pet peeve

this is not a new one, but i've only started realizing this recently - it really bugs me when i call people on their mobile and they don't pick up.  i've grown up in a professional environment where it's simply not acceptable to miss a call.  when the boss calls, it means something urgent came up which must be tend to. immediately.  now of course it's never a matter of life or death, but you Never.Miss.A.Call.  'nuff said. 

so over the years i came up with a number of "habits" that help me pick up the phone within 3 rings, like having the most shrill, annoying ring ever; sleeping with the phone next to my bed; holding the phone in my hand when i'm walking outside (so even if i don't hear it in the street i'll feel it vibrate); and checking my phone religiously to see if i've had any missed calls.

so like i said, this never bothered me until recently... My mom just retired and has a lot of free time on her hands, so i try to call her to chat when there's a break in my schedule.  unfortunately, she never picks up the phone, nor does she know how to detect a missed call or check her voicemail.  and so i call, and call, and call... but most often then not i'd end up getting "9 1 9 6 3 8 8 7 is not available at the moment.  please leave a message after a beep. [BEEP]"

one day, just as i was getting particularly annoyed, it occured to me that it's me who has a problem.  *most* people don't really care if they miss calls.  if they don't hear their phone, they don't.  or maybe they just didnt feel like picking up.  or maybe they're in the loo and can't get to the phone. either way, it's not a big deal as there are much more important things to worry about than missed calls. 

doesn't mean it doesn't still annoy me though.  old habits are hard to kick.

*****************************************************************************
photo from family trip to taipei a couple of years ago.  good times.

sweetness

i never liked sweet things when i was younger, but i've recently started snacking on chocolate. mind you, i only crave dark, good quality chocolate - supermarket brands simply don't satisfy my cravings anymore. with expensive chocolate, you never have to eat the whole bar. even a small piece (or two!) can be very satisfying.

i read somewhere that the correct way of "consuming" chocolate is to NEVER do the bite-chew-swallow routine. instead you should bite off a small piece in your mouth, press that against the roof of your mouth with your tongue, and suck on it until the piece has completely melted in your mouth. sounds weird i know, but then your entire mouth is filled with the lingering chocolaty-richness afterwards. yum!

thanks to astroanne, i've recently been introduced to my new favourite snack (too bad they don't sell them where i live!) 

Measure of success

at din tonight, i was rambling on about how HK buyers suck and shopping
in New York is generally so much better when my mom put her hand on me
arm, looked all proud and said "my daughter's updating her wardrobe in
New York!" (prob an exaggeration, though i did buy so much we had to
borrow a suitcase from p's mom to carry all the new stuff)

I guess to my mom, me flying to New York and "updating my wardrobe"
there implies that she has managed to raised a financially-secure
offspring... a measure of success.  of course that's also because
she's never seen my credit card statements

I thought it was awfully cute, the few minutes when she was patting her
own back for good parenting.  so long as she's happy i s'ppose

3:58am

just got back from vacation and i'm having serious jet lag.  am
WIDE AWAKE!  help.  want to get back to sleep but
how???  worried about p's ties.  hmm.  maybe will watch
some [E!]... their 101 most xx countdowns are usually pretty good at
putting me to sleep

i owe you guys pictures.  astroanne, it was *so* good to see ya

hehehe, inappropriate, but so funny

This naughty nipple-topped pair attaches to your shower wall with the
suckers provided, with each bosom having a compartment for shower gel,
shampoo or conditioner. To dispense, simply squeeze away - but be
warned, you could run out of shower gel very quickly... (www.gizmodo.com)

leaving on vacation tomorrow *so* excited!  i haven't taken any time off since christmas.. talk about sad

New bag

I just got myself a VERY BIG BAG.  it's great... helps me carry files
to and from meetings without the pain of carrying a briefcase and (god
forbid!) being mistaken for a junior person

the problem with VERY BIG BAGS, unfortunately, is that they're so big that
i feel inclined to fill them up with stuff.  plus there's absolutely
no need to keep things minimal since i have so much space that i can just
keep expanding my collection of things to carry around!

so whereas i used to only carry 4 things (wallet, phone, keys, nano) and
tucked everything away neatly in my normal-sized bags, in my VERY BIG BAG,
i just throw everything in:  change from the cab, my work ID that
needs to come out of my wallet everytime i enter or exit my floor, business
cards, supermarket coupons, everything.  why bother putting everything back into the wallet
again when i can just fish for them in the bag when i need them next?  how convenient to have everything at my finger tips!  

i bet very soon my VERY BIG BAG will graduate into a BAG THAT HAS EVERYTHING.
you know, like a "mom bag" that has everything one can ever need:
 tissues, eye drops, aspirin, foot spray, spare battery for your calculator....
seek and ye shall find!

and on that day i will [finally] become a responsible, adult woman (coz
grown-ups always carry tissues - haven't you noticed?)....  just you
wait!

Greatest fear

What’s yours? some people are scared of heights, some of enclosed spaces, some of rats. i am deathly afraid of roaches. You’d think I’d be used to them having grown up in a tropical, hot climate. But noooooo…… if i see one sitting in front of my apartment, i will go loiter around the block until it goes away. if i suddenly see one scurrying in front of me on the street, i will pull on peter's arm hard and SQUEAL. I’d even jump if I see a dead roach lying on the streets. i hate summers coz that’s when the roach community comes to hang out on the streets. Bleh

cockroaches suck

i hate them so much you can't pay me 1 million bucks to eat one. actually, not even 10 million. i'd try, but i'd probably gag and puke it all out

so if you want me to lose on fear factor, all you have to do is to put me a in box of cockroaches, dead or alive [shudder]

what’s your greatest fear?

Aggro uncle

click here (6min video). sorry, video in canto only 

tsk tsk. *so* many people with issues out there.  everytime i see someone behave like this it reminds me of my resolution to be a nicer person.  nicer and more patient.. esp on my current assignment.  i'm naturally quite impatient and, if i am not more careful, will easily leave my very nice but slow colleague on this project in tears every time we have a conversation about work.  which wouldn't be very nice now would it.  Must.Focus.On.Being.Nice.And.Patient.   

more importantly, what am we going to watch now that idol and Lost have both wrapped for the season??

question for you - i have a new colleague who sweats whenever he's stressed out and when he sweats he smells.  the boy needs deodorant.  i don't know how to break it to him though... any ideas? if i leave a can of  RightGuard on his desk would he get it? and yes i do have to work with him quite frequently so it's not like i can just stop breathing everytime i see him...

unrelated song below.  this has been playing in my head for a while
| Download of the day: James Blunt - You're beautiful |

my grandmother has (almost fully) recovered - thanks for all your concern
it was a very close call, but she's is a fighter and i am so glad she pulled through
it wasn't until i was at her bedside and it hit me that we might actually lose
her, that i realized what a bad granddaughter i've been. how i've taken
her and many of my other relationships for granted

murakami made
a good point in "dance dance dance"... it's no use feeling regret for
having treated people poorly because you shouldn't have done so in the
first place. apologies are so frivolous; it's easy to say "i'm sorry"
but so much more difficult to be good

i'm sorry i haven't written. much has been going on

happy birthday bfk!

| Download of the day (this song is catchy. damn you, idol): Daniel Powter - Bad Day |