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.