D-Day (aka Decision Day)

After 2 months to the exact day since the announcement, I have finally given my verbal acceptance to the relocation offer.  Our family will be relocating to Hong Kong end of July.  Believe me when I say that this is one of the hardest decisions I had to make thus far in my 36 years of life.  I contemplated and internally debated with myself for a long, long time.  I had many discussions and tearful conversations with SQ - what it would mean for us and how it would affect our family.  My emotional roller coaster went through valleys and peaks, crests and troughs.

Most recently, my sister 7 was faced with a dilemma whether or not to throw a full-blown wedding. I remembered my sister 5 asked her, if she ends up not having a wedding, whether she would, a few years down the road, regret her decision & want one then. If the answer is yes, then, even though the wedding may not be something sister 7 wants now, she should still hold one to avoid being regretful in the years to come.  Because if the time has passed, it would be hard to get it back. As when I faced this relocation dilemma, I also asked myself whether I would regret not going later on if I do decide to turn the offer down now?  Would I wonder about how my life would be if we lived in HKG and would I continually ask myself the "what-ifs?"  After answering the questions with a yes, I felt better about taking this leap. There will surely be a lot of uncertainty, changes, and/or even risks.  But I can't possibly worry about all the future problems now, right?  I will get there when I get there, one day at a time. Que Sera Sera  

Financial-wise, we can make it work with one income for a while.  Living adaptation-wise, it'll probably will take some time, but we're not hard to please, so we'll eventually get used to it.  Sarah-wise, she should be ok. SQ will stay home with her for a bit.  Extended family-wise, not OK.  I think this is by far the biggest pull for me not to relocate.  I am super close to my parents and my sisters, both in terms of relationship and physical locality (most of us live no more than 20 minutes apart).  They have always been my strength, my backbone, my "go-to" people for help on anything, to watch over Sarah, to seek advice from, to vent to, to care about, and to laugh with.  So this will be hard.  Very hard.  So I am not going to lie to myself that this part of my life will be OK, because it won't be, not without my family being nearby.  The only comfort to this situation is my hope that they will come visit me and we will return back to the U.S. as often as we can.  And hopefully, my parents will learn how to use Skype!  The other comfort I have to console myself is that this relocation is not forever. The contract is "at-will."  There is no time frame commitment.  If I choose to leave within 1 year, I just have to pay back some of the relocation costs (pro-rated based on time spent abroad). I figure, if my life really is so miserable to the point that I must return, then the relocation costs is actually a small price to pay for happiness.  SF will always be my home.

Now that the decision has been made, I need to move forward.  I need to direct my focus of what needs to be done before the relocation.  Time will zoom by. And I am prepared to have breakdown moments when the day comes closer.  Bear with me.  Be my support and tell me that everything is going to be OK. Que Sera Sera  

T minus Zero

For years, I pondered and pondered over the question of whether I would relocate to Hong Kong should and when our company decides to move us there.  Well, the time has arrived.

4 years ago, our company moved half of the merchandise buying team from SF to HKG.  Some people got relocated but most got severed.  1.5 years ago, they moved another quarter of the group, including the President and VPs. We are the last remaining quarter of the team left in San Francisco. This past Wednesday, it was announced that we, the last group, would also be relocating to Hong Kong.  The move will complete the buying functions under one roof since there will no longer be a San Francisco-based office after 2012.

While the announcement was not surprising to most of us in the office (because we all knew this day would eventually come), it was still hard to bear.  For the handful of individuals offered relocation packages, the decision weighs a ton - relocation means uprooting your family to a foreign land and completely changing your current lifestyle and environment.  For those not offered relocation, the outcome is to be severed and lose your job.

I was one of the fortunate handfuls who was offered a relocation package, which means I technically still have a job, just in a different location.  While SQ and I have discussed the subject of relocation countless times in the past before, they were all "what ifs."  With no concrete timeline back then, everything was only hypothetical.  Now, with an offer at hand and an effective date, the decision became real, in an instant.

I had a hard time sleeping this entire week to say the least.  I felt a lot of anxiety of what relocation will mean, both for me and SQ and especially to little Sarah.  She is still young and probably won't understand the changes, but she will have to get used to a total different environment.  I am most concerned about Sarah's preschool arrangement.  Most young kids in HKG are cared for by a domestic helper so there are not a lot of daycare center choices as we do here in the Bay Area.  While getting a helper is an option for us too, I prefer sending Sarah to a daycare environment, where she can learn and play and socially be engaged with other kids her age.  I absolutely love the daycare she's at right now.  It's hard to give that up and accept anything less...The other thing that saddens me greatly is that Sarah will be away from her extended family (grandparents, aunts/uncles and cousins).  It terrifies me that I won't be physically close to my family, especially my parents, who have been my support and strength all these years.

On the other side of the balancing scale, moving to an international city intrigues me.  I have lived in San Francisco all my life!  Ok, ok, I lived in Davis during my college years, but I always drove back to SF during the weekends so it doesn't really count.  This will be different.  Hong Kong is miles and miles away and different enough to give me a life experience I can tell stories about when I get old.  I only live once, right?  This move is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many people would only wish to have, and that opportunity arrived right at my doorstep.  And moving as an expatriate definitely made the financial aspect of the relocation more sound and enticing.

As you can see, I am all over the place.  I am a pendulum that swings from one direction and the opposite direction within seconds.  I still have a lot of think about and I don't know what I will do.  But when I make the decision, I will honor it and not think anymore about the "what-ifs?"     

To be continued...

Pear Tree Greetings

I don't normally vouch for a company anywhere, but I have to do so for Pear Tree Greetings!  They are a personalized stationery online store where you can order Birth Announcements to Holiday cards to stickers.  They offer super cute designs at reasonable prices.  Best yet is that they have EXCELLENT customer service. In fact, I ordered both last year's Christmas cards and Sarah's 1st birthday invitations from this company and I am 100% satisfied each time!! That is why, this year for our holiday cards, without browsing any other online site, I went straight to Pear Tree Greetings.  It did not take long for me to find a design that I liked.  So I uploaded the picture & sent it to print. Done!

However, when I got my cards yesterday via Fed-Ex, I was disappointed. The picture turned out darker than what I thought and wanted.  :-(   I was not happy with the cards.  With Pear Tree Greetings, your satisfaction is guaranteed, so I logged onto their website and connected with their Live Chat person.  A customer service rep named Kimberly responded immediately and I told them my situation.  Kimberly told me to send her a "lighten" picture and she would reprint the cards for me, for FREE!!  I was so happy that I have a second chance with my cards, even though it was obviously my fault for uploading the dark picture in the first place. The cards will ship in 2 days! Wow! Can't wait to see them!

I am so pleased with Pear Tree Greetings' customer service that I am spreading the word out to my fellow readers.  They are great!!  They are reasonably priced, have cute designs, and shipping is super fast!  You won't be disappointed!    

  

Eepad

SQ bought me an ASUS Eepad Transformer for my birthday this year.  It's an e-tablet, which has supposedly the best operating system with fast internet computing power, etc etc.  I can spare you all the geeky technical info since I actually don't know much about all the functions myself.  Despite it being one of the best e-tablets out there in the market, I find it not suitable for my use!  I specifically told SQ that I would like a small laptop that would do the basics - browse the internet, upload and organize pictures, and blog.  That was all I needed.  This e-Tablet doesn't fit the bill.  Well, I think what my hubby got was what HE wanted, not what I wanted.

First of all, the built-in camera sucks.  It's awkward to hold and balance the big tablet with 1 hand, while trying to push the click button with the other. The pictures all turn out grainy or out of focus.  So I take pictures from my other camera, but I can't download any of the pictures onto this tablet because it doesn't have a SD memory slot, or a USB port for that matter.  It is so troublesome (to say the least) to transport pictures to and from!!

Browsing the internet isn't so great either.  My hands get stiff (borderline cramping) after holding the tablet up, even after a short amount of time.  I seriously can't figure out how to hold the thing up so I can see the full screen without hurting my hands at the same time.

Blogging - ok, this is perhaps the worst of all.  Touchscreen keyboards are great for texting or tweeting, when your message is less than 50 characters long. If you must type up an entire post, touchscreen keyboards just ain't going to cut it!!

Ok, maybe I should stop complaining and appreciate the gift and SQ's gesture.  I just really wish I can use that darn thing more often!!!

Blogger vs Wordpress

I've kept a journal since high school.  I've written throughout my college years and even after I came out to the real world to work.  I don't call it my diary because I don't write it every day.  I write whenever I have something to say or whenever I'm bored and have nothing to say.  Some entries simply recount what I did that day; some entries are just pure random thoughts.  I've always enjoyed writing, or in recent years typing.  However, since blogging came into existence, I do my journal entries online instead, on this very blog.

I joined Blogger and had this weblog since June 2003. A whole 8+ years! Wow!  I still remember that when this all started, Blogger only provided 1 template and we couldn't post pictures. Now, we can change the templates as often as we wish, attach pictures, videos, links, etc. I've been OK with this blog site but there are definitely things I wish it could do:

(1) let me create separate tabs.  Sometimes I think how nice it would be to have a separate tab just for my Sarah entries...since she is the subject of most of my blog now!

(2) let me password protect selected entries.  For most posts, I don't mind if everyone (yes, including strangers) read it.  But there may be some posts I want to keep some privacy.  Right now, I don't have the option to lock-in selected posts. It is either private-protect the entire blog or nothing.

I know these are 2 things that WordPress allows you to do.  So sometimes I wonder if I should switch over to WordPress... but looking back at the entries I've made here & the history, I voted against it.  I just wish that someone who works for Blogger can make these enhancements so I can continue to blog here!  

What the Future Holds

I keep a rather updated profile on Linked n not because I'm currently looking for a job but I use it as my online resume.  I usually have a hard time locating my latest resume...it's saved in a memory stick somewhere or saved in the hard drive of a computer we no longer use.  Plus, the resume is always a few years old.  I have to update everything over again anyways.  So LinkedIn works for me.

I've been contacted by several recruiters before via LinkedIn- they're looking for people to fill retail buying positions for companies like Williams-Sonoma, CostPlus, etc. I usually politely inform them that I'm not currently looking to move companies but would love to keep in touch for future opportunities.  Because the truth is, I know what the future holds for me. 3/4 of our merchandise buying office has moved to Hong Kong.  It is only a matter of time when our last group goes too.  I swing like a pendulum back and forth on both extreme ends on whether I would move to Hong Kong when the day comes.  Some days like today, I just want to stay here, right where I'm at.  I'm happy living here - all my friends and family are here.  I'm a creature of habit and routine - if it isn't broken, why fix it?

Then I think about if I don't move to Hong Kong, I would surely get laid off.  Will I then find another job similar to the one I have now??  Will any of those opportunities in Williams-Sonoma, CostPlus, etc be able to pay me at my salary level and the bonus I get every year?  Will they be able to give me all the perks (vacation time, airline miles, AmEx reward points...)?  All these questions pop up in my head....This is the part where I don't know what the future holds.      

June 13

2 things of significance : June 13 was Sarah's original due date but she arrived 8 days early.  June 13 was also the day I checked back into the hospital with a 103 fever and diarrhea. I went into the ER thinking that they will give me some anti-diarrhea medicine and some Tylenol for my fever and I would go back home in a few hours, but I was wrong. I ended up staying in the hospital for the next 24 days.  The doctors thought I had C-difficil, which is a type of infection when the antibiotics kill not only the bad bacteria but the good ones too.  after a couple days of stool samples, C-dif wasn't the problem. the problem was a whole bunch of abscesses have grown in my abdomen due to an infection during my c-section. Although I am well now, I think I will always remember June 13, the morning of, the route we took to the hospital, the time spent in the ER that day....

Feeling Happy Blue

Tomorrow is my baby Sarah's 1st birthday.  I have many thoughts in my mind today and honestly, feeling a little blue. I guess I can't come to terms that a year has so quickly gone by...! Still remember a year ago, I was laboring at home - in pain - but somehow managed to withstand all the contractions to get to 10cm dilation without any meds. A blink of the eye and it's a year later with Sarah in our lives.  A rough start for me as a mommy of a newborn, but alas, I was able to spend quality time with Sarah before I went back to work.  It was the best time ever and I still miss those days the most.  Although we took tons of pictures and recorded a lot of videos of Sarah during this past year, I always feel like it's not enough and we should have taken more...she has grown so much! Is it silly of me to sometimes wish that Sarah could stay little just a tad longer? :-)

I know that I like to make myself sad by always reminiscing about the happy times in the past. But this time around, I understand that I also have so many more happy times in the future! I can't wait for Sarah to walk (steadily) so I can bring her to the beach, the zoo, Crissy Fields so she can run in the wind.  I can't wait for Sarah to learn how to talk so I can hear her say the darnest things.  I can't wait to see her grow up (slowly, I hope)...

Shared Learning Experience Part II

I'm attending Part III to my leadership workshop.  In the class, I learned that people make decisions not only based on facts, gut feeling, emotions, etc but they draw from their own personal life experiences. In this exercise, we were asked to write down important life changing moments that happened to us, what we learned from them and how it changed us.   I wrote down 3 pivotal events that happened to me so far:

1.  When: Junior Year in College. What Happened: I was the only "A" in a Poli-Sci class of 50.  I felt so proud that as an ESL speaker, from an immigrant family, with parents with no formal educational background, I was able to beat all the Caucasians out there.  Key Learning: I felt empowered and a sense of accomplishment.  I also built self-confidence and told myself that I am in NO way disadvantaged.  I can just be as good as everyone else.

2.  When: when I turned 30. What Happened:  I was married, had a house, was a Manager at work...everything in order, but I asked myself, "what was I most unhappy with in my life at that time?"  It was my teeth.  I decided to get braces and have a jaw surgery. Key Learning:  I actioned on something that bothered me, instead of just being unhappy and complaining about it.  It took me 2.5 yrs for the whole process...which was brutal at times, but the results were worth it. 

3.  When: Summer 2010. What Happened: I got really sick after delivering a baby.  Key Learning:  I am stronger than I think I was.    

Shared Learning Experience

For the past 3 days, I attended a Company-sponsored, off-site leadership workshop called Shared Learning Experience (or SLE for short).  At first, I was a bit annoyed with the fact that this class was "mandatory" and that it took 3 days out of my workweek to attend.  But after these 3 days, I am so glad to have taken this workshop!!

Throughout the seminar, we discussed case studies of successful companies and learn what made them successful.  We also went through a team building exercise where it not only tested the ability of the leader to lead the team to perform the task, but how we could learn to think outside the box.  We had role-playing exercises to learn the different ways of coaching and how to apply "soft" power.  We learned how to apply different management styles to different people.  My biggest gain out of SLE is self-discovery and self-awareness of who I am as a manager in the workplace.  There were a lot of "ah-ha" moments during the 3 days. Knowing my flaws, being subconsciously aware of them, and having these concepts and best practices not only allows me to become a effective leader but a better person.  I have learned a lot.  It was a great seminar!  There is a 2nd part coming up next week. I can't wait!

One of my favorite quotes I learned:

"In matters of style, flow like the current ; In matters of principle, stand like a rock."
                                                        -Thomas Jefferson

2nd House dilemma

Multiple people within the course of this weekend coincidentally asked me if SQ and I ever considered buying another house. The answer is yes. We've had this thought for at least a couple of years now.  So why haven't we bought one already?  You see, the problem is that SQ and I aren't on the same page when it comes to real estate. I want to 'upgrade,' sell our current house and buy a larger house. For sure, we need more space, especially now with Sarah in the mix.  But SQ wants the second house to be more of an investment property, i.e. a multi-unit property for rental. I am not a fan of being a landlord (I've heard too many horror stories). So we've been debating this issue back and forth; meanwhile, seeing house prices drop gives us an incentive to wait until the prices bottom out (of course, no one knows where the bottom is).

Well, recently, SQ may have a change of mind in perhaps buying a Single Family House.  I make this statement in a very non-confident manner because I am just guessing.  He hasn't said it out loud yet.  So, this weekend, with nothing else to do, SQ and I went to a handful of open houses.  We only looked at SFR listings in the Inner and Central Sunset area (just because they're in our neighborhood, close by for an easy drive).  We didn't really see anything we absolutely loved (yet).

That very night, I had a weird dream...I dreamt that my company is moving to Hong Kong (which is inevitable) and I got laid off because I didn't want to move and my last day will be Oct 29.  Don't ask me the significance of Oct 29...I have no clue.  I shared my dream with SQ the next day. I wonder if this dream is some sort of forecast telling me that I shouldn't buy a house, or what?!  The dream was sure scary and made me feel uneasy...

Flashbacks

Lately I have been getting a lot of flashbacks of my time in the hospital.  I don't know why.  A couple of  weeks ago when I was on the plane to and from Hong Kong, I adjusted my seat to recline. That very moment reminded me of the hospital bed.  I used to recline my bed upwards to a sitting position and recline it downward to a sleeping position all day long. That was the only way I could get up and off bed because I had no strength to do it by myself.  Then last Thursday when I brought Sarah to the doctor's for her fevers, the smell of the hand sanitizer at the office also gave me a flashback of my hospital stay. Various doctors and nurses would come into my room everyday on the hour and the first thing they did was to use the hand sanitizer.  So I could sniff that scent a mile away!  Just this last Saturday, I sat on the sofa and looked out the window at a sunny skies.  Again, I had a sudden flashback of the time when I was in the hospital, sitting on the sofa outside the lobby on the 6th floor, gazing out the window at the blue sky...wondering how nice it would be to leave there and go home...

During that period, I didn't write/blog at all.  I wasn't in the mood to document my progress or my feelings, not to mention a good portion of my time I was physically unable to write.  I did tweet though, mainly to my family, of my progress. Here are some of the tweets:

• In hospital right now. Thanks bontee for taking care of Sarah 10:22 AM Jun 13th, 2010

• still waiting for cultures. I can't leave until I can hold my fever down for 24 hrs which has not been possible Monday, June 14, 2010 1:19:50 PM
• 3 people tried and still can't get an IV into my arm. I have skinny veins. Always a problem Monday, June 14, 2010 11:59:00 PM 
• So the lab results of the bacteria the docs thought I had turned back negative. It's something else. The question is what is it???? Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:18:59 AM
• Finally got the IV in after the 4th try Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:19:28 AM
• Swelling is not just limited to the feet. My entire leg is swollen Tuesday, June 15, 2010 12:20:40 AM 
• Now I have redness on my tummy. It's one thing after another... :*-( Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:31:16 AM 
• in room 6315 Saturday, June 19, 2010 7:20:53 PM 
• CT scan shows more drainage needed on left side. Will really position tube tomorrow Monday, June 21, 2010 12:14:21 PM
• White blood cell count is climbing again, which means body is trying to fight yet another bacteria :-( Monday, June 21, 2010 12:33:05 PM
• Is it a bad sign when there is a bacteria inside me that even the Chief of Infectious diseases can't figure out what it is. Monday, June 21, 2010 1:00:35 PM
• The 7cm abscess did not drain as expect. IR will try to reposition drain tomorrow. Abscess very hard to get to. Monday, June 21, 2010 8:00:05 PM
• It's in front of a major artery vein. If IR doctor has no confidence that it's possible, then I have to do surgery again (cut me open) Monday, June 21, 2010 8:01:49 PM
• Doctor describes surgery as "morbid" and high risk. I don't know what to think anymore Monday, June 21, 2010 8:03:07 PM
• Doctors couldn't drain out the really hard abscess near the artery vein. Now they need to access whether if antibiotics can take care of it Tuesday, June 22, 2010 6:25:12 PM
• Need to wait 4days b4 next drain check.. Good progress means no fever & no high white blood cell, which means body not fighting infection. Tuesday, June 22, 2010 10:18:59 PM
• Going to IR today at 3pm. Pray that they are able to get that hard to reach abscess out. Pray pray pray!! Friday, June 25, 2010 2:50:43 PM
•  Fever still not under control. Woke up with a temp of 101.4 Saturday, June 26, 2010 9:30:42 AM
• stomach is still very tight and swollen. dr will monitor thru-out the nite to see if tummy softens. ct shows no add'l abscess. Monday, June 28, 2010 3:59:05 PM
• whte cell count is higher, body trying to fight something. fluid in the lungs. no action plans yet other than close monitor. clear diet only Monday, June 28, 2010 4:00:05 PM
• not passing gas means bowels are still irritated, causing stomach to be tight. feel more energized today from blood transfusion yesterday Monday, June 28, 2010 4:01:40 PM
• Tummy still very hard and swollen today. No gas. Never knew farting is so important. Tuesday, June 29, 2010 6:52:40 AM
• Today complete rest of bowel, cannot drink any fluid at all, will be on IV. .. on boy Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:13:34 AM
• It's like reliving my icu days and restarting my entire recovery process all over again! Wednesday, June 30, 2010 7:15:11 AM
• may need to put another drain to clear fluid under lungs. Bowels still not moving, may need to insert tube thru nose to pull gas fr stomach Wednesday, June 30, 2010 1:02:56 PM
• Woke up with a 102.8 fever two days in a row. Takes about 3 hours to get bk to nrml temp aftr tylenol. Dunno what's causing the fevers Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:03:02 PM
• On clear liquid diet only. Juice just doesn't cut it. I'm still starving! Hunger pain is the hardest to bear Saturday, July 03, 2010 12:09:14 PM 
• I did not have a good day today. Fevers, nausea, and outright miserable. Just don't feel good. Saturday, July 03, 2010 8:44:27 PM 
• God please oh please get me out of this misery and let me feel better Sunday, July 04, 2010 12:40:02 AM
• I AM GOING HOME TODAY! Wednesday, July 07, 2010 12:04:23 PM      

When I get the random flashbacks and scenes from this dark period of my life, I realize how far I've been. Only time will eventually erase my memories. Just glad that it's all over now...  

Lullabies

When I was on maternity and at home with Sarah everyday, I had to quickly learn the lyrics to the popular children's lullabies so I could sing to her. Just today, it dawned on me how sad and how cruel and terrible some of lyrics are!  Oh my, some of these should rated for R for violence.  Maybe you just haven't noticed, but here are some, just to name a few:

• London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down  
• The three blind mice got their tails cut with a carving knife (by the farmer's wife)
• None of the stuff in "Hush Little Baby" works, so papa gotta to go buy something else
• The itsy bitsy spider got washed out by the rain
• When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, cradle and all  (Rock a bye baby) - absolutely horrifying to a baby trying to sleep! 
• Oh my darling Clementine - thou art lost and gone forever...dreadful sorry, Clementine
• The poor meatball that was on top of spaghetti (all covered with cheese) got lost when someone sneezed
• It rained all night the day I left, the weather it was dry; the sun was hot, I froze to death...Oh Susanna, don't you cry for me!

Reminiscence

I've been back at work for three weeks now, and have pretty much integrated back to the office routine. My line of work has always been stressful and even though some things have changed during my absence, the stress part of my job,did not. Almost everyday I am busy. Every minute of my day is filled with work, from answering emails to writing orders to meetings. I have no time to check my personal email or check Facebook. And sadly I don't have a free moment to think about and miss Sarah...

Today, after yet another busy day at work, I realize how much I miss my maternity days. Boy, do I miss them. I miss the times when it was just Sarah and me, at home. I miss our daily walks around the neighborhood. I miss spending all day with her period. Life was good back then. It was fun. Oh, how I wish I can rewind time!

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Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety - not Sarah but me.  Sarah will be going to daycare starting next week. A wave of emotions is hitting me and hitting me hard. I never knew that I would actually enjoy staying home and being with Sarah full time.  If you ask me a few months ago, I was so sure that I would rather go to to work. I could never be a stay-at-home mom...so I thought. But these couple of months drastically changed my mentality. Now I understand why mothers leave their jobs to stay home to take care of their kids. I would do it too if I could.  It's special. Spending time with Sarah is absolutely precious and I enjoy every second of it!!   

When I go back to work, I will surely miss our daily walks and outings. We had our routine down to the tee. I could read her like a book. I know when she's hungry, when she's full, when she's sleepy, and when she needs a diaper change... So sad just thinking about how Sarah and I will be separated during the day starting next week.  I spent this week preparing her bag for daycare - diapers, wipes, extra clothes, etc. And each time I add something to the bag, I pause to think about how she will do in daycare. Will the caregivers know all her little quirks and habits?  Will they know that Sarah speaks through her eyes when she needs to poo?  Will they know that she babbles for a good 5 minutes before she falls asleep?  Will they know that she loves looking out the window?  That she loves to hear mommy sing?  *sniff* *sniff* (Uncontrollable waterworks!!)

I bet it's those darn hormones taking the best out of me right now.  I know that I will still see her in the morning and at night, and during the weekends - so I will still get to spend lots of time with her - for the rest of my life! Don't grow up too fast my sweet baby. Wait for mommy!

Nostagic Childhood Candies

I am absolutely grateful that I am still in touch with my elementary school friends.  Yes, elementary school friends!! We've all met as 6 or 7 years old...and over middle school, high school, college, jobs, boyfriends, husbands, and now kids, we somehow all managed to stay in touch.  We don't see each other often, but 2-3 times a year, we try to have a get-together.  This past Saturday, we went to YW's house in Castro Valley.  Our group has grown from us 5 girls, to 10 including boyfriends and husbands, and then now to 15 including kids.  The group will only get bigger in the years to come! :-)

The wonderful host, YW, gave us each a goodie bag.  Inside the bag was an assortment of childhood candies and snacks.  Oh, it was so nice to see (not to mention eat) the candies...sure brought back a lot of childhood memories!! I remember that after school, we would go to this convenient store on Stockton & buy all sorts of candies and snacks! Here are some of the candies I remember buying and eating away... (no wonder I had such bad teeth!!) Do you recognize any of these candies?

Sour Apple Chewy Gummies - I think they sold for 5 cents each

Hot Tamales - similar to Mike & Ike. I think they sold for 10 cents??

Jaw Breakers!!!

Juicy Fruit - 25 cents for a pack of 5!

Lemon Head - they sold for 10 cents a box!

Fun Dip - 15 cents each!

Nerds - I think they sold for 25 cents each?  My favorite flavor is Watermelon!

Smarties - 5 cents each

Sugar Straws (thanks TJ for this reminder!) - sold for only 1 cent each!!

Sugar Daddy - I believe these sold for 5 cents each

      Thanks YW for taking us back memory lane...

Thought of the Day

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

若要人似我﹐隨非兩個我

I learned a new Chinese quote today. You can't expect everyone to think like you and act like you. It's reality. Therefore, show tolerance. Everyone's different. Everyone's unique.

The weather is getting cold. Today, I wore a turtleneck AND a sweater and it was just enough to get me comfortable. The sky is also turning darker earlier, which means that Fall is coming in full speed! I always feel nostaglic (and a bit sad) this time of year. Not sure why. I guess it's so close to the end of the year that makes me stop to realize that time passes by way too quickly. The same time last year, I remember being in Guam for work and telling other people that I will be gone for 6 weeks starting December 1st for my jaw surgery. I couldn't believe that I've had my jaw surgery for almost 1 year already! I am so happy that I did the surgery. It is one of the best decisions I've made.

Bringing back old memories

Today is such a warm gorgeous day! Although we technically lost 1 hour of sleep but waking up to a beautiful, clear, sunny morning in the Sunset district is such a treat. We stayed in bed to watch our normal Sunday home improvement shows (i.e. PBS's "This Old House") before heading off to the newly renovated Westlake mall in Daly City.


You know how you always remember the good ol' days? Well, today, I remembered how great it was back in the college days, to eat at Strings Italian Cafe. They had one in Davis, in the Marketplace, near my apartment building. On special occasions, a bunch of us would go there for dinner and it would be the best meal ever. The entree comes with a soup or salad and fresh-baked bread. I love their bread the most, because it comes out like thin-crusted pizza, in a round pan, less the toppings of course. We all loved the food there. When you're in college, these restaurants are considered top-notch. The best thing out there. Of course, back then we've never heard of Chez Panisse, French Laundry, or Michael Mina, etc.

So, my husband and I went to Strings for lunch today. We were the first ones there, at um, 12:30. That was depressing. I ordered an Eggplant Parmesan which came with a side of Penne Alfredo (switched out to Penne Pesto). My husband ordered their "Award Winning Combo" which included Lasagna Pastry, Tortellini Alla Panna and Stuffed Mushrooms. The bread was still good although it is a bit thicker than I remembered them to be. The food wasn't as good as I remembered it to be, but it was still worth the trip out there to bring some old memories back.