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.