my first word-association to "ash") but maybe this gives me a chance to visit Surrey Christian Alliance, a church I attended for a few years when I was in high school and see how it's changed and grown.
Nostalgia. In speaking with a friend on the phone today, I'm reminded of our past lives (and of our ages). We spoke of unrequited affections (or conscious decisions for risking certain relationships) and made me think that some of my closest guys friends are now either engaged, married, have (or will soon have) children of their own. Our lives have all taken a different path whether I expected it or not. I'd never imagined that I would be settling down out East (and I'm still in denial at times, but a good reason to miss the 10 year reunion - who goes to those anyway?). I'm still a local girl at heart, but God seems to have other plans for now, an adventure in the making: 2009 will certainly mark a new chapter of my life - an exciting one I hope!
I visited a walk-in on Saturday and when the receptionist found out that I did not have an appointment, she asked me how old I was. When I told her my age, she turned me away because only the pediatrician was seeing patients that day.
The only suggestion that she had was to go visit the hospital as there were no nearby walk-ins open. I'm opting to wait until tomorrow to see a local doctor instead. Despite a very serious accident on the 401 eastbound this past Friday night, no one was seriously hurt (or dead). I do believe that God decided that it was not our time to go yet - a purpose that is yet unknown, but I am very thankful.
As the passenger that night, I looked ahead to see a car suddenly braking as we were approaching (because of another traffic accident going westbound, was below highway speed limit). We changed to the right lane from the center and the next thing I knew, we spun out of control into the center lane, and then hitting the pick-up truck in the left lane and came to a stop in the center lane facing oncoming traffic.
In my mind, I see the visibly shaken woman and her child as our car hits them but feel helpless as it goes. In a moment's daze, I see an older caucasian man, smoking a cigarette knocking on our window and asking if we were okay. I nod; he leaves. I tell j.w to exit the vehicle as I see the hood on his side steaming (who knows, I've seen enough explosions in movies), not to mention that we were facing oncoming traffic. I'm not sure where the man went or who he was, because we never saw signs of him again. We became one of the statistics to cause traffic problems on the 401.
What happened was a mystery - the car is likely totaled, the hood crushed and a dent in the rear. We know where the frontal damage is from, but not sure how the dent in the back came to be. If indeed there was a fourth car that hit us, where did it go? Who was the man? Where did he come from and go? My GPS logged a max speed of 139 km/hr since the start of its use (that day) even though j.w never drove that fast - was that how fast we were travelling while the car was spinning out? (I don't imagine the tow truck driver was able to either with our car in tow)
The accident could have been much worse. Even though we lost a car and are feeling really stiff, God watched over us: instead of wearing a sleeveless cocktail dress (we were enroute to a wedding banquet), I opted to wear a long sleeved sweater and long skirt at the last minute, which kept me warmer; we hit a pick-up truck but if we had sideswiped a car instead, the passengers (pregnant mom and boy) would likely be more injured (as they would be lower to the ground); the police, firemen, tow trucks, and paramedics came very quickly to the scene as they were already tending to an accident on the other side of the median (westbound); the injuries are so much more minor than what happened to me before as a result of a rear-ender, and most importantly, we are alive.
I'm reminded of my friend who lost her life in a car accident at this time a couple years ago - God took her home, yet He spared us; we don't deserve another chance at life more than she - we may make mistakes or misjudgments in life, but I guess this is the meaning of His inexplicable, indescribable mercy and grace.
Earlier in the Fall (when it was still mild out), I spent a number of hours within 4 blocks on Yonge Street on my own, without a camera to document my experiences. I tried to pass time first by eating a DQ chocolate dilly bar (to suppress my appetite), browsing through stores, then watching the end of Vietnamese Autumn Festival celebrations with a dragon dance, followed by going in and out of Shoppers Drug Mart, after passing by the aromas of Baton Rouge (it smelled and looked delicious). Soon, it got dark, so I went back into Shoppers after being bit by a mosquito, debating on whether I should be spending money on hydrocortisone for my bug allergy and evaluating if marriage was worth it.
As I was walking out, the man at the cashier tapped me on the shoulder and gave me this booklet. I looked down and recognized rudimentary diagrams of signs. In my younger years, when folks like these came into our restaurant to ask for money (in exchange for a booklet), I always wondered if they were pretenders. I finally had the chance to test it out! (and practice ASL with a random stranger). While not speaking a word, I asked him if he signed, and well, he knew it. In fact, we exchanged a few pleasantries, including names and nice-to-meet-yous (thinking back, I hope it wasn't "nice to date you" that I signed). After that, I really wanted to be able to carry a conversation, but I couldn't quite follow (I think he asked me if I took a class) and when he showed me the page on the pamphlet about giving him money (for this booklet), well, I had to sign "Sorry".
As I saw him wander off to the next person, doing the same thing, I wondered how he got through life as a deaf person, if he knew how to speak, and whether he read lips. I thought about my friend, who is hard-of-hearing and her struggles with life and relying on lip-reading. I thought about how she used her knowledge to teach us ASL and wondered if he could do the same. I wondered how I could've helped in other ways besides giving money, but alas, I walked away. I wanted to be able to speak his language, the language that I was intrigued with ever since Auntie Mabel taught us Bible songs in ASL and interpreted the entire lesson for another child. My heart breaks that he needs to use Deafness as a means to get pity and thus, money. What does one do?
Politics usually bore me, but when it comes time to vote, I do it dutifully. Yet, somehow, Obama fever seems to have swept not only the United States of America, but also the world. Why?
*I* was even intrigued at the charisma of this character. I'm guilty of paying attention more to the American campaign than the Canadian. I believe he won by his rhetoric - and I applaud his speech writer(s). As an RPW major, I recognize that good rhetoric uses three modes of persuasion, or appeals: ethos (expertise or knowledge to build credibility), pathos (emotions, appeals to people's hearts), and logos (reasoning, but advertising the Obama brand/logos seems to have done it as well) and he has. His campaign has created a sense of hope and change in the people, and I pray that he will lead the nation well. I only hope that we will look not to him as an idol but as a leader; one that would be true to the character that he has projected throughout his campaign.
When I was in kindergarten, I found out that I was "more" Chinese than most kids in my class. My mom told me many years later that I almost had to go into the ESL program but someone advocated that I was still young and could learn relatively quickly. This meant I had to stay inside while others played because I could not articulate what I wanted to say on a worksheet. I was different; being Chinese was a part of my identity.
In Grade 2, I realized that having Chinese pork bun for lunch was unusual and was glad to see a fellow Asian classmate in my class know what it was, even though she knew minimal Chinese. I realized that 白花油 (white flower oil for frequent stomach pains) was too strong, even for my Chinese Canadian teacher who thought it was some sort of bad-smelling perfume. I should have known that her familiarity with Chinese may have been limited; after all, she married a Caucasian man (at least that's how I remembered it). My hopes of having someone understand the little me was dashed when she returned my work, saying that she couldn't understand my Chinese name. I was to use my English name. I was different; being Chinese was a part of my identity.
While in Grade 6, I was assigned to translate for and make a new Chinese student feel welcome. We had fun communicating in a language that only we understood. In Grade 7, people believed us when another friend and I said that we were cousins. He is Korean. I was different; being Chinese was a part of my identity.
My professor asks for my Chinese name in an English speaking course this term. I am often embarrassed that my Chinese name sounds like "be careful" in Mandarin, but I tell him my name anyway. He writes it down and has been using it since. I am different because being Chinese is a part of my identity.
Have you ever paused to look at how your body seems to magically heal a wound over time? It's amazing how your skin just grow back, and it may takes days or even weeks to have your skin look new again (and I marvel at the Creator). For minor cuts, you don't even have to do anything and the cells just work away to repair and restore your body. I don't really notice that it's working away until I examine it more closely. Sometimes, we think it takes too long.
How is it that we find that time passes by so slowly when we are waiting in line, waiting for a wound to heal, waiting, waiting, waiting...but, yet, one can easily spend 2 hours playing a video game that felt only like minutes? And, I don't even play video games! Time passes by quickly when I'm procrastinating, doing...maybe it's a difference between being active and being passive. I'm not sure.
Anyway, this post was supposed to be about how amazed that I actually spent 2+ hours playing Soul Calibur IV. The only other single player video games I've played regularly was Bubble Bobble, Commander Keen 4, and Mario Teaches Typing (all DOS, no mouse).
We may wait for time, but time sure doesn't wait for us.
This term I'm taking a Chinese literature course (EASIA 210R). While there are no pre-requisites, I would say that having a basic understanding of Chinese characters (simplified) and Mandarin sure helps. Our professor is from China, so he often switches into a whole string of Chinese, to which he only translates (back into English) one-third of what he says. Recognizing characters sure help you when you are taking notes.
I'm not sure whether it's how students learn in China, but it is straight lecture, often going overtime, for 3 hours, minus a 10 minute break in between. Very few discussions happen in class, but I can't complain since I prefer lecture style anyway. The prof expected a 5 page single spaced essay, but if you were to write it in Chinese, he'd let you get away with 2 pages because of the smaller characters.
The prof once made a remark about reading about Shakespeare isn't reading Shakespeare - and that's so true about reading the Bible, the Word.
Reading Shakespeare is not reading about Shakespeare; reading about Shakespeare is knowledge, but reading Shakespeare is literature.
He delved into the meaning of the Way (道) or the Word - John 1 mentions the Word, which when translated in Chinese, encompasses many meanings: the Way (John 14:6), which Lao Zi (Taoist) also used in the literature we studied.
To me, this course is about Chinese literature, and while I don't doubt that those who have a more fluent understanding of it will certainly do better in this course, learning more Chinese characters and being exposed to more Mandarin is a very nice bonus.
Now I also know that the words for "preaching" in Chinese (講道) is very clever because it could mean "telling the Word" or "telling the way".
Planning a wedding? Better think things through. Here's a statement that rings oh-so-true:
Maybe it's just me, but if I'm throwing down 25-large on anything, including cars, boats, and mail-order brides, I'm planning on keeping it. So should you.
The writer has a point. While he is talking about cars, one can certainly apply it to a wedding; after all, it would easily cost the price of a car. Better plan to keep the spouse.
As I was listening to the below podcast, I was laughing at some of the phrases that they use - but it's true; some phrases can't adequately be described in English (and vice versa - trying explaining "User Experience Analyst" in Chinese, much less in English). I remember my friend used to tease me because aiya and 麻煩 were popular words scattered in my English.
Was at Brock University this past weekend for a conference. Despite that I'm not a big fan of church conferences (because they often drain me out more than anything and they don't seem to have much of an educational value as industry conferences), it had its thought-provoking moments when I reflect on what I learned during the last three days - to be penned as a separate blog entry once my thoughts are more cohesive.
At Brock U, you need to go to the front desk to ask for (free) wifi access. Since the front desk was on my way back to my room, I decided to stop and ask for it. She took a look at me, paused, and asked, "How old are you?"
How old am I?! I knew that to have access to wifi, one needed to be 18 years and older, which meant, she thought that I was no older than 17...I find it comical, but c'mon! She says that it will count when I'm 60, but sometimes, I think it affects how seriously I'm being taken in the here and now.
This past week, I participated in a wedding: I went to the dress rehearsal and dinner, woke up at 4AM on the wedding day for the make up and hair session(s), participated in the bride fetching games, went on stage in front of hundreds of guests, sat in a SUV limo (first time!), went to Rocky Point for a photo shoot, met new and old faces, and had a feast at the banquet, not as a bridesmaid or the maid of honour, but as an unofficial photographer.
I was slightly surprised (disappointed) when my sister asked me not to be part of the bridal party, but she did offer to let me shoot instead (which worked out better anyway). Indeed, I had a blast capturing certain moments of the day and was able to partake in everything anyway without having to dress up too much and worry about make-up/hair (though, I could've done without the 4AM wake up).
Those who attended obviously saw me running around in a bright coral dress (I wanted to wear a solid dark colour like black but anyway...) and I'm embarrassed to say that many of the key shots didn't turn out as expected, but I guess that's to be expected as a first-time event photographer. The challenge? Inconsistent lighting and not-too-pro camera equipment.
Lessons learned?
Manual mode is a great tool! My first time relying consistently on M - Manual mode and the shots turned out better than on P (what does P mean? Point and shoot?) - Program mode
Bounce flash (especially a manual one) doesn't quite work, but if you rely on others' flash or have your brother click his camera when your flash fires, his shot will turn out really well.
By extension, using no flash can work really well, even in low light.
Have fun - my sister and her husband seemed to have loads of fun. Fun weddings turn out better than serious ones :)
I regret that I didn't shoot more of the Oh side, but I assumed that the official photographer would do it, and it seemed like there was another guy doing it already.
Like most bloggers I know, blogging about wedding planning is expected once you are engaged so here I go...
Call me strange, but I can't seem to get really excited about this whole wedding planning business (yet). The other week, my co-worker, who recently got engaged herself, surprised me with her thoughtfulness with a card and a Martha Stewart Wedding magazine - I wanted to get up and hug her but I wasn't sure if it was work appropriate. Anyway, I've been flipping through the magazine and while it has very good ideas, I don't understand the build-up to this Big Day. You need to stress through all of it and spend so much on material goods just so that it's just right on that day. I'd rather get married now, and save one of us a year's worth of rent (yes, I'm old-fashioned that way - marriage before living together). I guess if one can make it through this, it's just the beginning of a very exciting, yet unknown (scary) journey together. Is there something wrong with me or are my expectations too high? I just think that I should be very excited by now...
Based on the amount of pictures I have, I would say that one of my interests is photography. That doesn't mean I'm any good or that I care about photography geek speak (specs), but I started at a young age, learning first hand about positioning - my subject had flowers growing out of her head. One of my cameras was a small, plastic, auto-focus film camera (toy?). The lens cover flipped up, making a viewfinder. My mother thought I was wasting film (and processing/development fees) because I enjoyed taking stills and landscapes without anyone in the pictures.
Eventually, I was given better auto-focus point and shoots, including an APS format camera, which was more expensive to develop (and the quality didn't seem as good) but it was a novelty.
When my dad finally got a digital camera, I acquired his AF/MF Minolta SLR and some of its accessories to play with, courtesy of the insurance company (due to break-in and theft). By then, film was cheap - $2.99 for 24 incl. processing at Black's but still not as convenient as a digital.
Nowadays, you see amateur photographers everywhere with digital cameras, even my little cousin, who is 10, has one - the cost of this hobby is relatively affordable if you choose not to expand on the lens and accessories. Even a digital point and shoot can result in some really good shots, depending on the photographer. Now, I can take as many landscape and stills as I like, and if a shot is blurred or boring, I can simply delete it without wasting any film or money. Who would've imagined that photography would be such an affordable convenience? The kicker? It seems like half the world is now into photography too.
If you're in Canada, you may realize that there's a shortage of family doctors. Where I am, if a new family practice opens up, the doctor only accepts new patients without family doctors. My coworker recently told me of a female doctor who was accepting new patients. The catch? You need to "pass" an interview.
Pass an interview? When I called to make an appointment for an interview, the receptionist didn't really explain what it was, but simply told me of one available date without accepting an flexibility allowed for the potential patient. Sure, I understand if they want to review a patient's medical history but, it sends me a message saying:
"we'll take only the best patients and you should feel privileged if we choose you." What? This isn't a job interview!
To top it off, the MD rating for this doctor is terrible - 1.3 out of 5! The common complaint? That she is rude! I've verified that with people that have seen her - I can't believe she's connected to the local church community. The conundrum? I don't have a family doctor right now, but if I go for this one, I'm stuck for life (since new doctors won't accept patients with doctor). Walk-in clinics often have a long wait here - even 3 hours+. Should I go for it?
This evening, the doorbell rang. I went to the screen door and apologized for not being able to open the door because our cat would dash out. The first question the Chinese girl asked?
"Are your parents home?"
I'm thinking, You're Chinese! You should know by now that many Asians look younger than their actual age. (not to mention that many homes in this neighbourhood are rented by students)
I answer, "No, they don't live here."
She must not have heard me because she then asks, "May I speak to your parents?"
No, they don't live here.
Oh. Well, are the owners home?
Too bad I wasn't the owner; I would've loved to see her response.
Case in point:
Yesterday, I sent an instant message to let j.w know that FF3 was out. Funny thing, he didn't seem very excited or surprised at all. In fact, he told me that it was released awhile ago -- he's been playing it on the DS for quite some time now. It took me quite some time to realize that he thought I was talking about Final Fantasy 3 instead of Firefox 3!
Another one:
I appear to have the same name as someone in Hong Kong. After receiving multiple emails from this girl and her friends, I became fed up one day and sent a reply to all requesting them to stop sending me emails since a) I didn't think I knew anyone and b) I really couldn't read Chinese (or could if I sat there for an hour). Well, it stopped for awhile. Then, I got an e-card wishing me a happy birthday a day early! Maybe I did know her?
But the personalized message on the e-card said: "Looking forward to meeting you tonight!" Seriously. So I thanked her the card, saying that I still didn't know who she was, and that I hoped she was able to meet [the other me] that night. Her response was, "That's me Alice Chan, your Clarian friend! (what is Clarian anyway?!) I give up.
Did anyone stumble across the hidden easter egg in the last post? If you hadn't or haven't heard by now, here is the most frequently asked question: When will it be?
Here are the answers to other FAQs, most of which are "We don't know" but thanks for being excited for us!
When and where did this happen?
On the evening of my birthday in Halifax
Did you really say, "I guess so"?
I guess?
When is the date?
We don't know yet - possibly Fall 2009
Where will it be?
TBD
How did it happen?
Over a very nice steak dinner and after a song, followed by a tall ship cruise, with some paparazzi lurking about - j.w tells a better version of the story since he planned it from the start.
Were you surprised?
I think part of me suspected since I asked some pretty probing questions but the rest of me was in denial.
You may have heard me ask this question before but for those who have not, here's a quick poll: how many of you wash your hands before you eat? What about after you go the washroom? How many of you brush and floss daily?
I admit, I tend to nod my head when my dentist asked me if I floss daily. And I can venture to guess that most people, when asked in a group setting, would also say that they would wash their hands after using the toilet. This would be a focus group. The behaviour when observed (and without knowing) would be more of a usability study.
When I told the User Experience Design group's former team lead about my new role, she seemed surprised at first but was very helpful in recommending resources and courses. One of them being the HFI CUA certification, which consists of a series of courses and an exam. This module was actually offered through our company 2 years ago but at that time, our team lead didn't let anyone on my team register for it - now I'm even more disappointed that I let that opportunity slip by because it hasn't been offered since (which my next team lead had said I could take). I'm looking at the prices and my, are they steep. Note to self: add to hopes/target list for next review iteration.
The pastor's wife gave an exhortation to the couple at the last wedding I attended. She used an analogy I haven't heard of that seemed to make a lot of sense. She likened marriage to a three-legged race. (At first I had trouble understanding what "three-legged race" was when she said it in Chinese, but I soon understood.)
When you're first starting a three-legged race with someone, your steps are often out of sync, thus slowing you down as a pair or even making you stumble along the way. However, slowly and surely, you work to make sure that you take steps together (for me, it's often through counting 1-2, 1-2) and after awhile, it becomes natural to step in rhythm.
In a world where marriage often starts out on the right foot but ends on the wrong one, this perspective seems to be the opposite, challenging you to end on the right foot even if you start out on the wrong one or encounter hardships along the way. It seems like there's hope that marriage will get only better and better, but only if you take the effort (to make the relationship work).
Perhaps a sock monster does exist, one who enjoys tormenting me. It seems like every time I do my laundry, I tend to find at least one unpaired sock. This sock monster's diet must be socks but only one at a time.
I remember when I was younger, I had this really cute pompom sock (yes, I'm dating myself). But for some reason, its partner never turned up. I held onto it in hopes that it would someday turn up, but after living there for over 20 years, I don't think it's going to turn up.
I thought that if I moved away, the sock monster would stay put. Somehow, I don't have high hopes for the black sock that I was inspecting in my hand earlier today - it seems to have shrank considerably as well.
Right now, I feel like I'm at the optometrist and she's asking, "1 or 2?" When I say 1, she goes on to ask, "3 or 4?" Soon after, I can't really tell what the difference between 1 or 2 is anymore and even after her repeating it many times over, everything starts to look the same. Usually, I take a best guess or make up an answer if the optometrist is persistent to make me choose one even when I tell her that they look the same.
Right now, both 1 and 2 look equally good. Well, one seems better than the other, but that's just a best guess. Perhaps I will attempt to choose both.
Many years ago, I saw a mouse on the porch outside my house. I calmly mentioned to my mother that there was a mouse (in Chinese). She yelped. (I can't remember if she took a broom to it or not)
The last time I saw a mouse was when I was living at PT's; it scurried behind the piano. A couple of days later, Oreo (the cat) took advantage of it.
This time, I saw this flurry of movement out of the corner of my eye and behind the dresser. When no one could see it behind the dresser and asked me if I was sure I saw a mouse, I started second guessing myself. Then, j.w peers under my drawers and states: yup, it's there. Having a mouse outside the house or even in someone else's house isn't as unnerving as seeing one inside your own bedroom where you sleep!
j.w and mish bravely chased it and captured it under a garbage can, while I cowardly ran away and attempted to study.
j.w thought about keeping him as a pet, but I think was convinced otherwise when he heard that they were disease carriers. He did take it home, fed him cheese and used the mouse as a photo subject before releasing him on the driveway.
Through my interactions with people around me, I find that pairing off and living together is so commonplace that no one blinks when it's referenced in everyday conversation. Perhaps this is a part of Canadian culture - that by moving in together, one has reached a certain level in the relationship (often marking the step before marriage if all goes well).
So, I find myself correcting others' assumptions that j.w and I live together (or intends to) upon hearing that I'm looking for housing or that j.w is now working in town. Yet, I tend to hesitate because I'm not sure what to make of these statements. Would they think I'm odd if I told them that we live apart?
I think I hear of this less in Asian families, and definitely more rare with conservative Asian, Christian families. A friend of mine once told me that in Singapore, the way to signify the intent to take the a relationship a step further (marriage) is to ask the partner whether they want to apply for a flat together (I guess the ring isn't as important).
I have almost always preferred lectures, essays, and assignments over group projects but I don't know if I had a concrete reason before. Now I understand; now I can voice out why. I wonder what the point of group projects are at school - they are so far off from reality. At least in the business world, you have established (and specialized) roles and most projects have a lead (project manager). In a class where I know no students, randomly forming a group means that no roles are defined and no iteration steps/deliverables are set. The levels of expectations vary between the group members and performance is affected, which I cannot directly control without sounding like a dictator/taking the lead or doing all the work.
Since I had a list of what needs to be done in my last post, I will list my lofty goals for next term. I can't wait (since it will be my term off from school)!
As crunch time comes (end of term), what's on my plate?
Renewing passport
Applying for visa
Booking tour
Purchasing airfare
Looking at houses
Designing wedding invites (not mine)
Studying for finals and completing group projects
Work
Dinners (one must eat!), badminton/hockey (one must exercise!)
I've discovered the juggling two courses plus work really limits much of your social life.
To top off the abrupt change in leadership in my church life, there is also change in leadership at work: our team lead is no longer with us (we have an interim one) and our manager is transitioning to another role next month.
Maybe it is because I'm not a single guy so I cannot relate, but one of the biggest turn-offs for me as a girl, is to know that a single guy is advertising his singleness whether through his actions or speech - to the point where he seems quite desperate. Please note, I know some very respectable guy friends out there who are single, so this does not apply to everyone.
How I would not approach this:
Send out repeated invites to kissing compatibility and hotness ranking applications to your friends on Facebook, most of whom are women you don't even know.
Invite your buddy (who may or may not have a girlfriend) to go to an event and request him to bring women. To me, it's almost akin to saying, "don't forget your camera...and women."
Draw up a list (whether literally or not) of girls you know and go down the list to see if they would go to an event with you. I don't know how I would feel if I were asked, especially if I knew this "list" existed if I wasn't a close friend.
Brag about how you can get any girl you want - especially if you are still single.
I know being single can be lonely and depressingly bleak but doing or saying things like the above certainly takes the attraction level down a notch or two, at least for me.
I have been looking for housing lately - whether for rental or purchase and have come to realize that housing prices are lower when the following are true:
Bad (or not so great) neighbourhood
Low income housing
Based on pictures alone, I have found that I'm attracted to ones that have a contemporary look and feel and that have a lot of sources for natural light - either older homes that are renovated well (they often have character to them) or newer ones that are less than 10 years. Too bad, that usually translates to $$$.
Like looking for a car (or a partner), what can I compromise and what shouldn't I compromise?
After being in bed for 2 days with a fever over 100F followed by digestive problems, I have come to the following findings:
There are no doctors available in Waterloo.
Only 4 walk-in clinics for the general public are open in the KWC area, only 1 of which are in Waterloo.
A doctor's note range anywhere from free to $20+.; the Waterloo walk-in charges $20+.
Making a doctor's appointment at UW Health Services is useless because the next available appointment isn't until the week after.
Seeing a UW nurse will usually suffice, as they can write a doctor's note too! (but they can't diagnose what you have, but she suspected that I had the stomach flu)
UW Health Services doctors' notes are $10.
UW Health Services is quicker, and they're much more kinder/friendlier than the walk-in.
In other news: 26" Sony Bravia LCD for sale
Model Number: KDL-26M3000
Paid to upgrade new house with a 26" LCD, but ended up buying a 42" LCD on boxing day. Brand new, except opened to test for dead pixels. (none found)
Includes 1 Year Manufacturer's warranty, and original receipt.
It's the weekend! Thought to share some fun from the past with you. Enjoy :)
PS. After not visiting take-out for many weeks, I have discovered that Tokyo Ichiban has changed owners/management much to my dismay. I will have to try their spicy salmon roll to see if it is the same. I do notice that they appear to leave certain ingredients out now from their take-out bibimbap, and the portion sizes seem to be smaller.
Yes, I admit, 27 Dresses was entertaining, but it always makes me wonder (and maybe a little dubious of) whether everyday love stories exist in the real world like this? But even with recycled material and plot, such a movie can be a success. Funny one-liners include "Love is patient, love is kind; love is slowly going out of your mind." The advice the friend gives to the lead really hits home - sometimes the truth needs to be said, but the mode of delivery can be all wrong. I guess that's what happened at KWCAC.
Watashi wa Waterloo Daiku no Nihon-go no gakusei desu.
In our Japanese tutorial section, we have a (international?) student TA who is a native from Japan. Sometimes, our TA-sensei requests him to read the conversations, which are in Roomaji (i.e. English alphabet to help with pronunciation). Without the Hirigana (Japanese characters), I think it confuses him. The first time this happened, I recall thinking back to the time when a coworker tried read a phrase on a fortune cookie that said "dongtian". I found that without knowing the meaning, it took me longer to understand what that word was supposed to be. But even with the meaning, it still took my brain a few milliseconds to map it to the actual word that meant "winter" in my head before I could voice the sound. Without the characters, the romanization of each word proved quite confusing. Likewise, I think our student TA often has to look at the meaning of the word before he is confident he is pronouncing the word accurately, whereas I am sure that if it was written in Hirigana, he would not hesitate with the words. Here we are learning Japanese, and he gets to experience how we learn Japanese through our eyes :)
2007 has come and gone, and thinking back, it has been quite an eventful year; it certainly ended quite unexpectedly. The oddest thing is that by the time I had to leave Vancouver this time, I actually looked forward to coming back. I'm not really sure if it was because the week passed by so fast - going from one place to another, seeing people, etc. - that I had no time to think, but this time, I didn't mind flying back East. Perhaps, it is because of the one Sunday while I was at KWCAC that I suddenly felt at home (the same feeling crept up during an evening drive back to my house).
Maybe it is the familiar is what I equate as home. During my stay in Vancouver, I spent time with three four groups of friends. In two three, I felt that I was stuck in a time warp. In my mind, I expect them to be who I know them as, but of course, over the course of time, people change (including myself). They act familiar but I feel like a stranger, on the outside looking in. While I find it interesting to catch up, so much has happened that I cannot possibly connect or relate. Yet, I felt more comfortable with the last group, most of whom I just saw recently in KW.
By the way, WestJet has a fairly new and enviro-friendly feature. You can check-in on your mobile device and then have them e-mail you an electronic boarding pass. The security officers might be thoroughly confused as it appears some have never seen them before in YVR or YYZ (and thus take longer to check your credentials), but in the end, I save paper, time in printing a boarding pass out, and I don't have to worry about losing it. I just need to ensure that I have enough batteries to show them the electronic boarding pass.
The reaction to the announcement this morning made it seem like a funeral; emotions of shock, anger, sadness rippled among the people. I have more questions than I have answers. Apart from that, I don't have too much to say (that makes it past my censored brain filter and that doesn't sound like a eulogy), aside from echoing what's already on facebook:
Dear Pastor Tim,
We regret to hear the news this morning regarding your resignation at Kitchener-Waterloo Chinese Alliance Church. Many of us have been blessed by your pastoral care and leadership over the years and will be sad to see you go.
We would love for you to stay, but if you need us for anything during this time of transition, we would be more than happy to help.
We appreciate what you have done for us, and we pray that God will continue to bless you and Chris wherever He may lead you to serve.
I half expected the Air Canada Centre's Tim Horton's to charge some money for a cup of hot water at a venue that overcharges for its concession. I suppose the 50 cents may also justify the cost of a disposable cup (granted, their price of coffee is on par with other Tim Horton's locally).
However, one would think that purchasing 2 breakfast sandwiches and a medium coffee to eat in at a local Tim Horton's (University and Weber) would be enough to cover a small cup of hot water at no charge. Fine, if you must, you can charge the $0.50 for the disposable cup (and why they do not serve hot drinks in a mug like other Tim Horton's do is also beyond me), but it should not cost the same price as a small tea ($1.07).
Upon inquiring about the price difference, the cashier responded by saying, "I don't make the rules," so of course, I asked for a teabag.
A friend of mine often asks me to tell him a funny story that happened to me that day but my life is rather routine: get up, go to work, come home, go online, sleep. Well, work has been very interesting lately, as with sleep and getting up. And, I suppose this next incident could be categorized as being a "funny story".
I remember waking up, checking my BlackBerry (Curve) (which is my clock/alarm) to see that it was 4:34am. Whether I checked it before I got out of bed or after I came back, is what I can't seem to remember. Anyway, for some reason I got out of bed, walked over to my bedroom door, opened it a crack, and walked back to bed and fell asleep.
For more funny stories and other oddities, read my dreams; they tell quite the tales.
Finally, a post about Facebook; I've been resisting all these months because manypeople have already blogged about it, but I think this warrants a posting.
Over the past few months, I've come to realize how transparent our lives are or can be, for it is so easy to leave cyber-footprints behind - even if you are careful. With social network sites like Facebook and the ever so powerful search engine Google, and with some research, one can easily piece together another's life.
Take for example, the lives of people who you interview or who interview you. I've found blog entries or wall posts about individuals belonging to those two categories (and helps me formulate a second opinion of them), and I'm sure that people I don't even know have found out about me online. People wonder why I like covering my tracks. I don't. I selectively try, but as long as I have a presence online, I know I can't hide. Maybe it is better to be transparent.
I have come to dread calendar invites. Calendar invites these days simply mean more meetings. When the bulk of my work day is attending meetings, it's no wonder I don't feel like I'm being productive.
Imagine my surprise when a meeting invite came today, not from the usual project managers, but from a group I occasionally work with (and have not met); it was to a celebration lunch at the team lead's home. I took a look at the small list of the invitees to see that while I was only an "optional" attendee, it really made my day to see that another business unit extended the invitation to someone who really is only involved at the end of the process.
I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,
No Good, Very Bad Day
I woke up to what felt like any normal weekday and proceeded to cut the tags off my new pair of $6 pants (from Aeropostale - the only store that has pants that fit my height without the need to hem them and that are very reasonably priced). To my dismay, I then realized that I bought them a size too big (I had tried on a pair that were a different color in a smaller size, and I was looking for one size up in the jeans). At least I could remedy the situation by putting on a belt. As routine, I go out the door and into the garage where I had parked it (so it would be kept clean since I washed it the night before).
Stewie, the neighbour's cat (that they always leave outside), shot from within the darkness once I opened the garage door. Apparently, he had camped in my garage overnight! My sparkling clean car now had some sort of powder all over the hood, along with paw prints all along the windows and top of the car. After I put my hockey equipment in the trunk for a game that night, I backed out of the garage but I thought I detected an odorous smell.
Turns out, Stewie took a big dump in my garage and I had the honours of shoveling it out. And, unfortunately for me, I had stepped in some: fresh, soggy, and smelly - a great combination for work (where we have poor ventilation). My shoes had grooves and of course, all of it was stuck in my grooves and a branch didn't help wipe it off.
Thank God, Meetz' saves the day. They save your faulty lawnmower or snowblower by repairing them. For me? They saved my shoes. They were ever so generous in lending me their super duper power washer to blast my shoes (and the dung) away so it was good as new :)
I can feel the stress of being a student again. At least when I was in high school, I had early acceptance in February so I didn't need to worry.
I found out that Seralt heard from UW the day after he sent in his application. What happened to my application?
Turns out (and after many transfers and phone calls mind you), I have been readmitted except somehow I was never notified. Thus, I have missed my enrollment appointment and all the classes that I want to enroll in are full.
I call the General Arts Advisor again and she suggested me to do the following:
Sign up for other courses I am interested in (which by the way is 0 since I am only taking certain courses toward this diploma and the alternatives are not offered)
Get on the waiting list
Email the profs to see if they could sign me in
*anger*. Maybe wanting to do this was not a good idea afterall.
When iGoogle came out, I thought it was a novel idea. Now, I can't get it to go away. It is like a permanent fixture, always hijacking my IE7 homepage. It seems to go away temporarily when I remove it from my homepage settings, but after I restart my computer, it comes back. I've also uninstalled Google Desktop and deleted all references to iGoogle in the registry, just in case that did something, but to no avail.
Does anyone know what is going on? Maybe some of you Microsoft or Google geeks/techies/fans might know?
Ever think about who influenced you to who you are and what you do today? Every so often I am reminded about the people who have somehow interacted and affect my life, whether directly or indirectly (some pictured below). Today's events and a couple of emails from current graduate students triggered this memory (and intention to post an entry like this since I haven't in awhile). The (under-advertised?) annual New Students Reception (a night of icebreakers and introductions to welcome new students to UW) took place tonight and an hour or so before that, two emails came into my inbox, one saying:
Can you remember your first year at university (long long time ago)? For me it was a tramatic experience. The mentoring from a senior graduate student was essential in carrying me through. I met several second year students, who echo similar sentiments in having a senior student who took care of them.
This is a particular important time of transition for froshies, especially those who are far away from home (i.e. Vancouver). As graduate stuents we can make a large difference by taking just a little time out to care for them. This would be a great way to contribute to our community and pass on helpful insights to undergraduate students.
I remember my frosh experience quite vividly; I was telling them that it was the grad (and senior) students who really made a positive impression on me - we cooked and shared meals together and played video games; they included me in their activities and spiritual discussions, helped me move, and drove me places (including the airport). I know I don't do a very good job at returning the favour to the students now, and I've even asked a couple of those people how they ever had the energy to do it? (I don't think I ever got a real answer). I don't know if they knew it, but they were very successful at deterring me away from grad studies through their lamentations.
That's partially how I got to be where I am today. But, backing up a few years, I think it was Chewie who was the catalyst in getting me more interested in computers in the latter years of high school (with ICQ and usa.net). Though, I suppose I always was, dabbling into DBIV in DOS (and creating a contact/address book with my aunt's help as a child). Then minima with his trojan groundhog game and his infinite ping loop/script on Clara's computer. I was fascinated at what those two things could do (to the point where I almost got into trouble). Next, there was Alan, showing me the tricks of UNIX at the wee hours of the morning (so I could figure out the school's system and how to chat).
Then, I remember the support for RPW that came from dchsueh, which was rather surprising and kind of set me into that direction more confidently (I remember arguing with myself because it seemed so un-Chinese (Arts!=success) and not what I had wanted to do as a profession since Grade 9, but the study of literature and writing always interested me). Now, everyone thinks I'm a technical writer, because I was lazy and didn't bother explaining what "RPW" is...and that's what many people from that program end up being. What I do today is part of these people's influence (and more whom I haven't identified) and I enjoy it for the most part! The start of my CSS and HTML knowledge? That's thanks to dtshin; I tended to ask him whenever I had any HTML or CSS questions, and copy his code to learn - he was great at answering my messages.
So, you could influence someone's future, whether you know it or not. And, I'm glad to hear that today's graduate students realize that they can be those mentors and support peers. If they're willing to let God use them, I am sure that they will be a blessing to others. Thinking about who influenced you may then naturally lead to the next question: who can you influence?
Tanklau was saying how I don't blog often enough, so here's a random observation. I got talking to Susanne during the couple of days we spent together. Turns out, I'm not the only one who gets errands done when one goes home, regardless of how few days we have. Our list includes:
Doctor's appointment(s)
Dental appointment(s)
Optometrist appointment(s)/purchasing eyeglasses (mine from Asian stores for $240, lens and designer frames)
Hair cut appointment(s) (mine? $7! And, I'm generally quite pleased at how it turns out)
Alterations (on clothing - e.g. pant hemming)
The downside? Sometimes, this means that we need to wait for some months.
Perhaps it is age, but it feels like the ceremony gets shorter and shorter. When I was last part of the bridal party (back in high school for my aunt's wedding), I remember having to stand there on stage for what felt to be a very long time.
This time, I remember talking to the then bride-to-be, that she was among the last of us (our close group of high school friends) who were single, but yet, she was the first to get married.
Perhaps it was the build-up to the actual day, but it felt like a play - very surreal; yet, I knew it wasn't a play - every moment of it was real. I really enjoyed the "untraditional" choice for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to wear yukatas - they were more comfortable than the evening wear and any type of other dresses I've ever worn (and modest too!). The best man gave me the idea to use the baggy sleeves to "hide" things in, including my camera - which I was able to carry around for most of the afternoon.
Congrats to M&M! From the short time spent with the Koshimura family, they seem to be a great family (for Mel) to marry into - they're hospitable, thoughtful, very personable people, and a joy to get to know. In fact, if not for Min's aunt/mom(?) who brought the garments over from Japan, we won't have worn those lovely yukatas :). Hopefully Mel will find it easy to integrate into their family!
Now, I want to learn Japanese!
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Side note: I even saw people I didn't think I'd see this time - both my aunt's families, chewie (and L!), my cousin Ern, and even Boy! What a blessing :)
This all started from a conversation I had with Shoe some moons ago...
I've been asking around (kind of taking a mental poll if you will) to see if there is a general consensus over whether there is some sort of social obligation (or is it a "saving face" Asian-politeness thing?) to invite those to that have invited you to their wedding/reception in the past?
Extensions to that question:
Do you if you don't know them that well (anymore)?
Would you if they only invited you to their ceremony?
*Disclaimer: no, I am not planning for a wedding anytime soon; this is just a curiosity of mine*
The past week has been quite a rollercoaster (emotionally) for me. I think the best way I grieve is to talk about it - but words escape me. All we can pray and hope for is that good comes out of it. People around me also had some close calls - relief followed when I learned that they are generally okay.
I've come to conclude that hospitals are cold and unwelcoming (one can feel very lost within a few seconds) - with the exception of the pediatrics ward; the walls are actually in color and the nurses' outfits are in pattern. Since hospitals are often associated with the sick and pain, shouldn't the atmosphere at least make you want to feel more cheerful? The wait time is incredibly long - even the "fast track" patients end up waiting 4 hours in the waiting room and 1 hour in the "fast track" room. Visiting two different hospitals back to back makes one look very unprofessional, with plenty of printed paper signs taped up, while the other had properly framed and designed signs.
After falling for an "open house today" marketing ploy at a local fitness centre, I've come to draw some parallels between the tactic of sales and certain methods of sharing one's faith. When I learned that the "open house" and "first timer" special was an everyday occurance, I started to question their methods of "reeling people in". What turned me off completely was the relentless pressure to commit right away and to talk down the other facilities in the area. Maybe some people can be easily swayed/persuaded by this approach, but in the same way, I don't think I would appreciate someone approaching me to try to "convert" me to a particular faith using this tactic. Makes me ask, is God to be sold? Duly noted.
Yesterday evening, I overheard sirens in the distance, and saw a white car whizzing by my house. When I looked out my window again, crowds of people (from inside and outside the complex) had gathered on the narrow drive in my complex. What followed was an episode of 2 ambulances, 1 firetruck, at least 6 police cars, and the media. Snippets from a phone conversation (sounded like media) travelled up to where I was - the father [status] and then the mother [status] were mentioned; something had happened to the family.
This morning, I drove by the place, thinking about which unit the neighbour I had just met earlier this week was in - hoping that it was not them. The media and police were still there and it is the top story in the local news today.
Earlier this week, when we were trying to give away the kittens, Erica and I were outside talking with our neighbour, when another neighbour, with her 2 children, walked down the drive. We found out that one of the girls has an April birthday, much like either Kelly or Erica's. The older one is very sweet: cute, big eyes, round face, smiles, and is shy - but once she opened up, she got along with my neighbour's little girl like they were already friends. Later that night, the mom ended up taking one of our kittens, but had to return him because apparently he had ear mites. Today, my prayers go out to that family.
Sometimes, I think junk (snail) mail is more effective than junk email. At least you can set up filters to automatically block or redirect junk email; whereas for real mail, you have to go through and discard it yourself.
A sign that I've been at the same place for too long: this is the first time I've ever received mail from Publishers Clearing House addressed to me. Usually, when I register for free samples, etc. I always use a shortened form of my name, so that if unsolicited mail comes, I know that it was through the free samples. But, my full name? How did I get on the PCH list?! How do they make money?
I remember that in my younger years, my dad used to send them back (back when stamps were cheap or when the postal was included) - either to the PCH or the Readers' Digest sweepstakes. I was always skeptical, and (to feed that skeptism) we have never won anything. Yet, I am constantly impressed at how well/convincing their copy is written: Yes, a resident of Calgary with your initials DL is a winner - it could be you, Dennis Lee - just reply to this (and you will forever be in our database and our victim).
Spring might be my favourite season: mild weather, regrowth of flowers and trees, and longer and longer days. I'm always a little disappointed that the days only get shorter after the first day of summer. On my recent trip back West, I noticed that the sun takes longer to set in Calgary and Vancouver! The sky was still lit and bright with colours a little before 10 pm, but where I am now, the sunset time was a little past 9:00 pm on the longest day of the year!
Two irrelevant notes:
The other day, a young Canto guy saw me with my BlackBerry and said to the effect of, "Oh, you work at [insert company name here] too?" (I knew he did because he sported his device much earlier). When I affirmed his question, he continued to say, "You must be a co-op; you look too young to be full-time". I quickly retorted, "Actually, I've been working full-time here for 2.5 years now." (I think subconsciously, I was slightly miffed).
I had considered switching service providers as another carrier offered a plan that I was interested in. So, when I called my mobile service provider the other day to discuss whether they had other options that I could consider, all they asked me was what I was looking for and how much and pretty much gave it to me without much dispute. After 6+ years, I'm even more pleased with them than before ($20 base incl. unlim even/wkd/100daytime/vm/call display/no contract - previously paid $30). :)
I flew WestJet from YKF for a short weekend trip back home to attend cs' wedding. The decision to fly from YKF was a great one: the flights weren't full so on the way there, we had an extra seat between us (2 people), and on the way back, I was able to use all 3 seats :) (which meant a choice between 2 tvs since 1 wasn't quite working). On the way back, I chose to sit in Row 11(A), which I had hoped was the emergency exit (more leg room), but 11 was the row in front - which seemed to work out because I had 2 full windows as opposed to the average of 1.5 (maybe because it was in front of the emergency exit so they used the extra room) and I didn't have to worry about handling the emergency door. Only thing is that the seats don't recline (as predicted on seatguru.com). The window seat also provided more storage space (under seat in front) as it was wider than the aisle seat and the middle seat had some sort of console blocking the leg/storage room.
The view from the window was gorgeous - especially on the way to BC. With the sun setting, we passed over the Rocky Mountains. I could see the tips of the mountains covered with snow, and the glacial lakes in the craters. I marvelled at the creation and as we descended, my thoughts were on how small the people, cars, and the things below were, but we have measure words like tall, to describe these people. Yet, even though we are this small, God still cares.
I recently read granville magazine and I now realise that flying isn't that great for the environment. I've also noticed that being green is very "in" right now - while reading the magazine, I recollected the "green" condo in TO, that was selling for close to a million dollars. The magazine mentioned another buzzword, "sustainability" which reminded me of Vonnekins, who did ES at UW and wondered how she feels about the current eco-trends.
The wedding was nice and small, simple and thoughtful, and a joy to attend. The choice to go with a Western wedding (as opposed to Chinese) was refreshing as well. Even though it rained (which prompted for the outdoor wedding to be moved into the solarium), the grey overcast skies probably provided even better lighting for photographs - less harsh shadows and no risk of sun flares. I think Mur and I were especially happy to see the first of among our closer friends during our high school years to be married. Oh, how we've grown. I only hope that we continue our friendships even after we are all married.
PS. Hi Boy, I just received your postcard yesterday - I guess it took them 2 weeks to send it :P
There's a petite Asian co-op on our team at my workplace. Some people have remarked how similar we look, and I've even gotten called by her name - I'm never sure if it's because "Asians look remarkably similar" or it's because we share commonalities: longish hair (both in a ponytail at times), glasses, small frame/bone structure. Incidentally, we share the same cube wall. But, the difference in our names help distinguish that we are different people.
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On that note, I would think that if two books, published by the same people, go by the same name, I would assume the content inside the two books are the same. Boy, was I was ever surprised to learn otherwise.
When I found that the guest speaker was going to preach on Malachi 4 from the New Living Translation (NLT), I was prepared. I brought my NLT bible to church anticipating that I could follow along. Was I ever wrong! As he began to read from the passage, I started to notice that words were different: in my NLT bible, it started off with "Lord Almighty", but what was he saying - "The Lord of Heaven's Armies"? Did one of us have a fraudulent Bible?
I later asked and found out that the NLT actually has 2 versions - one from 1996 and one from 2004. I had the earlier edition. How was I supposed to know that they came out with another edition under the same name? Other versions of the Bible tends to distinguishes updated versions by adding "New" in front or other names such as: tNIV (today's NIV), NKJV (new King James), but I guess their logic must have been if they added New to New Living Translation, it would be New New Living Translation, which would be redundant.
****
It's no wonder that people (like me) don't know everyone's names on our team; the size of my team is bigger than the last company I worked at! Thank goodness we have subteams.
The book of Judges paints me a portrait of a God who is relenting, but just. The Old Testament God seems to be a stark contrast of the God in the New Testament, but they are the same. The stories of wars and His wrath on the disobedient really wakes me up to realize a new meaning of "fearing God". All along, I have tried to believe that to fear God, is not to be afraid but more to hold an attitude of reverence, of respect. For me, to respect a loving, forgiving and gracious God seems pretty straight forward; but knowing a God who is capable of justice, of discipline is one that calls for reverence, for fear.
I am reminded of the other day, when I was driving through the streets of downtown Kitchener, I happened to pass a banner that had the words printed, "You are not alone" which happened to be at the exact moment a Christian artist was singing, "you are not alone" on the radio. Although the words on the banner was reaching to abused women, the lyrics referred to a comfort and hope beyond this world. Odd coincidence? Maybe. Likely not.
Yesterday was Free Comic Book Day and like previous years, we spent some time collecting free comics around town. Of the ones I ended up with (some from the generous people at J&J), I think I enjoyed "Love and Capes" the most, although Owly is as cute as always. The Mickey Mouse and Robin Hood one was featured from a book of a collection of old Mickey comics that I actually own (I think my parents bought it from Costco back when I really liked Mickey).
In any case, Now & Then Books in Kitchener now has 60% off all graphic novels, and 80% off toys (and everything else?). A few weeks back, j.w and I had just happened upon it and the owner had announced that all graphic novels were 50% off and everything else was 75% (or was it 70%?). The credit/debit machine "is down" so trips to the bank equates to an additional 5% off. I picked up a few books: last copies of a sun-bleached Owly: Just A Little Blue and Afterworks II (an anthology by Pixar artists it seems). I had curiously asked if they were closing, but he had told me that they were just trying to get rid of 30+ years of inventory. This time around, a sign on the window said For Lease, while the back of it said Sold and he mentioned this ["sale"] should be on 'til end of May or early June.
It's spring and I'm beginning to wonder what hay fever feels like and how it differs from a cold. Does hay fever just sneak up on you, where one minute you're fine and the next minute you feel like sneezing (but can't - hate that!) and you're all sniffly? Or, are those symptoms of a cold?
Spring also marks the beginning of a line of weddings and related events. I've never been to a bridal shower before, but one that requests a favourite recipe already has me thinking this is a very girlie sounding event. One that I'm at a loss for because I rarely (if ever) bake and I do not cook with any set recipes. j.w and I have a theory that my best cooking comes when I experiment for the first time and then I am never ever able to repeat it again.
I will have the honour to give a toast to a bride this year. As the bridesmaid and I are discussing about our memories that we have of the bride, I start to think that at times, it sounds like we are giving a farewell. And, I guess, in a way it is; just not one that is given at funerals.
I guess I'm at the point in life, where it seems like everyone around me is getting engaged and married. This year, I'll be attending at least 3 weddings; next, at least 4 more are in scope. That doesn't sound like much, but when you have to fly or drive out of town to get to them or you are helping out in some, then it feels like a lot. Regardless, congratulations to my little sister, who isn't so little anymore I suppose (somehow, I knew she'd be first in our family). :)
Around 22:00 tonight, I pulled into a local gas station and parked in a marked stall. I walked up to the store, to which she motioned me to the side window (which I thought odd, but made sense for security reasons I suppose). An interesting dialogue ensued:
Me: Can I have two...
Lady: ID
Me: ??!
Lady: I'll need to see your ID.
Me: ?!?
Lady: You're getting smokes right?
Me: O_o. Uh, no. Actually, I wanted two car wash specials.
I am more surprised that she labelled me as a smoker, not really so much that she requested for ID. The leather jacket I wore must have slotted me into the stereotype.
Doreen is organizing a dance party on Saturday, March 24, 2007 @ UW SLC from 3-6pm with proceeds to support deaf kids. The $5 admission (or pledge) includes dance instruction in Irish dance, Salsa, and Hip Hop, including freestyle dancing and dance mat (DDR type) stations. If you're around, feel free to drop by!
I now understand why Sam-I-Am's friend didn't quite like green eggs and ham.
During my visit home recently, I discovered a new option to cook fresh vegetables: buy a bag of coleslaw (without dressing) and stir-fry the contents. This option is cheaper than some vegetables (~$1.49/lb), and it's pre-washed and pre-cut. Tastes quite good too.
The only caveat: be careful of what you cook it with. I discovered that my spaghetti was blue this morning. I'm not sure what ingredient would've turned the purple cabbage blue, but a quick search on Google shows that bases turn cabbage blue.
When a dish doesn't quite look right (blue in color), it doesn't seem quite as appetizing, even though the taste isn't affected. Alas, a lesson in cooking!
A friend from work showed me a short titled "Call Center Movie" online last night and after calling Dell today, it completely reminded me of that film:
First, the representative that answered my call sounded like someone from India (and with a name that matched the profile). He had a lot of difficulty with my first and last name (my coworkers burst out laughing because apparently they overheard me saying, "No, unfortunately, my name is [insert name here]." (he thought I said Moe)
I could hear myself (echo?) during parts of the conversation - was it VOIP or just poor connectivity?
He asked me for my phone number, put me on hold (a number of times throughout the call), and then, the first time when he came back, apologized for the wait, re-introduced himself and said, "May I have your phone number please?" to which I responded with, "You already have it." He denied it, and when I repeated it back to him, he then realised he already had it.
He mentioned that the special was going to expire on Thursday if I didn't buy it, which I rephrased, "You mean today [which happened to be Thursday] right?" (was he in a different time zone?)
And, finally, it seems like Dell have arbitrary quotes. I got one quote for the Dimension E521 using an EPP code (which he mixed up and thought I was calling to use an EVAL code), but when another coworker called in with the same code, he got quoted with a much higher price (a difference in 4%). I then used the online chat and asked if I removed certain components of the system, would I save anything? One rep said $15, the other said $30. The rep on the phone said the prices would not be any different if I removed any bundled components.
I am satisfied that the rep (representing well of Dell in this case) made an one-time exception (as he emphasized and stressed) and honoured their own quotes and how the rep handled what I presented; I had to be quite firm, but I was generally pretty happy at how it turned out in the end. Lesson of the day? Do your research and think of all the possible options before you purchase.
Update: The specs - really for my own reference:
Hardware
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
250GB SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
16x DVD+/-RW Drive
Software
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Microsoft Works 8.0 and Norton Internet Security - (antivirus) 15 months (both of which I really do not need or necessarily want)
Other
1 Year Next Business Day Onsite/In Home Service and Tech Support
No mouse or keyboard or monitor
Bundled package for $510 CDN + tax (a savings of $60 off the sale price) and free shipping.
Update #2:Ahhhh, I could've gotten a better system for $100+ less (160G HD, no Antivirus, 4200+ processor). Alas, it's not a similiar system, thus the price protection plan (that's valid within 1 month of purchase) is not applicable. Shame that return costs $87 on my system. The rep says that the processing speed makes no difference with the same components. In the end, he offered a $15 one-time coupon for my next purchase. Oh yes, and he did tell me that he was in India.
Sometimes, I get a taste of the real world outside of the time warp; I treasure these moments. Take tonight for example - a few of my friends from work (though I have not really worked on the same team with them ever) spent a good two hours at Ellison's for the usual (jerk chicken), catching up and exchanging stories. Hanging out with those guys always makes my day - they're pretty easy going and just fun to be with (not to mention that they're outside of the time warp!). They basically make everyone feel like family albeit our culture, language, lifestyle and religious differences. Ah yes, they are guys (see?).
Snowboarding on Saturday was almost perfect! I could not ask God for a better day: the sun was shining, the sky was clear, there weren't too many people on the mountain (hill), and it was all the runs were great to learn on (wide runs, many to choose from, all blues = greens). I don't think I've ever snowboarded in such warm weather either: -5C was the high, but it felt much warmer than that. The snow was a little hard (packed), which made for falling on a little more painful (but I've had worse than that) - this time, I thought to wear my roller-blade knee pads under my snowpants (because of my forever busted knees) and this is the best use I've gotten out of them. I will have to remember to do that every time now. I find that whenever I start the season, it feels like I have to learn how to snowboard all over again. I've switched back from goofy to regular, and I find it's easier to learn how to turn (though it's odd because I can only stay straight if I look straight (with my face toward the side of the mtn) as opposed to down and can only turn right if I look up the mountain (go figure?).
BAC recently had a series on friendship. The term "soul friends" reminded me of Anne of Green Gable's definition of bosom friends, or kindred spirits - friends, regardless of age, who you have a spiritual and emotional connection with - and who are of the same gender.
I didn't know how to respond to these talks as during the time of "open sharing", I couldn't even come up with even one name, of which I would call a current "soul" friend (though I do have girl friends who I would deem "close").
This time (without the rush of Christmas and because I had spent time with family during Christmas), I had the chance to hang out with a few of my friends in Vancouver. I really enjoyed the fellowship I had with them. From dining out in Gastown and waking up at 6AM for breakfast in Chinatown, to playing Munchkin (and making an opponent drop 6 levels!), hanging out with another friend for one whole day (getting his errands done), and finally ending the trip with a great lunch with 20+ people, most of whom I rarely see, or have not talked with in a long time - I think it would be a great community builder if this happened more often after church (this does here in 'loo, but not at home and there's nothing like food to keep spirits up and conversations going).
Strangely enough, the week after, the theme of the week in my devotionals also reminded me of these friendships...and admittedly, I have very few "soul friends" who are girls (though from what the pastor said, we should be diligent in praying for them, which I am guilty of not doing or wanting to do). For me, I'm not sure why friendships with girls seem to come harder than with guys. I guess over the years at my home church, with more guys than girls in my age group, I ended up connecting with more guys than with girls. Or, perhaps it is the risk of losing another "soul" friend - at times, I feel that I still have yet to come to terms with how much two people can change so that a great friendship just becomes a mere "aquaintanceship".
I think the place where I am now, increases the difficulty in me opening up for the possibility of "soul" friends; I recently termed it as "being stuck in a time warp"; it feels like I'm stuck in a place where faces keep changing, but they are all of the same age range (and profession: student) but I'm just here, getting older. There are, of course, career people in my spiritual community (few and far between), but there's a gap from where they are, and where I am. You know, if I ever was to leave, it would be because to escape this time warp; and that rattles me, because it means that this could be the start of wanting to leave this place as reluctant as I am.
*****
A side note: does anyone know how to use Technorati for tagging or categorizing blog posts, or if they can recommend a plug-in or something to add categories/tags to a custom blog?
Did you know that it is illegal in Ontario to fill an out-of-province prescription?
Never mind out of country, but what harm can out-of-province be? Though, I suppose
one can get marijuana in BC for medicinal purposes but may not be accepted here. However, in Alberta, you can fill out-of-province prescriptions.
My options?
Get it filled online and pay for shipping
Buy it in the States, as Naproxen is available over the counter
Use an old prescription that I found as I was cleaning up my room the other day, which coincidentally had the same drug in a smaller quantity on the form*.
*The pharmacist had told me that while they refuse to fill out-of-province prescriptions, they can fill old ones at their discretion
I felt like such a druggie and wanted to cry when the pharmacist told me she couldn't help me and I responded by asking, "so how can I get another prescription?" She told me I had to go to a walk-in clinic to which I said forget it, I can't afford that (the 3 hours wait for a 30 second session). Rather frustrating seeing that I went to the doctor (which I prefer to avoid) for no reason (and that I could've filled it before I left but due to time and other constraints (like forgetting to bring it with me when I went to the mall), I didn't).
Coming home (where I call "home") often results in bouts of thinking on my part. Today's thoughts led me to conclude that my life is compartmentalized; I seem to live two lives:
My life spent away from home - my work, friends, church, and significant other - it feels rather temporary.
My life at home - my family, church, friends (new and old), and somewhat unattached - seems like this is where I belong more.
I'm not sure if or how I can reconcile both, yet in my mind, I forget about time. I forget that my younger peers have now graduated, that some of my friends are not even in the city or at church any more, and others are soon to be married (or at least are in relationships now or have been)! Perhaps the time spent at home just brings back the more impressionistic memories of my younger years (high school crushes, friendships, etc.). I'm glad that I can often pick up where we left off (even for newer friends), which I find is not the case over in the East; over there, it seem to take so much more effort (perhaps it is because I still think "seasonally" - i.e. friends often leave, where people here don't it seems). And, somehow, because of this, I really want to attend Boy's wedding in June now; yet, I haven't bought into the idea that it is worthwhile for me to go to that and Mel/Min's August wedding (would equate to over $1600 spent for only 2 weekends and a max of 5 vacation days if I attended both).
So, another email similar to this one was sent to me last week, regarding the account that was supposed to expire awhile ago. And, it looks like they finally decided to kill my account, including my old website. A four year extension - that was pretty generous of them (or careless, depending on how you look at it).
After 3 years of free web hosting with 1and1.com, I must say that I came out of the experience quite happy and overall, pretty satisfied. While my site may be up and down in the next few days while I find another host, I will still keep my domain names with them.
I found the strangest mail in my mailbox today. I had a subscription to a magazine I paid for which expired in Nov 06 (says on the address label as well), but for some reason, I just received the March 07 issue without any explanation - not that I'm complaining; I found it relevant to this post about accounts and expiries.
After working for 14 hours straight for a launch, I discovered that my left wrist started to "click" when I rolled/turned it and my right one was getting sore. Thus, as a consequence, I didn't turn on my computer at home for 3 days in a row (which is quite an accomplishment for me considering the only time I leave my computer off is when I am on vacation). I found that it was quite an inconvenience, having to relay messages to people through my housemate (who was online) but it was a much needed rest (and I was able to get other things done, like helping my housemate unscrew some rusted screws in her room and finding that her room has 4 layers of paint: yellow, green, gray, beige, before the drywall).
Anyhow, the reason for this post is for the shameless advertising. If you have a BlackBerry and would like to look for support documents, visit the new knowledge base (the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center) over at the freshly redesigned part of BlackBerry.com.
By the time you read this entry, the 30 spots may have been filled, but for all you students interested in a 2-day web conference for $195 (CDN) (especially beneficial for those in Vancouver), it's time for you to sign up now (promo code: WDNSCH). There's no harm in trying to see if you can get the deal!
Maybe the stereotypes are true, but then again, stereotypes are just generalizations of common misconceptions such as:
Canadians are overweight (I have no idea why - an American shuttle driver has asked me before and I was thinking to myself, isn't it the other way around?)
Eskimos and igloos are common (though we did build one in high school)
Asians do well in school and are smarter in general (I had to admit to the driver that yes, I did graduate in the top 10% in high school [albeit, he didn't know about my university marks])
Canada is small, so you would probably know someone they know
and Toronto is the centre of the universe
I've come to the "conclusion" that food sizes and other (things) tend to be "super" in the States:
the imperial system is used as the unit of measure: 1 G equals to 3.84 L (so 1G or 1KG sounds like a little, but it's not)
McDonald's sandwiches are actually a decent size (much bigger than a Canadian Big Mac); I am quite full after a Ranch Chicken BLT (or whatever it's called) for $3.79 USD
the frozen bananas dipped in chocolate coated with peanuts from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory are really big (long?); I don't think I've ever had a banana that big before
going on the first point - Arizon Iced Tea is available in 1G sizes (for $2.88)!
and Walmart is a "super center" - has a full grocery/produce section and are open 24hrs
Of the Boxing Week purchases, I think the best finds were:
4 pairs of Wigwam Coolmax socks - $6 USD
Quick Sauces HH cookbook - $2 USD
Corelle Salt and Pepper Shakers - $0.48 USD each
Black's 100 ISO 24 exposure 35mm film with processing included - $2.99 CDN each
Thanks to Mich, she told me about the Black's deal. Regularly, just processing alone at Black's costs $10.99. The film expires later this year/early next, but if I figure that it's even cheaper than printing out quality digital prints, not to mention that Black's photo developing quality is quite good. I guess many people have digital cameras now, so they can clear the film out.
Within the past two days, we visited two exhibits - Discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Pacific Science Center (PSC) and Body Worlds 3 at the TELUSphere (formerly Science World). Because photography and other recording were not permitted, I have no pictures for illustrative purposes.
Perhaps I haven't been at the PSC in years, but I found it to be much more satisfying than the galleries at Science World. The place seemed larger and had more variety. The special exhibit, the Dead Sea scrolls was quite a learning experience. I don't think I was able to fully appreciate the historical significance of the find, as I am not much of a history buff, but I did see the ties to my faith. I only wished that I understood Hebrew. I did learn that piecing together the parts of the Dead Sea scrolls is much like piecing together a 50,000 piece puzzle, so what they have successfully arranged (and deciphered) is quite amazing in itself. I overhead one of the museum staff say to one viewers that some of the text found in the dead sea scrolls were written on two types of "paper"; the more sacred text on animal skin (parchment), and the non-sacred on papyrus (I inferred that's why certain text made it into the Bible canon over others).
I think I appreciated the pieces of Psalm 119 the most, perhaps because I taught about poetry in the Bible, using this Psalm as an example not too long ago. Although, I don't know Hebrew, I was able to see the groups of the Hebrew alphabet and was able to recognize the areas that were not translated for us. And, they do transcribe the Lord's name in a different type (thinking that people skipped over that word when verbally read). The text in these parts of the scrolls were easier to read, unlike others, where they were faded and written smaller in size.
I'm not sure where I heard it from, but I went into Body Worlds expecting to see bodies of pregnant women with the fetus inside of her at various stages of the pregnancies amongst the exhibits. I didn't quite see that, but I saw parts of the human body displayed as works of art (after going through plastination - another way to perserve the body). It felt like walking into a science lab at school, but with everything available to you up close, with care to detail. In one area, we were able to touch and feel parts of the body; the cross sectionals felt like plastic, whereas the whole organs felt waxy. I'm not sure if was worth the $25 we paid, but it was definitely another learning experience, but to a different degree when comparing it to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit.
Late last week, a friend held a contest on his blog. Turns out, the prize was a Nintendo DS! What a great incentive to keep me trying to guess the next-to-impossible answer. He had originally told me that if no one guessed the answer, he would reveal it in the 1600th post, which challenged me to try to guess it first (so I wouldn't have wait that long). I noticed that the common word in all his blog urls was "tank" so I used that as a starting point. I tried "tanksecretblog" near the beginning and then used variations like tanksecretthought (journal, post, entry, etc.) but I figured that the url wouldn't be that creative; it would probably be a variation of his current blog titles or urls. So blogspot would likely find strange statistics with a lot of hits to urls that contain "tank" in them.
Seeing that this is my first "game console" that I've owned (which I don't have yet, because we are over 600 kms away), what Nintendo DS games would you recommend and why? Perhaps, I can take advantage of the 40% off new games Blockbuster deal before Dec 25 or the Rogers buy 2 get 1 free promo!
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Visiting Seattle from 27th - 28th: Dead Sea Scrolls. Missed them at the Museum of Civilization a few years back.
Even though it's only early December, I am already looking forward to next year. Why?
Web Conference
If you have heard of Veerle Pieters, Cameron Moll, Dave Shea (and other well recognized names in the web industry), then you should consider attending Web Directions North, a web conference (from Australia!) that will be held in Vancouver from February 6-8, 2006 (with two days of optional skiing/snowboarding at Whistler-Blackcomb). Even if you haven't heard of them, and you're a webby (web geek, into design or development, or just interested in web technologies), this opportunity might be for you (seems like conferences like these are few and far between in Canada, and conveniently in Vancouver). Hopefully, I will be able to take away some fresh concepts and ideas and effectively apply it to what I do.
If you're coming, feel free drop me a note and I'll see you there! Oh, and if you would like to get 20% off or help one of my friends (who can't afford to pay the entire fee), please sign up through the link above (we need at least 5 registrants through this link).
Calling KWC Y'Adults
If you attend KWCAC and you are a "young adult" (whether student or career professional), then you might be interested in the new y'adults fellowship come January. Our first weekly gathering will be on Thursday, January 11, 2007 at 6:30pm and will include dinner. If you are curious to find out more, please contact me. I haven't really been plugged into a Christian community for awhile now, so maybe this will be a good place to start.
I don't know who Vitamin K and Dragon Girl are, but they sound like each other and they just so happen to visit the blogs I visit. None of the bloggers seem to know who these people are, so by default, their credibility in my eyes is targeted spam (which I happened to have fallen for so I will tell you if I get the book and if the content is legit). I wonder if people actually get paid to go around and post random but personalized comments on random people's blogs?
One says:
Say, have you ordered your free book from Gospel for Asia? Go to [URL removed] to pick up a free copy. It's written specifically for Asian Christians and touches off on some provocative issues such as racism directed at Asian Christians by Caucasian Christians. Alarming stuff, but very, very eye opening.
The other:
'Gospel for Asia' has a free new book out now' You can go to [url removed] to order a free copy. It's a book written specifically for Asian Christians, and has some eye-opening accounts of the subtle racism and superiority sometimes directed at Asian Christians by 'Caucasian' Christians. Alarming stuff but definitely thought provoking.
Update: One thing that's almost as annoying as blog spammers are MSN spammers (like the ICQ days). A number of random people out there going around and adding various people on their lists and spamming them. A note of caution - make sure you know your friends' email addresses so that you don't accidentally accept the spammers' add requests.
Be warned.
Where I'm from, I was brought up to ignore pleas, eye contact, and colourful language from the streets. As a child, speaking to strangers was highly discouraged; giving money to those on the streets was even more discouraged and thus, I didn't. I can't boast of what I give, because I still don't give very much, if at all.
One time, someone approached my mother for money for the bus, so she offered to buy him a skytrain ticket. When he heard that, for some reason, he didn't want it anymore. Another time, I gave an unused ticket to someone wanting money for the skytrain. As I walked off, I turned around and found him asking more people for money. The funniest story I've seen so far is when my friend unintentionally gave someone $10. This guy, walking around Water Steet (Waterfront) was holding a box of poppies, asking for donations in return for a poppy. Well, Peter felt that this was legit, and seeing that it was almost Remembrance Day, and gave him the smallest he had, asking for change in return. The response he got was that he didn't give change! So, he ended up with 2 poppies, both of which broke within 1 day. These passing instances really don't give a good (though lasting) impression of the honesty of such requests.
The other day, I was surprised to see someone come to our table asking for "food money" (who looked homeless) inside a Timmy's! In a bigger city, I would've expected the staff to have kicked these folks out their restaurant for bothering their patrons. Conveniently, I had with me gift certificates that our ASL teacher gave us. So, I offered him one ($1) since it wasn't technically my money. He took it, looked at it and said, "this isn't enough for a meal". At that point, instead of taking it back [but still thinking how ungrateful he sounded], I surprised myself and asked him what he wanted and offered to pay the difference (forgetting that I didn't actually have any money on me, minus the change I got from the apple cider). When I got up to order a small chilli (though he did ask what size they had, thankfully they only had one size) plus a garlic toast and a dinner roll, I was afraid I had to borrow money from Sam because it was $4 something, and I only had $1.52 plus the rest of my gift certificates ($3). Then the most incredible thing happened (a God miracle?); the total changed to $3.53. I had just enough (minus the penny, but the guy subsidized the penny from the penny jar). Turns out, when I thanked him later, he saw that this man was in need [apparently, he was going around asking people for clothes like socks earlier) and charged him a soup instead.
When I sat back down, my friend was already engaged in another conversation with a retired couple at another table (as a result of what just happened) who thought we were 18 year old students. The other guy sat down at the table beside us (I guess I had thought he would happily go on his merry way with food now) and started eating. One thing he told us that I found most interesting? You earn 4x as much in Guelph than you do in Waterloo on the streets (just simply asking for money). Why not relocate to Guelph? Apparently because rent is much more costly (anywhere from $800-900).
A common conversation that you might have overheard between an acquaintance and I:
- How are you?
Good. You?
- Fine, thanks. How's work?
Good. ...[Awkward pause]... How's school?
Communities of people sort of scare me. I always feel so fake around them, because half the time, I don't know what to say! For me, loitering time [read: refreshments after Sunday Service] is the worst because it feels like a sea of faces - most of them in pre-established social groups. Of course, I try to find better things to do like eat, drink, or run around and do errands.
Well, now I can expand on how work is "good" if anyone cares to know (before, it was just the same old). I can truly say that I have been challenged and have learned more in two months than I have in two years; I actually see results of my efforts. I'm excited about the upcoming changes - a new team lead, moving desks, potential conference, and more work on a big project. This is the opportunity to do what I've been wanting to do [...on her way to becoming a web geek...].
Since we're discussing work, a friend of mine (via our professions) has left her day job and is now actively pursuing her entrepreneurial ideas, one of them being Showoffkit: "small business promotion essentials". Her experience as the Director of Marketing [read: event manager, PR, marketing and business development, social coordinator, jack of all trades.], of a company that grew from a small to medium-sized business will definitely add more value to this line of work. So, if your company needs a starter kit, or just some promotional items (swag), here's one option!
Well, since I have no family obligations to attend to, nor any classes or otherwise scheduled activites on a Monday evening, I decided to check out this newly formed group that I found on the Internet: the Grand River Imaging and Photographic Society.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this website, after much searching on Google (other sites reference them, but perhaps the lack of a domain name gives them a low ranking on Google). The website, compared to a similiar one in Waterloo (HGCC), seemed to be "prettier" (though, HGCC has more info) and conveniently, the meeting location is closer to my house. I decided to give them a try since they let you sit in for free for the first time (apparently, HGCC charges $5 for a "guest" fee). Perhaps, it was also the name that drew me to them. I was hoping that I might use a photography association as the "professional association" that my company encourages us to join and "club" just sounds less "professional" than "society" does even though the club is actually associated with The Canadian Association of Photographic Art.
I must have stood out like a sore thumb tonight:
I was Asian (there was 1 other).
I was young. You know you're too young when a member happily tells everyone that you can go to Value Village to get props for your shots at 20% off on Senior Tuesdays. Okay, so maybe the younger ones have families or studies that take up their time, but I know plenty of young photo enthusiasts these days - so where are they? (or maybe this is too geeky/out of style for them )
I guess with age comes wisdom, right? What better than to learn from the wise (and the experienced!). The session was on tabletop photography and the speaker, a lady from another photo club, came in to give us ideas and to inspire us with her work. In addition to the stunning results one can get with some very simple props, I was amazed to see how two slide projectors plus a cassette player can work together to produce a presentation that looked and felt like a Microsoft Powerpoint slideshow (see how young I am!), maybe even better with the fading/layover effect and I've always enjoyed the sound of the slides advancing. The last time, I've worked with slides and a projector was back in 2003 for a professor at UBC! Most of them, understandably, didn't work with digital (and still prefer film over digital).
Perhaps I should venture a little further and check out the other club. With a slightly higher membership fee and more members, maybe the age range would be more balanced. On a related note, my housemate and I compared prints from Kodak vs. Fuji film (yes, we are still using film). Seems like Fuji brings out reds, blues (and yellow?) better, while Kodak brings out the greens (though it could also be the photo lab that developed it or the ISO). So, I guess depending on what you are shooting, try using one versus the other.
Funnily enough, this experience reminds me of attending a church or youth group meeting. Everyone comes together with a common interest - both amateurs and novices are welcome. The meeting occurs in a more-or-less structured manner, and at some point, money is collected (optional freewill donation/giving). At the photography clubs, it seems to be 50/50 draws (where 50% goes into the funds pot, and the rest goes to the winner) and at a church, the offering plate or bag and you can get a tax receipt. Someone shares their insight and everyone learns or contributes and asks question in the process. When new faces show, both groups tend to single you out and ask for a short introduction to the group. The one key difference: Jesus.
Sometimes, I wonder if married life is the entry point into the "adult" world. I know that I'm not the only one that tend to perceive "married" couples to be more "mature" and "grown up" than their single peers, especially if the majority of their peers are still single. I know one couple who've been asked if they are still sticking to the college fellowship group now that they're married or if they're going to be in the married couples group. What does it take to want to get (and be) married? Commitment? Maturity? Finance? Love? Convenience?
Regardless, congratulations to my friends who just got engaged. I'm really happy for them, especially because I've known the guy for many years now and I've been close childhood friends with the girl. I don't doubt that she'll be well taken care of. You know, some say that visual indications of a good marriage is when the husband shows signs that he is eating well (or being well fed by the wife)? Well, we'll see about this one :).
As I was washing my face the other night, I wondered why certain face cleansers were only marketed to women. The facial cleanser sitting in my shower retails for over $22, but why does the cosmetic line that sells this product target a primarily female audience? Is it because men do not generally use toner? Perhaps men have more common sense when it comes to price, for the price to pay is ridiculously high when one can get a daily cleanser (like Neutrogena), and maybe equally good, for much less. Maybe women have more wrinkles than men or perhaps, it is more manly to exhibit wrinkles or acnes...or pores. I know there are products geared for men as well, but I wonder if it is as large a market share.
***
A note on CSS standards. I've been trying to find out what the difference between id and class is. Turns out that one would use id for unique objects on a page, where classes are used in places that are not objects. For example, a div block could be identified with an id and a class, but a paragraph tag would only be associated with a class. Now, it's crystal clear to me.
After I uploaded my photos from my trip to the West, Flickr told me that I reached my 200 photos max limit, implying that if I did not upgrade to the pro account (of $24.95 USD/year), I would no longer able to access my photos past the most recent 200 images.
If Yahoo/Flickr wanted to improve the user experience for free account holders (and thus, perhaps would then convince them to upgrade to pro), Flickr could remind the user that they were approaching the 200 limit mark. Furthermore, a page outlining the features of a free (vs pro) account would be beneficial, instead of scattering information across the various areas of the website. For free accounts, this is what I found:
20 MB monthly upload limit
3 photosets (for whatever reason, I thought it was 2)
Photostream views limited to the 200 most recent images (that I either didn't know or simply forgot)
Storage of smaller (resized) images
Your photos are NOT removed from Flickr, only from the list of your photos. If you have blogged a photo and it no longer appears in your list, it will still appear on your blog, and the photo's Flickr page will still work just fine (so no deleting!)
By implication, ad-served browsing
Deletion of free accounts if the user becomes inactive for 90 consecutive days
A tip from an online user suggested to delete unwanted pictures from the Organizr (to under 200) so older pictures would show) - I will have to try that out. I tend to prefer flickr over Picasa Web Albums mostly because of copyright provisions so I hope to be able to continue to use an otherwise good service.
Finally, a Canadian web conference - at the heart of home, no less. For those at home, who can afford to go, it sounds like a jam-packed conference with industry (well-known) speakers from around the world. Should be interesting for those interested in this genre.
So, I'm catching up on Xanga blogs and what do I see? A singer with a mic in her hands, entertaining an audience. Seeing that she was wearing next to nothing and knowing that it was not an advertisement for lingerie caused me to ask, if girls were allowed to prance around nude in public, would they?
Lately, I've been having those moments. I put something away, usually in a different spot and mentally say to myself, "Okay, remember where you put this the next time you want to look for it." When time comes to find it again, I just remember what it looks like, where I had it last before I put it away. Sometime later, when I am no longer looking for it, it turns up!
PT terms these, "senior moments". The most classic one is when my housemate found one of her movie DVDs in our fridge! I have no idea how it got there but I know I had it last; she just figured it was thawing or put in for a purpose.
In the previous post, I seem to have stumbled upon a reoccuring dream common even to others and a possible practical reason for the dream (thanks for the tip 0rc!). A few times in my life, my dreams have told me some powerful stories and solved real life situations but they are just generally bizarre. However, a few reoccuring themes in my dreams include:
Falling (backwards, landing on my bed) - this usually happens seemingly moments before the transition from a light sleep to a deeper one. Ironically, I usually am jolted awake before I fall asleep again. Perhaps that's where the term "fall asleep" comes from? ;)
Chewing gum - I am chewing gum and when it comes time to spit it out, the gum crumbles and gets stuck in my teeth. No matter how hard I try to get rid of it, pieces of the chewing gum remains. Sometimes, I need to take my fingers and pull it out because it can get stuck in my throat, but somehow, pieces of gum still remain. Perhaps this is why I don't chew gum much anymore.
Losing teeth - Either one, or most of my teeth just suddenly become loose and fall out. The teeth either just fall out because I am chewing or my tongue sweeps over them and they fall out (no screeching sound though). This usually happens quite silenty, and people around me don't seem to notice.
Needing to go, but can't - in these dreams, I have the urge to relieve myself, but whenever I end up on a toilet, nothing happens (which is probably a good thing because I think I would end up wetting my bed if something did).
I also used to dream of running away and hiding from people and their weapons, but I tend to dream that much less now.
Last night, I was awoken by this irregular fluttering sound and it wouldn't stop! I tried to muffle it out by sleeping under my covers, but it got really hot. I tried to cover my ears with my Pound Puppy, but I could still hear it. So, at 4:04 AM, I got out of bed, put on my glasses, and walked to the bathroom to turn on the lights.
Then, I scanned my room, near my blinds to see if I could track what was making all the racket. I proceeded to see this GIANT fat brown moth (the size of a loonie) fly out of my room. It landed on my door, so I threw my slipper at it.
I missed. My slipper hit the floor with a loud *clunk*. It went into the bathroom (towards the source of light). Because I was too tired to try to hunt it down (and for fear of waking up my housemate), I left the lights on, hoping it would be zapped by the heat from the lights and went back to bed with my doors firmly closed. There went a good night's rest, for I dreamt of travelling in a helicopter but my last tooth was coming apart in pieces again (signs of anxiety they say). I awoke with the side of the face pressed into my fist.
This morning, I crept into the bathroom and there it was on the counter sleeping. I proceeded to kill it with the other slipper.
So, the other day, I was driving our car to the Seattle. At the border, the conversation went something like this:
Q. Where you from?
A. S and TO (said it on behalf of my friend)
Q. How long have you known each other?
A. Around three years? (Looks over to j.w who says five)
Q. Purpose of trip?
A. Sightseeing and to visit a friend.
Q. Who?
A. (wasn't sure I heard right) Did you say who?
*LONG PAUSE*
A. Who? (the guy nods or says yes or something)
A. Uh, W.K. Lee (as if he knows who he is)
Q. How do you know him?
A. Through University of Waterloo.
Q. Status?
A. (Uh, is he asking about us or W.K.? Single? Married?) Canadian.
Q. Canadian?! What is he doing down there?
A. He's working with a visa.
Q. Really. What kind of visa?
A. (How am I supposed to know?!) I don't know. (I turned to ask j.w to see if he knew and he didn't).
Q. When was the last time you were in the US?
A. (like I keep track. I don't remember but I know for sure I was there over Christmas). December? him? maybe last week? (j.w says two weeks ago but wait, I was in Niagra Falls in May but I forgot about that. Apparently, our car also was in the US just last week as well, which I wasn't informed about).
Q. What do you do?
A. (if I told him I was an Internet Content Specialist, I'm not sure he would know what that is) Web Consultant.
Q. Okay, take this card, turn right and go inside.
A. (Great. So, I take this orange card and glance that the middle column acronym is circled)
*inside* - the lady asks us a billion questions, one being how we knew each other, how we knew w.k., how much money we had on us.
A. $66. j.w goes to ask "American? I have none."
So she replies, "What about Canadian?"
"20something"
she turns to me and nods, "what about you?"
"zero."
After a gazillion questions, we fill out a form. I finish it within a few seconds, declaring where we were staying (the actual address) and that I am not carrying or importing anything illegal, not bringing anything for my friends or family over, and not having over $10K with me. She asks me, "have you filled a form like this before?" I might have, but I don't recall, so I answer "no." Bad choice. She skeptically says, "You sure finished it fast." (Uh, I can read. But, obviously I missed the date line after my signature because she pointed it out).
Upon completion, she verbally repeats all the question the card asks us if we wanted to retract anything we just said or wanted to add anything, and when we say no, she takes our keys, makes us wait inside and tells j.w that cell phones aren't allowed, and goes outside to inspect our vehicle (even under the hood). I had always thought that we had the right to be present, but I guess not.
So obviously, I'm not very good at answering questions on the spot so on the way back, I made j.w drive and answer all the questions. The only question the guy asked us was how long we were there for, what did we do, how much we were bringing back and if it was my car.
So a girlfriend of mine wants to tell her previous dates that she's not interested but is open to being friends instead. I know I've used a similiar line of "let's be friends" myself, but I've always wondered:
a) does or will the friendship actually continue to work?
b) aside from the fact that the girl is basically rejecting the possibility for a romantic relationship, why do guys hate the dreaded line so much?
Regarding the second point, I think some girls do really hope the friendship continues and sincerely would not mind remaining friends. I know sometimes that works (amidst the awkwardness, or it's overlooked); other times it doesn't. And, if a guy said that to me (and meant it), at least I know that they still cared to keep a friendship going. Then again, I'm not a guy, so I wouldn't know.
The phenomena of giving names to cars is nothing new to me. Many of my guy friends name their cars and even their instruments. Of course, giving a girl's name to them was never a mystery. However, does this tendency only occur in the Asian, or maybe the Candian/American-born Asian, realm? The other day, I had a discussion with two non-Asian guys and a non-Asian girl. They were both familiar with naming cars, but in all the examples they could think, the cars had female names given by females! They could not recollect a male giving a name to their vehicle. Furthermore, they had never heard of people naming their instruments, such as their guitars.
Off again in a few weeks. This time, it's the west coast with the following targets:
Calgary, AB
Edmonton, AB
Jasper, AB
Banff, AB
Lake Louise, AB
Vancouver (and surrounding regions), BC
Seattle (area), WA
If you have any suggestions of places to visit/must-sees, kindly leave me a comment. Keep in mind that while we welcome hiking recommendations, they should be "easy" and should take 1-2 hours maximum if they are in Alberta. If you want to meet up with us in Vancouver or Seattle, please let me know.
The other evening, I went into Blockbuster to rent a free movie (coupon). As I seldom watch movies, I went into the branch with a list on hand requesting to see if they had the titles I had wanted to see...
Me: Do you have "Thank you for smoking"?
Guy [looks at me funny]: Thank you *for* smoking???
Me: Yep.
Guy [looks in database]: Uh, nope.
Me: What about, "Children of a lesser god"?
Guy [looks at me funnier]: You aren't a Christian, are you?
Me [laughs]: Well...actually, the opposite is true.
Guy: Do you have anything else?
(I had thought about asking about "Saved" as well, but after that, I wasn't sure what he'd think!)
As I pass the quarter century mark, I find more and more twentysomethings around me find special someones, get engaged, married and even have children!
This (and talks with a girlfriend) got me thinking. How do twenty and even thirtysomethings find their "one"? By this age, the clubbing scene might not be as appealing, but perhaps introductions of friends of friends can be effective. I think for the more "religious" ones, they can meet more people through their religious circles (for example, churches and conferences); I am not saying that one should go church hopping to go girl/boy shopping, but the chances of meeting new faces at interchurch events are available. Other alternatives, which I know friends who are involved with, could include online dating or paying for matchmaking services as their circle of people they know revolve around work and existing friends. Perhaps joining a club or volunteering for an organization would also help. Sometimes, I wonder if these are means of desperation or are they necessary because otherwise, they would never meet new potentials. How did you or your friends meet - would you say it was a pretty standard way of meeting?
By the way, a warm congratuations to Boy and his girl for their engagement and to my cousin and her husband who is expecting a child :)!
After hearing so much about the canoe trip from last year, I decided to go canoeing with 20 people this time around. Even though I cannot swim, I've been canoeing since I was a child but always paddling up front (leaving the steering to one of my parents). After my first attempt at trying to steer (and going in zigzags) with my partner up front(as it was his first time canoeing - I couldn't get why when he was paddling left, the canoe would go left instead of the other way around), my preference is still to stay front.
At one point of the trip, we had to portage our canoes for about 100 metres. Instead of flipping them, some of us decided to just carry them rightside up by the handles. These canoes didn't feel like fibreglass (looked more plastic) and I thought they were quite heavy to lug with one hand (it's awkward/bulky holding it with two) (I suppose 80lbs for a canoe is not far from what I weigh). Anyhow, halfway through the portage, everyone started to look very overexposed (white - unrecognizable but only by sound); it reminded me of the time I fainted at church - a little scary so I quickly prayed. I sat down, and then decided that it would be better to just lie down so I pretty much collapsed on the grass. I think some cyclists passed by and asked the guys (whom so kindly stayed to make sure I was alright) if I was okay. After lying there and then opening my eyes again, everything seemed okay, so I got up to stand, a little too quickly, for people looked normal for 2 seconds before they became overexposed again which forced me to lie down again. Rather embarassing really - to have to hold up part of the group and be the weakest one in the group.
I don't know what happened there, but with a granola bar and some gatorade, I was up on my feet again and was paddling like normal - this time with another partner. We eventually led the pack, and while we were waiting for the rest to catch up, I think some of the conversations we had were quite meaningful; a good opportunity to get to know another a little better not to mention that the scenery was gorgeous - with waterfalls and herons and greenery along the river.
Tonight's lecture touched upon the trend or common tendency to attribute gender differences not on innate ability but on sociological influences in life (nature vs. nurture in sociology 101 terms). And, if one does dare suggest otherwise on this sensitive subject, consequences may ensue. Case in point: Lawrence H. Summers, former president of Harvard, had suggested that the reason for the gap in genders for certain occupations is due to innate abilities (e.g. boys are better than girls at math/logic as a generalization).
There may also be elements, by the way, of differing, there is some, particularly in some attributes, that bear on engineering, there is reasonably strong evidence of taste differences between little girls and little boys that are not easy to attribute to socialization.
[...]
Somehow little girls are all socialized towards nursing and little boys are socialized towards building bridges. No doubt there is some truth in that. I would be hesitant about assigning too much weight to that hypothesis for two reasons. First, most of what we've learned from empirical psychology in the last fifteen years has been that people naturally attribute things to socialization that are in fact not attributable to socialization.
[...]
So my best guess, to provoke you, of what's behind all of this is that the largest phenomenon, by far, is the general clash between people's legitimate family desires and employers' current desire for high power and high intensity, that in the special case of science and engineering, there are issues of intrinsic aptitude, and particularly of the variability of aptitude, and that those considerations are reinforced by what are in fact lesser factors involving socialization and continuing discrimination.
Perhaps, this is also why he has since resigned and the transcript removed...
Funny how quickly the masses shoot down the idea that aptitude may be intrinsic; yet, on the other hand, if anyone theorizes that homosexuality is not genetic, but rather a sociological influence, he or she is harshly criticized for even thinking such a possibility. The irony.
I have in mind that one of Google's motto is "Don't be evil". What is considered "evil"?
Does knowing where you live (via the labels on Google Earth), knowing who you talk with (via Google Talk/Gmail), who you know (or follow online) (via Google Analytics/Google Reader), what your schedule is like (via Google Calendar), and what you look like (now via Picasa Web Albums) fall under that category? I suppose it could lead to evil. One could hire someone to rob you simply by looking at your calendar and tracking where you live. Hard to stay anonymous in cyberspace that way. The problem? I like using their applications because most of them are free and others pale in comparison. Before, I would not hesitate to jump on a new service, but now, I often hesitate.
Take the legal notice below for example. As an amateur photographer, I usually check the terms and conditions very carefully for what I like to term as "copyright theft" (usually to ensure that photographs submitted to contests and whatnot still belong to the photographer) so I was happy to read in the Picasa Web Albums notice:
Google claims no ownership or control over any Content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through Picasa Web Albums. You or a third party licensor, as appropriate, retain all patent, trademark and copyright to any Content you submit, post or display on or through Picasa Web Albums and you are responsible for protecting those rights, as appropriate.
But to my dismay, I came across this:
By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through Picasa Web Albums, you grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt, distribute and publish such Content through Picasa Web Albums, including RSS or other content feeds offered through Picasa Web Albums, and other Google services. In addition, by submitting, posting or displaying Content which is intended to be available to the general public, you grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, adapt, distribute and publish such Content for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting Google services. Google will discontinue this licensed use within a commercially reasonable period after such Content is removed from Picasa Web Albums.
So essentially, if I am interpreting this correctly, they are able to use your photography for free, without charge through all Google services, even after you remove them. For what does "a commercially reasonable period" mean?
The last laugh I had was this:
Upon the termination of your use of Picasa Web Albums, including upon receipt of a certificate or other legal document confirming your death, Google will close your account and you will no longer be able to retrieve content contained in that account.
Well, if you are dead, one would hope that you would not be able to retrieve content contained in a Google account.
My response to the latest news release from UW? "Finally!"
So, I guess the $10+ part-time job of an attendant checking your bag for stolen library books or reference material will soon end. Perhaps this is an illusioned memory, but I recall asking why they didn't utilize an electronic system to check out books many years ago and the answer was because UW has a bunch of smart students who are in computers and could "easily" create a program to hack the system.
--
Reminder: Purple Creator Photography Contest closes in two weeks!
***
This account has expired and will be removed within 7 days. If you
believe you are still eligible for an account please contact me as
soon as possible.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide computing facilities for more than
one term beyond when you were registered at UW.
If you have graduated, the Alumni Office provides a service called
"E-mail Forwarding for Life". This is mail redirection service and NOT
a real account, but it will allow you distribute a single email address
that you can re-direct to the email address of your choice. Please
visit the Alumni Office website for more information on this and other
services they provide...
And good luck from the ACO staff in all your future endevours!
***
So, please contact me if you do not have any of my other email addresses.
You know you're too deeply immersed into cyberspeak/cyberculture when you're editing a technical report and you have an urge to change the word "flicker" into "flickr".
One day, after winning 30 CDs in a draw (completely unexpected as I didn't even know what I had entered), I decided to organize my collection and came to note the following:
I have over 100 music CDs, even after giving 1/3 to 1/4 of my winnings away
Of which, 90% of them are from Christian bands/music
1/2 of which I don't listen to on a regular basis
90% of them were either given to me or bought for under $10 since late high school/early university (I have this unwritten rule that I cannot spend over $10 per CD)
The total networth of these CDs, if I paid retail price at 10$, would be at least $1000. Wow, that is a huge sum.
Here's your chance to win a CD
Thus, to encourage photography enthusiasts to enjoy the spring season, I am giving away at least 1 of 2 CDs: 12 Stones and Jump 5: Accelerate.
The details:
Submit a original photograph that best fits with either the word purple or creator. One entry per category per photographer/entrant please.
Photographs will only be accepted in digital format no larger than 3 MB sent via email to purplecreator [at] sheepie.net. Please write in the subject line: Purple Creator Submission: Purple or Purple Creator Submission: Creator or your email may be filtered out. If you experience difficulties sending your entry, send me a message via my other email address or IM and I will confirm receipt of your submission.
Please limit photo modifications to basic touch-ups/editing.
Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 PM EST on June 7, 2006.
Profane and/or offensive pictures will be deleted and will not be considered. I realise that art is subjective, but please use your discretion.
Copyright remains with the photographer. Any work submitted must be yours and must not have been sold or have won in prior contests.
By submitting your photograph, you agree to have it displayed on this page and all promotional material relevant to this contest.
Winner will be able to choose one listed CD of his or her choice.
A panel of judges will be voting and will commence after all entries are received.
Shipping/delivery may not be free depending on your location.
The contest is subject to change without notice; I will not be held legally responsible.
Those in the pre-teenage years are no longer referred as being preteens; the hip, modern, contemporary stylish name for them now is tweens. Tweens are often a target of advertising and influence. The message? You can act like a grown up - in fashion, music, lifestyle.
Those in the young adult years, the twentysomethings. Who are they? Sometimes, I wonder if we can call them tweens also - the age of the twenties with the responsiblities of a teenager.
Opinions on this topic are diverse. Dr. A Mohler on Boundless.org dubs these years as Extended Adolescence:
With puberty coming at earlier ages than ever before certainly in the early teens for most Americans the period of time between sexual maturity and marriage is now stretching out into something like an average of 10 to 15 years. The accompanying statistics related to premarital sexual activity parallel the statistics related to the delay of marriage. Can anyone be surprised?[...]The problem may be simple sloth, personal immaturity, a fear of commitment, or an unbalanced priority given to work and profession.
Candice Watters on Boundless.org suggests that we stay home until marriage, which makes me wonder if maturity would be achieved as quickly?
Most of my twentysomething friends back at home are just that - still at home. Granted, some pay rent to their folks but for the most part, it's a low cost for room and board. And, unsurprisingly, unmarried. The ones who are married, have long moved away from the city. Parents forcing their children to move out seems to be a foreign concept in Asian families somewhat. I know if I was still working at home, I'd be living at home.
So, when I read about the twentysomethings who are in debt, are married, have children and even are approaching divorce, I realise how old we really are, or should be.
Where, then, is the happy medium?
---
On a completely irrelevant note:
Looking forward to WPL's podcast heritage walking tours for the Fall!
Any must sees or dos in Newfoundland (& Labrador)? Since flights are relatively inexpensive before peak months, and I have some extra days off work, I may finish off my travels to Canada's East Coast.
On an unrelated note, how does one tell the difference between a cracked/fractured rib, a bruised rib, or a costochondral separation?
Edit: I was listening to this podcast on Aussie's triplej.hack titled, "Dope Wars" and thought it was terribly funny (but sad to have this rep) to hear an Aussie reporter say, "Marijuana is now Canada's biggest agricultural product. In dollar terms, it's three times bigger than the top legal crop, wheat."
Change is a part of growing up. We all expect physical change but what about a change of interests and passions? Recently, I have mentally travelled through my childhood years and tried to pinpoint the source of certain changes.
In primary school, I enjoyed and actively participated in our interpretative dance class. I would also spend hours scriptwriting and acting out plays with my classmates (at school) and my cousins and friends (at home), which later transitioned to producing puppet show performances (at home then at church)- all for fun! I sheepishly admit that my siblings and I even chroeographed a dance to a Christmas song and performed it for my parents one year (what was I thinking?)!
If you know me now, I am far away from that point. I feel very self-conscious when I'm acting or dancing, so I don't do it very often (group band, choreographed dancing or chorus are exceptions). I am not sure what caused this change. Was it a combination of peer approval and conforming to society's expectations?
Physical Education was always my worst subject in in elementary school and some of high school. This was the only subject that brought my grades down. In elementary school, you would get marked for ability, not necessarily on participation (which was what brought my mark up in high school). In the yearly fitness tests, I would fail. I could not climb the ropes (or knew how), failed at doing repeated chin ups, was one of the last picked for group sports such as softball or california kick ball. My coordination was never great and I am still not a natural athlete. Who would've ever expected that I would play ice hockey or badminton later in life (though not good, but still...)? I think the encouragement and patience of those willing to teach me really made a difference. That is likely the source of change here (though I still avoid baseball, softball, and volleyball at all costs).
So, I would say that depending on who or what influences you, will result in positive or negative changes in your life and your attitudes/perspectives. I guess this also holds true towards spirtual matters.
By now, some of us has seen the widely spread video titled, Yellow Fever. I did not take the time to analyze this thoroughly as others may have. I just treat the phenomenom as a part of our multi-cultural society or write it off as a trend.
Over the years, I have seen the influence of Asian culture into our non-Asian society (as a whole) whether through tattoos, Asian fusion foods, nomenclature (e.g. css Zen Garden), furniture (even Wal-Mart has oriental-styled lamps now from $7.98), or even clothing. I am not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for those with incorrect Chinese characters permanently inked on their skin or what to make of a non-Asian wearing a floral printed top with two randomly positioned Chinese characters that, when pieced together, says, "Christmas" when it is no longer Christmas. Do they know what they are sporting?
Why, by the way, is the word, "Oriental" more derogatory in nature than "Asian"?
How would you define authenticity? Could you tell the difference between what is authentic and what is not?
On the weekend, my relatives told us all about their trip to China. Of all the pictures I saw, I also took away new terms for "fan ban" (imitation) products. In Asia, many counterfeit goods are abundant, but are often distinguishable with variations - take 'Calvin Klien' for example. Sometimes, one can go to lengths to imitate every detail that only those who have a keen eye can decipher the difference; these are "A-Class" replicas.
I have a watch, much like the above, with the correct colors and spelling; but the only difference is that the metal feels/looks cheaper and if you take apart the pins (to adjust the strap), they are a rustic brown. Upon further comparison, one also realises that the official water resistance depth is 100M as opposed to 300M and that the original has a date dial built in as well.
Similarly, would your opinion of magazines decrease if you found out that certain magazines are almost entirely 100% advertising? Not too long ago, I realised that it is the norm for companies to PAY magazines to write articles for them. I had always thought that writers were paid by the magazine's company to write, instead of having others pay them to write (that is, use this outlet as a means for advertising space). I feel that the credibility of such magazines (often, "trade publications") have since declined in my mind. Most of these offer "free" subscriptions to qualified individuals and they never stop coming! Granted, some of these do contain some hidden gems (good articles) but "authenticity" (fair, objective writing) seems less realistic.
After hearing this on a local radio station, I decided to look up the lyrics. Please sing the chorus of the song below to the tune of Father Abraham; it's titled Father Elephant by Elephant Man:
Father Elephant Why Mek dem dance? (why mek dem Dance)
Mek Dance Ya Father Elephant
Everybody Love to dance
And So Do You
So lets Just Scooby Doo (SCOOBAY)
Everybody Scooby Doo
Just Scooby Doo
Everybody just wan do Scooby Doo
Everybody Love to dance
And So Do You
So lets Just Scooby Doo
Now, I can't get this chorus out of my head - the song even does the whole "right hand, left hand; right foot, left foot" part!
Early this month, I dropped by a local job/career fair. This time, I was on the other side; I was one who currently had a job and was no longer a student. On impromptu, I stood-in to represent a company for a brief 20 minutes which ultimately became the highlight of my day.
As I walked around to see what job opportunities were available and speaking to some people, I took note of some observations:
Be confident. Take comfort in knowing that there are employer reps who are new to this as much as you are. If you are a job seeker, know that the employer reps want to talk to you as much as you want to talk to them; otherwise, they wouldn't be there. If you are an employer rep, speak confidently - you have the advantage, the power to hire; represent well.
Job Seekers: If you are with your friend and are looking for the same type of jobs, make sure you have your friend introduce himself (instead of introducing him as well). However, the employer may remember you as one who takes initiative, thus leaving a stronger impression.
Employers: have material available that describes what your company does and where you are located, especially if your focus is in a specialized field. If a prospect doesn't recognize your company, chances are that they won't recognize your product (unless you are a company that has a very well known product across all industries). Otherwise, you will find that you are trying to explain who you are most of the time.
Job Seekers: Don't force your rsum onto a company just because you have a pile that you want to get rid of, especially if the company encourages you to apply online and if you express that you don't really want to relocate. I am very tempted to toss those out and even if I don't, I put them in a different pile. I think if someone genuinely likes you, they will ask for and take your rsum gladly (and put an A+ on it, as someone noted).
Employers: Learn the local lingo. If you are hiring through local schools, note their job search engine names (e.g. "Job Mine") so you can help students find you. Note to self: know which terms you're hiring for and whether they should apply online, in person, or via the school.
Employers: Grab a bite before the fair. You will meet people all day and if you are by yourself, you risk losing great potentials or starving. I was at one booth where there were two people who wanted to find out more about a camp (much like Camp Goodtimes), but the booth was empty.
As I was researching the candidates for the KW riding, I was surprised to learn that I knew (or met) two of those running in other ridings: David Matta and Darrel Reid. If I was back home, I would vote for David. I had the privilege of working with him, and (his then fianc?) Laura-Dawn Regular (a Newfie!). In our roles, we had to interact with the public, and these two were very passionate about what they did and were naturally likeable. They were people of integrity and put forth their very best. They contributed to a very enjoyable term working together as a team.
Ironically enough, about the same time, I met Darrel Reid, then president of Focus on the Family. He seemed to be an approachable man that many respected. Unfortunately, I was not feeling well one evening, and missed out on a dinner invitation with him and a few others.
I think it would be an interesting term should either of these two win against the odds.
And, that is as far as any political endorsements that I am voicing for now as politics only make me feel that life is a big game of Risk.
I wake up thanking God for this weather (as selfish as it is because the warmth is affecting our oil drilling and other industries in other parts of our nation).
To think that where we are usually freezing in sub-zero temperatures, we are getting an early spring thaw with a week of above-zero temperatures, ending in a high of a plus 10C.
Poor Vancouver people, 26 consecutive days of rain as of Thursday.
The University of Waterloo issued a press release today, beginning with:
UW welcomes federal investments in research and innovation
WATERLOO, Ont., Jan. 12 - The University of Waterloo welcomes today's announcement of federal investments in research and innovation. At the Markham Civic Centre this morning, Prime Minister Paul Martin pledged $180 million in new support for four research and development initiatives if his government is re-elected.
My initial feeeling is that the University wants the Liberals to win. Are they attempting to influence the way we vote?
What better to ring in the new year with a fresh look? While little adjustments need to be made here and there, I hope that you can start this new year fresh as well.
As I watched the CTV news last night after watching CSI, the scene and the topic at hand made me wonder if I was watching CSI. Now that we know that the swingers lifestyle is perfectly okay in Canada (and no, it's not in reference to those who swing dance), why bother watching porn in 2D when you can watch it live in person and interact with it? O_o
If you drive or own a car, you must be familiar with pulling into a gas station every so often to fill your fuel tank to keep the car running so that you can get places. What do your fueling habits look like?
Do they resemble that of:
my father, who fills up the entire tank every time he pulls into a gas station, at his convenience, no matter the price;
my friend, an accountant, who runs until the gas light comes on and even beyond the empty indicator until the very last moment before filling up; or,
me, who watches and waits until gas prices drop to the most reasonable amount before filling up, even if I am still half full?
When do you refuel? Are you like me who at full, does not look at the gas needle much when driving but as the guage falls under the middle line and gas has not dropped, I become more conservative in my driving, keeping a closer eye at the needle?
I look at my refueling habits and see that it's not very far from what I do spiritually; I do not "fill up" as often as I should. I think it's easy to coast on full and not refuel until one hits empty, even sometimes taking the risk to see how long one can continue on for beyond empty before coming to a forced stop. With fuel being free, the only excuse I see as holding me back is "convenience", which is akin to self-reliance. Sometimes, instead of depending on fuel to get me going, I tend rely on my own strength and efforts to push myself forward. How much spiritual fuel do you have left in your inner tank?
After finishing up the book of Hebrews last night, j.w reminded me that that Rome is, in fact, situated in Italy. Does that mean that Romans are the same as Italians? But, that wasn't what I wanted to write about.
In Chapter 10 v32-39, Paul writes:
Remember those early days after you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse--some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing they couldn't touch your real treasure. Nothing they did bothered you, nothing set you back. So don't throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It's still a sure thing! But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion.
It won't be long now, he's on the way;
he'll show up most any minute.
But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust;
if he cuts and runs, I won't be very happy.
But we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
That night, I remember asking myself how did people managed to hold on to the hope and Paul's promising words, and even until now, though Christ has still not returned after some 2000 years, people are still clinging to that promise. Were the people in Paul's time disappointed when they didn't live long enough to have their hopes fulfilled? I rolled over and fell asleep with those questions in my mind.
Turns out, the next chapter held the key, the answers. Seems as if Paul knew that the recipients of his letter would ask the same questions. The heading summarizes the topic quite well: Faith in What We Don't See. Paul provided examples of people who did not know the outcome of their actions and yet took some pretty risky choices all in faith. Maybe that's how people keep on going when they see others who did and who continue doing the same.
As with other lyric excerpt postings, I think I will have to modify my self-imposed rule: lyric postings are okay as long as relate to the surrounding text and not just there to fill up empty space (like filler for essays).
Take this one for example by Simple Plan titled Crazy:
Tell me what's wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They wont stop 'til they've reached their dreams
Diet pills, surgery
Photo chopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn't make sense to me
Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what's going on?
Tell me what's going on
If you open your eyes
You'll see that something is wrong...
These lyrics are at the other end of the spectrum; they cry for hope and reflect reality, speaking against the fantasy-like songs (e.g. My Humps) and bringing up social issues and injustices that surround us today. Are lyrics meaningful? Afterall, a child's protest against parental disapproval for a song/group often is, "Mom, the beat/tune is catchy - I don't really pay attention to the lyrics."
Have you ever wondered what the little tiny black text that is affixed to the side of your right view mirror means?
Does it mean the objects in the mirror (the reflection) only appear to be closer than the objects are really (ie. a magnification of reality) OR are the objects (in reality) closer than what they appear to be in the mirror (ie. a zoomed out view of reality)?
How would one go about developing an interest or managing investments such as RRSPs, mutual funds, and even taxes? I have never had any interest in finance, even though I knew that it would affect me directly eventually. In high school, as chairperson of our youth group, I let the treasurer handle our budget and funds (that's her fort) and my parents helped me start up the habit of saving money with short long-term deposits. In university, I avoided all economics and business courses because I was simply not interested. I do not regularly watch the stock market, read business reports, or even follow the news. I only do more than the minimum for practicality reasons, not because I really understand or enjoy it.
That doesn't mean I want to give away my money, but is it unhealthy to care about finance in that way?
As I was about to order tickets for a show that Gracie and I are attending tomorrow night, I pictured my co-workers thinking very strange thoughts about me if they overheard me say:
Hi, may I order two tickets for Porn Nation please?
I didn't think that would go over too well in the work environment. So, I just picked up the phone and requested for two tickets to "tomorrow night's showing". The attendant said, "Oh, you mean Our Town?" to which I said "No..." so he said, "Porn Nation?"
The second time I called to add another ticket to my order, I specifically said, "I ordered two tickets for the 8 pm show for tonight, may I order one more?" To my dismay, he asked me which one (ironically, they start at the same time). Response? "[mumble]Nation".
My Humps by Black Eyed Peas is sitting on the Top 10 and has even been #1 for awhile. And, I thought that Don't cha was a questionnable song!
The lyrics and their implications are so crass/graphical that I can't even type out an excerpt here because I find it terribly disturbing, especially to realise that the catchy beat (and the rhymes) really stick the lyrics and music into one's head. At least I'm forced to question, are more and more girls/women like this? Or, is it just some fantasy that Black Eye Peas is pushing to its audience in the form of music? If this was acted on film, I'm not sure that it would receive a rating for a general audience. But we know, as usual, sex (or everything sensually sexual) sells.
Sport Mart - an experience of good customer service. During a trip to Sport Mart, the girl at the cash charged me PST on the youth clothing I bought. Thinking that making a correction would be quick, I turned around and asked if I could get the PST back. The guy took over and initially, he was going to refund me $8. Because I lack quick math skills, I just handed over my credit card.
If the story ends here, I would've received a pair of shorts for free (savings of $10) plus an additional $6 dollars (from PST) - a total of $16.
But, j.w stopped the cash dude and said that $8 was double the total PST on the receipt so how could it be right? The guy first objected and said he was following the computer's output, but soon realised the logic of j.w question. Thus, he took another 15 minutes to reverse my transaction and place it through again. In the process, we all realised that the girl had only charged me for 1 pair of shorts when I had bought 2, so I interjected a question similar to, "Is there a policy to honor an employee's mistake?" He gave me the shorts. Plus, my $1.92 in PST.
This was the second fatal motorcycle accident that occured outside a church I attend. My heart wrenched even more when I realised that the red blood that was seeping down the slopes of the street in two different places were not fresh, but 8 hours old. As I walked further, I noticed a lone helmet lying a distance away from the melted and twisted Suzuki. One couldn't imagine anyone surviving and two were definitely invovled. The radio reports confirmed the deaths of 3; the lone helmet must have belonged to the passenger of the bike.
This again hits home as I know friends who ride (and can easily reach those speeds - and trust me, 200 km/hr does not feel very fast on one of these, even as a passenger). I went on the GTAforums to read about the community's thoughts and well, the responses differ vastly from the one people at my church witnessed. Last time OverKill suggested anything negative, everyone shot him down, but this one, it seems like people have a completely different attitude. Different circumstances? Difference province/location? Either way, I pray that by His grace, Good will result in this tragedy. May those who don't already have the real thing find Your comforting peace.
As I was following links today, I found Placeopedia, a merge of Google Map with Wikipedia. From there, I discovered Port Mann Bridge, which then linked to Surrey, which then spoke of the late Chuck Cadman.
What? Chuck Cadman is dead?! That is news to me. Wikipedia just told me some news, one that shows how out of touch I am with the world.
"No matter what I do / All I think about is you / Even when I'm with my Boo / Boy, you know I'm crazy over you ..."
In 2002/2003, I made my mom listen to the song. She rather liked it (I was trying to show her that not all hiphop was hardcore rap and was harsh on the ears. I was shocked; I made sure to explain what the lyrics meant in Chinese but she said that type of lyrics is very common among c-pop).
Though, I'm not here to discuss about the song but rather two choices:
Need direction in your life after graduation? Looking to hear from other professionals in your industry? Willing to listen to inspiring and motivational speakers?
Sign up for a one day conference or visit the website to find out more: Project Comtempo.
Hmm. Now, we have tiny fruit(?)flies; they're inside my house! AHHH, I was 100% free of them, until now.
Edit: AH ha, one of my friends told me that the culprit was BANANAS! So I suggested that they were turning brown and my housemate moved it into the fridge = no more fruitflies!
New term = new housemates. This term will be a first of many firsts. I will be living with two strangers. I have already come to the conclusion that living with guys has a couple of inconveniences:
fear of them opening the wrong bathroom drawer/cupboard
fear of leaving unmentionables in the open by accident
seeing the toilet seat UP - generally ok now
hearing loud snoring - though now, I feel right at home
Buying a car is akin to finding a boyfriend; each needs to be "parent approved" to have peace.
Buying a car is akin to finding a boyfriend; each are big purchases - time, money, commitment.
Buying a car is akin to finding a boyfriend; "hmmm, looks or personality?"
I would like to think that I am a relatively clean person. I wash the dishes, sweep, mop and/or vacuum semi-regularly, wipe the counter and table before and after a meal, wash the toilet and sink to prevent residue from growing, rinse my cans and bottles before throwing them out, clean the fridge and microwave when needed, etc.
Finally, after concluding that my housemate was not going to come back for the remainder of his belongings, I decided to clean out his leftovers from my fridge. I threw out the molded fried chicken, the half-eaten pork, and flushed the beef soup down the toilet. Normally, I don't waste food as I make enough to be consumed throughout the week but this were his leftovers.
With one more day until garbage day, I walked outside this morning on my way to work and to my utmost horror, I saw a white slimey worm by my recycling bin. Then, I looked around and to my dismay, saw more. Maggots! Dear me, all over my porch! They were squirming all over, having a party! I thought, "Great, here I was telling Skipperloo how digusting his housemate N. was for leaving his pot/pan out unwashed so that maggots would grow all over the pot and stove, and now it happens to me." The worst part is that garbage day is not until tomorrow!
Now, I am sitting at my desk contemplating on my fate. Should I throw out the entire garbage can or try to kill the entire army with a spray (or as PT suggested, with Vodka and setting them on fire)? Squishing them by foot would take too long, and they don't die easily either. I tried. I purposely stepped on one, and like a pillow, it just sprang right back into its previous form. Either way, I would need to attack these and drag my garbage can onto my lawn somehow so that the garbageman can come empty its contents. Am I ever thankful for curbside garbage pickup!
Already, I dread going into Canadian Tire to inquire about what can kill maggots. I already envision a conversation transpiring into one like:
Sales: Lady, did you find what you were looking for?
Me: Uhm, no. Uh, do you have something that kills maggots?
Sales: *Eyes widen* and slowly distances himself away
and thinks: gross, this person must be very unclean! unclean!!unclean! stay away!
Sales: Yeah, we have just the solution...
and thinks: I wonder what she did?
Edit: Actually, the conversation went more like this:
Me: Do you know how to get rid of maggots?
Sales: *eyes widen* and thinks: gross, this person must be very unclean! unclean! unclean!
Sales: This is one insect that I have yet to get rid of myself.
...
(instead of thinking : I wonder what she did?)
Sales: (out loud) I don't even want to know what you threw in there that would've attracted maggots within 1 week.
Me: it was only meat...
I think I will have nightmares to come.
Conclusion for today? That's why we ladies need chivalrous knights. Here's your call. Is there a hero out there to save a damsel in distress? :) (I am in much distress, I get goosebumps thinking about this.)
Edit: They shrivelled up and died when I poured bleach on them and then followed up with boiling hot water. How anti-climatic.
is wanting to sit at home and not be social during weekdays/nights normal? Often, after work hours, I feel guilty for turning down hanging out with acquaintances/friend(s) or spend money on social activities and especially to farther away places. Maybe it's a different lifestyle choice with those that live in Toronto (a big city) and those whose "home" is here. Or, maybe it's just me.
remember the post about my lost belongings at bingemans? Well, I visited their administration office after they told me that I would need to come down personally to see if anything was found. The chances of finding lost goods realistically is slim, if next to nil, but I went anyway. The receptionist only found a missing sunglasses and a wallet (that were not mine) in her collection but when she paged another lady, she came back with my Roots watch! I was surprised, and hope soared. Perhaps, the rest of my missing goods were in the collection too. So, we followed her into a room and sorted through a box of shoes to find my pair of Adidas sneakers, a box of misc items to find my cosmetic bag containing my contacts, and briefly looked at five or six stacks of neatly folded towels but didn't bother looking through them to see if a red one was in there. I am utterly amazed at the rate of return of (stolen?) lost goods at Bingemans.
Being small is really an advantage, at times.
The approximate breakdown for my hockey equipment:
New
Jr. shoulder pads $30
Jr. shin pads $20
Jr. elbow pads $10
Jr. pants $30
Jr. gloves $20
Socks $5
Helmet $40
Practice Jersey $11.50
Tape $10
Used
Stick free
Skates $20
Total? Approximately $200! Yipes, I can't believe that's considered "inexpensive". And, I won't comment at the incompetence and quality of service of the cashiers at the Forzani Group, aka SportChek. Why do they hire teenagers who are not properly trained?
Change, though often painful, can be good. A person's life is a living testimony, a witness to others how God (and/or time) can change us for the better. A young, nave frosh I once knew came into university with an attitude of opinion and confidence, two qualities that can be positive. However, too much of either generally turns me away. Over the last few years, he has matured with more gentleness and a humble spirit. He will graduate not only knowing more academically or having experienced more, but he will graduate as one who has allowed to be molded.
joeya is another example. I met him (and Wayne) in my first year during a trip to Owen Sound/Blue Mountain for a worship seminar. However, for the rest of his time as an undergrad, I never had a chance to get to know him too well and I don't know if he cared to get to know the others around him either. Yet, our paths crossed; we somehow met last year and had gelato together in Vancouver. I had a glimpse of who this joeya was - a spark seemed to have ignited in his life. This joeya was a completely different joeya that I "knew" (or, otherwise observed) from before - you can feel it (the Spirit?) emanate from within. And, reading his blog yesterday really confirmed this to me.
The conclusion for today? People can tell (though may not be able to pinpoint it) the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. And, I thank God for showing me how He works in others, for the change inside of them.
I shall leave you with the partial lyrics to The Change Inside of Me by MercyMe that seem to reflect what these lives are saying to me:
Pardon me
If I've been acting strange
I haven't been myself lately
What you see
Is a person rearranged
Someone affected me greatly
And I've got so much to say
Ever since Jesus looked my way
Gonna raise my voice like thunder
And leave the world in wonder of the change
The change inside of me
And I will never stop believing
That you are the reason for this change
The change inside of me...
Lost in translation: Guava is mentioned in the Bible! mmmm :9 Myrtle translated to Chinese and back into English is guava - although dictionary.com tells me otherwise; they are two completely different plants.
BrockU's caf's french fries tastes exactly like McDonald's; they are yummy!
Guys are like waffles and girls are like spaghetti; one tends to think in boxes and stay on topic (like waffles) while the other think in all sorts of random directions (like spaghetti). And, j.w is spaghetti.
A lumberjack friend warms his home (and family) with an external pre-assembled furnace which relies on firewood! and it heats the water too. impressive!
When I take a look at the lives around me, I sometimes wonder if I am seeing a mirror image of my life once upon a time. I feel helpless, seeing lives fall apart and then mend in the ways that they only know how. In stories, the narrator often contrasts the protagonist against an antagonist. Thus, the protagonist captures the heart of the audience; Spider-Man wins over the Green Goblin.
But, who is the narrator in real life? Do we choose sides with the "good" or the "bad" guys on the basis of a non-omniscient narrator or the consequences of their choices? I really hope, as friends, we don't send the hurting away. Even the "bad" guys may very well need our support.
Sometimes, I mend my life the way I only know how. I don't want others to go through the same.
You may catch the familiar tune of Mariah Carey's song Hero humming from nearby radios with the chorus that begins with:
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive"
The recent trend in producing superhero movies (X-Men, the Incredibles, Batman Begins are among the few) speaks more of good vs. evil; the girl seems to fall for a guy who has hero-like qualities. During the first screening of a the movie, two questions form in my mind: i) will the superhero tell the girl who he is and ii) will the superhero walk away from the love interest?
Why do the masses flock to theatres to see a story that tends to have a similiar storyline, a predictable ending? Do we want to believe that we can become heros or that good will overcome evil?
John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart tells us the secret of a man's soul:
A Battle to fight. An Adventure to live. A Beauty to rescue. This is what a man longs for. This is what makes him come alive. Look at the films men love. For that matter, look at the dreams of little boys, the games they play. There is something fierce, passionate, and wild in the heart of every man. That is how he bears the image of God. And the reason that most men "live lives of quiet desperation" (Thoreau) is because men have been told that the reason God put them on earth is to be a good boy. To be nice.
God designed men to be dangerous. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk.
So, after not playing n64 for 3 years (last time I did was in Ottawa at my cousin's place), i started playing it again. I find it terribly amusing when guys have certain stereotypes of girls (like "not many girls like playing video games"). Instead of the BlackBerry thumb, I'm starting to feel the n64 thumb from playing too much Smash Brothers - but only my left thumb because of trying to constantly avoid my opponents/friends. I'm much better at driving games :).
the other day, someone rang the doorbell before i had a chance to wake up. thinking that s/he would go away should the door be left unanswered, i ignored it. to my dismay, the doorbell ringer continued the pattern 4-5 times before i hurriedly changed out of my clothes, and opened the door to find my friend helpless because she lost her wallet.
2 days ago, my brother messaged me to see if i was around. because we are on different time zones, we often miss each other and play IM tag. usually, if i'm not, he just gives up. a day later, he messagees me again, and when i connected to my family via telephone, he wanted to know if he could borrow my shuffle to bring to work. wow, all that for a simple question. and i thought it was important too :p.
last week, i was in a meeting. during the meeting, i received a call from my housemate. if voicemail wasn't sufficient enough, he called me 4 other times within the next 5 minutes. because my phone was on vibrate, my coworkers gave me a funny look when it kept buzzing. the reason for the urgency? to see if i needed a ride. the first voicemail i received would have been sufficient...or i would have called him back anyway since i had call display...
aside - these are assumptions based on the clues left behind - what desperate girl would steal a grocery bag with a towel, my shampoo, old pair of runners? i suppose the roots watch would've done it, though i'm doubtful that it would fit many. through this, i have more reason to give thanks!
- thankful that the thief(?) left behind a pair of shorts and my tank to change into.
- thanks to gracie for her kind offer/generous gift to make me feel much better (even though it wasn't her fault at all!)
- thankful that nothing else went missing especially our wallets, etc. that although we had toyed with the idea of not locking our belongings, i firmly ensured we did
(long story short - one locker was broken, so we moved our belongings from one to another, but got distracted halfway and forgot to move the rest.)
God is good. I have a new housemate! Of course, the joys of a new housemate isn't always joyous but this one is special - his schedule works perfectly with mine; he gets up, takes a shower and gets out of the house before I even get out of bed (so no fighting with the washroom)! Maybe I'll learn to like housemates again :). At least, I'll have someone to play N64 with - but I have to make sure he does his homework so he doesn't fail summer school. Will I learn to be less selfish and more considerate with a housemate around? Hehe, one amusing thing is that I will likely instill some bad habits into him. Today, I brought his glass of juice up to him and told him that he could drink and eat in his room if he wished as long as he was careful, and I could tell that he was quite pleased with that. I guessed as much that his parents (and mine) don't approve of drinking and eating outside the designated eating area of the house.
Does anyone know how I can play CDs that are idiotically "enhanced" so that it can't be played on a PC (specifically at work, which is running Windoze 2000)? Instead, when you try to view the files, it only shows the video. website files.
Although we didn't advance past our first game in ice hockey playoffs, I learned a lot about people this term just by observing them on the ice. Some people are very aggressive and violent when aggravated, some take "orders" well while others don't. One star player in my eyes is J. He has been a source of encouragement right from the start - always giving kind words (and tips) that help me push myself even harder, even though I may not improve or I miss key moves. I would go as far to say that has the gift of encouragement, especially on the ice. What a blessing; I owe him much thanks for keeping me motivated on the ice!
As I grow older and older, I see my friends getting happily married one after another. 4 of my friends that I knew since high school are now married (2 to each other), a few are engaged, and 1 even has a baby girl! One of my fears, aside from how I will die, is my wedding day (assuming that I will get married); it almost feels like the bittersweet glee/dread of my baptism day, where I had to face a blur of people. How do couples do it?
Post Canada Day remarks: I really like how in Ottawa, people seem more festive when it comes to Canada - a sea of red and white can be seen all around :). I really also am happy for Alan, the guy who works at MK. One of the reasons why I really like(d) MK (aside from the food) is the service that he gave us - he liked to joke around and even gave us a discount. When we went for lunch on Sunday (my first time in a couple years), I noticed the restaurant really changed - a new tv, fan, and a new clock on the wall; the wait staff were totally different so I thought it was now under new management and he left. But, when I paid, I found out that Alan now owns the place but he was with his wife and kid in Toronto enjoying the long weekend :).
"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:4-14
As we walked around downtown Ottawa this past long weekend, I was amazed at the number of people who proclaimed that the world was going to end. One "busker" even had a crowd listening to him as he drew diagrams, another "preached" via what sounded like rap, and yet another had a sign saying that the end of the world was on July 24th, and the only way to repentance was through Jesus. I haven't seen so many of these in awhile, and it reminded me of the man who was trying to give away free Gideon Bibles at the intersection of Eaton Centre. To balance that out, if I was in Ottawta for the very first time, I would say that racism also thrives there. As the four of us were walking back on Sparks Street from watching, In the Mood for Love at Bytowne Cinema, we heard remarks like "China!" or "Ni hao!" from people walking by and laughing, or even from across the street - not like all of us were Chinese. What really bothered me was that one of them had a kid sitting on top of his shoulders; what a role model.
Speaking of which, that film (by Wong Kar Wai) was the first Chinese that I have seen in a very long time that was artistically abstract (vague) and ended up to be quite good (much better than Hero) - quite suiting for Cannes. The cinematography was done exceptionally well and the symbols and themes (songs, scenes, shots, etc.) were perfect for classroom (or discussion) analysis. I am interested in seeing the sequel - 2046. My only complaint was that the story was a little slow, the characters' facial expressions were somewhat lacking, and certain scenes didn't make too much sense.
We often hear that life compared to a road, noteably in a poem by Robert Frost titled, the Road Less Travelled. Yet, sometimes, I wonder if life, especially our spiritual journey, is really as simple as the fork in the road - take the wrong turn when you're travelling up the Y-shaped road to your destination, and you're left wandering to an abyss.
I feel that life is sometimes more like the runs on Cypress (or even in SSX3!). When the sky is clear and you can see where you are going, you know not to take the runs that you cannot do or fear holds you back. However, in zero visibility, it's easy to take the wrong turn on Collins (green) and end up on Hutch (blue). You realise that you've made a wrong turn very quickly when you are speeding down and lose control. But, by then, there is no turning back. The only comfort is that Hutch goes right back onto Collins, the path that you had intended and started to take. Veering of the path here, won't leave you at a dead end; the detour you took will still bring you to the destination. If one is already on the right path, it may take longer to reach the destination, but the end is still in sight.
...Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost
I just don't get it. Why do girls like to show off their epidermis when they're riding on the back of a motorcycle? I'm not sure that protecting their brains with a helmet would really help, if anything should happen to their bike. Do they realise how fast a bike can go and especially so on the highway? At 200 kms/hr (or more), your epidermis is at a greater risk of rubbing hard against the friction of the pavement. First of all, riding a bike is already risky. And although one could still get hurt in leather, padded gear, or denim, wearing a tube top or shorts is like having unprotected sex. So, while safe sex is not 100% safe, it's better than not being protected right? Of course, there's always abstinence.
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?
Don't cha, Don't cha
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me?
Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me?
Don't cha, Don't cha
the lyrics of this song is pretty disturbing - what disturbs me is that much content in songs as such these days are reflective of reality. and this one in particular allows you consider certain scenarios and makes you wonder:
who is this "me"? a girl? one of his fantasies? - sounds like competition. i'll label the competition here as a girl, the girlfriend as being female, and the person directed to in this monologue as a guy for reference sake.
obviously the guy and this girl know each other, but he has a girlfriend, and she's not her. so, is this guy a player?
why doesn't this guy dump his girlfriend if this girl is who she says she is? (not to mention that she makes the girlfriend sound worthless) - or, is it mutual non-commitment between the guy and the girl?
why does this guy even have a girlfriend?
does his girlfriend know? and if so, does she care?
who is to "blame" in this scenario? the girl, the girlfriend, the guy, all or neither of them?
who are we to feel "sorry"/bad for in this scenario? the girl, the girlfriend, the guy, all or neither of them?
Well, as the last in my family to purchase my own car, I think it's time. I'll have to look at what is reasonable and then go test driving...wheee! The only problem is that I look 18 years old so I don't know if they will let me test drive it without a rep present. Maybe I'll just dress up a bit. Any co-test driver volunteers?
Myth or fact?
All guys have ulterior motives when it comes with friendships with girls. If a guy meets and girl and becomes friends with her, the conscious or unconscious motive behind that is because he is interested in her beyond the friendship level.
Many girls have told me this to be true, and if it is, I would likely think much less of all of my guy friends now. Though, at times, I wonder if another motive is because he is interested in your girl friend. A friend and I also discussed whether most girls will tend say yes if a half-decent guy/friend comes along and asks her out.
Edit: speaking of friends, our girls group ended up on the topic of gossip. Turns out, certain people talk to you only when they want information/news. One girl's mother had wise guidance for her: handle those "friends" differently than you would with others. I'm comforted by the fact it is not a unique pet peeve.
From my cube, I can see the changing colours on the leaves of our trees. Yes, that's right, spring lasted a few weeks, summer a few days, and now autumn has come! I miss BC summers.
my last name isn't wong, nor do i really care for cosmetic products that cost $180 HKD (~$30 CDN) to make my skin whiter. boy, if they had sales people like they do here, people would be buying like crazy; so much pressure (though i guess a point goes to them for service). it's funny though, in north america, many go to tanning beds and slather on copper/bronzers or tanning lotions to achieve a golden tan (ie. read dark skin), whereas in korea and especially in hong kong, they use every sort of milk lotion and facial products to achieve white, fair skin. i'm not sure what's healthier - bleaching your skin with peroxide (hypothesizing) or soaking in uv rays. why can't either be content with their own colour of skin?
Today's article on Boundless.org reminded me about Matthew 19:10-12, a passage I recently came across as I read the Message:
Jesus' disciples objected, "If those are the terms of marriage, we're stuck. Why get married?"
But Jesus said, "Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn't for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked--or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you're capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it."
Now, that is a powerful calling: "if you're capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it". I don't think I will ever understand the largeness of marriage or if I will ever get there but at least it gives me hope, as growing is a part of an ongoing process; it is not a one-step requirement.
Young girls may often dream of her guy, wedding, car, home, and family in her childhood. I recall playing MASH in grade school where luck would choose what your life would be like in your later years. The letters stood for Mansion, Apartment, Shack, and House. If you were lucky, you'd end up marrying the cutest guy in your class, drive a ferrari, and end up in a mansion.
Now that I'm living on my own, I've had a chance to think of what I'd like in my ideal home. Aside from falling in love with the Seagram Lofts (which has since broken my undesire to live in a condo), here's what's on my list (that will be surely expanding):
- high ceilings
- large and/or ample windows for daylight
- central vacuum and air
- built-in water softener/filter (if not in vancouver)
- front porch/bedroom balcony
- garburator
- kitchen fan that actually takes the smells, etc. outside instead of recirculating it in the house
- separate switch for fan and light in washrooms
- double sink in kitchen with moveable spray tap
- island in kitchen
- kitchen has a window or has natural daylight
- dishwasher
- tree outside (with tire swing perhaps?)
- garage (double?) with door leading into the house
- modern look
- full ensuite bathroom from master bedroom
- light on ceiling in all bedrooms
- walk-in closet(s) (to hide your mess :P)
Avoid: jb's Mongolian Grill
Mongo was bad. Ordered from menu because it was cheaper and the description sounded pretty decent for the price of $4.95: a medley of vegetables in a rice wrap with a spicy Thai sauce. My salad was limpy, wrinkled and brown, the tomato had brown spots and although my vegetarian rice wrap was spicy, it lacked flavour and the dipping sauce had the consistency of corn starch. It's funny how in 1 hour, I see 6 people walk by the plaza that I know.
Try: Benny's
Breakfast at Benny's - breakfast specials include 2 eggs, 4 pieces of bacon/sausage or ham, choice of toast, homefries, and refried beans for $3.49. Mmm :9!
--
I met my neighbour(s) the other night, which is pretty cool considering I don't make it a habit to get to know my neighbours (probably chatted with him for a good 10-15 minutes). Turns out, he's the guy that my computer is named after (that sounds rather stalkerish I know). Thankfully, he doesn't mind me using his wireless :). They even came over to ask me to go out to chill with them a few days later.
--
In the bilingual school that we use for Sunday School, I came across the lyrics of a song that rather amused me. I wanted to leave it with you to end off this post :
Be kind to your parents, though they don't deserve it.
Remember they're grownups, a difficult stage of life.
They're apt to be nervous and over-excited, confused from their daily storm and strife.
Just keep in mind, just keep in mind, thought it sounds odds, and I know,
I know, most parents were children long ago. Incredible!
So treat them with patience and sweet and understanding in spite of the foolish things they do (coda).
Someday you may wake up and fimd you're a parent too.
Be kind to your parents, be kind to your parents.
Be kind though they don't deserve it. Remember they're grownups. A difficult stage of life. Uh-huh. They're apt to be nervous and over excited, confused from their storm and strife. (Ds al coda)
(Coda). Someday you may wake up find you're a parent too! Incredible!
What do you get when you combine the web and a log? Yep, a weblog. When you truncate it, you get the common term, blog.
So then, what do you get when you combine an ipod and a broadcast? An ipodbroadcast. When truncated, podcast.
Podcast, the "in" of the moment. I don't remember where I first heard of the term, but it made greater sense when Wired featured articles that surrounded podcasting and radioshows in the March issue. The other day, I decided to give podcasting a try with the iPodder. While most of them are really raw and unprofessional, I highly recommend CBC Radio's Technology Column /Nerd.
At /Nerd, Todd Maffin educates his listeners on the latest technology and trends (like Podcasting!). Even if I miss /Nerd on the radio, with iPodder (and a soon to come iPod Shuffle), I can now be updated when /Nerd is pushed to me via an RSS subscription and stored to my iPod automatically. I think I'm addicted.
oreo was very well behaved the first night she slept with me, but this morning, she climbed all over me at 6-7ish until finally i got fed up and put her outside my room and closed my door. then, the crying started. how parents of newborns can operate on 3-4 hours of sleep is beyond me; they have my admiration.
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why i want the 7 MP samsung or a 6 MP canon lens LG camera phone (w mp3 player, 3x optical zoom and flash): sobey's had packages of 8 chicken thighs on sale for 99 cents/lb but one package sold 8 pieces for $171 CDN. speaking of cell phones, my brother was telling me how he took pictures of a motorcycle accident on his cell phone; that news disturbed me, knowing that the 24 year old rider died in the hospital shortly after. i think what happened really hit close to home as it could've happened to any of us: 1) the accident took place outside our church doors, 23 seconds from where he lived; 2) some saw it happen and attended to the guy/scene; 3) he was in the same age group as us; 4) many of us ride (and on many occasions yes, speed); 5) other than the bad leg injury he had, he seemed okay - coherent, talking, etc. and yet, he didn't make it. life is so fragile sometimes - one wrong move and life is cut short. even though i don't know him personally, i know what it feels like to lose loved one so suddenly; my heart goes out to his family and friends. Where does their Hope lie?
Are you...Hungry? Thirsty? Lonely? I have a solution for you!
Pick a category:
- appetizer (soup, salad, hors d'eourves, etc.)
- main course/entre (meat, veggie dishes)
- dessert (ice cream, pie, etc.)
- other (cutlery/utensils, plates, cups, drinks)
From what you picked in the previous step, tell me what (category of food/item) you are planning to bring (bring
enough for yourself at least), and if we have too many belonging to
one category, I will email you a request to bring something else.
You may also bring board/group games :). If someone can borrow a
projector and game console, we could also set it up to watch a movie or play video games in my
spare room once we are happily content with satisfying our hunger and if time permits.
Let me know you are coming and leave me your contact info.
Once you receive a response from me, come on Sunday, March 20th @ 6:00-6:30 PM EST.
We may start without you if you come after that time bracket, but you are still welcome to come! - just drop me a line before you do.
Dietary requirements/allergy alert
I know at least one of us doesn't eat pork, and another is severely allergic to crabs and some allergy to lobster and durian.
One other request - please don't bring alcohol; I don't want drunks in my house :p.
If you have any other dietary needs or allergies, please let me know. Note: If you have allergies to cats, I also need to know the severity of your allergies. I may have a cat at my place that week so I would need to make arrangements.
Transportation
If you need a ride or can provide rides, also let me know so I can arrange for transportation.
That's it. Hope to hear from you and see you next Sunday!
Common pitfalls - excerpts on snowboarding techniques by Cern Ski Club
These are some of the common pitfalls and how they may be avoided:
* Student can initiate, but not complete the turn: This is usually due to the student leaning back once the board is facing down the fall line. Leaning back transfers the weight to the back leg and once this happens the student no longer has control. Try the following corrective exercises:
- Maintain the front arm lower than the back (forcing more weight on the front)
- Ensure the front knee remains bent
- Ensure the rotation is accomplished over the front of the board * Student falls violently due to "catching an edge": This is usally due to the weight being on the heels when turning toeside or vice-versa. Get the student to maintain the board as flat as possible, and if any leaning is used then it must be towards the inside of the trun ouch, that's me :| * Student "kicks" or "twists" to get the board to turn:
Although the symptoms of this problem show at the end of the turn, the cause of the problem is usually due to the starting position (incorrect backside or frontside base position). Ensure that the turn is initiated from a correct frontside or backside position - if the student is halfway between the two when they start the turn, they will never be able to complete the turn. sometimes me
I finally figured it out! The key to accomplishing my left turns is to distribute my weight on the front knee/thigh (as opposed to front foot)
- makes my turns a whole lot easier, though I have yet to perfect this turn :). At least I now know how to do it on occasion, just need more practice!
I think the attendance at the showing of the Cannes International Advertising
Festival (i.e. the best commercials of 2004) disappointed the organizers of the free event, but those who went were satisfied and enjoyed many laughs. A few of my personal favourites (first viewings) include
one in French (making fun of the Americans and speaking English) and one by Evian.
The Evian logo was nowhere to be seen. Instead a small cartoon figure called Water Boy bounced around the video (aired on MTV Europe and MTV Asia) to the music from Evian's commercial. Consumers got the message: Evian sales jumped 12 percent in Belgium and 4 percent in France.
On another note, I bought the Secrets of the Vine: Music..a Worship Experience music CD (containing 6 worship songs by various artists) for $1 CDN at the local Dollarama :).
Really, what's so special with Valentine's Day? It's just another excuse for the restaurants and stores to hold specials and sales (to the consumer's benefit). Truth to be told, I don't remember doing anything special for Valentine's even when I had someone special. Now, wouldn't it be even more meaningful if every day was this special?
This year, a bunch of us singles are off to celebrate the commercialization of Valentine's by coupling off to take advantage of a 4 course meal at $39.95 per couple (yes, they're biased against singles - it's $23.95 for the same meal for one). Frankly, I hadn't thought twice about having a imbalanced mix of guys and girls but there are some in our group who are taking this way too seriously, wanting to find a girl for every guy. Now, I just feel the pressure and have a level of expectation - which I wasn't aiming for at all. Maybe I should have just said yes to an invitation to a Valentine's Day dinner instead (no, actually, i would've still declined). The coupling effect makes me want to actually act like a girl - and dress up for the occasion. Well, I've consulted one of my gfs and she thinks it's a grand idea too. Hahah. Might as well go all out! We shall see. What a great way to start off the Chinese New Year.
a few weeks ago, a group of us had the privilege of hearing dr. ravi zacharias speak in person at UW (sponsored by crew). over the years, i've heard him as a speaker/author through church resources. he is a much more engaging speaker live/in person than he is on video. the art of apologetics seems to be one of his definite strengths. in his talk, "absolute truth in a relativistic age", he mentions that a characteristic that marks post-modern society is secularization. i can't remember his precise definition of secularization, but i remember pinpointing exactly that that is what is slowly eating away at my insides: secularization. the subtleties of secularization tends to blur the lines of right and wrong. i especially see the influence of it in media.
a real-life analogy: after not watching CSI for a few weeks (i only recently picked it up due to my "housemate"'s influence), i watched an episode again and was freshly remind why i didn't like it at first. although the raw violence and gore, especially in the re-enactment scenes, is disturbing to fresh eyes, after a few episodes, they are soon desensitized and come to expect them. in reaction to the the sex scenes, or highly suggestive sexual content, the eyes do not automatically glance (or "bounce" - see Every Man's Battle) away (to leave the characters to their privacy?). i guess these extraneous elements are why shows like Sue Thomas: FB Eye get cancelled and CSI do not.
on an unrelated note: i've now attempted ice hockey. and also, snowboarding, ziptrekking, and surfing. i'm still not sure about skydiving though. funny how in the last year or so, i've tried some things i wouldn't have even dared to when i was younger. maybe i'm attracted to medium risk activities? :p
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free!: 50 gmail invitations left. contact me if you'd like one.
What cire and dove brought up in recent conversations made me look back at what I wrote about CCF in past years. Here are some excerpts:
When it comes to being powerless of what is happening around me in regards to the Chinese Christian Fellowship (CCF) I am somewhat involved in, I feel even more helpless and hopeless. With conflicts in CCF that I cannot clearly discern as being spiritual at this time or not, I am easily frustrated and drained because no one is doing anything about the problems. It seems to be that what they say is merely all words, no actions. Training seems to be an area CCF seems to lack, and according to Campus Crusade for Christ, prayer, evangelism, and training (PET) are three of the most important elements a Christian ministry should have. - Winter 1999
I realise (with the help of Peter Lau) that the vision of CCF is the big picture of what God wants us to accomplish to advance his kingdom, the mission is the objective(s) set to help fulfill the vision, and finally, the purpose is why CCF exists. With those definitions, I can place evangelism under vision with certainty and short and long-term goals (programs, active ministries, etc.) with mission. Why CCF exists? Well, I would say it would ultimately be to carry out the Great Commission as set out by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20...I believe that prior to reaching outward, we need to reach inward. We need to be able to establish a group of brothers and sisters who are unified with one vision and share a common goal... I pray that this term's efforts will be fruitful, and not be passively disappointing once again (i.e. all talk, no action). - March 12, 2002
Where am I going with this? I'm not sure. I just thought that these words serve to be a good reminder at this time for me.
I had no idea that daytime sleepiness is a disorder, though my friend does fall asleep at the wheel while driving at times. I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this test on Google, but I scored an 18! Anything above 10 means you need help. I think the diagnoses of my sleep disorder is sleep deprivation.
No, the title of this post isn't going to be about what spideymang posted about, but about the state of my place. I'm glad skipper helped me out yesterday (thanks!) for if I was the only one who cleaned, who knows how long I would've needed. To think that after one full afternoon and evening of cleaning, I'm still not done. Who(m)ever lived at this place before me really grosses me out, especially the grim and gunk in the fridge and freezer and the grease and crusty stains in the cupboards and on the counters that they left behind. I don't even want to know how old the dried Chinese mushrooms and the "snow ears" are; they're going in the garbage. What a work out! I'm decidely sore today after all that scrubbing. In the end, it feels nice to be able to start off fresh and clean. The feeling almost parallels our spiritual state in how God gives us a clean state/fresh start whenever we take the effort to clean our "dirt-ified" lives. Next on the agenda after my place? The car. Speaking of which, I plan to go on a Chinese supermarket grocery run sometime so if anyone is interested in going, do contact me.
Just the other day, PT spoke on the passage in Kings where Elijah gets taken up into heaven, which just happened to be the same passage I read on Wednesday night during my devos. Shortly after that event, two bears maul some punks who taunts Elisha for his lack of hair (which I discovered during CC w Jamesies and the Pear group).
As I continued to read about the violence and goryness during the time of the kings, I could not help but compare the events of history to similar films, much like Braveheart, filled with grandeur, gallant pride, and fierce loyalty mixed in with treachery. But in the case of the Old Testament, the sovereignty of God was always behind each victory or loss. For the very first time, I noticed a very interesting pattern in the text. One could predict that when a king's mother was named, the king did what was right in the eyes of God. In the contextual culture where women generally did not have many rights or privileges, the mention of her name and where she was from gives me the impression that her role as a mother was also worthy to be honoured. That, for me, has some pretty strong applicable implications.
Admendment:Looks like I didn't read far enough. Starting from chapter 21, the pattern breaks but I can't figure out why.
Today in Sunday School, our pastor taught us how to count with our fingers and toes. Girls can count to 20 whereas guys have one additional advantage and can count to 21.
Eaton Centre is bigger than I last remember it being and I know why people have bad impressions of Toronto now. What would you do/think if you were idly strolling into Indigo and a man rudely strides into your path and with a scowl shouts, "Get out of my way!" and bumps you before you get a chance to move to allow him room? I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but I chose to do the opposite.
Although I am not a guy, I am aware of the sexual allure of certain girls (take Chicago for instance - even I think it's better than Moulin Rouge because of the tight dancing). I'm watching TV (cbcnews: marketplace) and I'm shaking my head at the success of advertising and media campaigns; sex sells to the young, their targeted audience, including 8-14 year old "tweens". Stores, like La Senza Girl and Miss Teen even have push-up (underwire) bras for 9-10 year olds. Granted that perhaps some to hit puberty quite early, but do they really need that much support? Boys are certainly not complaining; I likely wouldn't either if I was of them. Our kids sure have a bright future ahead.
We rang in the New Year at a friend's place, where gambling was rampant: a Mah Jong table, two Texas Hold'em tables - one with real bets (money). At least I can now say that I know how to play Texas Hold'em, albeit not very well since I am still a newb. Although I did last til 2nd place in the 2nd round but I ended up losing as I dealt 2 Aces and a King on the table, and the winner had 2 Aces in his hand. During the countdown, everyone was standing with their significant others while us singles stood in a corner celebrating/cheering together =).
I went to a farewell party a few nights ago. Like other parties, many friends and familiar faces dropped by to say a few words, to give a gift, or to say goodbye. One difference between this farewell and other farewell parties is that the friend we were saying farewell to wasn't there and an aura of sadness weighed heavily on us all. I longed to exchange smiles with old friends but the solemn seriousness and dark muted tones suppressed the chance to exchange cheerful hellos.
Isn't it ironic how farewell parties often result in mixed emotions? On one hand we want to say farewell to a friend and remember the memories we shared, certainly a sad occasion, but on the other, we are celebrating, being happy for our friend as the journey moves onto a different path. We have a hopeful expectancy that someday our paths will again intersect but until then, we patiently wait and smile at the reminders that occasionally bring back the memories.
Wow, who would've thought that UW actually has good resources and guidelines to web development? After seeing their attempt to convert to a standard look and feel a couple of years ago, it seems like a failure as you still have websites that look like they're still stuck in the past and the ones who have taken the time to learn and make the changes. After trying finding a broken link on UW Bulletin, I poked around to see who I could contact and came across the University of Waterloo Web Development site, along with the developer's blog - which definitely adds a more personal, less institutional touch along with a contemporary and modern feel (especially with RSS capabilities!). Time to subscribe!
My pet would say, "Merry Christmas" but he only has a very limited vocabulary. Maybe you'll get to meet him someday if you haven't already :).
Since my Graphire is not USB compatible, I didn't have a chance to draw a greeting this year, so this will have to do. Have a great holiday whether you spend it at home or elsewhere (and don't forget the real reason for the season and wish Him a happy birthday)!
Well, after almost two months of waiting for Future Shop/Averatec for warranty repairs to my 3150H laptop, I must say that I'm generally quite happy with their level of service this time around. Although the lab technician at store 004 (Surrey) told me that they couldn't ship it to Waterloo, the store manager offered to do that for me for free, which made my life a whole lot easier and stress free. Turns out, they just offered me a new, comparable laptop to replace my old one instead (perhaps because repairs + shipping would be more expensive). Thankfully they didn't carry the 3150 anymore because according to the lab technician, he had seen some problems with them. What happened to mine was one of the coolant fans died so the cpu overheated and fried the motherboard.
So here are the "comparable" specs:
Model Name AV3250H1
CPU Mobile AMD Athlon XP-M 2200+
OS Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
LCD Size 12.1'' XGA
Optical Drive Combo DVD+CD-RW
Hard Drive 60 GB
Memory 512MB DDR
Wireless LAN 802.11g wLAN + 56k Modem + 10/100 LAN
USB (3x) 2.0
Weight (lbs.) 4.5 lbs.
Retail price: $1399.99 CDN
Model Name 3150H
CPU Mobile AMD Athlon XP-M 1600+
OS Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
LCD Size 12.1" XGA TFT
Optical Drive Combo DVD+CD-RW
Hard Drive 30 GB
Memory 256MB DDR
Communications 56k Modem + 10/100 LAN
USB (2x) 2.0
Weight (lbs.) 4.2 lbs.
Retail price: $999.99 CDN
So, for having no extended warranty and for the price I paid for the first one, I scored a pretty good deal :). I called my brother to let him know since he used it last before it broke and the first thing he says is, "You should thank me!".
After taking a 2-day training course on exceling in (customer) service, today's incident at Timmy's really made me laugh. Sip came bumped into me on my way downstairs, so I went with him to the Timmy's at GTO.
The lady asks us what we'd like to order. When I said I wasn't ordering, she responds by saying, "well, one of you must order" and she asked what Sip wanted on his bagel in one fast run-on sentence as if she was in a hurry or something. I looked around and noted that there was no one else in line, so I made a comment to Sip that she must be having a bad day.
While we were waiting for Sip's bagel, we were just chattin' and next thing I see from my peripheral vision is this lady waving the change in front of him. So, tell Sip, "Change" to alert him that she was getting impatient.
And what do you know, his bagel was burnt. The edges were completely black. I guess there was no use in going back to complain; she'd probably give him the entire thing black.
Hexley posted a very interesting excerpt from a book titled Bad Boys by Carol Lieberman and Lisa Collier, which says:
What is a bad boy? He's a rebel without a cause, a cool dude in a motorcycle jacket, a real-life Huckleberry Finn who wants to take you on a wild river
ride to adventure. He's wounded, moody, misunderstood-a dreamer, a seducer, a daredevil. He is a man of mystery and a fascinating paradox. He's both a
lost little boy and a man with a dark side. He breaks your heart with his wicked ways, but whether he's a wanton wolf or a dangerous desperado, he makes
you long to rescue him from his pain. He's hurtful cruel, or simply careless and self absorbed, but you can't resist jumping on his motorcycle and roaring
off into the steamy night with him. And once you've given him your heart forever... he's gone with the wind! He is someone who sets off throbbing sexual and
aggressive passions within you. Because he's aloof and elusive, you get caught up in the challenge and excitement of the chase-though he's not always someone
you'd really want even if you did capture him. A bad boy may tell you he's generally right. He's a frog you hope to turn into a fairy-tale prince with the
magic of your kiss.
Reading this reminded me of an interesting conversation I had with a friend (she and I have a lot in common, though it may not initially seem like so) some time ago about how we will likely not settle down with whom we may be attracted to; her story for one is a living example. Hrm, definitely something to ponder upon.
Going on that, I'd like to share with you a very amusing e-mail forward I received at work the other day (although I'm generally against e-mail forwards, this one is an exception):
How do you decide who to marry?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.- Kirsten, age 10
What is the right age to get married?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.- Camille, age 10
No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.- Freddie, age 6
How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.- Derrick, age 8
What do you think your mom and dad have in common?
Both don't want any more kids.- Lori, age 8
What do most people do on a date?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.- Lynnette, age 8
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.- Martin, age 10
What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.- Craig, age 9
When is it okay to kiss someone?
When they're rich.- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.- Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.- Howard, age 8
Is it better to be single or married?
I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out.- Theodore, age 8
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.- Anita, age 9
How would the world be different if people didn't get married?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?- Kelvin, age 8
How would you make a marriage work?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.- Ricky, age 10
Of all the articles I read every day at work, this writer and story is my pick of the month - lovely tongue-in-cheek humour that has a hint of truth subdued in the words:
Due to copyright policies that prevent me from posting the article in its entirety, simply visit The Daily Telegraph online, do a search for the headline and sign up using any e-mail address to access the full story. Alternatively, you may use guest@user.com to login with guest as your password. Enjoy your read :).
In short? The BlackBerry is a status symbol for some - and may I add - is highly addictive.
As of yesterday morning, I managed to secure a flight home at a reasonable cost. So, I've sacrificed getting a snowboard from my relatives in Ottawa for a week and a half home during Christmas - I am so looking forward to that for some odd reason; I want to snowboard!
After being involved with the "shoebox ministry" as I've come to know it for over 5 years, j.w and I had the opportunity to be a volunteer at one of the three processing centres in all of Canada to prepare the boxes for shipping. The name "shoebox ministry" was dubbed back when our church first got involved with Operation Christmas Child (OCC) through an organization called the Samaritan's Purse. Back then, standard OCC shoeboxes were not provided and so we filled old shoeboxes with toys, hygiene products, and small gifts into shoeboxes for boys and girls from the ages of 2 to 14 who lived in countries that were less fortunate than us. Back then, I didn't understand what the $5 was for, but after a day of volunteering, I see why it's needed to cover the costs of packaging and shipping.
Now as inspectors at the processing centre, we carefully inspect each box to check for noticeably used items, items that may break, leak, or harm a child (including items with warning signs) and donate those to local charity as international customs may delay a delivery of such goods. Furthermore, safety is a number one priority. I learned that even cosmetics were no-gos. However, they should add a policy that expired toothpaste should also be taken out ; I don't think it's especially good if kids swallow it :|. I liked doing it so much that I'm going back again this Friday :) (if I had a vehicle, I may even consider going every weekend!).
See, you can tell that I had fun (haha, well my face sure doesn't show it):
Courtesy of the Record (www.therecord.com)
In the shower the other day, I reflected on why God made people (and gave thanks to the friends I've known). And, echoing the thoughts of miss jo, certain people cross your path in life for some reason or another; maybe to make you less selfish in the process and/or to let you have a glimpse of how they live their lives differently. Lately, I've noticed how certain people interact with their families. When people are around family, their masks are let down and the real "them" shows through. If I had a spotlight of the month, I would highlight a friend of mine, who often says he is selfish (well, that's something I need to work on as well!). Yet as an observer, I see beyond what he says and realise that often, love overcomes any hints of selfishness, or rather, action supersedes words. I don't know if I would offer to cook my mother a meal so that she could sit down and enjoy a movie, or as a guy, to hug/kiss another family member openly in front of others. I know my brother stays as far away from hugs as possible because it's "embarassing" and "not cool", and yet, my friend (my age!) does this. I think if and when I have kids, it would be a blessing to have an affectionate family :). I have a lot to learn.
I had so much to say, but I have since forgotten it all or they are no longer relevant (like how the I Agree With Byron campaign spawned an entire weeks' worth of discussion on the uw.general newsgroup). Thanks for your patience in the last few weeks.
Praise God for the good things that He's given to me. This past week, I was just thinking how He's provided everything thus far including the opportunity to be in awe of the aurora borealis (aka, the northern lights); what I saw in Edmonton quite some years ago is no comparison. PT and Chris are always so generous and kind, providing me a place to stay and offering to rent out bloovale to me (I'm 90% sure that I'll take it - I went there today and it's spacious and definitely not like the student-ghettos). I think I also will have access to a vehicle next term :)
One observation I did note, is the people at my current company seems to swear a whole lot more (in reference to each other and to the computer) and a whole lot more people smoke. At my last place, only 2 people were smokers (~4%) and swearing was quite rare in comparison. Hrm, an indication of a high-stress environment and what's to come? O_o
Seems like I'm not handling this move very well. I can't tell if it's PMS, lack of sleep, and/or stress, but I have been (and am still) in such a bad (read:impatient) mood in the last two weeks and have very little tolerance for annonyances. I'm also quite sick of eating out. I also need time to myself, so if you don't want to get on my bad side in the next little while, I suggest you to stay away. I haven't felt like I'm being pulled everywhere by everyone and everything in awhile. I can't wait til this blows over and I settle into what's coming. My, what a selfish post...
Edit: I was thinking in the shower today (31st) and am I ever grateful that I don't know how my life will pan out (ie. when I will die) because if these past 2 weeks was such a strain on me emotionally and physically, I don't know how I'd handle it if I had to say my farewells forever. It sure puts a new meaning of the urgency of sharing the good news into a new light!
And the countdown continues...Help! I don't want to leave now. Dj vu all over again - must I say my farewells? For my own future reference about pasta places in Vancouver in terms of quality of food: Anducci's ($8.88) > Chanti's ($5.95 M-Tues) > Pasta Polo > Anton's ($13.95).
Round 2, fight! Flu is coming back. I think Karen gave it to me :| This time, it's the cough. Or maybe it was from Round 1 (from j.w) but the symptom has just been prolonged.
PS. You're probably not going to read this, but happy birthday anyhow.
I had wanted to study at the University of Waterloo since Grade 9. I knew my destiny; I wanted to become an optometrist. With a base salary of $40-80K a year back then, it looked quite promising. In 3rd year University, I studied to become a technical writer (not only because Daniel H. said RPW was the l337 program of English). Now? I'm a marketing writer but have no clue where I am to be going next. They say that one changes career nine times in one's life. My career life has barely begun and I've already switched fields three times. Echoing yesterday's sentiments, will I be at the crossroads of another decision, of life soon? Leaving would mean that I would leave behind unfinished business, but if it's God's will, will I be able to trust that He will take care of all that is to remain? At this point in time, am I ever glad I made that resolution to remain single for at least 1/2 a year; I don't have to drag (or be considerate of) anyone who cares too much into this :). 'Course if God closes this door, then all the better. I don't have to make any decisions, but somehow, I've managed to escape making major decisions my entire life. I think that one day it will be time - if not now, then later.
PS. A big Happy Birthday goes to my dear "l'il" sister :)
The time in Ontario was sure therapeutic - got my mind off of certain things, but yet, somehow I think I left my mind back there because it wanders over there now moreso than ever. October - autumn. A season signalling change - leaves turn colours and fall. Gone are the afternoons of the warmth sunshine and long, warm summer nights. Is there to be change in my life soon?
Lessons I've learned this week:
After 1 week, I've lost the battle. But, Tynenol Cold is very effective for runny noses. I cut down from using 1 Puffs Ultra box to 0.
Word still has a bug. If you load large images and save it, the next time you open it and subsequent times thereafter, the image files will be corrupt and not display properly.
Internet Explorer sucks; it's either not very forgiving when it comes to code or Firefox is just so much better.
One of my colleagues, who seems to have been through a lot in life, has been on my heart lately. The other day, I offered to help her move some boxes to her car. On the way, she asked me if I was always cheerful. I gave her a quizzical look and she went on to explain that whenever she sees me, I'm always smiling or appear cheerful/in a good mood. Instead of sharing the Source of my joy, I just told her that I wasn't a morning person so she won't see me as socialable then as I tend to hide in my office. Anyhow, just someone to pray for.
I totally forgot to mention about the $2.99 Tropicana OJ w lots of pulp + calcium deal that Sobey's I got on the grocery run on Wednesday night. I couldn't finish the entire container in time, but it was well worth it :) (considering it's close to $6 at home). Sunday school w PT was refreshing and stimulating. Time seems to pass by really quickly in that class and it reminds me of how much I enjoy and miss attending his classes after not getting a chance to participate in them since \~2001 so I only really had bits and pieces of estachology, church history(?), hermeneutics/exegisis, some other one where we talked about santification/glorification/justification, and worldviews.
Airports. My friend brassman wrote about the topic of airports recently which prompts me to point out that the departure level at Terminal 1 at Pearson is very impressive, but Melissa brought up a very good point - why do the walls not have clocks to tell time on them? One would think that time is of great importance to travellers that pass through the terminal. Seems like the people in TO are more tech savy as well, as the line up for the express check-in was the longest that I've ever seen. Airports remind me of portals; people rushing about coming from or going to places. As a lone traveller, airports often resonate change to me, signalling goodbye to the past and hello to the future; a place of perpetual and paradoxical emotions.
It's inevitable. My throat itches; I need placebos! Once I arrived in Waterloo, everyone around me was ill - Jo, Kat(?), Joseph, j.w and so I thought I would be safe by escaping back home, 'cept I was greeted with more germs via my mother, two coworkers, my manager O_o. I must fight this and win! I mustn't get ill. Waterloo was busy - people to see, places to go. Skipper showed me the EIT building and the new bubbletease. BigJon came for a visit and we played Scrabble yet again. On Saturday, I finally had a chance to visit the Children's Museum! Slightly disappointing as many of the exhibits were under construction. However, I really enjoyed playing the board games that the game designer were trying to sell at the museum's gift shop, namely Pyramid Crosswords. Although only two of us managed to visit the museum, we had fun anyhow :). Let's see, also had another yummy $2.99 breakfast at Duke of Wellington's with Albert, j.w and jopoo as well and a shopping blitz at both used bookstores and the Christian bookstores. Visited PT/Chris' new place and watched the newest Veggie Tales, "It's good!" =). Missed seeing Eunie :( and we couldn't get the Initial D machines to link up properly. The strangest thing is that by the end of my trip, I only had $1.01 balance left on my WatCard. I was so hungry that I decided to buy a $0.99 muffin from the new Timmy's at the SLC. It came to $1.06 so I took a chance and swiped my card. Well, because of the WatCard discount, it came to exactly $1.01 and now my balance is at $0 :)! I'll save the story about how I received a phone call at 6 am this morning for another day :|.
Marketing through mass/commercial advertising sure works. Well, I least I now know that people do buy into whatever the subway ads try to sell to their audience. It was an interesting night, to say the least. Our evening started at Mike Mak's place (the place that everyone talks about) to play some board games - scrabble and LOTR risk and we didn't leave til almost midnight! This time j.w won scrabble just because he had some sick 7-letter word (72 pts!) which put him in the lead above everyone else. By the time we left, my eyes were struggling to stay open and they were still at it playing risk.
Greetings from "the centre of the universe" (or so they think ("It really is!", says Joseph - see? my pt precisely)). Yesterday's flight was the smoothest I've ever been on in awhile. Although I booked by flight through Tango, I think somehow I think I flew on Air Canada. We ended up getting served complimentary drinks, a full breakfast and free headsets (to keep) for the movie. I must admit that the service on Air Canada (at least this time around) seems to beat other value flights (Jetgso being one). At the gate, they were kind enough to bump me to an earlier flight and whenever there was turbulence (even slight choppiness), the captain would reassure the passengers over the speaker system. Although they forgot(?) to switch my luggage over, the baggage service offered to issue a claim for me, but I decided to wait. Speaking of wait, I thought I was at a completely different city; the new terminal at Pearson is realllly nice - the parking stalls even have sensors on them, which electronically deployed to the display at the end of each lane to show how many parking spots are available.
Recap of Friday: Dinner downtown at Linda (Thai) with j.w and andrew. Fellowship with guest speaker Tim Tang (so I finally place a face with the famous UW alumni) and da-lang with some NTCBCers.
Today: downtown to see the graffiti event, which was disappointing. However, the fashion district (Queen) has some really niche store like goth wear stores or really girlie stores. We had some really cheap breakfast in a hole in the wall (Stem Kitchen?). Turns out that this place is a popular joint because it's cheap, fast, and decent. there's a Ben & Jerry's in Toronto! - the first i've seen in Canada, so of course we went in to have a cone (mine: cherry gracia! yuums.) The peanut butter cup cone was really good as well... kind of like Moosetracks! Anyway, we wandered around Queen St. stores for a bit, dropped by the Sandylion sticker warehouse outlet, went to play initial d (after being dormant for 1 year-i didnt even know that v3 was even out!), had dinnner and played scrabble with BigJon (who of course won).
Before I return j.w's psychology textbook titled Intimate Relationships by Ralph Erber and Maureen Wang Erber, I would like to jot down a few theories that I picked up from the readings:
People tend to be attracted to each other for reproductive reasons. Guys tend to look for girls who appear youthful, because it denotes fertility, and gals are attracted to guys who are dominant/strong and protecting, which would thus explain why many women are attracted to men who have a firm build (not necessarily buff, but just not flabby, etc.) in the upper body.
More girls break up with guys than vice versa, and guys tend to have a harder time dealing with a dissolution of a relationship than girls.
CS Lewis wisely explains that real love is jealous. That would explain why God is jealous.
The older one gets/the more desperate one is, the more attractive other people get.
Guys enjoy side-to-side bonding (eg. watching a game), whereas girls like face-to-face (eg. having bbt).
Guys are more likely to interrupt a conversation with a girl than vice versa.
Both men and women are more likely to gravitate toward women when it comes to seeking emotional support.
Two weekends ago, I was faced with a decision: to do something completely selfish and be "cold" (as my mom put it, echoing the same sentiments others have said about me) or to be considerate of others, including submitting to my mom's guilt trip/pressure. LB's father passed away on Friday and I was faced with giving up my weekend in the event that she would like company or to follow through with my initial plans. As I shared with Tunger about my dilemma, I felt pulled in two directions, one being blatantly obvious that it was for the completely selfish reason of having fun, putting me before others. I chose me and went to the Island. Before I finish my story, let me tell you now that if any of my family members die, or if I die before you do, please do not feel obligated to cancel your plans on doing something exciting to come visit me. I would want you to have fun and enjoy life while you still can; I understand that your world does not and should not revolve around me - life will inevitiably go on. j.w, if that means you won't be able to sing that song, it's okay :) (i just hope someone will!).
If my decision was so selfish, one thing I don't understand is why I was so blessed by my choice. God's grace? I really, really am thankful that I had the opportunity to go, especially since I've overcome some feelings that's been eating at me, to which I've been trying to get over since at least July (and no, it's not about a guy, at least not directly :D)! And, God somehow decides to bless/humours me even more by placing MoMo in my BSF group this year :). I can most definitely say that if I hadn't gone on this trip, I wouldn't have bothered to mention that she's in my group (or even tell you anything about her if you had asked me, aside from my initial impressions). Heh, I'm not even sure why I'm so joyous now but I think the trip was indirectly an answered prayer (without me realising as I headed into and out of it).
I found a deal on the Redflagdeals' forum the day before I met up w Tunger for lunch and games time at his workplace. For $4.95, we each had this huge plate of calamari (mmmm, lightly battered!) and when i got home, my mom wanted to try it that night for dinner! Well, I declined so they didn't go, but the next day, my sister and her friends all went to eat there and so do the rest of my family (at different tables). I stuck with calamari b/c the chicken and the lamb looked/tasted really dry. Their business strategy worked pretty well; although tables were empty and available (ie. seats were left), they made people stand outside the door (to look like they were very busy and because the restaurant doesn't have too much waiting space), they only served you and sat you down when they could handle you (instead of sitting you down and making you wait for eons).
After BBT, we hit NCIX to pick up two online orders, to which I formulated a theory. When a girl enters a lingerie shop, for example, like La Senza (which I have been only once to buy a "gift" for a guy) with a guy, the sales girl will likely ask the girl shopper if they could help her first, instead of addressing the guy. Perhaps at NCIX, it works the reverse. Maybe because Tunger is very tall and approachable(?), but I theorize that because he's a guy, he gets service first. I suppose in most cases, it may be true that the girl is the accessory since every time I've been there, the girls are either a) kids, b) girlfriends, or c) wives. Thus, it may make sense that the sales guy would asked him, "May I help you?" without realising that he was the accessory; he wasn't the one purchasing from them.
Speaking of NCIX, all of the deals I bought from them so far were all under $10 until this time - to which they photocopied my ID and made me sign a credit card receipt. Did I ever mention about the time I bought an internal 6-in-1 media card reader for 0.99$? It was for a specific motherboard only and it needed an extra 3.5in internal bay, but because I had neither, I downloaded some modified drivers, and took out my two usb ports from the front of my case (image i)and just used the usb slot (so now it's a permanently fixed external reader card reader :P) (ii) to connect it and now it works beautifully (tho my computer now looks rather ghetto/modded)! :)
Oh, I also put up the Jasmine-flavoured Crest toothpaste that my parents bought in HK (iii) (just cuz i thought that was rather different):
PS. If you want anything from Toronto/Loo or Vancouver before I fly, please let me know and I'll see what I can do :).
Regarding my last post: Yesterday, I had some Miss Vicki's Seasalt & Vinegar chips - I was hestitant to try them because of all the sodium I involuntarily ingested, but my hunger won out. Come to think of it, seasalt actually tastes pretty good in foods, just not when you're in the ocean.
Google does it again! For those of you who have Gmail (and for those of you don't but want one, contact me), Google has released an Gmail notifier that lets you know when you have mail (so now, e-mail one step closer to being "pop"-able) without having to login to their website! Now, I will definitely use my Gmail more. I haven't actually used that program yet so I don't know if it's any good. I've installed a Firefox extension instead to check my Gmail. Need I say how much Firefox rocks (especially with the tabbed browsing feature and the available extensions and plug-ins it supports)? The only remark I must make is that not every website supports Firefox, including Microsoft's update sites (unsurprisingly).
Surf: Yes, I did it! (another thing to check off on my want-to-do list). Well, I tried. I didn't get very far for two reasons: i) i can't swim (at all, not even float or breathe underwater properly) and ii) i got as far as getting on my knees. Albeit swallowing a lung full of salt water the three times I had a major wipe out, I actually enjoyed it (but very very tiring). The water never really got past my chest (waves excluded), so I definitely felt more secure. This was my first time in the open sea, doing a water sport without a life jacket (quite scary). I resolved to try it if I ever returned to Chestermann Beach last time I saw Boy, Sherry, and Mel go at it, and w.o the lesson package, it's quite reasonable for an 8-hr rental ($30 including board, wetsuit and booties). Conclusion? I don't think surfin' is my sport at this point in time (at least not until I know how to swim). I'm glad that I had the opportunity to tag-along on this trip w MoMo and Z - I've learned so much without them realising I think, one being MoMo is one cool chick! (photos).
Turf: I'm comin' to Ontario next Friday! I figured since I have vacation time, I may as well use it. If you would like to meet up with me while I'm there from the 17th to 26th (of September), please drop me a line and I'll contact you to work out our schedules. Right now, I want to go to Ottawa but having transportation difficulties w cost and all but I will be visiting Loo and TO for sure. I'm looking forward to that =),but at the moment, I have no idea what I want to do 'cept visit the Waterloo Regional Children's Museum.
My two worlds came together last weekend. An orchestrated meeting took place without me and I felt. Yes, I felt, but the feeling is indescribable. Nostalgia? Excitement? Uncertainty? Thoughts and questions flickered through my mind: Would they get along? Whatever could they possibly talk about? Would their impressions/expectations of each other be met? Two dear friends of mine, complete strangers to each other, had a rendezvous; alas, it wasn't a blind date or a matchmaking set-up. But now, I can reference one guy to the other guy and they would know who I'd be talking about - which may be disconcerting depending on how anonymous I'd like to keep my two separate lives. It's also a very weird feeling to know that one of them can now picture the other in my dreams!
Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." After a Bible study at CCF some years ago, I've been wondering what the fruit truly is - is "fruit" singular or plural (since in English, fruit can denote both)? If singular, do all those attributes comprise of one fruit, like a cherry on a tree for example. Or, is the fruit love, which would naturally stem the traits that follow? Yet, the plural version doesn't really make sense either (even though one would ask, "would you like some fruit" in reference to more than one fruit) if love, joy, peace, etc. are different types of fruit because then it would be written, "But the fruits of the Spirit are". However, if love, joy, peace, etc. are describing the same type of fruit, such as how cherries belong to a cherry tree, the wording would then make more sense. Hrm. I need to work on my non-existent New Testament Greek. Are you confused now too? :|
1: My sister caught the bouquet at her friend's wedding yesterday evening - it supposedly foretells that she will be the next one to marry, which I'm sure wouldn't be a problem since she is quite a popular girl. I too attended a wedding that day, one that I felt was very personalized and warm (ie. not cold and institionalized one as some are) with a harp and flute for the instrumental procession along with the groom singing a non-rehearsed serenade to his wife. I think I'm at the age where every time I'm at a wedding, it becomes personal in ways I cannot begin to describe - thoughts of what ideas I'd like to use (such as the bride and groom are standing at an angle - sideways - so both them and the officiating minister are facing the audience so their vows are not only said to each other, to God and to the minister, but also to their family and friends as immediate witnesses and reminders to them), and realizations that one of my biggest phobias, aside from the method of my death (ie. how i die), is my wedding day. I don't know if I want to experience the stress, and I wonder if doubts would ever creep in during the days leading up to and including during the ceremony - if I'd be making the wrong decision, if I'd regret it, or if I'd get cold feet. On that fateful day, would I be too nervous to be joyous (because I'm in front of so many people and making the most important decision in my life that will affect more than one forever)? Would I break down if some crazy people intentionally decide to play wedding games that I absolutely abhor? I know on my baptism, I wished for it to be over because I sure didn't enjoy the attention and yet it was supposed to be a joyous occasion - I was only smiling before and after I was in the water.
2: Immediately following the wedding, I rushed to Langley to see if I could catch the end of the 1-day CD sale at New Life Resources (good marketing on their part on the local Christian radio station), Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada's bookstore. The bookstore is bigger than I last remembered it, and the last purchase I made was back in the summer of Grade 12, when I bought the NLT (when it was a fresh translation still) at 1/2 price ($20) because I was working for them and had a staff discount. Upon entering the store, I saw that every single CD, as advertised, was on sale for $10 CDN, and they had such a huge selection of Christian CDs. The rule of thumb I always go by is to never buy a CD unless it's $10 or less. Now, girls tend to go crazy with fashion sales - I don't tend to, but for these CDs, I did. I went crazy; I didn't know where to start or where to draw the line on when to stop.Within half an hour, I browsed through the entire collection quickly, picking up CDs that my sister (brian doerksen, chris tomlin) and our friend (starfield) wanted, and just picking out the ones that captured my immediate attention, for I knew that if I lingered in any one spot, my hands would end up to be too full. I departed with a pile - among them, MercyMe's Almost There, Spoken For, and Undone - that came to a little over $114. Wow, $114 all on music! That's insane at how easy it is to spend that much in one purchase. And yet, I just saved myself tons of money if I were to buy these albums separately at their regular prices, or even when they are at 15% off (I still prefer CDs over burned discs). $10 is pretty much at cost, because that's how much I paid for Steven Curtis Chapman's Dive CD when it first came out - another Christian organization I worked at sold their resources at cost to their staff (perks for working organizations that provide resources to the public). Nevertheless, I'm quite happy at the selection I have added to my ever expanding music collection.
3: My mother got fed up at the state/length of my hair so she strongly suggested I got try out this new hair stylist that charges only $7 (no tax) at her home. Well, since I'm usually not very happy with cheap cuts, I was quite hesitant to be the guinea pig in our family. Although she is Mandarin-speakiing (so I only understood her conversations minimally), she clearly enjoys cutting hair. Of the cheap Toronto stores and the other lady I used to go to here, this one was the only one who actually showed me cuts from a hair styling magazine, suggesting ones that would suit me best (or more probable the ones that she is the best at). I liked how she explained what she was doing to your hair and pointed out tips on how to keep your hair nice, and at the very end, she even compared the ends from each side to see that she cut them evenly - she definitely took her time and was quite patient. I think I like the fact that she didn't really change the length of my hair (which I didn't want anyhow to begin with but my mom did), but just layered it out - so likely, most people won't even notice a difference in my hair, which I'm perfectly happy about. I think she merits another try the next time I desire (or likely, my mother) to get a haircut/trim.
UltraEdit-32 is pretty neat - it has this FTP feature where you can save directly to your website after editing it (much like blogger I suppose) so if I have an unfinished blog, you can see the updates in realtime. Anyhow this past weekend, I ventured to tent again with my fellowship (odd to be calling it "my" fellowship now) to a group campsite on Vancouver Island - a place where with no showers and outhouses (relatively clean ones at that) for facilities.
Like I shared with the girls, I originally signed up for this retreat only because my friend wanted to come, but I chose to stay even though she bailed out. Although, I may not have come out with too much, God showed me that although this group can be cliquey at times, some of them (viz. my team members) are still willing to give up time to spend with friends with those who they don't normally hang out with (to finish a group/team activity), an action (whether consciously done or not) that I truly value.
Aside from having loads of fun playing on their playground with Taiko and our cameras, I came back with a momento: at least 8 insect bites some of which that itch, others that seem to have gone away in 1 day, but one swelled so much that my ankle and foot felt like it was numb, on fire or super cold at times, and that it would explode when putting too much pressure on it. Eventually, my left foot felt like it was just dead weight; I could only move my toes, leaving the rest paralyzed. My mom made me see the doctor (because I like to avoid dentists and doctors as much as possible) and he ended up prescribing me some keflex/cephalosporin (antibiotics) for 10 days - he surmised that it was a spider bite that got infected because the poison is released slowly overtime. I'm also supposed to keep it elevated but I either keep forgetting to or it's next to impossible, especially when at my desk.
Lesson to remember the next time we go to the Island: make ferry reservations! Waiting in line for 5 hours (4 sailings) in hunger, heat, and slight boredom before being able to get on is frustrating. Well, we had additional bonding time I suppose =P.
The last story I told reminds me of another story that I've encountered quite recently aside from the two times when the booth attendent asked the driver if anyone (looking at me in the backseat) was under 12 years old upon boarding the ferry to Vancouver Island. At the beginning of last month, I took my friend out to dessert (consequences of losing a bet) at Moxie's. My friend, A. was serving us that day and although it feels rather awkward to have a peer serve you (I guess the disciples felt even more awkward to have Jesus wash their feet), it was nice knowing that we were in good hands. Shortly after A. served us our drinks, she returned and told of a conversation that started with another server asking, "Did you know that Table 19 is drinking alcohol?!" and ended with A.'s reply, "Yeah, one of them graduated with me" leaving her co-worker in utter disbelief.
Sometimes, when you want to do right, it's not only really hard to do, but it feels so "wrong" almost - in the world's eyes. And yet, deep from within you know you've made the right choice even though you may or may not be rewarded/blessed for the decision. Take for instance, when I was in grade school, my buddy found a loonie (or was it $5?) at his feet and naturally of course, I started looking around for another. Lo and behold, another one is at my feet, so we pick it up. But, what do we do? Instead of pocketing it (to which would be valueless now but as a child, any amount of money is valuable), we took it to the school office. The money didn't belong to us, but afterall, isn't it "finders keepers"? Parting with what could have been ours wasn't easy, but I guess we were blessed with our choice. Not only did we not have a guilty conscience haunting us, the money became ours to keep sometime later, when no one claimed it. Or, in Grade 8, when my friends were selling and giving away leather-bound agendas, I couldn't bring myself to take/accept one, as much value as they were worth for I knew that they were stolen/shoplifted from Grand & Toy. Boy, being a Christian sure changes the way you think and how you approach the world.
On another note, the other day I accompanied my mother to the Bay (my sister and my mother are usually my personal shoppers since I don't particularly enjoy clothes shoppping and hey, FREE hand-me-downs are good!) and as we paid for the clothes I bought from the girls department, the lady at the counter asked me if I had a Bay card to which I shook my head. She then asked me, "Would you like to apply for a card today? You can save 10% on your purchase," to which she caught herself and said, "Wait, you're probably not old enough." I gave her this look and said, "Yes, I am." Hello? Did she not notice that I just pulled out my AmEx to pay for the purchase? How can I not be old enough to apply for a Bay card? There was this short silent pause, as if she was waiting on what I meant by "I am old enough" so I added, "I am 24." Ha, that shut her up good. =)
I ended up going home early from work yesterday and I skipped lunch because my stomach felt sick. To make up for lost time (ie. sleep) from the night before, I hit the sack at 10:20 PM last night, almost immediately after coming home - the earliest I have in awhile. The next thing I knew when I opened my eyes, it was 12:45 AM (midnight) and I heard footsteps and voices outside my window shouting phrases that made no sense like, "F--b-! Are you trying to steal something?" "No? Then, why do you have gloves on?" followed with strings of curses and a metal clicking noise like someone was trying to jack a car or use a wrench tool. In my sleepiness, I did not comprehend whatever was going on, but the air smelled burnt wiht the scent of pot. I decided to ignore them as opposed to calling the police for they quieted down and I fell back asleep.
Oh. I know how Dawner feels now when she has insomnia; it's frustrating, annoying and oh, I don't want to know the consequences of it in the morning (especially at work). I have never had a lactose-intolerant reaction this bad before. Remind me to never order the ice cream smoothies from Pearl Fever again, no matter how cheap it is. You see, to celebrate their grand opening special, all their bubbleteas and smoothies are on sale this week (the price included pearls/coconut jelly too!). I ordered the green tea ice cream smoothie since the $3.99 drink sold for only $2.5 (the rest were $3.5 for $2.5 and $3 for $2 tax inclusive) and my sister said that it tasted good and was one of the better deals. true to her word, the drink was massive in size and tasted pretty good. And, because i do this to my body all the time, (I sacrifice taste for the consequence afterwards, which usually only has a relatively mild reaction), I didn't give it much thought. Well, it's 4:30 am right now and I'm up because my stomach has been bothering me all night :|.
You know, I was recently looking at some documents while cleaning out my room and found a prayer request log that Shoe used to send out when he co-oped in Burnaby and we had a prayer small group going. In the beginning of July of 2000, one entry said, "pray that God would provide someone who she [that's me] can talk to at fellowship (she doesn't like 3D that much because there's no one for her to talk to)" and the following one said, "e's parents seem to think she needs more girlfriends...and, we can all remember last week's praye requests for her to 'start liking 3D more' ...cause part of the problem was that there's no other girls her age that regularly go." Well, I think the prayers have finally begun to be answered after 4 years. Although there are still a lack of girls around my age at my church, I'm definitely more comfortable at my fellowship group now - especially since there are plenty of new faces that I enjoy getting to know. Perhaps it's the years at CCF/KWCAC where I've gotten to know people (friends) regardless of age, but it's definitely a place that I look forward to on Friday nights now. And, the only reason why I started coming back again was because I had a tutoring opportunity that met at the church prior to fellowship. Ironic, how it/God all worked out.
Remind to avoid movies with Hugh Grant in them; I didn't particularly enjoy Notting Hill, 4 Weddings and a Funeral, or Bridget Jones' Diary either. I don't comprehend British humour at all, especially since much of it has to do with unnecessary sex. Do explain to me what was so good about Love Actually? Perhaps the fan that cooled us down blew away some of what the characters said, or maybe my eyes missed something because I fell asleep for part of the movie, or I had too high expectations because every viewer said it was so good. I understand why it's rated-R now. How were those scenes necessary to the story by the way? One observation to note though - the guys didn't seem to mind watching those scenes. In fact, while the girls' eyes glanced away from the screen as if granting the couple their privacy, the guys were riveted/drawn to the action. Gender differences?
Big Fish, on the other hand, pleasantly surprised me. I didn't expect too much and while it's structurally laid out much like Forrest Gump, the storyline has some mystical elements in it, which reminds me of the books I loved to read as a youth. I enjoyed it much more than Love Actually.
While my friend, who is a photo developer, tells us of local gossip from what her customers' rolls of film (like how our classmate from high school is now married), One Hour Photo was a psychological thriller that opened my eyes to see the psychotic extremes of what happens when photo developers at your local 1-hour photo development lab are privy to your personal moments. The cinematics of the film was done quite well. The saturation of colours in various scenes (greens, browns, etc.) had a very photographic artistic touch to them.
And although Spiderman 2 had more character development than the first (and I enjoyed it more), it is such a chick flick! Why couldn't the story end where it was supposed to instead having a fairy-tale, happy ending? Which brings me to ask the question, what is love? Speaking of which, isn't "love actually is all around" grammatically incorrect? g sent me this quote from Captain Corelli's Mandolin in which the character says,
When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!
As truthful that statement is, it sounds somewhat romantic but I can't pinpoint why.
a friend e-mailed me just the other day for unknown reasons to me. Somehow the conversation's focus turned onto him and he said to me, "Yup. I'm evil. And it's inevitable. It's just part of me. I dont' know why. I've been trying to figure that out, and I just don't know why." Of course, one would simply reply that it's because of the sin that's in our hearts, but I wasn't going for the Sunday school answer. This statement by the way, is in the context of relationships. I went home pondering upon the statement this guy has just made about himself, whether in half-jest or in all seriousness. Eerily, g, another guy friend of mine, managed to successfully describe ewy, without even knowing him (but I believe that they are both romantics at heart =p). Here's an excerpt of our conversation:
g: why evil?
b.p.: guys are evil.
g: talk to any of the girls I know.. .and yeah... they'll say the same about me.
b.p.: why would the girls you know say you're evil?
g: or at least they should say the same about me
g:
because I'm a rollercoaster ride of hot-cold relationships.
because I can be a very good listener...when I care and want to...
because apparently, i'm a "good catch" and come tantalizingly close... but never ask her out.
because I don't know if I just enjoy her company, or love her. and yet... not wanting to risk the relationship on it. in hindsight, it's already too late. and my careless actions and indecisiveness is leaving a trail of broken hearts.
Thank you g for explaining this to me - at least I understand a bit better now from a guy's perspective. Which brings me to ask this question, would it be accurate if I applied this theory to most guys in general? If a girl knew that of a guy, would she have fallen for him and risked her heart being broken in the first place (or maybe we are just stupid/blind enough)? Well if he ever actually read these posts, here's the answer(s) to what you've been trying to figure out. You two should meet =).
To follow-up on my last post, here is a very slightly modified job description that I stole from Blast Radius that pretty well sums up what I do at my company (they didn't have job description when they interviewed/hired me):
M A R K E T I N G W R I T E R /
To write high-quality customer evidence articles and other material that explain how our clients' customers, their technologies and partners deliver powerful solutions that enable enterprises to better serve customers, communicate with partners, increase employee productivity, reduce costs and increase profitability. To also write/manage other content not limited to internally and externally facing web pages. Incorporate 'key messages' provided by Director of Marketing into all materials created.
RESPONSIBILITIES /
Develop a standard template that can be used for all customer case studies.
Build a schedule for interviewing, drafting, reviewing and finalizing customer profiles. Communicate this schedule and changes to the Director of Marketing and keep the sales representatives for each account in the loop.
Work with the Director of Marketing to prioritize the order in which customer case studies will be produced.
Research customer background including corporate profile, relevant business issues facing their industry and their go-to-market strategy, and incorporate into profile.
Determine if a partner's technology is used at the customer site and work with the Director of Marketing to determine how to best represent this in the case study.
Interview customer from prepared questions and transcribe notes (and quotes) that can be used to write a customer case study. The Director of Marketing will work with you to jointly interview customers and/or provide input into the interview questions.
Write customer case studies that are clear, concise and highlight the business issues solved by the technology. The case studies should encompass the benefits realized by using our product and should include customer quotes and statistics on gained efficiencies (such as time and cost savings).
Incorporate feedback received from the Director of Marketing and Product Management as well as the customer. Deliver final customer case study.
Create standard templates and boilertext for all marketing collateral including, but not limited to, data sheets, white papers, etc.
Edit, review and complete all detailed product collateral drafts provided by product management.
Write or cowrite special white paper topics as defined by the Director of Marketing on an as needed basis.
Act as editor-in-chief for regular customer newsletter (print, web and e-mail).
As time permits, proofread all marketing communications content and the content on the website.
As you can see, this posting describes the role of a Marketing Writer. I am a Copywriter, but essentially doing the same thing, plus now I work with the Director of Marketing dealing with tradeshow processing.
From the people who have brought you Blogger, Gmail, and Hello, Google now brings you Picasa! Picasa is now FREE, courtesy of Google!
What's Picasa? In short, Picasa is a really cool and impressive database management system (DBMS) for your images. Picasa has exceeded my expectations and other similar software applications that I have used. The DBMS reminds me of what Microsoft aims for with Longhorn (ie. the next Windows), but hey, I can't wait that long and my system specs won't make it for Longhorn anyhow. Picasa includes search functionality, a timeline and slideshow feature, along with direct import of media files from external media devices.
Best of all, have I mentioned that you can download and use it for free? Looks like things may get pretty competitive with Google and Microsoft.
If you are still wary of another product you need to install on your PC, remind me to send you a screenshot next time you're on Hello!
***
The above copy is an example of what I do at work - I'm a Marketing Copywriter remember? :) I don't mind advertising for people who do a good job at what they're trying to sell.
Funny how that reads less poetically in English than it does in Chinese. The other day, I was curious enough to see if I could understand anything from one of my mother's chinese novels and up until page 6, i just read and not really digested anything until I came across that phrase - maybe that's why sometimes rain has a soothing effect on me; it matches how I feel. Sometimes I want to just stand under the sky, soaking in the raindrops that fall on my head.
Does practicality/sensibility!=romance? I've been questioned whether I have any romantic bone in me at all. Well, I think it depends on whom you're talking to - my heart or my mind. My heart and mind seem to be two completely separate entities/personalities. I've realised that my heart smiles at the guys (especially) who take the time to fold hearts or cranes for the girl, but my mind cannot comprehend what to feel -whether to be speechless at how time consuming that must've taken or to wonder what to do with the amount of cranes/hearts the girl now has. I think that's one lesson that I've come to realise in the past few days. Proverbs 3:5a reminded me to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..." - a very tall order for me. I've quoted, applied, and recited Proverbs 3:5-6 many a times over the past years, but never did I seem to understand that it's "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..." and not "Trust in the Lord with all your mind", which isn't at all hard for me to do. Everything makes sense for me to, but when it comes to my heart, trust doesn't come quite as easily; trust me. It's nice to know that this verse has taken on a completely new and fresh meaning for me :)!
Postscript: Sometimes, my friends correct me for misinterpreting the language of the text, so I thought to look up the meaning of "heart" in my NIV Compact Dictionary of the Bible, one of a few books I have bought at Chapters which were not on sale. I hope my interpretation this time around, is correct.
HEART (Heb. lev, levav, Gr. kardia) [note the e's have a flat accent on top]
Scripture uses the word heart more than 900 times, almost never literally...[snip]...The heart is regarded (as in the modern usage) as the seat of the affections (eg. Gen 18:5; Ps 62:10) but also as the seat of the intellect (eg. Gen 6:5) and of the will (eg. 119:2). Often it signifies the innermost being (eg. Gen 6:6).
Hmm, I guess I got one of the many "components" of the heart =P.
i usually don't post lyrics, but here's an exception:
you surround me, you indwell me
you're beside me ever present always near
you're the whisper calling my name gently
love eternal reaching to me, jealous for me
i will stay with you forever, arm in arm we'll walk together
you will never let me go.
i can't live my life without you, my whole will to live is for you
you've awakened me to know
if you listen to the gaelic version of this song titled, "you surround
me", it's sung in a duet (male/female) with harmony and in a very
lyrical style. considering i've been emotionally drained lately, this
song is way to sappy for me (almost makes me want to cry!) - indeed God
is often seen as the lover, but I can almost see it as being sung on a
normal radio station from a guy to a girl and vice versa (btw, it's by
brian doerksen and you may preview it from his website or here). ieuno why it irks me so - maybe because i had to
sing it for worship today and images of mystic lovers (like ones in
fairy tales, chick flicks or disney movies) filled my mind...
$%#*@!...so sad, i think i just messed up another friendship (and i saw it coming too) ...
***
Spending 4 days at the beach is quite a nice way to relax. The
seabreeze, sunshine, waters, the jellyfish, schools of different size
of fishes, the seal that lingers close to the shore, the smells of the
ocean, food and the upbeatness of Marine Drive just gives a sense of
long, summer days.
***
One of my teens has a really funny sense of smell - one day it'd be,
"oh, you smell like chlorine/you just stepped out of the swimming pool"
whereas the last time, he decided that I smelled good and proceeded to
grab a friend of his and made her smell my jacket. Poor girl - my
jacket is not the cleaniest piece of clothing, nor does it smell good
to begin with, but it was pretty funny watching them as she cautiously
wafted the scent while he waved it in front of her face because she
didn't know what to expect. Her remark? "Just smells like a person -
you know how everyone smells slightly different..." Proved to me that
the theory that only some people are attracted to certain scents hold
true.
After spending 3 Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa, Canada Day away
from the Capital is quite mellow. Firstly, the mood of dressing in red
and white dissipates, and the crowds and festitivies aren't as
exciting. Instead of going out to look for Canada Day activities, a
group of girls went for a 4 hour trek/hike to the South Peak (1st peak)
of the Chief in Squamish. I had plans to head back to White Rock (where
we are house sitting for the week) as I found out earlier (from a
really uninformative website) that White Rock had fireworks to
celebrate Canada Day! Thus, a bunch of us chilled at the beach in
anticipation of them, not knowing what to expect. I had quite low
expectations, figuring that if Vancouver didn't have fireworks, the
ones offered in White Rock would be dinky, short, and overall
unimpressive. Yet, a pretty good 1/2 hour show resulted =) - must be
because the city is rich and the residents can afford to pay for it via
their taxes. I'm hoping to return, but hopefully the next time around,
we won't be sitting by a group of potheads.
Recently found that the convocation programs
are posted online on the UW website as pdf documents. Because they're
pdfs, they can be searched for certain keywords - to see who has the
same degree as you (with the same concentration, minor, etc.). I must
be very odd as I was the only one in my graduating class with that
specific one.
The more time I spend here, the less time I spend here. And, the more I have to thank God for - renewed and new friendships, answered prayers, opportunities to witness and seeing Him at work (double-meaning intended) as a result! I've deliberately tried to avoid summing up my daily happenings as working life can get pretty routine and boring, but special occasions do give my life some colour.
Thanks to those who sent me birthday greetings! =) Although the actual day was quite normal, the days surrounding it has certainly been special and quite memorable including mailed packages (see photo for example) and dinner coupled with an evening on the beach - feeling the warm sea breeze brush past my shoulders, hearing the silver waters brush against the rocky shores, watching the bonfires of students, and seeing the twinkling stars in the night sky. Ahh, so this is what Vancouver has to offer! =)
I sure am looking forward to the rest of this summer if this is only a taste of what's to come! 30C forecasted for this weekend and early next week; I can't wait! =) Do visit if you get a chance - I'll be seeing my dear Vonnekins this weekend hopefully (boy, speaking to her on the phone was such a challenge, whereas it would seem almost natural in 'loo - *sigh*, I need more Cantonese-speaking friends here!).
"There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ." ~ Blaise Pascal
I cannot find the quote in context, so I don't actually know what Pascal was talking about before or after this statement.
But, I believe that if one is already rich and famous, this analogy still applies. One question that often plagues the rich and/famous is, "Am I truly content?" If so, why are there so many suicides, drug overdoses, broken families, etc. amongst the rich and famous? I have talked with friends who have well-established careers, have cars, a house, girlfriend, etc. but yet, they are still searching for something - telling me that they're not happy and that there must be more to life than this (reminds me of Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "More to this Life").
I almost see it as putting a puzzle together, where only one piece will match with another. If you're missing that one piece, the puzzle will never be complete. Even though one will see be able to see the big picture and what the final result should look like, a detail will still be missing.
Do I make any sense? What are your thoughts?
==
But there's more to this life /
Than livin' and dyin', /
More than just tryin' /
To make it through the day /
More to this life, /
More than these eyes alone can see, /
And there's more than this /
Life alone can be
On the "brillant" user interface and usability of Word 2003:
If you want the Save As...to show up on the File Menu (if it's not already there), go to Tools-->Customize and find the Save As button/command and simply drag and drop it onto the drop-down File Menu so that it will be there every time (and you can similarly delete the Save As Web Page in the same way).
On a related note, I've been slowly reading up on developer's docs from Apple as per my friend's suggestion, and I must say that they're written quite well - informative, technical, yet it reads almost like a whitepaper at times. Apple's technology seems to be quite powerful (and convincing), not to mention that much of its product appeal is quite sexy =T.
A warm sunny day welcomes the youngster, with her pigtails flying behind as she sprints across the gravelled field and leaps into the seat of a plastic swing. Amongst the others - the slides, the teeter-totter, and the monkey bars, the swings are her favourite adventure on the playground. The swing takes her beyond the clouds of the earth.
At the top, she sees the flight of the gulls and the ravens flying free and she sees her reflection in their beaded eyes, in her memory past. Their echoes call to her; taunts that tell her the chains on the swing keep her from being truly free. And yet, she has faith that "those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31). She trusts Him; the hands of her Father keep her from falling, keeping her secure while lifting her above the white clouds of the blue sky. Her Father stands behind her, taking her to the level of the eagles, higher than the gulls and the ravens that she sees.
As the swing climbs higher with each pendulum motion, the young girl, my spirit, soars to endless limits. On this swing, with the push of my Fathers outstretched arms, I am able to reach unfathomable possibilities.
For someone who sees the good and mostly the bad in marriages, I seem to think about relationships a whole awful lot O_o. I finished reading Every Woman's Battle this past weekend, a book written for women by a woman (imo, just so gals can say they have a book like every (young) man's batte. In one particular section, the author tackles something that I've previously mentioned on March 4th:"My heart gets easily confused between (other) love and romantic love." She mentioned that we, as girls, are attracted to different types of guys, but she further implied that this attraction may not be "romantic" type - for often, she was attracted to men that reminded her of her father or her brother. I guess, it's like the same type of attraction that draws you to certain people, to friends. Heh, maybe that's why I've been dreaming (see xanga) about my co-worker leaving - he reminds me of an older version of my brother - one who is mellow, but can be quite talkative, enjoys hockey, has an interesting sense of humor, had a modding-car phase, and dresses somewhat like my brother would at one pt in his life. I was very sad to see him go, especially to hear that his contract was not renewed because I knew he enjoyed it here for the most part. I think I actually did pray for him because he had no place to go, and because he was very valuable to me as a team member - he did everything I don't enjoy; namely, awards/tradeshow processing and applications. But, I believe that God, in His grace, provided and generously gave him a job that started today on Friday (which was coincidentally his last day)! Dear God, I pray that someday he'll be able know You personally...
Recently, a friend of mine delivered my prayer journal back to me (from Toronto). I was reading through the heart-felt and sincere entries during different life phases from 1996 to 2000. I was reminded of a very valuable lesson that I learned during my high school years (excuse my poor writing skills and the name has been changed to protect me - yes me, and not necessarily him):
Sunday, July 05, 1998
If there is one thing to learn in my confusion/confused-state-of-mind in my relationship w X, it is how much more God loved us to sent his son to die on the cross! And, I thank you [Jesus] for revealing [this] to me [...]. Though I do not share X's affections toward me, nor [give into] his persistence, I realised that love (in Christ) is quite unconditional [...]. Though I may not have any feelings for [X] in "that" way, he still cares. How much more is God's love! We weren't even born back then, and to die for someone who's not even [born] yet, is love!
It's strange really because during BSF today, the speaker mentioned that if a guy pursues a girl and she shows no interest, then he should give up - but, if that had happened in the above case, I would've never realised these truths.
For the first time in my life, I actually want to live in America. Too bad that the tuition for a Master's in Technical Communication at UW (U "dub" - not to be confused with U "double U") costs over $16K USD for non-state residents (vs. $6000). With temperatures reaching a high of 80F (30?C) and warm, sunny skies, who would want to be elsewhere? Seattle, WA and its surrounding suburbs seem quite promising, with its roads and highway structures laid out very much like Toronto highways - convenient, quick, and easy to navigate around, minus the dense population. Driving through the roads, especially at night reminds me of playing Daytona or a similar racing arcade game. With Mt. Rainier in the backdrop and the sea breeze that drifts through your hair, it seems to be hard to stay indoors, especially when the beautiful weather energizes your being - which would explain why I already have a slight tanline.
It's not like I haven't been to Seattle before, but this time, it seems like I've had a slight glimpse of the city beyond the typical tourist and sightseeing attractions. God definitely sent us to an angel this weekend - an excellent host who opened his home to us, and even provided hotel-like accomodations! He also took the time to show us around town, made some really good recommendations to excellent restaurants, introduced us to some of his friends, and even gave a small tour of M$ (on that note, I must also remark that E@ is definitely much nicer, more creative looking and has a warmer feel than m$ does). To think that I've only met my friend once prior to this occasion, but I (and probably can extend it to "we" as in my manager too) definitely enjoyed his company, generosity, and kindness. He's a great guy! Now, I even listen to 106.1 FM when there is nothing good on our local stations...Mmm, should've dropped by the Tom Bihn retail store in Seattle, where they sell backpacks with labels that say the President is an idiot.
Riding as passenger on a motorcycle is very much like letting God take driver's seat of your life; one must have complete trust and faith in Him, allowing Him to take full control. I think there are two types of riders: one being those who hold on for dear life while letting fear haunt them (and maybe yelling all the way), or the other, just relaxing and in doing so, appreciating the ride, the speed/power, the sounds, the smells, and the sights around them. With God in control, I think I'd thoroughly would enjoy being the latter, instead of missing life as it passes you by. The truths that I've learnt today, just by being on a motorcycle. So, to those who are passengers, how do you ride?
Last week, I signed up for a long distance plan on a commercial account with a telephone company. I have never experience such good customer service before - perhaps businessmen and women have more money to spend, which is why the reps are so much more friendlier, the English is actually audible and intellegible, which motivates one to actually purchase the service. During my conversation with this guy, I found out a few things: he is interested in web design, has 2 degrees, one from Western, one from Windsor, his sister is in English, and he lives in TO. Lo and behold, a few days later, he calls me at home to discuss something non-telephone service related; he was looking for a web designer to work for his own business. Imagine that, one could potentially get recruited for something just by subscribing to a service! Anyhow, I have been wanting to write about my positive sales/customer service experience (for once instead of negative) before all this happened, but yeah, I highly recommend him. So, if you have a business and are interested in having 4.75 cent/min long distance calls across North America with a well-known telephone company, contact me, and I'll refer you to him.
Am I ever glad that I didn't become an optometrist. In BC soon, it will be legal for opticians to give prescriptions to patients. As a result, more people (esp those w/o extended health insurance) will go to opticians since it will be cheaper to have your eyes checked with them than with optometrists. But, optometrists can check for eye diseases too, but people, esp Asians are cheap. Poor optometrists.
Recently, I've re-evaluated relationships in general, and after hearing some words that have been said to me, and watching Mandy Moore's movie, "How to Deal", a teeny-bopper movie about the bad side of relationships (which my GUY-friend of mine bought!), I have come to question a few things - do guys and girls ever get over their first "love" (I don't mean a crush, but where feelings are mutual and end up well)? Is it normal to think about the past and wonder what it'd be like today?
I'm also not sure if I want to be married at this point in time. I can't imagine doing so especially when all I see around me are married couples constantly arguing (including my parents), or married family members breaking up (at the age of 50?!). Being brought back home, aka reality, just kinda hits me - although I learned to ignore it in my final year in 'loo while living w my housemate (and her bf - where the level of yelling brought on complaints from the tenants downstairs, but then again, sweeping did too, and so did moving my chair, but that's another story).
I'm pretty selfish because I don't see anything good in marriage - unless the process of being made unselfish through marriage is worth all that. And right now, sex (you know, Paul's saying. "it's better to marry than to burn with passion") just doesn't cut it for me. Hrm, I sound like a teenager, trying to find her identity. I'm sure I will change my mind in the future, especially since on occasion, I dream about standing at the altar with a mystery guy - like I've said to many people, I have such a fickle heart when it comes to feelings and emotions; I'm not very stable, and yet, I am. Hard to explain.
After watching a few episodes of Sue Thomas, FB Eye, my dad was commenting on how the camera focuses on the lips of the people. That's when my awareness heightened and brought me to this conclusion: I give pseudo eye contact. Perhaps it's my height, as most are taller than me, I don't see the other person's eyes first (that may also explain why, when during a Bible Study, the question was what do you notice in the opposite sex first, and I replied teeth). Instead of giving you eye contact, I'm likely just reading your lips as you speak, which gives me an advantage, because sometimes, I can understand what a person is saying even when they're far away, or their voices drop below hearing level.
Last week was quite a adventurous week in more ways than one:
Tuesday: Bronchitis -> Rib Well, it's not pneumonia, thank God. But, I was right about the incompetencies of a walk-in doctor; technically, I could probably hire a lawyer and sue him for mal-diagnosis which resulted in further physiological injury. On Tuesday morning, my family doctor diagnosed me with post-bronchitis, with the possibility of a sprained or a cracked rib, as a result from excessive coughing (from fits at night while I'm sleeping) which is apparently quite a normal side-effect. He didn't prescribe antibiotics for my bronchitis, but rather Tynenol 3 which contains codeine to suppress my coughing and the acetaminophen to numb the pain. An x-ray to determine the condition would have been a waste of resources and time as a cracked rib cannot be mended any other way anyhow 'cept to let it heal on its own.
That Tuesday night (or early Wednesday morning), I received an interesting call from a friend of mine who told me a supernatural encounter and story that just basically followed-up on my ponderings in a previous post. God practically dropped this opportunity in my lap - I didn't really know what to say to my friend, but I can already see that He's working - seemed like his experience benefited me more than him. Although I should be sleeping, I don't mind receiving these calls, because I know that's when the distractions of work or anything else are subdued.
Wednesday: Hockey game! At 16:00, the same friend calls me and asks me if I wanted to go the hockey game in 3 hours, as he had free tickets to the game (from his boss at work). Well, I'm not generally a person of impulse or a die-hard hockey fan (although that seems to have slightly changed in the past few years), but I couldn't possibly pass up my very first time going to see a hockey game live and for free too! So, of course I said yes - turns out that we were in the Siemens Club section (ie. more VIP holders), sitting in the 6th row near the goalie. I guess for $138.75 per ticket, that would make sense. There was definitely less people and line-ups for food in this part of GM Place. It's a shame that I didn't have my camera with me (no time to go home to get it after work), as my sister would've loved some of the good views I had of Naslund =). I had always imagined that the seats at the hockey arena would be cheap and plastic, but they were theatre-style seats - pretty impressive. I definitely enjoy watching hockey live in person than on TV - it's more relaxed, peaceful and more "festive" even though there is less commentary remarks to follow. I would've never imagined that my first experience at a game would turn out this way: close-up hockey, free, and the 'Nucks even won this game and broke their losing streak (although the skill level decreased with each period) - actually, it was my friend's first time at a game too, so we were both all new at this...
Thursday: Pacific 1nternational Autoshow I had free VIP tickets to a private Nissan reception at the Pacific 1nternational Autoshow this year and I invited Z and Mel since they were free and I know they were interested in going. The disappointment was that it was only admission to preview Nissan and nothing else - which was quite enforced by women on watch. However, by the end of our quick tour of Nissan and consumption of their free drinks, including tasteless wine and beer, I decided to take another route in attempt to find another washroom. As we approached the end of the deserted hallway, a security guard asked us what we were looking for, and we said the restrooms, and he pointed us onto the showfloor. It was our "in" as once we used the lavatories, we were able to walk around the exhibits looking at the showroom cars - for once you're past the show patrol people, you blend in quite well with the exhibitors who were still setting up, as long as we didn't take pictures. So, sorry guys, no pictures of concept cars or anything else. Though, my one remark: definitely less big and "wow" as the Toronto 1nternational Auto Show.
On a day where most people would sleep in, Zeke struggled out of bed at 6:00 am in preparation for a long-haul with his _wife_. Well, he also picked up two
other girls on his way. Note to self: line up on the right lane next time going across the Truck Crossing border - the lane splits into 4 instead of 2.
On our way to Seattle, I, in need of more than 4 hours of sleep, fell asleep in the corner between the headrest and the window, only to be woken on occasion
by fits of coughing and upon arrival in Seattle, WA. Being in Seattle as a visitor as opposed to a tourist is quite different. But, I distinctly had the
feeling that I was in America, because of the street names, historical buildings and such, and the hills of Seattle reminded me of SF Bay; I think Seattle
would be a nice place to live, not to mention that they have a pretty hip Christian contemporary radio station (104.5 Spirit FM).
Our friend, Tip, who was staying at Harborview Medical Center due to a vehicle-related bicycle accident, from what others told me, seems to be doing better
than before. I believe that God really watched over him because his injuries could have definitely been much worse. Admittedly, due to his current condition,
I don't think I would've recognized him if I saw him on the street. The first feeling when I saw him this morning was a heart-wrenching "ouch!", followed by
a wave of admiration at how he seems to be handling things quite well, given the situation. He's even quite a good sport about the mush of food that the
hospital feeds him. I think instead of us visiting him to keep him from his boredom being cooped up in a room, it felt like he was entertaining us! The
stories he told just made us laugh and made me think back to who he was back when I knew him a few years ago. Molls was right on the card - he's such a good
storyteller. In fact, he should be telling you this story, not me!
As a froshie in my second term at school, Tip kept me company (and kept me up) until the wee hours of my morning (and his no doubt, although he had a 3-hour
advantage). He updated me on everything making sure that I knew how everyone back 'home' was doing with interesting stories via ICQ, telephone and even via
snail mail, until the birds would start to chirp and the sky brightened; a definite signal that I was to be in bed. The things I remembered most from our
conversations was his love for triathalon (I learnsed what Shimano parts were from him!), spending time with his friends, and his dream to become a
pharmacist. As friends come and go, it was not until today that I found out that he is in Seattle precisely because of the fulfilment of his dream, which is
quite exciting!
During the few hours that he had to do his daily therapy exercises, we headed out to grab a bite to eat and to look at motorcycle accessories for Zeke. On
our way down Aurora Avenue (this is mainly for future reference in case my memory fails), I saw the Oh Oberto's Factory Outlet for its beef jerky from the
corner of my eye. I can't believe my mom actually said, "So coool!" when I went home and showed her what I got for her - she got so excited that she asked me
if I remember where I got them and wondered why I didn't get anymore for her. Ah yes, and Zeke got his passenger seat for his bike...so now all he needs is
the extra helmet, so that the passenger won't get killed if s/he falls on a turn or something.
On our way back to visit Tip again, we stepped off the elevator and as door closed again on the couple that entered, the lady upon seeing Zeke's hoodie
excitedly says, "SFU? Canadians! HIIIII!" Lol, it was pretty funny - as if Canadians were a novelty in the Sates. After spending another 1.5 hours with Tip
and everyone else, we started our journey back to Seattle. Who would've thought the roads in the States were so bad? Shortly before 20:00 in Shagit valley (
er, Skagit Valley), the roads became extra treacherous and bumpy. To our horror, it was actually the right tire in the front that had a huge gash in it.
So, we had a gaping gash and hole in our tire (as opposed to a flat). God definitely was watching over us in the midst of this. Because the right tire blew
gradually, steering to the shoulder on the right wasn't too bad - Zeke didn't lose control and we ended up on the shoulder just before a small bridge, where
there was no shoulder to stop. we spent the longest time trying to get the jack out of the compartment in the trunk - but thankfully, he had a manual, so
Molls found a short line explaining how to unscrew the jack. Goes to show you that manuals are useful =).
When we were almost finished changing the tire (more like Zeke was done), an '92? Accord pulled up behind us and a guy with something in his hand came
creeping up. Molls and I were pretty scared that he wanted to kill us. Turns out, he was a nice American (angel?) with a flashlight who made sure we were actually in trouble and weren't faking it so he passed us once before turning back to help (smart idea)by offering us advice on where to go to
purchase a replacement tire since the spare was not a full-size one and wasn't meant to go fast or on long-hauls. with about 30-40 minutes to spare (no pun
intended) before closing time, we found Sears who charged us $101+ USD for just ONE tire. The mechanic asked for Zeke's name and the conversation went like
this:
M: First name? [starts to type]
E: Ezekiel - E-Zed-E...
M: [blank stare]
E: ..E-Zee-E
M: [continues to type]
Lol, Americans!
Forget about value; talk about timing - any later and we would've not been able to get to Sears in time. Well, at least dinner was cheap - $1.00 McChicken's,
which tastes tons better than canada's version. Along the way, we passed by Chuck E. Cheese's (Molls and I were talking about it), the outlets in Burlington
(I wanted to shop there earlier), and even Krispy Kreme (they had originally wanted some but I told them that it's probably better to get them in Delta).
During the 15 mins we had dinner in the car, one of them said something that just caused my mind to pause to notice a difference and blurt out, "Hey! You've
changed!" Funny, how God uses the time
apart and this situation to let me see how He responded to what was on my heart a few years ago and let me see a positive change in my friend's character/outlook of life. This causes me to wonder if I've changed for the better over
time? And, somehow in my self-reflection, I'm not sure that I have...
By the time we reached Blaine, WA, we filled up at a gas station that I wasn't familiar with, and after much exploration, connected to the I5 right at the
Peace Arch Border (oops, we had wanted Truck Crossing) and finally made it back to canada (and no extra taxes - phew!). Zeke told me the next morning that
when he reached home, this time, the rear tire on the left side of this car blew. Thank God that He kept us safe and that Zeke had already reached home.
Speaking of cars, I sure feel like the black sheep. My sister just bought a 2001 Honda Civic SIG Coupe. So, now every member of our family has a car 'cept me.
Maybe I'll just be different and get a motorcycle. Just kidding =).
I've been reading up on google on broken/fractured ribs and talking to my co-worker about how it feels, since he broke his awhile ago. The symptoms of an injured ribs (or just one rib), I seem to have. I have really no idea what could have caused it - I don't think I fell off the top bunk while sleeping as I most likely would've known/woken up. The only other possibility is that it's a result of excessive coughing (such as bronchitis/pneumonia/whooping cough), which would make sense since at night, I am constantly coughing and woken up by it on occasion. I really hope it's nothing serious and that I can last til I see a doctor, but I'm scheduled to see one tomorrow morning. If my diagnosis is correct, there goes badminton and snowboarding for the next 6 weeks :(.
Whee! Free VIP tickets to see the BC Autoshow next Thursday evening - one for me and for 2 of my friends. The perks to having a family member purchase a new car within the past year =).
"I have a car, I have high-paying career, I have a girlfriend, but I am not happy; I wish I have inner peace." My heart breaks to hear of the echoing cries of those who have everything, and yet have nothing. How do you tell someone that the empty hole can only be filled by Him? How do you share Jesus, the answer to the meaning of life, with them? The question, is how?
Spent time catching up with a good friend of mine today (even though we hardly talk anymore). I think the history of us just let me trust him in sharing what's going in my life. Sort of nice to be able to do that and find that we were both going through similar struggles with career choices, and coming to the same conclusions. Weekend was crazy eventful: saw a UBC Gala Ball (ie. latin and standard ballroom competition) from 9-5 on Sat, attended Theatresports (like drew carey's who's line is it anyway - I believe Colin came from this league) - but wasn't as great as expected. Sun evening was STOMP! Considering we bought the tickets at 1/2 price (half-price tickets booth like the one in NYC) on Saturday, we only paid $37.50 for 2nd row seats (well it's row 6 in the RHS but that section starts at row 5). For 1 and 1/2 hrs, it was pure dance, rhythm, and sweat. I was pretty impressed, and it was quite entertaining, but definitely not a standard broadway musical. You can see some of their acts on their website. Not sure if it was worth $60+ to see it at a regular price though. I've wanted to see them since Vonne and I saw a preview of them on the streets as we were lining up to get $40USD tickets for Miss Saigon in NYC.
For those doctors out there, please diagnose my illness correctly; I seriously don't believe that it's "just a flu".
Just so happens that my family doctor is away this week, and the substitute doctor won't take any appointments unless they're "urgent". The receptionist recommended that I go to a walk-in clinic today. However, the young chinese male doctor looked me over for 1 minute and declared that I had the flu (just looked into my mouth with a light (no stick), and told me to breathe so that he could listen through the stethoscope). When I asked if he had any recommendations to help my symptoms, he just said that over-the-counter medication only relieve symptoms temporarily for a few hours, so he basically told me to tough it out. I sound like a frog now when I speak, or like I'm dying because I can't talk above a whisper or else risk going into a coughing spell. The good in this? My abs are definitely getting a good work-out! It just automatically contracts every so often now, even when I'm not coughing (I think it's the way I breathe). I don't care if I don't get paid; I'm not going to work tomorrow.
The symptoms? Try not to be grossed out okay? If you are the type that does, please don't read on:
-Fri: Cold chills accompanied with fever I think (didn't have a thermometer with me at work); slight cough deep from within lungs
-Sat: Dry cough with coloured phlegm (yuck!), which occasionally had blood traces
-Sun: Same cough increases
-Mon: Same cough, sore and swollen throat develops, along with mild earache when swallowing
Now, the doctor predicts that I will get a runny nose in the next few days. I hope to prove him wrong just so I know that it's not a flu. If it is, this is quite the flu. I haven't had it this bad in a few years, especially with the coughing. Last time I almost lost my voice was when I was on CCF committee back in 3rd year (and Pork was my voice up in front hehe). OK, so I lied. I looked back at my archives, and it seems like I get sick at least once a year around this time, maybe not as bad, but still bad enough.
Too much. In the past week, I've read way too many blogs where the writer is suffering from being sick. Guess what? Now, it's my turn. I'm battling a cough (which is the kind that is deep from within the lungs), with body stiffness/soreness/spasms (well, probably from badminton too yesterday, but the entire body feels weak),accompanied with a minor headache and cold spells (even though my body is warm to touch) at times. Look what all you sick people in Ontario did! Your germs somehow managed to travel this far and over cyberspace! :| Thankfully, we have a whole Kirkland bottle of acetaminophen in our kitchen cupboard at the office...=
During my slumber on Monday, I had a very interesting dream that prepared me to handle the news from a certain company quite well. On Wednesday, I heard back from the company I interviewed with two weeks ago, and well, once again my dream came true {only 4-6 of my dreams have come true within the past 5 years - if more did, I would be pretty freaked, as some of my dreams are quite violent in nature}. Back to the real world; the company left me a voicemail saying that they had made an offer to another candidate that had a little more core technical writing experience than I did, but the interviewer, whom I've interviewed with 3 times now, was apparently pretty impressed with me. In fact, the recruitment co-ordinator mentioned that if I was ever in town, I should let them know in advance, so that she can arrange an meeting with her. Now that would serve to be quite an interesting experience and it's something that I do look forward to - hopefully by the end of this summer.
As a follow-up to my last post, a verse comes into mind, when I reminded of my story - in 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul says, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow." I may not be the planter, but the waterer, but God is responsible to make a flower sprout and grow as long as we do our parts respectively.
Highlights of the weekend:
Fresh fruit shakes at BubbleZone averages $3.25 (I think). However, there was one that stood out which I still don't get as to why it's so expensive: $4.25! Anyhow, being one who doesn't mind trying new foods, my friend decided that as long as I finished the drink, he would pay for it. He wanted to see me suffer. Let me tell you now, that doing that is hardly worth it, but for $4.25 that I would never have otherwised paid, I agreed. Wow, what a pugent drink. I think I shall stay away from durian for a long time, but at least I saved myself the cost of a drink and it did quench my thirst. Sorry, Marc, I've decided that I don't want to try the real fruit pieces.
Picked up a Palm portable keyboard for my Palm IIIxe that I ordered from NCIX.com a month ago for $1.13 after work on Saturday. I guess it's times like this that old technology serves you good. Now, I can take notes in Sunday school without having to write them down and type them out again!
Played some Daytona, fooseball, and a couple of games of pool at EA. Haven't "dook ball" in awhile, was nice playing again.
Watched Mel drink 5 shots, one being one where she had to pick out the shooter without the aid of her hands basically by shoving her face in a whole martini glass of whipped cream. Yuck. Had DQ ice cream cake which didn't quite sit well in my stomach overnight.
Enjoyed a homecooked meal that was made from fresh king crab ($9.99/lb which came to about $50+!). Mmmm =9!
The Sacred Romance, The Journey of Desire - titles that sound like topics on relationships. And, they are. They are two books that I've read on the relationship between you and God. I really enjoyed reading those books, and was deeply saddened to hear that one of co-authors died shortly before finishing (or starting?) the second book. I'd lend you these books except, I lent it out to Ben one year, and never got them back. So you can ask him for it if his friends have returned it back to him yet. In any event, when I saw another book by John Elredge, I never gave it another thought and borrowed it from the church library; it was titled, Wild at Heart. Of the two books that I've read that were geared to men, I recommend them both. This one and Every Man's Battle. While the latter dwells with a man's struggle with p0rnography and how to overcome it, this one dwells more into the psyche of a man's character (what makes a man, a man) or as the cover says, "Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul". Well, it's nice to know that there are still some knights out there who want to valiantly rescue a beautiful maiden (in distress) - the sense of danger and adventure in a man Elredge argues, is innate; that God made him that way.
I'm finally at peace with where I am. For those that don't know, a certain company in 'loo called me to interview me for a job I didn't apply for - and surprisingly (since I had been 'rejected' twice before with the same company), I managed to pass the first set of interviews and moved onto the 2nd (and final) interview. If it was just a few months ago, I would've gladly dropped what I was doing, and moved back. 'Cept it just hit me a week or so ago. I'm finally beginning to see the opportunities all around me here, with the people that God has placed in my life and in the areas that I may be able to serve. I'm praying that God will place me where I can be the most effective in my ministry to others - if 'loo, so be it. If I should be staying now and foregoing a technical writer position, then I'll rejoice as well. Funny, how it's a win-win situation in a sense.
A week ago, I found out that someone who used to act as a mentor to me when I was a teenager had used his time wisely on the bus. Every day, as he bused to work, he would see the same faces and would be interested in finding out about their lives - one in particular. Over the months (and years), they established a relationship, a friendship that would last until this day. Today, they even meet for lunch sometimes, and yet, I've only known this friend for less than 3 months - and our friendship didn't really take off until two weekends ago. I'm amazed how God works. He's already planted seeds in my friends life through another Christian. In hindsight, it's pretty funny to know that ever since I found out that another guy had offered to take my friend to see the Passion of Christ for free, I have been praying for that 'anonymous' Christian and thanking God for him - who turns out to be someone I knew all along!
Thought of the week: My heart gets easily confused between (other) love and romantic love.
With all this talk surrounding the Passion of the Christ (or, otherwise known to me simply as "the Passion" prior to the name change), it's hard to avoid it. No, I'm not one of those who have flocked to the theatres to see it just yet, although I do have "free" Famous Player and Cineplex Odeon tickets to use. I have my reservations, one being a very silly one - because I now associate Harry Potter to be the actor and Frodo to be Elijah Wood, will I do the same for Jesus? The main reason that I'm shying away is that if I walked out of the theatre of Gladiator to only never to return because of its gory violence (no, I have not yet seen Kill Bill for that matter), I don't know if I will be able to sit for 2.x hours to watch this movie. And, yet, as a Christian, I somehow feel pressured to, or obligated to - but I can't seem to verbalize a "why". Anyhow, just don't be surprised if you ask me if I've seen it and I tell you no.
Saturday was another fun day of snowboarding. Melody and I went alone this time, only to get pelted on by huge balls of hail and ice with almost zero visibility. Consequences of not being able to see? Taking wrong turns and ending up on runs that you're not exactly ready for skill-wise or are expecting. Yaay, so we've "upgraded" from green runs to doing short blue runs purely from accident - the advantage of taking Hutch? Avoiding going the flat section on Colins and by-passing traffic since no one seems to take Hutch. Whee! I discovered that the level of "blue" is similar to the level of "greens" at Blackcomb - no wonder I had no control on Blackcomb! Well, at least, there were no major wipeouts on Hutch, but tons of slowing down =p. When the sky did clear up in the afternon, with tons of sunshine and excellent visibility, Hutch looked scarier than before, but nevertheless, we took it!
At 5:30 AM on Tuesday morning, the first Krispy Kreme in British Columbia opened its doors to eager customers. Campers stayed overnight to grab the first batch fresh off the belt. Line-ups stretched two blocks, traffic jams were unavoidable, and people patiently waited for up to 2 hours to taste the 'krispy, kremey' doughnuts that are filled with 199-340 calories each. Yum? O.o Well, I have yet to try mine unglazed because the original glazed is way to sweet for me - it drips of sugar. It's a 10 min drive from my workplace, so I imagine that I will visit sometime. Even if I have a craving at 3 am, the drive-thru is open 24 hrs. And, the first day of sales? $90,000. Any franchise takers? Ha.
What's a trackback? Well, haloscan uses wikipedia to define it as: Trackback is a system [...] that alerts and allows a blogger to see who has blogged about posts on his or her blog. The system works by sending a 'ping' between the blogs, and therefore providing the alert. Simply put, it's way to link related sites and to see who's linked your post. Trackback is new to me, so I have much to learn, just like those who have been asking me. The old "X new pennies" link meant that there were that many comments that you have not read.
For those ICQ and MSIE (internet explorer) fans - note that they are not mutually exclusive - please fix your icq before you keep annoying trillian or mozilla users like me who aren't affected by the jokeworld.biz worm. Yes, if you have opened a link that said something to the effects of jokeworld.biz/index.html LOL, and you were using IE, you should check your ICQ folder under "Sounds" to see if there is a new directory called Meine. If yes, it means you likely have a worm. To find out more about this intriguing worm, the only document I found on google about it at http://www.daemonology.net/ICQworm/worm.txt. And no, I don't know how to remove it - just scan your computer with a virus scanner. I know my workplace virus detector found it on my computer at work, so it should be okay. Oh yeh, it's effects? Annoying other ICQ users with that url, potentially infecting others, and your icq may cease to work (as some of my friend have quickly found out).
Why do we care? Or do you even care? Should we care? I'm sick, I contracted a cough from someone on Friday night, but that's besides the point. On Friday night, instead of being my usual self and bumming around at home when Nexus was cancelled, I decided to go to 3D. I'm not sure why as my sane self usually would hold me back; I haven't re-visited this fellowship ever since I've returned (maybe because it hurts to see my friends around me not feel welcome by my peers and well, I feel the same - I don't have the urge to invite my friends to this church anymore for this reason. Thankfully, the few times that my friends have visited, they at least enjoyed the time there - and a few people have introduced themselves). As I settle back here, one would think that the easiest thing to transition back into would be the church environment; but it's not. Integrating with my school friends, work life, and the people I've met since I've arrived including my new fellowship has been okay, but integrating back into church life has been the most challenging. Anyhow, the topic discussed at 3d last night really scratched at what has been bugging me really much recently. It coincided perfectly with the article, er blog entry, uhm, java program that I am planning to submit to TalkBAC and the issues that I'm dealing with - it was very comforting to end the night in prayer, and have some of the girls pray for me and my current situation.
Caring. In the past while, I've found from experience that caring seems to result from compassion. And the compassion that I do have, definitely does not come from within me. Compassion "grows" in me toward the people that seem the most in need - those that I, my selfish self, would not think to spend time investing in, but yet, something compels me to spend time with them, pray for them, and just love them - wanting to get to know them on a more personal level, even if *i* don't want to - it's an oxymoronic paradox. Ironically, I can identify that they are those who Jesus talk about: the outcast, lonely, hurt, lost, but oftentimes, they don't know it, or outrightly tell me, but the aspects of their lives that are expressed leaves these impressions. And because of that, I just want to be there for them, in hopes that one day, they will find the joy, fulfilment, and purpose - filling the void in their inner being.
First and foremost, a big thank you for those who messaged me and called to check up on me; it's nice to know that there are people who care :). Our Valentine's Day theory held true - the mountain was empty. It was an excellent day for snowboarding and we took advantage of that. I learnt one thing this time - how to get off the lift without going "ker-splat", but I still have yet to perfect the technique. Mel learned how to do that first (she has it down pact I believe) and she also figured how to ride heel-side so now we cut our trip down Collins from 1 hour (since the last time) to 20 mins =)! I'm still working on being able to go on my toe-side so that I don't keep angling right because I can do heel-edge and I ride goofy. I've also learnt that the faster one goes, the worse wipeouts get. I managed to somehow fall on my back, hear a "crack", get up and see the word on the "slow" sign moving up and down quite quickly, not slowly (ie. dizzyness ensued). Thankfully, I got up and rode for the rest of the day, but suffered greatly for that particular wipeout - so much that I had to call in "sick" at work today because I have trouble moving my neck. But, Advil is my friend and I hope I will be back to 100% by the end of the week.
Dug this up while I was cleaning my room - I made a Sunday School Scavenger Hunt for my kids back when I was in high school. Each clue led to another clue:
Who am I?
In the living room with cushions I will be
In this room, you will find this clue under me.
I'm not an animal but I have legs,
Nor a chicken because I don't lay eggs.
I can be found in green or black,
Teachers at school draw and write on my back.
Clear and transparent you can see me through,
Whether the clouds are grey or the sky is crystal blue.
In every room I am round,
Turn me and on the otherside, your clue will be found.
I make noise as I'm used by you
You'll use me for pencil crayons and for pencils too.
I stay in every classroom each and every day,
I know that I'm not very popular because people hold their noses and turn away.
No wonder I get mistaken for a teen! Lol, my inner self must be counter-balancing my biological self. I normally avoid these subjective quizzes (since anyone can just make them up), but I took this one I found on my friend's blog, and oh my, based on my answers, that's what I got!
My inner child is one year old!
Everything is new to me. I like watching the world go by around me, and I don't sweat the small stuff--or the large stuff, either. Just so long as I stay warm and safe and dry, life's pretty good.
Now that I'm out of school, I have moments where I miss the environment and convenience of Waterloo. If I ever needed to study, I could just step outside my "home", and within 30 seconds, be on the perimeter of the campus and just spend hours there studying, dreaming, or playing Daytona/Initial-D at the SLC. And if I was ever bored, some people would graciously accompany me on walks the park in the snow, or to get stung by mosquitos in the trails. I had the convenience of being able to walk to a restaurant if I was hungry or thirsty, to k-ok w friends, or even bike to a friends' place without having to worry about being too far. And when I was procrastinating, or when I was lazy, or if everything was too far away, there was always someone who offered to give a ride. Being back in the city has its advantages, but when everything is spread out - friends, food, fun - and not having a car readily available to me, I tend to fall to the sin of laziness. I take a look around me and realise how blessed I've been. If I had to drive to UBC to study, I probably wouldn't even do that because of the time and effort it takes to drive there and back - it's definitely not as flexible. Please note that I'm not trying to complain here. It's just one of these reflective moods I sometimes fall into when I'm alone. I'm definitely looking forward to more outdoor activities when the sun comes back, and looking forward to Valentine's Day...where I'll be spending it with Melody on the slopes snowboarding (we figure that there may be less people since it's a special day for couples and all and snowboarding isn't exactly a very romantic way to spend the day).
I recently turned on the TV for no reason, and was immediately glued to it for an hour watching Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye.
Because I don't have cable, and never did, nor do I really care if I ever will, I can't compare that to any other show because I don't generally watch TV (although I did see commercials for the OC so I guess it's showing on Global (or was it CTV), which I have). Anyhow, the only reason why I enjoy this show is because the actress (and her character) is severely deaf, but like my ASL teacher at UW, she learned to speak and fluently read lips and use ASL to get by. So, aside for being inspiring, having the show base it on real character Sue Thomas, and having it contain very little violence and sex, I try to catch as much as I can of what she signs when they do on occasion. When they do carry a conversation in ASL, there is also subtitles to help us "illiterate" people out.
And, now to follow-up with my last posting on lying. It's ironic, because everyone who did comment, reflected a comment that was raised in our discussions during Sunday School class. Some people in my class claimed that if it was two evils, it's better to do the less evil for the greater good. For example, if lying is wrong, and one had to lie to hide the Nazis, and s/he knew that was the Nazi's did were evil, then ts/he'd lie. However, there seems to be a fallacy in that argument, but I can't pinpoint it. It's just very unsettling that they'd choose one evil over the other.
Another idea excused those who weren't following God - how would they know that lying was wrong if they didn't have His laws? - example being Rahab. Going on with the example of Rahab, others suggested the perhaps she was willing to sacrifice her very life for two strangers, and the Hebrew midwives for people they didn't personally know, which is why God blessed their selflessness. The objection? If everything is relative, even today, why do we then impose moral laws on people such as sacrificing children to gods? God wrote those laws to be applied to all, not just one group of people.
Some suggested that if we lie for the best, we can always ask for forgiveness later. That also disturbed me on two counts: 1) lying for the best - or for "just cause" as R wrote - even I don't know if I have ulterior motives sometimes when I do things that seem right, so I agree with FH there; and 2) ask for forgivenss later - that's just "abusing the system" I would think. It brings me back to Romans 1:1, and 15, where 15 says, "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!". That just doesn't make sense if you think of it as a two-way loving relationship. I'm not entirely sure that I've resolved this issue myself, but I agree that w J. that God generally cares more about our attitude and what's going on in our hearts than following rituals and rules. However, like I've mentioned before, I can never be 100% sure of my heart (esp when it comes to relationships, but that's another topic for another day). So, what does my prof have to say about it?
Consider this: If you play chess, you try to outsmart your opponent to win the game. However, in the process, you may need to strategize and mislead your opponent into thinking that you want to advance in a certain direction, so that you can sneak up on him or her. Thus, in your calculations, you may end up risking one or two of your pieces, but in the end, you hope your strategy would win. But, because I'm not very good at chess, I don't do that. I just go for it, and hope to eat as many of my opponents pieces as possible so that I can corner him and win, so that really didn't strike a chord. However, it did occur to me that the card-game Cheat is played in a very similar, and definitely more obvious way. The whole goal of the game is to lie and cheat so that you can get rid of your cards and win the game. You wouldn't want to say, oh, I don't have any 4s and pick up the pile. The rules of warfare. Warfare is a very real game, with deception as one of its very tactics - you'd want to deceive the opponent into thinking one thing, when you have another plan up your sleeve (ex. Pearl Harbor). Have you noticed that in the OT examples I gave, the context surrounding the situations somehow evolved around "war" - one group out to destroy another.
Hmm, I'm not very good at articulating my profs thoughts. I'm not God, so I may never really know why He blessed some and not others, maybe it was their sacrifical love to protect His people even though they didn't know they were to be rewarded in later time, maybe it was the rules of engagement, or maybe it is totally different answer that I have yet to find out. But, I really don't need an answer to go on living my life the way I should be living - "what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deut. 10:12 NIV). And, because that was addressed to Israel, which we, as Christians, are symbolically a part of now, it applies to me - indeed, a very high calling to follow.
Hahah, well, happy new year! I just realised that the entries in the past month were and are still dated incorrectly (ie. 2003) ~ either no one noticed, or no one bothered to point it out. I jumped onto the bandwagon today (ahem, much like A. Lexus) and joined Bible Study Fellowship (aka BSF) with my friend Mel, which is conveniently located at my church. Because we started mid-season, we were a l'il lost, but we're going to commit to three weeks and try it out to see if we like it or not. Zeck told me that he didn't like it when he first started but now that he's back in, he doesn't mind it anymore. Hrm. We attended the intro session for newcomers and to me, it sounded like a stereotypical AA meeting (not that I know how that one is like, mind you!). Hi, my name is ______ and my friend/relative/etc. referred me here. And, the first 20 mins sounded like it was straight off of a TV commerical advertising; it was actually quite amusing. Nevertheless, it makes me wonder if the BSF club as advertised at UW is a fraud (or a completely diff org altogether), considering they meet at Eunie/Vern's complex even though the website says they met at the ex-Y (z! ha). Well, this group is unique in that it's the only young-adult group in Canada - you gotta abide to the rule that you're between the ages of 19-35 and are still single (unmarried). If you break any of those, you're automatically kicked-o
Maybe the stereotypes are true, but then again, stereotypes are just generalizations of common misconceptions such as:
One day, after winning 30 CDs in a draw (completely unexpected as I didn't even know what I had entered), I decided to organize my collection and came to note the following:
I have a watch, much like the above, with the correct colors and spelling; but the only difference is that the metal feels/looks cheaper and if you take apart the pins (to adjust the strap), they are a rustic brown. Upon further comparison, one also realises that the official water resistance depth is 100M as opposed to 300M and that the original has a date dial built in as well.
Similarly, would your opinion of magazines decrease if you found out that certain magazines are almost entirely 100% advertising? Not too long ago, I realised that it is the norm for companies to PAY magazines to write articles for them. I had always thought that writers were paid by the magazine's company to write, instead of having others pay them to write (that is, use this outlet as a means for advertising space). I feel that the credibility of such magazines (often, 
