Blockbuster Online

It's another wet and wild one out there today, so what better to do than to stay in the comfort of your own home, snuggle in your warmest blanket & enjoy a movie or 2 on your big screen TV? That's exactly my game plan this weekend. Ever since we joined Blockbuster.com, my husband and I have been watching movies, a lot of movies. I think we average about 4-5 movies a week. But that's because we haven't watched any for the past couple of years! I think the last movie we watched in the theater was "The Incredibles," back in Nov 2004 when we were in Wash DC with nothing better to do. Anyhow, you get the picture : haven't watched any movies in ages so there was a lot to catch up when we finally joined Blockbuster.com. It's this thing about monthly charge & unlimited rentals that make you want to watch & return as fast as you can so you can make it all worth the money.

We just finished watching the Johnny Cash's movie Walk the Line. Ok, sorry if I'm totally ignorant but I didn't really know who Johnny Cash is or was before this movie. His name sounds familiar but I had no clue. But now I know. I guess he was just as big of a star as Bob Dylan or Elvis Presley. I enjoyed the movie - both the acting and singing were good by both Jaoquin Pheonix and Resse Witherspoon. The love between Johnny Cash and June Carter was romanticized throughout the movie and also in real life. They were married for 25 years and that's probably very hard to come by in the showbiz world ... but I was still very disappointed to learn that Johnny Cash cheated on his first wife to be with June Carter. He left his first wife and his kids behind to be with June Carter. I didn't like that part... and no one seems to care about that!

Winter Olympics - Torino 2006

I love watching the Olympics although I am not normally a big sports fan. There is just something about the Olympics and the country-to-country competition that draws me in every night. These athletes train for years in their sport for only "that moment in time" to prove to the world that they are the best. What sets these athletes apart is the fact that they are not professional athletes -- they don't get paid for playing. They participate because they want to prove themselves. They participate because they love competition, they love their sport. I have so much respect for them -- it takes a lot of dedication.

The Olympics this year have a lot of new sport debuts this year such as the Snowboard Cross and the Snowboard Half Pike... all adaptations from the X Games. Very enjoyable to watch. These sports require a lot of training, skills and guts. For the most part, I like watching all the competitions, from Cross country skiing to Figure Skating. The only thing I just don't get is Curling. I really don't get it. What is the point of this "sport?" The players throw a stone onto the ice, trying to get the stone closest to the middle. Then the opponents use these broom-like equipment to brush the ice so the stone will lose its original projectory. Ok, so that is IT? This is a sport?! What the hell? Sorry if I offended all the Curling fans out there...all 20 of you. Curling is a game for fun and should not counted as a sport whatsoever.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

Bejeweled Anonymous

Ok, I admit it. I am addicted to Bejeweled. If you don't know what it is, it is a game that is very similar to Connect Four -- except it's more like connect three or more. You can switch the gems around and connect the three. They disappear and then the next row drops down. Some gems will automatically connect & disappear by themselves depending on where they're positioned. More gems drop down from the top and the screen is constantly full. You see that bar down on the bottom? Well, that' like your energy bar. When you are able to connect gems fast enough, the bar rises. When you've reached the bar fast enough, it wil go onto the next level. On the flip side, if you don't connect the gems fast enough, the energy bar decreases. The game is over if the energy bar is empty. You constantly have to find gems to connect or else you lose your energy bar. There is a time limit. The challenge is that you have to be quick -- both your eyes and fingers. It's actually a pretty stressful game -- which is ironic because I play this game to de-stress from work. Ok, back to my addiction. I am sooo addicted to this game. I can't get enough of it. I play at least 5-6 games whenever I turn on the computer. There's just a challenge to this game that keeps me on the edge. I guess it can be half mindless but half challenging. You should try it if you have nothing better to do. You can find it on Yahoo! Games. Just don't say I didn't warn you that this game is addicting.

** By the way, my highest level is Level 11. I passed Level 10 only once.

Bonus Calculator

Happy New Year! It's the first week back to work, and what is the first thing people do? Calculate what is their bonus!! The year ended and since our 2006 bonus is based on the 2005's results, everyone went straight to the report generator and whipped out their calculators and start crunching numbers. The bonus calculation is a complex tool on a spreadsheet but has been made easier by an Excel guru in our company. Just plug in the numbers and wah-la, it will split out your total %. Multiple the % by your annual salary and that is your dollar amount for the year's bonus!

Majority of the people work hard primarily for the bonus. But there are many times when you can work very hard but end up with a big fat ZERO for your bonus. Those are pretty depressing years. I had an EXCELLENT bonus year in 2005. For 2006, it is still VERY GOOD. I should be happy. I have one of the highest % among my peers. I have been lucky. I hope I remain lucky this year as well!! There is nothing more enjoyable than to receive some extra spending money!

Christmas is over

So Christmas is over. I almost have to say, "good riddance!" I think I wrote about this before in my previous blog, but I've learned not to like Christmas anymore. The expenses, the crowds, the traffic, the lines. There is nothing merry about all of these. I hate to admit that I'm becoming a grinch. The pretty lights, the fragrant trees, the carols, the jolly old Santa -- they just don't cut it for me anymore. I wish that something would change this feeling so I can enjoy the holidays again, but nope. Not this year. Maybe next year it will be different.

I'm taking 7 days off of work these 2 weeks as vacation. Didn't go anywhere out of town but sure love the fact that I can sleep in everyday until 11am. Wake up, go to lunch, mope around, and then it's more moping around. No schedule, no thinking, and no work. In fact, I love this type of lifestyle so much that I'm already dreading going back to work next week. The thought of going back to work a few days from now is stressing me out. You know, that feeling you get when you know you have to do something, but you're trying sooo hard to procrastinate not to do it? Yep, that's what I'm feeling right now. I just know that eventually that dreadful day will come and I will be dragging my feet into the office. Well, I guess, until then, I should just savor the moment now!!

Worker's Comp

I fell down yesterday evening as I was leaving off work. It is the only stretch of space that is not-carpeted and the only way out to the elevators. The janitor just finished mopping the floor and had pretty much left all the water and soap around the place. Despite the fact that the yellow "caution when wet" sign was up, and my every attempt to walk carefully, I still slipped and fell. I made a crashing noise that everyone who sat around the area came to see if I was ok. I was too embarrassed to admit that I fell so I said I "almost" fell and that I was fine. Low and behold, when I got home, my entire left side of the body became sore. My left thigh, which hit the floor the hardest, is now bruised and painful. My left arm, which I used to bear the brunt of the impact, is very sore. Throughout the whole night, I was unable to sleep on that side of my body, because as soon as I put any pressure onto my thigh and arm, I feel pain. I am also feeling a little of sensitivity in my lower back.

Today, when I came into the office, the first thing I did was to send an email to our facilities and safety coordinator, copied my boss and the head of HR. I told them that I fell and that the janitor should NOT be mopping the floor during those prime leaving time (between 5:30-6:30). I also suggested that he should dry the floor immediately, not just leave it and let it air dry. HR immediately opened a worker's comp claim for me and I was recommended to go see a doctor. I tried to make some appointments but unfortunately, was unable to get any today. I am actually very uncomfortable. It must have been a bad fall. I guess as we get older, our body just don't take falls well...

Home at last

I am finally home, at least for a while. My recent hectic travel schedules really took a toll on me. I am physically tired and mentally strained. Traveling to Asia for 2 weeks, then come back for 2 weeks and then leave again to New York for another week is not my definition of fun. It's torture. I'm glad it's finally over. No more trips scheduled this year. I am looking forward to my normal routine again.

* * *

This weekend passed by very quickly. My husband and I are currently in the market for a new car and spent this Saturday at a car dealership. We're planning to get the 2006 Honda Civic since it has good gas mileage. If you didn't know already, I dread car shopping. I hate dealing with car salesmen. They all have the same old sales tactics and strategy. The price wasn't right, so we walked out. Why can't it just be easier? No new car yet, so the saga continues...

* * *

It's interesting to see where people you know have gone and what they've been up to. I logged onto Friendster recently and read updated profiles of my friends, and their friends, and friends of friends. Some got married, some have new careers, some have kids already. It's very nice to know that all of us have grown and changed from high school and from college. Everyone is just walking through their journey of life, phase-by-phase, and so am I.

Daylight Saving Time

We move our clocks back one hour today at 2:00am as Daylight Saving Time ends. That may be why today feel so long. I'm not sure, I woke up around 11:00am today, which is actually 10:00am. By the time I finished dinner tonight, it was only 7:00pm. I'm not sure what happened, and what is this Daylight Saving Time (DST) anyways? I did some researching on the web and this site that provided some interesting facts:

• The main purpose of DST is to take advantage of the extended sunlight during Summer and save energy (we move 1 hour of daylight from the morning to the evening hour during the Summer)
• Spring forward First Sunday of April, Fall back Last Sunday of October (both dates at 2:00am)
• George W Bush recently expanded the period of DST to save energy and fuel. Starting 2007, DST begins earlier on the 2nd Sunday of March and ends 1st Sunday of November.
• DST is not observed in Hawaii, Arizona, and the most Eastern Time Zone of Indiana.
• World Wide, Japan is the only industrized country that have not introduced DST
• U.S. Legislators had always wanted to move the end of DST to after Halloween so it's safer for children to go trick-or-treating (it will happen in 2007!)
• Bar-goers lose 1 hour of drinking time when DST begins -- they need to stop at 1:00am! In Athens, Ohio, this actually caused riots!

Interesting...hope you enjoyed those little tibits of DST!

For those partying tomorrow for Halloween, HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Okinawa

Gorgeous weather today and I took the day off from work. Wasn't planning on going anywhere or doing anything special but just wanted to be out of the office for once. I'm physically tired from the 1-1/2 week long trip. I was working 12-hour days throughout if not more. I guess I already had the better end of the deal since some of my co-workers ended up working more than 18 hours per day. That's why I don't like to travel for business. People see it as a perk, but I knew it was never that glamorous.

I visited Okinawa (in Japan) for 2 days. Getting there was cruel. I had to take 3 flights: from SFO to Nagoya, Nagoya to Fukuoka, and then Fukuoka to Okinawa. Total time: 18 hours. It almost felt like I was flown to Siberia and back. It was tough but I made it through. By the time I got to Okinawa, it was 10:00pm so just in time for a good night's sleep! I have to admit that I didn't really "visit" Okinawa, because I didn't go anywhere other than our company's office, the store, and a local restaurant. I didn't visit anywhere else. We were shuttled to and from, so I wouldn't be able to tell you anything about this place. I heard that Okinawa has some nice beaches, oldest people, and beautiful temples. Nope, I didn't see any of that. The highlight was the local restaurant we went to where we did eat some very local Okinawan food, such as rare horse meat! Ok, no, I didn't any.... people who ate it said it tasted like chicken. Then again, everything exotic tastes like chicken.

I didn't take any of these pictures, but here are some pictures of Okinawa.

Beach on Sesoko Island (below)

Memorial to Akainko (below)

Business Class

Now I understand why flying on business class is so darn expensive. It's because you really get the bang for your buck. I've flown on these 13-hour international flights from SFO to HKG for more than 6 or 7 times in my lifetime already. Everytime, I dread the experience. I never can sleep, seats are cramped, food is nasty. Overall, I hate it. But this time for my meeting in Hong Kong, my company flew me on business class. I was, for the first time, able to fall asleep, and I ended up sleeping for 6-7 hours straight, uninterrupted. The seats move flat like beds. What a great feeling! It was by far the most pleasant flight. I woke up just in time for a quick meal, and before I knew it, the plane already started its decent. It felt like only 3-4 hours but in reality, I was on the plane for more than 12.

Besides the comfortable seats, business class service is impeccable because we had 4 flight attendants servicing the 20 of us. The 1:5 ratio allows the attendants to tend to minute details. Food is not only better where you had a menu choice, but it is actually served on China, drinks on glass stemware and usable silverware. The attendants offer a good selection of newspapers and magazines, good wine, and a goody bag filled with useful toilettries. I love those socks that look and feel like shoes, the blindfolds, the warm towels, the choice of OJ or champagne. I enjoy the On-demand movie channels. I love priority baggage claim, shorter check-in lines, airline lounges filled with snacks and drinks and comfortable, sleepable sofas. I like the ample overhead storage bins and the ability to embark and disembark the plane first. I like long flights that feel short.

AND! On my flight from Okinawa to Hong Kong, I even had a famous Hong Kong singer-celebrity sitting a few seats away from me.

I love flying business class.

Highway Robbery

My co-worker and I went to try out this new restaurant called Medicine Eat Station for lunch today. It's a new, posh/hip restaurant, located inside the Crocker Galleria in Downtown San Francisco. Their "niche" is to offer a healthy, vegetarian menu, inspired by the cooking of Zen Buddhist monks in Japan, dating back 500 years. Their motto: Food so healthy that it has historically been called by a Japanese word meaning 'medicine.' Today in Japan, this cuisine is called shojin, a word that means "working to better oneself." Bottom Line: BULLSHIT. The food is so bland and tasteless that I wonder if they even cooked or seasoned it.

I ordered one of the 5 "Foundation sets," which is their healthy, ultra-simple foundation for a meal. Again, BULLSHIT. They offered an "artisan tofu" which is nothing more than a square of uncooked tofu off a box (aka Vitasoy Tofu). Not even a peck of salt on it. Tasteless. Then I got 4 pieces of extremely small pickled turnip. Hurray. My main course was a bowl of Soba (buckwheat noodles) in a Shojin broth. Okay, instant noodle is a lot 100x better than this. The broth tasted more like hot water, and the noodles, well, very buckwheat. I feel like barfing when I ate it. I hate to diss food like this, because I was taught never to complain about food. But believe me, this is perhaps one of the worst meal I've ever had! Charge for this bland, favorless and unsavory meal: $8.95

But this is not the end of it... on the bottom of the menu itself, these words, "For convenience, a service charge of 17% is automatically added to your bill. No tipping is accepted. " BULLSHIT! Convenient for them! No, don't get me wrong, this is not your typical, add 18% for party more than 6, etc. This is 17% no matter what. It is sooo ridiculous!! The service is by no means impeccable, but we (a party of 2) were forced to pay this 17% to a waiter who didn't even fill up our glass of water or drop by to ask how we're doing. Now, this is highway robbery.

Needless to say, I will never go back there again... plus, I need to spread the word and let everyone I know how ridiculous this restaurant is. Food is horrible and overpriced. Service is poor to warrant the mandatory 17% charge. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone, even to my worst enemy. Yes, it is THAT bad.

Worked out!

Work has been crazy for me lately, actually for everyone in my office. Today when I left the office at 7pm today, everyone in my near vacinity was still there. I really mean, everyone. I thought to myself, how pathetic was that?! The company is beginning to tick some nerves with the employees. Everyone is forced to take on more work, yet of course, not truly getting compensated for it. We lost 1 headcount in our department. The workload of this one individual who left got re-distributed among those remaining. That is just so typical. And then they ask us why we can't be on top of things?! How could we? I'll be leaving for a 1-1/2 week long trip next Wednesday. I'll be traveling to Hong Kong for a team meeting. Up until today, I was thinking that maybe this trip would be cancelled. Who knows? Maybe that's just me dreaming. I have so much to do to prepare for this trip, but I haven't done anything yet. Needless to say, I'm freaked out!

New Weblog

I've decided to create a separate weblog to share my current experience with braces and eventually jaw surgery. It is going to be a long process so I don't want to bore you with the details on this stie. I'm going to keep this site to rant and share my thoughts on day-to-day things. If you're interested, the link to new website is on the side column.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

The orthrodontist tells me that the human body is always very good at adapting to new things. Even with foreign objects (i.e. braces) on my teeth, my mouth will eventually adjust and naturally build up the strength and endurance to withstand the discomfort. The amount of pain and discomfort that I experienced the past few days didn't seem like his statement was true at all. The metals of the braces have been constantly scratching against the inside walls of my mouth. It is very uncomfortable and at times even painful. Especially on Monday, I could barely talk because one naughty bracket keep on scratching against one side of my tongue. That really hurts. But today I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My mouth feels a lot better than yesterday. Sure, the insides are still scratched up, but at least it feels like my mouth is finally healing. So far, the experience with braces is not too bad. I feel like it is more inconvenient than painful. But I guess the inconvenience is actually forcing me to eat better and to maintain better dental hygiene. I brush, floss, and clean my teeth immediately after I eat. Food get stuck in between the brackets and wires so I have to make sure the food particles are all out. And because cleaning is such a hassle, I try not to eat any foods with high sugar content because they will cause cavities, which will more likely happen to people with braces. Overall, getting braces requires a lifestyle change, but it's good change.

A Pivotal Day

I have ugly crooked teeth and an improper bite. I knew this for a long time. It was obvious. But for financial reasons, my parents were unable to pay for braces when I was in middle school. I grew up always self-consciously hiding my bad teeth whenever possible. I never had the confidence to speak up in the classroom or in a group setting, afraid that people will see my crooked teeth. I never smiled with my teeth exposed either. Almost every picture I had up to college I took with my lips tightly sealed. On some of them, I looked like I was mad at someone or something. Despite my bad teeth and severe underbite, I never did anything about it. I couldn't, financially-- it was still very expensive to get orthodontic treatment. However, the thought of needing braces never escaped my mind.

When I turned 30 this year and one day took a long look at my teeth, I thought to myself, if I don't do something about them this year, I should just shut up, move on, and don't think about it again. For God's sake, I'm 30 this year. So my saga started back in June when I made my first initial consultation with an orthodontist. I found out that not only did I need braces, I would also need a jaw surgery to move my lower jaw back into alignment with the upper jaw. This is not new news to me. I knew that from conversations with various dentists my condition was not something that braces could correct alone. The jaw surgery is a big deal. I read up on this topic on the internet, and I was honestly quite scared about it. I still am scared. But I still wanted to move forward with getting braces. What gave me a little positive push was the fact that my health plan at Kaiser covered the jaw surgery procedure. I wouldn't have to pay anything for the surgery, which if not covered, could potentially cost $20,000-$30,000. Then things began to move along. I had to get molds and X-rays done. Meet with the Kaiser physicians, first with my primary care doctor to get a referral, and then with the oral surgeon. Extract one of my upper molars. Wait for the Kaiser authorization to go through. And then FINALLY, after 3 months since the initial visit, I was ready to put on my braces.

Today was the day I had my braces put on. A Pivotal Day in my life. After so many years, this has now become reality. I finally DID something about my teeth but I know this is only the beginning. I feel fine so far but I have been forewarned about the discomfort, the pain associated with this entire process. I am a big baby so I know it's going to be tough, but I am ready for it. I've already won half the battle. My determination is strong enough to withstand any obstacles that come my way!

Pictures of the Past

I spent much of my time last week relocating my entire collection of photos from these old cheapy albums I bought many years ago to the more premium "archivial-quality" albums. The whole project started when I realized that some of my older stick-on albums are turning yellow on the side of the pages. Now, after being a scrapbook enthusiast since last year, I now know the definition of acid-free, pvc-free, and lignin-free papers. While the stick-on albums give you the flexibility of putting both vertical and horizontal pictures on the same page, they are harmful to the photos in the long haul. The stickiness of the pages attach onto the photos and can eventually do some ugly damage! Of course, these pictures are irreplaceable in many respects (i.e.I'm not good at keeping negatives!) Anyways, so that was how my entire project came about.

Honestly, I never knew I had THAT many pictures. My sister used to work in a photo-finishing store and has good access to printing out photos for free. The luxury of not having to pay for photofinishing (which can be very expensive) may be the result of me having so many pictures in the first place. I also attributed to the fact that whenever I go on trips, I go camera-crazy. And of course, back in the days of using 35mm film, 24, 36 pictures per roll get processed no matter what. Now, at least with digital photos, you can be selective in printing only a few here and there.

By the time I was done, 10 albums (each holding 300 pictures each) have been completely filled up. It's hard to imagine that I have that many pictures, but I guess I do. All the pictures (3,000 of them!) are all very precious to me. Going through the pictures gave me a chance to recollect and to remember the past... that particular point in life I was once at. They made me realize how far I've come and how much I had and have. They remind me of my childhood, my family and friends, my school and college years, my trips, my love, and most importantly, my journey in life. These pictures will forever be a memory of my past.

where would YOU want to live?

Which city would you want to live in, if you had the urge to move somewhere and start a new life? And if you had to narrow down to an American city? I've always thought about New York in the past. But now that I've been there a few times, I really love San Francisco, and I'm glad I'm here where I am. Well, out of curiosity, I took this test online that tells you which American cities will fit you based on your answers. My results are below. The funniest thing is that New York remained on top and San Francisco didn't even make the list! Try it and check it out for yourself! The link is below.

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Honolulu

65% New York City

60% Chicago

55% Philadelphia

50% Atlanta

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Trips

I just came back from a business trip/vacation last week. After 3 flights, 22 hours, I finally arrived from San Francisco to Saipan, a small island with the Marianas Islands. So you ask me what am I doing in Saipan? Honestly, I have never heard of Saipan until I work for my company. We have stores there. So, along with 3 other collegues, we travelled to Saipan for a store visit. We go once a year to our stores, for strategy meetings, for floor plan executions, and to foster relationships between Corporate and Store. This is a view outside my hotel room in the Hyatt. It's actually a beautiful island; but too bad I didn't get to enjoy this place leisurely.
We spent 2 days there...next to fly to Guam.

Guam is part of the U.S. territory, and for the most part, a major Japanese tourist destination. It also has a military base there. We spent about 3 days there; primarily in meetings and working in the office. I didn't take any pictures of Guam. Had a bad experience with getting my wake-up calls in Guam, which made me extremely paranoid for the most part. We had a brutual 6:00am flight from Guam to Hawaii. Because of the problems of the wake-up calls, we called each other just so we won't miss our flight.

Arriving in Hawaii was nice. We got there Friday night and I had pretty much the weekend free. Some of my collegues were working, and I felt kinda guilty for ditching them. But heck! I was in Hawaii! My husband flew in and we spent the weekend sunbathing in Waikiki Beach, and snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. This is the best snorkeling beach in all of Oahu. Beautiful coral reefs and tropical fishes.

The next 3 days were full working days for me. My husband hd the luxury of relaxing on the beach, surfing, and cruising along the Oahu coastline. He got a nice tan too.

After I was done with work, we ventured off to Kauai, an island north of Oahu. A little interesting fact is that Kauai was the island used for the aerial shot of Jurassic Park. Kauai is also known as the Garden Island, which if you remember the scene of Jurassic Park, you will understand why it's called that. Lots of greenery everywhere you go... that's because Kauai receives about 400 inches of rain a year. The weather there is unstable, and you will for sure run into some rain showers no matter what time of the year you go there.

We spent 2 days in Kauai. The first day we drove around the island, and veered off to private beaches wherever we run into one (which is almost everywhere!) There is only 1 main road around the island, so at any given point in time, you will see the same cars (mainly tourists) driving along the loop.


The second day we took a 4-hour Sunset cruise along the Na Pali coast. This is the western part of the island, not accessible by car. It's absolutely beautiful here! We saw many sea caves, waterfalls, and mountain ridges that define this 17-mile landscape. The scenery looked surreal...like a postcard picture. Along the cruise, we saw dolphins happily swimming close to the boat, riding the waves. They even playfully made jumps and flips. They made me appreciate dolphins in the wild, where they truly belong. They can enjoy the beauty and openness of the ocean, and have each other as company. We also saw a sea turtle, gliding up to the surface for a breath of fresh air. It swam gently and peacefully. These were some of the major highlights of our cruise.

And what is a Sunset cruise without a sunset?

Enjoy the Sunset in Kauai.

Happy 4th!

Where are they?

This is what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) announced yesterday:

For the 63rd year in a row, the number of boys born in the United States outnumbered births of girls, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
In 2002, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 94,232 more boys were born than girls. Since 1940, an average of 91,685 more boys have been born each year, the agency said. That amounts to a total of 5,776,130 more male babies than females over the 63-year period. The agency said the more children a woman has, the more likely she is to give birth to an equal number of boys and girls. Chinese and Filipino mothers were most likely to give birth to more boys than girls, while non-Hispanic black and American-Indian mothers were most likely to have an equal number of infants of both sexes, the CDC said.

So my question is: Where are all these men?

Turning 30 and what it means to me

So I'll be turning 30 this Friday... Yep, happy birthday to me. I really dread this birthday, because it's one of those years that becomes a turning point in life. It's like your 18th, or 21st birthday-type of year. Being 30 means you're no longer in your 20's, no matter where in the late 20's you are. It makes you remember the "old" times and refer to the 80's song as "oldies." It means checking off a different age group when filling out questionaires. It defines the difference between a Miss and a Madam. It makes you realize that you can't pull all-nighters anymore and that your little heart can't take those daredevil rollercoaster rides anymore. It also brings you into a totally different mindset in financial terms because now you find yourself paying attention to those Social Security debates because they start to mean something to you now...

The most scariest part of being 30 to me is that it means that my biological clock is ticking and I'm running out of excuses (and time) for not having a baby yet. I woke up in the middle of the night in sweat one day because I dreamt that I was pregnant. Yes, I have a fear in having babies. I have a fear to raising kids. I have a fear in the whole process. But yet, I know I have to do it, now sooner than later. Turning 30 is forcing me to stop procrastinating and to face my fear!

The Common Cold

After my 2 year streak of being "cold-free," I have finally fallen ill to the common cold virus this past week. It all started off with a sore throat, which of course, being Chinese, I immediately thought the sore throat was a result of "hot air." I began my spree of eating and drinking anything that was classified as "cool" - melons, ice cream, ching-bo-leung, etc. But the sore throat quickly developed into a congested nose and a fever. It was then I realized that my strong immune system that protected me for the past 2 years lost its battle against the evil virus. The cough came and then more congestion. I missed 2 days of work, and I'm still trying to recover right now. The hope of being 100% well in the next day or so seems unlikely. I need to heal quickly because on Monday, I will be stepping into a plane, i.e. the best breeding ground for germs to spread. It will be a 5 hour flight to New York, which is a very long flight in my definition. I don't want to spread my germs to others nor do I want my weak immune system to engage in any more fights with other viruses. This is perhaps one of the worse colds I've had... symptoms acting in full-fledge and lastinglonger than usual!

Desperate Housewives

I love every Sunday night's Desperate Housewives! The show has a plot that draws me in like a magnet, and every episode never fails to do just that. The storyline gets more and more interesting every Sunday. This is, by far, one of the best TV shows I've watched. If you are a fan of Desperate Housewives and have been missing a few ones here and there, watch the April 27th show, which is supposed to be a "recap" of all that has happened since the premiere. And boy, there are a lot that has happened! A lot of secrets have been revealed!!!

Catching up

It's always a treat to meet up with an old friend once in a while and have a nice lunch to catch up. I met up with a college friend today and we talked non-stop throughout lunch. We gave updates on our lives, which remained pretty much status quo. We mentioned that every time we meet, which is about 2-3 times a year, life hasn't changed much since. There weren't any "dramatic" changes. We defined "dramatic" changes as:

1. A new job
2. A new love life (boyfriend, fiance, husband)
3. A new dwelling (buying a house, moving)
4. A new baby

So how do we end up talking for an entire hour if we've determined within seconds that our lives remained "same ol', same ol'?" Well, the joy of having 2 women together can be translated to talking about other people's dramatic changes. While it's politically-correct to catch up on each other's lives, it's much more interesting to catch up on the latest gossip!

I'm sad to announce that the watch department I currently handle at work is under the chopping block. Senior management thinks the department's brand line-up and price points are too "cheap" for the company's image. They want the cheapest watch that we offer to customers to be at least $200; so the $60 watches in my department just won't cut it. So there it goes. My department, my vendors, and most importantly, my bonus. Throughout the year, we work hard, long hours just so we can beat our sales targets and get our much-deserved bonus. So it's only 3 months into the year, and because of this decision made by Senior management, we are left in the cold. We are in the process of negotiating with the company to make some "exceptions" because this is simply unfair. Why should our team be punished for the Company's decision?

In addition to the bonus, the ultimate question is what will happen to me? I'm actually not too sure myself. If my entire department is to go away, will they eventually eliminate my position and lay me off? There is always this chance. Why keep that extra body and head count around? Hmmm....

Cruise

My husband and I, along with my entire family just came back from a short cruise vacation we took this past week. This was my first cruise but I've heard quite a lot of things about cruises from friends and people who have gone before. Our port of call was in L.A. so we had to drive down there. It was no easy task to coordinate a trip for 18 people, ages ranging from 1 year old to 70. Thankfully, it was somehow managed and no major issues happened. The ship was a little bit aged and probably needed renovations, but overall, not too bad. The best part of the cruise was of course, the delicious, around-the-clock food. Dinners were of course the best --many times I ordered more than 1 appetitizer, more than 1 entree, and more than 1 dessert! :P

Our port stops included San Diego, Catalina Island, and Ensenada. We visited the San Diego Zoo, kayaked on Catalina Island, and walked around Ensenada. This was definitely a good starter cruise because it was short and have 3 port stops to rest and be on land. I actually got a little uneasy when we sailed over choppy waters the first day. I never knew whether I get motion-sickness or not. I've been on speedboats before and have no problems but the rides were always less than 30 minutes short. I guess I was able to adapt on this cruise to the constant swaying.

So the week just zoomed by without me even realizing it. I'm now back in S.F. and am totally NOT looking forward to going back to work. I took a sneak preview of my work inbox and saw that I have 250 emails sitting there. :( Next week is going to be a long week for me, like always.

Spring Forward!

Monarch of the Seas

Women Turning 30

Googi just forwarded me an email about CBS 60 Minutes Andy Rooney's discussion about women over 30. It reminded me of an old article I kept back from 1997, titled "30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30." I ran across this article in the May 1997 issue of GlamourMagazine, thought it was interesting, so I decided to keep it. I figured, when the day comes that I turn 30, I will reflect on the list and see how it all relates to me. I was 22 at that time, so 30 seemed very far in the future. Well, what do you know? I'll be turning 30 this year!! Anyways, Googi's email made me dig this article back up from my storage bin and here I would like to share with you the List:

30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30

Should have:

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you've come
2. Enough money within your control to move out and rent a place on your own, even if you never want or need to
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or lover of your dreams wants to see you in an hour
4. A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying
5. A youth you're content to move beyond
6. A past juicy enough that you're looking forward to retelling it in your old age
7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age - and enough money to fund it
8. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra
9. One friend who always make you laugh and one who lets you cry
10. A good piece of furniture not previously own by anyone else in your family
11. Eight matching plates, wineglasses and a recipe for a meal that will make your guests feel honored
12. A resume that is not even the slightest bit padded
13. A feeling of control over your destiny
14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better

Should know:

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself
2. How you feel about having kids
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the friendship
4. When to try harder and when to walk away
5. How to kiss a man in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn't like to have happen next
6. How to have a good time at a party you'd never choose to attend
7. How to ask for what you want in a way that makes it most likely you'll get it
8. That you can't change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents
9. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it's over
10. What you would and wouldn't do for money or love
11. How to live alone, even if you don't like to
12. Who you can trust, who you can't and why you shouldn't take it personally
13. Where to go when your soul needs soothing
14. What you can and can't accomplish in a day, a month, a year
15. Why they say life begins at 30

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Snow in the Big Apple

Just came back from yet another week-long business trip to the Big Apple. While Californians were enjoying spring-like weather, it was a whole different story in the East Coast. The temperatures were freezing! We had 50-mph wind gusts that made the temperature drop to a mere 15 degrees. Not 15 degrees C, 15 degrees F! Water literally froze! One day, it even snowed which gave the city a couple of inches. While it was a beautiful sight to see the snowflakes fall onto the ground, getting around the City was a nightmare. Along with the cold temperature, it was nearly impossible to catch a cab, the ground was super-duper slippery, stores closed early, traffic was a mess, and flights were delayed. People became short-tempered, viscious when fighting for cabs, etc. Overall, not a pretty scene! I was thinking to myself, this is why I love California, the Bay Area. It's truly beautiful here.

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.

The Housing Market

So everyone seems to be talking about real estate nowadays...so often in fact it reminds me very much like 5 years ago when everyone talked about nothing other than the stock market. Back then, everyone had some sort of stake in the market, small or large, insider tips to growing companies, etc. Interesting... if the real estate market is anything like the stock market, I worry that eventually, the over-inflated housing bubble will burst.

So, my husband and I went to several open houses today in our neighborhood. Of course, houses are still extremely overpriced here. Obviously, those scientific reports that announced our area to be the worst earthquake and tsunami zones did little to affect the prices. We found out that for 1/2 million dollars, you can only get a small, 2-bed, 1 bath fixer-upper. Yep, a house that will probably require you to dump in at least tens of thousands to make it liveable. Any so-called "move-in" condition homes cost over $700k. We even stumbled into a couple of houses that were going for over $800k. Wow. amazing. I wonder how long is this housing market going to last? I'm curious....

Happy New Year everyone! Good bye 2004!

My first entry in December and it's already the 22nd .. sorry, it's the combination of being busy and lazy at the same time. So I finally got my Christmas shopping done yesterday. I got smart this year... I went to the malls with gift ideas in mind so my only mission was to buy. I learned that only by doing that can I avoid aimlessly going to every single store, trying to find a decent gift for a decent price. That gets extremely tiring, and dangerous -- because chances are, I will end up finding something I end up buying for myself. But this year, nope. I targeted the selected stores, compared prices if allowable, and purchased. This cut my shopping time by at least 2/3.

So Christmas is only a couple of days away. To those who I won’t see anytime soon, have a Happy Holiday and a great new year!

Fundraisers

Christmas is here so you know what that means -- gift wrapper fundraisers! Have you ever been approached by someone asking you to buy these expensive $9-10/roll Christmas gift wrappers for a school fundraiser? I hate fundraisers, and I've been approached too many times that it's getting really annoying. There is this one woman at my workplace whose full-time job is to help her son fund-raise. I am honestly very sick and tired of her constant harrassment. Every 2-3 months, there is something: Candy bars for sale, magazine subscription drives, sponsorship to some spelling bee contest or a book-a-thon. Then of course, there is the annual gift wrap fundraiser -- don't ever forget about that. I think companies should ban employees from soliciting business from other fellow employees in the workplace.

I don't mind the occasional donation, but the practice has become too apparent and frequent that it has now become a pure annoyance. Being who I am, I never liked to say no to people asking for favors, especially from co-workers who you see everyday. But this year, I am able to put my foot down to end all of this misery. When I was approached this year (no surprise) to buy a gift wrap, I looked through the catalog out of courtesy and told her straight in the face, "You know, quite frankly, I still have the unopened rolls of gift wrap that I bought from the past 2 years. I don't need any of this stuff." I also let her know that I have nieces and nephews that have the same fundraisers, and that if I ever needed a roll of gift wrap or any chocolate tinboxes for that matter, I would probably buy it from them. After declining to her request, I think she got the picture, at least on my perspective. I think she realized that I don't appreciate the frequency of her requests. I am sure that many people around the workplace think the same way, but are probably too polite to say anything. Well, let them be, so they can continue to buy those rolls of expensive gift wraps year after year.

The Day after Thanksgiving

The radio is playing non-stop Christmas music. I guess Thanksgiving is officially over. Retailers and shoppers alike are gearing up for the holidays, if they haven't already done so 1 month ago. People say that the day after Thanksgiving is biggest shopping day of the year. I think it's because people hype about this day so much that mentally, they think they are getting extraordinarily good deals if they shop today. The media even called these good deals "door-busters" deals, describing how people line up before the opening of the store, just to get these early bird specials. I was just browsing through some of the ads yesterday and realized that some of the retailers' so-called "deals" are very much like deals that you often get throughout the year. So no need to wake up 5 in the morning trying to save an extra few bucks! It's probably something that you don't need anyways.

I find it funny that we often buy things not because we need them, but because they are so cheap that we can't possibly pass them by. My husband and I walked into Walgreen's just this morning and they had these Mega-king size Hershey chocolate bars for 50 cents each. They normally retail for $1.99 each. So what happens? We ended up walking out the door having bought 4 of them. No, not just 1 of them, but 4 in fact because the limit per coupon was 4. We are not even chocolate lovers! So, what exactly are we to do with 4 mega-king size chocoloate bars?! Any takers?

New York and Washington DC

Just came back from an extremely short vacation in Washington DC. My husband and I spent approximately 3 days in this city. I lived there 7 years ago for 3 months. Boy, have things changed since September 11! That's why this day can never be forgotten. It has forever changed our lives and America. Tourists are no longer allowed to visit and tour the White House, the Pentagon, and all enclosed federal buildings. On every corner of the block, tourists are now greeted by an uniformed person with a shotgun with steel barricades all around instead. It's sad to see how paranoid our nation's capital has become.

Before visiting DC, I was in New York on business for 1 week. This is my 4th time visiting this city, and I must admit that this city no longer charms me as it once did. When I went to NYC the first time many years ago, the hustle and bustle of the city intrigued and excited me. I loved the place and imagined myself moving and living there one day. But now my impression of NYC has changed from a fun, exciting and glamorous city to a place with too many rude people and extreme materialism. The past 2 trips showed me that in order to get anything done, you have to "show them the money!" To get a table at a restaurant, to hail a cab, or to get into a bar, all you need is money. Money, money can buy you everything. If you don't want to fork out the money, forget it -- all you will get is people being rude to you. And as you walk along 5th Ave and Manhattan, everyone and everything is branded. All this kinda made me sick.

I don't like this type of environment. I want to be in a place that if I walk around downtown with my sweater I bought from Ross, I won't feel like I'm being judged. I guess as I get older, how people see me is less important to me. I don't need to gain any concensus on how I should look or what I should wear. I am who I am, and I am glad that I have friends who do not judge people by the way they look.

It's really nice once in a while to spend the entire day at home, do nothing but some of your favorite things that you don't get to do often. Weekends are usually filled with activities (get-togethers, errands, appointments, chores, etc) so I appreciate the rare days that come by when I absolutely have no plans. Today, I didn't step out of my house for one bit and actually got away with wearing PJ's all day long! I spent my day eating and snacking, scrapbooking, watching TV, and browsing on net. The weather outside was cold and rainy, but I didn't mind it a bit. I was glad being in the comfort of my own house, warm and dry.

"chasing" chinese sitcoms

It has been half a decade since I last watched one of those Chinese sitcoms produced by HKG's TVB. Back in the days, I used to "chase" those sitcoms day in and day out, especially those with my favorite idols in them. But this has slowly stopped. My parents are still big fans of these sitcoms so every once a while, when I'm at their house and the TV is on, I am able to catch a few scenes here and there. Even with only 20 minutes, I understand why I have slowly stopped watching these sitcoms years ago: choppy, overused storylines and bad acting by the same bad actors. Overall anaylsis of watching Chinese sitcom shows: A waste of time.

However, this weekend, I did the unthinkable -- I wasted half a day Saturday, "chasing" a brand new Chinese sitcom. The story took place during the Qing dynasty and life in the Royal Palace. There are men who want to make it big in their careers; there are women who want to be selected to be the King's wife; and there are those who just want to live a safe life. Scandalous and full of schemes, no one is innocent. Everyone is in the Royal Palace for a purpose and no one is to get in the way. The story is surprisingly good. In fact, good enough to fish me back into the business of "chasing" Chinese sitcoms!

New Outlook on Life

I think negatively. I am pessimistic. I am always dissatisfied with something. Nothing seems to be good enough, myself included. I complain. I am never truly happy. I always want more and want change.

Just until recently, I found that that part of my life is beginning to consume me. I think overall, it made me bitter. Fortunately, I got the chance to stop what I was doing and rethink about everything around me. I realized what I truly have -- tangible and intangible things. For the first time, I didn't think about what I didn't have. The thought made me smile. I am fortunate and I am content. Once in a while, I have to remember to stop to enjoy life and appreciate everything and everyone around me.

Light of Day

By 7:00 pm, the sky has already turned dark. It serves as a good reminder that Fall is here, and that the string of holidays is just about to begin. I actually never liked this time of year. Besides the holidays, I only associate Fall with cold and wet weather, and of course, darkness. I'll wake up in the morning with a dark sky, and then I leave work with a dark sky. It always feels like I've been stuck in the building all day long without seeing the light of day. The only thing I like is the extra sleeping hour, which I especially appreciate lately.

I've just been promoted to a new position and to a new department. As in all new things, there is a learning curve. However, I feel like my grace period is a short one...it seems like everyone is expecting me to pick things up and know enough to answer any questions that come my way, now. It's hard to juggle with the unfamiliar and the unknown. I have been putting in extra hours to do "homework" (work-at-home). I am hoping that my 14-hour days will prepare me enough to run this new position smoothly. And eventually, my goal is to have my hard work pay off in getting me back to normal working hours. Despite the sky turning darker earlier, I really do want to see the light of day, work-wise.

Everyday I get over 100 emails in my inbox. Unfortunately, about 99% of them are junk. But once in a while, I do receive an email or two that just makes me smile. No, I am not referring to those recycled jokes that get circulated over and over again. I’m talking about a personal email from an old friend, a picture of a newborn baby, or simply an invitation to a get-together. Today, I got an email from a friend relaying such good news that brighten my day. That’s why-- as much as I hate getting those annoying junk emails, I still look forward to opening my inbox everyday to find one or two of those special emails that will make me smile.

Gun Control and the Right to Bear Arms

I am so angry to learn that the federal ban on semi-automatic weapons expired yesterday. I'm especially mad at lawmakers in Congress who didn't make it a priority or have the initative to renew the ban. Now it is legal in some states for people to buy weapons such as AK47's and UZI's. The legislation, drafted by Senator Dianne Feinstein in 1994, came about when a disgrunted man shot and killed people in a law office at 101 California. The tragedies of sniper attacks in the Washington DC in 2002 and the Columbine High School masscre in 1999 were also results of people using these assault weapons. Now, with the federal ban lifted, it's easier than ever to obtain the dangerous weapons.

The 2nd amendment of the Constitution states that people in this country has the "right to bear arms." This, I get. No doubt about it. I understand that people should have the right to possess a gun for self-defense and for gaming. However, why do these people need to have semi-automatic weapons that can fire hundreds of bullets in a few seconds? Weapons that can pierce through a policeman's bullet-proof vest? Weapons that can kill scores of people? There is absolutely no reason and need for that at all. Why should any sane individual need to have a weapon that can do so much damage? The advocates for the legalization of these weapons are the gun manufacturers who want more business. Worse is that we also have those lawmakers who care more about campaign contributions than the welfare of their constituents.

The Brady Campaign Organization is a strong supporter and leader in preventing gun violence. Their website contains a lot of useful information and it includes a "scorecard" of how the individual Representative voted in relation to gun control. I would urge everyone to check out the website to find how your rep voted, and that you let him/her know your thoughts on this very important subject.

The Art of Negotiating

I dedicate this posting to the art of negotiating. Not until recently did I realize how often do we need to utilize this skill and how difficult it is to actually be successful at it. Everyday in our lives, we have situations where we are faced with someone who doesn't think like us and that a mutual decision needs to be made. Whether the case is to get a company to offer you a better compensation package, or to get your spouse to agree on a DVD rental, the list is endless. How can we be able to win the concession without getting into a nasty fight or damaging the relationship? No, of course, I do not know the answer. Thank goodness there are experts on this very subject.

Most people might think that in order to win at a table of negotiations, you have to be good at persuasion and good at influencing others to accept your opinion and choice. Or you can be so powerful that you can bully the other party in accepting your terms. I have been reading Herb Cohen's Negotiate This!, a self-improvement book on tips on how to be successful at negotiating. Among all his valuable insights, I took this piece of advice to heart-- "Always view yourself as a problem-solver, " he said, "and search for creative alternatives to satisfy both sides' real concerns and interests." In any situation, I learned that there is always more than just a black and white solution. It's never only my way OR your way. It can be a combination of both your way AND my way. The trick is to find the right combination and develop from there. And that is what I believe the art of negotiating is all about.

August 31 - 2/3 of the year is practically over. It may be too early to reflect upon the year, but the first 8 months really have been truly a period of changes for me. Good changes, for the most part. The most exciting piece is that we welcomed another nephew into the family in May. It has been 5 years since we had an infant in our house so you can imagine the joy he brings us. 2 of my sisters both bought and sold homes within the past 6 months. And within the past week, I was presented with a promotion at work. So overall, an eventful year, even if I have to summarize it now.

To add to everything, Sept 6 will be my first year wedding anniversary!

Olympics

I love the Olympics. There is so much national pride and individual triumph shown in these games. This, and the fact that they show competition in sports that we normally do not get to see, like swimming, diving, badminton, gymnastics, etc. They're so much fun and excitement to watch. However, out where I live, I do not have access to the NBC channel since I do not have cable. It already sucks that when NBC airs the games on primetime that the results have already been posted due to the time difference between the US and Greece. Even worse if you have to watch the games 1 day behind from recorded tapes. That's what I have been doing. I try hard to avoid hearing the results beforehand but somehow, it always fail. Someone, from the radio or the TV, or just people having casual conversations, will always give it away! But that doesn't stop me from watching. I still love the games, and how much these athletes deserve their moment of glory.

Exodus

This week has been a tough week at work. There were 4 resignations, adding to the 3 that I found out about last week. What is this exodus all about? I can only reason that the job market has picked up and/or people in my company have been simply pushed to the edge with unhappiness that they are determined to leave. Besides layoffs, this is perhaps the biggest exit movement I have seen since I joined the company 4-1/2 years ago. The feeling of seeing so many people jump ship is not a good one.

I do not like to see people leave, and among all, one of them happens to be my ex-boss. My ex-boss and I got along great. We had an unusual relationship - weird if you actually think about it. Because when I still reported to him, I could feel completely comfortable telling him that I am looking for another job outside the company. Or I could tell him how much I hated my work, etc. And he would be understanding and supportive. This type of relationship between a supervisor and his report is something that is hard to come by. So needless to say, I will miss him and everyone else when they're gone.

Heart #11: Lines Heart - Ferry Building

Heart #12: Mail Slot Heart - Ferry Building

Heart #13: Mosaic Heart - Ferry Building

Heart #14: Geometric Heart - Ferry Building area

Heart #15: Apple Green Heart - Ferry Building area.

Heart #16: Full Spectrum Dominance Heart - Ferry Building

Net loss

Don't you hate it when you go out of your way to try to save a few bucks here and there but ended up dishing out more money than what you signed up for? So here is what happened. Trying to save some dough on renting DVD's, I went through the trouble of obtaining some discount coupons for a video chain store near my house. The savings on these coupons added up to $12. So what happens next? Well, somehow, someway, one of the videos I rented disappeared. I have no clue as to where it went. I tried to trace back when or where the last time I saw it, held it, touched it. Nope, nothing. My memory failed me. So in order to avoid those late fees from accruing and multiplying expotentially, I confessed to the video store that I lost the DVD. Total charge: $27. Simple math: $12 bucks saved. $27 bucks lost. Net loss of $15 + rental fees. Ok, there is a net loss on the balance sheet. In straight accounting terms, I should close the business and file for bankruptcy. In the case of videos, I should never rent DVDs again if I can't get my head back together.

Real Estate

Looking out the window of my house, it's hard to believe that today is August 1st. The skies are gray, gloomy, and covered with clouds. In the heart of the summer months, all we get out here along the Coastline are cold and ugly weather. It's a paradox to call this district "Sunset," when the sun never comes out, let alone sets. Ocean beach is literally only 3 blocks away from my house, but I hardly get to use it. The weather is simply too cold to be outdoors.

As bad as the weather is out here, I find it unbelievable that people are still willing to pay big bucks to live out here. The lowest asking price for any house in the Sunset district has risen to half a million. The fixers are actually the only ones with the half a million price tag. Move-in condition houses go at least $600,000. Some ambitious (or greedy?) sellers are even asking for $700,000 for their tiny hut. Sound ridiculous? Well, it's happening. People, for whatever insane reason, are wiling to bid well over the asking price, thus driving up the overall neighborhood cost of homes. Other homes follow suit. As the snowball gets bigger, I can't help but wonder if the real estate bubble will ever explode?

Just a few years ago, practically every conversation evolves around stocks: the Dow, the NASDAQ, the newest IPO, you name it. Everyone had a share of something in the stock market. Now, a few years later, every social conversation involves real estate investments, the housing market, and interest rate. It's scary how everyone is trying to get onto the bandwagon for a joyride in real estate, just as they did in stocks a few years back. When the mass public all decide to grow their money in the same venue of investment, the prices tend to be inflated. Supply and demand: Simple economics. Given all this happening, I will not be surprised when eventually, the housing market will reach its limits. I sure hope the bubble won't "pop" per se, and I myself have my investment in the housing market as well. Hope it will just level off. Yep, level off to a more realistic and reachable level.

Junk Mail

I just realized that the only pieces of mail I get everyday now are junk mail. I guess no one sends things in the mail anymore. E-cards, E-mail, E-bills, E-this, and E-that. Everything is electronic nowadays. I actually don't mind getting junk mail. Well, maybe only certain kinds. I like the colorful and full print advertisements for upcoming sales and discount coupons. Even restaurant menus are Ok. Those especially come in handy when ordering take-out.

What I hate the most of all junk mail are those annoying re-finance interest rate notices I get day in and day out. First of all, they usually have on the envelope the words, "IMPORTANT: DATED MATERIAL," underlined. They try to make the letter more important than it really is. Inside the letter, the typical words:

"We can save you hundreds on your current mortgage from ABC Bank! 30-year fixed interest rate is only 6.8%, blah blah blah. "

I guess it would have been important to me if I can actually save a few hundred bucks for the next 30 years. But the truth of the matter is that I've already re-fied multiple times since I took out a loan with ABC Bank. Since then I have had loans with DEF Bank, GHI Bank, all the way down to XYZ Bank already. And why would I refinance against a 6.8% rate if I currently have a 5.3% rate??

I suppose that the word, "dated," on the envelope refers to how dated the information they actually have on their records! My two cents to those people sending me those junk mail is that if you really want to extract business from me, get your numbers straight!! Get your records current!! It's nothing more embarrassing than to have your customers think that you are stupid. Or outright incompetent. So unless you can get your records straight, it's best to divert your investment from buying stamps for junk mail to upgrading your system instead. Now, that's the smart thing to do.

Aggh, today is finally Thursday! This week seems really long. I guess whenever we get a short week at work, we mentally think the days will go by fast. But reality is that the anticipation for the weekend simply makes the waiting even longer than it really is. A hard concept to comprehend, but the truth indeed.

I don't know if you've been watching the gameshow Jeopardy!, but I've been catching it everyday after dinner for the past couple of weeks. This is this one guy on it who has been champion for 27 straight days. Yep, 27 days! They used to have a 5-day limit, but the gameshow has since lifted that rule. He has won over $800,000. It's really amazing how minute and how obscure some of the details this guy knows. First he's fast with the buzzer, and second, he knows every subject from A to Z. I totally think that he might be a genius! The gameshow hosts should definitely bring back some of the previous 5-day champions to compete against him. I wonder when will he lose, and who will dethrone him? That would be so interesting!

On a side note, here are some more hearts for you. These I found along the Embarcadero during my daily lunchtime walks. I'll upload more next time... meanwhile, enjoy!

Heart #7: Trapped Heart - this is one of my favorites so far. This heart is covered with thick steel wires all around. It's 3-D...different from the other painted ones I've seen. This was located across the street from the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero.

Heart #9: Map Heart - This is one of the steel interlocking hearts. This is a rough sketched map of the San Francisco.

Heart #8: "I Left my Heart" heart - A scared look on the person's face, but it should be a happy thought... This heart was found in the plaza along Embarcadero. This one was found across the street from Herman Justin Plaza.

Heart #10: "Artist at Heart" heart - This heart was on Market St. near First St.

Happy Birthday

June 27th was my blogspot's 1st birthday. Sorry, I'm a few days late. It has been a wonderful 1st year talking and writing to you. I am looking forward to another year and many years to come. Happy Birthday!!

Hearts in San Francisco

If you haven't already noticed, more than 20 fiberglass or interlocking steel hearts have been popping up on city streets of San Francisco these past few months. The official launch date was February 14th to be exact (how thoughtful!). There will be more hearts to come... a total of 130 of them will be appearing on street corners, plazas, and sidewalks throughout San Francisco. The project is called "Hearts in San Francisco," which helps boost the tourist industry by allowing visitors to "see" and "leave" their hearts in San Francisco. The hearts are decorated by local artists with different themes. The hearts are on display until September 2004. After that, the City will choose a few of them to be auctioned off. The proceeds will benefit the San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center. More information on this can be found at Hearts in San Francisco's website.

I knew about this City project on the San Francisco Chronicle a couple of months back. I decided that it would be a very nice weekend activity to "find" all the 130 hearts. Afterall, I have until September and it was a really great way to explore the City. So my husband and I ventured off today to find our first set of hearts. We found 7 hearts in total!! Here are the hearts we found ... believe me, there will be more to come!

Heart #1: The Silver Heart - located in front of the now-closed DFS Galleria, across the street from Union Square on Geary Blvd.

Heart #3: This heart was located in front of the Four Seasons Hotel on Market, near 4th St.

Heart #2: The Fern Heart - located near 555 Market St. between 2nd and 1st St.

Heart #4: The Ethnic Heart - found on Union Square.

Heart #7: Mom's Heart - located on Union Square.

Heart #5: Strawberry Heart - located in front of the McKesson Headquarter building on Market St. near New Montgomery St.

Heart #6: This heart was found in front of Macy's, on Geart Blvd, across from Union Square.

Half-day Fridays

It has been a long while since I took a day off from work and didn't go anywhere. I was supposed to take today off as vacation to recuperate from my trip, but I ended up working at home instead. I actually am grateful for the luxury of being able to tele-commute although I'm not allowed to do that too often. It was nice. I went out to lunch with my parents and even did a little grocery shopping. I love having the ability to take off for a few hours from work to run errands. Today was such a beautiful day that it reminded me of those good old days when I had "half day Fridays." I used to work 9-hour days Mondays through Thursdays and 4 hours on Fridays. I really loved those Fridays when I get to leave work right after lunch. I always ended up shopping though, which became a very expensive habit after a while. But the ability to have a head start on weekend road trips or to be able to take afternoon naps was something I really enjoyed and missed. Now, I work 10-hour days everyday and no half-day Fridays! So unfair!

Aloha!!

I find it absolutely impossible to work in Hawaii if you have a view to the outside world. What I mean is that when you somehow get a glimpse at the beauty of the beaches and blue sky, you won't be able to concentrate at all. Can't imagine having to work in a window space where you can actually have an ocean view. The beaches and weather are so beautiful here that it may be a torture just to have a window office. Well, during my time here, I managed to sit in an area tucked inside, so I wasn't able to see the light of day. That way, I can actually concentrate on work and stay awake during meetings. 4 non-stop 12-hour days are just enough for me though. Tomorrow I hope to have a nice stroll along the beach before I hop on the plane back to San Francisco. There are still a million things that I need to do for work but I'm practically handicapped because I'm using dial-up and the files take about 1/2 hour to pull up. Oh well, I guess those just have to wait!! I just need it to get it off my mind!

No Purchase Necessary

I am confused on the phrase "No Purchase Necessary" attached to game contest rules. Just this morning, I saw an ad on a big chain grocery's website promoting a Match & Win game. The How-to-play games instruction was as follows:

"Buy any four items from participating products and receive a game piece at checkout. Match your game piece(s) to the corresponding boxes on the game board. Collect all the game pieces to complete a row on the game board and you're a winner!"

The prizes include Complete home makeover, 2004 Honda Pilot SUV, etc, etc. But then, as always, at the bottom of the contest rules I spotted those 3 confusing words: "No Purchase Necessary." So there they were. How is that possible? How can I receive game pieces without purchasing? Can I write to the company and simply "ask" for the game pieces? How does it work?

Trip down south - Destination: San Diego

Now that I finally have the privilege of posting pictures on Blogger, I must take advantage of it so that my loyal readers can see that photos I took in San Diego. It was a very nice trip - relaxing and eventful. We went to all the places designated as "touristy" and more. We are actually quite pleased that we covered a lot of ground and actually got around the City + Orange County with a very generic map we picked up at our rent-a-car office. Weather was decent, first 2 days were cloudy -but by the weekend, the sun was full-blown. Met up with Wontonwrapper on Sunday to visit San Diego's world-famous Wild Animal Park. Animals were all hiding under the trees for shade -- so didn't really get to see them in full scale. Below I have some pictures to share. We went to more places than those listed, but didn't get a chance to take any pictures. This trip will just have to remain in my memory!!

A ground squirrel 

This is a very chubby squirrel we encountered at the La Jolla Cove. The picture doesn't really show the detail, but squirrels in SD doesn't have the same big tails we normally see here in NorCal. They don't climb trees at all. They just go underground and out on the streets.

The Salk Institute 

The Salk Institute is Bio-Sci research facility located on the outskirts of UCSD. This institute was established in the 1960s by Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine. This building was designed by the world-reowned architect, Louis I. Kahn. This building is now designated as a historical site and is considered an inspiration in modern architecture.

Huntington Beach  

This is actually my husband trying to swim at Huntington Beach. It's very nice there - warm and clean. We drove a good 3-4 hours along the coast, the famous Highway 1, from San Diego to Orange County. It was well worth it. Gorgeous weather, nice scenery, beautiful beaches.

Giraffes feeding at SD's Wild Animal Park 

Giraffe at San Diego Wild Animal Park 

Isn't he the cutest? Giraffes are so mellow -- but they have very long tongues!

Sunset Cliffs 

This is a stretch of beach along the western side of San Diego. Very interesting rock formation through erosion.

Unplanned Plans

Aghhhh, the Wednesday meetings are finally done. I have been in and out of meetings the entire day today. They're over now! So tired today... there are still a lot of pending issues and projects on my plate, so I sure hope I can relax and enjoy myself during this vacation and not think about work too much. This is perhaps the least prepared I've been in terms of planning a trip. I booked my tickets approximately 10 days ago, and I haven't done any research at all in terms of where to go, what to do. I have NOTHING planned, which scares me a little bit because I've also been a planner in everything I do. Well, maybe it's a good thing. I'm a merchandise planner by profession--I plan everything by month all the way out to December of 2005. Perhaps a little chaos in my non-work life might just well keep me balanced.

I have nothing to blog about today, but I feel the need to since I haven't written for over a week already. Plus, I am only 3 blogs away from beating Googi's total blog count. Ah, so I'm only 2 days away from my vacation to San Diego. As much as I'm looking forward to the trip, I can't get excited about it now since in the next 2 days, I have 3 big meetings lined up. Not to mention another one 9am in the morning on the Tuesday I come back to the office. It's not fun, not fun at all. I think I've made this point in my previous blog before -- but anyone with me on the fact that days prior to you leaving on vacation, your workload just suddenly explodes?? It happens to me so often that I am a true believer in this theory.

Back-to-Basics

Over the weekend, my cell phone went dead on me. It just decided to quit and not work for me anymore. I should have got the hint when a couple of months ago, my cell phone started to rattle. The rattling noise sounded like a loose screw inside the cell phone somewhere, but I didn't open it up because it still worked fine --so why open the can of worms? In case you're wondering, I've had this cell phone for 3 years already. In cell-phone-years, it's probably equivalent to 30 years. I never wanted to switch to a new one because I loved this phone. And I love it because it's simple. No fancy color screens, no internet access, no voice-command calling, no Non-sense. It is exactly what a cell phone does best -- make and answer phone calls. Just Perfect!

So, after my cell phone died, I tried to go around to get a new one. After a few minutes of talking to the salesperson, I ended up walking out of the store not getting any. There was way too many plans out there, way too many minutes, way too many phones to choose from. Everything got too confusing. I hate trying to figure out what's the best plan for me, and what kinds of functions of a phone I'm looking for. Shopping around for a cell phone reminds me of shopping for a car -- dreadful and tiring. Today is Monday and I do not have a cell phone to use. I didn't have a scenario when I had to use my cell phone today. I survived one day without a cell phone. Maybe I can do the same tomorrow. And the next day. The next week. Maybe I don't need a cell phone afterall. Maybe I can go back to basic, and live life without a cell phone?

Revolution

Water lilies 

My Just for Fun blogspot has just been revolutionized. How awesome is this to finally be able to post pictures here!!?!! Special thanks to BP Snake for his ingenious introduction! Absolutely fabulous! I am such a happy camper now!

Rich people

Hey, Blogger did get a new look! Haven't logged on for 2 weeks, and Blogger changed for the better! Now, only if I can post pictures on here... My first entry in May, and it's already mid-month. To my devoted readers, in case you're wondering where I have been -- I've been busy at work! At home, still busy with work. Went to New York last week. In between meetings and work in the hotel room, I was able to indulge in some fine dining. My all-time favorite was this Fushion restaurant on Madison and 58th called Tao. Love the decor, the food, and the service. Not the price, of course. Appetitzers run from $8-10 and entrees from $25-72. The $72 entree is 6 oz of Kobe beef. I heard that it was really good but for a big eater like me, I will probably need 12 oz in order to be full! Thank goodness our vendor paid for the meal -- otherwise, how can I explain the $500 meal?!

After eating at these fine restaurants, I noticed how excessively rich people can live. They can eat a $200 meal in a sitting and not skip a heartbeat. Maybe because none of my friends are super-duper rich people ... I'm just amazed how rich people can spend thousands and don't cringe a single bit. Well, maybe because they have so much money! I read in magazines about J. Lo's $4000 manicures and $10,000 massages. Boy, when will I ever get THAT rich? I think if I ever get that rich, I would still be a penny-pincher!