Last Friday, my husband and I went to see "A Christmas Carol," a play currently showing at Geary Theater in San Francisco. We got a pair of free Orchestra seat tickets that would have costed us $68 a pop. This is not the first time we got free tickets to a live show. Last year, we went to see the "Nutcracker" for free too. I guess we got lucky both times. The original purchasers couldn't make it to the show, so they'd rather give the tickets away than to waste them. So there we were, last minute, watching a show for free. This only means that we are always available to be the backup for any shows out there. If you have any, just let them come our way!

Speaking of luck, I guess we also lucked out on the massive blackout that occurred this past Saturday night. On the busiest shopping day of the season, the power went out. Retailers and shoppers alike were disappointed. Just imagine movie goers watching the movie finale, or people stuck on elevators. How terrible would that be. It only shows how dependent we are on power. Fortunately, our little old house was not affected at all. Our Christmas lights remained lit in the midst of total darkness. Oh, how pretty.

The paths we took...

Wanwanha, wish I could say I've gone as far as you did. But unfortunately I can't. I just keep running around in circles.

Reunion

My 10-year high school reunion is only a few weeks away. Just out of curiosity, I looked through the Evite invitation that has been circulating around. 140+ people are planning to attend the event, along with their spouses and significant others. After browsing the "YES" list of names, it was sad that I was able to only recognize a handful of names. Some I recognized the name, but couldn't recall the face. Some I had no clue that they even attended the school, let alone in the same class! Some people on the "NO" list who couldn't make it to the event managed to drop a note of their recent being -- names of cities, countries of residency, names of spouses, children, profession, etc. It's quite interesting to read about where people have spread to and how their lives have changed. 10 years (from 18yrs old to 28)-- not a extremely long time, but definitely an important time in our lives. The paths we took, the decisions we made, whom we met, what has become of us -- really depended on these 10 years. Looking back at my past 10 years -- wow. I've really gone a long way.

Dreadful Christmas?

When I go around town, there are clear indications that the holidays are near. From the fully decorated store fronts to shoppers with their bags, to the Christmas carols and holiday lights... the holidays are HERE. For the past few years, Christmas didn't give me a sense of excitement as it once did. Sad to say, this year, I'm not looking forward to Christmas either. What happened? Has the "Grinch" inside of me suddenly surfacing? To me, Christmas merely represents increased traffic, the crowded malls and parking lots, the endless search for the perfect gift, and of course, the dreadful credit card bill. It's no longer the happy, go-lucky type of event anymore. Will anything change me? Can anything change me? I want to enjoy Christmas again.... I want to get excited about the holidays again...

This is my first time ever blogging at home, let alone on a Saturday. I have a feeling that the weekends might be the only times I can blog from now on. My assistant has left me for another better paying job (which I don't blame her for doing so), and senior management has yet to confirm if they will ever find me a replacement. Meanwhile, her workload has suddenly shifted onto my lap. Her responsibilities consist mostly of the not-so-likable grunt work -- so I find myself yesterday on a Friday afternoon -- formatting Excel spreadsheets and running reports. It was definitely not fun.

Holidays

Thanksgiving is a always viewed as a "second" to Christmas. The holiday is always tucked behind the back burner and shadowed by Christmas. Everyone just use Thanksgiving as a gauge on how the economy is doing. The news said that retailers took in $12.4 billion in sales on just Friday and Saturday. The first two days is a 6% increase over last year... however, selling on these 2 days don't mean a merry christmas all the way. The discounts helped fuel the good sales. It's the regular selling holiday season that will determine a good or bad year. We contributed to the $12.4 billion by buying a Christmas tree early this year. We finally picked out our first, fresh-cut Douglas Fir at Home Depot. It's exciting to decorate the tree and dress it with lights, ornaments, garland, etc while listening to a medley of Christmas carols. So, ok, it's only November, but with Christmas only 24 days away, we needed to maximize window display time....

So we are also in the midst of writing our annual reviews. After spending nearly 3 hours writing my 5-page merit review, I suddenly had a flashback of my college years. My review felt so much like my Poli-sci papers -- lots of fancy words, but no substance. I had very little to show and to prove that I did my job well this year. Most of the sales forecasting and numbers (as we call them) were given to me. Even if I had to spend hours analyzing data to come up with my stance of how sales would turn out, the numbers would be eventually edited and revised. Regardless of how the business did for the month, I had very little ownership of its success or failure. Therefore, given these circumstances, I was reluctant to honestly take any credit. I know that I didn't do well so I'm not too hopeful on how much raise I will be getting next year. I just know that it's a matter of time before I find another route to escape.

Jobs & Love

Can I take an unofficial random poll -- anyone out there truly happy with their jobs? The more I talk to people, the more I realize that everyone has something negative to say about their jobs. They don't like it to a certain degree, just depending on how much... and what actions they are willing to take to DO something about it. Even the news reported that 8 out of 10 people are holding onto their jobs, but anxiously waiting for the next opportunity to change jobs. I guess I would be in that group of 8 if I was in that poll. I guess I'm going through another phase of frustration at my workplace that I begin to question why I am still here? Why can't I be strong enough to do something about it?

There are two job situations out there:
(1) You hate your job and what you do, but you get paid well enough so you hold onto your job for the money
(2) You love your job and what you do, but you get paid close to nothing so you hold onto your job because you love it

Why is so hard to find the combination of the two -- you love your job and you get paid well!! I guess I still haven't found that opportunity yet.

Read though Hung Mao's recent post about love & marriage. Being only married for 2 months, of course, I'm no expert on this topic. However, I have always wonder that same question -- when you eventually become so "accustomed" to your spouse, are you two together just for companionship? What happens when you lose that lovin' feeling?

Relocation

With some of my ex-team members relocating to other parts of the world, the topic of relocation has once again resurfaced. In my mind, I keep on telling myself that their move is only temporary... give it 1-2 years, and they will be back. They can say that they gained the international experience and move back to the States. However, I am sad to learn that some of them actually consider this move rather permanent. They will start their new lives there -- work, settle in, perhaps even buying a house there, etc. I wonder if I would ever move out of the Bay Area and start a new life somewhere else. Will I ever be faced with that kind of decision? I applaud those people who can just pack up and go, not knowing when they will ever come back. Actually, it's amazing that in America, our people can move to anywhere without the fear of government control. In most other countries, where you born and grow up is the same place you will live and die. But here, we have that option. I wonder if I should make myself move to another place just to try it out... who knows, maybe I will like that place so much and never want to come back...

My mind and heart have been really restless this week with all the news and changes going on. I hope this weekend I will manage to forget everything and enjoy the much needed days off.

The dreadful email

So today is another dreadful day at my company. I come to work early in the morning to find an email in my inbox flagged of High Importance. There was a mandatory meeting at 9:30, and that this meeting would take precedence over all others. It was definitely one of those emails everyone dread to receive. During the meeting, it was announced that some of the corporate functions located here will be, once again, relocated to another part of the world. The team that was let go was one that I was most close with, one that I was friends with, and one that I once belonged in. A handful of people were offered relocation opportunities, but majority of them would be let go by March 2004. This really hits home!! I am truly saddened and disturbed by the news. I can't seem to get my head straight and my mind focused.

In this world full of ambiguity, I can't help but wonder if we should all live each day by the day. Being raised in an Asian family, I was taught to prepare for the future, to be forward-looking. But things change so fast that all those morals seem meaningless. So you spend zillions of hours to improve business, to plan, to look for opportunities in the future, but yet, all in one day -- all on one dreadful email, your work can become meaningless. Again, it's depressing and disturbing.

Some of the people I know took today off of work so they can enjoy a nice four-day weekend in conjunction with Veterans' Day off tomorrow. For those unfortunate souls like me who had to work on both days, I feel for you 'cuz I'm in the same boat!

Trying to remember what exactly I did this weekend. It seems like every weekend is a big blur to me now... maybe because my weekends are always filled with little things. A whole bunch of little things, and no big things. So I finally finished up my Thank you cards that I have been procrastinated to do. Learned my lesson first hand that it's very hard to hand-write each one in calligraphy! Should have stopped at just addressing the envelopes. Never mind. Everyone enjoyed the cards, so I'm glad my efforts and thoughts I put into the cards are appreciated.

Re: Politics as usual

This is exactly what happened with the whole Central Freeway fiasco. The people first voted to keep it. Then opponents appealed. The issue went back onto ballots for what, 3 times? Finally this year they tore it down. What's the meaning behind the voting system if the losing party can appeal and appeal and appeal...?

Politics as usual

So today on my favorite news site, MSNBC, the headline news read:
Bush signs abortion bill

"President Bush signed legislation Wednesday to ban so-called “partial-birth” abortions, declaring that “the right to life cannot be granted or denied by government.” But within an hour, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to block the law, sharply questioning its constitutionality."

This tug-of-war between conflicting interests and opinions never seem to end. It's the same with all other issues -- no decision can ever please everyone. This non-stop battle between the court, the politicians, our president, our culture, our opinions just seem to drag on for a little too long. Just yesterday, we had 14 propositions on the ballot to vote for. I spent a couple of hours reading through them, all the pros and cons, and tried my best to make a sound judgement. 13 of the props passed with a majority vote. However, I can't help but wonder how many of these passed measures will get back on the ballot for the next election? How many of them will be overturned by the courts? Why do we even participate in elections anyways if most of the decisions become obsolete? While I am a strong advocate for exercising our privilege to vote, I sometimes feel a sense of helplessness as a voter. The deeper thought is the fact that no matter what the majority wanted, how much in % did the proposition pass by, someone will be there on the opposing side to stir the dust. Then the battle just continues on...

Kids nowadays

I am really worried about kids growing up in today's society. It seems like with all the distractions and negative influences around them, kids can catch you by surprise and just turn bad overnight. I am not going to even think who is to blame, or which direction I should point my finger to. The truth is that there are too many of these kids growing up here in America and it's a scary thought. I hate to go discuss my childhood years -- but I just can't seem to understand why there is such a big difference between raising a kid back then and raising a kid today. When I was growing up, our family got by with so little. My parents worked all day and had little quality time with us. No toys, no movies, no cable TV. Nothing. But somehow everyone grew up just being a normal adult and became a positive contributor to society. Kids today have so much. They get toys, trips, help on homework, everything that we never got as kids. But yet, they are still in a situation of bad behavior and lousy grades.

To speak the truth, my fear of having kids stems from seeing how hard it is to raise a kid here. I may be selfish but I'm afraid -- very frightened in fact how I can be a good parent and how I can raise my own kid to be a good kid. I wonder if there is any safe havens in this world that I can move to -- maybe some place far where life can still be simple...where we can still get by with so little.

Fire

The fire is wild! One witness summed this natural disaster as "The whole Southern California is on fire!" I'm sure he's quite right! More than 825 homes have been destroyed and more than a dozen people killed while escaping. It's way too scary! Red, be careful!!

This fire has prompted me to start preparing an emergency get-away luggage too. I am trying to put together all the irreplaceable items and things of importance to me all in one place. I am also going to archive my pictures onto CD-ROMs. I really have to think hard what I really need. This is going to be a huge project.

Went to a friend's wedding this weekend and met up with a lot of old friends and classmates. Some I haven't seen since college, some I haven't seen in 10 years. My, I feel like this month has been my "reunion" month. First, Friendster then this wedding. All these series of events have once again proven to me that this place is a small world afterall.

News

It's ok to be addicted to news. But be sure to shop around for coverage from more angles. Don't just tune into the networks. They tend to skew their vantage points to appeal to advertisers/endorcers whether commercial or political or whatever. Tune into public stations like PBS (TV) or NPR (radio). For world events, tune into news from other countries to see what they have to say. During the war against Afghanistan, I tuned into DW from Germany and I thought their stories were a little different from what our networks talked about. Don't ask me what was different cuz I can't remember anymore. BBC World News is good to tune into as well.

Sometimes I don't understand myself as to why I am so addicted to the news. From 9:00-12:00 at night, I watch 3 hours of non-stop news -- the 9:00 news, the 10:00 news, and the 11:00 news. Yep, three rounds of the same news over and over again. I log on to ABC Local News' website at least 3-4 times throughout the day to get more news. Even subscribe to a "breaking news flash" email alert. Most of the times, the news are bad -- killings, murders, accidents, etc. Nothing good, but I feel like I need to know about them. I don't even know why.

To Red -- Yep, you're hit the bull's eye on your guess. They were both Asians. However, I wouldn't consider only Asians rude. I know of other impolite non-Asians too. Some people think they rule the world and everything evolves around them. Their manners have a lot to do with their upbringings. I forgive them for their lack of social development.

So I just joined Friendster.com, despite warnings from my coworker how scary it might be. She said that a stalker (I say an Ex) from the past hunted her down. Even with 4-friends separating them two, the stalker still managed to find the connection to her. Fate, I tell her...maybe she should give the relationship another try. hahaha. She gave me the eye so I stopped. So far, my experience has been good. I have nothing in my past that I needed to hide. I recognized some high school classmates and was very delighted to email them to say Hi. It's quite interesting to see the same faces after all these years. No one changed much I think. 18 to 28, doesn't do any harm.

Absolutely LOVE the idea that Googi is volunteering to babysit... Good, very good, and very happy. People tell me that having kids is something everyone needs to go through -- kinda like getting married and buying a house. You just have to live through it. But of course, the argument hasn't been persuasive enough for me. I still can't come to terms of being pregnant and being a mother -- maybe because I still like other people to take care of me...and not the other way around, at least not yet. It's a scary thought.

How would you react if you're trying to be nice to a complete stranger, but he/she doesn't appreciate it? How do you deal with rude people like this? Say you noticed that someone's car has a missing nut bolt from his tires and alert him. He not only doesn't thank you, but doesn't give any reaction to your comments. He just takes a look at his tires and just gives you a blank stare. What's up with that? Has there been no mannerism teaching in the household lately? Another instance occurred on the bus, when a nanny tendering her school age child sat next to us. The bus made an unexpected stop and the little kid's water bottle fell out of a bag and rolled onto the floor. We picked up and handed it to her. She grabbed the bottle and apparently was too rude to say anything back. No Thank you, no Thanks, not even a nod nor a smile. What kind of example is she showing the young child next to her? What has happened to the basic morals of being kind, polite, appreciative and helpful to others? I would hate to use these 2 rude people to generalize the entire population -- but it hurts the inner spirit when people have gotten so rude overnight. *sigh*

A friend of mine just sent me this link. Absolutely unthinkable how much $87 billion is in reality. Amazing.
Bush's $87Billion

Bon Voyage

A lot of juicy news being shared this weekend. I'm happy because they're all good news. Farewell to WTW, who is embarking another journey back East. May he find what he is truly looking for. Or maybe he found it already.

So if school kids get Yom Kippur off, they mind as well get Columbus Day off too today. The streets in downtown are noticeably quieter. No complaints here! I'm glad that I can get to work in less than 30 minutes instead of the usual 45. Just wished that I could be one of those lucky people who can avoid going to work altogether.

Because we're on the topic of holidays, this coming Thursday is National Boss Day... because we all LOVE our bosses.

Ok, this is it. My business "niche" is to be a power seller on Ebay. Today, while browsing through Ebay, I stumbled into an absolutely unbelievable auction listing. Somebody is putting a "Join Arnold" campaign sign up for auction. Yeah, those annoying political signs that each candidate begs you to take and hang up on your window?! Well, it's up for bid on Ebay right now. However, that's NOT the most unbelievable thing. There are close to 20 bids for this campaign sign!!! The price is now at $16 and rising. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?? Can you believe that there are actually 20 wackos out there? Ok, from now on, I'm taking all free junk I can get my hands on.

I am really disappointed at the election results. I can not believe now we have another clueless person sitting on the top of an elected seat. I thought having one at the federal level is already bad enough, but now we have one at the state level. By golly, what has this world come to?

I seriously believe that California should separate into 2 states. NorCal and SoCal people are so different anyways. The success of the recall and Mr. S as the governor has been fueled by Southern Californians. They have just ruined it for the rest of us in NorCal. From Bad to Worse. Great, Thanks a lot! *sigh*

Today I swallowed an entire bag of chips in 15 minutes. I hate myself whenever I do this. I KNOW that everytime I eat anything fried or oily, my face explodes with those pesky little red dots called pimples. Without fail, they come right out of my face 1-2 days after the fried food intake, usually on my chin area. BUT yet, I still eat them. They are my biggest weakness. Have you done something that you KNOW is not good for you, but you do it anyways? Why can't I just control myself? I spend hundreds of dollars on monthly facials and then suffer through pain of pore extraction just so I can eat more chips and get more pimples? Aaaagh! Someone help me! Someone please call CA (Chips Anonymous) for me!!!

I am beginning to feel like my work is all dictated by senior management or by the vendor. I feel like I do not truly own any part of work I've done. Have you ever felt that way before? The sale results on report are quite impressive lately, but I don't think I did anything to deserve the accomplishment. Honestly, most of the forecasting, ordering and buying that I do on a regularly basis have been given to me. They have been pre-determined beforehand. When I do sales projections, the numbers can be easily revised or changed. Then I become merely a data-entry person filling in someone else's numbers. It's really beginning to bother me lately. Maybe it's also time for me to do something about it.

Lately, I've been trying to find a "niche" that I can take on and make a business out of it. If you really know me, you will find that thought rather surprising.. because I never wanted to be a boss. But just until recently, I find it more necessary to become one. As mentioned earlier, I don't want to "just listen" to people. I want to make the decisions myself and accept the outcome, whatever it may be.

One year of salary in reserve? I don't think so. At least in my case that's impossible. I'll just have to bite the bullet when it comes.

Centralizing? Why does this all sound so familar? Googi, your news does come as a shocker to me. I really thought your job was quite stable. But then again, anything can happen. That is why we all should save at least 1 year of salary in our bank accounts. It used to be 3 months, but with the job market so bad nowadays, 1 year seems to be more realistic. Our company is expecting another layoff round at the end of the year. Business has been a lot better now than the SARS months, but it's also the idea of centralizing job functions so no job is viewed as being repetitive or redundant. And of course, it's outsourcing too.

On to a different topic, has anyone noticed that the sky is turning darker faster now? Daylight Savings Time ends this month. I think on Sunday, Oct 26 specifically. I have a wedding to go to, but now, I'm confused when to show up. I don't want to end up being an hour early (or late?) to the events. Does the time change on Saturday night or Sunday night? Please enlighten....

Hi all, I'm back. Back in the States, back at work, and back to reality. The past 2 weeks have gone by so fast that the days have been a blur to me. I don't remember much of the details unless I look at the pictures again. Thank Goodness for cameras to capture those moments for me. Thanks for those who came to my wedding and special thanks to WTW and Googi. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. I'm really glad that the day turned out less tiring than I thought it would. People told me horror stories about how busy and stressful the day would be. But nope, not my day. To the end, I'm glad that I went through the whole wedding ritual/tradition... I don't want to end up regretting anything and feeling sorry about what I should have done, or could have done in the future. Now, I can just lay back and say to all soon-to-be-married folks, "I've been there, done that!" Ooh, what a relief it is!!

Honeymoon was great. I think we totally overspent (oh well!). Things, although cheap, just eventually add up to a big sum. I didn't think we should have ever set ourselves a budget because we didn't even bother to follow it anyway. Thailand is full of things to do, things to see. I like the Thai massage and the exotic fruits the most. The temples, gardens, palaces -- I can do without. Hong Kong is still the shopping haven! I'm glad to see that the way of life there has at least returned to a "no-mask" normalcy. However, like in the States, business and employment have been tough. Life goes on...

"Countdown"

4 more hours until the workday is done!
1 more day until my workweek is over!
4 more days until my wedding!
5 more days until my honeymoon!

That's right...do not underestimate the power of the Googe. In this case, her brain power.

"Rise of the Machines" Answer!!

This month's issue of the Scientific American explains exactly how vending (or cash) machines work!! I am so excited to share this important piece of information to all my fellow bloggers! Basically, inside those machines, there is something called a BILL VALIDATOR. Googi, Kudos to you for your enlightened idea... it's exactly how the bill validator works! The bill validator has rollers that pull the bill inside.... it even has a "tail end" beam light to ensure that the entire bill has been inserted (to avoid anyone from pulling it out half way) The bill's magnetic ink, the position of the portrait, and the density of the bills makes each note unique. There is then a light beam that scans for these characteristics and then compares the data against a table of reference values to determine the bill's denomination and authenticity. And within seconds, the machine will be able to tell what denomination the bill is! Cool, isn't it??

http://www.sciam.com

There is something wrong with WTW's blogsite. Every time I try to click on it, the macro script starts to run and gives me all sorts of error messages. Maybe WTW had too much fun with his bachelor's party that even his blogsite has a hangover. Thanks for organizing it.

Everytime I get congestion from a cold, my doctor insists that I have allergies. He would always give me free samples of Allegra. The truth is that I don't have allergies. I just get congestion from colds. Once the cold is over, I'm back to normal and the congestion is gone.

There is a website called Free Biz Mag that gives you free subscriptions. All you need to do is to answer a few questions and based on your answers, you will be qualified to receive certain free subscriptions. It doesn't hurt to claim that you're an executive who makes certain important decisions on a daily basis. Heck, non-fat or low-fat? Latte or Mocha? Those are important decisions we make every day!

I hate doing personal things for people too...that's why I can never be a good EA. Thank God everyone does their own shredding and conference-room booking here. Otherwise, I will go insane. I used to envy this EA at my old workplace for making over $50k a year just screening calls and buying lunches. But actually, come to think of it, it's a tough job. I would never be able to do that kind of work. It really takes a certain type of personality to be able to stand it.

Sometimes I ask if I'm just slow or too hard on myself? I have been in this position for about 5 months now, and yet, I still feel like I don't know anything. I know there is always a learning curve, but how long do these curves last? Every time I get questioned about something, I feel really stupid for not being able to answer quickly enough. Or just flat out don't know how to answer. I came into this position with high recommendations and I feel like I'm not meeting expectations.

"Quiet Morning"

The cats are away for an off-site meeting, so the mice are in the office blogging. Hehehe. It has been a really busy week (month) for me. I've noticed that whenever you're planning leave from work, your workload suddenly explodes. My vacation starts on Sept 4 and I'm already counting the days. I am so anxious to go on this vacation, which includes a 1-week stay in Thailand, and another 1-week stay in Hong Kong. It has been over 4 years since I last traveled abroad. Traveling is always fun -- you have no schedule, no work, nothing. Everyday you wake up whenever, eat whatever, do whatever. No rules, no restrictions. I think that's the best thing about a vacation. Oh, I'm already in my dream land...and it's only 9am in the morning!

"L" for Lotto

It's only the middle of the day, and all of us are dreaming already. Well, I guess it's doesn't hurt. What would I do if I win the lotto? I would definitely give in my 2-weeks notice (for the reasons I listed in the previous entry). I would use the money like this:
- pay off my house and all my family's houses
- buy 10 more houses (3 in the Bay Area, 1 in Sacto, 1 in NYC, 1 in Hawaii, 1 in HKG, 1 in Boston, 2 in Europe somewhere) so I'll never have to rent a hotel room again
- buy 2 AUTOMATIC, 4-Door nice luxury cars for me and Sean and 1 extra for Googi to repay back to her friend so she won't feel guilty anymore
- go on a year-long continent-hopping vacation
- open a business (don't know what yet)
- Create a trust fund (and let Red run it any way she likes to)
- Also take my girlfriends on a shopping spree and yes, WTW, you can come along to hold our bags so we can buy more!!

Wow, I just realized that I have a pretty long list. How my little mind can get carried away so easily....now, back to work.

"What did I say?"

Checked my blogger banner ads this morning and sure enough, something came up. Outsourcing? Haha... only I wish I am in the power to outsource work.

For the past week, everyday I've been thinking about winning the lottery. Really wish I win so I can walk out of my job any minute. Red, Kudos to the receptionist for taking the action to walk out on her job. I remember when I was hired into this company, the guy who held the position before me just walked out on the job, literally. He came to work one day, had enough of the crap, went to lunch, and simply did not come back. His paperwork was on his desk the way he last left them; his computer still turned on; and even his favorite CD was still in the CD-ROM. The only thing that he left behind that indicated he was never coming back was a square yellow post-it with the words, "SEE YA!" on it. After HR got involved, they found out that NO, he was not missing or kidnapped; he was not murdered; he simply had enough of his job. No wonder when I first started the job, my boss would come by my desk everyday after lunch "to see if I was ok." Haha.

Googi, I don't think you should put that added pressure on yourself. Things ALWAYS happen for a reason, for better or for worse.

"What the #%$@^?"

I just typed up this looong entry and when I clicked on "Post & publish" the entry just disappeared!!! What!? This is soooo dumb -- now I have to remember what I wrote....

To Googi and WTW -- interesting observation on the banner ads. I've never noticed the ads until you pointed it out. I just noticed that I don't have any ads on mine -- at least not yet. (I'm sure the minute I post this entry up, the blogger.com people will load it with all kinds of ads. It always happen like that). I'm trying to guess what they would post up since my entries are all over the board in terms of topics. Let's see -- I've been talking about lay-offs, so maybe "hotjobs.com" or "monster.com" will probably pop up. My anti-social entry will probably get me "match.com." And as for my technology ignorance on telephone cords and vending machines, "techweb.com" will be next. hehehe... let's wait and see!

To Bozodo -- you're absolutely right about outsourcing. I have to admit that our company is one of the culprits. Our entire 30th floor used to be employed with all the techies, from programmers to project managers. Now, our company is negotiating with our landlord to break the lease on the 30th floor. All of our tech support has been relocated to Singapore. So whenever we dial for our help desk, someone with a thick accent answers the phone. In addition to tech support, they are staffed 24-7, monitoring systems and data transfer. They do everything from maintenance to upgrades. Some of our system enhancements have been outsourced to India, where a team of tech guys spend day and night to write customized programs for us. I'm sure they get paid a fraction of the cost. I know outsourcing of manpower to a low-cost country is not the best practice and is bad for our economy. But if you're the CEO and have to answer to the Board and shareholders to reduce overhead, that's probably the only and smart thing to do. The P&L is realistic and when business is bad, it's hard, very hard... *Sigh*

Anyhow, happy Friday to all and I sure hope that this entry gets posted correctly!!

"The Offer"

Today is an extremely slow day. There is very little to do. Many people are still not in the mood of being productive after the massive layoff that just happened on Tuesday. A total of 100 people were affected here at Corporate, and more at the region and store levels. The CEO held a company-wide meeting yesterday and addressed some of the concerns the employees had. I didn't think his responses helped much. No emails came in today because no one wanted to work. The same goes here.

Some people who were laid off got offered positions in our Singapore or Hawaii offices. I heard that one has already accepted. I wonder that if I was given that offer would I take it? The commitment is 2-4 years, and the position is considered a promotion. The relocation costs will be paid for, and the company will even help you financially break off your existing lease on your apartment should you be renting. Airline tickets, moving costs, etc -- all taken care of. Doesn't sound too bad. But then, what happens to your family and friends here? I guess for those individuals who are emotionally and financially unattached, the decision is easy. For those who have husbands, kids, houses, parents to take of, etc. the decision may be difficult. So what would I do?? I think it all depends. Thank God I didn't have to face such a difficult decision -- otherwise, I would be contacting EVERYONE for their 2 cents (or 200 cents).

Really hoping for the weekend, especially after this long week....

"Pink Slips"

Today is such a gray and depressing day. Some of my closest friends in my old department received their pink slips today, unexpectedly. Two of them were actually the ones who interviewed me, hired me and brought me into this company. I am very depressed and saddened by the news. It's impossible not to become emotionally attached and drained. I will definitely miss them and wish them well. It's hard to imagine coming in to work without them being around.

:(

"Governor's Recall"

It's all over the newspapers so being a Poli-Sci major, I have dedicated today's entry to this topic. This recall is supposedly a very historic event -- no other governor has been successfully put onto the recall ballot except for some governor from North Dakota back in the 1920s. First time ever in California. Truly, I was never a huge supporter of Davis, but I didn't think a recall was necessary. Yeah, the economy is bad, he screwed up on the energy crisis and we are in a $38B deficit.... but, that's just how times are right now. The bubble bursted, as many economists say. I think he became a scapegoat to all these bad events. Wrong place at the wrong time. Had 9/11 not happened and the Iraq crisis not been elevated, I think Bush would probably in the same position of being recalled. Life is realistic, and so is politics.

I found out from news clippings that it will cost the state of California $35M to run this emergency recall election. Yep, a $35M hit to the already deep deficit. When the voters (all 1.3M of them) signed those recall petitions, I wonder how many of them knew about the $35M cost? If majority of them wanted to boot Davis out because of the deficit, then they have just dug the hole even deeper. Truth and Consequences...

So if Davis is booted out, who will be the most qualified person to run? Bill Simon? Arnold Schwarzenegger? You've got to be kidding! Analysts say that there will probably be 100+ candidates trying to fill the spot. It only takes 65 signatures, a $3500 fee, and bam! you can run too!

"Anti-Social"

Have you met anyone who is anti-social? No matter what you ask them to do, or where to go, the answer always come back "no." Sometimes I wonder if they are leading a double life or trying to hide something? Or maybe they are just too afraid to be seen with someone so un-cool? So maybe they are stuck- up? Shy? Reserved? It gets annoying after a while, when you make all efforts to include these people in events or outings -- only to realize that you've wasted your energy and breath. I wonder why anti-social people are this way? A genetic trait or an acquired personality? Are they just trying to be nice not to hurt you by staying out of your way, or if they really have a problem?

"Pure Stupidity"

Just read on the news that some immature person(s) have vandalized the dead whale that washed ashore on Ocean Beach a couple of days ago. They spray-painted and poked holes into the body. I'm not too sure what has gone into the minds of these people?! Are they so bored that they think this is fun or funny? Pure stupidity I'll say!

"Telephone Cords"

Did you ever have telephone cords that just twist and turn, and tangle up for no reason? I spend at least 2 minutes of my day untangling the darn thing only to find out the next time I pick up the phone, the cord gets curled up again. It's frustrating. The last phone I used never caused such problems and it's basically the same phone. So I don't think it's a matter of the make or model of the phone; this cord tangles up, just because.

"Rise of the Machines - Sequel to the Sequel"

My off-the-top-of-the-head guess: There may be some sort of light shooting/reflecting sensor in there that shoots light onto the surface of the bill and reflects its pattern back to the computer. From that reflected pattern, it can tell what bill it is.

If this is not the case, then someone build a machine like this and pay me royalty for using my scenario.

**The Rise of the Machines**

What really amazes me is the "smartness" of vending machines, or any cash-receiving machines for that matter. How can they tell what denominations are the bills you insert? I've always wondered how these machines tell the difference between a ONE or a FIVE? It's easy with coins since they're different sizes, different weight. But bills? They feel the same; they are the same size, same color, almost same everything. Those machines are darn smart. You can never try to outsmart them and trick them into thinking that you've inserted a TWENTY when you only inserted a TEN. Maybe someone can shed some light this way?!

**The 5-minute Rule**

It's 4:30 on a sunny Friday afternoon. It's dead quiet in the office. Most people are either on vacation, on Market trips, or have gone home. I feel like today is the longest day. My boss hasn't left yet. Why hasn't he? His boss is not even here today. Most people in our office adopt the 5-minute rule, which is -- to leave 5 minutes after your boss does. It works like magic everytime. You will be forever known as the hard-working one who stays behind working (or blogging!). On days when you can't leave 5 minutes after your boss, remember to send him a quick email before you leave -- just so it's time-stamped. Then he will know you're still in the office at 7:30. And it helps when you end the email with a "good night." More brownie points there.

**Branding**

I think I might have got suckered into the world-wide phenomenon of "branding." I have never owned a single handbag that is more than $20. To me, it's more about affordability and I am also an advocate of "quantity" over "quality." Better to have 10 cheap ones than 1 expensive one. However, just this past month, our company offered some awesome deals on Gucci handbags. The retails on some of these handbags were well over $600, but our company were selling them for $150 to rid the overstock and excess inventory. So! I bought one of those bags. It is, afterall, a 75% savings for something authentic and in brand-new condition. But I have just realized that $150 is a lot to spend on 1 handbag. What happened to my "quantity" over "quality" motto? Why have I suddenly change to a brand-conscious shopper?

Bees. Ever since I found that there were bees living in our compost, I had a sudden urge to learn about these little flying critters. I am amazed at how much they resemble humans.
(1) I found out that bees don't fly at night. They go back to their hives to rest after a long day's work. Just like humans.
(2) A hive usually contains a colony of female bees who do most of the work while the male bees just stay home moping. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
(3) And last but not least, there is only enough room for ONE Queen bee to rule the colony. Now, THAT really echoes the similarity!

I am now an "Ebayer," as they call it. I never realized how fascinating bidding at Ebay can be. It's a battle game -- you're always trying to guess what is the maximum amount others will bid, how much you would bid, and when to bid -- to win the auction. It's all about winning at the lowest price possible. I held on being the highest bidder for 13 straight hours for a pair of white satin gloves until some dodo outbid me by 50 cents. But the game is not over yet, my friend. I'm going to wait, wait until 10 minutes before the auction ends, and then put in my bid for 50 cents higher. This way, the person will not have enough time to outbid me, and I will eventually win the auction. Hehehehe ;) *Evil laugh*

What's a 2-week notice? A 2-week notice is something I am so on the verge of putting in today.
What's an empty bank account? An empty bank account is something that's preventing me from putting in my 2-week notice.

When you just had enough of your job and want to move on, you would normally turn in your two-weeks notice. What is this 2-weeks anyways? It's barely enough time for your boss to hire your replacement, let alone enough time for you to train him. And it's definitely not enough time to finish your long-outstanding projects. So why 2 weeks, not 3 weeks? Or even 1 week for that matter since nothing is going to get done anyways? The 2-week notice is adopted for the following reasons:

1. It's short enough time to avoid your boss from dumping any additional projects on you (Uh, sorry Boss, no can do!)
2. It's short enough time to create panic and chaos in the office if they can't replace you quickly enough (now, they know what they're missing!)
3. It's short enough time to express the real reason behind your leave without worrying about your upcoming performance review (I hate you, and I hate this job!!)

and...

4. It's long enough time to retrieve any successful projects you've completed for your future portfolio (Yep, I did that!)
5. It's long enough time to clean out your personal junk on your computer (get rid of that Messenger program quick!)
6. It's long enough time to enjoy the farewell lunches and parties your co-workers throw for you ("For he's a jolly good fellow..." no singing plz!)

Today seems like such a long day. Maybe because I'm getting excited about the upcoming long weekend. I'm not going anywhere in particular, but I am grateful for this much anticipated extra time-off. We haven't had a long weekend since end of May and with this new position, I haven't been able to take any days-off. This new position puts me into a situation that if I take any days off, I will end up having to pay for it when I go back. It's similar to when you go shopping, you just buy, buy, buy. The thrills of it. And then your bill comes. Uh-oh. You're in trouble now. It's the same kind of pain.

To Redpanther: I think you have spread the disease. My own personal cycle of insomnia has started. Yesterday, I didn't sleep until after the show, Elimin-date ended and that's 1am. I woke up this morning feeling lousy and grumpy...and of course, I do what you did... caffeine intake. So tonight, I don't expect to sleep at my normal hour again. And then the cycle continues...

Some people complained about the heat today. On other day, some people complain about the fog. About the wind. About the rain. It seems like Mother Nature can never get it right. Just like people. So when the so-called "higher being" can't even please everyone, how can I?

On the front page of the SF Examiner today, the feature article was about the BART-Airport Extension. The project took 5 years and a whopping $1.5 billion to build. Has anyone noticed that whenever the government engages in any type of projects, it is especially expensive? I'm not talking about massive projects like erecting bridges or digging tunnels... but simple things.

Did you know that it took $25M to restore the Conservatory of Flowers in GGP? Another $27M to restore Crissy Fields. I'm sure it's probably going to take $2M to remove a tree or $5M to plant some shrubs along the highway. I'm not quite sure how it all works, maybe some of the money is used to feed the bureacrats who approve these projects.

After years of being a loyal dial-up user, we finally surrendered to installing DSL at home. Sean insists that after I get DSL, I'll probably never log-on to the internet again... similar to how after I bought my Yoga mat, I never used it since. So I say -- just to make our investment worth the money, we will leave the DSL line ON at all times, just for the sake of leaving it on. So if you see me available on IM at 3am in the morning, you will know why.

What?! They didn't mention that when you placed the order! You know what they're trying to do? They're trying to swindle back the money you haggled off that's what. Bad people!

But is it necessary to have the fonts match? I don't think it's such a big deal if they don't. Don't let them rip you off! That's my 2 cents.

Kinda started today in a bad note because the place where I ordered my wedding invitation just notified me that in order to print my response card with the same font as my Invitation, I would have to pay an additional $15. I am pissed off that they didn't tell me that earlier!!

Don't you hate it when people tell you one thing and then when asked again, they tell you something else? Or when someone else asks them the same question, the answer changes? Obviously, this happened to me today. At work, this guy calls me up and tells me that I need to make sure my merchant updates the information as soon as possible. So I walk over to my merchant's desk with the same set of instructions. When my merchant questions why the info needs to be updated now, we put this guy on speaker phone. And surely enough, he backs out at what he had previously said to me. The information needs to be updated by July 14th, he explains. Well, that's really a big difference from as soon as possible to one month later. So, why do people do that? Why do people have to give different answers, depending on who's asking the question? Are they trying to make it harder for small people like me? Or are they just too "chicken" to answer to higher-ups? Either way, I despise these people. I think they are the lowest of all low-ly's...

It's interesting that today, Wontonwrapper brought up a topic about IQ test. Just this past Monday, FOX aired this "Test the Nation" IQ play-along show. It featured 60 questions, categorized by topics such as Language, Memory, Math, Logic, and Perspective. Reality tells me that I had none of these skills and should spare myself from embarrassment of testing to a low IQ score. But the curiosity side of me is fascinated to find out my IQ is regardless of its outcome. So, I played along. In the studio audience, several groups were represented -- Scientists, Teachers, Students, Bobybuilders, and of course, a group of blondes just to make the show more interesting. So the test began -- Quick! 2 more seconds...Damn! Next question! The stress lingered for 1 full hour. Then the results were IN. As expected, the scientists came in on top of the list with an average IQ score of 125. The blondes, on the other hand, tied for LAST place with the bodybuilders. So I guess those dumb blonde jokes that circulate in emails do happen for a reason. I actually did better than I thought -- and I AM actually a better guesser than I thought. Hmm.. maybe I should try guessing the Lotto numbers today?

I'm in the process of figuring what to put on the invitation as the "starting time" for our wedding ceremony. Should I factor in extra time for those inconsiderate late-comers? Why can't people show up on time or are all Chinese people just under the impression that weddings usually run late? Hmm....

Googi has infiltrated the Just For Fun blog. Beware.

So Googi told me that this is a place for random mumble jumble.