Izz, its not Denny. The minute his heart stopped beating he stopped being Denny. Now I know you love him, but he also loved you. And a guy that loves you like that, he doesn't want you to do this to yourself. Because its not Denny, not anymore.
- Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy Losing Religion
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
i'm sooooo annoyed right now. last night i went with pauline to get latte's at this place called "jet fuel" on parliment and carleton at around 7:30pm. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP PROPERLY SINCE!!! it's currently 6:15am. i've been up since 5:30am and i wasn't able to get any shut eye until after 1am last night. this is ridiculous!!!! i'm just soooo wired right now! ahhhh!!!
anyway, i'm going to try and drain my energy all day so that i can finally get some proper rest. and the perfect way to get me all tired is counterpoint of course! i've already resigned myself to the fact that i'm probably not going to pass the exam, so i'm just mosying on, just trying to get the basic stuff down. i don't think i'll sign up for this class again, it was more of a learning experience. i'm just not very creative in that way!
i'm also the mail girl at work today. so i'm going to wear a cute little skirt and be a cute little mail girl! hahaha. it's so much better than being in the accounting dept! i just get to deliver mail and chat with all my co-workers! i think today will be a fun day!
anyway, i'm going to try and drain my energy all day so that i can finally get some proper rest. and the perfect way to get me all tired is counterpoint of course! i've already resigned myself to the fact that i'm probably not going to pass the exam, so i'm just mosying on, just trying to get the basic stuff down. i don't think i'll sign up for this class again, it was more of a learning experience. i'm just not very creative in that way!
i'm also the mail girl at work today. so i'm going to wear a cute little skirt and be a cute little mail girl! hahaha. it's so much better than being in the accounting dept! i just get to deliver mail and chat with all my co-workers! i think today will be a fun day!
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
i am doing the cn tower climb for wwf-canada on saturday april 29, 2006. if anyone is interested, please sponsor me by going here and under public climb, click on sponsor, look for me and donate whatever you'd like. i've spoken to a couple of people about the climb and i'm a little nervous about it because i have been soooooo out of shape for awhile and apparently the air gets thinner the higher you go.
as for the long weekend, man, i really needed it. being a working girl really really sucks. however, after work on thursday, i went out with a couple of co-workers to st. louis' for cheap wings and fries. that was fun! nelson is such a sweetheart, and kristy is always fun to go out with. apparently the party kept going until the wee hours of the morning, but i didn't stay very long because i was going to meet another special someone....larissa!!! i've been trying to meet up with her for awhile, but our schedules have been quite conflicting. we went to cafe nervousa in yorkville and the evening was so nice and warm. i think because school is coming to a close, alot of people are now freer. larissa and i will try to make a sunday brunch date for pusateri's this weekend.
i also got to visit my grandma for the first time since the christmas holidays and i feel so bad for her. she's at this point in her life where her back pains her so much that she can't even sit anymore. it's so hard to see someone you love fall apart. i think it bothers me alot because she used to live with us when we were small, so i never had to wonder how she was doing because everyday when i came home from school, there she was. it's when she moved out and into a nursing home that it hit me how far away she was going, and how much i depended on her presence when things got rough. and there isn't anything i can do to help her lessen the pain. so i just sit quietly and listen to my mom banter with grandma. just seeing her makes me happy.
so that was friday afternoon...afterwards, i met up with shelley at a tim hortons and we had one of our "all-out" conversations because we never see each other and so everything accumulates. haha. we pretty much catgorize the priority topics (family, work, friends) and then after that we go more into specifics and little sub-categories! there was this one episode on gilmore girls, where lorelai and rory had been in a ginormous argument and after they made up, lorelai pulled out all this little notes of scrap paper that she had been keeping so that she could tell rory after the fight. i think we do the same thing but we're not fighting, just busy!
then after shelley, i went downtown to meet up with pauline and margaret for korean bbq. yup, still gotta get together with the SAS (sex and city) girls! we have yet to meet pauline's elusive mark, but margaret's being hooked up with tom. yup, that's the gist of our evening, but it's always more fun in the moment.
saturday was 'family' day after work. yes, grace and juju, you ARE family. and since ames couldn't make it, i had to pick up the slack. haha, i didn't do much though. we watched "walk the line" and ate alot of food. hahaha.
since grey's anatomy isn't on again until april 30, i was able to take the much needed time to work on some counterpoint with jonathan. honestly, i don't know what i would do without him. actually, that is what i have to do this evening too. all i know is that i have zero creative juices when it comes to music. i think i should stick with playing songs that have been written already. hahaha.
so my long weekend in a relative nutshell. i'm sure i'm missing alot more activity that i've done, afterall, my life is all about running around and doing things. i just never have the time to sit down and blog. i'm only blogging now because work is kind of sloooow. although, they feed me quite well! ;p
as for the long weekend, man, i really needed it. being a working girl really really sucks. however, after work on thursday, i went out with a couple of co-workers to st. louis' for cheap wings and fries. that was fun! nelson is such a sweetheart, and kristy is always fun to go out with. apparently the party kept going until the wee hours of the morning, but i didn't stay very long because i was going to meet another special someone....larissa!!! i've been trying to meet up with her for awhile, but our schedules have been quite conflicting. we went to cafe nervousa in yorkville and the evening was so nice and warm. i think because school is coming to a close, alot of people are now freer. larissa and i will try to make a sunday brunch date for pusateri's this weekend.
i also got to visit my grandma for the first time since the christmas holidays and i feel so bad for her. she's at this point in her life where her back pains her so much that she can't even sit anymore. it's so hard to see someone you love fall apart. i think it bothers me alot because she used to live with us when we were small, so i never had to wonder how she was doing because everyday when i came home from school, there she was. it's when she moved out and into a nursing home that it hit me how far away she was going, and how much i depended on her presence when things got rough. and there isn't anything i can do to help her lessen the pain. so i just sit quietly and listen to my mom banter with grandma. just seeing her makes me happy.
so that was friday afternoon...afterwards, i met up with shelley at a tim hortons and we had one of our "all-out" conversations because we never see each other and so everything accumulates. haha. we pretty much catgorize the priority topics (family, work, friends) and then after that we go more into specifics and little sub-categories! there was this one episode on gilmore girls, where lorelai and rory had been in a ginormous argument and after they made up, lorelai pulled out all this little notes of scrap paper that she had been keeping so that she could tell rory after the fight. i think we do the same thing but we're not fighting, just busy!
then after shelley, i went downtown to meet up with pauline and margaret for korean bbq. yup, still gotta get together with the SAS (sex and city) girls! we have yet to meet pauline's elusive mark, but margaret's being hooked up with tom. yup, that's the gist of our evening, but it's always more fun in the moment.
saturday was 'family' day after work. yes, grace and juju, you ARE family. and since ames couldn't make it, i had to pick up the slack. haha, i didn't do much though. we watched "walk the line" and ate alot of food. hahaha.
since grey's anatomy isn't on again until april 30, i was able to take the much needed time to work on some counterpoint with jonathan. honestly, i don't know what i would do without him. actually, that is what i have to do this evening too. all i know is that i have zero creative juices when it comes to music. i think i should stick with playing songs that have been written already. hahaha.
so my long weekend in a relative nutshell. i'm sure i'm missing alot more activity that i've done, afterall, my life is all about running around and doing things. i just never have the time to sit down and blog. i'm only blogging now because work is kind of sloooow. although, they feed me quite well! ;p
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
i just woke up from the most wonderful sleep! i crashed at 8pm last night and now feel fresh as a daisy! well actually, if you must know, i'd rather keep sleeping...but work prevails.
once again, weekends are crazy and this past weekend was no exception. it all began with sleepless nights the week before because every evening after work, i'd meet up with ana, margaret, and shae to practice our speeches at city hall's speakers corner. yes, our FINAL speech took place at city hall. friday night, i was up until after midnight refining my visuals practicing and practicing and...practicing. yes yes, i'm such a keener! ;p
bright and early saturday morning, i sold my soul to matthew, who came with me to tape the speeches. i think i owe him ice cream too! but alas, it was too cold for ice cream that morning, so he had to settle for hot chocolate. haha. my class time is three hours normally, however, on this particular day, we didn't finish up until 1pm, which calculates to a FOUR hour class.
i am so proud of my girls! margaret gave the speech of her life on eugenics. if anyone heard her speak during the week, they'd throw fits like the ones i threw at her. but she really improved and practiced and MADE IT WORK! and shae was just incredible. shae's always had such a flair for writing, i call them "shaeisms" but she becomes a little timid when speaking to the audience. SHE just knocked the socks off everyone that day too! david was so proud of us too! he suggested that he could help me create an 800 word paper from my speech and then i should send it in to the globe and mail! ;p
anyway, afterwards, i had to work for 5 hrs up north, and then jetted back downtown to attend a new creations festival at the tso with karina. we went to see chinese percussion instruments, it was sooooo cool!
sunday, i met up with ana p who i hadn't seen in FOREVER. i think the last time i had run into her was during the summer on the danforth. we met up at the starbucks just south of her place and it's the cutest starbucks i've been to yet! (i know, how cute can starbucks be? but i think it was tailored to go with the exterior of the other stores, and they are all very quaint)
and yesterday, i met up with manny after work and we went to grazie for dinner. manny has been in kingston studying law, and the fact that i see him pretty much never, that was a real treat! he was in town to see a south concert with terry and i'm glad he made time for me! i am only sorry that i missed seeing terry as he was still working...next time terry!
once again, weekends are crazy and this past weekend was no exception. it all began with sleepless nights the week before because every evening after work, i'd meet up with ana, margaret, and shae to practice our speeches at city hall's speakers corner. yes, our FINAL speech took place at city hall. friday night, i was up until after midnight refining my visuals practicing and practicing and...practicing. yes yes, i'm such a keener! ;p
bright and early saturday morning, i sold my soul to matthew, who came with me to tape the speeches. i think i owe him ice cream too! but alas, it was too cold for ice cream that morning, so he had to settle for hot chocolate. haha. my class time is three hours normally, however, on this particular day, we didn't finish up until 1pm, which calculates to a FOUR hour class.
i am so proud of my girls! margaret gave the speech of her life on eugenics. if anyone heard her speak during the week, they'd throw fits like the ones i threw at her. but she really improved and practiced and MADE IT WORK! and shae was just incredible. shae's always had such a flair for writing, i call them "shaeisms" but she becomes a little timid when speaking to the audience. SHE just knocked the socks off everyone that day too! david was so proud of us too! he suggested that he could help me create an 800 word paper from my speech and then i should send it in to the globe and mail! ;p
anyway, afterwards, i had to work for 5 hrs up north, and then jetted back downtown to attend a new creations festival at the tso with karina. we went to see chinese percussion instruments, it was sooooo cool!
sunday, i met up with ana p who i hadn't seen in FOREVER. i think the last time i had run into her was during the summer on the danforth. we met up at the starbucks just south of her place and it's the cutest starbucks i've been to yet! (i know, how cute can starbucks be? but i think it was tailored to go with the exterior of the other stores, and they are all very quaint)
and yesterday, i met up with manny after work and we went to grazie for dinner. manny has been in kingston studying law, and the fact that i see him pretty much never, that was a real treat! he was in town to see a south concert with terry and i'm glad he made time for me! i am only sorry that i missed seeing terry as he was still working...next time terry!
Saturday, March 25, 2006
THURSDAY COLDPLAY SHOW = A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
i'm currently wearing my new coldplay t-shirt. it's purple with white lettering (of coldplay, duh) and a black and blue shadow picture of the band jumping in the air. hotness! michelle and i went to see coldplay thursday and even though we were in the 300 section and chris martin looked miniature (ok, i couldn't REALLY see him) it was ALL GOOD. they really know how to use the lights, and i just love the voice and the music! i was singing along to every single song, so nutty! AND i ran into terrence at the bus terminal on my way there, and he was soooo jealous, but i told him we'd take pictures. hopefully all the pictures mich took will come out awesome!
i *heart* coldplay.
ok, that's all. i just needed to post a little something for my love of coldplay.
i'm currently wearing my new coldplay t-shirt. it's purple with white lettering (of coldplay, duh) and a black and blue shadow picture of the band jumping in the air. hotness! michelle and i went to see coldplay thursday and even though we were in the 300 section and chris martin looked miniature (ok, i couldn't REALLY see him) it was ALL GOOD. they really know how to use the lights, and i just love the voice and the music! i was singing along to every single song, so nutty! AND i ran into terrence at the bus terminal on my way there, and he was soooo jealous, but i told him we'd take pictures. hopefully all the pictures mich took will come out awesome!
i *heart* coldplay.
ok, that's all. i just needed to post a little something for my love of coldplay.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
wasting time while waiting for grey's to come on. hahaha.
i spent a good 5 hrs with jonathan today working on our counterpoint. and the output? we finished only TWO songs. and both of them had a cantus firmus (one line is given and we have to fill in the other.) by the time we left, we were both pretty high on those board markers (hahaha) and wondering why we decided to torture ourselves with this class! on the brightside, at least i have something to show dennis on wednesday!
last night i attended this cd release party for prince at the drake hotel. it was IN-TER-ESTING....lots of people...lots of OLDER people...and lots of guys kept staring at me while i was waiting for matthew to find his friend. hahaha. i just kept on standing infront of the fireplace because i was so cold! and then on the way home, cat called to tell me that as she was waiting at a red light, a car stopped by her and someone was waving at her. at first she thought it was some weirdo trying to pick her up (she was in the club district.) turns out it was levan! now we're going to try and see him for coffee sometime. ;p
alright, enough procrastinating, there's another speech to be written, it will be presented at speakers' corner in city hall shortly....ahhhhhhh!!!!
i spent a good 5 hrs with jonathan today working on our counterpoint. and the output? we finished only TWO songs. and both of them had a cantus firmus (one line is given and we have to fill in the other.) by the time we left, we were both pretty high on those board markers (hahaha) and wondering why we decided to torture ourselves with this class! on the brightside, at least i have something to show dennis on wednesday!
last night i attended this cd release party for prince at the drake hotel. it was IN-TER-ESTING....lots of people...lots of OLDER people...and lots of guys kept staring at me while i was waiting for matthew to find his friend. hahaha. i just kept on standing infront of the fireplace because i was so cold! and then on the way home, cat called to tell me that as she was waiting at a red light, a car stopped by her and someone was waving at her. at first she thought it was some weirdo trying to pick her up (she was in the club district.) turns out it was levan! now we're going to try and see him for coffee sometime. ;p
alright, enough procrastinating, there's another speech to be written, it will be presented at speakers' corner in city hall shortly....ahhhhhhh!!!!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
large post alert! (only because i've been too lazy/tired to blog recently)
my life in a nutshell:
last friday i stayed over at pauline's with margaret because we were working on our speeches that took place saturday morning. that was SUCH a brutal evening! we were all up until 3:30am trying to help each other with the reports, the media releases, and the news-bites! and then i woke up at 6:30am because i couldn't sleep i was so nervous! the actual presentation was incredible. since i was the first person to present my speech, i hit them hard and heavy! ;p
it was after the class that was really hard for me because i had to go to work...and then saturday evening was michelle's birthday dinner. hahaha. i thought the dinner was going to be short and sweet, but it lasted until almost midnight and then we all went out for bbtea too! sandra sent me the pictures from that evening and i will post them as soon as i get some down time at home!
sunday i went to see the raptors play at the acc. i like to think it was because i was there that they won. hahaha! ames' got us gold seats and i could actually see the player's faces! ;p just for the record, jeff foster is very good looking! haha!
other highlights from the past couple of weeks include (but limited to):
- meeting with des and seeing the new biochem building. how exciting it must be to work on the top floor with open windows on all sides! we had korean food on baldwin, ahhhh good ol baldwin!
- going to see "brokeback mountain" with alicia. we both liked the aesthetics, and the torn emotions of heath ledger. hahaha. amazing that ang lee can make a sea of sheep look good!
- going out to dna nightclub for cat's birthday. that was it's own dramatic episode involving picking up the mc that night and then going out for a lunch date that just couldn't be the longest lunch of my life! at least i can say "been there, done that" and be done with doing THAT ever again!
- going out to demetres with shelley! demetres is now reserved only with shelley, it's our meeting place for when we see each other which is pretty much never! but i'm proud that even through our busyness, we're still really keen on keeping in touch. the hardest part is that last year at this time, we'd never have thought twice about hanging out everyday!
working has been really draining recently. i've been going in a little earlier and leaving a little later, that combined with piano and doing work for classes (or in the case of counterpoint, JUST going to classes) and seeing friends on the side...it's been crazy! also, because pauline has been moving to her new place we've been visiting and just being there for her through this new phase of her life.
my only sad thing is that as i was browsing through everyone's photos of formal, i realized how much i missed going to these events! i realize i'm in a new chapter of my life, but sometimes i wish it was back in the day with all my good friends. the good thing is that the people who really care about me still keep in touch, and that's the best feeling in the world, even if it's once in a blue moon. the important thing is that it's THERE.
that being said, i should back to work!
my life in a nutshell:
last friday i stayed over at pauline's with margaret because we were working on our speeches that took place saturday morning. that was SUCH a brutal evening! we were all up until 3:30am trying to help each other with the reports, the media releases, and the news-bites! and then i woke up at 6:30am because i couldn't sleep i was so nervous! the actual presentation was incredible. since i was the first person to present my speech, i hit them hard and heavy! ;p
it was after the class that was really hard for me because i had to go to work...and then saturday evening was michelle's birthday dinner. hahaha. i thought the dinner was going to be short and sweet, but it lasted until almost midnight and then we all went out for bbtea too! sandra sent me the pictures from that evening and i will post them as soon as i get some down time at home!
sunday i went to see the raptors play at the acc. i like to think it was because i was there that they won. hahaha! ames' got us gold seats and i could actually see the player's faces! ;p just for the record, jeff foster is very good looking! haha!
other highlights from the past couple of weeks include (but limited to):
- meeting with des and seeing the new biochem building. how exciting it must be to work on the top floor with open windows on all sides! we had korean food on baldwin, ahhhh good ol baldwin!
- going to see "brokeback mountain" with alicia. we both liked the aesthetics, and the torn emotions of heath ledger. hahaha. amazing that ang lee can make a sea of sheep look good!
- going out to dna nightclub for cat's birthday. that was it's own dramatic episode involving picking up the mc that night and then going out for a lunch date that just couldn't be the longest lunch of my life! at least i can say "been there, done that" and be done with doing THAT ever again!
- going out to demetres with shelley! demetres is now reserved only with shelley, it's our meeting place for when we see each other which is pretty much never! but i'm proud that even through our busyness, we're still really keen on keeping in touch. the hardest part is that last year at this time, we'd never have thought twice about hanging out everyday!
working has been really draining recently. i've been going in a little earlier and leaving a little later, that combined with piano and doing work for classes (or in the case of counterpoint, JUST going to classes) and seeing friends on the side...it's been crazy! also, because pauline has been moving to her new place we've been visiting and just being there for her through this new phase of her life.
my only sad thing is that as i was browsing through everyone's photos of formal, i realized how much i missed going to these events! i realize i'm in a new chapter of my life, but sometimes i wish it was back in the day with all my good friends. the good thing is that the people who really care about me still keep in touch, and that's the best feeling in the world, even if it's once in a blue moon. the important thing is that it's THERE.
that being said, i should back to work!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
it's so weird that i haven't posted in awhile. i've been so incredibly busy. jordan left for lyon last wednesday and i didn't even get to see him before he left. :( he makes me so jealous, being in france for at least 6 months!
work is work. i've been pulling some OT because i like the money. hahaha. i spent my extra cash at nine west where they were having a year-end sale and i bought a sweet pair of blue heels (i was looking for black,) and then i went back and bought a pair of classic black pumps, god they are so gorgeous. Dinners with pauline don't help either! just last night, i went with her to try the "pear tree." their french onion soup had a weird sweet taste to it, and the cesear salad was too cheesy. their bread rolls are amazing though! i had their tailapia and that was really good, but i tried one of pauline's potatoes and it was gross. hahaha. margaret came halfway through so we could dish on greg. hahaha. when the four of us (pauline, margaret, erin and i) get together, we are the fab four almost like in sex and the city, but asian canadian style.
last saturday, i went with kristy (a co-worker who moved here about a month ago from australia), karina, faye and mat to the "blue moon" on queen st east where my good friend, matt was djing. man, that was a good time. after 3 glasses of bailey's on the rock (because they don't serve baileys and coffee) i was like the happiest girl on earth. kristy was funny too because after a wine and 2 beers, she looked ready to hug the next person who came in! good music and drinks plus great company... what more could you ask for? and geordie and nicki stopped by to see matt play and i have seen those two since 2nd year!
sometimes it's hard to coordinate times to meet up with friends, but when it happens it is definitely worth it! well, now i'm wide awake, and it's time for work. !!!
work is work. i've been pulling some OT because i like the money. hahaha. i spent my extra cash at nine west where they were having a year-end sale and i bought a sweet pair of blue heels (i was looking for black,) and then i went back and bought a pair of classic black pumps, god they are so gorgeous. Dinners with pauline don't help either! just last night, i went with her to try the "pear tree." their french onion soup had a weird sweet taste to it, and the cesear salad was too cheesy. their bread rolls are amazing though! i had their tailapia and that was really good, but i tried one of pauline's potatoes and it was gross. hahaha. margaret came halfway through so we could dish on greg. hahaha. when the four of us (pauline, margaret, erin and i) get together, we are the fab four almost like in sex and the city, but asian canadian style.
last saturday, i went with kristy (a co-worker who moved here about a month ago from australia), karina, faye and mat to the "blue moon" on queen st east where my good friend, matt was djing. man, that was a good time. after 3 glasses of bailey's on the rock (because they don't serve baileys and coffee) i was like the happiest girl on earth. kristy was funny too because after a wine and 2 beers, she looked ready to hug the next person who came in! good music and drinks plus great company... what more could you ask for? and geordie and nicki stopped by to see matt play and i have seen those two since 2nd year!
sometimes it's hard to coordinate times to meet up with friends, but when it happens it is definitely worth it! well, now i'm wide awake, and it's time for work. !!!
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Dear gentle men and women, it's that time of the evening yet again...
instead of working on my speech, i just finished watching the two-part grey's anatomy AGAIN. *sigh* such a procrastinator, i believe i get my best work done at this time of evening. haha.
anyway, i thought i'd share this email i received from my professor regarding our test next week...he is soooo jokes!
Orators--
Test #1 will be conducted Saturday, Feb. 25. It covers chapters 1 though 8. There are 80 questions-- 40 true or false, and 40 multiple choice. You have 60 minutes to complete it.
Please note that all types of success enhancement techniques (SET) will be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, looking at other people’s answers, peeking at your textbook, eating energy food, deep breathing, phoning an intelligent friend, using the CD that came with the text, coded notes on small cards, bribing the teacher, or working with someone who seems to know a lot. Talking is permitted. Mild assaults of students who appear to be doing better than you are also permitted.
The test is worth 5%.
David
as lyle would say...cheers!
instead of working on my speech, i just finished watching the two-part grey's anatomy AGAIN. *sigh* such a procrastinator, i believe i get my best work done at this time of evening. haha.
anyway, i thought i'd share this email i received from my professor regarding our test next week...he is soooo jokes!
Orators--
Test #1 will be conducted Saturday, Feb. 25. It covers chapters 1 though 8. There are 80 questions-- 40 true or false, and 40 multiple choice. You have 60 minutes to complete it.
Please note that all types of success enhancement techniques (SET) will be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, looking at other people’s answers, peeking at your textbook, eating energy food, deep breathing, phoning an intelligent friend, using the CD that came with the text, coded notes on small cards, bribing the teacher, or working with someone who seems to know a lot. Talking is permitted. Mild assaults of students who appear to be doing better than you are also permitted.
The test is worth 5%.
David
as lyle would say...cheers!
Monday, February 13, 2006
You were wearing that ratty little Dartmouth t-shirt you look so good in.
You just washed your hair and you smelled like some kinda flower.
I was running late for a surgery...you said you were gonna see me later...
Then you leaned to me, put your hand on my chest...and you kissed me.
Soft. It was quick. Kinda like a habit.
You know, like we'd do it every day for the rest of our lives.
You went back to reading the newspaper and I went to work.
That was the last time we kissed.
- Derek recalling the last time he and Meredith kissed from Grey's Anatomy
man, i was just dying last night as i was watching this episode. although i'd have to agree with matthew (yah, i got him hooked! ;p ) that the first part from last week was better then this week. why wasn't anyone else upset the the bomb squad dude blew up? he literally became pink mist. and i totally saw it coming...there was absolutely no way there were going to kill meredith or any of the other main characters.
in other news:
i was accepted!!! whooo hoo!
that is all (haha)
You just washed your hair and you smelled like some kinda flower.
I was running late for a surgery...you said you were gonna see me later...
Then you leaned to me, put your hand on my chest...and you kissed me.
Soft. It was quick. Kinda like a habit.
You know, like we'd do it every day for the rest of our lives.
You went back to reading the newspaper and I went to work.
That was the last time we kissed.
- Derek recalling the last time he and Meredith kissed from Grey's Anatomy
man, i was just dying last night as i was watching this episode. although i'd have to agree with matthew (yah, i got him hooked! ;p ) that the first part from last week was better then this week. why wasn't anyone else upset the the bomb squad dude blew up? he literally became pink mist. and i totally saw it coming...there was absolutely no way there were going to kill meredith or any of the other main characters.
in other news:
i was accepted!!! whooo hoo!
that is all (haha)
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
aww, it always feels good to do something nice for someone and then see them so happy! today is one of my co-worker's birthday and so i thought i'd get him a cake or chocolate as a token of appreciation for logging on to the computers for me (i don't have my own log-in!!) wait! he's on a diet?!? haha, apparently he's trying to cut out sweets and pop. so who am i to crash on his diet? i went out to dominion and bought him a nice big red (organic) apple, and an orange. the bananas looked really green so i skipped that. hahaha. he's SOOOO HAPPY with his apple. he cut it up and is now currently sharing it with everyone. ;p
edit:
next day, he took out the orange and shared that with me. haha, we have a special bond now! (unlike me and some other asian co-worker who shall remain nameless...)
i started counterpoint at anna and jonathan. dennis is our teacher, it's going to be mighty interesting...i don't remember ANY harmony from what...7-8 years ago? so i'm already the kid with the dunce cap.
i think i'll blog tomorrow. i always think better in the morning anyway...
edit:
next day, he took out the orange and shared that with me. haha, we have a special bond now! (unlike me and some other asian co-worker who shall remain nameless...)
i started counterpoint at anna and jonathan. dennis is our teacher, it's going to be mighty interesting...i don't remember ANY harmony from what...7-8 years ago? so i'm already the kid with the dunce cap.
i think i'll blog tomorrow. i always think better in the morning anyway...
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
the last time i worked out was two weeks ago tomorrow. no, my new years resolution wasn't to lose weight, no i don't make resolutions, and no i didn't want to stop working out.
the treadmill is BROKEN. *tear*
i don't know how it happened, but one day i came home from work and our machine was in various pieces on the floor. that's not how i have come to know and love the machine (although clearly not enough to name it, hahaha.) the worst part is that the MACHINE MAN DID IT! apparently he came and took the machine apart to fix it (there was a tiny tear in the track) and realized he had the wrong part and left. who does that? put the machine back together again until you get the new part!!!!
i'm on a treadmill withdrawal.
the treadmill is BROKEN. *tear*
i don't know how it happened, but one day i came home from work and our machine was in various pieces on the floor. that's not how i have come to know and love the machine (although clearly not enough to name it, hahaha.) the worst part is that the MACHINE MAN DID IT! apparently he came and took the machine apart to fix it (there was a tiny tear in the track) and realized he had the wrong part and left. who does that? put the machine back together again until you get the new part!!!!
i'm on a treadmill withdrawal.
Friday, January 27, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
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.
ps. jared padalecki is SO NOT lickable.
Monday, January 09, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
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
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
Thursday, December 29, 2005
i nearly died just now. liz and i were on our way home from meeting up with tee and wongie. and we were driving up dufferin from wilson in her little white geo, and this huge ass canadian tire truck totally switched lanes and WE WERE IN THE FREAKING LANE!!!! she honked and honked but he didn't care. we're lucky we were driving in the left lane so she was forced into the median, fuck man. why can't anyone know how to drive anymore? that makes me soooo mad. it's raining and it's late and people don't have the courtesy to watch how they drive. i'm so pissed. and this happens on a normal day too. NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE. it's like, hey let's pretend to go to driving school, pass the test and then promptly forget everything. we ended up taking down all his license plate numbers down, the cargo number and described the time and place so that liz will call and email and complain tomorrow. i hope he loses his job.
wow, that was such a bitter end to a crazy fun evening. ok, well we didn't really do anything, we just met up at futurs on bloor and went to have sushi. and afterwards tee invited liz and i to see her friend matt, who just got engaged to his boyfriend rene. they are such a darling couple, i love love gay guys. we went to the ramada in on jarvis and carlton (surprise surprise) where they had this big gorgeous room and just hung out for a bit and looked at pictures (did i mention they have a GAZILLION photos from their trip to tanzania?) man, i so want to go to africa right now.
anyway, i'm pissed and tired right now and that's just not a great combo. i'm going to sleep.
wow, that was such a bitter end to a crazy fun evening. ok, well we didn't really do anything, we just met up at futurs on bloor and went to have sushi. and afterwards tee invited liz and i to see her friend matt, who just got engaged to his boyfriend rene. they are such a darling couple, i love love gay guys. we went to the ramada in on jarvis and carlton (surprise surprise) where they had this big gorgeous room and just hung out for a bit and looked at pictures (did i mention they have a GAZILLION photos from their trip to tanzania?) man, i so want to go to africa right now.
anyway, i'm pissed and tired right now and that's just not a great combo. i'm going to sleep.
Monday, December 26, 2005
day 2: snowboarding
what a fantastic experience. i have to admit that i think i'm snowboarding the wrong way. i know for a fact that snowboarders face forward...however, i am most comfortable facing backwards! i think it has something to do with which foot is forward. i face forward with my left foot. it thought that the right foot at the back does the maneuvering but clearly i am wrong. but then, i was much too lazy to go in to change the foot forward...hence ending up snowboarding backwards! hahaha. that and plus getting up when i'm facing the hill is much easier then getting up when your ass is on the ground.
ah, which brings me to the various parts of my body that has been subjected to this torturous outdoor sport. (it's interesting but skiing brought the same results, but i suppose i can't remember skiing. haha) anyway, my butt isn't speaking to me anymore, i think that's a good thing. because it's my right knee that's bitching at me right now. i've got at least 4 bruises on my knee, is that possible? and my upper arms are just so sore. serves me right to go snowboarding two times in a row. i have various parts of my thigh and calf muscles screaming at me. that's partly what i'm not sleeping yet. i'm too scared to!
the weather has been pretty craptacular. it rained most of yesterday, thereby melting the snow. but it snowed overnight for a bit so that was exciting! karina came with connie and marta for the evening, and so we had a blast on the bunny hill. that's right...the BUNNY HILL. haha. my sister and i tried the big hill twice (and by big hill i simply mean the largest of the easy hills) and we finally gave up and went back to the bunny hill. hahaha.
but i'll be home tomorrow, and i'll rest up then. until then bailey's will have to do! ;p
what a fantastic experience. i have to admit that i think i'm snowboarding the wrong way. i know for a fact that snowboarders face forward...however, i am most comfortable facing backwards! i think it has something to do with which foot is forward. i face forward with my left foot. it thought that the right foot at the back does the maneuvering but clearly i am wrong. but then, i was much too lazy to go in to change the foot forward...hence ending up snowboarding backwards! hahaha. that and plus getting up when i'm facing the hill is much easier then getting up when your ass is on the ground.
ah, which brings me to the various parts of my body that has been subjected to this torturous outdoor sport. (it's interesting but skiing brought the same results, but i suppose i can't remember skiing. haha) anyway, my butt isn't speaking to me anymore, i think that's a good thing. because it's my right knee that's bitching at me right now. i've got at least 4 bruises on my knee, is that possible? and my upper arms are just so sore. serves me right to go snowboarding two times in a row. i have various parts of my thigh and calf muscles screaming at me. that's partly what i'm not sleeping yet. i'm too scared to!
the weather has been pretty craptacular. it rained most of yesterday, thereby melting the snow. but it snowed overnight for a bit so that was exciting! karina came with connie and marta for the evening, and so we had a blast on the bunny hill. that's right...the BUNNY HILL. haha. my sister and i tried the big hill twice (and by big hill i simply mean the largest of the easy hills) and we finally gave up and went back to the bunny hill. hahaha.
but i'll be home tomorrow, and i'll rest up then. until then bailey's will have to do! ;p
