Mr. wong tai sin

J and I didn't make it to pray at wong Tai sin last Sunday because of J's stanchart Marathon and my severe lack of sleep on Fri / sat.

J's mum said we should go on our own this weekend and earnestly pray for a good year ahead. That we will do.

In addition, j said he wants to qiu qian and I asked him which area in life he needs directions/ answers for. This is important because you can't simply ask wong Tai sin (WTS) a broad question; it has to be specific - leading to a yes/no answer. And apparently wts is very zun/ accurate.

J said he wants to ask about yin yuan (love relations).

Is he not in one already? I asked.

And he said, what about if I ask him (WTS) is this year a good year to be married?

What if wts said yes / no, are you going to follow exactly that? I asked.

And he said yes.

And then I said - so what happens if I asked for yin Yuan too and wts qian gave us conflicting answers? Whose qian should we follow?

J said - mine of cos. Wts is my ancestor! You haven't heard of a Loh Tai sin, have you?

I rest my case. Lets see how the qian turns out this sat.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

The wrong marble

So our renovation project manager messed up.

J took a day off yesterday and went to check on the flat in the afternoon. To his horror, the window slabs were all placed with a fugly yellow marble and the worker was about to set the same fugly yellow marble in the toilet. We were completely unaware that this was done.

On Monday night, we met the project manager and he even told us we need to go select the colours and type of marble we want. Fugly yellow is most definitely not for the bathroom when the floor tiles is dark grey!! He himself had said a dark coloured marble would match most perfectly.

Hence we were puzzled at why he didn't know what his workers are doing in the flat and we had to be the ones to check on it everyday and tell him. It's ridiculous and j threw a fit at him.

J's mum threw a fit as well, and was sorry for introducing this guy to us- though it's really not her fault.

So after all the anger is released at the project manager's office and at dinner with J's mum, j said - thank goodness I didn't pick another contractor and went with this one introduced by mum. Else it will be me getting the blame for everything that went wrong.

How true.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

What a night

There was so much shit to clear for the past 2 hours. What a night

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

15 days of cny

So the lunar new year if officially over, and I can finally count my 'bonus' this year. Not bad- good enough for 2 trips back to singapore. Maybe i should spend alternate cny in sg/hk.

The angpow gifting practice is slightly different from what I know in sg. In Jason's paternal family (his dad has 7 siblings - each with at least 2children and each child with at least 1 kid) - there are 4 generations gathering for cny. I still have difficulty remembering the names and faces of his relatives.
Anyway I digressed.

The practice in his family is that the most elder gives red packets (considered blessings for the new year) to everyone younger. And the second eldest gives to all but the eldest and so on. Damn Xiong being the eldest in hk man....

One couple friend even printer their own lai see feng - red packets, complete with the insignia they used during their wedding and a rabbit. Really cute. Now everyone knows who that red packet comes from. Though practically, you're printing "money" to pack money.

We always just use banks red packets, or bbg's - which are fancy and pretty. :)

Til next cny then!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Festivities, love

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

An unusual date on Valentine's

We had a date with our contractor on Valentine's day, and what an unusually cold day it was too.

Lotsa things to be finalised, colours to pick, materials to choose, designs and functionality to think of - right up to the tiniest details like how the tiles should be placed - vertically, horizontally or patterned or set. These discussions are never ending.

It didn't help that Jason's mum popped by the contractors place and joined in the discussion. Something about his mum's participation gets on Jason's nerves. Its the same - why can't she just believe in me, why is everything I'm doing not good enough kinda feeling. I understand that feeling and I'm grateful that my mum (usually) supports me.

I think the one of the greatest gifts anyone can receive or give is belief and faith in the other person.

Nothing fancy for this year's Valentine's, but the same feeling of love continues in the air.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Tgif!

What a week it has been - though I must say I'm enjoying it. Preparing proposals and generating ideas are the best part of my job - better than trying to solve internal and external issues that shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I received a piece of news yesterday. My MBA application has been accepted! It's a conditional acceptance though - meaning I still need mid 80% gmat scores to be offered a place.

The thought of going back to school is thrilling. The thought of working AND going to school is not.

Already I'm having difficulty finding time to study for gmat. I don't know how I can manage with 4 courses a semester, or more.

I said to j, maybe I should find an easier job. He replied saying he should too. Is that a no to my suggestion then?

So I asked him, whose job do u think is more difficult - mine or yours?

To which he replied - you make it sound more difficult.

Maybe I did - well, lets see what happens. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Jan'11 in Singapore

It has only been less than 3 months since my last visit when I attended Zee and ys' wedding. This is also the first year which I will not be spending cny in singapore. This arrangement seems better since my friends are not tied up with home visits (though I'm missing out on the red packets!) and I still get to spend time at home.

So I think I have become pretty good at planning my trips and I don't try to squeeze my time to meet everybody in the world. These trips are starting to tire me - maybe age is really catching up. And though many people say singapore and Hong kong are very similar, I feel the difference. I can't really put words to those feelings. I feel sad leaving both places and happy upon return. Perhaps such is double happiness (or sadness).

I must say my relationship with mum has improved by leap and bounds. As time passes, I become the adult and she the kid. Here's a picture of her having Peking duck at summer pavilion. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Stressed out

Jason is so stressed out these days I caught him sleeptalking to our contractor at night.
Or I think I did.
Must have been a nightmare for both of us that night

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Stressed out

Jason is so stressed out these days I caught him sleeptalking to our contractor at night.
Must have been a nightmare for him that night

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Haircut before the new year

The first month of 2011 has zoomed past us. Time is unstoppable. This year it seems everything for cny that I must do, I have not done.

No spring cleaning, no buying of mandarin oranges, no new year goodies to snack at home and only ONE new piece of dress.

I only managed to get a haircut last night - how last minute.

Like Samson, I'm letting my hair (and believably my strength) grow. When I think of what I hope to achieve this year, it seems daunting.

Lets hope that even without all the cny preparations and must-dos, I can still make it this year. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Such intensity

Working at an aggressive firm guarantees very intensive days.

My calendar is packed with meetings and tasks I cannot imagine of completing them.

A friend told me that you haven't earned your day's worth if you spent it comfortably at work.

But seriously, does everything need to be so intense?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Jan'11 in Singapore

It has only been less than 3 months since my last visit when I attended Zee and ys' wedding. This is also the first year which I will not be spending cny in singapore. This arrangement seems better since my friends are not tied up with home visits (though I'm missing out on the red packets!) and I still get to spend time at home.

So I think I have become pretty good at planning my trips and I don't try to squeeze my time to meet everybody in the world. These trips are starting to tire me - maybe age is really catching up. And though many people say singapore and Hong kong are very similar, I feel the difference. I can't really put words to those feelings. I feel sad leaving both places and happy upon return. Perhaps such is double happiness (or sadness).

I must say my relationship with mum has improved by leap and bounds. As time passes, I become the adult and she the kid. Here's a picture of her having Peking duck at summer pavilion. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Wisdom tooth no more!

20th Jan
With only 5 hours of sleep, I made my way to the national dental centre. The memories I have of this place is all hmm... not so good.

It all started in '06 when I had my braces made and the orthodontic treatment lasted 3 years, with bi-monthly visits stretching to half yearly since I was often travelling then and making appointments at ndc is not always a breeze. But that's all in the past.

This trip was to extract the last of my wisdom teeth, on the right side. I had almost forgotten how painful it had been 2years ago when I removed my left wisdom tooth until I stepped into the dental clinic.

As I sat there waiting, those memories and discomfort came back to me.

The procedure was the same this time round. My dentist went through my file and xray, told me how the procedure will be like and gave me a list of the risks involved (4% suffers permanent numbness, 1 in 300 gets saliva coming out from their nostrils and the like). All not very comforting facts.

After the consultation with the dentist, I was sent to collect my pills and take them before the surgery - these the antibiotics and painkillers. And I had my 'last meal'.

Back in the day surgery level, the nurse handed me a robe, shower cap and wraps for my shoes - all very germ-free. And then I was led to the room - the exact same room and chair I was in 2 years ago.

I said my last words and held my peace for the next hour.

The nurse laid a cover over me, to prevent blood stains / spills she said. And another cover that was place strategically over my eyes so I couldn't see what went in and out of my mouth.

The dentist came and gave me my shots of local anaesthesia which was in fact the most painful bit of the surgery. The needle was huge and it certainly did not feel good having that pierced into my gums. I cried instinctly - only my right eye tearing. Dr Tay kept on saying 'I'm sorry to put you through this, the most painful part will be over soon'. The physical pain really.

Emotionally I was a wreck. On came the drills and the slicing and those sound like mechanical saw. And then I felt the pressure and the tug - all in an effort to pull out the roots. For my impacted tooth, it was really tough to pull that out - the nurse had to hold my head down.

I felt some pain this time round - wondering if Dr Tay had damaged some of my nerves. I gagged and mumbled that its painful and begged for more anaesthetic after the extraction.

A comic moment happened when the dude next door was screaming his lungs out, yelling 'aw! Aw aw!' Poor dude had both sides of wisdom tooth extracted.

At the end of it, I sat down at a resting corner and the nurse came over to check if I'm able to walk out of the clinic on my own and went through a list of not-to-dos.

I didn't stop trembling until a good 45min later. The shock of it all, the numb swollen cheek and the bloody teeth were a bit too much to bear in an hour.

But I made it. And I can (hopefully) say goodbye to ndc for a long period now. :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Freaking cold

Its ten degrees in hk today and raining. I walked out of my building, exhaling mist.

Haven't experienced hk so cold. It's so cold I wear long john to sleep, socks and a red fish shape water bag. The down quilt bedsheets provide comfort so much so that its difficult to get out of bed.

Our windows are perpetually closed. I take a longer hot shower, letting the hot water run.

All these dries up my skin so badly they feel stretched. My nails are brittle.

And even in such cold weather, my office central air con runs at 17 degrees. So do the buses. Its even colder indoors than outdoors.

We're entering the decade of global cooling.

I'm reading this book about being more green and hopefully, I'd be able to contribute positively to this planet in my own little small ways. But firstly, can someone do something about the heating system in hk pls?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Stepping into 2011

2010 came and went.

This new year countdown was spent discussing house renovation stuff with the contractor and then heading home to drop off our stuff before dinner.

We walked around the neighborhood - the Japan restaurant we always wanted to go to was packed. We walked further and saw this French restaurant completely empty though the aroma of fresh bread was extremely delicious.

We walked in, only to find out that it was completely booked for the second sitting of the night.

So we walked a few more rounds and found that Indian cuisine is hk people's least favourite choice - good thing it is one of me and Jason's favourite.

After dinner, we went to J's ex colleague's place - effectively transformed into an open bar and dance club by the amount of alcohol and the size of it's living room. Single guy - bachelor's pad.

Never mind that I don't know anyone well at the party. Just drink up. It's quite disappointing then when our view of the fireworks was blocked by the adjacent buildings and what we saw were reflections of the fireworks on the sea and on the buildings on the Kowloon side.

What's great is our kiss at midnight and us holding hands and hoping for another good year into 2011.

Happy new year, all my loved ones.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Last night

I don't know how anyone can get so excited about meeting our contractor for the first time (formally) that he can lose sleep over it and stare at excel sheets for hours.

We did that last night - well, jason mainly.

I'm usually the more excelsy person and like to note things down in excel. It was a reversal of roles last night.

Not to say that I didn't contribute much - but it was getting late and the list of construction / renovation items listed in Cantonese did not help. Many times, I kept asking j what this is and what that is.

Since we've decided on this contractor Yeung, j has been on his toes, pledging to be an asshole and make sure the contractor do a superb job.

I have my concerns about Yeung - mostly cos I didn't really like the look of him, and how he slashed prices just to win our bid. But, after some thought, we figured this is only our first flat, let's learn the works first, get a decent renovation done (since we are pressed for time), and talk about interior design later when we next move into somwhere bigger.

As long as this Yeung fulfills his part of the contract and not have any hidden costs, I suppose we are safe.
As j like to say, "if he does not do a good job, I'm gonna bust his balls".

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Someone cleaned the house last night and waited up for me. I only got home at 1am and the report didn't go out to client. Wth, she's not going to enjoy Xmas any less if she can't read the report this morning.

Happy holidays :)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

With each day

With each day, my resistance against the cold strengthens.

It's 16 degrees today and I left home without a coat.

With each day, I know my limits better.

I voice out, and simply stop trying to achieve the impossible. It's simply unrealistic. I'm not wonder woman.

With each day, I know you better.

Last night, you were an asshole. And I wasn't afraid to tell you that.

With each day, I think about home more.

In particular, the laughter of my mum. And I realise mum is indeed mostly right.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Finding the right one...

This weekend was spent working over time, sourcing for contractors and flipping through interior design magazines.

The working part was tough; the housing part is even worse.

Jason saw 3 potentials on Friday - the sweetie took the day off. We met another guy on sat morning. I prefer him to another particular mr yeung. The latter seems sketchy and quoted us a sky high price for a small unit - I didn't think he can be trusted.

Then we went on to look at some friends apartments to get some ideas and tips. Man! Interior design is not easy. We had to match practicality with the whimsical.

I decided to give up my bathtub idea so there is more storage space in the bathroom. Jason promised me a bathtub (or rather - onsen style + Jacuzzi) when we next move again.

Let's just get this over and done with first mannnn....

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5