just an update on maintenance guy:

despite what happened when the misunderstanding started , i still do not yet understand why the cold shoulder of all a sudden ....continuing to be nice to me would help , ignoring me is the puzzling part. i like you and you know that but i will not go over the line when i know your committed ok? your a nice girl ....i hope you continue to work for MINTO in the future...Good Luck

just so everyone knows, this email pissed me off. now he's telling me how to act with him? just because everything is weird because of HIM, he's telling me i'm being cold and ignoring him? what a small-minded individual, it made me so angry. in the end i just didn't reply. i suppose that also constitutes as ignoring him, but you know what? he brought it upon himself. what was i suppose to write back? so sorry, i'll try harder to incorporate your creepiness into my life ?!?!? anyway, enough about that.

in other news:
even though i SHOULD be working on my next presentation that is due tomorrow morning, it appears that i'd rather blog then do that. i think it's because i just need a break from writing well. hahaha. it's definitely been an interesting time since the last time i blogged and wanted to update so many times but i've just been too busy. so here it is now.

i'm now working full-time so that makes me happy in one aspect. but only one. the satisfaction of making some cash to save for school and travelling. I'm not UNhappy at work, it's just so boring. i suppose someone's got to do it, and here i am. the biggest problem up to date from working full-time now is that i have NO time for anything else.

i'm currently still taking french classes at alliance so my tuesday and thursdays are shot to hell. i try to stick in some dinner dates those evenings, but since cat isn't taking french with me this semester, i find that i am not motivated to do my homework. hahaha. counterpoint starts in 2 weeks and since i haven't taken harmony since 8 years ago, i'm pretty much screwed. no hope there so moving on...

on jan 18, jacob and i went to see a symphony on mozart's work. titled "The Singing Voice", it was played at the TSO. Peter Oundjian was the conductor for that evening, and it showcased Viktoria Mullova on violin and Isabel Bayrakdarian as the soprano. What a great evening! i even ran into tarik and brian from anthropology. can you imagine? i can't even manage to get together with tarik, but of course we meet at a symphony. he cracks me up. that evening was interesting because i had taken two packets of neocitran during the day and therefore had to leave work early to go home and sleep before the concert. how was i suppose to know that neocitran makes you sleepy?!?!!?! i DEFINITELY learned from THAT mistake.

sunday evening, i went out with jordan and alex. we were originally going to eat at the honey kaffe but because it's not opened after 4pm on sundays, we decided to go over to yorkville instead. I finally went to Panorama. and yes, it has a great view, but for the amount of money we spent, the good food came in portions so small you would have thought we were in france. and afterwards, since we were still hungry, we went to cafe nervosa and had dessert. yum!

i conversed with carlo at yonge and bloor this morning for a full 15 mins. hahaha. we met up because he wanted those cookies my mom made for the graditude fundraiser last year. so i had to get up extra early to meet him but that came back to bite me in the ass last night. since i had french class, i didn't return home until after 10pm. but i couldn't go to sleep because i had to finish writing my statement of interest for my orientation today. this resulted in bed-time at around 1am. and now i'm up again. tonight's not going to be any different. i have a presentation tomorrow morning and i have to prepare for that as well. the only problem is i cannot leave THAT until the last minute because i'm in a 3 person group and already one of the guys has slacked off so we have to pick up the slack. *shakes fist at dud boy*

anyway, enough rambling i have to go to work.

I received a disturbing email from the maintenance man at work this weekend. it was titled "christina":

Hi there , i thought i'd send you an email to let you know ...(psst) i have one *wicked crush* on you but i am kind of hesitant on letting you know that at work...i guess the signs are there huh? and also i know your a busy woman so ...let me know how you feel and if your committed to someone else...if so , i understand see ya at work ...Take care! Jeff!~


If Ya Don't Reply ....it's your FuneraL

Byllzy says so >:-)

there are so many things wrong with this email. why are you putting yourself out there like that? he's very old looking (like late 30s or early 40s), VERY unattractive, AND he doesn't seem to know the difference between "you're" and "your." the last line also freaked me out. "if ya don't reply...it's your funeral"?!?!?!?! is he threatening me as well? needless to say, i enlisted the help of many friends to get their feedback as to what i should do and say.

my good friend jordan offered to send him an email, i asked that he run it by me first. this is what he posted on his blog:

So...I was going to write a threatening email to to help Christina get the creepy 40-something maintenance fella off her back. This situation just goes to show you that being bubbly and friendly has its downsides and very few upsides...unless you're actually trying to pick up. The worst decision Christina made was not giving me the guy's email address. She requested that I run the email through her so she could ensure I didn't send anything like the following sick joke: (And I don't do pre-approved censored emails because I'm a shit disturber...)

"Hey you, fucking janitor, stay away from my biatch - I mean it!! My hunni's pot is real sweet, but the only sweetness you'll be tasting anytime soon will be the opened sugar packets I stick in your mouth to help your blood clot after I use a pair of cold-forged pliers to slowly remove each and every one of your non-cavitated teeth. I'm leaving the bad ones in 'cuz the sugar will fuck them up even more. Ain't no Crest that can repair that damage and good luck getting OHIP to cover the cosmetic surgery that you will require after I use a razor blade to scrape the tissue off your upper-right gumline. Then every time you bite down on a hard candy, you'll remember the time you tried to grab my candy's ass. And let me remind you that as a temporary employee, YOU DON'T GOT NO HEALTH BENEFITS...SUCKA!!!!!!! Regards, Jo Jo"

hahaha, it's so great. unfortunately, i don't think the maintenance man would appreciate your humor jo. i eventually came up with something, but i had to really fight the urge not to write please don't kill me at the end of the email. today is monday now, so let's all hope that everything will be ok. i've already warned karina that if i didn't see her tonight that they should send a search warrant out for me. :0

i'd just like to put my two-cents in about the politics that is going on in ames, jules, and grace's blogs. i actually don't care too much about politics in general and i find their banter quite amusing. however i'd like to point out that i'm only voting liberal because the liberal candidate in our riding happens to be KEN DRYDEN. that's right. that would be KEN DRYDEN, the canadian goalie!?!?!? now i hate to give you a slap in the face *cough cough grace cough* but if ken dryden happened to be conservative or ndp or even green party, i'd still vote for him. he's a national hero. so i suppose it's just luck of the draw that he's liberal. AND he's a lawyer. (i know, that had nothing to do with it, but whatever.) and on a slightly more different note, i also have a bias towards paul martin, partly because he looks more honest then stephen harper, and mostly because he's also an alumnus from university of st. michael's college. hahaha. so there you have it. the reason why i'm voting liberal.

ps. jared padalecki is SO NOT lickable.

courtesy of kinsey...

Impressing Chinese Parents 101
Written By Michael Wong

You're in love. You love her. She loves you. You talk on the phone for hours at a time. You drive her everywhere. You find yourself spending fifty bucks on cuddly Korean stuffed toys that cost a buck twenty to make in Shenzen. In short, your world is complete. Now the only things standing in the way of your complete bliss are her parents. Want to learn how to overcome these obstacles? Welcome to impressing Chinese parents 101. Guys, take note. These are ancient secrets that up to now only a handful of noble families knew of. Father to son, to his son and so on. Only recently have these powerful techniques been catalogued and brought to the public's attention. Girls, take note too. If you love him, make him learn these rules. Harmony in the house, between your man and your mom and dad is paramount. And what's more they can be used when you meet his parents! Okay let's get down to the details.

Basically, we'll be covering what to wear, drive, say, bring, and talk about during dinner. We'll also cover what details to reveal about yourself, what your "supposed" ambitions are in life, what your family does for a living, and how much to eat during dinner. Finally, since there is no way to cover every conceivable situation which could arise, we will teach you the secret of secrets, to be used only in times of dire need. Please proceed.

What to Wear

Wear Polo or Tommy Hilfiger, as these labels will make you seem non-threatening. Chinese parents like non-threatening. They like to think that their daughter will be the boss of you and that you will be a hard worker and give her all the money you make. When she has all the money, she can lavish her parents with gifts and give them a nice life. Through you, their daughter will be able to repay her debt to her generous parents who sacrificed to give her a better life.

Under NO circumstances should you wear French Connection UK. Chinese parents know very little English, but they'll recognize the obvious mangling of one of the three words in their working vocabulary of English. The other two English words that Chinese parents also know are "yes" and "no", although "yes" is seldom used.

What to Drive

Borrow your parents' Accord. Your parents don't drive an Accord? Borrow their Camry. Your parents don't drive a Camry? Wait you're Chinese right? You're not Chinese and you're meeting your girlfriend's Chinese parents? Hmm, we have a problem here that we don't have room to cover in this article, so please proceed to purchasing the textbook, now in its 7th edition. Some other acceptable cars to show up at their house with are Corollas and Civics. Contrary to popular belief, Mercedes and BMWs are not good choices. Her parents won't like the idea that you are flashy. You could try to front and say that your parents are rich, but this can go both ways. If her parents smile, this means that they are gold-diggers. If they are gold-diggers, then your girlfriend is one too. If they don't smile, it means they have an inferiority complex and feel that their daughter should be matched up with someone of the same social class. Take my word, go Honda and Toyota.

What to Say

Several years ago, the beautiful and amazing Chinese vocalist Sandy Lam came out with a song called "Talk more, screw up more." It would be wise to listen to Sandy's advice. Say as little as possible. Let your girlfriend's dad brag about his prowess in the stock market. Let him bore you with his outlook on the Hong Kong - China or the China - Taiwan situation. Let him put metaphorical "money in your pocket" by sharing his experiences and the work attitudes that made him the man he is today. He will wave his hands about the room and tell you that if you work hard, one day all of this will also be yours.

If you must speak be modest and apologize for not knowing much. Chinese parents ask a lot of rhetorical questions. Feign ignorance. Let THEM answer the question for you and then say that's what YOUR parents tell you all the time. Your girlfriend's mom will beam from ear to ear, and chide you about new world folly versus old world wisdom. In truth, she is not admonishing you as much as she is strutting her tail feathers. Let her strut, by all
means let her fuss and strut.

The Meeting

It's either at a restaurant or at their house. If it's at a restaurant, pretend to fight half-heartedly for the bill but let the real man at the table pay for it. Pour tea constantly even if no tea has been drank from the cups. I once poured the tea so high that it was actually higher than the rim of the teacup. Thank goodness for grade 12 physics and that lecture about surface tension. If they actually let you pay (not a good sign), leave a 3% tip. Chinese parents love frugality. But you might also want to rethink ever going back to that restaurant for fear that you will be recognized.

Most likely the meeting will be at their house. This is their territory. In this territory, your girlfriend's dad is king. Your girlfriend's mom is queen. You would do well to remember that. First off, bring something. To show up empty handed or what the Chinese refer to as "two bunches of bananas" is disgraceful. Bring tea, bring dried mushrooms, bring dried scallop, bring ginseng, bring dried seafood, bring bird's nest, or even bring shark's fin if you can afford it. Do not bring a case of Molson Canadian. Do not bring tiramisu (Chinese parents won't eat what they cannot say). Do not bring bbq pork or other dishes (this is an insult as it suggests that your host didn't make enough food). Do not bring anything that's name sounds like "4" unless you are wishing death on the Mr. and Mrs.

When you meet them don't call them by their first names or address them by Mister and Mrs. and their last name. Go "uncle" or "aunty". By doing this you've made yourself a part of the family. Be of the belief that all men are brothers with different mothers. Also, never let your guard down, because while you are trying to earn their affection, you have to recognize that the parents are the enemy. There is nothing you can do that will ever make you good enough for their little girl, so know your enemy. Recognize that all girlfriends' parents are old, crabby uncles and aunts that smell of white flower oil or tiger balm. The dad uses too much Brylcreem in his hair, while the mother wears an updo. Of course she doesn't know that updos are actually back in style. For parents, time and coolness stops after 40, so don't even try to relate.

Dinner

Before the meeting, remember to not eat for two days. Then, when you go to your future in-laws house, go to town on her mom's lion's head meat balls or her mom's shrimp paste stuffed tofu or her mom's bitter melon beef. Sing the praises of the dishes as if it were dishes fit for Pu Yi himself. You do know who Pu Yi is right? Have at least four bowls of rice. Conventional wisdom dictates that making a pig of yourself is not wise. On the contrary, lavishing your future mother-in-law with praise is a shrewd investment that will reward you with ample dividends down the road.

Dinner Talk

If they're Christian, say how you've always wanted to be converted and ask for their guidance. Offer to go to a sermon with them that coming Sunday. If they're non-religious talk about saving money to buy a house (they love this). Tell them you've been condo shopping. Talk about a general mistrust of computers, but the necessity of computers in the modern world. Talk about famous singers like Teresa Teng. All Chinese people love Teresa Teng. If there's one thing that China Chinese and Taiwan Chinese people can agree on it is Teresa Teng. You're on your own if you talk about Four Big Sky Kings, Cookies or Twins. Talk about how Rap Talk is stupid. Remember to use the words "rap talk". They'll look at you blankly if you use terms like "hiphop" or "urban". Talk about how everything is so expensive. In short, be as fake as a ten-dollar Rolex.

Yourself

Don't talk about your grand schemes to save the world. Don't talk carpe diem, getting colonics, the protein diet, google, and other new age crap. Don't tell them about your plan for an Internet business. Don't tell them about how you plan to backpack across Europe after you graduate from university, that is if you decide to go at all. Tell them that ever since you were a kid you wanted to be a doctor. Tell them that your parents are strict. Tell them that their daughter is your first girlfriend. Tell them you're a straight A student (what are they going to do, phone the school?). (editor's note: I wouldn't place bets on that)

Your Family

This is a thorny issue, but if your parents are notorious triad gangsters, tell them that your parents own an importing and exporting company. If your parents are working stiffs, tell them that your parents are working stiffs who saved every cent so you can go to medical school. If you're out of school, tell them that your parents are retired, but got part-time jobs because they were bored sitting at home.

The Secret of all Secrets

Even if you do everything as we have instructed, situations may arise where all your hard work is for naught. In that event, use the secret of secrets to get yourself out of trouble every time. Lie. Simply calm your mind and pretend that they are your parents. It's so easy to lie to your own parents, isn't it? Your parents actually think your credit is fine. They don't know about how you are on Prozac. They don't know about how you smoke (thank goodness for breath mints). Once you realize that all parents are the same, you'll find that it's a cinch to lie to other people's parents as well.

The Conclusion

In parting, I expect some of you out there to doubt the effectiveness of these techniques. Why would anyone call someone who is not related to him "uncle" or "aunty"? Who in his right mind doesn't like tiramisu? Who is Sandy Lam? And who the heck is Teresa Teng? (For your information Faye Wong frequently covers her songs. Who is Faye Wong? Awwww...just forget about it.)

Ah, young grasshopper. If I could I would introduce you to the future you, a future you who is sad and depressed because Chu Chu (piggy) or Boh Boh (precious) or whatever other cutesy name you have for your girlfriend won't see you anymore. You feel independent. You feel powerful. You feel you don't have to kiss up to your girlfriend's parents right? It's an illusion. Children are only as independent as their parents allow them to be. Cut off the credit cards, the cell phone (they pay the bill right?), the Lexus IS300, and all the other perks and your girlfriend is a nerd in Seven jeans. You have to realize that you are fighting the equivalent of The Machines in the Matrix. To be a successful Neo, follow my words. I wouldn't steer you wrong. I have put these tips into practice. In my lifetime I have gotten along great with parents. To this day, every couple of months I get a call from the parents of one of my ex's. They call me over for dinner and fret about how I don't get enough soup and home-cooked meals. I jump at the offer and starve myself for a day or two (not on purpose mind you. I am a writer and starving comes easy). It's okay that my ex-girlfriend married some other guy and moved to another city. It's all good. That just means more lion's head meatballs, boiled shrimp with chili sauce, and winter melon soup for me.

i went to see chronicles of narnia with alicia and fiona, and my oh my, what an incredible movie! i can only vaguely remember reading a little bit of the novel but i was never into the fantastical books and it never really made an impression with me. but the movie was just SO good! the boy who plays peter reminds me of chad michael murray, and the little girl, lucy, is simply adorable.

and yesterday, despite being sick, christian joined me, mich and sandra out for a sushi dinner, and then we went to this most wonderful coffee shop called "williams" up at yonge and elgin mills. we were the only asians in the store, hahaha. i think next time i will bring my grandma there.

oh, i took a break to talk on the phone with matthew, but now that i'm back, i'm just tired. so i think now i'll read a book and go to sleep.

what is true love? true love is your soul's recognition of its counterpoint in another - wedding crashers

well well, happy new years! jordan's in lyon, france and i'm soooo jealous, but let's all hope that he finds a place to live otherwise there will be problems...i hope tj's recommendations help out. as well, thanks to jordan's photos...i uploaded some of the pictures we took with tyson here and while i was at it, uploaded alot of my other old photos from my now defunct website. the thing that bugs me most about yahoo photos is that they're all in random order and i can't even remember when and what happened first. oh well, as long as i have a faint idea, i suppose that it's all that matters.

the new year is off to a good start. sushi with the newtonbrook guys plus simone and liz. i love sushi, i don't think i'll ever get sick of it. we gorged ourselves and then went to bug alex at price chopper, and then when he finally got off on his hour break we whisked him away to starbucks (we hope to get him a job there so we can get discounted coffees.) in the evening we went to lenny's house and watched wedding crashers...love love LOVE that movie.

also, somehow i quadruple booked myself for thursday january 12th. it all started off with cha organizing an abbey get-together for that evening. then jenny decided that would be a great evening for a knitting group, and then i find out that AF108 begins next tuesday and since classes are every tuesday and thursday, i therefore have class next thursday evening. the kicker came from work today. i had promised monica i would substitute for her when she went away for examinations this month and surprise surprise...thursday january 12, 2006. unfortunately that's the deal breaker. rescheduling abbey and knitting groups and skipping my second day of french class. what a way to go. hahaha.

this is going to be a great year! ;p