I'm Peeling

Yes, scaly, lizard-like and certainly unattractive, my entire back has finally stopped (well, almost stopped) itching and starting to peel. Soon, I'd have a patchy colored back and soon enough, I'd be back to normal. I know, you don't care and didn't need to know all that detail :)

But, soothing my warm-feeling, half itchy scaley back is awesome cool weather. Constant heavy drizzle, mild wind and absolutely no sunshine in sight. My kind of day! I went out to run some errands in the morning but I'm in for the day and it makes me just want to curl up in bed and watch my Chinese DVDs all day... which I will after I get this published.

It's days like that that make me appreciate our house SO much more :) It's good to be alive. Scaley back or not.

I'm Well

It's been awhile since all the banking crap happened to me... I won't say anything about that or I'd just swear too much. My husband's blog has said enough.

Summer started and we welcomed it with a nice trip to Tokyo. Had a ton of fun as usual but this time, for some reason, we couldn't get around to dealing with jetlag which we never had a problem with before. Karaoke at 8am, ramen at noon lol just seemed so wrong. We celebrated the husband's birthday on the evening of our arrival with Jun and Julie. Jun-san being our favourite sushi chef at Rainbow Roll (he's no more working there) and Julie being our favourite waitress in Seattle at Nishinos :D We went to this cool restaurant called Koma in Ginza. That is now my all time favourite restaurant in Tokyo :) Too bad Jun-san didn't get the job he'd hoped. Still, he just emailed and said he's working at a new restaurant with a very big selection of shochu YUM! Maybe we might get a chance to see him before school starts in August. It's up to the good people at American Airlines :D

Since Tokyo, we've also been to Boston and Maine. We stayed at the 'Nine Zero Hotel' in downtown boston which I liked a lot... I had a ball shopping for shoes and certainly overdose on lobsters and clams :) Double yum! I saw the house my husband grew up in (WOW!) and met up with my mother-in-law's best friends Mr and Mrs Roll. That was nice... we spent about 7 hours at their house (out of the heat) chatting about everything under the sun. It was also nice to be able to confirm (by Mrs Roll) the stories from the husband about his sister were all true. We went to Harvard; I saw the window where the husband's freshman room was and got a Harvard sweatshirt. Of course, we had ice cream... lots of ice cream. The best was the burnt sugar ice cream at Christina's in Cambridge! YUM!

Maine, on the other hand, was VERY different for me... VERY rural. Despite the beautiful lake where I spent more than half my days on the 'oasis island' laying like a walrus waiting for the next meal and/or drink, is not my favourite vacation spot (Bruce would say that is an understatement hahaha!). I came home with serious sun burn on my entire back. That'll teach me.

Next stop, Montreal for the Comedy Festival.

I'm SO Disgusted!!!

Since there are SO many believers out there who think justice was done yesterday (NOT!) on the Jackson case, I'd like to see everyone of them put their sons in bed with him for the next two years.

The next parent who puts her son in that bedroom with this freak DESERVES to be another victim. YUK(!) he is such a sick animal. You've got to give it to him though. He certainly knows how to pick his victims.

My Grandfather Died...

the day we arrived in Tokyo, my brother told me online while chatting that my grandfather had passed away the day before. I was surprised, I guess. Then again, he'd been sick for awhile. My mom had informed me that my faher had been going to the hospital almost on a daily basis to visit him. Just weeks ago, my brother and Geraldine had brought Emma to visit him. Though not his first great grandchild, certainly the only one he would recognize. The other one, a boy, was brought into this world just a month after the wedding which he was not informed.

I called my dad when Kevin said it was probably a good idea since he was upset. I didn't reazlize that he meant angry not sad... until I spoke to my mom. It's a long long story but the relationship between my paternal grandfather and ALL his kids from his legitimate wife, my grandmother, and his misstress, is a painful encounter. My grandfather was certainly not an ideal grandfather to us, much less a good father to his six sons and one daughter. At the end of the day, only my father (and his mistress) were there by his deathbed. ...so I called my dad and thought I might give him a little emotional support. Instead, he cut me short and told me to have a good time in Japan and that he would email. O-KAY. I called my mom and bitched about it. I called despite that fact that I have not been happy with my dad the last year or so since I last saw him in SFO. ...and that's another too-long story...

Turns out that dad's been bitter about his dad's bitter life. A smart man who's lead a long but loveless life. He was not a good father and a terrible husband to his first family (matchmade as kids that didn't work out DUH!) and did the same thing in his second relationship. I guess his mistress and him, both Satan's children, got along well... both beat the hell out of their sons and were terrible parents. So much so that the youngest of the three ran away from them to my grandmother and was raised by her from an early age of six, I believe.

So my grandfather's passed away... and I'm not there to pay my restpects. No loss. I didn't respect him when he was alive so why be hyprocritical when he's no longer with us. I'm not sad... I don't feel any loss. He's just another face that I'd never ever see again.

Compliment Of All Times

As you know, I've kept up with my swimming for the last couple of months... no, I'm not reporting of ANY weight loss... but something, I suppose, almost as good.

Well I've been saying 'hi' to this lady who's always got a smile on her face when she gets to the pool. Usually when I'm on my half way mark of my day's swim kick boarding. Well, we finally got into a conversation yesterday since she got there just as I was done. You know, the usual how- are-you-fine-you-good-nice-swim-yes and the likes. Yesterday, the conversation took for a turn getting a little person. She asked me how long I'd been swimming and she told me how much she loves the water and how someone at the 'Y' had actually taught her how to breathe (in the pool, of course lol). Then she ask 'how old are you?'. '35' I replied. Her eyes got BIG and she laughed. I thought you were like 18 and home schooling that's how you come to the pool every morning. EIGHTEEN!? I haven't looked eighteen since I was... 25!!! So you know I was happy... it made my day! I never understood why people liked looking young when I was in my 20s. NOW I KNOW hee hee.

The Perfect Guest

My frien, Li, who now lives in San Diego arrived last night at midnight after missing her connection in Houston to Nashville (they were gonna' put her on the flight to Memphis but her checked-in luggage had already left for Nashville... uhhh, what happened to security not allowing luggage to travel without the passenger?). It was great to catching up over some bbq from the Germantown Commissary... one of her main purposes of taking that extra hour drive from Jackson (and of course to see moi lol). We haven't seen each other since she left Singapore in 1996(?). Even Bruce woke up 30 mins upon her arrival and joined us in our chit chat and gossip. Okay, mostly gossip. We stayed up till past 2am... waaaayyyy past my bedtime! Poor Bruce had to be in school at 8am to proctor an exam.

I got up this morning at about 5:15am, made some prata and chicken rendang and at 7:15am, both Li and Bruce got a sumptious breakfast (big treat for Bruce lol). Li left for her 9:30am meeting in Jackson at 8:15am and I went on my morning chores.

Now if only I can get family and other friends to do short trips like that lol.

INS Part II

Well, after my last ourburst and an email to Tim Price the coolest lawyer in town, I feel that INS is even more full of crap then ever before. Guess what? Tim got me my renewal stamp (when he went to the INS for a meeting today). What does that say???

Apparently, the old black man with the salt and peppery hair is known to be the uncooperative type. Why the hell does he still have a job!? Why hasn't anyone beaten the shit out of him? He needs to realize that he can't treat us foriegners like shit... oh the thought of him makes my blood pressuer rise. Stupid son of a bitch!

All Of a Sudden...

everyone looks like Steven Segal in Memphis. So it's said in the local papers that Hollywood star (well, kind of ex-star I suppose) Steven Segal has moved about a mile from where we live. Don't ask me why. Some hot Southern chick must have lured him here lol. Now, everywhere I go, I think I see him... a younger version of him at the grocery store, at the gas pump at Sam's (LOL), an older version of him today at the 'Y' while I was swimming. Think I'm going insane... and I'm not even a fan!!!

My Husband...

...isn't it amazing how when you're dating the man of your dreams, hoping you'd be able to spend the rest of your lives together, you really don't realize just how special he really is? I know because after being married for more than three years, he still never fails to inject this oh-my-gawd-he's-amazing! kind of feeling in me. No, this feeling is outside sex lol. Sure, we argue and we have difference of opinions... but that's normal and never lasts long. The things he does just to make me happy...

Over the weekend, he managed to, on his own, move (I can't say carry 'coz that is not possible for one, two or even four men to do) our dining table (on his hands and knees, with his back!) so that my new rug can go underneath it. Of course it couldn't have waited because I have a friend coming to visit next week. My gawd, can you imagine if I were him!? LOL. That rug will be sitting there for years!!!

He's as forgiving as I am greedy hahaha. And you know just how greedy I am... I swear, I must have been the Dalai Lama in my past life or something (not the Pope lol). I certainly did something good to deserve him... Thank goodness for my husband, I am a much happier me.

INS Makes Me Have Road Rage!!!

First of all, I HATE THE BLACK MAN WHO WAS WORKING AT WINDOW ONE at the Memphis INS. No, that didn't make me feel any better but I had to say it.

As you all already know, I have been going through this darn getting-my-green-card ordeal. After being married to an American for more than three years, not only have I not received the physical Green Card (GC), today, that asshole tells me it's too early to renew the sorry ass stamp on my passport that represents my temporary GC. It expires the first week of July. It's May 16. That means I tried to renew it within 60 days of the expiration. Okay, he says it's too early. So I asked... when can I go in to renew it? He claims during the week of July. "During the week of WHAT?!?!?!" Okay, that made me sick with anger. So I asked, "what if I'm travelling?". The idiot said that I had to go in with the purchased ticket to PROOF that I will be travelling. If there was no window there, I swear I would have reached in and slapped the color out of him. Proof? I don't have to proof crap to his black ass or anyone!!! I'm a legal resident and all I want is a damn renewal stamp because the INS can't get their act straight and send me my card!!! This is a sorry ass temporary green card for crying out loud!! I'm not asking him to sign over his mother's sorry ass life. Gawd!!! So I asked (calmly, or at least I think I did) 'can I come next month then?' He repeats himself about something; by this time, I'm red with frustration and anger. Son of a bitch loser. Proof!? Gawd dammit!!! Who the phuck does he think he is?!

So I sped home and drove like a maniac. If anyone had stopped me, that would have been IT! Thankfullly for them, the bad drivers of Memphis couldn't give a flying phuck about yet another bad Chinese/Mexican/Filipina (they don't damn ass know what the phuck I am and no, they don't care either).

I think we have to move somewhere... somewhere where there are less idiots at least. This country... this city especially. Sad to say, Memphis truly is just mobbed with people like this black guy. I'm going again next week. Hell, if I have to, I'm going every week just to waste their time. I have nothing but time to waste. Maybe they'd see me enough and get tired of me and give me the damn stamp. Hell, maybe I might get lucky and get someone with half a brain... yeah right!!!

American Idol

He's finally out!! Ugly, not-that-talented, Mr-not-that-nice-guy, pain-in-the-ass, biggest showoff, thinks-he's-gawd's-creation-to-women is finally out of the American Idol. Phew!!! I guess all the black people who have been voting for him have decided to vote for the REAL black person, Vonzell, who is really good, talented and nice. Good riddence Scott whatever-your-last-name-is.

Next week, Anthony's turn.

White People

On my way back from the 'Y' this morning, I saw this white dude jogging... ok, let me say this... if skinny people put in the claim that fat people have to cover up their layers of flab, then I saw white people need to either cover up their extremely white legs or get a tan real fast. Those white legs should be kept in the confines of the house thank you very much! Those pair of legs I saw today was so white they were practically transparent lol.

Sacremento...

well, my weekend... or should I say, my less then 48hrs in Rio Vista, California was worth every minute I was there. The food... oh(!) was just out of this world for me... nasi lemak for breakfast and a wide array of homecooked Singaporean muslim food for dinner... I learnt to make most of what was cooked and especially my favorite dessert, onde-onde. Still can't get over how easy it really is to make.

Of course, I tp'd (tah pow meaning doggy bagged back home) a whole bunch of food back for Bruce; yeah, he was my excuse lol... not that he hasn't been enjoying it. We have a little left which we will definitely finish off tonight. Yum!

I was dropped off at the airport on Sunday morning a little early (the family had a full day of excursion planned) and I figured it shouldn't be a problem. I mean, Sacremento, the state's capital should have a decent enough airport, right? NOT! It sucked! I got to my gate a good two hours ahead of time and all they had was a lame bar and a newstand. Wow... even the small airport in Tucson, AZ and hell, even here in Memphis we have a MUCH nicer and bigger airport. ...and people think Memphis is lame-ass lol. Well, it ain't no paradise but it beats a lot of rural California. Now I don't feel so bad about being in TN.

How Greedy Am I???

VERY! Imagine, I'm taking the 5pm flight this evening to Sacremento, arriving at 11pm to go for a feast that my girlfriend's mom (who's in town visiting for a few weeks) will be cooking for tomorrow evening. Yup, I'd be in California for two meals. No shopping, just plain visiting with my friend and the entire family and especially stuffing my face. Ahhh, food glorious food!!! I don't know what I'm in for (yet) but I know Nora's mom will be using the kaffir lime leaves she's ordered me to bring to good use. Hopefully they'd be leftover to bring home for my sweetiepie.

I'm Only Half A Woman!?!

...yesterday, after I lectured my still-cheating girlfriend about her extramarital affair, she decided to attack me with the only thing she could imagine to say to upset me. It didn't upset me... it just confirmed doubly to me what an idiot she is (outside the fact that she's chased her husband out of the house, is cheating with a married man and she, herself, has two kids under the age of 6).

She claimed that as long as I never have kids of my own, I will never be a whole woman. That's right, she said it... she of all people?! The mother who told me how she wished she never had kids?! I didn't remind her of the statement she made... I kind of let it slide since I gather she certainly isn't of whole mind if she's put herself in this stupid situation she's in. I told her that if that's for real, then I'd live my life being half a woman. I can deal with it. Besides, any more of a woman and gawd knows how much heavier I might really be lol... any more of a woman, poor Bruce might suffer physically lol. I'm all woman and I certainly don't need crying babies or changing diapers to confirm that. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!

But yeah... this particular cheating girlfriends of mine I should just track down the dude's wife and tell her what the hell is going on. Unfortunately, Singapore isn't like Memphis where somebody knows someone who somehow knows someone you know.

Indoor Pool Closed!!!

In the midst of the thunderstorm, I found my way at the 'Y' this morning; slightly proud of myself while I found the parking lot even less crowded then normal at seven in the morning. I thought to myself how the pool would be mine, all mine(!).

To my slight disappointment, it wasn't a quiet day at the pool. The two older gentlemen (who are expert swimmers, by the way) were already doing their regular laps. The water was colder then normal and I began my first 20 freestyle... at lap 10, I was stopped. "Ma'm, there is lightning and we are closing the pool for 30 mins". I got out of the pool in dismay and then wondered why the hell they were closing an indoor pool. The young lifeguard explained that while it is safe IN the pool, the 'deck' ie, the area around the pool, isn't safe. HUH? She was told to close to the pool so it's not her fault. But what does it mean? The deck isn't safe for the lifeguards??? It's enclosed. It's like being at home in my kitchen... hmmm... doesn't make sense to me at all.

So my swim was disturbed and I'm clean and showered. Nah, not going back to the pool. I guess I'd go on the threadmill later today (if I remember lol) and hope no thunder/lightning will accompany tomorrow's rain.

...just weird to me...

My friend, Kim, is moving to West Virginia (yes, willingly). She is moving in July and has recently recruited a local realtor. He has since adviced that she got rid of furniture from her house (which consists of two an ottoman and the coffee table, both from the living room, a love seat from her bedroom), adding more art on the wall and making her bathrooms (which are no more in use since both her daughters are away in college) more attractive. Since I heard this, Kim has gone to the mall and spent at least $300!

While I understand that painting and general cleanliness and neatness is expected when you show your house, I certainly do not understand this make-your-house-more-beautiful-
then-when-you-lived-in-it idea... I mean, c'mon now... when I go look at houses, the last thing I'm looking at is how they decorate the house and certainly the last thing would be if their towels and shower curtains match the wall paper. I just can't fathom spending money for that and everyone who knows me knows that I would give any excuse to buy buy buy!

Kim is going to get the carpet cleaned also. While all the furniture is still around. Now her carpet looks nice and cleaned. Certainly no stains or anything the naked eye could catch. I explained that maybe she could volunteer to clean it for the buyer when she's moved out; when absolutely no furniture would be in the way of the cleaners. Her reasoning was that it HAD to be cleaned to get the buyer interested in the house.

Maybe I'm being a little careless about this getting-your-house-ready-for-viewing deal but if any realtor told me that I had to do what Kim has to, I'd fire him lol. If the people don't like how the house is decorated, then when they buy it, then can jolly well decorate it any bloody way they want!

I Am An Aunt

My brother and his wife, Geraldine, had their first addition to the Tay family today. That makes me an official aunt. I don' t know what they're naming their daughter... it was Emily, then Emma and gawd knows if it's confirmed. I've mentioned it to my sister in law that I will be calling her Madison ('coz I like the name) and Bruce will be calling her Pork-Sa (her last name is TAY). Yes, my husband has a sick sense of humor.

It was, for once, nice to be woken up by my dad's voice at 5am asking (without fail, as usual), 'what time is it there?'. Understand that I have been out of the house since I was 17 and no matter what time he calls, that's usually his first question. That or 'who was that?!' when Bruce answers the phone in the middle of deep sleep lol.

But yes, I am happy and proud of report that mother and baby and doing very well and I have been promised some pictures soon.

American Idol Update...

from the New Paper from Singapore (of all places). Not that I ever cared about this guy nor his voice... I never thought he would have made it to the top three anyway. The Michael Jackson type YUK! But people are curious... and I give what people want lol.

THE rumblings are growing louder that American Idol dropout Mario Vazquez (right) has a newer, better record deal in his back pocket - placed there by music mogul Sean P Diddy Combs and his Bad Boy Records.

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old has been carefully plotting his music career.

Although Vazquez is contractually committed to American Idol until May, he has hired lawyer Jess L Rosen - who sprung Clay Aiken from the contract that bound him to 19 Entertainment, the management company owned by American Idol creator Simon Fuller - to get him out of this fix.

Meanwhile, Vazquez can already be heard on an album which he lent his vocals to before joining the show.

Flamenco guitarist Cesar's Worlds Of Change was quickly repackaged and sold online to more prominently feature Vazquez's newfound celebrity.

But fame seems to have gone to his head. It was reported that he told singers Jessica and Ashlee Simpson at a party: 'I know what it's like to be a celebrity and to be harassed. I'm so glad to be in a private area.'

He proceeded to act like a groupie and asked the sisters for a picture - which they declined four times - and was apparently asked to leave by security after that.

Let Her Die Already!!!

First of all, I'm tired of this Schiavo case. Supporters of this so called 'right to life', all I can say is 'YOU ARE ALL (YES ALL) IDIOTS!!!" I can't believe the media is giving this silly thing so much attention! It's unnecessary and it certainly is NOT entertaining.

Yes it's a sad situation, yes it's unfortunate. But c'mon, the girl's been in this vegetative state for 16 years. I can't believe there are such selfish parents out there. What the hell do they get out of this? She is no more their daughter. She died a long time ago. Now all the whole nation can remember of this girl is what she looks like on tv played over and over and over AND OVER(!) again. I don't know what her parents are trying to prove but I'd be glad when it's all over and people in Florida can stop bitching about how the local courts are ignoring the President. Hello?!?! Yup, same bunch of religious fools who voted for the same idiotic President. I rest my case.