A Happy Day...

1. It's Sat - which means only half day work :)

2. High Tea w/ a very good friend - probably will be a while since the next time we meet again. Had a great time just chatting and blowing water. :P

3. Started X'mas Shopping - was a nightmare, have no idea what to get for everyone! Was wandering around MongKok's new shopping Mall Lang Ho Plaza and not really getting much done BUT:

i) Ran into a secondary schoolmates - the first time in the last 10 months (and after she married!!!) Caught up a little bit - which is cool :)

ii) JUST about time when I want to GIVE UP on the shopping I found something that I wanted to get for someone's x'mas present last x'mas!!!!! Couldn't find the RIGHT type last year but found it tonight!!! VERY HAPPY!!!!!! I hope someone will like it! hahaha...

so - x'mas present shopping - one down (but more to go!!) :( Still have 9 more to go...

4. Belated Birthday Cake + Candle Blowing - Although my birthday has passed a LONG time ago... got a little belated birthday cake + candle blowing thing at a ex-ASAT colleagues' gathering tonight. :) (well, of course, not only b/c of me la, just b/c one of them also has a birthday which is very close to mine)... but still... feel touched :)

5. Last but not least, got a belated b-day card from my Angel Girl!!! Every time I felt regret not sending her any mails (snail mails) these days whenever I got her letters... I miss her so much.... Moxie time, TacoBell :P Gosh, I'm really looking forward to see her next Aug!!!!

Well, although I got stood up from one of the guys who suppose to go out drinks after the dinner.. but it's alright.. I think I'm kinda ready to go home anyway :)

hehehe..

A Happy Day :D

Wedding Gift~~

Finished shopping for a wedding basket tonight - (the truth is, I only started tonight at about eight thirty!) haha

Feeling is very happy - for a quite close friend getting marry. I don't think we are the type of friends who's extremely close, yet is someone whom you can talk with every day's life :) Treasure quite a bit for different types of friendship - maybe becuase the "closer circle of friends" is getting harder and harder to expand as one gets older?

Also, get one of another my good friends to get prepare this basket - actually she did most of the works XDDD (i just sit back, and, well, PAY!) haha... Although she doesn't even know my friend (who's getting marry), I feel so great to have someone whom will do crazy stuffs like this with me :) Thanks Gerry ;) I will never as artisitic as you...

Let's see what's in the basket... the big box thing (w/ that rated R couple) is a set with bubble bath, candle, fregancy and insane (got it from Fruit and Passion), then the round thing next to it is from L'Occitarnt (?sp) - it is an orange shaped candle (can't see much w/ its wrapping)... but quite funny looking :P then got some pepori from Body Shop for some fresh smell (Coz that basket from LogOn is kind of smelly >.< ).... and last, as you can tell, is FOUR different types (taste/texture) of condoms!! (haha, my first time in my life to get condoms out of my pocket!!)

I guess it's a good experience afterall :P I hope Low Dai and Irene will like this "practical" basket :P Wish them all the best for this special day :)

So another year...

So another year has passed. I can't believe I'm ACTUALLY 27!

So many have changed through the years. I still remember I used to value this "special" day a lot a few years back. I wanted friends to gather with me, to celebrate for me, to have fun together. I would organize a big dinner, to have everybody with me, and share my favorite Baskin Robbin's birthday cake together, or sing karaoke until morning......

But I mean, as a matter of fact, I wanted this birthday to be quiet and simple, and just to have a home made dinner at home with mom. I like that peaceful moment, just like any other Sunday I have. Why bother? Having dinner with mom is actually something I treasure quite a bit, so why not? (besides, her dishes are REALLY the best!) and I did go out with friends, the night before, and although we didn't do much (even not as crazy as our usual gathering), having them there, with me, to so-called "celebrate" for me, that feeling is satisfying enough. I still have a couple of people whom I wanted to talk to, but, this is just like any other day in the year.

Birthday is just another day in the year. I do not understand why it takes me so long to realize it.

Oh, not to mention that I didn't even blow my birthday candles this year to make a wish. Let's see... I guess my wish for the coming year is... to have more chance to meet with friends from the pass and catch up some good old times, and knowing more new friends in life... hmm, I also want to pick up something in life that I can engage in, I mean, of course, other than taking care of mom, and, of course, my baby Elvin :)

I'm also very grateful so many still bother to say "happy birthday" to me - although they're just reminded by the IM, still, that's their effort it counts, so I'm still glad to get their messages :)

And I can just imagine the next thing of being 30! haha...

It is nice to have a peaceful day, a peaceful birthday.

P.S. Although I don't have my birthday cake this year, I do have Chinese style "Sau Bao (buns of long life)" :P

Jay Chou's Concert (周杰倫 2004 無與倫比演唱會)

haha, i just came back from Jay Chou's concert~~~ Very happy lei~~ hoho... Feeling good~~

:)

(Well, although i've to go to work an hr early to catch up some of the pending works due to my "early" departure <19:00> earlier tonite - but still worth it la)

XDD

Election and Citizenship...

The US 2004 Election have came to an end and we'll have Bush for another 4 years...

So as I was talking the election with a friend the other day, I just realized that she did not vote - as she is not yet a citizen!

If I did not remember it wrong she has been a Permanent Resident (PR) for quiet a long time (more than 20 years?) And as far as I remember from my government class back in high school one can be a permanent resident, well, practically, FOREVER (as long as he or she stays in the States for more than 180 days per year). And to get one step further, a PR can change his or her status to a US citizen after staying in the States for certain period of time continuously (I think 5 years). At the end of the process one just have to pass the neutralization test and you're done (and I still remember most of my classmates back them - neutral born US citizen, couldn't pass that neutralization test!!)

And all along I thought my friend can vote, but her answer is plain & simple - She cannot vote because she is not a citizen and she does not want to be one anyway.

Actually as years pass by I heard similar comment more and more often from different person staying over in the States - some are PR for a long time, some just turn to be a PR, some are still on H1 or even still studying. They all work very hard in order to be part of the country - to be a PR and eligible to stay and work in the States - but the part I don't quiet understand is that they refuse to take a step further - to REALLY be part of the country - where they live, work and staying in? How come to them being a PR is the same as being a citizen - not having the right to vote doesn't seem to bother them! (oh, and not to mention they cannot serve in most of the government's agencies).

How ironic is it - people in HK fight these days to get our right to elect the next HK Chief Executive through direct voting - while people who can vote for their leader - do not bother to do one step further and choose NOT to have the right to vote?

Of course, there is still many other restrictions apply which I have not mention. And of course, there maybe some other reasons, that make those who doesn't want to take that further step to become a citizen afterall. Maybe because deep down their heart they still want to come back and settle down in their homeland - Hong Kong eventually; or maybe that neutralization test is just too hard one doesn't bother to study Grade 11's US History and Grade 12's Government class again in order to pass it. Who knows (and who cares)?!

(Afterall I am not in the position to judge them as I am not a PR. I am not even working or living there anymore. I just came back to work and live in my homeland Hong Kong after graduation...)

Part of me still consider US as part of my "home town"... Yet after 4 years coming back working and living in HK, I don't think I can live and survive there anymore - i.e. even I have a chance to go back. I guess as one older one just resist for major changes in life? I think current business traveling to Africa, India, Eastern Europe.. etc are fulfilling enough! :P

People may ask why I fond of the US that much... Actually I don't know. I may not like it as much if I am staying there now. I think I consider it as much as my 2nd hometown is probably because I spent some of the best moments, and knew some of the most important persons in my life over there...

and if one ask me what my nationality is, I still kind of hesitate to say "Chinese" - I still prefer to say I'm from Hong Kong, not from China CHINA. I would say I am a Hong Kong citizen, but not a China (Chinese) citizen...

I guess it is good that they start playing the National Anthem every evening now...

Personally I don't like either Kerry or Bush. BUT IF I REALLY have to pick one from the 2 of them I guess I'll go for Bush, simply because I am more a republican and that Kerry looks too weak to me as a President... (but of course, again I want to emphasize the above is only based on the "LOOK", as I know NOTHING about either policies or plans or whatsoever)...

Halloween...

Although in HK there's still quite some ppl go out and "celebrate" this fun festival, yet I don't feel like the spirit anymore...

Suddenly flash back from some very old days tonite.. I still remember the days when I was in Boise, during Halloween night parents drive around their kids, with what they think "cute customs" (haha!) to go trick or treats... that was so fun .. (and yes, junky candies can last for MONTHS before ending up in the trash!) hahhaha

I can't remember what exactly I did for the first Halloween I "celebrated" in Boise... I just remember my host sister and brother held a Halloween party... memories faded so badly that I can only remember the event from the pictures I took that night. Chee, Jee, Hyeon and Diana was there... That was crazy, I sprayed too much red instant dyes on my hair that it took me like 3 shampoo cycles to get it off! hahahaha... crazy times...

and I remember we used to drive up to Table Rock to see the cities - the road used to be SO BAD that it's SO DANGEROUS to drive up there... and there was one time when Jee ran off the neighbor's mail box on the other side of the road when he backed up his car! hahahahahaaa.... our Fri/Sat. event, actually is EVERY WEEK, was to have some discount Albertson's chicken, and watch 70's/80's movies down in Diana's basement (and I watched all the Ranma's cartoon from the Hastings there!) haha... there's no internet/online back in those days yet I was still very happy and so easy in life... can just have my "walkman" and go hiking all sat long...

Life back then was so stress free... it was the good old days.... That's also why I look forward to go back to Boise next time... Ten years, no, actually it had been more than 10 years since I first land my feet on Boise's soil. To me Boise is such a special place - to me it hasn't change much, it's such a nice little town, with friendly ppl and MARVELOUS landscape went back there 2 yrs ago for my sis's graduation. I've spent my teenage years there... so many happy memories, filled with unforgettable experience - experience that made part of who I am today.

Although most of the ppl I know ain't there anymore... From time to time I wonder how Jee is doing - last time I heard from him was when he was still in Seattle, probably before he went back to Korea (or before I head to Purdue). He was always THE GUY of the group (well, he's the eldest among us) and for sure he's tough guy...

For Chee, she's now a Dr. in SG... she's so smart, and she's so determinate - she set her mind to becoming a Dr. even before high school graduated! Envy her for knowing what she wants in her life at such an early age. I need to catch up w/ her for what's going on lately by email, really...

and Hyeon... ha! that guy! XDDD has a mixed feeling with this guy... it's like you used to be so close w/ some ppl in certain part of your life but at the present stage you don't know about them anymore, which made you feel a bit of... "emptiness" in your life?? but at the same time you also know that if there's a chance in the future that you can meet up with the warm feeling will all come back.... and I truly appreciate the chance to meet him on the way back to HK four years ago - although that was really a short meeting (transit there only).... yet I was really impressed as it was like 6 am when I was there - and he said he was "escaped" from the military camp to come to the airport! hahaha! Although I kinda doubt he has the guts to do that but hey, at least he made the effort so that's good :) Anyhow, I think about a year ago he got marry and now continue his master (finished yet?) in Pittsburg. I haven't heard from him since he married...

of course, when it comes to my life in Boise Genny is someone I HAVE to mention... She's the one who taught me (and get me addicted!) to some REAL coffee! hahaha... my "parents" to "drove me around" to trick or treat during Halloween~~ oh thousands words ain't enough when it comes to Genny!! Still can't quiet believe my little angel girl is a mother of 2 now!

ANYWAY, Halloween has just passed, and it's Nov already and time to move on and not looking back!! But my first Halloween was really great :D