My Pink Shoelace

Teacher: Ni zai na li?
Me: Not here … [we both burst out laughing]
Teacher: Create two sentences using the words we learned today.
Me: Ni … ni hen chou.
Wo … wo piao liang.
Teacher: (laughing out loud)

I haven’t been blogging for a while as I have been extremely busy. My hours are spent working on various projects and what little time I have left I use it to jog, attend my Mandarin class, visit mom and see friends. It has been a very tight squeeze and I am expecting to be a whole lot busier next week. Instead of the weekly class, starting Monday it will be on a daily basis.

Sometimes I wonder what have I gotten myself into …

Last Monday, our neighborhood was almost caught on fire. The fire started at a neighboring area which was way too far from where I live but the strong winds carried its flame to our direction. The people in my neighborhood were on panic mode and for the life of me I did not bother to pack as much. My neighbors all took their things out of their houses, appliances, bedsheets, clothes and just about anything you could think of.

The only things I secure for myself were my laptops, external hard drives, cameras, photo albums with photos of mom, my family’s closest friend helped me out in carrying all my boxes [containing my collection of books and manga] while I took my piggy bank. When the fire was too close say 4 houses away from my house I had no choice but to move out and stay on safer grounds. Panicking won’t do me any good, it’s not like if I panic the fire would stop right? So I took photos instead … someone actually mistook me as part of the media lol

And oh … the fire brigade managed to put out the fire and my house was saved. All Hail Buddha!

August 2, 1948 was mom’s birthday. She would have been 62 years old today had she still been alive. Together with mom’s closest friend and together with another neighbor we went to the cemetery to pay our respects. It has been close to 3 years since she passed away and I still haven’t gotten over it fully. I guess it would some time … but I kept telling myself that where ever she is right now … she is in a much better place and someday soon I’ll see her again.

I have been working as a full time freelancer now for over a month and I gotta tell you my work schedule is downright crazy. lol. Let me outline what I have been doing … this is the schedule I posted on the cork board in my make shift office.

8AM – 4PM : I work as a Virtual Assistant for a developer based in the US.

4PM – 8PM : I used this hours to write articles for clients based in Poland and India. Yes I have two clients who provide me continuous writing projects.

8PM – 4AM : I work again as a Virtual Assistant for an Internet Marketer based in UK.

5AM – 5:30AM : I use this time to follow a video workout which is a fusion of belly dancing and yoga.

5:30 AM – 7:30 AM : Sleep

7:30 AM – 8:00 AM – shower then breakfast

And the cycle repeats … I am only free on Friday and Saturdays. Now I use these days to cater to personal affairs [char!]. I have my Mandarin classes on Fridays at 5PM to 7PM and on Saturdays I try my hardest to jog around Abellana, offer my prayers and visit mom and chill out with friends.

Waaaaaaaaaa. I can no longer remember the last time I sat down and read a book!

I have ran out of ink again huhuhuhu. I hate going for refills as I was told they might damage the printer and buying the original ink is just expensive. *sigh* I have been printing out those ESL materials I have used with Monica last year so I could compile them in one folder but without ink, color printing right now using my HP printer is impossible.

So it’s either I finally take a leap of faith and use refilled ink or close my eyes and just go head buy brand new cartridges. Which is which Weng? Should I do this with a coin toss?!!! lol

Kokopelli is a fetility deity shown as a humpbacked flute player and is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture.

The image of Kokopelli is very famous and can be seen in almost every type of crafts, from vases to necklaces. It is also a famous design in tattoos and I got one on my right wrist.

Let’s take a look below:

Kokopelli On My Right Wrist

Kokopelli On My Right Wrist

What do you think?

I have this mobile phone that carries two active sim cards, my Smart sim which I’ve been using since college and my Sun sim for texting all those peeps at work. Just about two hours ago, it has been ringing full blast non-stop. Some guy said he wanted a friend … like I bloody care. He kept texting stating that he was only trying the number as we both have close to similar mobile numbers … the only difference is the last digit. And he’d like to have a friend.

Great! So this f^ck!ng idiot has been calling my number since 11PM … what a great way to make friends. Annoy someone in the middle of the night. Don’t you have a life or something? Grrrrrrrr ….

And oh … a friend said, that it could be a sign and a potential boyfriend. Riggghhhhtt …. I’d rather join the convent!!! Pissed Off mode.

I have been wanting to get a sassy laptop bag since last year. I’ve had crumpler before when I got my mac but I realized it was too … typical. I gave it away to the owner who bought my macbook. So just last Thursday I convinced MJ to buy a Bratty Bonita Bag so we could both order it together. I showed her pictures of the ones I really like and we ended up ordering the following:

Pink Fashionista Travel Mate

Yellow Fashionista Travel Mate

- images taken from Bratty Bonita’s Website -

Size: 14x12x4

Since I am too lazy to photograph my bag, I am posting the images taken from the Bratty Bonita website. If you are looking for a laptop bag better check them out. They have tons of other designs … I chose the Travel Mate line as I intend to bring my notebook with me wherever I go … in future trips. I chose the Pink Fashionista Travel Mate and MJ got the Yellow Fashionista Travel Mate.

- LG Cookie -

I’d love to have this phone … its just so piiiiiiinnnnkkk. But at the moment that is out of the question. I am the epitome of “no work” slackey. lol At the moment all I can do is just look at it from the web … *sigh*

He died two days after I was born and he was never a good topic for dinner conversations. Let’s just say mom was never comfortable talking about him and I was not one to press on … so to the Dad I never met, Happy Father’s Day wherever you are now.

Partially eaten muffin, a glass of iced tea, my notebook and unlimited wi-fi … hmmm … just like any other day

- Chillin @ Starbucks -

I took this prolly on my third day in Singapore; somewhere near Sunshine Plaza, ground floor of the Kaplan Building. I was waiting for KKnM to open; by the time I got to Sunshine Plaza it was close to 12 noon and I realized KKnM doesn’t open till 1:30 PM. With nothing to do … I saw my favorite coffee shop back home and decided to take a sip as I watch the “world go by”. I ordered what I always order back home, Signature Hot Chocolate – Venti [see? am an addict lol] and waited … watched and ponder on things I’ve never had time to think about.

Somethings just don’t change wherever I go, seeing Starbucks is like coming home after a stressful day …

I said goodbye to my second family earlier today. I handed my resignation letter effective immediately and I am just glad that the big boss accepted it … otherwise my four years tenure would go down the drain. People were surprised, they knew that at some point I would leave they just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

I filed a leave for the first two weeks of June last April and there no feedback whatsoever and no response to the follow up I made, I only knew last Wednesday that it was disapproved because of staffing issues.  For personal reasons I have to be overseas for these dates and I chose to leave … what I didn’t expect was it to hurt the way it did and I cried, cried like I did when mom died. Anj told me not to cry much, she said it’s not a loss but an opportunity for me to venture out on something new.

I guess I wasn’t ready emotionally to let go of the people I have come to love … it sucks and a part of me is afraid that with the separation I made with the company comes the separation of the friendship I have with so many people. I have become rather clingy ever since mom left after all friends are all I have right now and I hate the thought of losing them.

Before I went to the office to tender my resignation I made a promise to myself that I won’t cry … my friends would always be around no matter where I work and we’re just one text away from each other.  But that changed when I said goodbye to dodong and cried, I cried when I talked to Te Kate yesterday and I’m just glad I didn’t see Mitchy on the floor earlier otherwise it would have been too difficult to stop the tears from coming.

Weng, you are such a crybaby! I mentally scolded myself over and over … but you my dear reader must understand, this is my first job, a job I held for four years and leaving all these people behind was harder than I could ever possibly imagine. We said we’d keep in touch and am holding that thought close to my heart; my comfort words.

**Sayonara – It Has Been Sweet‏**

I suck at saying Goodbyes … so I’d do it in writing.

It has been an amazing four years with you guys, I’ve found my second family here and it’s painful for me to leave but the circumstances forced me to choose … I’m at the point where no matter how I want to compromise I can’t seem to have both.

I cannot begin to describe how thankful I am to have met all of you … so I guess this it …  and I’ll see you guys around.

 —-

 Weng

————– end of chapter 1

————– looking forward to starting chapter 2

I found this image while browsing through google and I fell instantly in love with it. I mean I’d love one on my right foot … weeeee I hope the pain would be minimal. *sigh* It’d be so cute to have this kind of tattoo … the butterflies are just so so pretty. Oh well … let’s wait and see. I’ve already showed this image to Junovie and she thinks its cute too … I’d love to have her friend do it. Weeeeee

Hahaha so I slapped myself senseless to open eyes to the fact that taking night classes on a Tuesday night is not at all healthy, God knows how cranky I could get if my sleep lacks my even just a few minutes especially on Wednesdays as it’s super duper queuing. So I made up another rather impromptu decision which by the way cost a fortune to go one on one. This all for the satisfaction of this brat’s whim … that’s how my aunt would put it and I suppose at some point she is right *sigh*. At the moment all I want is this and China … og well I s’pose they go hand in hand.

I still have settle the fees and come up with a schedule, I’m thinking either Friday morning or afternoon or maybe Thursday afternoon. So long as I don’t have work the day after am good.

My last entry was dated May 9, 2010 tsk tsk tsk been gone for a while hehehe … so let’s see what has happened since then.

- the election [w/c I chose not to partake ... as I am politically illeterate]

- Bena’s “farewell” lunch

- Mother’s Day [ Mommie Cherry's pasta was super delicious]

- school, school, school

I started this December 2007 and after say 6 sessions I stopped, why? let’s just say it was full moon and head started going bananas. So close to 3 years after … I picked up where I left off and heaven forbid for another round of full moon madness. lol.

September is fast approaching … and I can hardly wait I just hope they’d allow me to go,  at 1/4 of the things that I need to paper is already done … weeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Him: It’s been close to 3 years since I last saw you. I hope you still remember the basics.

Me: *just grinned foolishly*

Him: Can you at least make a sentence?

Me: Wo xihuan ni.

Him: Hen Hao.

Me: Xie Xie

I have just made my intentions of studying in China for 1 semester known to my team lead, well I’ve mentioned it to her before but now I’ve discussed the details with her and am crossing my fingers that the big boss would approve it. Ever since the change in management the new SOM has been nothing but a dummy, or so that’s how I see him. I have mentioned my plans to my auntie as well and I just hope she’d agree to shoulder the tuition fee while I worry about the plane tickets. So am holding down the fort and changed my mind about leaving …. am staying for a while but it won’t be long now. At the moment all I could ever think of is China and calligraphy.

If this plan goes well, MJ will be accompanying me and we’ll head there a week before my class starts to explore the city. Then on my birthday Mitchy would visit … she said she’d celebrate my birthday with me, isn’t that sweet? Am so so so so excited!

I have come to a decision or shall I say the sign I have been waiting for finally arrived and that it is time for me to cut all ties and move forward. I’ve always been hesitant to make big decisions taking solace in what am used to and my comfort zone but if I don’t do this I’ll prolly spend the rest of my life asking what if … so am taking a chance and I believe the time for it is now.

There are still some things that need to be done … I’d like to make this a very smooth transition as possible that is and be prepared for what’s to come.

I’ve managed to download the episodes of Weiss Kreuz including the OVA’s: Verbrechen & Strafe so now am just looking for the second part of the anime as well the drama cds. I cannot seem to find them online … checked on ebay and found the complete Weiss Kreuz Gluhen set but am not sure if they ship to PH. *sigh* If I get to Japan one of these days I’d definitely look them up and buy them.

I haven’t been this sickly before and I realized that all this started happening when I began working in a call center. I mean true my asthma began when I was like 4 mos. old but it hasn’t been that severe back then but now it has gone to way abnormal. Since I started I’ve been to countless of doctors, allergologist, eent’s, internal medicine doctors and a whole bunch of others all telling me that if I don’t stop what am doing now I’d prolly end up with hearing aids by the time am 30.

So today I am absent again due to swollen tonsils, it’s very difficult for me to speak as well as swallow even my own saliva. Huhuhuhu, I called the office and spoke with our OM himself and explained my problem he accepted my explanation and reminded me to make sure I bring a medcert.

I used to have a Pink Lenovo Ideapad S10 but I sold it because I grew tired of it, I know … am obsessive compulsive. I found another pink laptop that’s so so so cute and I cannot wait to get my hands on it; it’s 10.2 inches and it’s manufactured by Sony.
Crossing my fingers that this would be available in the local Sony shops here so I could get my hands on it.

You know how they say that when a door closes a new one opens? I’ve heard it several times and I thought I always believed in it but right now I am not so sure. Possitivity has not always been my strongest point and most often than not it gets rattled by events so sudden balancing things over takes a whole lot of strength imaginable.

When people leave you have no choice but to accept and believe that they are going on to a much better place and holding them back for your own personal reasons would be totally selfish and unforgivable. But what if letting them go means losing a part of you?

In work as much as in life people come and go … I was told that all one can do is be thankful that at some point in your life they have come and painted your life with memories. They may choose to stay or leave but should they leave all you could do is accept and hope that someday somehow your paths will cross again.

Change is inevitable, all things happen for a reason whether we understand it or not. All one can do is make the best of what they’ve been presented and pray for brighter days.

I am going to miss yet another team building because of my schedule. You see they always schedule team buildings on a Sunday and a Monday; this would be the first team building for our team and it’d be on the 18th and 19th but I cannot go because I have work and the vacation leave that I filed for [unpaid I might add] was not approved and for the life of me I cannot understand why it’s not approved.

What I was told was that the scheduler does not approve it and there’s nothing we can do … now that “reason” is not good enough, wanna know why? I have seen them place and remove schedules manually … so telling me it cannot be done is bullshit, they have to do better than that. Now you might say why not swap rest days so I can go.

I am currently working my 7th day in a row because of a swap and I gotta tell you I will not do it again ever. Joining the team building is enticing but if its at the expense of working 10 days straight then forget it; what ticks me off is that my team lead approved those dates that I filed for already but  the scheduler [may God rest his soul] rejected it.

Telling me I cannot go on leave because we are understaffed doesn’t make any sense, it’s not my fault we are understaffed, it’s not my fault people are leaving the account. I have seen them put a schedule when there’s none and remove it for these swaps am in right now … I cannot figure out why they disapproved what my team lead already approved of.

Now I am ranting here because I cannot tell them straight to their faces what I think … why? because I’d bet my soul on it that I’d hear the infamous line … “If you’re not happy with the way things are then leave”. Sad but true am not yet ready to leave … so here I am coming to work every day growing bitter and bitter by the minute.

They might have their reasons management wise but I as a minority  don’t get it … nor do I give a shit. I’m not asking to go on leave with pay … it’s without pay … let me reiterate without pay. Cripes!

Well … my friend said, Weng … you chose to stay so suck it up! So here I am ranting … thank you very much for reading and you have a nice day!

I have been driving some of friends and colleagues at work crazy with my constant obsession with eat all you can buffets, don’t get me wrong I have no eating disorder [or there was a time when I was called bulimic] but I love the idea of having to pay a fix amount where you get eat to your hearts content.

So one of the places I’ve gotten crazy over would be this local pizza house which I pass every day when I get home from work, it’s called Handuraw’s Pizza. They have this eat all you can pasta and pizza buffet every Sunday for lunch and dinner and I absolutely loooove it. The pasta and pizza is just superlicious!

~ Handuraw Pizza ~

I have this addiction for pizza and pasta and believe you me … theirs is one of the best home made pizza and pasta and there’s free wifi too. Heheheh

I have never been embarrassed my whole life! I scraped my knee when I fell literally fell on the side of the streets before crossing and managed to scrape my right knee till it bleed and burn like hell. Heck! The last time I scraped my knee was when I was 5 years old in K1. I wasn’t even wearing stilettos today and still I fell like an idiot … I hate it. I was so f^ck!ng embarrassing and I was in flip flops. So so so clumsy! Grrrrrr … it ruined my appetite, I took a cab and went straight home for a little downer. So much for skirts this week!

- image from: ahhhkian.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html -

Sweet Valley Collection

My Sweet Valley book collection in one box … one of the five boxes actually that got my uncle asking if am in some mad escapade of building a library. I got several others in several boxes stashed at home and I can not imagine where I can place it should I continue to have more … so at the moment I am avoiding book shops and book stores, I lose myself when I see those 20% off tags on books.