Rx SUNSHINE

Breaking free of BELL

2011-08-27T23:49:00.003-04:00

To the company that refuses to accept that times have changed, seemingly oblivious to fact that consumers now have alternative options. Dared to charge $2.95 "connection fee" for a $0.10 fax. That was the last straw. Even my elderly parents, who have been your customers for eons, have had enough. You have monopolized the telecomm market long enough, have surely made a good buck on the landline network of yours. Yet, customers who stay with you are continually made to pay way more than what is good market value. You practically force customers to leave you with those exhorbitant charges. Why not admit your landline business is a cash cow, even at lower more competitive prices, and be less greedy? I guess you don't really care.

Bell, I am taking my business elsewhere and won't be missing you.

Take note: companies that don't value their customers and keep with the times and retain existing customers will not be around for long.

Remembering Jack Layton

2011-08-22T22:35:00.002-04:00

He will be missed by all Canadians. Thank you for having been an important part of the political scene In Toronto, and at the federal level in recent years.

Jack's letter to Canadians

Has it been this long?

2011-08-21T23:53:00.001-04:00

Didn't realize my last entry was that long ago. A lot happened during the lapse, life changing events, happy things, health challenges, a job change after 10 years. Understandably, i've been rather busy. Let's get blogging again soon about interesting things, people and places.

My new racquet - Kimoni

2009-11-09T22:17:00.003-05:00

Value for money, recommended by a friend. Previously, I only trusted YONEX. But After a few games with this new toy, I am converted. I bought mine in HK, at the Racquet Shop in Mong Kok.

If you can find this brand in Canada, I would recommend to give it a try.

Another TC gem - Eason sings 多少

2009-11-09T22:07:00.003-05:00

Find the song on YouTube

I wonder what the song might sound like it TC sang it herself? en Anglais, peut etre?

Where Did All That Time Go?

2009-11-09T21:57:00.003-05:00

Work, play, work, play and before you know it 6 months have passed by. Can't complain about life. I enjoy it.

Fall is always a nice time to reflect upon the summer, the year etc.. There's been a lot of things this year on which to put thoughts. I also like the changing colours in the fall....until I rake 10 bags of maple leaves and other yard waste. I like the afternoon walks after work, cool but not cold......but no more with the DST gone until next year.

This is the final stretch of 2009 - when I wake up to darkness and prepare for work, and leave work in darkness, which sets in at 5PM...eventually 4:30 at the earliest. Sigh. This time every year, I am reminded that I am a "light" person, and prefer hot vs. cold...ANYTIME

Some pics from recent vacation to tropical hot in HK. Loved it.

Not because he's singing a TC song

2009-05-08T23:50:00.003-04:00

Was surfing round youtube, shopping for new music, when I came across this find. I admit, was drawn to the video first by the fact that someone was doing a cover of a favourite Tanya Chua song. Then when I listened to it, and looked at the the guy's profile, wow he's so unassuming but so talented!

What a beautiful voice and such good musical sense. Two thumbs up!

越来越不懂 by Alfie Chen

Istanbul

2009-04-26T22:40:00.008-04:00

East meets West.

Europe cosmopolitan side by side with Turkish traditions.

What an interesting place. Great food. Wonderfully nice people. Overzealous salesmen at every corner! I like to do my shopping RELAXED.

Highlight of the trip: with no plans in mind, just exploring the city, I bumped into colleagues, with whom I had parted a few days earlier, in the middle of a busy street in Istanbul. Decided to take advantage of the company and hung out together for the rest of the fun night.

The old Chinese saying "If destined, even thousands of miles away can we meet"

Red Heels....

2009-04-03T22:43:00.003-04:00

Hooked on the tune, and especially love the lyrics:

"I have strong feelings for you
Yet I hardly know you at all
I am going on instinct

You're like the comfort when I am wrapped within my blanket
Yet you are also like the wind. I cannot catch or hold it in my hand"

Cheer up your day with a listen of this song.
See the video on YouTube, named "Red Heels" by Tanya Chua.

Part 2 - Tokyo-HK Dec'08

2009-02-15T21:38:00.002-05:00

The trip was a blast. And total pig-out for me. By the way, it's been 2 months, and I am still trying to work off the 5lbs I gained in 2weeks. That's also why I don't have any time to write a blog anymore..... : ) Need all the time I can get to hit the gym.

Highlight of my trip:
(1) Seeing friends and family. Not a single day spent on my own. Thank you to everyone for the caring and taking time to be with me. Heartfelt.
(2) Onsen-ing in Japan, of course. Just cannot explain, but nothing is more relaxing and mind clearing than washing oneself down from head to toe, and then immersing one's whole body into a pool of 40C water.

What I must try doing next time: not catching a cold in Japan.

Why is the post below called Part 1?

2008-11-25T22:26:00.002-05:00

Because there will be Part 2 soon : )

JP Part 1 - Nov'08

2008-11-25T21:46:00.009-05:00

Ohaiyo!

Dear, I've lost a lot of grasp on the Japanese language. It really showed in the restaurants. I don't use it much in Canada to get fluent. I should make myself practice with Masa-san, but then I only get my hair done q2mos.

Anyway, enough of that. My first trip to JP with both my parents since our last....when I was 4 years old =P ....This time around, my parents must have noticed much less effect of jet lag on me; they claim I slept on the tour bus the whole time on that 1st trip (could be true, but I have no recollection of the sights nor the trip itself). Hah! I was the bright and smart tourguide taking 5 other trip mates sightseeing and looking for good eats this time. FYI - still had no trouble sleeping....trip mate Monita was witness to that : )

Saw a Okinawa festival / fair in Shinjuku-eki....Oh, wished I were back in Ryukyu. Maybe it's time I visited again....really miss the place. Here's some favourite pics from the trip:

I love Orchids, and this must be a first: tatooed orchids

Joke of the day: Coffee, anyone?

2008-10-27T20:32:00.003-04:00

Rumour was that given the current global financial crisis, 3 major coffee chains operating in Canada decided to merge.

Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Second Cup would combine to form a new operation:

Say "Timbuktu" out loud 3 times!

Chile - A Delight

2008-10-13T00:14:00.023-04:00

Had the chance to visit Chile on business trip this week. What a beautiful country. Despite not having any Spanish language skills, I still managed to travel around on foot, by cab, riding the subway, do some crafts shopping, restaurant hopping and taking in the sights.

Chile is a colourful country, thanks to its southern European traditions. The cities I visited were particularly interesting to me, because they triggered many memories.

Low-rise concrete apartments with their large iron frame windows in Vina del mar reminded me of similar buildings in Hong Kong, the Kowloon Tong and Kowloon City area.

The red earth, palm trees and old buildings looked a lot like Ghana, Togo, Abidjan in the 70's, as if time had stopped in that period.

Then there was Santiago. The wide avenues, crazy traffic, subway stations and use of open space for parks and resting areas were especially a lot like Taipei.

People were friendly and helpful, city streets were very clean and tidy, plus all that seafood made me feel safe, comfortable and happy at all times. The cleanliness and orderliness on their subway system puts the TTC in Toronto to shame.

I was also delighted to learn about the connection between Chile and the Easter Island (Rappa Nui). Aboriginal art is all the rave these days - Australia, Mexico, Peru etc. etc. Sadly, I thought, the Easter Island head replicas was overdone everywhere in Chile, just as you would see in those other countries. Still, I was very intrigued by the story of those people and their culture - it's given me ideas about a future trip, perhaps.

Cities visited - Santiago, Vina Del Mar, and Valparaiso

Favourite meals:

1. Delicias Del Mar, Vina Del Mar = the salmon carpaccio and fried albalone
2. La Concepcion, Valparaiso = Pumpkin soup with ginger

3. Cafe Turri, Valparaiso = octopus carpaccio

4. Azul Profundo, Santiago = Cerviche made with salmon, and the calamari cooked in olive oil

Souvenirs:

1. stone carved turtle

2. a woollen throw

3. Chilean red wine

4. Argentinian (Havanna) chocolates

Biggest waste on me throughout the trip: Chilean wine (my damn liver)

Stormy Day in Toronto

2008-06-23T22:36:00.002-04:00

It was about 2:30PM this afternoon at work. Though I have a window office, didn't pay much attention to what was "cooking" out there today. Sure, there was loud thunder and flashes of lightning....

Little did I know that it was one of the biggest storms of the year. Look at these pictures to see all the strange occurences today: hail that fell like snow, flash floods, and funnel clouds in Scarborough and Markham! Check out CP24 pics

Dinner Shows make a comeback

2008-06-16T22:23:00.005-04:00

I remember going to dinner shows with my parents - in Taiwan, and in HK at the Ocean Star Restaurant in the Ocean Terminal, TST. Performers sing on stage while you feast on a full course gastronomic treat. I thought it a great match of my 2 interests in life - food and music. Dinner shows were all the rave in the 1960's to early 80's. Then Karaoke came to town, MTV etc. etc. and they gradually disappeared.

Won't you believe it? 20 years on there's a revival of that dinner show culture in Toronto?!?!? So odd, to see all these Asian performers do dinner shows again, but maybe they do make business sense, smaller venue and less overhead. And organizers are smart to cater to the demographics with highest buying potential - boomers. Hence such recent notables as Yang Yen, aka Apple Flower Queen, at $200 pp.

There is one dinner show I really want to see - June 26, Okinawan Natsukawa Rimi in HK. Sadly, I will miss it, because I don't want to spend $2K on a plane ticket to attend a concert / dinner show. Even if my life's 2 interests are food and music. And yes, despite my deep fondness for shima uta (island songs)

The little things of daily Toronto living

2008-06-16T22:06:00.006-04:00

Situation: got a speeding ticket last week, on a stretch of road where I am actually anal about driving at the speed limit, because I know how popular it is for speed traps. Argh, slight lapse in mental focus, first day back from Chicago trip. Sigh.

Consolation - 6 days later, I find money in a parking lot. Came out of a restaurant after lunch with some workmates, got into my car, and all I could see, in the patch of green lawn in front of my parking space was a crsip $20 bill, which also happens to be green. How I managed to see it, don't know - luck is that way, surprising. Thinking it was a divine revelation - went all out and put the $20 on lottery, blew it of course, got 2 numbers per / line x 10 lines. No prize money.

Lesson learned: Don't think about work when driving - it causes mental diversions with unpleasant consequences. And don't read too much into the little things, like finding money.

Fun Things To Do With Snow (2)

2008-03-23T14:57:00.004-04:00

Somewhere in Scarborough!
I wonder who brought these 2 fine individuals into being?

Too many wishing for the same thing

2008-03-20T23:49:00.003-04:00

The winning numbers yesterday were: 23, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 and bonus 43. There were exactly 239 people who likely picked the 6 numbers from 40-45, thus winning second prize.

On a usual week, that's pretty good, but not when 200+ people were thinking the same thing. They netted $1100 each.

3rd prize winners faired better = $2,200! See more here

Curiosity gets the better of everyone

2008-03-18T21:53:00.002-04:00

New management called for a staff meeting, SUN morning 8:30AM. I reckon it could have been one of the best attended meetings in the history of SDM. The secret? Simple - just call a meeting but don't tell anyone BEFORE what it's for : ) People will show up in droves to find out what all the fuss is about!

Works like a charm everytime. Ever see people line up, just because other people were lined up as well? It's human nature to not wanna miss out on anything, in case it's important. Especially evident in cities like HK, Tokyo etc..and now Toronto.

Fun Things to do with SNOW

2008-03-10T20:44:00.004-04:00

Thankfully, this fellow in Ottawa managed to have fun with the dumps of snow this winter, and in the process entertain others as well. Good Job! See more photos here

I should note that neither we, nor our neighbours are that far off building snow walls of our own down the sides of our driveways.

Actually, it's fast becoming a 4-ft snow "stage" on our front lawn.
Oh, how I ache to be on the sunny coastline of Okinawa...see APRIL photo

It's tough being a landlord

2008-03-06T23:12:00.004-05:00

Or rather landlords must be tough. It's a necessity. Tenants screw you over any way they can. This week, I was horrified to find:

1. The guy has not vacuumed nor cleaned an inch of space in a year
2. Must have thing for black fabric, carpet covered w threds and fuzz
3. Two bathrooms wretched beyond recognition

Lessons learned:
1. Save the real estate agent fees. Thanks for nothing. Nothing in the deal to protect my interests.
2. Draft my own lease terms, interview my own potential tenants
3. It's necessary to be "not nice" so one is not taken advantage of

Who's "They" ?

2008-02-28T20:04:00.007-05:00

Ever have one of those days at work, when you run into walls at every corner with a project, or a way of doing things?

The person in front of you giving the cheapest / most insincere generic responses in the world?

Me:"Why can't we consider this?"
X: "They wouldn't allow it"

Me:"And what did you do?"
X: "Nothing. That's the way they decided to do it."

Me:"Why? What was the reason?"
X: "Don't Know. I made the same recommendation as you, but they didn't take it"

Problems:
1. Overuse of "They". Passing the buck. The blame's now on someone else. Come On! How big is the company? Either you had the said discussion and SHOULD know what "They" really thought, OR you didn't even discuss the matters with "They" at all - chicken shit! Maybe you didn't even meet with "They" at all! You imagined it all in your dollhouse for an office.

2. Failure to explain decisions or respond to different ideas / reasoning. Apparently, "they" are very good at making decisions that some people are incapable of comprehending. Who's at fault? The decision maker or the messenger? Both, for hiding behind the facade of a layered / matrix organization.

3. Complacency. Smother creativity, brew indifference and disownership. It's OK, because someone else higher than me made the call. Even though I had some different ideas, I'll do what I am told because (a) if it doesn't work, the manager will not be asked to take the fall (blame it on group think, changing environment or other external forces) and (b) I am not responsible

Solution: (1) Go to the gym and sweat it out. Then thank the Gods for it's only a job and that I do not own the business. (2) Reflect (like now) and Revert to serene state. In fact, why even sweat it in the first place? other than good excuse to pound the treadmill or the stairmaster? After all, "they" too only work there. Bless us poor souls all.

(3) Wait to cherish the moments when I am in the company of people who enjoy their jobs (yup, it's allowed), actually take initiatives to do things well, based on what they see, hear and believe. I will not go on with life at work or play not knowing what others, "They" think or feel and will not let myself nor "They" make decisions for the greater group without getting to the "why?"

Toronto: Rest of Canada Loves Us

2008-02-11T19:57:00.000-05:00

Rick Mercer Report : Special Report

More Snow Pics

2008-02-09T12:09:00.002-05:00

Said trees: "Too much weight to bear!"

Patio set smothered by the white stuff

恭喜發財萬事如意

2008-02-07T01:45:00.000-05:00

Best Wishes for Chinese New Year. Year of the Rat. What's in store for everyone? Adventure, fame & fortune, Love!

Good Health and Prosperity all around - especially to "ngabo" grannie, mom and dad

I know C is setting her sights on bigger, better things at work - go for it girl. Have the confidence. J is set for the summer, what great news. I came back from vacation thinking my routine in TO is exactly that - getting too comfortable, status quo - gotta go out and take on some new things, hobbies....will see

New Year's eve dinner was great as usual - mom's cooking is fantastic. It occurred to dad and I that at some point in time I should learn all that, or the art will be lost on the next generation. Hmm..good point. I'll start next year : )

Snow Dumped!

2008-02-07T01:19:00.004-05:00

Can't remember if the winter solstice last December was a good weather day. As the old Chinese saying goes, "clean" Tung Chee (winter solstice sunny day) gives "dirty" New Year's day, taken to mean rain, I'm sure.

But of course in Canada it comes in little white parcels.....and lots of it this year. See for yourself in the attached pictures

The size of the snow flakes were just incredible! And you can see that we are also running out of space to put the snow shovelled off the driveway.

Aftermath from shovelling snow - ice droplets on my toque

Happy New Year 2008

2008-01-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ometeto! The new year arrived with a big bang of fireworks and laser effects on both sides of the Victoria harbour in Hong Kong.

I looked back at 2007 made this resolution: friends and family you care about and love, make the most each day to show and tell them so. All the Best to you, too.

Hey! I have been vacationing, check out some pictures from my trip, posted on my spaces

Canada reveals hospital death rates

2007-11-30T08:39:00.000-05:00

This read is quite alarming and should be a wake-up call for all levels of government and hospital mgmt- especially for a major hospital serving a large portion of the GTA - Scarborough.
Access the article in Toronto Star here

Where have I been lately

2007-11-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

I haven't been blogging recently because of laziness and lack of time with 2 jobs, and wanting to spend more time with family and friends.

Early Sep: I was in Seoul for a conference. My second time there. Appreciated walking around a lot more than the last time during winter, but didn't have much free time to explore the city as much as I wanted. I had stayed in the Myeong-Dong area in 2005, and this time was in Gangnam-Gu, different feel. Nice city, great food, but I didn't get much shopping done.

Highlight of the trip was heading over to the DMZ. It wasn't a true letdown, but I had somehow expected it to look and feel different. Felt like a stroll through a theme park, didn't seem real.

P.S. Something amazing in Seoul: people on subways watching tv on their cellphones, with earphones!

Mid-Sep: went to Alberta for business, stayed on for an extra week and visited Banff with my parents.

Calgary was nice, but so much smaller than I had expected, since there's been a lot of talk about it being the epicentre of the booming oil business in Canada, and how that was triggering monstrous growth.

Kananaskis, Banff, and Canmore just as expected and more in their natural beauty. Finally, I've been to one of Canada's most famous destinations.

I had the opportunity to golf in Kananaskis, a 18-celsius sunny day after a freak snowstorm the previous night!

Banff Springs Hotel was picture-perfect, like something out of a storybook / hollywood movie.
I visited the natural springs, for $10 you can soak for the whole day!

Mom and dad also joked about having Alberta beef for dinner everyday. Turns out we had sushi, Korean, Thai, and steaks for 1 time only!

We rented a car and drove around the different spots in Banff, and went as far as the Columbia icefields one day, which is in the Jasper national park.

The only thing I missed was seeing more wildlife. Perhaps it was the wrong season for grizzlies, or right one, depending on which way you feel about it (safety vs. excitment)

Crowded House Massey Hall Aug.13

2007-08-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

Magical. What amazing musicianship! A dazzling display of talent. It's been years since I've listened to their music, but it's good as ever, especially since it was played LIVE. I surprised myself in rememebering all the lyrics to many of their classic hits, what a great feeling to be singing along with Neill Finn!

If they come to your city, Crowded House is a MUST-SEE!

Click here for a you-tube clip

Bark Bark Sniff Sniff

2007-07-03T23:02:00.000-04:00

Second weekend of the summer, the only extra long weekend of the year for me, guess what, I have a cold. What a DOG! Nothing herbal works - triple dose of echinacea, 3 caps Cold FX at a time, NOTHING! Going back to the trusted formula of decongestant + expectorant + non-drowsy antihistamine. I can breathe again!

Chicago!

2007-06-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

What a great city. Compared to last year, ASCO meetings in Chicago this year were so efficient, well-run. I didn't even notice most of the logistics, which is a compliment. Great restaurants - steaks, deep dish pizza, and a delightful surprise of great fusion food and sushi at Japonais.

And Chicago has incredible architecture and a beautiful waterfront. Can walk for hours. Definitely recommend visiting.

Work is Taboo

2007-05-20T12:27:00.000-04:00

Was at mid-year sales meeting up in the Muskoka region of Ontario. Stayed at the Taboo resort - fantastic food, meeting rooms, and great spa and other facilities for outdoor activities, i.e. golf! Their 3-room condos are the perfect way for a friends or a whole family to spend a few days or a weekend during the summer to bike, hike, golf, spa and stroll around the lake and the woods.

I was quite impressed with the privately-owned cottages around the resort, knowing that the likes of hollywood stars and NAmerican business tycoons have properties up in these neck of the woods. The favourite conversation starters this week: (1) "Think they own the island and the cottage?" (2) "Is that just the boat house or is that the cottage?" (3) "Would you buy property up here?" - A: No, 'cause I would not be able to afford it.

Sanshin no Hana

2007-04-23T22:16:00.000-04:00

Song by BEGIN, for the movie Nada sou sou (2006).

Calling Connie! - Rain's Coming to T.O.

2007-04-08T18:31:00.000-04:00

Need I say more? Molson Amphitheatre, Sat. Jun.9
Here's the link: announcement

David Tao NA Tour Stop #1 - Toronto

2007-04-08T18:02:00.000-04:00

Some people know that I had been waiting for this concert for quite some time. Bought my tickets online the first day I saw the promo-ad on TV, back in Feb. Have not had this much interest in going to a Chinese concert for a long while.

My expectations were certainly met. No special guests, no dancers, just a great band and an exceptional DT, sharing their love for music with everyone at the Air Canada Centre, on the last Tuesday in March. 5,000 people singing and dancing along. I was happy about (1) hearing some great DT songs I know and like, (2) being impressed by the many talents of the back up vocalists, (3) having a great time in the presence genuinely great person - David Tao, and (4) that Mom (my concert partner for the night) also had a great time.

I was a little disappointed about (1) leaving my camera at home, and realizing later my seats were much better than I had imagined (me lazy bum didn't want to carry it) and (2) paying $3.75 for a 500ml bottle of Dasani - ripoff.

Here's a link to a blogger who seems to have taken some great photos of the event:
Link

Things worth waiting for

2007-04-08T17:53:00.000-04:00

I finally gave in to buying off Amazon.ca, not my first choice because wait time for delivery. But was the only way to avoid any risk of importation taxes and outrageous prices on European sites. Sigh, it took 1 whole month to get my copy of Eddi's new album: Peacetime.

Have listened to it a few rounds already, great music. Am now leafing through the album insert, reading the excerpts to each song and the lyrics as I listen along. An added bonus to this "Canadian" version - a song about ONTARIO by Boo H.!

Indianapolis Feb'07

2007-02-16T21:53:00.000-05:00

因為到 Indianapolis 總部開會, 有機會去那里的兒童博物館參觀一個名 Chihuly's "Fireworks of Glass" 的公展. Amazing display of colour, shape and form - any adult and child would appreciate it. Reminds me of the sea of glass in the ceiling above the main lobby of the Bellagio hotel in Vegas, which might be a Chihuly too?

Find out more about the exhibit at this link

Taipei HK Shanghai Dec. 2006

2007-01-15T20:53:00.000-05:00

So, I took off for 3 weeks in Dec in order to use up all my vacations days left in 2006. Traveled to HK, and went on 2 side-trips to Taipei and Shanghai. I always love visiting Taipei and HK, the 2 cities are lively, great shopping. fantastic food, convenient transport system, just world-class.

I did not recognize Shanghai at all, having last been there more than 20 years ago. Even places I thought for certain I would "know" were no where to be found as they too have gone through major renovations, face lifts etc. I quite liked the bustle in every corner of Shanghai. But, I must admit, even though I am not claustrophobic, the crowd at the People's Square subway station on the Saturday afternoon scared the wits out of me - enough to make me wanna walk above ground, back to the other side of NanJing Rd vs. going through the underground passage way to change trains on the other platform.

Best thing about my trip? Being in HK for Christmas, of course. Would be hard-pressed to find something to top that!

Here's some pictures from the trip. Hope you enjoy them as I much as I did being there.

http://folksongfaerie.spaces.live.com/

Shima Uta "晒冷"

2006-12-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

Begin, NENES, 夏川りみ, 大島保克 all performing on the same stage, too good to be true. One of my favourite shima uta as well - 島人ぬ宝.

Mi Casa

2006-12-03T17:40:00.000-05:00

The condo is situated squarely in downtown TO. Within walking distance of the financial and entertainment districts, gourmet food markets, and sports venues.

It's taken 4 years long, but I finally have the place!

"總統" 北京烤鴨

2006-11-24T23:29:00.000-05:00

In addition to the standard selections of pizza, lasagna, pies and chicken wings, to recent additions like pot roasts, smokey ribs...any thing you can think of is usually available in the frozen foods sections at your local supermarket. But I could not believe my eyes when I saw the following: President's Choice Peking Duck, a.k.a " 總統之選" 北京烤鴨. Aieyah, 沒什麼不可能.

Now, at a Loblaws near you (only in Canada?)

New U of T Pharmacy Building!

2006-11-14T00:16:00.000-05:00

Very amazing accomplishment, judging from the pictures. Pretty cool, no? They even have a class room they call the "POD" which is an enclosed, round meeting space suspended in space. Why not call it the pill or capsule? Hah! Hah!

However, I have heard some less than flattering comments about the functionality of the place to everyday students. In any case, still something different and interesting on the university corridor. Calling all my ex-pat school mates, you should take a tour of the place next time you are in town. Perhaps I can go with you, too, since I have not seen the place myself. See some more pictures here

19 People at 1 Dinner Table

2006-11-13T23:56:00.000-05:00

9T4 classmate Sarah was visiting from Hong Kong, so the Toronto gang came out for dinner.

Amazingly we sat 19 people (12 adults and 7 children under the age of 4) at a table. Don't have a picture for the Guiness book of records, but must admit, the feat was accomplished with some cheating - 1 child was on sitting on daddy's lap the whole time; another was seated in the "mezzanine" section (high chair, 3 ft removed from the table). Still, can you imagine 17 people to 1 table? Only in Toronto, I tell ya! We are extraordinary.

All in all, a fun night seeing everyone again. It's been almost a year since the last time we did this.

Tracking The Christmas Cactus - Part 2

2006-11-13T23:41:00.000-05:00

So I am into the 2nd week of this enormous task and am happy to say that the cactus has made tremendous progress this week. I was particularly taken to this 1 bud, which was a little different in colour to the others around it (sign that it's somehow special) and it transformed before my eyes! See for yourself

Day 7
(click on image to see larger view)
Late night, back from Montreal
Budding bloom

Day 9
Weekend

Day 11
Let there be light!
Blossoming

Day 13
In full bloom

Tracking the Christmas Cactus

2006-11-04T12:59:00.000-05:00

Dad bought this cactus about 2 years ago? In any case, have not seen it bloom since then, just sits around in the house, green all the time but not with much fanfare. Then, something changed this summer - it started growing these buds on all its stems. Must be a good year, as it is now ready to go into full bloom. Dad asked me to keep an eye on this baby, so here it is, in pictures:

Christmas Cactus Day 1

Christmas Cactus Day 3

Christmas Cactus Day 5

Condensed Update

2006-11-04T12:27:00.000-05:00

Have not put in a blog entry for a while. Have been to lazy. So here it is, with pictures to boot. Back at the end of summer, I went to the Chinese Lantern Festival down at the Ontario Place, was pretty good.

Then, I was in Ottawa the last week of September, and saw 2 great events: Ottawa Sens vs. Montreal Cdns NHL pre-season game and Eric Clapton Concert!!! Though I didn't know too many of his songs, the concert was a blast, great music playing, and the opening gig with Sam Roberts was also a delight.

In October, I went to Honolulu and Oahu for 5 days with my family. We stayed at the Hyatt, courtesy of Charlotte. So nice to go away somewhere warm. Did shopping, walking on the beach, swimming, etc. Also rented a car and drove around the island, to see the sights and also Pearl Harbour. Attended a Luau at Paradise Cove. End of October: cold and damp, but I finally got to complete our nine-hole adventure out to Markham Green. I also saw a fox when golfing that day. Oh, season's over.

November is a hard month, the days are getting shorter and I always feel tired, wanna sleep. I do get to pack in my exercise raking leaves in the yard, yeah. Highlights of the week: Wendy shared some great video clips, just made me laugh, and Helen's Engrish pps file. Oh, and I went to do a pre-delivery inspection of my condo downtown. After 4 YEARS, I am getting the keys to a new flat soon.

I, who brings the Rain to the Greens

2006-09-09T11:08:00.000-04:00

So it's a fact. As rarely as I get to golf, it has rained cats and dogs, EVERYTIME on the last 3 occasions where I have been lucky enough to leave work early for a golf game. Not just the odd shower, but persistent downpour, with thunder and lightning. It all started last summer when I was invited by a friend to play at the Mandarin private club in Markham - turned out to be the "flood" day for Toronto in 2005. Poop, I am fast becoming the person NOT to invite to golf games.

If your lawn is looking like a carpet of hay, invite me over for a golf game on your lawn, and I will work my magic...

My late arrival at You Tube

2006-07-15T00:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, thanks to the HK bus "Ah Suk" and the Zidane headbutt, I have come to know Youtube and was browsing through today and saw some really funny and interesting clips. Next thing I know, search for Eddi clips and Wow! They have those too. So kind of people to share them, many of which I have never seen before. Still waiting to see Eddi Reader live one day...this was particularly powerful - Eddi singing in the Scottish parliament, with the likes of the Queen, and Sean Connery in attendance.

My Eventful Lobster June

2006-06-30T19:03:00.000-04:00

June has just flew me by. What happened to time? I was in 3 very different places for work:

First trip to Atlanta, peach state Georgia, and home of CNN. Did not see much outside of Buckhead, where my hotel was, and downtown around the congress center. People were very friendly and always ready to help, but the taxi drivers who did not have a sense of direction was a little absurd. Also caught the human body specimen exhibition "Bodies". Though Atlanta was nowhere close to the ocean, seafood was very good. My great find - fried lobster (only in Georgia, I am told).

Next stop - Old Montreal, on a rainy, misty Saturday, and...Lobster bisque, hmm... See also my previous post about the hotel at which we stayed - Le Saint Sulpice.

Finally, I make my way to the birthplace of Canada, Charlottetown PEI, and what does one eat on the beautiful, vacation-perfect island? Lobsters! The spices in which they boil the lobster is definitely different from anywhere else, making the crustacean extra tasty.

I've gained 7 lbs in the last month. I think people are lying when they say they hadn't noticed. Damn it, I've noticed! Needless to say, I will be eating salad sans dressing for the next 2 months to get ready for Hawaii in September : )

Great Find in Old Montreal

2006-06-12T23:06:00.000-04:00

I was in Montreal on the weekend for some business. We stayed at this wonderful boutique hotel in Old Montreal. Rooms were beautiful, abundantly furnished and equipped - all full suites. Meeting rooms were great, food was excellent and the service was just perfect. Wow. Gotta go back another time. Take a look on their site:
Hotel Le Saint Sulpice. By the way, they also have this ownership/time share thing happening, too if you would like to and can afford to own a piece of it!

"Il mare" becomes "The Lake House"

2006-06-06T22:06:00.000-04:00

One of my favourite 韓國電影, Il Mare, stars 全智賢 and 李政宰.

今年夏這部電影已變成 Hollywood 巨作 The Lakehouse. Cannot miss the dream team duo of Keanu Reaves and Sandra Bullock.

This is a must see movie. Starts June 16, State-side. Just in time after I come back home from 3 business trips in a month. Catch some trailers and movie details here: link

The Loonie Flies Up and Up and Higher still....

2006-05-01T23:36:00.000-04:00

The loonie soared to 89.97 cents (U.S) on Monday, its highest since 90.04 cents on February 13, 1978. The dollar ended trading at 89.83 cents, up 0.38 of a cent from Friday's close. Read more on this story here on The Globe

What this means for me...(1) soon I will be making USD equivalents without actually moving down south. (2) More spending power in HK, my favourite place to shop, eat and just hang out. Woohoo!

Kousuke Atari - Shima nu takara

2006-04-12T23:37:00.000-04:00

I am fascinated with shima uta (island songs). Here's a recent find - by the name of Kousuke Atari. If you know Hajime Chitose, his singing style is similar to hers, but sort of like the male version.

I find his voice very unique, unforgettable. Take a test-drive on this short video clip of his latest hit "sore zore ni"

Here you go, my new ride!

2006-04-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

I've been too busy to take a picture of the real thing, plus it's rained and snowed in the last few days, my car does look a little dirty. There you go! This is it, for now. It's really a great drive. Even though it's an SUV, drives like a car, quite good. I went cheap and didn't get leather seats and harman kardon sound, and I CAN tell the difference. Oh well, next time ; )

我愛我車

2006-03-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

Bye Bye, baby blue. Hello silver metallic grey (no, not my hair - it's my new car)
Aye fond kiss, manual shifting. I've got me a new set of gears - automatico

Tim Horton's IPO

2006-03-24T20:19:00.000-05:00

Canada's coffee and donuts icon, Tim Horton's, went "public"today, as in the stock market. The intial price offering was set at $27 and after a day of trading, the stock closed at $33. Worth a lot of coffee and tim-bits. That's 22 Extra-large double-doubles for 1 share.
Tim Horton's IPO news

"Home" "Sick"

2006-03-23T22:06:00.000-05:00

The following conversation was real and happened to someone I know this week. Quite funny, read on (though names have been changed to protect the identity of persons involved):

John Doe calls a co-worker at the office.
"I am not coming in to work today. I am home sick."
Later on, the co-worker is asked by others at the office about John's whereabouts.
"Oh, yes. He's not here today, because he's home sick."

At that moment, it struck everyone. What was really being communicated there?
Now, truly, was John not at work because
(1) he was at home because he was sick (ill) and not fit to go to work? OR
(2) he was homesick, so he decided to stay home to treat his homesickness? : )

TGIF!

1st day of spring colder than middle of winter

2006-03-20T21:02:00.000-05:00

Today was the official first day of spring. Yet, Toronto woke up to -15 degrees celsius - colder than 2nd week in January, when temperatures hit the positive mid-teens. Enough already, I am so longing for the warmer weathers of spring and summer, especially after the Mexico trip.

How did you celebrate this important day of the year? What did you do to bring in the first day of spring. Mine was uneventful: wake up, drive to work in a freezing car, eat a packed lunch, worked out, did some more work.....you get the drift.

Except that today was somewhat special in that because of work, I made a lot of phone calls to touch base with some contacts, many of them for the first time. It was refreshing to talk with som of those people "live". It's laughable sometimes at work when some people in the SAME office will choose to email me with an urgent question, rather than walk over and talk to me in person?

Hand on my bonus check

2006-03-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

I finally got my bonus payout for 2005, plus the divisional award I told you all about. I don't know why I get so worked up about it every year: Why should the tax man always take half of the bonus incentive? What was their contribution to me making bonus? Sigh, regardless of the sum of bonus, 50% of it goes to Rev Can.

Reminds me of the commerical by Capital One, advertising their low rate credit card vs. "the other banks." The whole idea is the other banks charge you so much in rates it always feels like they have a hand in your pocket. There's been quite a few spin-offs from that commercial, including some anti-Liberal party ads during the Jan'06 elections. Check out this blurp on the commercial

I won a divisional award today

2006-02-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

I don't usually win anything, least of all awards related to work.

So, imagine my surprise today when I was given an award for my contributions in market research and help with sorting through all the complexities of sales data in '05. Wow! a mouthful, yeah? I am glad. 2005 was a tough year at work, with a crazy workload serving 6 brands and the wide variety of business challenges which came my way. I now join brand management from market research on a very positive note.

Oh, there's more, in addition to the certificate I received on the spot, a cheque will follow shortly! Will make great contribution to my month end Visa bill ; )

My Mexico Trip

2006-02-07T20:25:00.000-05:00

The idea came from a casual conversation we had over dinner after a sales meeting (or so I remember) - wouldn't it be great to experience the REAL Mexico? Soon enough, I was headed to Mexico City in Janurary with friends from the office right before Chinese New Year's

<--- Historic Downtown, Mexico City

I had joked about the one time in Cancun where they had a red/green traffic-light system for handing out customs inspections. This time, I thought it was odd that my luggage was being x-rayed ENTERING the country...and sure enough I also had to press a button for the "traffic-light customs draw"!

<--- Mural by Diego Rivera,Mexico City

Had my first Mexican beer the moment I cleared customs, drank it too fast; add to that the elevation (7000ft above sea level), got tipsy turvey and rolled-out of the lift taking us to the apartment in which we were to staying - totally embarrassing and avoidably as I was well aware of my alcohol tolerance!! LOL!

Sunset in town of San Miguel de Allende -->

The theme of our trip was sights and sounds of the colonial heartlands of Mexico. We ended up spending most of our time trying out all the Mexican dishes we could find on restaurant menus and of course all the makes and brands of beers and tequilas the waiters could rhyme-off in front of us: Bohemia, Pacifico, Modelo, Indio, Estrella.....etc.

<--- The gang atop a hill overlooking town of Guanajuato

First stop after Mexico City was San Miguel de Allende, small town filled with artesans and, surprise, tourists! Picturesque, peaceful. Lovely.

In Guanajuato, we visited a mummy museum. Mexico is fascinated with the dead - worshipped and at the same time subject of humour. We saw the mummy of a Chinese woman who died in Mexico in the 1800's - curator theorized she was likely headed for California, gold rush. Also saw an Inquisition museum archiving some tools of torture - didn't want any keepsake pictures of them, for sure. And how could we not see one of the old mines of Guanajuato?

<--- Mural by Jose Clemente Orozco

Final stop, Guadalajara. We were warmly received by Daniel's buddies and his wonderful relatives. Of course, when old friends meet, there's lots of laughing, eating and DRINKING. Tequila smooth like cognac goes down fast and goes right to your head. Seafood is good in Guadalajara, the sweetest oysters and clams, straight up with sea salt, lime juice and hot salsa.

Historical downtown, Guadalajara -->

Casuela: fruits, fresco (soda), ice, 2 shots of Tequila -->
To me, Mexico is a place of interesting contrasts besides the obvious ones between the "have all" and "have nots" - drivers in the big cities like Guadalajara and Mexico City would sooner die that let your merge into their traffic flow, but whenever we were lost during the road trip everyone went out of their ways to help find us the correct route. I was always on high alert for pick-pockets, purse snatchers etc.. like everyone tells me to be, and yet I know of no other country where you can "pick-up" a tour guide from roadside, entrust him with your car keys and your life (he drives, not you!) while you go into a museum for an hour - like we did in Guanajuato.

Vancouver in January

2006-01-15T17:06:00.000-05:00

I could not go to Tokyo with Gloria and Charlotte. Instead, I had a business meeting, which turned out to be an equally enjoyable week. There was a lot of work to do, but we did not forget to have fun afterwards. Since it's rained a record 25+ days in Van, we were mostly indoors. Highlight was the 80's party night. Prince Charming and Princess Di graced the evening with their royal presence.

I chose to wear my old school uniform from KGV. Hey, I wore it 5 days a week, 10 months each year - it's authentic. My 1st pair of specs from the 80's made the look complete (note the HUGE lenses!) Here's me imitating the woman from the school girl skit on Saturday Night Live, under the guidance of my friend. My attempts to recreate that 80's nostalgia fazed in comparison to many other people.

Take Boy George here, for example, one of the top-prize winners of the evening. Wow, that is really HIM! He was even invited on stage to lip-sync to "Kharma Chameleon"

Dinner with Friends from Uni

2005-12-30T22:00:00.000-05:00

Karman, Wilson and Hoi Lam were visiting Toronto for the holidays. So, Henry, Martina, and their respective families, and myself came out for a get together. Due to the children's bedtime curfews, the party ended a little earlier than usual, but it was a great opportunity to re-connect with Karman and Wilson, see Martina's 2 boys (the last time, they were still just babies) and chance for Henry and I to share some details about the next school-mate party!

Merry Christmas Starts at Shoppers

2005-12-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

I did what few people would do on Christmas Eve...work at a pharmacy. It's OK, because I had already gotten a great present at the start of my shift from the other pharmie - she's working all of Christmas day, so that I can be off. Thank you, Susan.

On the positive side I was there to help people get their last minute healthcare and shopping needs before heading into Christmas Day: something for that family member at home coughing, vitamins to send overseas, that glucometer and blood pressure monitor for those upcoming New Year's resolutions, etc. All this while we were serenaded by Shoppers satellite radio Christmas tunes - hey, more apt for the season that 南拳媽媽 or Jay周 : )

At midnight, with the closing announcement over the PA complete, all the employees gave out a cheer. Christmas is here afterall. It's special, regardless of how and who you spend it with.

HBC dresses the Canadian Olympic Team

2005-12-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

Really, I wasn't sure what to expect when I heard that Hudson's Bay Co. was going to be the official sponsor of the Olympic team uniforms for the coming games. Images of the heritage blanket came to mind, you know, the red,green,yellow stripes on a white background? Anyway, saw this article on a news site the other day, seems quite OK after all. Phew! These uniforms have to be a hit for The Bay's, or else..Take a read here

New Refrigerator

2005-12-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

The fridge at home is on its last legs, has been leaking fluid in strange places for the last month or so. Today, we went shopping on for a new one and finally settled on a GE 18cu feet model for $670CDN. Really liked a Samsung model with freezer on the bottom (had tidy drawers in freezer instead of metal racks), but it was 1 inch too tall for our kitchen cabinets.
A few things I learned about fridges:
1. Modern models use far less electricity, minimum savings are upto 60-70% / year for the same sized-fridge. Efficiency rules
2. There are so many models and colours to select from - black, steel, white etc... but it seems Beige / cream colours are so "OUT" cannot be found anywhere anymore! Sign of the times

沖滿美妙歌聲的聖誕

2005-12-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

嘩! 一連兩個我最欣賞的音樂人都出牒, 太開心啦. Enya 新大牒名Amarantine, 好好聽. 特別之處在於她創作了新歌之予也有創做了一個新語言, 叫 Loxian. 想當年, 讀high-school同university,多特Enya的音樂,生活也添不少精彩.

你是否也喜歡Enya的音樂? 請到她的網站遊覽,看些MTV和試聽那些歌. 喜歡就不如買隻牒來聽聽吧:Enya's official website

美食和壞食

2005-12-06T20:08:00.000-05:00

美味之昨:

阿Jay(細老)同我想為晚餐轉下口味, 就學人包日式紫菜飯糰. 結果好成功! 將加拿大熟smoked salmon 作碎粒, 和日式紫菜+之嘛的調味料(ふりかし)一起放入白飯裡然後撈埋, 加少少糖+ 鹽 + 寿司醋調味. 作成三角形, 再包張寿司紫菜便成飯糰. Yummy! 絕對少油,健康由簡單! So far, have tried making the japanese rice rolls twice. 2 for 2, 100% success rate.

結論係易過阿Jay整的李梅仙教路既紅燒牛肉麵, 因為少好多kitchen "jup" 手尾既工夫唔使做. 不過,最近個次既牛肉麵都算成功, OK la!

食壞肚的行為:

若你是對某些食物過敏的話就該在外進食時少心. For example, 尤魚過敏就提防 "海鮮" "三鮮" 那些東西. He He! 阿Jay 由上了當食了個日式炒烏東. My suggestion to him was from now on, he should carry a stomach pill (like Nexium or Losec) around his neck in a locket, much like how other people have pictures or other keepsakes on a necklace they wear all the time!

I've bought the new Natsukawa Rimi CD!

2005-11-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

Just bought Rimi's new album『彩風の音』off the net. Can't wait to listen to it. I've decided on what I would like to get myself for Christmas - an MP3 player (or i-pod) to play music in my car! Hey, take a listen to the recent hit single from Rimi: さようなら　ありがとう - I highly recommend it.

What would be the best surprise treat for me in the next little while? Getting the Rimi concert DVD!

It will be a while 'til winter passes

2005-11-30T22:44:00.000-05:00

This is looking through the patio doors in the kitchen of my house, just a few days ago. I've figured it out - it's not the cold, snow or ice that makes me sluggish this time of year. It's getting up 7AM in pitch darkness and getting off work at 5:30PM, one full hour after the sun has already set! I think everybody must get some S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) just like me? Oh, I need some of my own medicine - Rx for sunshine

Longing to sing Robbie Burns' "Winter is Past":
The winter it is past, and the summer's come at last, and the small birds are singing in the trees....

Christmas Party - 失而復得

2005-11-21T21:34:00.000-05:00

失從一年的公司聖誕party 重現人間 !! 將在Toronto的York Event Theatre 舉行. 那裏是由舊戲院改健而成的party或business function 補點,也算不錯.

之於為什麼指定活動都會失從? er, 當然一定唔可以少左個party lor.

Rimi Natsukawa has a new album

2005-11-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

Natsukawa Rimi's new album will be out in 2 weeks. That's so exciting. In case you don't know who she is - great singer from Ishigaki, Okinawa, unbelievable voice. Performs a lot of folk-songs and easy-listen style j-pop.

Check out her website for more info:
http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/rimi/index.html

By the way, this is for all marketing folks out there (incl. my pal Gloria). Remember talking about how one would market calcium supplements? Interestingly, a Japanese company has taken the approach of creating a community of mum+daughters happily supplementing together and further enhance that togetherness feeling with use of famous female spokesperson - incidently Rimi Natsukawa. She's done numerous roadshows /concerts on their behalf - they even offer free BMD heel scans at their pre-concert activities!

Check out the website of CALVITAL

Office 瘦身Report

2005-11-12T10:44:00.000-05:00

嘩! 舊年去日本之後轉 product team. 今次香港行後, 公伺大地震. 瘦身10%同cut全部contract people. 話係要尋回個 "Winning Culture". 但是真的一個 very hard Christmas for many. 怪唔得知有同仕快人一步jump ship, say farewell to me, while I was still on vacation. 地震區不包聒我, 但係身邊有人走了, sigh.

Just checked airfares for Dec, too expensive CDN $2300 plus overbooked already, sigh, no Christmas in HK even if I had money.

發現個 NSM 原來係一月 9 - 13. 唔知何否同GLORIA 一起去日本掃貨呢 ?

Back from Vacation

2005-11-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

Finally back in Toronto on Nov.6, having been away for 3 weeks. During this time went to Beijing, Seoul and of course lovely Hong Kong. 10 Highlights of my trip: 1)Forbidden City 2)Great Wall 3)Bei Hai Gardens 4)Tiananmen Sq. (notice they are all from Beijing)
Then, 5) abalone congee Korean style 6)going to Eason Chan Live Concert with Gloria 7) Loong Wah Roasted Pigeons 8) hairy crabs (dai jab hi) x 2 9) going to Nana movie again with Gloria and Annie and 10) seeing my sis, aunt and loads of friends - will miss you all, hope to see you again soon.

Have to say, Nakashima Mika is great in the movie "Nana" and even though I have not read the manga, a briefing from Gloria was all I needed to appreciate the whole story. Notice the little pic on the side of Nana and Nana from the movie.

Yuki no Hana (Snow Flake)

2005-10-12T21:55:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my sis Charlotte for bringing home the Taiwan TV series "Say Yes Enterprise" 求婚事務所. I loved all the stories, and especially music. I could not get the song "Yuki no Hana" by Nakashima Mika 中島美嘉 out of my head; it's stuck with me for the last week. Given my poor command of Japanese (what should I expect as I skip classes all the time) but somehow, it interested me enough to look up the lyrics on the net. Found this translation, and it's touched me like beautiful poetry. Juxtapose that with the rapidly cooling and wet fall weather, it's picture-perfect. I am so ready for a holiday somewhere far far away for a little dreamin' Here's the translated lyrics to share:

Artist: Nakashima Mika
Title: Yuki no Hana
Words: Satomi; Music: Matsumoto Ryouki

Walking with you by the sunset,
the figures stretching out along the pavement.
Holding hands, I wish we could stay like this forever.
The wind grows so cold, I feel like I'm gonna cry.
I can smell the Winter on its way.
Pretty soon the season when I can get closest to you,
will visit this city.

The moment we saw
the first snow flower of the year,
huddled close together,
the happiness was overwhelming.

It's not that I'm weak or I need to be coddled to
it's just that I love you,
I believe it from the bottom of my heart.

When I'm with you
I get the feeling that I could make it through anything.
I'm praying for these days to go on for always.
when the wind rattles the window in the night,
shake me awake.
I'll change any sadness into smiles.
The fluttering snow flowers outside the window,
fall endlessly coloring out the city.
I realized that the thought of doing something
for someone else was love.

If I were to lose you,
I would become a star and shine upon you.
On those nights when even your smile is wet by tears
I'll always be there, forever by your side.

The moment we saw the first snow flower of the year,
huddled close together,
the happiness was overwhelming.

It's not that I want to be coddled, or that I'm weak,
I just want to be with you like this always.
That's what I honestly believe.
The pure white snow flowers burying this city
softly draw the memory in our hearts,
from now on forever with you.

Translated By: Brian Stewart & Takako Sakuma

Launch Meeting at Langdon Hall

2005-10-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

I was at a sales meeting this week, launch of a new indication for one of my company's outstanding products, Gemzar. Bunch of us went to Langdon Hall, in Cambridge, ON. Never been there before, fell in love with the beautiful place.

Sounds cheesy, but I will say it anyway - everyone worked hard knowing that we're in the business of saving lives, and through it all we became a stronger team!

Highlights: playing "Taboo" boys against girls. If you haven't already, highly recommend doing so with a bunch of friends. Normally sensible adults yell out the most ridiculous top-of-mind words in response to the clues given by their teammate, causing many to fall off their chairs and hyperventilate from laughing too much. And the hotel itself, the softest and "comfyest" beds at Langdon, huge bathroom and tub, and their food.

Hair-raising moment: a colleague from Quebec twisted an ankle and decommissioned out of the meeting mid-week. The ankle balloned to the size of a softball in 1 hour. Scary to see a 6-feet tall man yelp at the slightest tap on his foot. Hope he's better soon. We all send him our best wishes.

Icky moments: Wicked giant lady bugs that bite, and a poison ivy-laden hotel mascot (a.k.a. resident pet dog Lucy). Glad I didn't pet her the day we had our team-building exercise outdoors.

My short Vegas Holiday

2005-09-25T20:17:00.000-04:00

Vegas never sleeps. Breakfast buffets start at 7AM for the early bird grannies and gramps. Fitness die-hards jog in the gardens and on the wide boulevards. By noon day, people flock everywhere to take in the sights, gawking at the opulence in the luxury hotels. Gambling is most definitely 24/7. People all feel they are luckier that day/moment than everyone else around them.

Alas, Las Vegas too has to diversify. Gone are the $5 dollar buffets, although modern buffets are still a great way to get good food, and lots of it, too(when you think the average buffet is $10-15 pp and a typical entree costs $15-20. There are also a multitude of amazing shows like Cirque Du Soleil, musicals like Mamma Mia, and music concerts.
To top it all off, the place has become a theme park for adults - Venice, Paris, New York, pyramids, South East Asia (Mandalay) - think and you will find it.
Shopping's changed, too. Few places sell the tourist gads with Las Vegas written all over cheap cheesy stuff made in the factory of the world - China. Instead, the malls today opt for the standard offerings (Gap, CK, Abercrombie, FCUK) to the luxury staples - Chanel, Gucci, Prada etc. I haven't been to Vegas since the 80's and boy has the place changed since then. There was only 1 thing I could recognise - the flaming signage outside the Flamingo hotel.

Stayed at the Aladdin - not luxurious but functionally ok. Room was quite spacious and the location central. Saw David Copperfield. He was fantastic, always leaving me to wonder "How did he do that?". Also saw Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere. Best part was when 2 gymnast guys came out and did a series of gravity defying acrobatic moves and lifts in SLOW motion. Did not see their arms or legs shake or waver for a second. Most scary move they did: one guy lying flat on his belly, his partner in a handstand on the soles of his feet (no kidding the underside), and he lifts is partner-in-handstand up by doing a calf curl!!!! Yikes! I felt my achilles' tendons were ready to split into a thousand shreds. Did a little shopping - found a cool sweatshirt by the Lucky Brand (with the Buddha logo) with "Shanghai" chinese characters embroidered on it beside a very elaborate Chinese pattern. And yes, how can a Vegas trip be complete without gambling? Did I win? Well, better luck next time : )

G-man and Shoppy update

2005-09-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

So, Mr. G has left Shoppers after 20+ years. He's gone to work for an independent, medical pharmacy up in Newmarket. Hope he'll enjoy it there. So, who's the new boss? Our new associate is Phillip, who's no rookie to the business at all. Yup, Phil from down the street, on Brimley!

The G-man is moving on

2005-07-28T20:41:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have heard through the grapevine or your friendly contacts at ShoppyD's, yes G is leaving. The corporate types have been putting a lot of pressure on him in the last little while, making it as unenjoyable as possible for him, so he's got no reason to hang around. Everyone at the store will miss G dearly, and some customers have even inquired about coming to his farewell party. Show's the man has certainly built something special in the neighbourhood all those years.

His story gives me a good insight into work life. You can be dedicated to your work and always aim to do well, but never fall into the trap of believing company loyalty is worth much. When push comes to shove, well, be it a king in the ancient days or a modern employer, if need be, there will always be a reason to get rid of someone. And so the saying, "No one person is irreplaceable." Every person should look out for themselves. More importantly, if you are enjoying yourself then make an effort to make the experience as enjoyable for people around you, too. But if you're not liking it, then do something about it, don't wait for someone else to change anything for you.

London bombings Thursday July 7

2005-07-07T23:26:00.000-04:00

Sad and frightening day in London - sent shivers down the spines of people around the world, including mine. Was glad to hear from Jay, that he was safe, unharmed in London. Found it very hard to focus at work all day, kept on wanting to find out about the bombings. Then later, saw pictures of some of the blast scenes - hearing about the happenings around Russell Square made me very upset. Still remember my first Contiki trip after graduation, the Royal National, walking around that area, having taken the tube from Heathrow and emerging from the Russell Square station and being in that neighbourhood for the first time.

I am saddened by it all. To make things worse, once again, the global agenda has been hijacked by some isolated self-serving group. They have stolen from us the opportunity to bring the world together to seriously think about helping millions of people in Africa to be in a better position to help themselves and make their lives better. Sigh.

I got my open water certification

2005-07-07T23:01:00.000-04:00

Hm, my long-weekend on endless stretches of meticulously manicured green pastures with strategically placed holes, sand bars and traps (it's called golf? haven't played in so long almost forgot) turned into an extended soak in a tub of cold water.

Thanks to Ed the Batman-scuba-instructor and the ever helpful ponytailed divemaster Ming, I got my first scuba certification. Yippie! Did the 2-day course up in Big Bay Point on lake Simcoe, Innisfil, ON. Day 1: cool and windy, strong water currents - must have been the sonic boom from the Live8 concert happening down the road in Barrie. The water was very cold (60F<) brhh..You know when you jump into a cold shower and when the water hits you, it makes you gasp? I felt the same way when doing the mask-flood and clear maneouver. Day2: sun was out so at least there was a chance to warm up between dives, but then it got trickier because then I started sweating like a garden hose on the docks and whenever I jumped into the chilly water my hands and feet got numb like the winter-time. Underwater, it felt like eating ice cream or ice popsicle too quickly on a warm summer day, made me wanna smack my forehead and to shake it off! Overall: lots of fun spending a weekend amongst some great people who were truly a fun group. Managed to finish all my dives without the slightest of a prick in my wet suit, 100% success at avoiding being caught in any of the fishing lines and hooks.

Now, can't wait to do it all over again somewhere nice and warm, Yeah!

Four seasons in one day - June in Canada

2005-06-17T23:49:00.000-04:00

Ah, that title of a Crowded House song is such an appropriate description of weather in Canada sometimes. I left Toronto's hot blistering 35 celsius temperatures on Monday June 13 for Quebec City, only to land squarely in 4 straight days of rain, fog and near zero temperatures - aieyah. Of course, did not bring anything warm to wear with me to the meetings in QC, and froze my arse off on most days. The business meetings were a blast - I think I am part of the best team at our company - lovin'it all even though on most days, I have such a xxxx-load of work.
> Biggest gain of this trip - caught up some of my close work friends, whom I haven't seen for almost 6 months, and got to know a few other people much better. The personal stories told, the laughters shared - dare I say it's given me renewed energy and enthusiasm for work? Just gotta love the people. Bless'em, they're a great bunch.
> Biggest loss: not getting to see Cyndi Lauper concert (schedule clash) at Casino Rama - bohoooo....her "girls just wanna have fun" album was the 1st album I ever purchased, by the way, so Cyndi and I go way back : )

Really feeling the brunt of a vacation-free first 6-months of 2005. Thank goodness for the upcoming long weekend to relax and have some fun. GOLF!

Canadian politics are bland? NOT!

2005-06-07T22:27:00.000-04:00

Read on the net that Canadian politics made it onto CNN news recently because of all the scandulous, juicy revelations - like the Liberal party sponsorship scandals, Belinda Stronach switching from PC to Liberal and becoming cabinet minister overnight. Then there are taped phone conversations of alleged solicitations / offers make more party-switching a reality...puke...never-ending. I suppose in some ways it may be amusing to see it come to life all of a sudden. However, it is ultimately a very disappointing state of affairs - my confidence in our politians has never been lower. Sigh...And you thought Hong Kong was having a bad political year with fringe legco members, chief exec resignation blah blah blah - they've all been quite out-done.

Overworked, gym guilt, and it's a cold rainy weekend

2005-04-23T23:47:00.000-04:00

Just how busy have I been lately with work, language classes etc.? Well, I dropped into bed last night and slept for 10 hours straight, quite a feat, really. I had a scary week at work, a multi-tasker's worst nightmare. 2 brand teams were having sales meetings (separately) and fully expecting me to be a part of them, while the 3rd and 4th ones had me juggling 3 projects at the same time. Bugger!
I haven't been to the gym in 2 bloody weeks. I blame is on my ungodly work hours - which have been stretching to span a whole 10 hours / day lately. I know I'm in trouble when my muscles feel flabby, especially my arms. I am so not ready for summer clothes, yikes. So, I told my manager, and I was so glad she was empathetic to my concerns. She's gonna try and see what she can do, because if it's looking this bad now, I am gonna be skinned alive in June when business plans are done. 6 brands and a dozen business lines. Wish me luck. Maybe, just maybe, there's a great vacation in store for me this fall and I shall be well rewarded for working so hard all year...it better be, I shall will it be so.
Had a wonderful weekend day, today, did absolutely nothing after waking up, enjoyed a cup of coffee, leisurely went to get a few things from the supermarket and spent the afternoon going through my closet admiring all the spring / summer clothes I will finally get to wear again. All that while it rained outside all day. I am determined to dress for what I believe should be Spring (it's end of April!!!), even though the temperature has dropped like lead again, barely above zero.
Attended my godson's 1st birthday party last Sunday. Nathan was focal point of the gathering of a 100 family members and friends, little wonder he seemed a little overwhelmed and touched by it all. The usually cheery and very smiley boy pushed a few tears rolling down his round little cheeks and whined a bit between photo shoots, hug fests and hi-5's. But I could tell that he was happy, just overcome with emotion, because he would just as quickly let out a little "whoaaa" yelp as he would giving you his signature big smile (all 6 teeth) and bat his long curly eyelashes right at you. Happy Birthday, boy!

Happy Spring Equinox

2005-03-24T22:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter, Welcome to Spring. Well, can't really tell from the weather in Toronto. Just happened to blow a few snow flakes again today. Oh, I should be on vacation by now, but no such luck this year. It's x busy at work. And I'm just not in the mood, although I could sure use a break. That's why the Easter weekend has come at a perfect time. Take a few days to recharge. Hmm dreaming of a nice tropical beach.......

Some of you might have heard I took the Japanese proficiency exam level 2 last December. Finally got the results, failed miserably, hah hah, kind of expected it, was totally not prepared. Will get another kick at the can this year. I'll really have to study for it this time. Will watching more j-dramas and listening to j-pop help? Any little bit counts

A report came out the other day here in Canada. Projections have it that by 2013 there will be more visible minorities in Toronto than those of caucasian (European) heritage: South-Asians, Chinese etc.....in that order. Just how much has changed these last few years? Well look at the immense popularity of the following: sushi, bubble tea, Korean BBQ, etc.. you get the drift. Just tonight I saw a tv commercial on mainstream channel and there was an old lady on a bus talking to a caucasian in Cantonese! Toronto is so minority-friendly to a fault some days, people don't even realize that not all people speak their language afterall. Reminded me of seeing an old man at Shoppers Drug Mart the other day asking Mr. G in Chinese, "Gor dee Fan-see-lum yau bye hey been do arh?" (where's the vaseline hand lotion?) I suppose if it can happen in real-life, it can also be on tv. I just find it all funny. Sign of the times. Bless our elders. They are so cute sometimes.

It's February already?

2005-02-04T23:02:00.000-05:00

My, where did January go? The new year has been a jumbo jet, roaring through right over my head. Need to sit down, have a quiet moment and regain my footing. Spa, anyone? The tsunami in Asia had a huge impact on me. Though I did not know any victims personally, I felt compelled to do my little part and make a donation to Red Cross. Incredible people like the EMS crew from Toronto and all the MSF volunteers are my idols.

I also decided to sponsor another child through World Vision over the holidays and just got his picture recently, exciting. Now I have 2 "children" through sponsorship. Though far away on the other side of the world, I hope there is a little more hope and brightness in their lives.

I was also served a big surprise at work last month, so I am trying my best to adjust and find ways to ensure that it doesn't get in the way of my personal priorities - spending quality time w/ my friends and family and what else? Traveling of course. Wish me luck. Oh and one last thing about work..I've been opening my gab a little bit more than I usually like to, so a late new year resolution - speak less, listen more, and just finish the work at a reasonable hour and "Peet"

I've created my blog space

2005-01-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Seems like many people have their own space on the web these days. Thought it would be a good idea to have one to call mine, for me to share news and pictures with friends, family etc.. Yippers