Hers

Happy 61st Mom...I can't believe you're considered a senior now...

Things that I love (2)

Guess what I got for my birthday! My first Canon and I`m absolutely excited about it!
One day I got off work and I was walking towards my car and I saw something so intriguing that I wanted to slap myself really hard for not having a camera with me. I`ve used my Panasonic Lumix for quite awhile but was so disheartened by its effects since there was no way for me to remove the chronic visible grain. But I`m in love again and I can capture and relive my memories over and over again now that I have this by my side...



A brazenly down-to-earth depiction of the realities about a family`s relations adrift and the pains and heart-wrenching moments of care-giving an elderly parent, it strongly reminds me of my maternal grandfather when he was still alive. The communal efforts of Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Bosco make this a spectacular film in a very ordinary story. I much appreciate PSH`s character and dialogue here than in Before the Devil Knows You`re Dead, although that movie does make an impressive effort. I must watch another Tamara Jenkin`s film. Please rent this movie.



Sources: www.pcworld, www.collider.com

Some things that I love (1)

I found this nifty bar of soap at my local organic market, except mine is the Citrus Soother. Got a shaving one for Dan too!

My quest for the perfect facial cleanser is over and I'd least think it would have been in the form of soap. I haven't used moisturizer on my face for days now after using this. I love the subtle smell of citrus when I'm lathering my face in my warm shower...



References: www.goneshopping.ca

No Work Day

*Dan's very first crack at HDR photography.

Restless Rainy days just pass....

Driving home from work today, I receive a call from my mother announcing that my CPH books have just arrived in the mail. Well, looks like I'm all done my CSC, signed up for another course and yet, still no promotion opportunity in viewing range... *sigh* Times are bleak indeed.


Listening to some Henry Mancini. I think I am in dire need for a haircut. Not one of those little trims so that one can maintain a status quo or indulge in some selfish need for perennial concealment. Come to think of it, I've carried my inches and inches of hair on my head for a good 10-11 years obstinately permitting no drastic occurrence. I'm constantly flirting with the regretful idea of doing something similar to a Victoria Beckham or a Katie Holmes, but I can't bear to roll out of bed and look at myself in the mirror only to see my absence of tresses.
I flipped through a recent issue of Allure, which urged me to take the risk but notifying me of 5 different products that I needed before I am allowed to leave my doorstep, wearing my hair chicly disheveled. I'm too lazy for that.


On another note, I stumbled upon a rather delightful show the other night whilst flipping channels: The Cashmere Mafia and I'm quite liking it. Though there seems to be quite a focus on the background instrumentals.

Can the void ever be filled?
I probably watched till the end because of Lucy Liu.



Sources: www.yousaytoomuch.com; www.iwatchstuff.com

Hello again.

I've been on a blogging hiatus for close to 6 months now.


Its feels so odd to be back here typing again, looking at this page layout for my blog entry. I am sitting here wrapped up in my good old fuzzy robe, my lips getting dried and and my fever soaring reading my old posts and my god, its just utterly STRANGE. It feels as if some sick loser (who couldn't even think of a better person to impersonate) has stolen my identity and written those words in my previous blog. What? That can't possibly be me writing those things in such a manner!

Anyways, since New Years are about singing Auld Lang Syne, moaning about regrets and solutions, here's my toast to resolutions:

Number One... Lose 30lbs (there are 2 people already betting against this possibility, anyone wanna join in?)
Number Two...Be more careful about details (this has to do with work)
Number Three...Be more planned and organized (I have to stop dilly-dallying and make better use of my 24hrs, have more time to go to the gym, be with friends and family and sleep more)
Number Four...Be less spazzy (this means keeping my composure up to the point of ridding my face of emotion according to ahem, my other half, just kidding, please don't kill me)
Number Five... Be more active (bum around at home less and get myself involved in outdoor activities: running, swimming, hiking, snowboarding etc.)
Number Six...Blog more often damn it


I'm most probably missing a few key ones, but I can't think anymore since my head is aching so hinting at my departure and my arrival at bed. Be back.

Have a Happy New Year

Welcome back to my TV!

I've missed you so.Now when will you bring back Undergrads?
Clone High

And one More to the list

I was under a quiet impression that yesterday would unfold to be a normal day. I rolled out of bed, opened my room door to allow the echoes of my yelling parents bounce off my walls. My eyes still shut, I lifted my brows, lazily rolled my lids back to absorb the current events. Parents nagging each other... check, seems like everything as per normal.

Running on the treadmill: I notice my cheeks aren't flabbing as much anymore. That's somewhat good news.

Ab machine: My best guy friend, next to Dan, calls me while I'm working away on my incognito abs. Ahhh..... even though I hate to admit it. It does feel nice and warm when people remember and wish you a happy birthday. Even old friends from your past lives, different eras, circa 1995.

Life seems to be pretty swell, especially when your guy never fails to surprise you after years come and go. We finally made it to Nu. I had great expectations for its ambience but I was a little saddened to experience that it was tinier and less spectacular than what the media and myself had meticulously built it up to be. Though I do fancy the unique chairs with their broad bases and skinny stems. The fanfare of food was luscious. From selections of fresh oysters lightly battered to plop in your mouth whilst gently clasping a lab dropper infusing a shot of ale to embolden its savoury flavour to a chocolate nougat torte with citrus jellies and a miniature cylindrical chocolate mascarpone sandwiched in the middle of two biscuits with an accompanying macaron, there is no regret in hedonic pleasures in sweets.

We sat there enjoying our food, with our beer and martini, reveling the quaint serenity of False Creek, watching people come and leave for two hours. A good day.

Looks like I have to update my gray top bar below "Bang Bang Zoink Zoink", I'll have to do that every year.

And then there was LIGHT....

Wow. I am crazy happy that I finally have internet connection that this is the first thing I sought out to do now, in case for some reason or other my wireless connection gets cut off !

I couldn't even sleep well last night after coming home from work, not even being able to check my email! UGH!! Something with my walls... must have some traces of lead.

Well, on a bright note, I have passed my probation with my company! After 3 fidgety months and a few weeks of squinty-eyed paranoid talk, "Am I in? No... think they're going to fire me... But I can't be that bad.." I got 2 letters. One from HR and the other from the president and CEO of the Canadian division. Plus I got a little pin of our company logo WOOhoo!

June, my favourite month is briskly enclosing. I am slightly perturbed that this month of the year is always known as 'hectic' month. Exams, birthdays and my graduation ceremony. I remember as a kid in grade school, June was 'happy' month! Because that was the single month of the year that we had summer vacation and life was just pure sunshine for June. Anyways, when the time comes, I'll most definitely post some pics of my grad and some other miscellaneous junk - I'll keep you updated.

Fine weather, eh mate?

Presently, I have just woken from a pleasant night with my better half.

With my hair carelessly knotted into a haphazard bun and slipping into my comfy robe, I walk downstairs to prepare some strong coffee for him and moments later bid him the most cheerful goodbyes and kisses as he boards his car, destined for school.

*Sigh* It's such a wonderful day outside now as I steal quick glances between this computer screen and my window. The sky beginning to illuminate with some soft rays. As I sip my warm coffee in my favourite clay-looking mug, listening to Tony Bennet croon and typing these very words, I begin to realize how much I miss blogging. The slightly added guilt and shame from having abstained from doing so in such a long time.

Sometimes, I wish I could turn back time to 6 months previously, myself still in school and Dan and I would be bundled up cozy and walking the character streets of Vancouver, coffees held in our arched fingers while we spent the days chatting about politics, economics, technology and our personal lives in general.

Now, between juggling my schedule with a job, studying my course and him having to finish off his last semester, gallivanting days have waned.


Well... I just miss those days, and that is all.

Pearls before swine? Pearls before breakfast

Joshua Bell in his artistry with a Stradivarius before a Washington D.C. crowd.

Over here .

Source: chiaroscuro.baltiblogs.com/archives/violin.jpg

Tum tea Tum dee tuum

So it did feel like I might have died or fell off the edge of the world didn't it?
I do agree.


I've been so busy with work that most days I feel all exhausted and dried out of any zest of inspiration for any writing. Its sad, but painfully real that since working at my new job, I don't find as much time to my own where I can sit and ponder about significant things in life, where I want to scribble in my 'lil black notebook and rush back home to log into blogger.


A tad disappointed, I wonder if my life will take me down the path of those workaholic people whom I once considered poor uninspired conformist saps. And it looks to be so.


Everyday after spending 8 hours at work, I come home and study for tests and then later on at night I do more data compilation for my old job. I know, I know, I didn't have the guts to say 'no' to them when they asked me to stay, plus I couldn't pass up the chance of earning some extra cash.


The last few semesters in school, final exam periods were dreadful where almost every semester there was no doubt whatsoever that cramming was involved. I couldn't wait to graduate and find a mindless fair-paying job where I didn't have to think and stimulate my mind.


Certainly didn't imagine that working life would be more consuming than my previous life. With the way things are going, I don't think I can make a better time for this year's Vancouver Sun Run.


Geez, I remember in school, I used to be able to sleep for 3 hours and go for an exam in the morning. I sleep 7 hours every weeknight now and I still wanna roll around under my sheets after slamming down hard on my alarm clock. Am I getting old?
I try to make up for it by sleeping 10 hours a night on the weekend... don't think that's working though... in fact, I think I'm getting fatter.

Putchon yo Dancing shoos!

My recommendation: Watch the previous video first.


ULHS 2006 Charleston Finals. Here's a modern take to the Charleston and Lindy Hop. I wish I was cool like them...

Best Vid EVER!!!!

I've watched this vid about 6 times now ever since I found it on Twiboo. The Charleston looks amazingly fun to dance. Shitty that I'll never have so much coordination to even square-dance...

To be mediocre

Mozart was born Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a comfortably rich family in Salzburg, Austria.
Leopold Mozart, father of Mozart was one of Europe's great musical teachers and had entitlement to a successful career as a composer of instrumental music. Mozart's exceptional musical talents surfaced when he was a mere age of 3 years old - a toddler.


230 years later, a little girl sits on a piano seat with her little brows knitted and facial features contorted. As she gingerly presses down the keys, down comes a powerful swing of the cane as it strikes the innocent fingers that bore the consequences for the guilty finger that hit the wrong key.

I suppose its easily comprehensible to see where my aversion to playing the piano stemmed from. I can reminisce those moments where my mom urged me by the shoulders to play a tune to those where I could not overcome the upheavals in my stomach as sat by the piano in the examination room. In retrospect, I whole-heartedly regret my silly decision to quit piano after the third grade, pondering over my inflexibilty to absorb the skill at my age of 23. Yet my heart yearns so as I listen to the prodigies of both Classical and Romantic composers.

Mozart revealed musical talents when he was 3. I struggled to keep up at 8. Sometimes I can't help but feel retarded.

Spanning from the 19th century till the 20th century, both Western and Eastern Europe, typically cosmopolitan Vienna, fostered the blossoming popularity of instrumental music. Composers such as Mozart and Tchaikovsky recieved musical influences from their parents. But I'm sure genetic predisposition must have played an integral part. What ever happened to that kind of fostering in this modern period?

At times I secretly wish to be born in that era and location, to meet these people. Did you know that Tchaikovsky was of the Romantic period, so was Gustav Mahler. He married Alma who was 20 years his junior also a brilliant composer. They had a bad marriage, Gustav tried to sort our their problems and visited Sigmund Freud in his Vienna office. Alma ended up having affairs with Walter Gropius and more famously with Oskar Kokoschka. She outlived Gustav by 50 years! Alma also knew Gustav Klimt and gave him him her first kiss!

On a side note, Tchaikovsky was only 53 when he died but from pictures he looked the age of a 70-year old man. I have problems looking my age. Last spring I went to my long awaited visit to the dentist. She commented that I hadn't visited in a long time and asked if I was having too much fun on my spring break. I answered: "What spring break? I don't have a spring break." She said in a surprise: "Oh, I thought you were in high school!"


Sources: www.geocities.com/tacphotography/piano.jpg

Me at Work

How do people actually find these crazily cute animals?


Boredom is a real kicker when you look at statistical numbers all day. I sent out a test fax the other day to myself and addressed it to 'Poopoohead'.

Drag On

I hate my job.
Mostly because it really bores the crap outta me and I'm starting to get carpal tunnel in my wrist from clicking on the mouse too much from all this compiling I have to do.
I guess this disdain really stems from alot of factors.
Such as, my dislike for the working environment. I sit in a poorly lit space that numbs the tips of my fingers and toes whenever it rains or snows and that silly little heat fan does no wonders for me. People, especially the boss get to eavesdrop on all my conversations and talks to me about it at times. He also pushes for all these deadlines which I have to meet and nudges me when I am not able to meet them even when I have to stop from doing my work whenever they interrupt me to do something else, when there is a power outage (this happens alot) and the computer is really slow.
Lastly, I sit in someone's house which is pretty old - therefore the bad insulation and I don't get to interact much with people at all. Since the company comprises of only 4 people myself included.

Thank god I have another job waiting for me after I quit this one. I'm soooo looking forward to it because its so much more related to what I want to do in the future compared to this stupid marketing job I have now, geeez....
Can't wait, this Friday I hand in my resignation letter.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Every so often, when I do manage to find some spare time (I lie. This happens quite frequently.), you'd find me wondering the myriad of streets that embody this city I reside in, Vancouver.




Awhile back, I was in my favourite little toy and t-shirt store, erratically flipping through t-shirts on the rack in hopes of finding some print that will greatly amuse me, when I stumbled upon one that sneakingly stole my attention.
I gazed at it for a few moments, in my best ability to discern the message it was trying to converse and its implications. It depicted a typical image of Jesus Christ, a rather bright yellow halo beaming from his head, with other aspects idiosyncratic to the 'Crucifiction'. Surrounding him were the British police, with their tall helmets strapped to their chins and clutching his arms while one obscured his genitals with another tall helmet, escorting him away.
Most of these t-shirts, plainly with its caricatures convey limited information on their own. It is therefore solely the responsibility of the title to reconcile the image with its association and meaning. This particular t-shirt's title was : JC was a Streaker

A female mind in its full process is quite a peculiar thing in stark comparison with a male mind. A torrential flood of ideas and opinions can literally generate and power a streamliner of non-linear reveries, as Wanda Sykes can attest to. As I sat in the car on the way back home, oddly I thought about this shirt. I can attribute my lingering afterthoughts of this shirt to my Christian roots as a supposition. My parents in their good nature brought my sister and I up with staunch Christian teachings and as a weak-willed child, I have attended a more than good enough number of church camps, meetings and events which literally bored me. Now as a grown-up, I do not steadfastly stand on a declaration that I detest Christianity nor am I an atheist. I however choose to believe the Bible's teachings as a rough guide to one's life, not to be taken into exact literal consideration, a displeasure to my parents whom with an extent of certainty of mine share close resemblances to Christian fundamentalists.

For one, that shirt conjured up no particular interest in me and so I casually flipped it over in search of better prints. But as I sat in the car thinking about this shirt, I asserted that if that person standing there in my place was my father, he would have brought his complaints to the proprietor and give an ill-favoured lecture on respect for religion, this I am sure. And this is my main point. Perhaps in the eyes of my parents, their offspring have wondered into the dark side, risking shame as a backslided Christian. But standing at this spot has enabled me a slight insight to non-Christians' and atheists' perspective, how they interpret the teachings of Christianity.

Non-Christians and especially atheists probably view religion as archaic and irrelevant. An opium for the masses when poverty still engulfed the majority, technology in its many dimensions awaited its evolution and a device for controlling (or some might say 'uniting') the population. So it especially baffles them that people living in the modern world, enjoying its many freedoms, conveniences with the abundance of scientific theories to disprove the existence of God, still put their trust in an inexplicable but supposedly ubiquitous and powerful entity. Rewind back to a hundred more years or so, the majority of populations in the Western world could be found consistently sitting in pews in church on Sunday mornings. As with time and evolvement with changes, the amount of faithful church attendees have wittled down to what we commonly associate as a gathering of old people. What with the trend in burgeoning Islamic states, war-torn and inflicted with poverty, tending to a small flicker of hope for development, it is not too inconceivable to see why people might view religion especially its entrenchment with culture and state as having forbearance to economical growth, freedoms and development. Religion, and more seemingly Christianity are being put in bad light. News regarding Ted Haggard, pedophiliac priests abusing unknowing altar boys, and fundamentalist Christians allegations on soy milk as the CAUSE of HOMOSEXUALITY and even the history of Christianity - going back to The Crusades sometimes trouble me as I am harpooned with questions about these contradictory cases against my religion and my own. IS THIS WHAT CHRISTIANITY HAS COME TO?

Every Sunday morning many many years ago, my family would pack into the small car we had and drove for 45 minutes to the church we attended. My sister in her white dresses, with a big hair-do sitting next to me while she layered pale blue eyeshadow onto her eyelids while I fidgeted with the frock I wore usually with a tulle underlayer and a bow ribbon behind my back - which always untied itself after I ran and climbed in the playground of the church. You'll be surprised, but I actually liked going to Sunday school and I reveled in wonder at all the bible stories that we were taught, my favourite being 'Ruth and Boaz'. We were taught that Jesus Christ was most loving and kind, no matter what your sin with repentance immediately entitled you forgiveness and most of all, He was a friend - someone whom you could confide in with full discretion. As the sultry south-eastern Asia days passed and we got taller, we were told the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, taught of Jesus' consuming wrath and intolerance towards man's sin, taught consequences, taught to fear God. In my mind, this has always been a particular paradox. To love God because he loved you and would forgive your sins but also not to submit to sin in the first place due to His acrimonious anger. Isn't it peculiar in a way - God hates sin but loves the sinner?

The etymology of the word science delivers definitions being: "to separate from one another, to distinguish" and "to cut, to divide", just to name a few. Some might interpret it as "to question", and that is the divider in itself. It seems that hoards of people believe that religion requires unquestioning faith, that a true-believer must banish doubt to oblivion. But the absurdity of it all is that if anyone who had intelligence of sorts would learn that the key to all knowledge begins with questioning. This makes fools out of believers. I have a theory of my own which I live by:

If there was a God and if he did create Man from his own image, he made us if not the most intelligent of all creatures. He gave us consciousness, self-awareness and most importantly, choice which differentiates us from all others. Undoubtedly, if we stand on the highest hierarchical level with respect to intelligence, we have the capability of questioning. Is it not through questioning that we find our purpose of existence - where religion draws its base from? So it should be that we are free to question religious teachings and beliefs in (at least) Christianity. If you wandered away and came back, your reinstatement would be of fuller vigor.

As I consider my father and as I sat in front of the tv watching the aggravated Muslims who torched the Norwegian and Danish embassies due to blasphemous publications of their revered prophet, I thought further: Were these acts of absolute necessity? Should we act against others' form of questioning? Any retort that resorts to physical violence surely shows some sign of uncivility. Surely, we are not living in those days of The Crusades? The one regret of the day is that acceptance of one another is still rather scarce.

To question - that is why I flipped over to another shirt without much ado as I stood in the store. I wonder, am I at a stop-over or am I at my destination?

And a One Horse Open Sleigh

Most people recently try to be politically correct by saying 'Happy Holidays' but I don't give a damn since the origins of this holiday period can be traced to Christianity. So here's wishes from an apathetic Christian,

Merry Christmas to you all! God Bless!

Hope you have achieved all your goals this year. No matter how this year has treated you, we can all say au revoir to it, not look back, and do it better in '07.

WooHOO!!

All my exams are over, in fact they were over on the 8th.
Its just a waiting game now, ugh... and the anticipation is killing me! I check my grades every damn day and somehow hoping that they're not published yet.

For the past 3 years, every semester before I drag my ass onto the "green mile" and into those dreadful exam halls, I faithfully jot down all the things I want to accomplish after my exams (an excuse not to concentrate on studying). Here is my hopeful last list:

THINGS TO DO:

• Plan the trip to Vegas and all the things you want to do daily.
• Get festive! Do lots of baking and decorating. Get cracking on that gingerbread house!
• Start training for the half-marathon.
• Find a job! Send out resumes like there's no tomorrow!
• Concentrate on doing the CSC. Read the books and do the quizzes
• Wash and clean 'Camelbak'. (You'd probably find this awfully gross since I haven't washed it the last time I used it in August.. hahahaha... but it says that the bladder is antimicrobial! C'mon!)
• Decorate my christmas tree.
  
• Do Christmas shopping! (I usually look forward to this event but not so much this year since I really should be earning my own money from now on. The only Christmas gifts I have gotten so far are for Dan - I'm still going to get something else for him too I think. *wink* - and an old lady whom I'm not really close to. One year, I gave all my immediate family members sweaters, how lame is that?!)
• Return book to Professor Harris - this guy never emails me back on when he wants me to drop off his book.