Boiling Crap

Work went smoothly today. I was productive and I was happy. When I came home my neighbor gave me extra food for dinner, that also made me very happy. There are times when I think I am truly blessed and today was one of those days.

A bunch of us met up at Boiling Crab for dinner. I know, I already ate a little before I went to meet everyone. It was packed to the max, this place. The hostess was rude, the wait was long, it was just extremely unpleasant inside and out. I was secretly glad I ate some food first or I would be extra annoyed. We ended up waiting for more than an hour to get our table. Some of the items on the menu were gone. Great. Finally we started to eat and the mood was great. That was until we found out they charged extra for sauce. Fine. Then we found out they also charged us for tap water! Freaking ridiculous! I am not coming back again I don't care how good the food is. And it's not that good! Just salty and garlicky. I told Wayne next time just leave me out of this place, I would not enjoy the wait, the attitude, and being charged for TAP WATER!

We did have a good time, I just wished we had hung out somewhere else.

Tamagotchi no more

Both Dave and Jose got sick over the weekend. It was good to see them improving and feeling better. Let's hope I stay cold-free :) I played Wii at Dave's today. Raving Rabbids 2 was a lot of exciting fun. It was a great game. I didn't hate Tamagotchi Party On as much as Dave did, but I understood why he or anyone else didn't like it. We ended up returning the game to the store. There was nothing Dave wanted after much browsing, we even tried Blockbuster's game selections, still turned up nothing. So we gave up and went to dinner. Tomorrow I have work. I wonder if it's going to be my only workday this week.

Cheap lotion

I hung out with Megan today. We went to Staples, CVS, and Cha for Tea. There were big sales everywhere. I got a bottle of CVS's generic brand lotion that was already 1/2 off and on top of that, I could get another bottle of the same thing for 1/2 off of that. So cheap! For dinner we had Megan's leftover food from her lunch yesterday. There was plenty of Cantonese Chinese food for both of us. Yum.

Megan and I always make each other laugh and today was no different. I am blessed. It really is a fortune to spend some quality, and low-cost time with a good friend.

Banh Mi for lunch

I didn't do any cleaning today. I know I'm lazy. The only thing that I did remotely related to cleaning was taking out the trash. I'm looking at the desk mess now. Maybe tomorrow?

I went to one of my favorite banh mi places after the gym today. It was pretty packed. It seemed like my little secret was no longer a secret. A very generous portion, delicious meaty sandwich could be had for just $2.25, who wouldn't flock to the shop to grab a piece himself? Good to see some local small business is still doing pretty well.

Space needed

I had another laid-back day today. I did go to the gym, get some groceries and apply for a few jobs. That's about it. I am thinking about clearing up my desk space for the new printer. I have about 2-3 years of mails, mostly billing statments and junk from all over the place, layering one on top of another in front of my eyes. It's unsightly. I think I'm just lazy. Typical guy mentality: As long as there's space I just keep piling stuff up. Tonight I see it, tomorrow the shredding machine shall receive a good workout.

X'mas Eve 2008

Yesterday we held our X'mas eve celebration at my apartment. We went to House of Fragrant (formerly Lu's Garden) to have porridge and Taiwanese side dishes. It was the perfect feast for X'mas eve. We came back and Dave made an excellent pear tart. We also watched Serial Mom, which was loved by some of us and hated by the rest. There was some serious tension brewing after the viewing, and the situation was about to escalate into some truly unnecessary couple's quarrel, so I intervened and saved the day by forcing everyone open the presents at 11 o'clock instead of midnight. I know, sometimes you have to make something happen in order to distract and redirect attention to what's more important. Yes I saved our X'mas eve.

Today I received a text from someone in my past. He was someone whom I was infatuated with 2 years ago. It was a severe case of I liked him more than he liked me. Things between us ended unexpectedly, and except for the occasional flashback, I tried not to dwell in the brief memories we once shared. I did not know how to reply after he wrote "Keep in touch! Hope to see you sometime soon." Suddenly the train of thought took off, and I was chasing, running down the memory lane. I typed, and retyped, then reworked some more on my response to his surprise text. I saved my draft and a minute later checked on it again. I even asked my friends what to write so I wouldn't sound desperate. In the end, I erased my response and stopped that train. Some things are best left unstirred once settled. What we had was awesome while it lasted. It might be OK now if we were to restart, but most likely we would walk right back to where we ended. Call me pessimistic or insecure, the message he sent today simply meant that he too, was feeling lonely during the holidays and needing a familiar voice to side with... It meant nothing more.

It was nice though, that he considered me.

Friends and Holidays

Today was a friend-ful day. I hung out with Tim, who had called me severals times now trying to see if we could do lunch. This morning we finally made it happen. We went to Jazz Cat for their mini hot pots. The restaurant was a lot less crowded than the times I visited before. The food was ok, really nothing to write home about. Tim and I chatted laughed and had a nice time. Afterwards I came home, while the painters worked on the apartment doors. They used to be plum color, now they are dark green. I am anticipating my rent to go up any day now.

Tonight Wayne and I met up with Jane John and Jen for dinner. We got a table at Palm's Thai without waiting at all. That was a first! The Thai Elvis wasn't singing tonight, perhaps that explained the less-than-packed house. Overall our food was pleasant. I don't remember any standouts. We talked and talked. Jen suggested that we went to have a drink or two at Bird's, which was very nearby. Once there, we found a good table by the window. We ordered some appetizer and dessert and beers. Our waiter was not very cordial or attentive. I thought he was almost unfriendly. The atmosphere was great though. The mood was lively and colorful. We left around 11:00. I came home and felt very happy. It's good to see friends around this time. It makes me feel less alone. Not that there's anything wrong with being alone, but during the holidays being single can make anyone feel a bit uneasy. It'll all be fine after the New Years.

Wow it's almost 2009.

Bath

This week turned out to be a one day work week. The company really didn't have more for me to do and the boss went on his annual vacation. I'll be back next Tuesday. Say hello to many late mornings!

I took a long hot bath tonight. I used up the remaining shower gel and it was a bubbly fest. It feels good to take time to soak in warm soapy water. Somehow when the body immerses in the water it helps take my mind off of things. I see the world stops spinning temporarily. Everything is still. Then afterwards, life's back to normal, coming together surely and slowly. I feel completely relaxed warm and happy. How very spoiled :P

Quickly

I woke up around 6 this morning. I ate some yam, went online then went back to sleep around 8:30... Got up again before noon. Had gym, ate soup, watched random TV, showered, shopped for groceries, talked to Nicole, came back home. I made the steamed ginger fish again (with sprinkles of curry powder), and watched the Charmed School finale. It's not a quality show, but why not, I wanted to know who won. Needless to say, today went by rather quickly and not all that eventful.

Sorting out clothes

I finally sorted and cleaned out some of my old clothes today. Some of them were sitting in one of my closet shelves for years. I never touched them after I moved in. Today I threw everything from that shelf on the floor and went over them one by one. Could I just keep them? Sure. But I really needed the space and I could donate them for tax purposes. Since I work only part-time now I have to watch out for that filing next year. In total I managed to fill out two boxes of clothing. So I have room to move my other old clothes to this shelf now! Hahaha.

Dave and Jose came over tonight to have dinner. We went to Nguyen Hoang Vietnamese and had a complete vegetarian dinner. It was tasty, but I think they used MSG in their dishes so I felt very thirsty afterwards. Dave said it was probably the soy sauce. We came back to my place and watched Hairspray. It was a lighthearted fun movie. We all enjoyed the singing and the lively performances. Although we all felt John Travolta was miscast for this film. Why not John Goodman or some other cool big drag queen who could sing and act convincingly as a big lovable woman? Before they got back here Dave and Jose also went and bought a Sara Lee apple pie that was on sale for $4.00 or something. It was good, but was quite sweet too. I was still thirsty from the dinner... so I might be drinking lots of water tonight before bed. Not that smart of an idea... Who wants to wake up in the middle of freezing cold night and use the icy bathroom? Still... MSG plus sugar equals thirsty, so water and bathroom must follow...

TV can make you feel bad sometimes

I watched half of Oprah today. The show was about finding the right job for anyone. I don't know when that show was taped, but supposedly 1/2 of the women who went through this workshop found jobs that best suited them. Sure, I learned something new by watching just a half of the show. It has to do with comparing some things you love vs. some things you loath.

I think similar to cooking shows, I enjoy watching them and always believe I walk away gaining new knowledge. However, I rarely go ahead and actually practice it. Like, I won't start making 30 minute meals after watching Rachel Ray doing it. Fortunately with cooking shows, they cycle fast and I never have all the ingredients at home, so I don't feel bad about not doing any cooking. But with Oprah or other help-yourself programs, I always feel guilty not making an effort afterwards. Like, hey all those people are doing this and wow their lives totally change! Amazing! Me? I just switch to another channel and move on.

Maybe I need to stop watching Oprah. I don't want to feel bad.

Rain. LA.

It's another end of the work week. Yes, 3 days of work - not exactly my choice, but it's the best available option now. Considering there are people who can't get any jobs I am pretty lucky. I know one of these days my old company won't need me there and I will be back on unemployed full time. Who knows, I may have a real full time job then.

It's been raining in LA. Tonight when I was on my way to Dave's I decided to play one of the songs that always made me teary eye. I was feeling sentimental. Go figure.

Cold LA

LA is very cold and wet today. Well last night the rain finally came and made a ton of noise outside my bedroom. It was pretty chilly too. Ladies and gentlemen, the LA winter is officially here.

I worked today and it went fine. Before taking off, I made sure to send my manager a copy of my invoice. This talented but jobless boy needs his paycheck! Traffic was bumper to bumper after work. I was stuck on 10 Freeway for over an hour. Surface streets were just as awful. People seemed to lose their driving abilities in LA whenever the rain starting to drop. Thank goodness I finally arrived at the gym around 6 and finished up an hour later.

The evening at home went by pretty fast. I really couldn't find anything exciting to watch on TV, until just about now. The English Patient is on and it's one of my favorites. It's epic, beautiful, and heartbreaking. And surprisingly the film holds up extremely well. It's been 12 years since it came out and today still it looks amazing.

Time to shower soon. Going back to work tomorrow... Yay to free heat!

X'mas shopping

It seemed like this weekend went by like a blur. I did try to stay productive. Did some X'mas shopping. Applied for a few jobs. Vacuumed. Got groceries. Slept. I even helped PK get gifts. So maybe it wasn't that much of a blur?

This is the first time I am jobless during the holidays. I am watching my spending and keeping my list. It is still going to be a fun X'mas, just less costly. There will be a few more weeks before all the projects at the company are complete. So we'll see what happens next.

Enjoy and appreciate

I slept 'til 10:44 this morning. I felt so blessed. I went to the gym, came back, went out again to hang with Meg. It was a good afternoon. Of course I was not in my "productive" mode. I did look at the jobs and really, I didn't find any new jobs that I could apply for... perhaps I would try again this weekend. I chatted with Jen, who was busy planning her wedding. We didn't think the job market would improve anytime soon. It would take a while so everyone just sit tight, hang in there and think good thoughts. It's not worth it to drag yourself down. We'll all get through this. Now just enjoy and appreciate every little thing in life. Leave stress alone. Stay in happy.

Time for self

I am happy I don't have work tomorrow! I know I know, I should be looking forward to going to work. I should be thankful to have a job, even if it's just short term. I should this and that. And I totally work hard for what I have too. Still, I love to have time for myself. I don't need to go out or do anything. Simply staying at home and taking a sound nap will be enough for me. So tomorrow I am meeting Megan for some tea and laughs. There will be gym. Some produce shopping too. And of course, rest - sleep - nap... it's the best.

Talk too much

I went over my minutes this month and fortunately today I am free. I shouldn't have gone over my limit, since I was away for half a month. I think the long conversations I held after I came back with Sylv Nic and Meg "helped" a lot. I know, for someone who's unemployed and looking to save, I sure can talk. I will be more watchful this month. Promise.

Busy evening

I had an eventful night. After leaving work I went to the bank to deposit my check, then I went to get gas + TJ's for groceries. Judy finished her facial around that time, so I met up with her to chat and get more stuff from Taiwan (Yay!) ... After we were done, I drove to Subway and had dinner with PK. Then we came back to my place to watch Chungking Express. We finished the film around 10, PK left to go to Wal-Mart, and I went to the gym for some late night workout. Phew... I can't believe that I fit all that in in one evening. I am having some panettone with cranberry juice. It's like a bedtime snack. Mmm... sugar... sleep...

Taking care of business

Another weekend has passed. I didn't do much except resting and eating. What's really new? I am going back to work for 3 more days this week. Probably another few more next week. I don't know what's going to happen next, but I know I am going to keep an open mind and take care of business, and more importantly, myself.

Take it slow

Friday finally! I thought I was going to leave work early today but I ended up staying 'til 4 PM anyway. I worked too hard! Dad said I shouldn't finish the work that quickly. I should take my time and show them it would not be done in just one week. I understood what he was saying, at the same time I really wanted to get this done and move on... I don't know. It's not like there other projects going on, everyone's focused on this catalog so it's not easy to "take my time" or treat it more casually. I suppose I can take a couple of days off next week then come back to polish, and finish it up. I think that's what I'm going to do.

Still good

The second day back at my old job was just as manic and exciting. I was very productive. The boss came in too. He was very appreciative. The overall mood in the office was positive and cheerful. I must admit I found myself happy working for them again. It wasn't that I forgot how stressful things could get around here, it was just that we all seemed to bring our best face and effort to the table. It was friendly and collaborative. I'd love to have this kind of working relationship forever, but it's not going to last. People get tired of each other, people take others for granted. I do it. My boss definitely does it. Who doesn't? Fortunately I know there's an expiration date to this and we'll all behave.

I am going to enjoy this 2nd trip down the same road. I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Back again

This was my first day back at my old company. It's been 5 months since I left and things have definitely changed there. The most visible difference is the staff. There are a lot less people working there now. Sigh. The economy is slow for all businesses.

The feeling I had today was strangely energized. I felt good doing work after a lengthy hiatus. It also helped that I enjoyed spending time with the familiar faces. I got a lot done, and I was excited. I will be back for a few more days until the project is finished. I do look forward to working again, and of course, taking a break from it all some time later.

Dave was moody today. I think my cologne had something to do with it. Of course his oven not functioning correctly and certain laptop issues contributed to his overall annoyance. Sometimes men do have PMS. Every now and then it's a good idea to give them plenty of space and lots of time to calm themselves down. Fortunately he was feeling better after dinner. When the host's happy, everyone is happy.

Irreplaceable (Que the Beyoncé song...)

I can't seem to shake my old company... the one that I moved on from this summer. I worked for them for the last 7 years. In July I changed jobs and still I kept in contact, I even helped them with some projects from time to time. Then I got laid off. I did one last thing for them before my trip to China. Seriously, I really thought that was it. I was wrong. I will be there helping them out again tomorrow, and perhaps the rest of the week. They could not find my replacement, or the person they hired didn't work out - It's the same thing, I guess. I am irreplaceable!

I look forward to not working again. Kidding!

4 jobs

Today I applied for 4 jobs! So proud of myself! There wasn't really a lot of updates going on with internet job boards. Hey, at least I found 4 that seemed like decent positions for yours truly. Tomorrow's another day. Maybe I will find another 4... if I'm lucky.

I didn't do much else today. I cleaned out the vanity counter. I put the registration sticker on my license plate. I visited the gym too. What a day! I could really get used to this. Hearing Washington Mutual is going to let go about 9200 people and Wall Street stumbled hard again today, I really wonder how all this is going to recover and when I am going to land myself a good job. These are the times. These are the times.

Thankful

I spent a lot of time by myself both yesterday and today. Other than myself, there were Dave and Jose, whom I am truly thankful for everyday. They came to help me set up a computer, fix my bathroom heater, keep me company, and of course, have great food. Yesterday we had Lu's Garden, which just changed their name to House of Fragrant. The porridge was just what we needed in colder days like this, and it was comforting to share it with dear friends. Today they visited again to fix my heater and also had dinner. We also replaced my toilet seat - FUN! Later we went to Nguyen Hoang for Vietnamese food. Their spring rolls were disappointingly thin and dried. The noodle dishes tasted the best. We really liked their vegetarian selections, however, I could do without the MSG. My tongue felt funny afterwards.

The big holiday weekend had come and left. I can't say I did much except for cleaning my place a bit. I still feel relaxed for the most part. Let's wait and see how things develop the next few weeks. Wow the year is almost over.

Unproductive

Another day had passed and I was thankfully unproductive still. There weren't new jobs posted today. Of course, I looked at Black Friday sales here and there too. Being unemployed I had no place in the mall. Online window shopping was fine though. I hope there were enough shoppers out there this weekend who would help bring the economy back. Until then, I will enjoy my time off and take it easy. Man do I sound lazy or what.

Thanksgiving night

This year's Thanksgiving we went to Miwa's apartment for the festivities. Dave made squash soup, endive salad with walnut pear & blue cheese, and an apple pie. Jose's pumpkin cheesecake looked stunning. We arrived at her place at 3 and started eating half an hour after. The food we brought was a hit, especially the cheesecake. We ate and ate. After finishing our meal, Dave played music with Miwa and later played ma-jong with Jose PK Yutaro. I started to get sleepy around 9 and we left before 10. Tonight's party was less hectic than last year's. I hope I will always get to share Thanksgiving with close friends.

Pre-Thanksgiving

Today went by like a light breeze. I woke up before 6 and stayed up 'til 12 something. Went back to take a nap and got up again around 4:30. Spent the evening at Dave's. He made chicken fried steak, mustard greens and mashed potato (YUM!) while Jose worked on the pumpkin cheesecake for the feast tomorrow. I did laundry. TC tonight was good, Rosie Live... not so much. I came back around 11:30 and am feeling very sleepy. I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow and 2008 is almost over.

Day goes by

I spent so much time on the computer today. I don't think I did anything productive. Yes I applied for one job, but that was about it. I just went to this site, then to the next, then to the next. I did manage to get out of the apartment and hit the gym. The rest of the day was sitting in front of the computer and TV. Wow did I get an eyeful tonight. New episodes of The Real Housewives of ATL and OC were both on and oh dear, can these ladies bring drama to Bravo. 

So that's my day. I did spend time talking to Jen about her planning her wedding. It's so expensive and time consuming. Oh I remember now. I also wrote Syl this long and awesome letter, explaining the reason why I was upset. I guess this day wasn't completely wasted, haha.

Referral

It's good to have friends. Two of my new friends referred me to their companies. I will need to update my resume though. Of course, because these are new friends, they don't always know my previous experiences and specific skillset now. We'll see. I can't say I feel confident these job leads will get me places. I am going to try and wait. Still - these new friends - They are very kind.

Spicy and Sweet

I had a relaxing day today. I went to the gym in the morning, came back and had lunch. The afternoon was spent mostly online and in bed. Then I had dinner at Hunan Chilli King with Dave Jose Cameron and his friends. It was a lot of spicy food, but I made sure we had a couple of dishes that weren't so mouth-burning. The fish-head was a hit, so was the eggplant with string beans. We also had sweets at Fosselman's. The taro + rocky road + pumpkin ice cream sundae was a perfect dessert to end this first week back in town.

I am feeling sleepy now but Dexter is on - This jetlag thing is good in a way. I rarely felt like I could go to bed before 11 and this week the sleepy bug kept hitting me around 8, 9, and 10. Should I accept this and perhaps make it my new routine? It's possible.

Flake

I finally told Syl I was annoyed at her frequently flaking on me. It was heart-pounding and palm-sweating, but when I was texting her I felt this sense of liberation. I finally had the opportunity to tell her that it was an issue for me and I was annoyed. Sometimes a friend needs to take the necessary step to point and shoot. Be blunt and watch what happens. Especially if one is feeling frequently irritated and is reaching his boiling point.

I applied for more jobs today. What's one to do when his friend flaking out on him one hour before lunch, for the hundredth time? With all this free time, hunting for jobs is just one of many important and boring things he gets to do. I spent some time online, texting PK and Nicole back and forth, calling Megan about a luggage deal I saw, and surfing channels. I got banh mi for dinner. Around 8 I fell asleep, and woke up at 11:30 to do more random things. Tomorrow's another day. 

So it began

Yesterday I started job search again. I applied for one yesterday and a few more today. I don't know why, but I'm feeling the effort will go nowhere. I mean, look at the news, how many people are looking for jobs now? And who is hiring? Exactly. I wonder how long I can remain unemployed and still feel hopeful. I can only live by the day, think positively, and keep pushing myself upward and forward. We'll see where this will lead.

I saw Mark yesterday. He got hired recently and will start next week. Perhaps there are companies hiring. Will I hit one of them? Will I be what they are looking for? Will I be ready?

Good to be home

I am finally back from China! The last day I spent in Shanghai was calm and collected. We had da jia xie (hairy crab) again - mom and uncle's favorite. It was too much work for me. My stomach wasn't feeling well, so I only ate a little. We packed and packed. There was a lot of stuff. I ended up with all my baggage full. I rested for a few minutes then we were on our way to the bus stop. The ride to the airport was quiet too. Mom and I didn't say much, we were both tired. I checked in, mom walked me to the departure entrance, we hugged, and said our goodbyes.

The flight coming back was comfortable, unfortunately I couldn't fall into sleep comfortably. I drifted in and out of sleep. It was never more than 30 minutes of peaceful rest. When I arrived in Atlanta it was Monday night 5:30 PM. I texted my friends and hoped I could catch the 9:15 PM plane home. The custom officer was a very serious lady. She asked me where I went, what I did, and if I had relatives in China - No smiles whatsoever. I thought she was very cold. When I went through the baggage examination my apples were confiscated. I was pissed - I should've had them on the plane. There were very good apples too :( I passed the gate and let go of my luggage again. I went up to the gate where my next flight would take off and started to wait for its dispatch time.

I didn't get on the flight. The standby list was way long and the flight was completely overbooked. I had to wait 'til the next morning, 7:30 AM to be exact, to see if I might get on that one. I had a couple of choices, I could either leave the airport and find myself a motel room, then come back the next morning to check on the flight. Or I could just stay at the airport. I chose the latter. It was going to be a LONG night. I had never stayed overnight in an airport before and I was about to do it. There were a few other people like me, and we found ourselves in this new gate trying to get some rest. I was exhausted from the flight coming in from China, and I really could use some sleep. The chairs in the airport weren't the best type for laying down. I changed positions, moved around, shifted up and down + left and right, it took me a couple of hours of trying to finally settle into an acceptable combination of utilizing my bag, a very specific laying angle and posture to allow myself a short nap. Around 3:40 AM I was unable to lay there anymore, so I got up and found myself suddenly alone in the area. I thought the people who were also staying there went to have breakfast. I was wrong. The gate had moved to a different concourse and all of them went to that one when I was trying to sleep. Those bastards!

I was tired. So tired. I got lost a little and found my way again to the new gate. My stomach was ill. It was not a happy time. I saw the same people who were at the old gate and took in another breath - It's time to sit and wait again. I was hungry and so tired. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I called Sophya, who fortunately had time to chat with me. We talked for about half an hour, and I felt less weary. After a muffin from Starbucks I was back on, it was just after 6 AM, and the standby list had begun again. I didn't find my name on the list, and went to the counter to not just "relist" myself, but to "activate" my listing. Here we go - another round of chance and possibility.

I got on the 7:30 AM flight! I was so relieved. Too bad I still couldn't sleep on the plane. I couldn't even count how much time I had stayed up or tried to sleep but couldn't. I was worried about my luggage also. They had gone with the plane previous evening and I was just on my way to catch up. Luckily when I got in at 9 AM in LA, they were by the baggage claim room. Dave had a meeting in the morning so he suggested that I took a shuttle bus to Union Station where he could pick me up afterwards. I had no problem with that. Of course, he couldn't get out of his meeting when I got into the station, and he asked me to get on the Metro Gold so he could pick me up at the location by his place. I was, well I was annoyed. I understood he had committments but I was exhausted. I wanted to go home. I didn't want to travel anymore. But what choice did I have?

I carried my luggage and myself to the Gold line and rode it to his station. I was tired. TIRED. When Dave found me I was both annoyed and happy. He didn't get it - I told him I knew he was right, still I had the right to be pissed. After I said what I had to say I was fine. Dave cooked some soup because I told him my stomach was not well. I came home before 2 PM, took a shower, and slept. I didn't think it would, but I slept through 5 hours straight. It was truly what I needed.

Today I went to the gym. Talked to friends. Saw TC with Dave and Jose. Things are slowly back to normal. It's good to be home.

Last day to shop

This is my last night in Shanghai. It's been an amazing experience in China. Yesterday mom and I went to the Oriental Pearl site and looked at the night views. It was a very busy and glamorous area where even more tourists and stores gathered and collided. There were many restaurants and bars occupied the bay, and it was a challenge to find a way to get by them without paying. Fortunately we found a path onto the sidewalk through Fuga Bar, and we got to enjoy the views with many visiting families and couples. I had to admit, even though I enjoyed the scenery, it could get overwhelming. Perhaps I will only bring friends here next time I am in Shanghai.

Today's goal is simple: Finish up all the shopping. Mom and I went to Carrefour inside another shopping mall. This market's like the Wal-Mart of China, but originally it came from France. I think this was my favorite store in Shanghai by far. We didn't have to bargain and prices were usually cheap. I bought many things in the store and I knew I wasn't being ripped off. That felt quite good. There was another Shanghai store that had mostly fair prices and required no negotiation skills to shop... HOLA. It's like Bed Bath & Beyond in the US, but smaller and cuter. Sigh. I am now realizing my sweet vacation is coming to an end.

The shopping continued after lunch. We went to Cheng Huang Miao to browse and shop some more. This was another madhouse happening. So many shops and so many manic shoppers came together to do business. Fortunately we were in no rush and we actually found some decent deals. Yes mom had to bargain, but it wasn't as bad as our Gubei mall experience where everything there was marked up 4 - 5 times over. We walked out happily, that was until we saw the traffic and the people on the streets. It was crazy. Where did all these cars and people come from? We had to escape this area and walk about 15 minutes to get on the touring bus which would take us home.

By the way, I haven't mentioned that if you decided to visit China, remember to buy little packets of tissue papers so you'd have them with you at all times. Most public restrooms here were not equipped to have them or people just took them after they did their business, so it was to your benefit to keep some on you always. You never know when the nature will call.

Wow - Tomorrow I'm on another flight going back to the US. I don't know what to think.

Bargaining

Today mom took me to Gubei section of Shanghai to do some shopping. But before spending we had to eat. We dined on this small street next to a big parking structure, and all of the restaurants were frequented by foreigners, i.e. Westerners. It reminded me of the casualness of Pasadena Old Town. Godmother decided to have some tapas at this Spanish restaurant (that was owned by a Filipino), and the set meal we ordered was both affordable and delicious.

Inside the shopping plaza there were many designer knock-off brands and American mall standards. I was both impressed and embarrassed by some of the very good and very awful knock-offs. My godmother was excellent at bargaining, she got 2 shirts for me that cost originally 75 RMB each to 90 RMB for both. I know, wasn't that something? Well, it turned out, she was just an OK negotiator. I saw one European lady who spoke good Chinese and she bargained down one bathrobe from 300 RMB to 100 RMB. I was both surprised by her language + negotiation skills and how much the stores there could mark up for a profit.

We came back to rest a bit and later went to my godmother's apartment for dinner. She cooked lots so I ate lots, more than I should. She commented on how much weight I'd gained. Well, eating like a pig everyday and getting no exercise whatsoever would make anyone bigger. Time to hit the gym again when I get back next week. 

Wow. Just 3 more days, and I'm back on the La La Land.

Ripped off

We took a trip to Hangzhou today. It was my first time taking the train leaving from Shanghai and it was fantastic. The ride was clean, quiet and comfortable. I was very impressed. Once we arrived in Hangzhou, we found a taxi to take us to Xihu. He was a loud and seemingly friendly guy who offered to be our tour guide. We first started at the outskirt of the lake then we drove into the hillside to visit tea farms and a Longjing Tea tasting house. We tried and bought some of this very expensive tea - supposedly it was the No. 1 tea in China. I thought it was good, but I wouldn't know if it was truly the best tea I had ever tasted. Whatever. This was the time we figured out our taxi driver was working with the local business to get commissions if we made a purchase. Next stop our driver took us to the silk house to see if we would spend more, but we walked out without buying anything. He  literally did a 180 on us, turned silent, and said he must leave us at some intersection. He wouldn't even take us to where we wished to be dropped off. He made up some excuse to just take off - I thought what he did was extremely inconsiderate and rude. 

We had lunch at this cutesy Taiwanese + Chinese fusion restaurant by the lake. It was trendy and the food was pretty tasty. We visited my uncle's sister's antique jewelry store and browsed the antique shops on a this long street next to the lake. Finally, around 4 we went back to the main Xihu area to get on a boat and go on one of the most beautiful cruise I'd ever experienced. It was serene, beautiful and emotional. I loved it. Of course, the boat handler ripped us off too. We didn't even get a full 1 hour cruise and we had to pay more than the usual rate. I am beginning to believe that except for dining out in a restaurant, each time we go out and purchase anything while traveling in China, we can expect to get ripped off for sure. It's just HOW much we get ripped off. Sometimes the experience makes up for it, sometimes it just ruins it.

We came back around 10 riding on the train again. It was another wonderful trip :)

Selling myself

I feel funny today after coming back from a job interview my mom set up for me. It was an excellent company with great room to learn. However, the job's pay is one fifth's of what I was getting, and the position I was offered wasn't one with actual future prospects. It was a silent, pausing "hmm" experience. Mom was visibly disappointed and later turned upset. I could see she really wanted me to stay and work in Shanghai. I would like to as well, but this job wasn't the right fit at all.

I start to think about my entry yesterday, where I wrote about that pay wasn't important. Then again, it IS something to consider if I am going to move half across the world for. Also, this was going to be another designer job, I mean, seriously? If I wasn't good enough for the Director position, perhaps the Supervisor? 7 - 8 years in the business meant nothing? Perhaps I didn't sell myself well to Chinese hiring managers. Whatever. Because I spoke to them today, I learned a few things about the marketing industry in China, and that was something I got to keep for myself.

Shanghai Surprise

I woke up early this morning, started thinking about the job situation, and was unable to fall back to sleep. 2 weeks have passed and many fleeting thoughts after, I have gained a clearer - or perhaps I should say - less clouded perspective on where I will stand once my vacation is over. Certainly I will continue to search for jobs when I return. That part won't change. What changes is that I am open to work in a different state, maybe even in a different country. 

Right now I am thinking about this year's premiere episode of Ugly Betty, where Betty comes back from her trip and decides she is relocating to a bigger city. That daring move caused her lots of headache and losing of a close friend. I don't want to say that my life suddenly mirrors the show, but it does come pretty close. 

During one of the rides in Hubei a strange, unexpected sadness ran through me. I eerily sensed that I will leave Dave... soon. Tears started to form around my eyes and I had to wipe them off quickly. I have been so very close to Dave and the thought of losing that closeness and support scares and saddens me. Is this merely a ghost of my imagination or some kind of a foreshadowing of what is to come? I can't say. 

I have grown more and more intrigued, even fascinated by China - particularly Shanghai -each day I get to spend here. This wasn't exactly what I expected when I planned my trip. The city, the people, the opportunities, and the possibilities excite and ignite my tired and weary spirit. When I walk on the street or look outside the apartment window, I see a side of life and energy that I haven't experienced in a long time. Yes, some fragments of this excitement are the new surroundings, things that I have never felt, touched, smelled, or seen before. I can't deny the fact that simply being in the newness enthralls me.

Then again, the job opportunities and career potentials in China indeed seem healthier, for me anyways. Mom's right, for my desired industry and paths forward, my specific qualifications and skillset in LA might have been fine, but in Shanghai they are almost excellent. If I can find a better job in a different city across the globe or country - and I don't mean a job with a better pay - but with a better career outlook and more rewarding work experience, this might just be the real goal and push that I have been looking for since the day I received my green card.

Thinking about the future, especially one that shines brightly, keeps my eyes wide open. I have to admit, I had anticipated this to happen AFTER the trip, certainly not DURING it! Today I am awaken gradually. I will accept and embrace the new, even if it means that I will face heartaches and tears. I tell myself, if I find the right job and relocation must take place, the leave will be temporary. I don't want to and can't be away from Dave too far and too long. However, I need and crave a better career. And I will take on any necessary fight to get there.

Back in Shanghai

I am back. Shanghai is colder than I remember - Lots of big clouds and chilling breezes have replaced light, misty rain and cool, delicate temperature.

Wuhan was a pleasant and rapidly developed city, much like Shanghai, but with a slightly slower, perhaps easier pace. My grand uncle took us on several remarkable trips across Hubei province / region. One of the most impressive city we visited was Shiyan, which was where the spectacular and amazing Wudang Mountain located. The sight was truly stoic and magnificent. First I was amazed by the stairs that led us up to the temples, not only were they stretched far in distance, they were also built both steep and narrow. It turned out to be quite a workout physically, and for me mentally as well... Because I had a fear for heights - so it was challenge to stay focused just on the stairs nothing else. The temples and sights alone were nothing to write home about, but considering that these were constructed all the way up in this freakishly tall and immense mountain hundreds and hundreds of years ago, they were nothing less than incredible. Those Taoists still practiced and worked in one of the main temples today. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit that specific temple. I'm saving that trip for the next time.

Another major trip we took was to Xiangfan. We visited the famed Zhuge-Liang site where some of very popular stories about him originated and perhaps re-imagined just for tourists. I didn't study Chinese histories very well and I knew very little of him, so this part of our journey was kind of "oh-really" for me. Luckily our tour guide was super fun and lively, she joked about each distinctive site and gave us a tongue-in-cheek story as well as a perfect reference to current newsmakers and events, that helped keep me interested throughout the entire visit.

When we were staying at my grand uncle's big apartment dad corrected on one of the trips we took. I thought the trip to Jingzhou was to visit Zhuge-Liang and the fortress, I was only half right. Besides the fortress, it was mostly for the kind of creepy Xiongjiazhong tomb. We first saw the silk work ancient Chinese people created and the fashion designs. We then saw the famed corps / mummy... Yes, Chinese people did have real mummies, and they were much much much more exciting than ones in the craptacular sequel starring Jet Li.

A couple of things I noticed while dining out like a true pig on my trips: 1. A lot more people smoked here than in LA, and I meant A LOT. It was refreshing to see Chinese guys just lit one up before and after a meal. Inside or outside the restaurant made no difference. It was sort of a national men sport. No I didn't like second-hand smoke, but smoking was accepted almost everywhere and by everyone. It was freeing. 2. In a big, multi-plate meal extravaganza, rice came last, always. I was used to having rice come with the first dish, but here, if you were participating a 20+ dishes lunch or dinner, rice came second to last or very last on the schedule. Yep... a bit strange, but hey low carb diet rules right? So after eating all that meat and fish and veges, having very little room for rice or skipping rice altogether doesn't sound that bad.

I didn't get to sleep very much when I was in Wuhan and going on different trips. So I am going to try to catch some tonight.

Wuhan

I'm writing in from a public PC in my Wuhan hotel today. How I miss internet access LOL. I found out Obama was elected, but Prop 8 got passed too. You just can't have everything worked out in your favor, sigh.

When I arrived on Sunday I didn't know what to expect. Back in 1993, everything was moving forward, but I couldn't remember much other than having to wait for hot water at my grand uncle's house. Today the city was busy and crowded, cars and people everywhere, it was like Shanghai, but with about 1/2 less high rise buildings and designer stores.

First day here I visited my aunt's house. The apartment was roomy but I really disliked how much those energy light bulbs got used here. The entire room looked pale and lifeless. That deadnes-like glow was felt in my hotel bathroom, and almost everywhere in my aunt's apartment building, from her lobby to her living room. I thought they invented one that was more warmer in tone? I really don't like this grey everywhere most of the time when I'm indoors.

Another thing I didn't think I would see again was the on the ground lavatory unit. I don't know how to call it properly. Unlike a toilet where you get to sit and do your business, this type you are required to squat down and... you know. Perhaps I'm just not used to this, it's feels so bare. When I saw it in my aunt's restroom I was stunned. I remember using it when I was in elementary school growing up in Taiwan and back in 1993 when I last visited. Now it was back in my face I had to re-orient myself to get stuff done LOL. It's more smelly too. There's no cover to hide anything. That's another aspect I don't like about this on the ground open-wide "toilet."

Ever since I got to Wuhan, every meal except for one has been a 20+ course extravaganza. My grand uncle used to be a government official and he still has lots of newer and up-and-comers who respect him. When we go out to eat, there's this group who wanted to take care of the lunch and that company that wanted to pay for the dinner. When the plates started, they never really ended until the table ran out of space for them. 24 dishes were typical. I am not even counting the drinks and soups. Yes soups, there were always more than 3 soups to each meal. How could that be? I felt so indulgent, and yes, wasteful to eat that much and still not being able to finish. I knew and know I'm very fortunate to enjoy such overwhelming Chinese food each time we dine out, but I can't help but feel disappointed to see a lot of food goes to waste. My dad said the restaurants just feed them to the pigs. I hope so.

One of the major trips we took so far was to see the 3 Gorges Dam in Yichang. It was a stunning sight. The project was ambitious and the result was overwhelming. I knew it was a controversial task to take on, but I thought the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. We also went to the Jingzhou fortress where many of the great Chinese battles held. Speaking of historical buildings, we also visited the famed Yellow Crane Tower the day before I left for the dam trip. How the ancient people figured out how to build something that magnificent and intricate was awe-inspiring to me. Later this afternoon we will be leaving for Wudang mountain for a couple of days. When I come back I will write more :)

Halloween

I didn't get on the flight to Wuhan today. I got to the airport 20 minutes too late and the only option I had was to delay my schedule another day. I looked at it as my practice run. This was also my first time on the bus on my own to and back from the airport. When I came back to the apartment my uncle was watching the TV show Supernatural and mom was trying to nap. Yay! Another day in Shanghai! And I better get my act together tomorrow and get on that plane :)

Yesterday was Halloween. I didn't think there would be any kind of festivities here. I was half wrong. We were at Xintiandi last night, which was an equivalent to a unique combination of Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade and Pasadena Old Town and Universal City Walk and The Grove with a dash of historical Chinese landmark buildings and structures. Even though there weren't trick-or-treating kids or candies being given or exchanged, there were many staffs who worked at the bars and restaurants dressing up to be taken pictures with the crowds. And speaking of crowds, wow, they just kept on coming. Hundreds and hundreds of people. After having a big meal at Ding Tai Fung (yes it's that very popular Taiwanese dumpling house franchise), we went people watching and latte-ing at Coffee Beans & Tea Leaf (yes another big franchise). The street lamps were decorated with Halloween theme shades, the windows and trees had corps and props hanging over and spiderwebs spreading over as well. There were foreigners taking pictures, and of course regular Chinese folks doing the same. My godmother's daughter was sort of dressed to the night, wearing a red cape with a free witch hat from the stores. People took pictures of her too. It was a festive evening, but I wondered if anyone there knew what Halloween was about. I mean, even I don't know the story exactly.

Discoveries

I am feeling dumb now. I didn't bring my camera's USB cable and my uncle didn't have one, so I can't upload any pics I took. Oh well. It would be nice to show some photos along with the trip. I mean, I think blogs are always more interesting and appealing with pictures. So, I'm posting a couple of the pictures taken by my uncle. These are the night views next to my mom's apartment. As I'm blogging, this is what's happening by my window.

Today I took the Shanghai subway for the first time. We took #1 and went from Xu Jia Hui to People's Square, then we moved to #2 and went to Nanking East Road. The one thing I realized even better than yesterday was there were A LOT of people in Shanghai. I was constantly and consistently amazed by the amount of people we encountered going in and coming out of the subway. I had been to NY's subway and a big busy city like Manhattan, and they couldn't even compare. When we were walking down Nanking East Road, we were swamped and almost disappeared into the biggest crowds I had seen. Inside the shops, outside on the streets, and everywhere in between, more and more people kept coming and going. It was mind-blowing and overwhelming. I am not kidding.

I also realized there were many many many shops wherever we went. Never-ending retail stores followed one after another, from inside and out, from this building to the next, soon I became disinterested, and in a sense disconnected because they were just the same shops but in different buildings. Also, I would say almost everything in these stores were way way overpriced. A shampoo that would cost $1.99 in a regular American supermarket, in Shanghai it could get marked up to about 4 times as much, and that was very normal. If an item was deemed a luxury product, then the sky's the limit. It could go up to as much as 6 - 10 times over! Even something as simple and boring as black peppercorn could be 3 times as much as what you would pay for in the States. I was shocked and appalled. I thought the shops here were over-grown, over-saturated, outrageous and over-the-top. Then I saw all these people, walking, smiling, shopping, so what do I know? Some of them must be paying. How else could I explain this phenomenon.

So far I also noticed another thing while dining out in Shanghai. After we sat down, the wait staff would always bring a seat wrap or cover and pull it over your jacket if you happened to hung it behind you. This would keep your jacket from receiving accidental spills or absorbing grease and smell while you ate. I thought that was a very considerate gesture. However, it was only for your jacket. If the waiter happened to spill the soup all over you, or you happened to eat a very smelly or greasy meal, you and what you had on were all on your own.

Shanghai Now

I arrived in Shanghai this afternoon before 2. It was a long flight coming from Atlanta. Then again, flying business class for 15 hours straight was pretty awesome. I didn't expect to be put in the "Zone 1" and it was a great surprise and pleasure to experience that kind of luxury. The leather seat position was extremely customizable, there were almost limitless entertainment options available on the personal LCD screen, not to mention seemingly countless snacks or fruits or meals to select from, AND endless champaign and beverages, I can go on and on. Thanks Megan :) I did think the ticket assitant took a fancy on me and gave me an above and beyond seat arrangement on the plane. I was very thankful.

Once I got to the PVG airport, I waited in no time to get through the security. Mom and uncle were running late, however, so I had to wait by the gate for a while. We took the bus to come back to the Pu Xi section of Shanghai, aka Xu Jia Hui. It was a very busy and colorful part of the city. Lots of lights and trendy young kids crowded the streets and buildings. Mom's apartment is modest and comfy. After I settled down and spent some "gift time" with them, we picked a nearby restaurant and left again. The shopping mall we went to was clean modern and "Sephora" like. Note to self: I will take pictures next time I go, tonight I was too tired to do anything but eating. Speaking of which, the meal portion served here definitely is smaller. Tasty, but won't bust your waistline. We walked around the mall after we ate, and came back to watch some American TV programs my uncle downloaded.

Right now I am trying to stay up so I can adjust the time difference. Hopefully I will sleep very well tonight. My body is sore and eyes are very tired too. I can't believe after 12 years I am out of the States for real. Yay, I'm in Shanghai!

One more day

So I am still here. Megan told me the flights tonight were too full, and since she just started working at the company, her ranking was not at its highest. No problem for me, I could wait 'til Monday. More time for me to get ready.

Yesterday I finished up most of my chores. I met with Sylvia who loved the present. We shopped for a bit and I got more gift items for the trip. I came back briefly and left to go to Dave's for dinner. He made my favorite rosemary artichoke bow-tie pasta. It was delicious. He also made this fancy stuffing bell pepper dish with walnut sauce and pomegranate topping. Very restaurant grade. Of course he also made his signature tiramisu, which was amazing. I was very thankful to be invited to this goodbye dinner.

Today I got new phone cards. I also borrow my neighbor's scale. I don't want to get fined for overweight baggage. I packed 80% of my stuff but it seemed like I would be needing more space. We had another goodbye dinner tonight, with Angelo and Regina. It was very nice to spend another night with good friends. I am going to miss hanging out with them.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Hopefully I get on one of the flights!

Another day to go

I did very little today. I actually slept 'til 10 and was very happy that I did. I bought the supplement for my dad. This "MoveFree" thing is huge in Asia. I got 3 bottles and hoped that would last them a while. I took a nap too. Later this evening I hung out with Nicole who was carpet shopping. We spent a good chunk of time in her car chatting and waiting for the sales guy to show up, then we looked at the samples and picked the ones that might look good for her office. The cost turned out to be a lot more than she was expecting, so she had to wait.

I think I am kind of ready to go. Then I think about the wait between the airports and the long flights, I wonder what have I got myeslf into? I am going to be like some kind of a zombie by the time I arrive in Shanghai. This is normal for me, think about the negatives before the good stuff. I have not left the States in 12 years. It was all work, some breaks here and there, but never a full scale vacation. I finally got my greencard this year, and I thought I was going to get paid a lot better after moving onto the new job. Sure, my salary got a little boost, but the transition was anything but positive. Now this trip is progressing rather quickly and successfully (so far) I have to believe things do happen for a reason. Tomorrow is definitely going to be hectic. Then Sunday I will be going going and going. China here I come.

It's on

I got my ticket confirmation today. It still feels unreal to me. 2 weeks ago I was miserable at my job, skipping work to go to interviews, complaining and stressing out whenever I could... last week I got laid off, this Sunday I'm flying to Shanghai to visit my mom, and then Wuhan to see my dad. It's like a train that suddenly started to move after I decided that I should take this trip. For once I am happy to go with the flow and not over-worry what-if's down the line. What will happen will.

Sometimes I'm so at peace with everything, I surprise myself. For a big portion of this year I was unhappy because of my job situation. At first, I wanted to leave the company I was with for 7 years badly. 3 months later I got a new job. I jumped from one company to another without taking a break. 2 weeks later I knew this new place was not right for me. 1 month later I started searching for jobs again. Stress crept back into my life this time stronger than ever. Now I really hated my job and my supervisor, it created this bottomless hole that sucked almost all the optimism and hope I had in me. Then I was let go. It was a welcoming relief. No one wants to be rejected, however, when it's a horrible job that pushes you out, it doesn't really hurt much. It just sucked that they dumped me before I dumped them! Then again, if I were still working there, I wouldn't be able to take off 3 weeks to visit my parents.

So after all the ups and downs, the train is looking up and tight. It's going towards a new direction, and I am going to enjoy it.

Phone bank

I got my ticket for my trip today. Well, I almost got it. I called the travel agent who helped me with my Chinese entry and asked her to give me some quotes on the fares. She actually had very good prices compared to the ones I found online. I was on my way to her office, then I remembered Megan. I decided to talk to her before I made a choice. We went back and forth for a while, then she got me the ticket that's almost half of the best price the travel agent quoted me. The only issue was that her tickets were "standby," so I had to wait in line to see if there was a seat for me after everyone boarded. She did carefully pick the dates that were less crowded, so my chances of getting on the flight would be greater.

Tonight I volunteered to another phone bank to work on the No on Prop 8 campaign. This was the one that targeted at Asian voters. I was supposed to call the Chinese voters and code them individually on the list provided. Unfortunately the center only had an English script, therefore I was advised to just talk to the voters in English. It wasn't that I couldn't speak it, it was just that I always had a problem calling and speaking to strangers on the phone, no matter what the language I happened to use. I felt very shy, uneasy, and embarrassed. I guess if I were to speak Chinese to engage a stranger, I would be a little bit less tense. Sigh. I realized that I was there to help, so I bit my lips and went with it. I told myself that it was going to be fine and I needed to just try it. Of course it didn't really get easier. Every time I heard a voice-mail or wrong number notice, I experienced a big sense of relief. Then there were times that I had to speak to someone, and boy was it difficult. I felt extremely nervous, I couldn't follow the script correctly, and I just kept thinking, "Please just say you'll support us! Or not! I'm so awful at this! Don't you think I already know that?!!" I was proud of myself that I didn't quit calling. Even though I truly disliked what I was doing, I kept dialing and stayed past 9 o'clock, which was surprising to me. The last person I called turned out to be someone who would support us, the only person for the night for me, so I felt excellent.

I only have a few days to prepare for my trip. My schedule's going to be hectic. Wait - I don't have a job now, so it actually will work out just fine! Hahaha.

Positive feeling

I received Sylvia's email today, in which she wrote that she did mail her registration form yesterday, but she might have forgotten to sign it. That's just great. I am so disappointed. What can I say? I guess she tried? Sigh.

My Chinese entry visa was granted today too. I got it from the travel agent, who was very busy on the phone, so I left her office without getting a quote on the tickets. After searching the fares myself online, I realized the they really weren't that cheap. Why did I assume a round-trip ticket was going to cost me less than $800? I could be so clueless. I will double check with Megan tomorrow (if she comes back) and make my decision. I feel like I really need a job now, hahaha.

After our meal at India Sweets and Spices, Dave and I went to the NO On Prop. 8 Office in Silverlake. I felt so good and positive being there as a volunteer. There were a lot of people working on the phones, organizing the upcoming events, discussing various methods and strategies, or just helping out any way they can. My job was to enter the data from the phone call records. Did the respondents' answers correspond to one of the coding numbers? Were there any wrong numbers? What if they didn't speak English? There was a code or number to each situation and answer. I actually had a good time there. Who knew there were so many people who were passionate about human rights and determined to make a difference? I felt very proud to be a small part of that movement.

Jen and Steve got engaged!

This was a pretty good weekend. Friday night I went over to Dave's and stayed 'til after midnight. He made salad, lasagna, and apple cobbler. We listened to records and it was a very "old fashion" and mature gathering. Yesterday was a little rougher. I had made plans to see Sylvia, but she told me that she was sleepy and wanted to meet later. Because I already had plans to go to Jen's surprise engagement party last night, I couldn't really see her in the evening. We talked about this previously. I was to bring her the voter's registration form, and she would sign it when we hung out, it was her idea too! Now she was canceling it, I became very upset. This had happened before, many times, and it always frustrated the heck out of me. I would make plans, then she either disappeared or canceled last minute. UGH! Needless to say, our conversation ended awkwardly. I knew she didn't care. Sigh, I tried. 

Jen's surprise engagement party went very well. She was shaken and crying when she saw us. Steve really pulled it off this time. He rocked, and we were all so proud of him. Everyone was so happy for them. It was a such joyous night. This morning I woke up around 9, did some work, then went to the gym. It was a very relaxing day. Dave later called me to confirm dinner plans. Before dinner Jose and Dave came over a little early to help fix my bedroom window. This project turned out to be more demanding than we thought. Dave would have to come back to screw the windows back in more firmly. We went to Mandarin Deli and had a very satisfying meal. The owner actually already knew what we wanted to order and that made the whole experience quite fun. Afterwards we stopped by Marie Calendar to get ourselves a razzleberry pie. It was only $6.99 too, what a steal! We watched the Fox cartoon block and each had a slice of pie. Yummy. It was another good night spent with great friends.

Why am I working when I'm jobless?

Today I woke up early to finish up the ad project for my previous company. I was feeling frustrated because the mistakes in that document were just so overwhelming. My ex-manager called me and told me not to bother with fixing everything wrong on it. Otherwise, the boss would think I spent too much time and tried to rip him off. I was offended by that comment. The main reason I left that job was because I couldn't get a raise for the last 3 years working there. He was too cheap! And even now I'm not charging them my fair rate. I was a little upset, but I knew I shouldn't take it personally. I mean, you can't argue with boss's cheapness. So I hurried up and finished the project. By 10:30 I was emailing and uploading the file to their site. It wasn't the most pleasant morning, but at least I got stuff done.

I ate and relaxed some more. When I was preparing to go to the gym, suddenly I felt super sleepy. So I went to take a nap. I love having naps. I woke up an hour and a half later, hit the gym, and came back to eat an early dinner. Then I did some shopping at TJ's and watched some TV. Mom called to ask me to bring a bunch of stuff to her. All bulky food items. I was hoping to travel with a light luggage, not anymore. Whatever. We'll see how things go.

Busy

My first day after leaving that awful place turned out to be pretty busy. First thing in the morning, I submitted my unemployment claim. Then I gathered all my parking stubs, taped them down neatly, and went to the post office to mail them out. I also wrote a nice note for the HR dept for helping me. I wasn't very sure if the company would really reimburse me. I was just glad to send all those stubs away and never had to see them around again. The next stop was my bank. I deposited the last two checks I received. The teller asked me about the company, I was surprised that I didn't badmouth my experience there. Seriously, why would he care what happened to me there? And why would I bother anyway? I no longer worked there and talking about it would just bring back the lousy memories.

Then I went to the gym and did some exercise. During noon time I found there were many more ladies working out and not as many men. I wondered if I had also become one of the housewife types. I didn't mind. I could totally get used to this lifestyle, hahaha! I came home around 1 o'clock and had the pasta my neighbor gave me a couple nights ago for lunch. The daytime TV was horrible, suddenly I realized I should get my butt up to do some work. So I started working on the project my ex-manager handed me over the weekend. The designer they hired after me was terrible. She was sloppy, inconsistent, and clueless. After I edited the document I had to fix all her mistakes. It took me longer to correct her stuff than it would take me to make the changes my ex-manager needed. I couldn't finish the project today. It would be another few hours before I could turn the ad in - I guess that's good. I do get paid by the hours :)

PR5 was a little anti-climatic tonight. Jose and I both picked the right winner. Yay! I don't know if moving the show to Lifetime will affect our viewing. As long as they don't change the format too much, most likely we will keep watching it.

I did sleep better last night. Stepping away from a bad situation indeed does a body good!

Phased out

It finally happened. Around 5 o'clock this afternoon, the HR director walked into my office and said my supervisor wanted her to tell me that my position was being "phased out." So there I was, without a job that I never liked. I said goodbyes to a few of the people I enjoyed working with and I left the building. My head was clear and I walked on happily. Of course I was concerned that I would be jobless for who knows how long, but I was glad this chapter finally had closed itself.

I called a few friends and told them about the unexpected unemployment. It felt like a good news. I had been talking about quitting all this time and now it happened, it was a huge weight off my shoulders. In a way, I felt I was released from a trap, a place that was seriously unhealthy and unhappy. I called and told dad too. He was calm and gave me some pep talk. Dave and Jose and I then went out for dinner. Well, I had to admit, I wasn't entirely focused on what we were eating at Teresitas, my mind was still processing the news. It was good to have them around. Later we went back to Jose's and watched some TV and ate cookies we bought at Food4Less. I got home after 10 o'clock. I felt a little restless and of course a little worried, but I knew everything would work out just fine.

Hopefully I will be sleeping better now.

Good day

I had a good day today. Things went smoothly, not too swimmingly, but fairly successful that I didn't feel too much stress. Of course, the post office was closed today and I couldn't send out my credit card payment. I will have to drop by their downtown branch tomorrow and pay it in person. There will be some walking ahead.

Tonight I got to hang out with Megan. She's so fun and hilarious. We always have a good time when we go out. Why can't I have more days like this?

Ate too much tonight

I talked with Z briefly in the morning today. It was good to talk and listen to an old friend, someone who had been there and known you well, I felt more grounded after our chat. Then I went back to catch more sleep.

I didn't do much the rest of the day. I went to the gym and bought banh mi for lunch. Later I started the project from my previous company. I didn't get very far. About 5 o'clock I left to have dinner with Dave and Jose. We met up with Sylvia, Tim and his family in Artesia for Indian food. Rajdhani was a lively and exciting vegetarian all-you-can-eat restaurant. We ate so much in such a short time. I was stuffed. I think the desserts were my favorites.

I came back around 10 o'clock, and just sat back and relaxed. Another week is about to begin. I will make the best of it.

Pep talk

I spoke to dad this morning. He told me sometimes we had to lie to get out of a real bad situation, so it's not a bad thing. Also, I am not getting paid if I don't go to work, therefore it's not like I'm ripping them off. Dad's pep talk really helped loosen my stress, and guilt. After we hung up, I found a local travel agent who could get my China visa for me without me actually visiting the official processor myself. I had to pay more, of course. I didn't mind. As long as everything gets done.

My productive morning continued. After dropping off my document with the agent, I went to see my dentist for a checkup. Luckily my dentist said my teeth were quite healthy. He also recommended deep cleansing next time, since my insurance covered it. I asked if teeth bleaching was covered, they said no. Oh well. I met up with Sylvia and her brother and his girlfriend in the evening. We had an OK meal at this Korean tofu house. They were running short on some of the dishes that we specifically came here for, like the green bean rice and steamed egg. They also didn't do that great of a job on the main dish: forgetting to make the soup spicy. We were disappointed.

We went back to her brother's place to watch a popular Taiwanese movie called Cape No. 7. It was a relaxed, romantic and moving dramady. I was very impressed with the art direction, music selections, cinematography, acting, and the well-developed characters. Although the story had a couple of plot-holes overall its compelling strengths made up for its shortcomings. I really liked it. I look forward to owning it when it comes out on DVD.

Tired

I am feeling tired. I try to make good decisions but I want a break. I don't know if this is the right choice. I don't know if that is the wrong choice. I don't know if I'm going to make another mistake. I wish I didn't have to lie (about being sick) and I'm about to do it again next Monday. When I go back to work on Tuesday I am going to feel more awkward than ever.

I am tired.

Portfolio

Jose helped me big time tonight. Dave suggested that I should have a portfolio on hand, even though I already posted the images online. I didn't think about creating one before, and today it hit me, why not? Lucky me, Jose got a very nice color printer and I went to his place to print out some of my work. He used very nice photo papers for printing and the results were clean, glossy and awesome. We later went to Office Depot and got me a presentation folder. For now I only used 6 - 7 pieces, like a selective sample from various projects. To check out a more complete portfolio, I will direct the hiring manager to my online gallery.

Jose and I had Korean BBQ for dinner tonight. It's something we probably can't and won't have with Dave. It was a lot of meat and pretty good. I finally finished my application and portfolio at Jose's after this meaty meal. It was a productive evening, and Jose again helped me lots. I was happy.

Back and forth

Work got weird today. I made some suggestive posture, like hands grabbing boobs, and I offended one of the coworkers. She laughed about it at first, but later told me I made her feel very uncomfortable. I apologized, somehow she didn't seem to accept it. Why am I still working here?!

I'm not going to make this entry another complaining piece. I know, just today.

The weather got hot again surprisingly. When I got home I heard some of my neighbors' ACs running. It's back and forth this and last week. Come to think of it, kind of like my state of mind, in and out of depression-like moodiness. Hopefully things start to set soon.

Depressed somewhat

The weekend went away quickly and I didn't try to be productive. I am feeling down and uninspired most of the time. There are of course moments of positivity, however, they don't come very often. I know I shouldn't let a lousy job get to me like this. I tell myself to rise above, I succeed sometimes. "It's all a test. I must keep going..." It's the same old preaching I give myself everyday. Is it working? Sure. I just shut off all the voices and blank out. And I stop feeling happy just the same. I'm probably depressed, somewhat. What's new?

I signed up for facebook yesterday. I must admit it was fun and addictive, like when I started my account on myspace. For the first couple of weeks, I checked the site everyday and put thoughts on every little detail. I wondered if this would turn out just just the same, where I stopped finding it interesting after a month or so. Sigh. I am so unhappy.

I'm going to work this week. Then I don't know. Keep going until I find a job, and keep feeling miserable? Or just quit and give myself some time to regroup? Sigh.

Bleh

The mood today was between mild and down. I didn't get any responses and one of the projects I had been working on was given to someone else. I had a feeling the company was about to let me go, which was fine. I was glad that I didn't stop looking for jobs. I hope my next company will be a right choice for me. Already I have spent good 5+ months this year on job searching. Soon it will be 6 months. That's half a year! It's mentally exhausting. Really. I feel drained.

I am going back to work next week. I wish I could say that today was my last day there. Day in and day out I sound like such a whiner. I am. Sigh.

Gossipy

My work is gossipy. I don't know if that affects how much I hate working there. Of course, this company has that low-morale problem too. Although I have major issues with the management, among other things, some of the people there are actually cool and even fun to talk to. Unfortunately that is not going to keep me from looking for a grand exit.

I have a feeling something good is going to happen soon.

Productive Day-Off

I did everything I set out to do today. I went to the job interview. I got an estimate for my car repair. I had my car washed too.

The weather in LA suddenly raised up yesterday and today. It was above 100° all afternoon and I was sweating like a pig. It was like summer had never left.

Dave made fast food inspired dinner tonight. Deep fried cauliflower, and chilli steak fries - totally yummy and probably not that good for the waistline. He also bought a delicious lemon cake for Jose, who just returned from his trip. PR5 tonight was frustrating. Why couldn't they just eliminate one contestant and save us the anguish? I really didn't expect to dislike Kenley so much. I actually liked her when the show started. Then her true color came out... not a nice or humble person at all. Ugh.

I'm going to try to catch some sleep tonight. Last night was excruciating. I couldn't sleep well and wake up every 50 minutes or so 'til this morning at 6:20. The stress this job is giving me everyday is so not worth it. I feel like crap, then I try to talk myself out of feeling like that, then I fall back into that thought, then I bring myself back up. I need a break.

Patience.... Patience...

Off

I am taking tomorrow off. I am going to get my car bodywork estimated. I'm also going to get a car wash. My car is SO dirty.

No, I'm not only doing car things tomorrow. I have a job interview too! Yes!!! Finally.

We'll see how things go :) Wish me luck.

Not a good driver

I did something truly awful today. I scratched my car! It felt horrible. The scratch looked terrible. I was so upset. I am going to find a body and paint shop to repair the ugly scratch, along with the bumper and front dents. Ugh! Why wasn't I more careful?

I hope this is that No. 3 thing. I got that stupid ticket. Then my car got towed. And now the big scratch. It's all me though, so I take full responsibility. Sigh... I am not a good driver.

Easy

Yay! I slept in this morning! I didn't get up 'til 11 something. It was going to be an easy Sunday. I went to the gym, had a sandwich for lunch, and watched half of a DVD I rented. I then met up with Judy for some quick snack around 4:00. She will be on vacation for a while. I wish I could take a long break too. She said once I get a job offer, quit and take 2 weeks off. I will definitely do. That day will come soon.

I went to Dave's for dinner tonight. He made salad, ranch dressing, and vegetarian chilli. The salad was refreshing, and the chilli was spicy, but very tasty. We watched the Fox animation block too. It was a relaxing evening. I am blessed to have friends who help me and listen to me and understand who I am and what I want. When times are challenging, and emotions are low, I rely on them to keep me grounded and keep me sane.

Good Saturday

I saw Eagle Eye today with PK and Yu. It was a fun movie. The stunts were pretty good. I liked the chase in the junkyard and the chase through the luggage ducts. The music cues were quite annoying to me because they came early and sounded laughably generic. When it was going to be suspenseful, the music let you know that, way ahead. And kept at it while the scene was progressing. When the action was about to take off, the music came out again to remind us that the chase would start, or was happening. "OK! I get it, it's very suspenseful! It's very thrilling! Thanks for helping!" SO predictable and SO unnecessary.

We had lunch after the movie. I came home around 3 PM, and did a couple of job submissions. Later I met up with Dave Cam Dan for dinner. Yum. Then Megan came over, and we had shaved ice. PK was at the place we had ice too, and it was a nice evening to finish my Saturday. There was a lot of laughs and eats - a full, action-packed evening.

Oh is it Friday? Oh good!

Work today was slow and awful. At this point my supervisor and I have stopped talking to each other. We didn't get into a fight or anything. We just ignore each other in the office. I hate it.

This sinking, horrible feeling gets worse when I realize I receive no phone calls for interviews. I look at my phone, I check my email, I look at my phone again, and I check my email again. Nope. Nada. It's emotional, it's draining, it's very frustrating. I don't really know how long I can take it. I suppose I can stay on as long as it needs to. I wish the situation is less painful, but we all have lows in life. The best thing to do, is to keep pushing my limits, and try maintaining some sort of a balance.

Who knew life after getting my green card would be this stressful and depressing? I tell myself will get better. I will land myself a better job.

It really happened!

Washington Mutual went down! Wow. I didn't expect it to be... tonight! Fortunately it should be "a seamless transition." I wonder if I will need to change banks next week. I still have lots of checks from WaMu... I always read about the American economy is bad, but I never thought it was affecting me directly... Until tonight!

I don't know what to think.

Deflated

Today was busy. I had a lot to work on and there was not much down time. My office-mate did a couple of phone interviews. It made me feel left out. I still had no call back and my confidence was seriously deflated. Luckily, I had work to do.

After work I went to Target, and had dinner with Dave and Jose. No matter how low I feel, it's always good to hang out with friends and unwind. I felt more balanced when I came back, and I hit the gym around 10:30 - It's just another night. Hopefully tomorrow is a nicer day.

Whatever

I had an eventful weekend. I even had a date. Whatever. I still haven't heard any responses from jobs I applied. It's getting a little tiring.

Unfortunately I talked with mom and she didn't make the situation any better. Something about me refusing their help is making my life less blessed. I'm so annoyed now. Why did I pick up that phone? I'm going to watch some comedy and make myself laugh.

UGH.

Celebrating

Friday's here! I didn't hear back from anyone this week. Well, there were a couple of recruiters, but I wasn't interested. They did seem to work for my office-mate. He even got an interview with a company next week. I don't know, different things work for different people.

One of the new employees, who started around the same time as me, was leaving today. There was a celebration in the dining room. I wished it was me. I wished I was the one leaving. Of course I wouldn't be giving a 2-week notice. I would most likely just take off, and have myself a vacation. I can sure dream.

More job hunting this weekend... I hope I get something great soon.

Some kind of a metaphor

Dave Jose and PK came over last night to do PR5. We went to Hunan Chilli King for dinner. This was not a place for timid or casual diners. The food was seriously spicy and totally delicious. Did I mention SPICY? My tongue was burning. It was painful, but oh so yummy.

When we came back to my place, Dave commented my internet speed was very slow. We tested the speed, and it was barely above dial-up. So we swapped and plugged the cable into the modem directly. The speed now was 9 - 10 times faster. When we hooked it back into the router, the speed went down again. Dave downloaded some firmware and we re-tested the speed to see if the upgrade would fix the issue. Nope, it didn't do anything. The router was dragging down the speed still. So we just decided to plug the cable directly into the modem.

All this time, like for the past 3 years, I never thought the cause for my slow internet speed was the router. I always thought it was because I had an old computer. Now we removed the router and connected the computer directly to the modem, it's banging! It was like the sky got clear all of sudden.

Before Dave left, he got to use my faucet in the vanity area. The water that came out was leaky and drippy. It was sad. He put tape around the faucet head, used pliers to unscrew it without scratching the surface, and put what he detached into a spoonful of vinegar to clear out the junk that clogged it. Well, the water that came out of that faucet became so powerful I was amazed. I always assumed it would be that leaky and sad, there was nothing could be done. Now Dave removed the head, it worked like it should.

I was telling Dave this was like the internet connection. He just removed something standing in the way, and the order was restored. It really felt like what happened was some kind of a metaphor. And yes, Dave's like, amazing.

Hmm, what can Dave remove for me now so my life will be nicer and much more wonderful, like the way it should be? LOL.

I need a break

It was a long day today. I didn't hear anything back from the job submissions. One recruiter did call me after 6 PM, and I was polite. I already went through one recruiter, and that was more than enough. I couldn't say no to her though. I was too nice. I just won't go meet her for her BS. All that paperwork, all that dumb tests, all that registration nonsense, all that talk about what makes me different, all that... just for her to look at me and see I know how to tie a tie. All this work adds up to nothing - No real interview in sight. Why bother? Dave's right, it's a waste of time.

It's a lot of stress everyday going into the office. I want to leave, but I can't. My office-mate wants to quit also, and unlike me, he's been getting calls. He's very vocal about it too. So that pressure just keeps on building, and building, 'til the end of the work day. Next morning, it starts all over again. And the roll-call, ugh I hate it. I HATE IT. My heart races every morning looking at the clock, trying to get into the building before they do that freaking on-time report. It's not healthy. Seriously, why am I still there? This emotional and physical torture must be some kind of journey is greater than the destination thing. It's like, going to make me a better person, or something super and wonderful. It has to be. I can't explain it any other way.

I complain too much again. I do. Sigh. I need a break. Give me a break please!

What is going on?

Seriously. What is going on? First my Mac, now this? Please don't tell me they always come in 3's. Let's count that ticket the 1st occurence then...

It was an eventful night. I went to the gym after work, and when I walked into the lot where I parked my car, it was nowhere to be found. I thought I was losing my mind. "It must have been stolen," I thought. I felt sick to my stomach. Both my wallet and cellphone were in the car. I didn't know where to go and what to do. I walked back into the gym and asked to borrow their phone. I was lucky enough to get a nice girl's cellphone to use.

I called the police station, and found out that it was towed. I supposed it was better than stolen. Yes it was a "good" news, just not that good - I had to pay $225 in cash to get it out. I should not have parked across the street in that shopping center. BUT I had parked there for the last 2 years, who knew someone would really call to tow my car? I kept calling Dave on this borrowed cellphone, because his number was the only one I remembered. Sadly he didn't answer. I was helpless. If I didn't pick it up tonight, the charge would likely double tomorrow. I was so stressed.

The manager in the gym saw me looking distressed and offered to give me a ride to the tow yard. I didn't know how to take it at first. He didn't even know me. Shortly after 8 PM, Dave still didn't pick up or call back, so I hopped into the manager's car and off we went. My car was actually towed to a different city, Lincoln Heights, and since the manager wasn't from the area, we got a little lost. Luck for me, we found it just in time. There were two other ladies who also came to pick up their car. It was also towed in the same lot. We were all annoyed, but what could we do?

I went to see my car, it was fine, and I got my wallet. The kind manager took me to a CVS in the area and I took out lots of cash. I paid the amount and finally took my car out. This was some shady and seedy operation. The lot was tiny, and only needed two people to operate. They were located in a residential area in Lincoln Heights, and if no one pointed it out, I would have never noticed it was a tow yard. All cash too?! Evil! Again I thanked the manager some more and took off. What an evening... and ugh, expensive too!

Dave actually thought some recruiter was bothering him so he didn't pick up, and when he finally checked the messages I left, he took off running looking for me. He called just when I was about to call him. We were just a block away from each other. I started to tell him what happened, but stopped in the middle because I was so hungry and tired. He took me to a small Mexican restaurant and we split a burrito and 5 potato tacos. That was a good meal and a half.

I couldn't believe how much it cost me, just in 45 minutes I was $225 poorer. So stupid too. I should remember PK's number. He would actually be the next right person to call, but I didn't have my phone with me and I never tried to memorize his or anyone else's number. Sigh. A costly lesson learned!

Goodbye my first Mac

Today I was lazy. The only thing productive I did was gym. I saw PK there too. I came back and had the other banh mi for lunch. The grocery shopping was unsuccessful. So many people and cars, but what I went to get was sold out. Oh well, so I left TJ's empty handed.

PK gave me a real good advice on the interview I had last week. At first I resisted the idea because I already decided she picked another applicant. PK said even if she did, it's always a good idea to show that I am interested and will be open to future openings in her company. It's important to keep that channel open. Sometimes PK is so mature. Of course I didn't know how to write a good follow-up letter. So PK helped me write one and I sent it to her. Yay!

Later Megan came over and picked me up. We went to a local boba place to chat and catch up. I always have a good time with her and laugh lots.

I went to Dave's for dinner around 6 o'clock tonight. He and Jose researched and looked at my dead iMac for a bit, and decided it was best to let it go. Sigh. Dave got me this iMac when I graduated and moved down to LA. It's my first Mac. One of the many great surprises Dave gave me over the years. And it had been with me through ups and downs, several upgrades, and it had always kept on going. I couldn't believe it was time to part ways. Dave took out the hard drive and the ram and put it aside. We will bring the remaining parts to a the e-waste site this coming weekend.

Goodbye my sweet iMac.

Productive

I had a pretty productive day today. I slept in 'til almost 9 and I did some gift-shopping for a friend online. Went out to buy vitamins for CH, then found out the place was closed down for renovation. I came back home to find another location in LA, called them, and went out again. Little Tokyo was surprisingly calm on a Saturday. I found the store, bought the vitamins, and walked around the plaza. I then went to the Post Office after my trip, and shipped the stuff out around noon. I ate Subway for lunch, and took a nice 3-hour nap. It was pretty awesome.

I started applying for jobs tonight. I was watching PR5 reruns AND writing cover letters. I was distracted. Still, I sent out 4 applications. Sigh. I am getting tired of this process. Of course I need to keep at it - Hopefully one day the right job will come my way.

Friday!

Today I don't feel so lucky. I didn't get the call back from my interview on Monday. This will be another resume filled weekend.

I met up with Sylvia and her brother and his girlfriend tonight for dinner. We went to this Taiwanese restaurant called Indian - It was a full house. We waited in line for almost an hour to get our table. The food was surprisingly tasty, and very Taiwanese. The waitresses all wore short shorts and very tight outfits. We were also happy the food came out super fast. It was a great evening with friends, I almost forgot about my job situation. Almost :)

Lucky day

Something shocking happened today at work... The company reimbursed everyone the parking fee!!! I couldn't freaking believe it. For a minute there I was completely speechless. I thought I was never going to get my money back, and I intended to leave immediately after I found my next job.

The good news did make me feel like... Now what? It was my favorite motivator, but I don't have it anymore. Anyway, I will still hunt for jobs. Getting back what they owed me today was just a huge surprise. Unfortunately I have been paying parking daily this week, I probably should have continued to pay for the monthly permit. Whatever. I have to focus. New job. Next stop. Go go go.

I seriously have the nicest neighbors. My next door neighbor gave me hearty soup again for dinner. It tasted great. Later this evening my other neighbor lady, for no reason, asked me if I liked sushi. I of course answered yes. She then proceeded to give me a box of California roll, fresh from the restaurant she worked at. Oh Yeah! I am feeling lucky, and very very blessed.

Wednesday is fun and delicious

I was late to work again this morning. Today there was only 2 people who made it before 8:30 - I got the email from the supervisor saying that she will have a meeting with everybody next week about this. Arrgh. Someone please tell her to stop this nonsense.

Wednesday's always fun and yummy. I went to Dave's after work. He made macaroni tonight. It was so good! There was vege pork and coleslaw to go between the hamburger buns too. Dave also made mustard green. It was super good. We finished this meal off with a warm chocolate cake and 1 scoop of vanilla and banana ice cream each. So happy!

The PR episode tonight was good. The best part wasn't the actual challenge, but the critique in the end. I loved when Nina called Kenley out for being super defensive. And I luuuved when MK said Suede was self-delusional. That was beyond awesome!

Another day

Today I was 10 min late and got on the "on-time" report. I couldn't stand this place. There wasn't much to do in the morning, and later I found out there was an error on an ad I worked on a while ago. Basically, we discussed what to put in the ad over and over for a couple of weeks. We finally all agreed, then at last minute I was asked to change the url in the ad, so we could track the traffic. Today I learned that last minute change did not get implemented. That link did not exist then, and still does not exist today. Sigh. I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Let the blame game begin. Ugh, did I mention I can't stand this place?!

I watched the new show Fringe tonight. I wasn't that interested in the hype and didn't expect to like the show. Of course I got sucked in 5 min into it and didn't stop 'til it was over. Fringe was Lost-ish, Bone-like and X-Files-esq all rolled up into one. It was an entertaining pilot, had well-written characters and an engaging storyline, and enough intrigue to keep me hooked and probably coming back for more.

Eventful

What a day... I took today off because I had a job interview. It was not with any recruiter but with an actual employer. I was excited and even got there almost an hour early. The interview went well, I will have to wait 'til Friday to find out the result.

I didn't blog this weekend. I was productive. My ex-manager dropped by to give me the computer from the company, so I could help him out with some stuff. The pay was going to be low, but I was doing it more like a favor to him. I saw Hamlet 2 with Dave and Jose. The movie was funny at times, but I felt it was very disconnected overall. Scenes kept moving and I didn't get a very good full picture of different characters. We all thought it was OK.

I also went to see a concert with Megan. It was The Million Star Alumni showcase. I was disappointed. The performance was just a series of karaoke sing-along, no band, no background vocal. It was embarrassing. The tickets weren't cheap either. I didn't understand why people would pay to see these singers sing to pre-recorded tracks. I was underwhelmed.

Sunday afternoon I visited and hung out with Jen. Her new apartment was homelier than her previous pad. We had Mexican food at Casita Del Campo in Silverlake. The atmosphere there was great, the service was superb, the booth we sat in was nice and cozy. The food, however, was only alright. My chicken burrito didn't have any rice or guacamole or extra something in it, just chicken meat and beans. It was a little dry too. I wondered what Dave would say about this place.

Tomorrow I will go back to this awful organization. I am not looking forward to waking up to that. I will get out of it soon enough. I know I will.