Another One Bites The Dust

Another divorce.

I just got off the phone with my college room-mate. What can I say...

I received a not-so-happy email from Melody last night accusing me of not keeping in contact. Now Melody and I have were roomies for a year in college. We got along well and had fun. She wasn't exactly the partying type of girl but she was a good enough room-mate and we laughed a lot together. She wasn't the most well liked girl on campus but I liked her. She was nice to me. I was probably the first non-American she'd ever come across and I doubt she's met many more since me. She tolerated my insanity and I tolerated her mess - how, I don't even know. We always got along well - even when we hated each other's guts. It's hard to explain. But it's easy to recognize our difference once you walk into our rooms. Her side of the wall is filled with Disney characters and mine, well, mine was filled with half naked men (hey, I'm the normal one here! :D). We email and chat online once in awhile but certainly not religiously. Needless to say when I got this email I was a little surprised. I wrote back and gave her a brief update of my life and asked the same of her. Well, I got a shock this morning when I read that she, like the rest of my other high school and college girlfriends, is getting a divorce .

Of course I called her immediately. A little worried. I've never met her husband but the few times I have communicated with him on the phone, he's never come across as being 'nice'. She answered the phone sounding suspicious. I was using my calling card so it probably read a Denver number. "KAREN!!", she screamed immediately recognizing the way I yell 'Melody!'. She still talks like she's home for the weekend from school and updating me on her life in in-the-middle-of-nowhere-vernon, connecticut. Thirteen years have swooshed by. Wow, how I have changed and like-to-believe, progressed, and how she err... hasn't. She's got a graduate degree in horticulture. Yet, since graduation, she's been working at the Disney Store - big shock there, NOT! Then she started telling me how HOT Mark is... uh oh, I just knew where the conversation was heading. "MELODY, YOU CHEATED ON YOUR HUSBAND!?" She laughs... . I repeated my question. A little amused to be honest. I just can't understand why my friends have all gone down the same path. ...and to be honest, it's rather demoralizing. Meloday makes it number... gawd who can keep track of all of my friends who have cheated on their husbands and/or getting a divorce. What is it with these girls I know!?!? Then she told me how she lost 80 pounds since April this year blah blah blah. WOW! Granted, it's a lot of weight (it's practically one whole person!). But she's known this Mark fella (apparently) for the last ten years! Doesn't that say something about him??? Oh well, what can I say. She says I won't understand. Little does she know, from all the crap I've heard all my girlfriends tell me, I understand better then anyone else out there. Yes, she married a 50 year old man beyond his years whom she shouldn't have and wants out. I get that. But she didn't have to wait till she lost 80 pounds and slept with another man to do that! Sad...

It makes me wonder about women who get married out of pressure. I know some of these girls I know certainly did. I also know some married girlfriends who aren't the most sensitive when putting a question across. Why do married women make single women believe that being married would make everything better? Worst, why would our parents make me believe that? LOL! Yes, sometimes, if you're lucky, life really is better. I got lucky! VERY LUCKY! Still, not every women, obviously, gets to be like me - and realizes it. So why are we made to feel that we need to have a man in our lives? Why are we made to feel once hitched, it's time to have a baby?! You have no idea how many times my married friends with kids tell me to stop 'posing' and go start a family. I HAVE A FAMILY! It's Bruce and I. We have a full night's rest every night and we're happy.

If you have a single girlfriend out there, don't try and set her up. Please don't ask her why she's single because either she wants to be single or she obviously doesn't know the answer to that stupid question. People are sometimes quite contented with where they are. Ever thought of that? No need to mess them up. Keep your 'good deeds' to yourselves. Otherwise it won't be too long before someone else get another girlfriend calling or emailing them about another rendezvous or ugly divorce procedure.

Why I Can't Shop At Walmart Anymore

I cannot shop at Walmart anymore - not in 10 lifetimes. We just returned from getting some hangers there and it's been at least six months since I was last there. Tonight, my final time shopping there has reminded me why I will not be seen back there ever again? No, I cannot let myself ever shop at Walmart ever again. Not in ten lifetimes! No... not because those stupid Christians on TV actually took out airtime to tell us not to - what do they know, they believe in freakin' fairies! Not because it's now a little farther away from us since we have a second, even bigger and fancier Target closer to our house... and it certainly is not because it is probably the cheapest place in town to buy ANYTHING. I just can't shop at Walmart anymore because:

1. I feel like I'm in New Orleans after the hurricane DURING looting
2. I don't feel like I'm actually shopping in the US nor any civilized nation
3. People working there don't have the attention span of a 3 yr old - they can't
check you out without talking to the cashier three aisles away or the last
customer they'd just checked out
4a. They have an "Express Lane" for customers buying 20 items or less (95 percent of the people have 20 items or less). That means you can choose between the Express Line (with 28 people waiting) or the other lines (with 3 people each with 472 items). Nice choice...
4b. The people in the Express lane can pay with coins, third party checks, coupons, gift certificates, currency they printed on inkjet printers, and anything else they can barter.
4c. The Express Lane has this sign posted: "Only 20 Itmes Please". While I appreciate the courteous use of "please", I wish they would have spelled it "pleeze" to keep with Walmart's Holiday Illiteracy theme.
5. I can't deal with shopping with hobos
6. I don't respect people who buy candle warmers so can keep their rooms scented
without burning their candles
7. I don't respect people who try to save every cent and buy a potato peeler that
peels them curly fries
8. I don't need to save 30 cents per shopping trip
9. I don't want to be shot if I honk at a moronic driver in the parking lot
10. It's a suckie shopping experiance no matter the time of the day
11. I prefer quality versus quantity
12. Target is SOOO much nicer (and it's not even that nice)!

It's so bad ROMT is even thinking of dropping our Sam's Club membership and moving to Costco. It's a sad day when we think about leaving Sam's Club, not because it's bad, but because it sits next to Walmart.

Are Most Foreign Women Cheap?

Ok you don't have to diss me and send me mean email. I'm a foreigner so I have every right to right to talk about 'us'.

I'm hosting a Christmas Party for the formerly-abroad group. This group is made up of Americans who have formerly lived abroad (ok I guess American women are also referred to in this article), foreigners like me who have married Americans and now live here, as well as foreign women (mostly Europeans) who are here with their husbands who are working temporarily in Memphis. Now this group of women are hardly impoverished by any standards. Most of them don't work... nor need to have a job... and most of them have older teenage kids - ok I hang with a bunch of cheap old bitches. The party is in less then a week and I find these women trying hard as they can to stinge. Whether it's their time on making a dish for the potluck luncheon or buying something as cheaply as possible from the store. I just don't understand them. While I don't expect everyone to spend 5 hours in the kitchen to make a fancy dish (this is after all, America), I also don't expect them to bring 'everyday-crap' to be served in my kitchen. It's a Christmas party for crying out loud!

Let me say that I have no objections as far as people buying something from the store for the convenience. But for goodness sakes, know what you're buying. Quality vs quantity. I, myself, am getting a whole roast duck from the local Chinese restaurant. It's the best in town (but that's only because I now can't be arsed to cook for a bunch of women who don't seem to appreciate the fact that I am going through SOME trouble to host their damn party). The husband has been so sweet and thoughtul to voluntarily get me an outdoor heater in case the party leads us out there for some reason (you never know with a bunch of women all liquored up; yeah, we've seen how those Austrians act when they're on the train to Budapest). So far, I have gotten many enthusiastic emails announcing who's attending and telling me of the salad dishes they're bringing. Oh come on!! What is it with these white women and their freakin' disgusting salads?!?!?! A couple of casseroles (which beats everything else), three salads and two dessert platters later (and yes, I can assure you these darn dessert platters will not be of my gourmand expectation; Costco if we're lucky), I'm stressed out. Why can't people just put in some effort?!? Did the chairperson not say in her 'invitation, 'bring your FAVOURITE dish'?! Arrgh, it just annoys the hell out of me! Someone emailed today and advised that they're bringing egg salad. Ok, it's a fellow Asian. She's Korean. I'm about to scream and pull out all my hair here... "EGG SALAD?!?!?! OHMYPHUCKINGGAWD!!! I emailed back suggesting she brought something party'ish and maybe even Korean if she cooks. I'm done. She's bringing phucking kimchee. Is she dense?!?! I didin't email back. ...she can jolly well sit by the corner with the stinky kimchee all by her damn self!

Ok, so maybe not all white girls will bring salad and we, foriegners are not just this bunch of losers. But I miss good potlucks. The good cooks and one pushy-always -filled-with-great-suggestions-what-people-should-cook-always-hungry-person I know have all moved away :( I'm just used to having a potluck where all 20 women bring delicious food enough for 90 men - never mind these skinny little bitches who all nibble on their food like rabbits and swear they have to go on a diet. Bloody annoying.

This will be the last time I'm going to volunteer for this group of cheap sorry asses.

Travelling With My Man

Well, after a day's rest at home, unpacking, doing some light laundry and some light cleaning - like I said, I came home to a not only clean but very neat house, there wasn't much that was needed to do, I was back at the Memphis airport. Thankfully, it's back to my regular routine, travelling internationally with Bruce. It's just SO much nicer and stress free when I have Bruce on my side. He does everything right down to filling in my immigration and customs forms. Thus he's the one usually stressed and mentally tired... but I think he enjoys it. Ok, he's going to deny it but he's the man lol. Ok, I'm just a plain lazy ass :)

We're in Tokyo! Happy Thanksgiving everyone. The mil isn't impressed that we are once again 'running away' from having a 'family-thanksgiving', but we are! The twosome Ryan-style Thanksgiving - SUSHI! Mmmm. We celebrated ours at our never-fail-to-please Sushi Cho. I would recommended it to anyone coming to Tokyo but you would probably never find it lol. I'm still dreaming of my sweet sweet uni. YUM!

I should get back to sleep. The clock on my computer says 1:10pm Memphis time so if I want this annoying cold to go away, I should try and get into some form of sleep schedule while I'm here. Meanwhile, Bruce the man is deep in sleep, resting his big big brain ready for another day in a few hours.

Australians in Australia... YUK!

The Aussies I have encountered in my recent and past numerous trips to Oz just hasn't been very postive. From their airline and their customer service to the customs and immigration staff, their local cab drivers (not taking in consideration the immigrant cab drivers who are quiet and scary everywhere) are rude driving around cabs that should have been done away with eons ago... the wait staff at even good restaurants (and I'm not even talking about the generally rude Asians at good Chinese restaurants!) are at best not at all impressive and personality and smiling doesn't seem to be big with them either. Australians are just generally not very nice people in their own country. Yes, they're laid back quote unquote, lazy. The pace in the country is slow, read S-L-O-W and if you like many Asians think the US is backward in many aspects (and we are!), we have already beat one continent.

With the major influx of Asian tourist and settlers, we still get treated like shit over there. I just don't understand why people continue to visit and stay. Maybe 'coz there are too many of those Mainlanders who give us foriegn Chinese a bad name lol. Gotta' find an excuse for ourselves... :D

I never look forward to going to Melbourne despite the love of being in any city for good shopping. I go only 'coz my family insists on vacationing there. They know my love for both Singapore and Australia can only extend 'that' far. After all, I can get here anything I want from Oz - even nougat lol. Okay, maybe not the awesomely delicious apple streudal pie from Perth - but it's been years since I had those so I guess I can live without them after all.

My visit to Melbourne this time is about the only time I've had fun. But it wasn't the city that made it any more exciting then the last 20 visits. It was only 'coz of EKT that Melbourne's been tolerable. Spending a good quality seven days with mom was also nice after a year's break. It's nice to be appreciated and not being called fat names. She even said my eye brows looks nice lol! Maybe it's the crappy city Melbourne air already infested with big ass flies in mid November.

Maybe dad will come to his sense and get rid of the apt there... get one say in, Hawaii or SF or NYC :) Hey a girl can dream can't she :)

Who Has A Better Husband...

Please stand up!

I have the best husband ever!

While I was away in Australia - the longest we've been apart - a full NINE days, my favourite man not only kept the house immaculate, he ran the roomba insane, cleaned out my oven (the same oven I have not used for more than a year 'coz I'm too grossed out by it ever since I made (or at least tried to make) some German apple streudal cake and failed lol... he raked leaves TWICE off our driveway and yard, got all the outdoor lights replaced, did his own laundry (he also dropped chopsticks down the dryer lint vent but that's another hilarious story on it's own), got me my favourite salted fish fried rice (before I got home in case I was too tired to eat out) and surprised me with presents! What more can a woman want?! Ok, I could name everything I want from Pottery Barn, Neiman Marcus and Saks but outside of shopping, I couldn't ask for anything more from this perfect man for me.

I love my husband. Of course I always have. I just love him even more then ever. He's a sweetie pie and my mom was right. He's a good man and a great husband. No wonder my mom is no longer worried that I am married to an American man :)

Yet Another Inadequacy Of Mine...

It's been many years (well, at least four) that Bruce and I knew we don't want to have children of our own. Whether for selfish reasons or not, we realize watching other couples, that we love the way our lives run on a daily basis and enjoy the last minute hop-on-the-next-plane kind of trips we have. Who needs contraceptives!? Watching other people's kids work well enough for us lol.

I just returned from a one week trip in Melbourne visiting with mom, my brother, sister-in-law (not the one here in Memphis obviously; the nice shopperholic one married to my brother) and the most precious thing I could ever meet, my seven month old niece, Emma Karissa Tay. Yes, the same baby that Bruce and I threatened to name Pork Sa since her last name is Tay. Yup, Pork SaTay LOL!!! Only Bruce and I can think up of something like that while laying very sober after a nap in bed in Tokyo before little Emma was born...

My first meeting with EKT brought lots of laughter. I was afraid Emma would not take to me seeing that other then my dad, everyone else at home is pretty err... normal... nice and certainly speak at a rather regular tone of voice. But she took to me alright. Yes, even my insane loud laughter lol. She sleeps through all of them. It's her mom who gets a hissy-fit when I laugh like a roaring thunder lol. Maybe EKT's been lectured about her crazy auntie Karen who sends her packages of presents from America and packs more then half her ginourmous suitcase with more baby stuff then a custom officer could fathom for a childless traveller for a one week vacation. Or maybe she's just a regular Tay-baby who loves to smile. Oh baby Emma's smiles. Her little beady almond eyes that practically disappears when you greet her each time she wakes up from her sleep; when you mention the word 'MUFFIN'. When she actually gets some muffin (don't tell her parents lol) and actually brings up my thumb back into her mouth with her tiny hands to suck the rest of the muffin off. Her tiny little chubby fingers that wave like the Queen of England, do the okay-sign (sometimes with a wink), pulls on her mommy's hair or scratches my fat cheeks. All bring laughter to everyone around her. She's been a blessing to my family and has made everyone especially my mother a very happy grandmother despite having a hard year of losing her sister.

I never thought I could fall in love again. But with Emma, I have. No worries, I'm not going to go pester Bruce and say I've changed my mind about kids. I haven't. Nah... thus the heading. I feel almost inadequate as a woman. Is this normal? Selfish, I can understand... but I really don't have that maternal instinct screaming for attention. As much as I love Emma, I realize even more now that being a mother just isn't a thing I yearn to be... a week of being a full time aunt being in the presence of the most adorable girl was as close to being maternal as I'd ever want to get. Thank goodness for siblings who are much less selfish.

My Husband Does Not Have To Kill Me...!

The new couch was just delivered. I have new a new couch and a couple of chairs and I'm a happy camper. Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!

We have a real living room now unlike the one we used to have with the gawd awful uncomfortable and ugly Norwalk couch we got. Just for the record, we hate Norwalk! The moment that stupid couch got delivered, and dealing with the unprofessional idiotic staff at their store and the head office, I've been waiting to buy a new couch. Three years later, Bruce finally gave in and got me this couch 8 weeks ago.

A couple of weeks ago, he threatened (well ok, I think he meant it) that if the couch got here and that I tell him I didn't like it like I did with the last couch... ok, my exact words were more like "YUKS! I hate it, I want a new couch!!", he'd have to kill me. No questions about it. ...and believe-you-me, he would have lol. You would too if you were him. The poor guy has to put up with my unbearable insanity on a daily basis. I'm sure my whole family feels sorry for him too that's why they love him so much hahaha! Ok, so he's a nice guy too, that's why.

So sweetie, I'm happy and I love my couch. Now what else can I replace in this house hahaha! Oh, new dishwasher!!!

MUS: Class of 1980

Last night saw the final night of 'celebrations' of Bruce's 25th High School Reunion. After Friday's golf session in the afternoon that Bruce didn't attend (I guess he's officially quit golf... plus hello... some people do still have to work on a Friday afternoon), Friday evening's eeiky Pig N' Whistle BBQ (certainly not my favourite here in Memphis) that we didn't eat but did hang out and meet some folks before our varsity football team trashed who-the-hell-cares-who-were-playing-since-like-I-just- said, 'we trashed them!' :D Saturday afternoon was a picnic out in the boondocks an hour drive from us. Picnic spelt grass and we all know how I feel about nature lol so Bruce kindly declined and explained to all his friends (now maybe ex friends) what a weirdo city-girl he's married to lol and then last night's shindig...

Last night's cocktail party at the University Club though showed all signs of a boy-produced party: big ass styrofoam cups that the rather unfamiliar young bartenders would fill with loads of alcohol before dripping literally drops of tonic or juice (no complaints here!), all food consisted of meat meat and more meat. The 'vegetable platter' of the evening was this very very rich (but good) artichoke cheese dip... no flowers (no, the trees by the pool doesn't count lol) and of course, hot chicks... but all being somebody's wife (everyone left with whoever they arrived with, in case you were wondering). Then again, after I downed a large cup of gin tonic that was more like a humongous gin martini, it didn't really matter where I was nor what the place looked like. No no, I kept my composure. I was not drunk... it was only 2 cups after all. Nothing like our night last week in Bangkok lol. All I was concerned was that the toilet was close enough for my most uncomfortable Manolo's to take me, I was quite happy. It was. Fortunately.

It was awesome to meet the bunch of boys, now almost-old balding men. Most of them seem so much older then Bruce... ok maybe it's a prejudice judgement. But at least one certainly did not look 43. Nor 53. Nor 63 HAHAHA! No, at least 2! But only one I truly dislike lol. But I've known him prior to this party. So no big surprise there. He's our former immigration lawyer lol. Need I say more? I did, however, use the opportunity last night to tell him the flaws of his office management and the idiotic parallegal he had us placed under his care. I spared no mercy - trust me. He pleaded for a second chance NO CHARGE after I told him the amount of money we paid him and got zip in return. He commented that was not about the money. "IT IS ABOUT THE MONEY!" I exclaimed pretty honestly. Bet he wasn't expecting all that and more from me... the one who's usually cool, calm and collected (and polite!) - in his office lah! I know those of you who know me are laughing about how I act differently in front of certain people ie, my in laws lol... I'm the sweet quiet do-everything-my -husband-says kind of Asian wife lol. Hey, it works...

Yes, the bunch of 1980 graduates from MUS are a hoot. Mostly successful bunch of guys, most of them sane (those with no more than three kids are sane at least); pretty comfortable financially and of course, that comes along, naturally, with hot wives. YES, I AM INCLUDED (of course!) THANK YOU VERY MUCH lol. We seemed to be the only sensible ones with no kids... it was quite funny how when the men asked me where I am originally from, they usually at least recognized the word 'Singapore'. But with the wives, it was either a 'oh, I've heard about the great shopping there!' or a brief 'ohhh that's nice' meaning oh-I-have-no-phucking-idea-which-part-of-China-that- is. Lots of conversations with me included:
Them: Do you have kids?
Me: Nope
Them: Do you work?
Me: Nope
Them: So what do you do?
Me: I'm Bruce sex slave... HAHAHAHA... no... but I was pretty tempted (and this was BEFORE all the gin lol). But I didn't know which were the seriously religious ones (the kids weren't around for me to judge that) and I didn't want to be blamed for any heart attacks that evening... so I gave my normal safe answer, "nothing, just hang out and be Bruce's wife".

'Hairy Chest and the Pukkabees' was hilarious! I can't explain them (maybe Bruce will in his blog) except a bunch of these guys I guess had a band and made up this group that would lip sync music back in the days and take over their chapel sessions. They were a hoot last night. Kim (short for Kimbal) was awesome on the drums. Scott Stevens, Mr Hollywood did most of the singing tho' Hopie Brooks did his rendition of geez... maybe the gin did get to me more than I thought... I can't remember jack! It was fun and funny nonetheless. I guess you just had to be there.

It was a great night! We got home at about 2am... way way WAY past our bedtime. Bruce thinks I've invited the entire class to our next Chinese New Year party lol... that should be interesting. ...if not, I guess it'll be another 5 years before we see this bunch of people again.

Where Have I Been?

It's been awhile since I have logged in an entry... There is SO much to report but I've been just sitting stagnant lately not willing to write. Why?! Well, I'm a little bitter about not winning the lottery, not losing weight despite all the exercise I've been doing (but no dieting of course) and most of all, having to return from a trip. Usually when we travel, by day three or four, I'm often looking forward to getting home to our own bed, our own space, our own home; despite home being out in the middle of nowhere boondocks. Nonetheless, it's still home to us.

Last Wednesday started fall break and Bruce and I boarded the first flight out to Dallas and got on our merry way to Bangkok, Thailand. It's been two years since we were last there (and back then I didn't want to leave either) and this time, we were meeting my brother and his wife, Geraldine, and my still very much insane buddy, Mathi, who was flying in from Copenhagen via Hong Kong, via Jakarta, via Singapore whilst on a so-called business trip so he could make it out to meet us on time. What a ball!! 27 hours on the plane later, we finally arrived. Ahhh, The Oriental... To say the least, nobody wanted to leave! ...and that's a fact! We introduced 'The Oriental' to Kevin and Geraldine and it certainly sounds like neither of them will want to stay any where else the next time they are in Bangkok on vacation. It's simply an awesome place to stay... the service, the food, the little things they do for you... anything and everything! Actually, never mind staying there for a short vacation. That's how and where I'd like to live! Yes, living at the Oriental Bangkok would be a dream come true. If I'd hit the $340M lottery the other night, that's where you would have found Bruce and I.

I put on 2 pounds in Thailand - naturally. But I've gone straight back to my exercise routine... arrgh imagine... I worked out six weeks in a row prior to our trip and not a pound or an inch lost. Four days in friggin' Bangkok and I put on 2 pounds. What kind of a world is this?! It's just not fair! I don't care if my heart is stronger. I don't even care if I'm beating my 100 laps every morning by 1 min these days... I still can't fit into my fat clothes, never mind the less fat ones. ...so you see why all the pent-up bitterness?

...so that's where I've been.

My Secret Identity To Be Revealed

Tonight, or in the near future, my not-so-secret, secret identity as the Queen of the Mountain Tortoise might soon be revealed to my sil. Yup, imagine... she'd be reading all these blogs about my mil and herself. How? Why? When? Who? What?

Well, after a nice long nap this afternoon, the husband and I thought a longer drive for dinner out to midtown to have some yummy Vietnamese pho and lemongrass tofu would be nice change. We had a nice dinner, saw familiar faces and since it wasn't even 8pm after the meal, we thought we'd venture downtown to see just how well the sil and bil's always-packed (her words, not ours) was doing. We drove by Cafe 61 fast and unnoticed like a thug in a drive-by-shooting. It was full of people alright. Full of people standing outside reading the menu lol.

After that, I suggested dropping by the sil's to give Marley the Christmas present we'd got for her that's been sitting in the trunk of my car for the last couple of months. Everytime my exercise mat touches it, Dora the Explorer goes "SPLASH(!) I LOVE SWIMMING IN MY POOL". Once Bruce was driving and heard it and almost drove off the road lol. We figured it wouldn't be too hard to buy her anther present in the near future.

So we did just that... and not a minute had gone by and already he was summoned by the sil to deal with hr computer problems. He solved it, of course... and continued to teach his sister about the difference between websites and blogs... and then went further to teach her how to build one. That's when he almost made the faux pas of revealing the identity of my blog. He was trying to tell her how simple it is to create a blog ie, even retards like me could lol. First he showed her his blog where she read the post about the fortune cookie before the mil went for her surgery. She asked "how did you get the name Mountain Tortoise?". He brotherly answer, 'don't worry about it'. Now only if you had a brother like my husband would you deal with that answer with complete SILENCE. I was laughing hysterically inside my head. He went on, 'yeah it's really easy to create a blog... even...' I was like OH NO YOU DON'T!!!! Fortunately, he caught himself hahahaha. Changed the subject and went on to step two on creating her blog for the restaurant.

If my sil is as nosey as I am, or half as curious as her brother is, she'd start reading his blog entries tonight and find a link to my blog. Of course, that would mean she'd have to remember the link or go through the trouble of goggling mountain tortoise... and she gets there, actually take time to read through his links or read his articles and actually pay attention to the links. That is, if she knows that the highlighted words ARE links. At least at the writing of this, she doesn't know YET lol. If you see a nasty comment, you'd know it's her lol.

Why I Love My Manolo Blahniks

Granted, most women have a shoe fetish. I am a woman. A woman who loves her shoes. A woman who wears shoes that other women notice... a lot. A couple of women actually confessed that before they talk to me, they have to first check out the shoes I'm wearing - hey, I have no problem with that :) So when I get ooh's and aaah's from friends (and sometimes strangers) about my shoes, where I got them and no, they're usually not that surprised that my purchases are not from Memphis; it's flattering but not surprising. After all, I have great taste! :)

BUT, only a pair of Manolo Blahniks would get the attention of a 95, yes, read - NINETY FIVE year old lady sitting next to me at the hair salon. I think I caught a short gasp first... then I noticed her making eye contact with the owner of the hair salon, Lisa. She called Lisa's attention to my shoes with her eyes and raised her eyebrows (probably thinking look-at-the-pair-of-shoes-this-bloody-chinkie's-wearing LOL). When she saw that I was smiled in her direction. She glanced at me and said 'oh my, aren't those hottie shoes. I wanted to thank her for calling me a hottie but preceeded to understand that she was calling the shoes 'hottie'. Certainly under no circumstances was she pointing to me lol. It was great! Still picking out hot shoes at 95... that would be me :)

Guys, never mind those blue boxes - unless there's a huge ass diamond in it! Go for the Manolo's! Trust me.

Demoted

For a week or so, we were my mil's (mil=mother-in-law for those who are newcomers to my blog) mailman/woman. As of this past Sunday evening, she called and demoted us to trash people. We were asked... well, no, we were told, to bring out her trash for her. She went on and on and on about having something being put out on the back door and that we'd have to pick it up before the day is over (she called at 6pm Sunday) since they pick up her trash on Monday morning. Nice! I had to say 'no we couldn't do it that evening' as we were having guests coming over for dinner'. No problem. She asked me pass the message to Bruce and have him take her trash out on his way to work lol.

Bruce of course, was not the least bit amused when I told him this piece of information right before our guests got here... but like a filial son he always is, he did exactly that on Monday morning om his way to school. Trouble was, I don't think he did exactly what he was supposed to. I can't say I took the trouble to repeat specifically what my mil had told me; so he only got half of what he was supposed to do. Honestly, I didn't think he would do it lol... after all, getting him to take the trash out of this household always incurs a rolling of the eye or an annoyed please-tell-me-that-earlier-'coz-I-have-to-rush-to-work. So going to take his mom's trash, I thought, would be a miracle lol. Of course, as usual, I under estimate the American son. I always thought only Asian kids were expected to be filial...

Anywayz, my mil hasn't called here to complain about her trash that might still be sitting on her front door... but I'm sure between now and next Monday, my mil will be able to find some kind soul to do just that for her. Too bad for her, I'm occupied enough these days not to have to be kind to her... after all, I have blog fans I feel obligated to amuse :)

Who Am I?

'Are you Filipina?' I get asked that question at least ten times on an annual basis. Well, I'm not(!) so stop bloody asking me!!! Yesterday at jazzercise, an Asian walked in. We looked at each other, smiled and nodded. She looked Vietnamese and 'older'... ok, not that much older but 'weathered' lol. She was a good jazzerciser, so I figured she's been to more than a couple of lessons unlike Julie and I who were at our second class and still lost and clumsy with the same steps we were just taught two days ago.

Right after class, Ms Thang came up to me and asked enthusiastically with her accent 'are you Pilipina?'. I think I resisted rolling my squinty eyes... but I know they also got really big (big like I was in my first traumatic earthquake experiance). 'NO?' I answered, trying to remain calm. She asked if I had kids. This time I think my nose flared lol... again, negative. Boy she was hitting all the wrong points wasn't she. She then asked if I'd just moved here hahahaha. I decided to be nice and started a semi conversation :)

Over the years, I have had uncountable people ask me an umpteen times 'pilipina?'. Gawd... from the bus driver who took me from my car to the airport terminal in Tucson, the bunch of guys at the bus-stop in Seattle, the group of Filina chicks who looked me up and down and smiled when they saw me walking with Bruce giving me the oh-you've-done-well-for-yourself look at Trafalgar Square, the Filipina cashier at Marks and Spencers in London, the doorman in Vienna who asked if I speak Tagalog, the lady at Buffalo Wild Wings in Memphis who practically cornered me and interrogated me when I said I wasn't 'her kind'... geez... and that's only a fraction of what I can remember.

On the flip side, when I tell the Chinese that I AM Chinese, they don't want to believe me! WTF?!

Stupid White Girl

My girlfriends and I went to the movies today. We went to see 'An Unfinished Life'. As usual, we got our tickets, our popcorn and went into the cinema. It was already dark and I was leading the way to get seats. It wasn't crowded at all but people were scattered all around. I decided to go about four rows from the back and walked cautiously while the routine advertisements were going on, loud. I hear someone harshly say something... I didn't know there was someone there until I heard her and looked up and saw the pair of shoes hanging out from the back of the chair ahead of me. She was talking to me apparently. I said 'excuse me?!' and then she grumbled aloud 'I guess if you have to sit in front of me then I'd just move'. Only then did it occur to me then that she was talking to me and had said 'please do not sit in front of me'. HUH!? What?! I ignored her, of course. Almost purposely, I sat on the seat next to where her feet hung. She mumbled something - probably calling me a fat bitch or something along that line and moved. From the corner of my eye, I saw that she'd move about three seats away. What a stupid bitch! I mean, hello!? First of all, I'm phucking 4'10" (four ten and a half but who's measuring lol), the seats are tiered and it's not like I have Marge Simpson's hair or had on one of those fruit hamper hats. GAWD!!!

We enjoyed the movie without much incident except everytime she laughed or mumbled something to herself, it annoyed the hell out of me. Why are some white women so stupid!? I mean... there are stupid Asian girls but white American girls take the 'wow' for stupidity!

Get A Life!

Do they not have anything better to do?! Arresting bloggers???

BLOGGERS have become used to letting off steam, while invective in Internet forums is nothing new. Yesterday, however, the online community received a little reminder that real laws still apply in the virtual world as two men were charged in court for taking their racist outpourings too far.

Benjamin Koh Song Huat, 27, and Nicholas Lim Yew, 25, were arrested and charged under the Sedition Act.

Investigations into the case, which has created a buzz among bloggers, began after someone called the police hotline at 3am on June 19 to complain that Koh's blog on www.upsaid.com "discussed topics that would disrupt racial harmony".

Inquiries into that complaint led the police to postings on an online pet forum, www.doggiesite.com, where Lim, a marketing executive, apparently made his own brand of racist remarks. The two men are believed to know each other.

Koh faces three charges while Lim faces two for remarks made between June 12 and June 17 this year. If convicted, they could be fined up to $5,000 per charge or jailed up to three years, or both.

According to court documents, Lim's forum message began with: "The masses are idiots. 'Nuff said". He went on to make disparaging remarks about Muslims.

Then, turning his attention to the Chinese and Indians, he wrote that listening to the complaints of "Chinese and Indians ... was no less irritating".

Koh was more pointed. Peppering his blog entry with vulgarities, he directed his tirade at Malays and Muslims. His blog had a picture of a roasted pig's head with "a Halal look-alike logo", according to court documents.

The two men, who attempted to evade the media as they left the court, are out on bail of $10,000 each. They will return to court on Sept 21.

Meanwhile, the case is likely to have a temporary "chilling effect" on the Internet community, said lawyers and media academics.

"Everyone will definitely become more careful about what they say," lawyer Siew Kum Hong, himself a former blogger, told Today. "Blogging is no different from other forms of speech in everyday life."

The same rules that apply to newspaper writers and at the Speakers' Corner also apply to bloggers, he said.

"Whether they create a riot or not, the very act of saying those words or publishing them becomes an offence." Someone who was overheard making racist remarks might also be charged under the Act, he added.

Gawd! This explains why so many Singaporeans leave every year. Always having to watch your phucking back. Hey, they have yet to arrest the three different sets of dark-skinned robbers (my parents saw them, so there!) who broke into our house. Why don't they spend some time working on real crimes!

Sucker!!!

I have a soft heart... sometimes.

Ok, so I saw the hurt in my mil's face on Sunday afternoon when we refused to go into her house when we surprised her at her backdoor with her mail. Bruce handed her all two days worth of mail and the newspaper, exchanged some pleasantries - and some un- pleasantries like telling her that her house smelt 'doggy' LOL - and left. I could tell she's lonely... I wonder where is her god-sent daughter... and terribly hungry for some real food other than her sorry ass homemade sandwiches . As a greedy person, I understand that part at least. I don't think my mil is a greedy person. Bruce might disagree. But she does have an odd preference in food. Like I can't understand how someone who enjoys really good Chinese food from Asian Palace (and knows they serve the best duck in town) can actually enjoy anything from PF Chang's; or how someone who claims to love spicy food can't eat char siew bun 'coz it's spicy (?!); or how someone who was brought up in a Jewish household loves pork ribs lol. Okay, that last one is understandable... but still...

She mentioned something about PF Chang's yesterday; she asked if we're going that way. Geez, we make it a point not to go that way - like she doesn't know lol. So I thought I'd make her day by bringing her a whole roast duck and a large order of pork fried rice - her favourite kind of fried rice since I've stopped making her crab fried rice (hey, I've stopped making that dish altogether so it's not that I'm trying to be extra mean to her).

I think the mil had an orgasmic moment when I held up the bag of Chinese take out and said 'I brought duck!'. Her eyes got really humongous (bigger than normal). Her eyeballs shot out (like they would in cartoons). Her eyebrows shot above her very gray hair. Her mouth turned into jello like she was gonna' swallow my hand that held the bag. I don't remember how the bag got onto the basket of her walker. All I know is Lucy also looked thrilled with the arrival of some real food. My mil didn't invite me in (hey, I already had an excuse up my sleeve if she did :D) and I got on my merry way home.

Good deed done for the day... for my mil and for my husband. Both of them don't have to speak to or see each other lol.

Who Needs Idiots...

when you have people like ex premiere of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir. When he accused and threw his ex-deputy Anwar Ibrahim in prison after he proved Anwar being involved in a sodomy case. He said two days ago, "a homosexual cannot be allowed to run the country."

“I cannot have a sodomiser in my cabinet. Imagine a gay PM ... nobody will be safe!” he told reporters after his speech at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Mahathir said since the society here was against sodomy, he had acted accordingly.

He also denied that Anwar’s sacking on Sept 2, 1998 came about because the two of them had a fallout.

He claimed that these allegations were trumped up by the media - especially ‘gay journalists’ - who were championing the former deputy premier’s cause.

"Among some media people even, they are gay. They don't like my taking action against a person for the kind of things that they indulge in. So I became a bad guy because of that," he said.

Mahathir also denied he used the Internal Security Act (ISA) against Anwar and dismissed this as another fictitious claim purported by the “gay media people”.
He added that he allowed the judiciary to arbitrate on his former right-hand-man’s breach of law.

Anwar, who was initially found guilty of sodomy, had his conviction overturned by the Federal Court last year following an appeal.

I thought the Singapore government were neanderthal-like when it came to the gay community; hey, they banned 'Birdcage' for crying out loud. But with Mahathir around, there will always be someone else worst you can compare your own government to. Much like sorry ass LKY, he's a brilliant man. But they're both old and they both need to keep their mouths shut and stay home and take care of their grandkids lol.

Anwar needs to move out of that country yesterday! As long as Dr M is alive, Anwar better watch his own back.

Whoa(!), It's Sept 11th Again

Four years ago today, I'm sitting at O'hare. This very minute. Slightly lost, a little confused and filled with much frustration and some fear. My flight back to Memphis had just been canceled (while boarding) and I'm trying to think (quick) how I am supposed to get 'home' to my sweetie. All the CNN monitors were turned off and I sensed something peculiar. Think woman, think! Of course the cellphones didn't work. Lines were way busy. I got on the payphone with Bruce. I was still just a girlfriend then. No engagement ring, no date to get one, nothing. Meanwhile, I overhear on the next payphone something about the WTC in NYC being attacked but couldn't possibly fathom what that meant. Bruce could fix the problem. He always does. He mocked me when I told him what I'd heard about the WTC. Then I hear him type and he went silent for a bit. He, being at school, had no idea what was going on either. Then the guy on the next payphone said it again except he said 'ANOTHER ATTACK'. It was bizarre and Bruce didn't give me details but to call back while he tried some more. I tried calling a friend in Detroit. No answer. Did I have a friend in Chicago? Gawd, I can't think. Who else from Indiana whom I went to school with is still there!? Yeah right, who was I kidding.

I went back to my seat next to this black man who had an American Airlines badge attached to his belt. He's a legal advisor for AA. We'd chatted a little before boarding so we chatted a little more about what might have happened in NYC. Nothing came close to what we could even imagine... so after awhile, he lets me know that he's called his legal partner in Memphis and told him he wasn't going to make it to court after all and he was gonna' drive back to North Carolina. Light bulb goes off BRIGHT in my head. 'Did someone say DRIVE!?'. I leapt on the opportunity and the very one sided negotiations started. I started with taking him to hang out on Beale Street (which at this point, I'd just moved to Memphis weeks before and had absolutely NO idea whatsoever what Beale street was about or what it looked like). We could hang out at a Blues bar (hey, I had some common sense and knowledge lol) and we could just party and chill and hang out - wouldn't that be cool. Wow... I'd never sunk so low... ok, I have but this was done while sober and very much with a clear conscience. I almost half believed myself that we'd have a great time in Memphis. He seemed slightly moved and a little tempted... but driving back to North Carolina from Chicago via Memphis wasn't exactly a breeze. Talk about a detour. He tried to make me understand. That was when the begging started. Maybe I do have some training being a Chinese... Jewish or even Greek mother. Guilt! It always works. Even on a black man!!!

Two hours later, we're standing in line at some car rental. Okay, like I'm going to remember which one. Some sense must have popped into his head 'coz he went "I don't know if I should be doing this". "You promised" I rebuked. "I didn't promise" he exclaims. Oooh, I knew it could get ugly for myself and the other silent Memphian girl I'd pulled along (as a safety net though on hind sight, she didn't help me at all). "PLEASE!" I backtracked on my pleading once more. Fortunately, by then, we'd gotten to the front of the line and the begging could ease.

Seven hours later, at about midnight, Dick dropped me and the no-name-girl (simply 'coz I can't remember her face nor her name nor anything she said during the neverending seven hour drive) right outside the Peabody Hotel where Bruce was waiting with my old faithful Altima. We said our very very brief goodbyes, nothing about Blues Bar, nothing about Beale Street and we parted ways. Well, after we drove away and came back to him with his car keys which Ms no-name had in her hands, for some reason LOL.

What a good guy! Of course, no good deed goes unpunished. He returns to North Carolina and sends me an email. He got fired from his position! Oh no! I felt awful. Honestly, I did! But he was my only ticket out of Chicago... what did you expect me to do right? Fortunately, with good karma, he got rehired by AA a few months later and moved out to NYC. See, it was a blessing in disguise. Would you rather live in NC or NYC!? Duh!

It's time for my annual email to Dick. An annual thank you; a quick 'hello' and simply a connection made forever at least once a year.

Do I Look Like A Postman!?

Yesterday, my mil called to ask if I could do her a favor... "yeah?! Sure..." (very unenthusiastically - I'm sure she could hear me rolling my eyes - like I said, it's a woman-thang). She asked if I could go get her mail for her since 'she' didn't pick it up on Friday... which meant she wanted me to drive 10 mins to her house, pick up her mail in her front yard, walk it to the backdoor and hand them to her so she can praise me so ever sincerely like she always does when she sees me. No, I didn't. We did eventually go out for dinner but nah, it didn't exactly make it onto our to-do list. It's just freakin' mail for crying out loud. She's got all the evil QVC she can get on tv never mind more catalogues. Is she in a hurry to write out checks to pay bills? I mean, 'coz if she is, I'd send our bills her way... plus it's not like she's expecting hot sexy mail from Fabio or Juan lol.

She then let me know what time her mailman comes everyday. I continued by asking her why she couldn't have asked the physical therapist to pick up her mail when he's there... or her daughter or her lesbian girlfriend. All to which she had an excuse for and by that time, I think she noticed that I was annoyed 'coz I heard a little not-so-friendly 'bye'. HAHAHAHAHA! Oh well... yet another reason why you don't need kids when you're old :)

In the meantime, Bruce and I laughed at how she didn't ask for him on the phone. He hasn't spoken to her since Thursday evening. Will she live?! Ohhhh, there is a little secret behind that. Her little, not-so-little, Lucy (whom Bruce has been asking his mom to get rid off and get a smaller, more suitable dog for herself) is home. She doesn't want to hear it from him again so the less contact with Bruce, the better. Wow, she must really think I think like her ie, know Lucy is home with her and not tell Bruce?! Gawd!!!

Screaming At My TV

Both yesterday and today, watching 'The View'(which I love), I found myself seething with anger, yelling at 'the young one' (that's how Regis refers to them) screaming obscenities at her and asking her to shut up (I know I know, my dad told me never ever to say 'shut up' to anyone but I'm 35 now so phuck off!). The 'young one' used to be Lisa Ling and I adored her! But when she left the show for National Geographic and was replaced by this dingbat Conservative wannabe tv star, non-survivor 'Survivor', Elizabeth piece-of-crap Camelback - I mean, Hasselbeck, I have been annoyed since. Like the President, she's an inarticulate, brainless nimpcompoop! So no wonder I hate her guts. But unlike the President, she brings absolutely no entertainment value to my tv time!! At least 'W' can choke on a pretzel, stumble over his late dog or mumble ridiculous things when being questioned to make me laugh out loud. It's a fact he's dumb and he knows it. No, he really does! But EH thinks she's the all American girl who represents the young Conservatives of this country. It frightens me to think that there are more of her out there! If she truly does, this country is going down. Hmm, I guess I AM making a point here.

So why have I been shrieking at the tv the last two episodes of 'The View'? Well, whenever the ladies' bring up the topic of hurricane Katrina and the victims onto the show's hot topic, Joy Behar without fail would start her usual rampage. She's upset with situation, she's upset with the leader of this country, she's upset with FEMA and how they have all failed their job and their people; invariably, Ms Prissy Pie would stand (she would if she could) without letting Joy finish her sentence and defending the idiot party to her death. She might be the ONLY person around still supporting them at this point. I always feel, if you wanna give support to the minority party when everyone is hammering them to death, then make some VALID points for crying out loud. Stop rambling and making no sense only consistently letting Joy or Star shooting down your arguments - which is SO fun to watch. Did you see the look on her face yesterday when they brought up watch Babara Bush said in New Orleans.

Hurricane Katrina victims in Houston, Texas were "underprivileged anyway" and life in the Astrodome sports arena is "working very well for them," former first lady Barbara Bush says.

She was SO embarassed. I laughed SO loud when that happened.

That was yesterday. I let it slide (after shouting for her silence twice) I went on my merry day. Today, the ladies' discussed the fact that Kanye West had used his forum at last week's telethon stating subjective views about how Bush not caring about African Americans. All three ladies, Star, Meredith and Joy all discussed freedom of speech and how it was used and how it might or might not have been abused by Kanye since NBC afterwards censored the West Coast broadcast. Instead of agreeing or disagreeing, she went on and on about how he was giving his own views and how many people didn't donate because of his statement blah blah blah. Gawd, I hate the stupid bitch!

Ok, before I go, I have to state this last personal attack. EH needs to stop coming on tv with those dumb looking braided pony tails. Her macho quaterback husband might like it in their bedroom for whatever purpose... but hello!? You're on national tv talking about grown-up matters woman! Grow up and look like an adult please! Arrgh she makes me so mad! (do I sound like my mil's Nigerian physical therapist? lol)

Heaven's So Got A Place For Me

I just got back from my mil's. I did as I was told and called her before I left, jotted everything down and got on my not-so-merry way towards her house. Yes, of course I got her everything she asked for on her shopping list including the 10lbs of dog food for Lucy, who apparently will be home tomorrow - with the help of my genius sil. Poor Lucy, back to the slammers in that confined cage.

So I arrived at the house and my mil had told me to go in through the back door via the side gate. Honestly, I never knew there was a gate that could lead me into the yard... so with the six grocery bags, the pack of dog food and a bag filled the brink with her mail (yes, I was very nice to have saved Bruce a trip into hell), I found the latch on the wooden fence that blended in with the gate. I walked very carefully with the dried leaves cracking under my weight, opened the first door that I got to and walked into what seemed like a really noisy laundry room. Huh!? I was very impressed. I actually thought she was doing laundry. It smelt a little different... and it was extra warm in there. I peered by the bag of dog food that stood in front of my fat face and found myself standing in the pool room (where all the generators stood in leaves and dirt). Okay, wrong door, wrong room... I proceeded to the second door, sucked in as much air as I could get and walked into the house. My mil was in the kitchen with the physical therapist (pt) - his first session there since she got home (five days ago) and still filling up gazillions of forms asking her questions she wasn't thrilled about answering. I said hi to both of them and started putting everything away (see, I'm not as heartless as you guys think I am; even though I should have walked away at this point before the stories began). My mil was going on about the Hill Plumbing people - don't know if it was to me or to him but I half listened and didn't respond. The pt exclaimed in his what-seemed-like Nigerian accent, 'I'm SO glad you're here - she's driving me insane! She has too much energy!!!' and laughs nervously. I laughed and nodded towards his direction. Poor guy... then again, he's probably smelly too if he's Nigerian so he can be her next best friend after her lesbian companion, Katie lol.

I hung around a little, listened to her bitch and moan about Dr Chin from the rehab who'd insulted her kids (apparently, she was ranting and raving to him about both her god-sent children and he remarked 'if they're so wonderful what are you doing at this rehab?') Now you've got to love a doc with balls like that lol - as long as he's not my physician lol. I wonder if he's the father of Bruce's wonder kids in school with no personality named Chin as well. That would make sense :) Anywayz, I must have stayed for a good 30 mins... oh, for fyi, liquid hand soap is the best! They smell awesome! Even though the house wasn't as stinky as I remembered, I washed my hands twice while I was there and stood there smelling my soapy-smelling hands half the time. Gawd, my mil and the pt must think I have some hand fetish or something queer. But hey, it made much difference. Trust me!

I've updated Bruce on what went on at my 'visit'. He's not a happy camper after he heard that my sil's helping their mom bring Lucy home tomorrow. Gawd forbid the poor dog after a week at 'camp' being a little more energetic and strong, runs my mil over. Now THAT would be hell and beyond!!

Anywayz, I've done my good deed for the day. No, for the year! So if those damn suicide bombers think they're taking up all that space for killing themselves and a bunch of innocent people in this world, they have another thing coming for them! Believe me, I'd be in no mood to deal with those camel jockies if I'm dead and have to stand in line with a bunch of them ahead of me!

My MIL Loves Me... BUT...

What do you say when someone says 'I love you' constantly on the phone and you don't love them back? I mean, I doubt my mil really sincerely loves me (will I live) hahaha but she sure says it a ton on the phone which makes me very uncomfortable. Of course, I also come from a culture that other than the spouse, no one EVER says it to anyone else. Not to family nor friends. My parents certainly have never told us that... well ok, my dad did once to me and made me fall off the chair (it's true!!) but that's another story for another day...

So I just got off the phone with my mil. I have to go get groceries for her tomorrow. Which is absolutely fine especially since I did volunteer to do it for her (when I used to like her pre-surgery days). BUT... that means I have to deliver it to her house. Which means I have to see her. Which means I have to step into her house. Which means I will smell her and her house. Which means she will tell me forty stories while I'm there. Which means I will turn even more yellow than my complexion to hold my breath for two hours. Which means I will be upset and screaming in my head but smiling so ever sweetly to her before I can dash out of the house and gasp for some foul air in her driveway. I know, it's probably funny to you... but trust me, it not funny.

She also wanted me to tell her son to pick up her mail for her. Huh?! Pick up her mail? The mailbox that sits on the front yard of the house? The mailbox that her god-sent daughter has to drive by everyday to visit? The same mailbox that the physical therapist and/or occupational therapist drive by before getting into her driveway!? But no, she only wants her beloved son to do pick it up. Oh well... I'd do my husband a favor and in turn piss her off by picking it up when I deliver her groceries tomorrow. Of course, she won't tell me what she wants yet so I have to call her before I go to the grocery store. I should tell her I can only buy stuff from the Asian store and bring some pig's trotters, pig's intestines, soft tofu, dried scallops and century eggs with me. Bet she won't ever ask me to do her grocery again hee hee.

Stay tune for more tomorrow's post-grocery episode.

I Love Seattle

This trip, we're staying at my favourite downtown hotel, the Grand Hyatt. The rooms aren't anything out of the ordinary (tho' I'd admit my last stay here, my room seemed a lot bigger). Still, it's a much nicer hotel compared to the other ones in town. The location of it alone... Pacific Place diagonally across the street, Eileen Fisher and Nordstrom a stone's throw away and of course, Pikes Place Market is a nice 5 min brisk walk away. With such nice weather here, some clouds, mid to high 60s during the day... I'd walk forever! Okay, not that far but I can certainly walk a lot more here then any where else in this country.

It's 10:45am. Bruce is taking a nap to recoup from our late night (arriving at midnight and watching CNN till past 2pm) and his lack of slep on the plane due to being stressed out from the lack of govt. assurance in time of emergency in this country. Poor guy. No wonder I always feel so secured when I'm with him. Not that I just realized this but he's an awesome man! Such a wonderful friend and certainly the best husband I can imagine. I'm so damn lucky hee hee.

We've had breakfast down at Pike's Place Bagel where I had a salmon lox bagel sandwich on a multi-grain bagel and Bruce had his regular dry bagel... he doesn't like anything on his for some odd reason :) We walked down to 'Sosio's' at Pikes Place and surprise surprise, they had mega awesome fruits for us this weekend. Oh-my-gawd-peaches, temptation-melon as well as sharlyn-melon, and to-die-for-mangoes!!! Needless to say, we got everything (well, not sharlyn since temptation is better). CHEAP! Considering Bruce had just ordered 2 boxes of seriously awesome peaches from California that was delivered via fedex at about $5 each, this morning's 9 peaches, a melon and a mango at $20 was a steal :) We're happy now... very happy.

Time to get ready for lunch... no wonder I love seattle. We seem to have more things to do here and people to see... there is no bbq, but who cares, that's what fedex is for :)

Link to New Orleans

If you're tired of CNN about 'Katrina' and watching the same pictures repeated over and over again... the same people in different press conferences... the same video of the military entering New Orleans, check out the interdictor. It'll give you a 'team's' perspective right from the city. How they're doing and what's really going on. Very honest, very interesting. I've spent the last two days waiting and watching the updates.

My Mil's Going Home...

...and we're not going to be here!!!

Yes, you read right... much to my disdain and shock, Bruce told me last night after he returned from bringing his mother yet another nutritious meal from Mickey D's ("double cheeseburger, same as always" Bruce mutters gripingly from upstairs when I asked him awhile ago what he got her - I could almost hear his eyes rolling - a woman's thing) that my mil will be discharged tomorrow (Saturday). Yes, tomorrow! Has she seen her doc since she's been in rehab? Well no, she postponed her appointment this past Tuesday 'coz she couldn't possibly get out of bed on her own and thus couldn't possibly get herself into the ambulance. Err... ok... people aren't usually expected to do so ON THEIR OWN! That's why it's a freakin' am-bu-lance, not a phucking fairy ride to wonderland gawdammit! So, no doctor has okay'd this discharge. But someone must have told her 'yes it's ok leave!'. ...or more like 'get the phuck outta' here now!'. I bet the physical therapist and the staff there can't wait to get rid of her so they must have said it's alright for her leave. Go(!)... Now(!)... No, YESTERDAY! Problem: She lives in a two-storey house where it takes a few steps up into the house, one big one into the kitchen and possibly more into the living room where she claims she will be living for awhile. Some nice soul had helped her bring a bed down - it wasn't Bruce nor Valerie, not Derk and certainly not me! Oh, she paid someone... Wait, she's forgotten ONE thing. ALL bath facilities are on the 2nd storey!!! Shut up!! No, I'm serious! Eeeeeeeee!!! ...and knowing her, she'd let a day or two go by and ask her 'lesbian companion' (ok, not really lesbian companion but they do look and act like a couple of grumbling old bitches) to get Lucy home. Lucy is her very overweight, under exercised 100lb boxer (given to her by my very smart sil) who used to be left in a cage all day (while my mil was at work or running errands) until she got home so maybe the dog could run her over. Lucy is at some fancy (mil's words here, not mine) dog hotel where she's probably praying my mil nor Katie come end her life in paradise and return to the pig sty she once lived in. Granted, my mil loves Lucy like... like she loves Bruce HAHAHAHA!

So my too-ready-to-leave-the-rehab mother-in-law will be leaving the rehab facilities tomorrow. We will be in Seattle (woohoo!!!), and I don't know what her god-sent (her words again, not mine OBVIOUSLY) daughter is doing 'coz she's apparently asked a friend of hers from work AND her ex-wrestler husband to come take her home. My very sensitive mil explained that she can't possibly spoil Valerie's long labor day weekend by asking her to help. Hmm... so it's ok to ask Loy and her husband? She's a funny woman, isn't she? Loy is possibly a super nice lady... but if she's my mil's good friend and anything like her, she's bitching about first, having to wait for that dreaded call from my mil and then having to spend a nice Saturday going to help a half-handicapped woman who smells funny (not funny ha-ha mind you) and have to see her husband carry another woman through the threshold. Now THAT'S funny ha-ha to me!

My mil is not the least happy that we'd be out of town. When Bruce told her we'd be out of town this weekend about a week ago, apparently she already was planning her discharge then. She asked him who would help her discharge IF she could? His answer was " mom, just stay!". Hmm... now that I think about it, she has been plotting this for awhile. She wouldn't allow the staff there to weigh her (hahaha, would you if you've been eating double cheeseburgers and fried chicken for two weeks?), she wouldn't go to the doctor's... WOW! She's a lot sneakier then I thought!!!

I'm sure all the nice Chinese daughters-in-law out there are horrified at my postings about my mil. But hey, I didn't marry a white boy so I could live the rest of my life taking care of my mother-in-law, thank you very much. The only person I'd take care of is my beloved husband. Ok, I'd have to take care of my parents too but thank goodness, they have a daughter-in-law who is MUCH nicer then I am!

Gassin' It Up

My gawd, I never thought I, daughter of my father... originally from Singapore, would ever complain about gas prices... just like a taxi driver back home would the moment you get onto the cab. When I was a kid, I thought they were just soliciting for a tip.

Today, I spent 10 mins in line at the gas station by our house (after dissin' the one at Sam's when I saw that the line was at least an hour's wait long). No way jose. I may not be doing much with my time but I know saving $3 isn't gonna' make a difference to my life. I have more productive and important things to do with my precious time... like laundry waiting for me at home plus I need to get my nails done before we leave for Seattle tomorrow lol.

So there I was bitching to myself about the line at the gas station at Forest Hill Irene and Poplar. Wow, $2.79 per gallon for regular. What a pain! Insanity! Can't imagine it was a mere $1.01/gallon when we first arrived in Memphis four years ago. Ten minutes in line and I go through the routine. I was about to start pumpin' the gas when I noticed. Wait, it's not $2.79/gallon. It's $3.29!! Shit, fine... whatever! What was I supposed to do? Leave and drive around aimlessly looking for cheaper gas and in the meantime, burn more petrol? So I pumped up the rest of my half full tank and came home.

Maybe there is logic to why Singaporean taxi drivers complain about the rising gas prices constantly. I suspect American taxi drivers are doing the same thing right now. If only they knew how much Singaporeans are paying for gas per gallon (fyi, approximately $8.76/gallon(dollar for dollar) or if converted, US$5.23/gallon). You Americans would keep your bloody mouth shut and deal with it!

My Dad's Gone Banana's!

After staying put at home for almost five months after his first grandchild was born, my father finally caved and left for Australia for his first overseas meeting since Easter weekend. I was indeed surprised when my brother told me dad had left for the trip as I'd imagine him to be sitting home with Emma letting her run his life forever!

Yesterday, I decided to give him a call and make fun of him a little. I called to tell him that his 5 month old grand-daughter had verbalized 'ye ye' (maternal grandfather) aloud right after he left. He laughed at how he'd missed the what-seemed-like the biggest event of his life. I laughed thinking he was playing along. Shortly after we hung up, he actually called home to ask mom when it happened hahahaha! Ok, he's definitely lost his mind. How the hell would a 5 month old baby first say 'ye ye' before she says 'ma' or 'pa' or anything else under the sun lol. He's not even in his 70s and he's acting like he's insane lol. Made me roflmao :D (Ric, that would be roll(ing) on the floor laughing my ass off) :D

He has finally met his match and I now know what his weakness is.

Katrina

Coming from a country where it's hot and humid all year round, clouds and rain put most people I know back home in a better mood. Growing up, I loved reading in my room with the windows opened whenever it was raining outside; just listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the metal roof that sat over the kitchen... listening to the maids chatter in tagalog doing laundry and cooking the next meal for the family, was heaven to me! Rainy days were the best!

I can understand why the Americans give me a weird look and call me insane (including my husband who's grown to accept it) when I tell them what a nice day it is when it's wet and dreary outside. "Ahhh, my kind of day!"

But the last 24 hours with the tv blasting constant warnings from the local news and drastic predictions of New Orleans on CNN in this household has made me rather uncomfortable. Then seeing graphic details of what Katrina's done to New Orleans and Biloxi, even Jackson, Mississippi (only a short three hours drive from us) has made me gasp in horror more than once. It's just so scary to be this close to this natural disasters. Bruce doesn't quite understand my fears... often, he rolls his eyes and tells me everything will be ok. Maybe I'm just being pessimist. But I always think something bad will happen during our stay here in Memphis. The worst would probably be an earthquake that'll happen when I'm home alone while Bruce is at work.

Katrina's come and gone... at least the effects of her. I can now calm down and breathe again. But the deck and yard looks like crap! Arrgh! Everyone needs to know how to live in a country like Singapore where there are no natural calamities whatsoever. Just bad politicians. Then again, you have them here too!

My MIL Thinks She Is A Teenage Boy

I have never known anyone (and I know a lot of overweight people, including myself!) to consume that much fast food! After today, my mother-in-law, fresh out of her hip replacement surgery two weeks ago; now in rehab for the last 8 days has been on a 'diet' consisting of food from jason's deli, kfc, mcdonald's, backyard burger and steakout for at least two meals of the day for the last fourteen days in a row! A teenage boy's dream. Ok, she had one meal from PF Chang's and twice, two char siew buns from the Asian store thrown in there for her breakfasts. Still, those aren't exactly full of nutrition; not full of anything really. I don't think the 50 pounds she's lost before the surgery is gonna' stay away for too long. She can try and convince me all she wants about being on a low carb diet... and that all the candy she has in her room are for the nurses and staff - YEAH RIGHT! She complains about them constantly; at least at the hospital she did. I'm no fool. No one's going into her drawer to get those Snicker bars from her lol. She's not going to do very well when her cardiologis finds out he'd just saved her life (she claims he did at least 'coz he ordered a sorry ass pint of blood for her as NO ONE else cared to LOL) only for her to eat all the fast food all over again to clog up her arteries.

Oh well... the husband has wasted enough of his breath trying to talk to his mom. She won't listen anywayz... so she's given whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. If her beloved daughter who'd 'do anything for her' thinks it's ok, who are we to care.

Maybe hell still has a place for me :)

Broken Flowers & 40 Yr Old Virgin

Thursday, Bruce and I headed out towards midtown to catch 'Broken Flowers' starring Bill Murray. It had really good reviews and I thought it should be good considering the last time I saw him in 'Lost in Traslation', I enjoyed myself. Well 'Broken Flowers' turned out to be horrible... and I don't think it was the fault of any of the stars in it! OMG, it was even worst then 'Sideways' which we hated too. I cannot imagine how it got the reviews it did. Bruce thinks it's from a bunch of people who didn't understand the movie and thought since they didn't understand it, figured it would have to be good. Arrgh! Do not even waste your money when it comes out on video. YUK!

Then on Friday, my girlfriend and I headed out to see 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'. This movie, too, had really good reviews. Fortunately, we laughed from the time the movie started. Very entertaining and I loved it (so did my friend). Ok, granted it's predictable. But that doesn't make it less good. ...and believe me, it's not a chick flick lol. Go see it NOW if you're in for a good laugh.

Hurt, Offended and Just Plain Pissed Off

I've never been known to be an over-sensitive kind of person (quite the opposite, actually) and after talking about it to my laogong (Bruce), Gen, my buddy up in NYC and mom, I've been told it's not a matter of sensitivity. So here is the long story cut short.

Yesterday, we babysat Bruce's younger niece, Mackenzie. The little brat that we're horrified about 'coz she's not only a climber, a jumber and a non-speaker at past 2 years old, she doesn't seem to have a liking for her uncle Bruce. So leaving us no choice but to say 'yes we'd babysit' since after two messages with no return call, my sister in law, Valerie, got my mil to call. Anywayz, Bruce's sister, drops her daughter off at about 11:30am and the first thing the little thing does upon coming in and seeing Bruce is turns away and tries to flee. LOL. Yes, literally. She walked out of the house back into the garage towards her mother's car. Of course she was coerced back and her very nice and extremely patient uncle sat her on his lap and showed her pictures of puppies on the computer. Her mom left, she was fine and the rest of the day with her was not even as bad as we'd imagined. Some parts were even comical :D Uncle and niece played in the backyard under the sprinklers and sat on the deck to dry off, had chocolate biscuits and watched tv while I sat inside (in the cool) minding my own business :) I then decided to change Mackenzie into one of the outfits that I'd gotten for Emma, my niece back home... after all, I've seen Mackenzie in nothing but hand-me-downs from her big sister Marley. She looked great! Cute - for a change lol. More like a real 2 yr old little girl that comes from a decent family instead of a homeless looking kid with uncombed hair in her oversized, overworn and certainly overwashed outfits I always see her in.

After fried rice, cookies and cheese, we got her in bed and she drifted quickly to deep sleep. Her mom picked her up about 4:30pm in the midst of her nap and she was NOT the least bit amused when woken up to leave immediately. No thank-you-very-much from Valerie, no how-has-she-been, no has-she-been-bad, no what-did-guys-do, has-she- been-fed... instead, went on and on about how bad the rehab facilities that my mil had been transferred to was. Of course, she got neither sympathy nor positive input from Bruce nor I. My mil does not have much of a choice at this point. She can't go home to no 24 hr help! Simple as that. In the meantime, my insane sil has pulled her daughter out of the front door with her kicking and screaming and mother yelling at child at the top of the steps in front of the house. I was horrified! Who in the world was this woman here who constantly claims how much she loves her kids and how good a mother she is blah blah blah pulling her daughter from her little wrist out of the house? I hurriedly picked Mackenzie up and helped her into the car. Valerie shot an 'I'm so glad you're SO happy to see mommy' towards the screaming kid. I walked back to the house thinking 'shit, I wouldn't want to go home too after a day of full attention and pamper!'

She (Val) knew she was gonna see us again at the rehab... she knew we'd be there 'coz we had to deliver my mil's tv. Yet, when she walked into the room with her daughter, there was little Mackenzie, dressed back in her old dress. I screamed "WHAT THE PHUCK!!" inside my head. That very same moment when they walked in, Bruce and I said bye to my mil and left (in a huff, I guess). I didn't know Bruce had noticed but he did and was not amused either.

All in the span of 30 mins, my sil left our house, went to the grocery store, got more fast food for her mom and not forgetting, changing her precious little daughter out of her nice new outfit back to her old one so Bruce and I could see it.

So there. NEVER AGAIN! She's not getting any help from me... nor her brother again! Screw that shit! I was hurt for a little and pretty damned offended for awhile. Now, I'm just plained seething and foaming at the mouth LOL. No, really, I'm pissed off!!! Now I understand the Cantonese saying ji gei gu ji gei. NO SHIT!

Mama-Drama Mama

I've been to hospitals many many times in my short life... to hang out with my bro, my dad, many relatives and friends. But I have not seen so much mama-drama all from one single patient!

Day 3 of my mother-in-law (mil) in the hospital. She had a much delayed (about 10 years), very much needed hip replacement surgery on Monday morning and will be there for another couple of days. She was fine and dandy and day one. She looked great when they wheeled her in from the recovery room. No make up (she usually has on about as much eye shadow as Mimi on the Drew Carey Show), alert and looked great! Better then usual as far as I'm concerned. She was on the phone talking to her best friend in Boston, her cousin in New Mexico, the nurses who came in to check on her... she told Valerie and I stories while we sat there half reading our stack of magazines and everything was looking very good. That was until I got to see the bottom half of her body when they changed her. Will my life ever be the same again!? Probably not. It wasn't exactly what I'd bargained for when I said I was going to keep her company while she's in the hospital... but oh well... I figured if I could get through day one and all that I'd seen, everything would be smooth-sailing from there. I thought sooo wrong!

Yesterday, she was in a lot more pain. I called her early in the morning asking if she'd wanted me to bring her breakfast. She rambled on about how they gave her breakfast she didn't ask for and how there was no juice, dried up muffin, bad scrambled eggs, coffee she doesn't drink blah blah blah. I asked her again about breakfast. She went on about the nurses. I asked for the third time if she wanted anything, including peaches. She bit on the Californian peaches that Bruce ordered :) So I cut some up, bagged them and went along my way to the hospital at 9:30am.

My arrival seemed to make her happy. That's why I always stay as long as my bladder can hold on. Usually about six hours lol. I'm way too paranoid to use her private toilet (nope she hasn't gone that far) nor those for the public. Ok, I'm just weird, I'll admit it. I walked into her room and right after we exchanged pleasantries, she went on and on and on and on... you get the point. Complaining about the nurses and how they didn't get to her until 1am when she'd be pushing that button for them for more than an hour. Turned out that the buttons on the bed don't work... she finally found the one on the tv remote control. She claimed she'd yelled at them 'are you going to wait till I die before you come in?!' over the intercom. I believed her. She seemed to be getting nastier (not to me of course) by the minute. The physical therapist came and without any warning, my mil shot her mouth about her pain and there was no turning back. The poor young pt got a good tongue lashing from her. I controlled my temptation to laugh 'coz it was complete unnecessary heightened drama (oh I'm never going to walk again, this surgery was a big mistake, I was walking fine before and now I can't even move my leg). She was NOT walking fine... she was hardly walking! I tried my hardest not to be embarassed but wow... when the crying started, I wanted to run out of the room. WOW! I now truly understand my husband's plight and why he has so little sympathy left for his mother after the last decade of trying to get her to do this and other things to make her own life better...

So after MUCH screaming and crying and complaining and whining and bitching, the pt got her onto the chair from the bed with the help of the walker (my mil insisted on using her own high tech walker and had a 20 min argument why she refused to use the hospital's). It took about an hour to move the inch from bed to chair. By then, it was lunch time. The lady who brought in her lunch also got a tongue lashing from my mil 'coz she didn't bring in the menu on time. All I could do was sigh, rolled my eyes about a gazillion times and screamed inside my head... what a day!! Why was I even puzzled that I had a splitting headache when I left at 3pm lol.

Bruce called to check on her this morning. He said she was whining... I'm not going there till after my Ladies' Luncheon so I'd have a nice day besides that :)

For all the evil stuff I've said and done, this has got to be redemption time for me. Heaven's got to have a place for me now! :)

Bruce Has A New Name!!!

Tonight we had dinner with the Sgolombis family at China Inn 2 (see Bruce's blog). Like our first visit there a couple of weeks ago, there were some celebrations going on in the not-so-private, private room (everyone can see what's going on inside). Last time was a Vietnamese wedding (with not that good Vietnamese karaoke'ing) and tonight, there was a Black wedding. No karaoke but lots of electric dancing and black-line-dancing. Ok, that's my own term :) But yeah... Chinese food, hip hop tunes... just like back home hahaha!

Halfway through, a lady from the wedding comes out and 'delivers' some wedding favors. Yup, for us! Baggies of Hershey chocolate kisses and mints. Awww, how sweet and... odd lol. But thank you! That might have been Ayanna's (Julie's youngest 9 yr old daughter) highlight of the entire evening :)

So there we were, enjoying the good food. Bruce was in the midst of telling his haircut story in Japan... comes along this MC Hammer and his wife. OK, not really MC Hammer and his wife but a look-alike... a black couple. The man stops Bruce and says "hey man, excuse me man but I gotta' give it to you. Those glasses man, dey ah da' bomb man! I have like 650 pairs of glasses at home but you are... I gotta' call you Elton John man!!!" He continues to walk away a little, turns around and almost kow tows and bellows "BOOYAH TO YOU MAN!!" The wife follows behind and echoes quietly how cool Bruce's bamboo glasses are.

You can well imagine the whole table's reaction. :) Never a dull moment with my very very white husband and how he attracts attention and people whom we sit next to at shows and concerts... and he thought it was weird when my best friend back home greeted him with "W'dup homeboy!!" climbing into the car. I think 'booyah to you man' has topped the record, Elton baby.

Hooking Up

Where was this show when I was single? Not that I have gone out on so many bad dates - I'm the type who knows how to enjoy myself no matter how bad the guy is. No, really! Still, American men are SO easy to perceive once you know the basis of how they all think hahaha! Especially the not-so-brilliant-ones. I've watched all episodes of ABC's new reality tv show 'Hooking Up' and I must say, "I love it!". Every single woman (and man) out there NEEDS to watch this. It's educational! :) It also explains why a lot of them are single... and might actually give some of you an idea why you might be. 'Picky' is just an excuse other people tell you why you're single. Trust me!

A few of them have actually found love on the internet which is awesome. The rest... they are looking way too hard I think. My gawd, some don't even go on second dates. Granted, some are just no-way-situations. But some of these people don't even give the other party a second chance!! I think it's sad. No wonder so many marriages end up in divorces. To base a person by one phone call and one drink, one mistake. It's just plain unfair. I always give the other party one more chance - especially if they think I'm attractive LOL. Hey, if they do, they must have VERY good taste and at least half a brain hahahaha!

People are just out to meet 'the one'. Not knowing how to have a good time en route to meeting that person. They are so blinded by having to fall head over heels in love with the person the first time they lay eyes on them that they miss what's great about the 'wrong' person. The big thing on the show is the word 'chemistry'.... the lack of it mostly. Ok, there were a couple of liars out there who turned out to be a big laugh (and I wouldn't be happy either if it happened to me). It's like having me and Willie Nelson meeting up trying to have a conversation about gardening. (even if that happened I'd have fun lol) But generally, most of the single people on the show are plain narrow-minded and non risk-takers. What happens? You end up being nicely dressed, looking forward to a good time and then experiancing yet another disappointment. Have fun for crying out loud!!! Talk! Have a nice conversation! You're there already, you might as well enjoy yourself!

I may be no beauty queen nor a Harvard grad but I am very happily married to a great guy while they're still out there on the dating scene and not having a good time while doing so. To the hot, tall, skinny 30-something year old women out there: in the words of Nelson from the Simpsons "ha ha!".

Gawd, I'm SO going to hell!!! (see previous post "I'm SO Going To Hell!")

Dukes of Hazzard

My friends and I just got back from the movies. There really wasn't anything else to see (it was either see sorry ass Tom Cruise in War of the World , Sky High or worst of all, Bad News Bears. So it was really a desperate move to go watch 'Dukes'.

Keep in mind that I'm usually very easily entertained at movies. I like pretty much everything as long as it's funny (if it's supposed to be funny) and chick flicks are always good too. So I can't say I can agree with the horrible reviews for 'Dukes'... I mean, yes, Jessica Simpson is pretty embarassingly bad an actress; but she's got a hot bod! Other than that, it was funny. If you like brainless funny movies (not as vulgar as the American Pie series), then you'd enjoy it. The four teenage boys sitting in front of us three women (ages 21, 35 and 49) were silent compared to our roaring laughters. Embarassing! :) All they laughed at were times when they said 'shit'. Sorry ass boys!!!

Naomi, Julie and I were all pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the movie. I give it 3 stars out of 5! :)

(Bruce called me a hill billy for liking the movie... ok this is the second time I've been called a hill billy by my husband)

I'm SO Going To Hell!!!

I was chatting online earlier this morning with my old friend Takae. She's Japanese and we met at the University of Arizona through a mutual (ex)friend Vanessa. Let's see. I think the very first time I met Takae was at Sinbad's for Arabic food. Almost instantly, we took a liking to each other. Well, I did her at least lol. Takae is an outspoken Asian woman who loves to drink and eat. Now how can you not find women like her (and I) to be appealing lol. Richard and Bruce certainly have great taste in women!!! ...so naturally, we got along very well during our school days and continue our friendship via the internet these days since we've both followed our husbands' and moved to Texas and Tennessee.

It's always fun chatting with old friends. Of course, we talked about our husbands blah blah blah... and about the time she helped trim and shape my eyebrows (and what a good job she did 'coz my cousins back home all commented on it)... and of course, about all the guys who came in and out of my life back then as a single girl.

So why am I going to hell!? Well, the chat lead us to talk about Mo and how I made him eat pork when I served him pork fried rice knowing full and well he's Muslim (hey, he didn't reject it when I put the bowl in front of him and said 'there is pork') lol... I also pretty much made full use of him 'coz I needed some furniture put together and lead him to believe the many prospects for more lol... I also remember making my vegetarian friend eat frog legs LOL. There's been no turning back since then. She's a now a carnivore. Then there was Mark... Mark... generally a nice guy but basically an idiot. Let's just say he wasn't the most considerate guy - I know Takae is laughing as she reads this blog. He used to call and tell me he was on his way to pick me up without telling me where we were going 'coz it was a surprise. Without fail, the damn surprise would be to take me to eat freakin' Mexican food. Hooray... NOT! I went out with another guy at the same time I was dating Mark (hey, there was no ring on my ringer!!) and was caught red handed by Mark... still, he wanted me in his life. I DID say he's an idiot, right? Oh well... I'm SO glad those days, albeit, fun, are over and done with. I'm older and the last thing I need is to have idiots surround me thinking they can get into my panties... yikes, and I just remembered that IBM guy who was SO ugly (but rich LOL) I couldn't even let him kiss me (on the cheek) good night after a date LOL. ....and this is only a fraction of all the evil things I've said and done.

Like I said, I'm SO going to hell...

Think Before You Open Your Damn Mouth IDIOT!

Last night, we attended our neighbor's 50th party. It was a nice enough party considering it was raining and the outdoor party had to be brought indoors and I met a flip whom I dislike from first sight (but that's another story) and then there was this other neighbor... well not exactly our neighbor; she doesn't live in our cove and I've never seen her nor her husband before... but she seemed VERY excited to meet me and Bruce when I told her I lived across the street from Bill and Karen. She started asking me if I knew the people who lived in the house before us were also Asian. DUH I bought the phucking house from them for crying out loud!! Dumbass. She says 'yeah I knew you weren't here 'coz she's A LOT SMALLER'. Oooo-KAY... so she's a petite little skinny Japanese woman and I'm not skinny. I'm also not phucking 60 years old!!! What was the idea of pointing this fact out to me?!?! I lost all patience with her and slowly pulled myself away from the conversation.

My buddy Genevieve had a similar incident happen to her last week in NYC. Some guy had mistaken her for some girl who works at a take-out place and then only to say 'yeah I knew you weren't her but maybe a sister or something since she's smaller'.

Hello(?!), what is wrong with these people?! If you haven't got anything nice to say at all, keep your phucking mouth SHUT! ...and if you want to call me fat, you can do so all you want behind my back. I don't need phucking reminders, thank you very much!

Words Get In The Way...

I don't know why I was nervous... but everytime I thought of calling my cousins back home to convey my condolences, I had butterflies in my stomach. Nerves... made me sick to my stomach. I guess I just didn't know what to say. It's so much easier to say "I'm sorry to hear about your mother" in English... but in Mandarin, as much as I'm fluent, I'm at a lost for words. When you say 'I'm sorry' in Mandarin, it's just a plain apology for something you've done wrong. Not the different kinds of apology you can have in English. Do I say 'hi hao ma?' 'coz that means 'you-are-good?' directly translated and that's a stupid question to ask 'coz I know she's obviously not good for crying out loud! More than that, I was afraid of how I would react... worst, how they would react... if I'm still in an emotional state, I'm sure they are too. I mean, obviously everyone is still grieving. It's ther mom! But my mom's told me how the monk who's been doing the prayers have assured everyone that dua-yi is an angel now and no more tears should be shed... I don't know why the word angel sounds so... commercial(?) in English. 'Angel' just doesn't sound very godly I guess. While in Mandarin, it almost has a superpower connotation. Maybe 'shen(2)' means... more like... 'god'?... but in English that'll be too strong a word. I can't win.

Either way, I called last night at 10pm our time, 11am Singapore time. Very quickly, my cousin Winnie and I started to have a cheerful conversation. I guess everyone at home is relieved that their mom is no more in pain nor suffering. She died still beautiful... and more then once, I've heard 'she just looks like she's sleeping'. I spent a good hour on the phone with my er-jie (second sister, Winnie) and my san-jie (third sister, Kim). Er-jie told me the two people grieving most are my mom and my mom's 4th sister. I know how my mom is... I can just imagine.

The funeral is tomorrow where they'd see the whole cremation process. I think this is going to be the most painful sight no matter how detached you are by day five of the death. I should be there with mom... I know she's still in a lot of pain. Maybe with it, her sister's death brings some fear as well. So she's 20 years younger. Doesn't make a difference. I guess one just don't expect people you love to just disappear and never be seen again. Ever.

Food TV Makes Me Crave FOOD!

My craving yesterday was funnel cake. Mmmm, funnel cake! So my beloved Bruce took me down to Autozone Park and of course, got me a funnel cake... yum(!!!). I enjoyed it under the intense Memphis July heat while my sweetie enjoyed his bbq nachos. We enjoyed three full innings of the game between the not-so-good Redbirds and the not-so-good, but better-then-the-Redbirds, Fresno Grizzlies, then left hahaha. It was not that an exciting game anyway... Bruce told me later that we lost... 6-2 DUH!

Anywayz, I got my funnel cake and I was happy! After an hour under the sun, we both came home to a long deep nap lol.

She's Passed Away

I called home earlier and was told that my aunt has passed away. As much as we'd all expected this day would come sooner then later, it still hit me like a rock. I am sad... very sad. I knew I'd be down but I didn't expect the pain... so different from the time when my brother told me nonchanlantly that my grandfather has passed on.

My conversation with mom this evening was cut short 'coz I didn't want to cry on the phone. She's upset enough. Thank goodness my adorable little 4 month old neice is there to cheer her up. I can just imagine what she's going through...

It's times like that that I feel the distance between my family and I. I haven't felt it too often but these are moments when I wished I was home with everyone else. Yes, grieving; but nonetheless together.