My big bonus check

I have to admit that I am very happy with the big bonus I got this year from work. Actually, the bonus I got this year is for last year's performance so next year I'll get the bonus for this year's performance. Did I confuse you? Anyways, again, I am very happy. It is the most money I've ever got as a bonus since I started working in the corporate world. Hope it won't be true, but I'm afraid that this may be the most I will ever receive. Either way, I am glad to have the joy of getting such a big check in the mail. Of course, the true benefactor of the bonus is Uncle Sam. He doesn't even have to work for it. My hard-earned check got cut in half because of him. It's absurb.

I'm done with 2 meetings, and have 1 more to go tomorrow. With those endless projects and ad-hoc assignments, I am thoroughly stressed out at work. It seems like the only time of the day I look at the clock, it's already 5:30pm. The day just zooms by without me even realizing it. I have too much to do with too little time. I really need a break. But you know what a break does to me? Create and pile up work, and then I suffer even more. Too bad my assistant is so lazy to do anything for me. She just does her work, status quo. If I don't ask, she doesn't do it. Even when I ask, it takes her a long time. That's why people stay at the same level where they are, even if it means 14 long years. *sigh*

I noticed that none of my fellow bloggers are blogging anymore. I wonder if anyone reads my blog? Too bad there isn't a guest counter on these pages, then I can check if I actually have loyal readers out there and who checks in. Either way, I still blog because this became my journal. I go through my past entries once in a while and it's still fun to re-read what I wrote... especially during a certain period of time, whether I was happy or sad. They're my thoughts, my feelings...

Rain on window

I did so little this 3-day weekend that I can barely remember what I did. I just remember sleeping late, and thus, waking up late. By the time I got out of bed, 1/2 the day has gone by. I love keeping my room really dark and sleeping in. For the past 3 days, I remember going out to eat lunch, and then hurrying back home. Didn't go anywhere else. The weather has been yucky, so it was actually nice to stay dry at home. I love listening to the rain when it hits the window. It only makes me feel more comfortable and warm. The best feeling was eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's in bed, watching TV and listening to the rain. It's a very cozy feeling.

To do nothing during the weekend is nice, and is actually a good compliment to my upcoming busy work week. I have several meetings lined up this week, which will take a lot of time away from my day-to-day workload. This will mean that I will get stressed by deadlines. Overall, not a good thing. I'm almost anxious to get these meetings over with...so I can get on with the other things. I hate being busy at work!

V-Day!

Valentine's Day is Feb 14, but who cares? What is the big deal? I walked around the mall today, and every store is dressed up with their pinks and reds. All that "fluff" disgusted me. If you haven't known this yet, Valentine's Day is purely a made-up Hallmark holiday... it is nothing more than a merchant's excuse & greed to jack up prices for that day. So why are roses and dinners 2x as expensive on Feb 14, than on Feb 13 or Feb 15 for that matter? It just doesn't make sense.

V-Day has always been my least favorite day. When I was a kid, my parents were too poor to buy me those cute, colorful Valentine cards to pass out to my classmates. So I already felt bad that I didn't have any cards to give away. The biggest agony, of course, was at the end of the day, how many of those cards did you receive. There was always some sort of unspoken competition among the kids to determine who was most popular in class. And if a boy selectively gives a girl a card (or vice versa), then of course, the endless teasing begins. As we grow older, V-day became worse. The holiday is so "in-your-face" that it makes all the single people out there just miserable. People can't even avoid it. Couples for some reason act especially lovey-dovey than normal on that day, which is supposed to make everyone else more comfortable?? Just case you're wondering, there will be no celebration with my husband this year. We will just go on with our regular daily routines. There will be no expensive dinners nor expensive flowers. Just a simple day wtih each other...and that's already enough.

Horoscope Believer

Yesterday was the start of the new year…it's also this time of the year that I like to read up my horoscopes for the upcoming year. My husband nags me not to take horoscopes too seriously. For the most part, I read it for entertainment; but lately, there has been a series of events that coincided with the horoscopes that I'm beginning to believe in them. So far, here are a couple of examples I've read about that actually came true:

This was my horoscope on Yahoo Astrology on February 2, 2005:

"Certain natives of this sign cannot progress in their career principally because of their inaptitude for public speaking; is it due to a lack of practice or lack of self-confidence? The solution will reside in the courage to undertake public speaking. Perhaps it is time for a class?"

The most freaky part was that very day at work, I attended a company-sponsored Presentation Skills seminar training class. I signed up for that class a couple of months before, so it was not because I read this piece of horoscope did I decide to attend the class. Coincidence? I think not!

So just today, a friend of mine forwarded me a link to my Year of the Rooster's horoscope by Feng-Shui master, Raymond Lo. In this article, it states that :

"For the Rabbit people, the clash against the rooster could also mean surgery, accidents involving breaking of neck or back."

So what happened yesterday? On Chinese New Year day? My husband and I went swing dancing... My husband got too anxious in showing off his new moves, he twisted me the wrong way during the dance. So guess what? My back got screwed up. It was sore the entire day today. Coincidence? I fear not!

I'll try to take these horoscopes I read with a grain of salt, but I'm beginning to wonder if there is some truth in them...Master Lo also said that I need to wear a dragon pendant to ward off bad omen this year. I better go find me a dragon pendant soon!!

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is right around the corner! It's only 2 days away. This coming week will most undoubtedly be occupied with gatherings and feasts. In fact, I just had my first CNY Eve dinner with my in-law yesterday. Of course, like every year, we always have more than enough dishes. For a group of 8, we had duck, chicken, roast pork, lobster, quail, soft shell crab, abalone and soup. There was enough food to feed a team of 20 football players. But I guess leftovers are welcomed, as they signify that the family will always have an abundance of food in the upcoming year. Little superstitions like these and playing around with sounds of words go a long way in Chinese culture.

A little early, but I wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year! May Wealth, Health and Love be both around you all...

Fresh New LOOK!

My Blogspot now has a brand-new look!! When I first started this blog about 1-1/2 years ago, there were only 3 templates to choose from. Now, there are at least 15. It's exciting to see my blogspot with a fresh new look. I tried to customize some of the settings, but realized I had to rely on my limited HTML knowledge to have some things changed. I wish they had something a little more easy to use.