Annoying S.O.Bs

Recently, I have heard from quite a few of my Singapore friends who now live in America, that mere acquaintances are calling, asking for favors to buy them stuff here to be sent back home. While I do this often for my family, mostly by choice, they are my family! They can ask anything of me. Even ridiculous favors :)

The last couple of days, this former classmate of mine from Singapore has been leaving messages for me on msn messaging like 'when you're online, let me know' or 'are you there? you must be very busy'. Since I am perpetually set to 'away' status namely trying to stay away from people I don't care about, I have been ignoring her.

Well, this morning, I woke up to another one of these messages, 'let me know when you come online'. I messaged her and said 'hi, I'm here'. Stupid me. She started with a 'wow you've been very busy!'. I managed a slow 'yeah'. She cut any other small talk and said 'hey, I need a favor'. Surprise surprise. She told me she needs to buy crap for her nail business and this store has stopped shipping internationally. That she needs to mail the stuff to my home address and then I can mail them via usps to her. I thought about it and instead of saying 'no', I asked her what she was getting. No answer. Instead, she asked me if I will be seeing my family again. Meaning... if I am, I can pass the stuff to my family and my family can be her delivery people. HELL NO!!! What is she like?! She also did not mention about how she'd pay me for doing her this favor or even for the postage. I told her to let me know BEFORE she orders anything and since she doesn't have my mailing address, I think I'm safe for a bit. There is no way I'm doing this craptactular favor for her. She's not even a friend for crying out loud! Some people sure know how to annoy the hell out of me! Of course, right after asking for the favor, she types a quick 'gotta' go! I need to take my son to classes'. It's freakin' 8pm there! Unless her son is in some beer chugging class, I can't imagine what a 5 yr old boy would be doing out at this hour.

Another 'friend' of mine who went to high school with me in Canada, also a Singaporean, got my email from gawd knows who and emailed me... realize this: we had not contacted each other since 1987! She wrote me an email last year right before the new year and asked me to purchase some music for her on itunes 'coz she can't seem to do so from work. She also explicitly told me to hurry as it was URGENT! I deleted that email immediately and put her on my 'who-list'. What is a who-list? Well, if I put my friend, say... Jane on my who list... if anyone ever brings up Jane's name again in front of me, that will go, "Jane WHO?!" :D

What are these people like!? Surely it is not a Singaporean trait? Granted we're a selfish group of people, always thinking solely of ourselves; so if we're nice to you... BE CAREFUL lol! But I'm sure with some kind of sensitivity chip built in all of us, we can't all be so idiotic?!

Well these two people mentioned can go kiss my big round behind 'coz I'm not playing personal shopper nor mailman to either. Irritating specimen!!!

Bad Translation...

where else... The Flavor Of Love.

Pashintz aka Patience aka girl who is half-cast with black and Chinese blood was voted out on Flavor of Love today. Well, not really voted out but she's out.

People in the know and eager to watch new episodes of the show will be happy to hear that brand new episodes of the fake reality show is now shown much earlier then before. Last season, it was on tv every Sunday evening (and quite rightly so with those humongous boobies and asses hanging out everywhere). The last couple of weeks, you can watch fresh episodes at eleven in the morning on the 'lord's day' - hahahaha, ok you know I'm only joking here. Not about the time of the show... the 'lord' thingy.

Anywayz, back to the show. This Pashintz girl who claims China is 'home' speaks Mandarin. Yes she really does. But for someone who claims home is China, her mother tongue sucks lol! Worst than mine hahaha! Anywayz, after she walked out on the show - even tho' Flav was gonna' give her a clock signifying that he actually wanted her to stay - she commented on one of the girls she had a spat with earlier that day. She said in Mandarin that the girl was just too much to deal with and basically, she used the word 夸张 or 'kua zhang' on her meaning 'to exaggerate; to overstate'. The translation written on the screen for us read 'she's a dirty whore'. That would be 賤貨 'jian huo' lol!

Talk about a mistranslation!!! 笨蛋! Ben dan! 蠢瓜! Chun gua! HAHAHAHA! (sorry if your computer doesn't read Chinese characters)

Another Tree Episode

This morning, KOMT suggested that he agreed with his mil, my mom, that I should just leave the sorry ass Ray Shepard aka Mike's Tree Services aka SG's Tree Service aka Steve Witucki episode behind and go on with life. They both told me it just isn't worth spending more time and effort dealing with these losers again. Besides, the husband didn't want his very portable solar lamps stolen nor did we want them to do a crappy job on purpose. Reluctantly, I agreed and didn't call RS again.

At about 4pm earlier, Mike from Mike's Tree Services called. Yes, unsolicited. I asked him who told him to call and he said sorry ass Ray. Well, he didn't say 'sorry ass' of course. He asked me if Ray had given me a quote. I laughed aloud. I asked if he did not know the saga of the situation which I think he did have an idea since I do recall speaking to him on day two of this whole saga. Anywayz, he told me he would have the crew over within the hour to finish up what they have to.

It is now 7:27pm. Three hours have gone by. This is a big joke now. Gawd forbid they come 'coz guess who's not answering the door. Oh believe me, I've done it to furniture delivery people who were an hour late before (another story for another day), so you know I can sit here and ignore doorbells all day if I wanted to, which I will.

Can you believe this bunch of liars!? No phonecall to apologize, no call to say they can't make it today and maybe come on Monday. I have mentally written off the money we spent - not that I have any other alternative. Naturally, I have written the losers off this earth. This bunch of shady non-tax-paying of trash should all go fight the war since they don't contribute any other way to their own country - why send the smart young ones over?!?

My Baby Brother's Baby Girl

My favorite (and only) brother has a seventeen month old baby girl. Emma is the family's pride and joy. The little girl whom I have been buying a ton of presents for in the last two years is the cutest little addition to the family. She brings a smile to the entire family and has made life so different since she was born. Even her favorite (and only) ang moh uncle's life has altered. He certainly has bigger shopping bills to foot and more baby stories to listen to on a daily basis. But he loves her; yes he does! Yup, I have been shopping for baby/toddler stuff so much people, ie strangers, have been sending me free milk formula, free diapers, coupons, you name it, just to go buy more baby crap lol.

Yesterday, little Emma went to 'trial school'. Since she is not quite 18 months yet, my sister-in-law thought it might be fun and a good idea to take her to Pat's Schoolhouse to see how her daughter might like school before she is officially enrolled. ...so Emma got to skip her first day of her second phase in swimming lessons to go to a real classroom. ball!

How did Emma fair? Well, from my sil's report this morning (I got up early to call them 'coz I was excited to hear about it all), little Emma had ball! She had a wonderful time dancing (apparently, the only one who got up and danced by herself and in front of the mirror too mind you lol), playing outdoors (please don't let your legs get caught between the handle bar and slide like your auntie did in kindergarten lol) and feeding herself sweet cereal that she doesn't get to have at home. Everything was great until... until... it was arts and craft time. Yes, little Emma seemed to be a good social butterfly until she was asked to dirty her little fingers hahaha! What?! Take cotton wool and dip it in glue?! Huh?! That's what scotchtape and staplers are for! The girl got upset when she got glue and cotton wool on her little hands hahahaha! I roared with laughter when I heard this. That is so... so... ME!!! OMG, for someone who doesn't spend a lot of time with me, little Emma sure has a gazillion of her auntie's personality and traits. She's quick tempered and bubbly, she loves to laugh LOUD, she's goofy, she greedy, she loves all food, she loves to dance (but I do not dance in front of the mirror thank you very much), watch tv, sleeps with her mouth open lol, have things her way and omg, she hates making a mess or touch gooey stuff. This is a mini-me in the making lol! This is probably my poor brother's biggest nightmare hahahaha!

Everyday, I call my mom and/or sil promptly to hear of Emma's day and her new pranks. Never mind what's going on with anyone else at home. The stories about Emma brightens my days and makes me laugh like a hyena. She's a hilarious little imp who has absolutely changed my parents' life. She is the only person who can manipulate my dad and get him to ignore even the stock market on an active trading day. She is the only person who can calm him down and make him laugh instantly when he's upset. Needless to say, my dad, Emma's yeye, is her partner-in-crime. She is not allowed sweet stuff that much. What does yeye do? He buys home muffins and chocolates for his little hungry grandbaby. It used to be Starbucks cakes for our little black pug, Lucky... and now Lucky, like me, my dad's ex-princess, are now both chopped-liver lol.

So my baby brother's baby girl is my favorite little baby - the husband is my favorite big baby :D When kid number two comes for my brother and sil, it'll be yet another kid for me to love and spoil. Can't wait! ...and... "No! I Still Don't Want A Kid!"

Ray Shepard - Eat Shit And Die!!!

You're dishonest, deceitful and never mind being professional!

Okay, as you can tell, I'm pissed off with this ass of an idiot. Yes, I'm also an idiot to have paid these people to trim my trees. All $850! But the fact that they claimed they were done at almost 9pm in the dark and asked for payment, was I to say 'no', right!? Not especially since they were recommended by the company who does your yard - Doug's Quality Lawn Care. I have emailed Doug and he claims they were probably recommended by his supervisor Hairley.

Anywayz, it all started on Monday afternoon in the midst of my afternoon nap. Ray Shepard called and offered his services ie, come over to give me a quotation. He came, we met and he told me the guys would be there that AFTERNOON to finish at least half the job and would come back the next morning. That evening, I got home past 7pm and saw a bunch of tatooed guys in my front yard, a kid and a woman in the pick-up truck parked in front of the house. It was like a white trash convention! I ignored them. An hour later, they rang the doorbell and asked for water... or soda. I usually don't care since it really is hot here, but we were having dinner and I was miffed that they were disturning us and the entire neighborhood. I told them to pack up since I didn't want to hear it from the neighbors (not that they have complained before but I would be annoyed if I came home from a long day's work to hear tree cutting people in my neighbor's yard way past normal yard-working-hours). They claimed they would be done in 15 mins and would need payment. I was surprised but didn't question them. I wrote out a Citibank check and paid them. They returned minutes later - yes interupting our dinner yet again and our watching 'Big Brother' telling us they didn't except out-of-state checks. I was like 'HUH?'. It was either local checks or cash. Yeah I have nine hundred bucks sitting at home to paying a bunch of tatoo loosers. Even if I did, I wouldn't have given it to them. No one told me of the payment policy. Certainly not sorry ass Ray Shepherd which by now, I had realized that he had obviously subcontracted this job out to another group of people. So when I told them we didn't have a local check (so I lied), they just stood there... they did not offer to come back the next morning. They just stood there and Bruce and I looked at each other wondering... WTF!?

I gave in and said I can give them my personal check which has no money in the account. Another lie. They took it and left. The next morning, I walked out onto our front yard and GASP(!), they had no completed their job!!! SHIT! I called Ray Shepard. He seemed apologetic and promised the guys would return to finish up the job. That was Tuesday morning. Tuesday afternoon, he called to say the guys were at another job and would come first thing Wednesday morning. I was out all day Wednesday and when I returned mid-afternoon, no tree people, no trimmed trees. I called RS. No reply. Called the tatooed idiots, they said they would call me back. Thursday, I called RS. Left a message. No reply.

It's Friday evening... nothing. I will continue calling this ass till he returns call or give me a sign that he's alive. I have a bunch of numbers... (901)503 1778 - he says this is his cell but it's actually his wife's - or so he claims. Then there is (901) 4815338 for Mike's Tree Services (the flyer which he first gave me) but Ray says not to call that number. I did anywayz and Mike seem to know exactly what job I was talking about... and Wes (one of the tatoo fools) of SG'S Tree Service (901) 237 7044. By the way, the check had to be written out not to Mike's Tree Services nor SG's Tree Service... it was written out to a Steve Witucki and was cashed at about 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. My own fault for not cancelling that check on Tuesday morning when I found out about the incomplete job. Arrgh!

If you're in Memphis and the surrounding areas and get a flyer from any of these people, DO NOT use them!!! I learn it the hard by giving them $850 for nothing.

Another Year, Another Lunch Bag

Today is the King's first day back at teaching again. Year Six! Impressive considering merely a little more then 6 years ago, he didn't know if he should marry me, what his career path was or where he was going to live for awhile. Today, he got dressed early; obviously excited and just all smiles and kisses before he walked out of the door with his lunch bag - melted jalapeno cheese with leftover flank steak he made over the weekend in onion pita bread pressed on a panini grill. Yes, it's as good as it sounds especially since he can heat it up on the microwave in the office / cafeteria.

So it's back to my regular schedule. After a summer of sleeping at ungodly hours, I'm going to have to get back to sleeping way before Leno or Letterman comes on and waking up way way before Good Morning America starts airing. I miss it... I can't wait for it to be dark when I wake up every morning and most of all, I cannot wait for the cold weather to get here!! Cold weather means good moods for me, means going out more and just doing more stuff for me instead of staying in my bedroom watching my Korean dramas or Cantonese dramas from Hong Kong. Yes, a little different from the average person here in the US who longs for the bloody hot ass summer and wearing as little as possible and being out in the scorching sun and disgusting humidity. No, this Singaporean here loves her cloudy and rainy days and if it was winter every day of the year, she couldn't be more thrilled.

Well, I suppose it's back to school schedule, back to doing wifey high school teacher things. Attending football, basketball... sometimes even baseball games tho' the husband is pretty good about not making me go to every game; especially when he's not sure if we're gonna' win lol. No lacrosse, soccer or anything too bad yet tho'. We did go cheer for the track team once but that was fun 'coz it was out at Shelby Farms and I knew some of the parents who were fun parents with a good sense of humor ie, no Asian ones lol!

My Mil Makes Me Laugh

My mother-in-law (mil) who is 73 still works full time. She's a hard worker I believe and she knows how to do her job well. But not too long ago, after her hip surgery, she was complaining about her new boss. How she can't believe this person wants everyone at the office at work everyday and clock-in their full eight hours. She told this to her son and he, of course, being a reasonable person told his mother 'well that's what they're paying you to do right? Work full-time?'. His mother answered in a huff and couldn't understand why her son could not for once see things in her point of view.

Today was a lovely day! After three weeks of drought here, we finally got some much anticipated rain. Not thunderstorm. Just rain. Lovely summery morning rain. Guess what!? My mil didn't go to work. Why? Her simple honest reason: 'coz it was raining. Yes, I'm totally serious. She had a doctor's appointment this past Tuesday so she didn't go in either. Now how would this deter the productivity in the medical centre she's working at? No wonder they are YEARS behind in transcripting their records hahahaha!

When There Is No Lock...

He builds a fortress.

This is what a 16 year old boy has to turn to in order to protect some of his privacy. He claims it's a fortress... like he's playing war... but we ALL know what kind of a war he's playing by himself LOL!

Stupid People - Who Are NOT My Friends

No, I'm not gonna' blog about the only piece of news today all over the world that has to do with the other group of stupid people; damn terrorist! ...and I usually blog about the people I know. Especially the stupid ones. But I just read this piece on Reuters about a group of stupid criminals and I can't help but share it with all of you for a good laugh. Where else better to find 'people like that' but in Singapore's neighboring country lol.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian thieves used a net and rope to haul an ATM cash dispenser through a glass wall and down a flight of stairs, only to discover they had grabbed a check deposit machine by mistake.

The three robbers fled after realizing the failure of their plan, in which they used a pick-up truck and a lorry to yank the machine from its moorings, the Star newspaper said on Thursday.

Automated teller machines (ATMs) have recently been the focus of a spate of robberies or robbery attempts in Malaysia.

In one case, thieves loaded an ATM onto a truck but abandoned it about 5 km (3 miles) away when they discovered it had no cash.

Oh Shit!

If you had watched the first episode of Flavor of Love 2 last night, you'd understand the heading lol; but more on that later.

Yes, Flavor Flav is back on tv. After a season of going through the last 20 women down to the final two, psycho 'New York' and little hoodlum 'Hoops', Flav picked the latter but ended up not finding his soul mate in her after all... DUH?! So the little black man with eeiky gold teeth, eeiky hair, ok... the eeeiky black man (how's that lol) is back with twenty more hoochies to pick amongst them, a possible female kind whom he can spend the rest of his life with - maybe. None of them are girls, ladies (certainly not) nor would you consider them women. They are of an entirely different breed of... people, if you may. You'd understand what I'm saying if you just go watch one episode lol. It's a big joke for the rest of us watching it and yes, it truly is enjoyable lol. Ask the husband!

It was pretty funny when it started very quickly with a serious catfight and I commented that the girls this season look even trashier then the last. Hard to imagine that it's possible but really and truly, they are. Not a minute later, Flav is on air relating how in this season, he's not letting the producers pick his top 20 hoochie mamas but he's made it his own job to do so hahaha. That obviously confirmed my statement :D

Yes, again, the women went through the formality of being named by Flav. This time the names given were stupider and spelt even more incorrectly. But sort of white people spelling the way they think rappers and idiots would spell by adding a 'z' after everything... only not exactly appropriate. So thanx producers! It would have been more entertaining to just let Flav spell everything wrongly on his own which I'm sure he's quite capable of doing. ...this season, the names include Somethin' - yes, that's her given name (maybe 'coz she can't really be 'someone' or 'somebody'). A girl who speaks with a serious lisp (and can't stop talking) who's been named Nibblez but everyone keeps calling her Nipples... there is Buckwild, Buckee (if I remember correctly - I know there were two Buck-somethings), Beautuful, Patienz... and there are like five girls with gaps in their teeth but I can't remember their names only what the husband kept repeating during the naming session, "call her Whistle!" hahahaha! I can't remember any more of those crazy names. I just know there is a big momma in the house this time and she scares even ME with her HUUUUGGGEEEEEEEE breastuses. I swear, they were EVERYWHERE in last night's show and they will be everywhere till she's eliminated lol.

So the usual fights and screaming sessions went on and much to our amusement, it was fun and hilarious. But someone topped tv history last night and it was far better then last season when insane New York spitted at that slut of a white trash Pumkin whom by the way, has been on forty three other reality shows kissing men and showing the world just how easy it is for a man to remove her knickers. Last night, Somethin' ps'd on national TV. When I say 'ps', I mean it by the very hokkien (Chinese dialect) term of PANG SAI aka pooped, aka shit. Yes, I'm totally serious! The girl shit'd in the living room and on the stairs in Flav's crib! HAHAHHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry, it's just hilarious and I do feel sorry for the girl. But you have to admit, it's never been done before(!); or never been aired. I mean, in the midst of celebrating the ousting of the first five girls, poor Somethin' had to slip away to the bathroom upstairs rather quickly, only for everyone to be horrified by the smell and then, sight of it on the stairway lol. OMG I nearly pee'd my pants laughing. It was just too much!! Poor girl will never ever live that down for as long as she lives. I have one question however... where were her bloody bloomers? How did that crap (no pun intended) escape her knickers?!?!

So... if you missed it episode one, I'm sure VH1 will replay it another forty two times before the second episode airs this Sunday.

Back From Bangkok

Though our flight out there via Chicago and Tokyo took awhile - to say the least - we made it to Oriental Bangkok; albeit a good 14 hours later.

The trip specially planned to spend time with Emma was very very nice. We, yes, including the Tay family, had a really good time just hanging out, getting to know my now-walking niece and got to spend a lot of time together in the pool everyday, had side-by-side cabanas where we napped and ate and just had good times. We ate a lot of good food - but that's no surprise, I know - had new experiances eating at road side stalls and my one big trauma - getting into a toilet with a toilet seat only to realize there was no toilet paper and no flush TOO LATE hahahaha! That was quite an experiance. But while I wasn't amused with the entire situation while going through it, I laugh about it now - 'coz what else am I gonna' do about it lol.

It was a short four day trip. We all wish it was a couple of days more. Next time at the Oriental will be longer for sure. Then again, I suppose like the husband believes, it's better to leave wanting more than leave thinking you've seen and done and wanted everything out of the place you just visited. Makes sense to me. I'm going to see my niece (and family of course) in a few months in Oz. I can't wait. By then, she'd be running, saying more words and be even more fun to play with.

By the way, I'm about 8,000 miles away from making Platinum Executive on American Airlines and I'm totally psyched about it :) Bruce says I'm probably the only unemployed PE (certainly in Memphis) hee hee. Even he might make it to be a PE this year with the crazy summer travels this year. I'd probably make the special 25th annivasary rewards for platinum executive travellers by the end of the year (make an extra 25,000 miles on top of making PE) so I'd be even more 'special' (not special ed) and I believe get another free round trip international upgrade hee hee. So exciting :D

Three Time's A Charm?

Well, we were on our way to Bangkok... everything went smoothly till we boarded flight AA153 in Chicago. The sensor on the plane was broken and while we sat in the blasting freezing plane for a couple of hours and made small talk to the fellow passengers sitting on the same row as us, they finally announced that the plance was going out of service and that we would have to change planes.

YES(!) of course we missed our connection despite having a generous 3 hour layover for us to change terminal, get dad's special Nikka whiskey and maybe make a phonecall or two.

Last night, for the third time in a good five weeks, we went through customs in Japan again and strolled into arrgh... Japan... together with about 100 other unfortunate souls, checked into the not so nice Narita Excel Tokyo Hotel. I suppose I was so beat and pissed by the time we got to the hotel, the last thing to complain about was the room (I'd admit it's much bigger then our room in Osaka lol) and the set meal provided at the Japanese restaurant in the hotel. Bruce rested peacefully while I layed in bed (pissed that I slept too much on the plane) in my hotel yukata (Bruce commented that I looked like a hospital patient the first thing he got up - not THAT funny!) and watched CNN most of the night - like I need to know more about the damn situation in the Middle East? (SNORE). Yes of course I'm sleepy and cranky now lol. But what's new?!

So once again, we're on our way to BKK. Here we are sitting at JAL's smokey ass Sakura Lounge while my brother, sister-in-law, Emma (and nanny in tow, of course!) are on their short flight there already. American Airlines has wasted our one night hotel at the Oriental and a good five hours away from our niece which we're flying a gazillion miles to go spend time with. Sorry ass airlines and airline people - I think they're worst then bankers and lawyers!!!

Oh well.... what can you do right?! We can bitch and write all the letters we want after this... can't buy the time that was burnt last night. I just wanna get there in one piece as scheduled today!!!

Z's

I'm so sleep deprived it's not even funny. Since returning from Japan, I can't say I have made myself stick to the local time. Hence, I've been sleeping at past 4am, as late / early as 6am... then waking up at 9am in the midst of bright sunshine. That always gets to me since other then the summer season, I enjoy waking up at no later then 5am in the dark and starting my day while the rest of the neighborhood is asleep. I like it that way. So to wake up with the screaming sun sorts of pisses me off. I don't know why, it just does.

I suppose part of the reason why it hasn't been a priority to get back to local time is 'coz we're leaving for Thailand tomorrow. By the time I get there, I'm sure I'd be so confused I won't be able to figure out what to do. But... with the excitement of seeing little Emma, who cares about sleep :) EKT is fifteen months old now and she's walking. Her uncle Bruce will be meeting her for the first time so he's really excited as well. He's really sweet to her, buying her special presents just from him. Of course, he buys all the presents she gets from me also lol but that's different :D

I took a nap this afternoon from 5 - 7pm before dinner... I should be good to go till mid morning and definitely gonna sleep well on the flight over there. Too bad the flights are completely full and our upgrade requests to business class are denied. But as tired as I am, a couple of games of sudoko on my DS and I'd be good to go. I won't even need to watch my Korean dramas on the plane :)

Delayed Osaka Curse

So we got through our Osaka without much of a hitch (minus the hotel situation lol). But since we got home, my poor husband has been so sick with high fever and stomach problems. The poor guy. All day yesterday, he was either in bed watching tv in a foetal position or dead to the world, trying to sleep it out to fight the returning high fever.

Last night, he finally had a bite to eat. Melted provolone in crispy pita. I don't know about you, but back home we believe dairy isn't a good thing for diahrea. Everyone here seems to believe differently though. So cheese it was. It didn't help that while we watched the World Series of Pop Culture on VH1, they played the bloody Taco Bell ad for their new spicy chicken crunch wrap forty five times which tortured my poor husband lol. The image of melted cheese can kill a man who hasn't eaten all day hahaha!

I'm hoping he'd be alright and will be able to at least get out of bed today and have a decent meal.

Sometimes it's a little scary when you're responsible for someone else's health. I mean, when I was younger, there was always someone I could go to and whine and tell them how sick I was and I'd be taken care of. I had my mom at home and when I left home at 17, I had a nice young couple who were my friends who would take care of me. It was miserable being alone in Arizona when I was really sick with the flu and worst now that I am supposed to be the caretaker. I'm no doctor and all the home remedies I know are from the 17 years I stayed at home and gotten from mom... It's times like that that makes me even MORE glad I don't have a kid. I would so panic if I had to try and take care of a sick child when he or she can't even tell me what the hell is wrong lol.

Oh well, such is the mood this morning... sleepy (my time difference is still messed up so I'm just hanging out and staying out of the heat - air-conditioning is SO nice to have and be around lol) and hoping the husband feels better. He took some po chai pills last night so I think the stomach should ease up a little... as long as he eats, I'm happy.

A Blog-Worthy Trip

We just returned from our second trip to Japan this summer and I must say, it's been very interesting and more fun then ever. Not just 'coz we had made lots more crazy fun Japanese friends, had horse meat or almost killed ourselves eating yakiniku lol... it's just crazy times in Japan all over again :D

We flew into Kansei International Airport for the first time and took the Shinkansen (bullet-train) to Tokyo immediately. Needless to say, upon arriving in Tokyo and being in some form of transportation for many more than 24 hours, the first night was pretty uneventful. The next few days we hung out with our friend Julie, had the best ramen in between shopping and hanging out, saw the Kohnos' and went to a beer garden atop Keio Shopping Mall and just had a really nice relaxing time.

Day four, we took the shinkansen to Nagoya where we met up with Jun (our ex-sushi chef at Rainbow Roll in Tokyo) who'd gotten married about a year ago and moved away. We saw him one night in Tokyo but it's just been different not being able to see him every trip. Our meal in Nagoya was interesting, to say the least. Not so much the food though is was very good - we had unagi on rice with green onions known as hitsumabushi. The real even for Julie and I was more about meeting Jun's wife. I mean, he's been putting up with a lot of crap from this psycho woman (yes, it's only his side of the story, true... but he's our friend... :D). So we're expecting a hot young babe and a little spoilt brat... in walked oba-san ie, old lady HAHAHA! (sorry no picture lol). Okay, so she isn't old; but we're sure she isn't in her 30s. The part that got us sick is that she's 10 weeks pregnant and is still anorexicly thin. Anywayz, she was nice enough... well other than that part about spilling my cup of tea on me hahaha but that's just an accident - or so we believe lol. We hung out a good half of the afternoon and then got on our merry way back onto the train to Osaka.

Osaka's been an interesting place for both Bruce and I. His first trip there, he fell deathly ill. His second trip there and my first with him, supposedly with my brother and his wife, the four of us got deathly ill in Tokyo the day before we were supposed to train it to Osaka. At the end of the day, they shortened their trip and went home while Bruce and I actually stomached the 3 hour train ride into the city, walked a good 20 mins around the blinding neon lights, turned right around and headed back to Tokyo. Fun... NOT! That was a good two years ago since we even mentioned Osaka again. We've sort of been avoiding the Osaka curse for a bit. This time, since we'd already been to Tokyo for Bruce's birthday in June, we figured we'd check out Osaka. Our friend Julie whom we missed in Tokyo on our last trip thought it would be fun to hang out with us in Osaka and vice versa... and so, the trip to Osaka was concrete.

To say the least, the start of our Osaka trip was less then ideal. We arrived, got to the hotel only to realize both Julie and us had made reservations at different hotels with the same name lol. Neither hotels had our reservations and Julie had actually made a mistake on her reservations lol. She was a little hard on herself since she is by profession, a quart-time travel agent... we headed to our hotel and found the room not abled with internet connection. We moved to hotel number three into our little cubicle and headed straight out to the restaurant that Julie's friend Junko had been waiting for us since 7pm. It was now past 9pm, crazy storming / typhooning and just insanely hot. This was the night we met Junko and restaurant owner Joe (yes, he's Japanese).

Day five, day two in Osaka, Joe took us to a fancy tempura place... and then we met Julie's friend Takashi. This was the night we had horse meat. Not just plain horse meat but RAW horse meat. Yup, horse sashimi hahaha! Honestly it was quite tasty... but I don't think I'd volunteerily order that. I mean, it's horse. YUK! We also had raw cow liver (this was not so tasty 'coz it just tastes way too livery for my liking) and just weird food. Most of them were tasty though... we went on to another bar where we met Hideki. Cool crazy quiet (well quiet to us 'coz he doesn't speak that much English lol) drank with us and then took us to a transexual bar hahaha! Yes, we went and yup, we had fun :D

Day (six) three, Bruce and I did the Osaka style eat-till-you-drop lunch at a what-seemed-like theme food court. It was very nice. We had some okonomiyaki, some tako yaki and honestly, we were so full we couldn't go on :) Night three, we hung out with Hideki for a couple of hours at a bar and sushi restaurant before meeting Junko for a crazy too-hot Korean/Japanese yakiniku. Ok, this was the moment Bruce thought about killing me. I'd been dreaming of grilled beef since our last trip in Tokyo when John took us to this awesome place and had the best beef... so when I mentioned it to Junko and all the transexuals that I love niku, they all said I have to go to this place. BIG MISTAKE lol! It's not fancy, nor was the meat lol... not air-conditioned so you know how HOT it was in this tight little space called a restaurant... no chairs so we had to kneel or pressed our asses on non-existent flat cushions... it was just hilariously not so funny hahaha. The husband was giving me I'm-gonna-kill-you looks and I was in so much pain I couldn't help but laugh and drink myself to a stupor lol. All in all, we had fun. Of course, after dinner, we had to close up the evening with more drinks at another bar :D

There is just too much to talk about to put them in black and white. Like the relationship pyramid that all these Japanese we met on this trip... who is sleeping with who, who's bf is actually married with a kid, who's paying a 7k alimony a month or who is impotent and who is about to get married but not dumping the lover lol. It's a trip! The watermelon so square it doesn't look real... People from Osaka are awesome and fun and crazy! Can't wait to get back there... but only if I get to check into a bigger hotel!!! :D

Where Have I Been?

It's been more than a month since I last blogged and while it's not like my life's been totally uninteresting, the more interesting things that is worthy of blogging - the husband has banned me from doing so lol. Lose a friend, gain an enemy - what's the bloody saying. Either way, I can't talk about it, thus I've been sulking :D Not that much but fine if you want me to admit my life isn't all that exciting, I'd do so here.

So what have I been up to if I haven't been updating my blog, cooking or been all that busy? NOTHING! It's the summer and it's my vacation also - as a housewife. Hey, a housewife needs some time off too you know!? I still have to do laundry but that's fun and enjoyable for me. I've been watching my Korean drama; one after another. I am up to the third more than 100 episodes series and am loving it. Okay, once in awhile I get upset with the characters and the too-many looking-back-at-time and crying-over-spilt-milk scenes but that's what the fast forward button is for :D

Of course, if you're reading this, then you know me and if you know me, you know not one month goes by without travelling. Since summer vacation started, we've been to Tokyo once. We came home for a couple of days and headed out to Boston. Ahhh Boston - my future home :D Tomorrow, we head back out to Osaka. Am trying to gain Platinum Executive (100,000 miles) before Fall (I'm more than halfway there, so you know I'm trying my darnest to get to places by AA. American Airlines, the only airline to fly in the US. Screw NWA, Delta - eeiky old planes and their seats are made for skinny dwarfs. I am only 50% of it and I ain't skinny :( ...mid July, we head to Thailand to see Emma again. I can't wait. She's taking swimming lessons now and finally willing to walk a few steps on her own; so it'll be all brand new experiances with her again. It's Bruce's first time meeting her next month - I think it'll be a blast! Speaking of the laogong, he has moved his blog here trying some new software.

Damn, Germany beat Argentina! ...and they say there is a gawd. Blah!

Right not much to blog about today unless you're interested in my morning errands of returning stuff to Eddie Bauer and TJ Maxx, going to the post office and getting my manicure and pedicure done lol.

"Open Your Mouth...

gold won't fall out of your teeth". Okay, I don't have gold filling or teeth (just to clarify that). My mother used to say that to me practically every morning (right till I left home at 17 and also when I eventually moved back later on) whenever I saw her in the morning and not greet her. I used to wonder why I had to greet her. I mean, 'good morning ma' or simply 'ma'... why would that make her day better? It was a pain and the last thing I wanted to deal with was her chirpy self since she'd been up for hours. I usually managed a short and grumpy grunt and she'd start with that very saying in Chinese. I'd sigh and roll my eyes and she'd laugh or if she's already in a bad mood, there goes my morning lol.

Well, that saying has stuck with me all this time and ROMT knows the saying well! I've learnt throughout my years away from home how important speaking up is and yes, greeting people when you see them is an important thing to being social too. I suppose I understand now :)

But my lesson today is about 'opening my mouth'. Okay, so I didn't actually have to do so. I let my fingers do the talking by sending a complain letter to Sears yesterday when the dishwasher we'd purchased two weeks ago failed to be delivered and installed this past Monday. To cut the long story short, I got a call awhile ago and because I 'spoke up', we are expecting the dishwasher at our house in a couple of weeks for FREE! Yes, a free Bosch SHE66C06 How's that for 'opening my mouth' lol! ;p

Excuse Me What Is Your NRIC Number?

In Singapore, that's a common question when filling up forms, going to the bank etc etc. Our NRIC numbers which is the same as our passport numbers, much like the US Social Security number here (that defers from the US passport number system) represents who we are, where we live, what we do, how much in taxes we claim, pay, have in medisave and... and if you're registered in the Singapore Idol official website!

I swear! Yes, of course it's free. But for the price of your NRIC number, you get to register here at your own risk! But besides that, please tell me why in the world would these fools need our NRIC numbers to register in a website like that!? Now I totally know how those bloggers got arrested in Singapore! Let's see who else needs our confidential numbers to be registered with them. Wow I'm surprised AsiaOne doesn't need it - they'd need your cell number (lol) but that's easy to make up or (lol) give someone else's. I guess Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) doesn't care since all the idiots who believe in their propaganda writings subscribe to Straits Times and Business Times and of course (DUH!) you'd need to devulge your NRIC number to them and if you're not 'local', your passport number will suffice. Insane! Can you imagine what Americans would say if they needed to throw in their social security numbers to read the newspapers online... or gawd forbid, find out more about American Idol lol!!!

Unloading

Well, Friday was a weird day for me. I had to deal with a bunch of crying people - which I do not like to deal with as much as I do not like to hug or be hugged. Now that doesn't mean I won't hug or be hugged and that I'd get upset when it happens like Cindy's husband gets when men hug his wife lol. Truly. He claims it's a conformity to the American culture. I say he's just an insecured jealous bastard; and if hugging/conforming is bad then go back to bloody Singapore, you Chinaman - why do you insist on staying and waiting on that Green Card?!

Friday was D-day for Rosa and Cher's move to Philly so we met up for brunch and then I got them to the airport. Wow, when I left home at an tender age of almost 17, I didn't even cry - my mom did a little but that's a mom thing. But I couldn't understand why these people were crying SO hard! It just seemed funny to me especially since they were still gonna' be in this country; and it was their choice to leave Memphis and their friends. Weird. I'm not being heartless. I just don't understand people's pysche I guess. So I had to deal with all of that at the airport... the crying and having to form a circle and pray with the rest of the friends who'd come to say good bye to the family. OMG that freaked me out lol. I always used to stare at people who did that and thought it lame. Now, I KNOW it's lame lol. I'd feel sorry for those people who are put in that situation like I was but my goodness, do Christians just assume that 'coz I'm a friend of a Christian I, like them, pray for safety and a good future and stuff like that? I honestly don't know how that would make me feel better. In fact, I think I'd feel more at risk on a flight lol. But anywayz, yes, I'd miss Rosa, Cher and the kids. But they're only an email, a phone call and a plane ride away. No biggie! Plus I'm sure new friends will come along. Yes, the inevitable: life goes on.

That same afternoon, in the midst of our afternoon nap, I was abruptly woken up by the telephone ring. It was Cindy. Either she had read my blog about her (don't remember if I'd mentioned my blog to her but oh well...) or I must have really sounded upset on the phone (both in NYC when I'd last spoken to her and at that moment answering the phone reacting to her voice). Cindy (see prvious post on her) called, in tears, asking for forgiveness and not to be mad at her. She asked me to forget about all the bad pictures she'd painted about her husband 'coz they're not true at all. She told me that something had happened and she can't tell me why. She told me that I won't understand her (damn straight!) and that she would love to do more for me (no thank you I'm quite happy the way my own life is going!) but she doesn't drive and that's why she can't (excuses!). She told me she wasn't trying to take advantage of me and wasn't expecting me to go pick her up at the hotel in NYC. She told me that she really treasures my friendship (friends don't treat friends that way). She asked if I had a good trip in NYC. DUH I went to see my friend Gen and of course we had a ball. Did she think I was gonna' get upset with her and spoil my own trip? Piece of work!

After my last posting on her, it's helped me a ton to get stuff off my chest. And by then, she was already history to me and I have since gone on; of course! So when she called and kept saying 'please don't be mad at me', it just brought all the raw feelings back. I got perturbed but I kept my cool and between her sobs for 25 minutes, I unloaded big time. I figured she needs to know. I told her to have a backbone and if she wasn't happy here, go home (same for idiot husband), I told her that whether or not she means to take advantage of me, things don't work that way long term 'coz people catch on to things and I don't need her in my life 'coz she brings absolutely nothing on her plate - not even a damn good joke lol; I told her that if she's gonna' not help herself in her life, she won't meet many people who'd give her a second chance in life (and I certainly won't be the first). I told her she shouldn't let her husband control how her life goes and if she's not happy, speak the hell up 'coz she's responsible for that much; I told her how I can't understand what kind of a man her husband is to keep her at home like an abused pet and she actually stays and accepts it; I told her I wasn't the only one who was getting annoyed with her complaining about the Americans and Mexicans (and the racism her husband claims he's facing at work) and then talk about how great Christianity has been to them; I told her to chill the hell up and stop crying but she couldn't. It was annoying me and oddly enough, I felt nothing except wonder what is wrong with her (even more then before). I did ask if she was ok ('coz of the uncontrollable crying) and at first she didn't answer me. I asked if she needed help, still no answer. She eventually mastered a quiet 'yes'. But maybe she was crying out for help and again, I stress, no one can help her if she won't help herself. I told her I've lived away from home for so long and I've always understood how important friends are. Nobody had to teach me that. It all comes in the path of being away from the people you love and loves you unconditionally. I told her she may still be ignorant about that sort of thing but it is no excuse that her husband is in the dark with that having been in the US for more than seven years. I asked her why they have no knowledge of common courtesy. How two grown people in their 30s not know common social mores?! That when people invite them to their house over and over and over again, they need to take the cue and initiative to plan something as well. It's not a calculative thing. It's just common courtesy. That Rosa and Cher just stopped inviting them over altogether 'coz there was simply no reciprocation. It's not that we need them to buy us a meal... but there was never even talk from them about getting together - ever. She asked if Rosa was mad at her. Of course not - and I told her. Rosa has two kids and the last thing on her mind is 'What is Cindy up to?'. But at this point I was thinking, 'what is wrong with her? So what if we're all mad at her'. Who the hell cares!? I sure wouldn't! My first thought when she couldn't stop crying was that her husband is hitting her. I don't know why. But I'm pretty creative when I let my mind wander. Or she'd been raped and that's why this fear of being out in public alone. While it may be these things or not, I can't do anything else for her. I have been the only person here in Memphis to do anything for her - certainly a lot more than the man who is supposed to love and care for her most (NOT!) and from what I see, there are no plans from him to make her life easier or better. I say if I don't see her again for another 6 months, nothing will change in her life. She'd still be a bad cook, she'd still be friendless, she'd still be miserable. She MIGHT have her driver's license but she'd be too chicken shit to drive on her own - or he wouldn't let her have the car while he's at work. But, her stay here this time is also temporary and she's returning to Singapore in a couple of weeks. She claims she might be back towards the end of the year but I doubt it and uh-huh, I don't care.

Please, no more crybabies for the month of May.

Do You Let Your Husband Rule Your Life?

While I can safely say, "I don't!" 'coz not only have I got a nice and understanding husband who won't do so, hello, it's the 21st century and that's not what we have husbands for!

Well, I recently met someone who does. She might be the first female I've met who not only lets her husband rule her life, she thinks it's fine and normal to just absorb everything her husband says on face value and then tell people what she thinks. For example, she is petrified of a certain race. Why!? "My husband says so". IDIOT! ...I'd like to know why her family paid thousands of dollars to educate her right through university and still think like a neantherthal? Dumbass! I just don't understand it. I always thought it was a generation thing (not that the women in my mom's generation even let their husbands do so but it's not uncommon and certainly almost normal for the women in my grandmother's generation - my gramma being one of them). But this person is 30, somewhat newly married (five years), not unattractive (but not a hot mama nor can she charm anyone's socks off), educated (gives NUS a bad name) and yes, since she's from Singapore, she's bilingual in English and Mandarin. So what is her problem? It's a long list... narrow minded, stupid, air-headed, dependent, lack of opinion... I can go on for days!

It's a long story and just way too many instances to call on her stupidity. But one of them being: not doing laundry on her own. Now this person comes to Memphis to visit her husband (also another idiot from Singapore) who works here at Fedex. He's been with Fedex with five years and that's how long they have been married. Yet, she lives permanently in Singapore because she doesn't like it here in Memphis. Don't ask me, I'm just reporting the facts. She hates Memphis 'coz, her-words-not-mine, 'SO BORING!'. Ok, so Memphis isn't New York City or San Francisco. But I honestly think it's all an excuse. Shit, if all I did was sit in a one bedroom apartment all day and night waiting for the husband to get home to have some form of conversation, I'd be bored and hate Memphis too! ...so she's back after a one a half year break from Memphis (yes, they live apart constantly and I guess it seems normal) 'coz he suddenly needs her support. Don't ask me how two idiots are gonna' support one another but that's the reason she cited for being back in Memphis for these few months. Apparently he's been racially discriminated at work and needs her here. Like I said, he's no Einstein. She arrived a couple of months ago in March. She doesn't drive nor have a driver's license. She doesn't do laundry 'coz her husband wouldn't let her. Yes, LET! Why wouldn't he let her? His reason - Mexicans. Need I still try and convince you what an idiot he is? There are a lot of things her husband wouldn't LET her do. For example, take a nice 10 min walk to the grocery store from the apartment. Before I came along, she knew nothing outside the confines of sorry ass Walmart. The cheap bastard took her nowhere but Walmart to buy the necessities. He has, from day one, cautioned her against the Mexicans. Why the Mexicans, I have no idea. But yes, she is petrified of them, that's for sure. So I was a little confused as to why she doesn't do laundry while her husband's at work instead of waiting till the weekend and having her husband do it on a Saturday when they have to fight for machines (her words not mine) and waste four hours of the weekend instead of taking it slow on Saturday mornings. Why was I confused!? Well, first off, she doesn't work and does absolutely nothing but watches tv and plays on the computer. Wouldn't she have a ton of time to do at least the laundry(?) ...or wash her freakin' hair (that's a whole other story for another time lol). Why was I confused?! Well, not only was I confused I almost pulled my hair out when I realized the laundry room is directly downstairs from her two-storey, second floor apartment. Uhhh... so why doesn't she do it?! "OH(!) Clarence said cannot. He says I don't know how to operate the machines and there are Mexicans in this compound". Just recapitulating the conversations makes my blood boil.

I cannot continue typing 'coz if Ido so, my head will burst into flames.

24 hours later...

So there are a gazillion of these stories ever since I met Cindy. There is the one where her husband wouldn't let her hug men. Like when he introduces his American friends to her and they give her a friendly hug. He gets upset. The husband was tempted to give her a big ass hug when he first met her hahaha! But over and over again, I give her the benefit of the doubt or just overlook it by telling myself, not everyone's as lucky as I am... not everyone is normal and has common sense (which obviously isn't that common) nor knows how to speak up for herself.

This past weekend, I was in NYC. Coincidentally, stupid Clarence had to go to NYC for work and Cindy was to tag along since she'd never been to New York before and she's also afraid to stay in the apartment by herself. Idiot! She was ecstatic when she heard I would be in the city. I could take her around (or more so my friend, Gen, who lives there could take the both of us around) and she wouldn't have to sit in the room to wait for Clarence to return from work. Again, her words, not mine. We made arrangements to meet. I called her friday morning (a day after I'd arrived) and asked if she wanted to eat meepok tah (it's a kind of noodle we eat back home). She didn't sound too thrilled but asked where the place was. I'm like "would you know where it is if I told you?". I was annoyed but remained calm. She asked, "take MRT there ah?". Ok, MRT is the abbreviated name for our subway system in Singapore; Mass Rapid Transit. Don't ask me why I was sooooooo peeved (the husband had to calm me down that same night on the phone when I was bitching to him about the entire scenario... though telling me that I'd over-reacted from that statement didn't help AT ALL). Anyway, when I heard her say MRT, I corrected her and changed topic. I mean, WTF are you doing in NYC calling the subway MRT!?! Like Gen said, we'd love to see the eyes of the consierge if she'd asked 'how do I get to the MRT station from here?!' Idiot! Anywayz, her hotel was no more then a short walk to Grand Central Station like mine, nor was it far to cab-it over to me. Hey, I was doing her the favor. She comes to me! I asked her to meet us at the Grand Central Station. She started hesitating. "Uhh... hmmm... ummm...". Gen quickly decided that it was probably better for her to hop onto a cab to our hotel. That way, she wouldn't be lost or get pregnant on her way there by a Mexican lol. She hesitated even more. It suddenly dawned on me and asked if it was 'coz Clarence wouldn't let her out of the room on her own. Her answer, more ummms and ahhhs and uhhhs. Then she decides a "it's not that convenient". WHAT?!?! Convenient for what!? Phuck it. I said "ok, then I'd talk to you later." That was the final straw. What is wrong with this person!?! If you think all she did in NYC was sit in the hotel room and waited for her husband to come back from his meetings to take her out, you're absolutely right! OMG... can you believe it!? I'm still steamed about this entire deal. I cannot believe how a woman at her age can be SO stupid and have no bloody brain of her own. Even if it's the husband's controlling manner, surely she knows it's not normal and it's about damn time the bloody idiot gets told off. What a dumbass!! I guess it's good they're together. They deserve one another. I know it's not a Chinese / Singaporean thing 'coz my brother isn't like that. My dad... no, my mom's got more of a brain then to just be lead around by a leash.

Can't believe I managed to finish this piece (tho' I have a dozen more stories about her to tell) without literally combusting or have a brain aneurysm. Glad it's over and done with. I'm getting my DVD's back from her and she's history. She can jolly well go back to shopping at Walmart with her cheapass husband 'coz guess who's no more driving her around lol.