Little Update on Weekend Shopping

It is that time of year again: Christmas Shopping Season. As a frequent shopper, it is the time I like the least. First of all, there is just NOT enough discount; secondly, there happened to be plenty of stupid shoppers who have no idea where they are going and they end up hitting people with their bags. (I might be short, but you should be able to see me from distance if you weren’t busying talking to your neighbors, grrrr)

Since daddy is back and offered to drive. We chose South Center as our shopping destination of the weekend. Here is what I found:

There are a lot more African American/Latinos in South Center. It is like how I used to see tons of Asian shoppers in Bellevue Square; they are now African American in South Center. Ok, so what does this demography have to do with my shopping?

Of course it does. Less Asian means fewer competitors for smaller clothing sizes. I can easily find petite sizes in all stores across South Center. There are plenty of extra smalls, smalls, and size 0-2 to choose from, even the discounted items. There are usually no small sizes left after they go on sales, but it is different here in South Center.

The only hitch is that there is no Banana Republic in South Center. Well, I guess it is good for my wallet that way.

The Best Snow of the Year..so far

I thought the snow at Whistler was good, but there is always something better... the snow in Seattle.


My New Wallpaper


Once again, I am in love with my work of art


Another reason to take photos, enjoy the scenery...and be late to work.

OBS meet again

Whole bunch of old ladies met again for Thai Food this evening. It is one of the largest group we have had since our President, Yang, went back to Michigan for her studies.

After our always-Thai-by-choice dinner, we went to a Japanese dessert place called "Hikori" in Wallingford for tea and cakes. I ordered a pot of Assam and shared it with the rest of the group. Because we had a such large group, we kept on refilling the hot water. If I remember correctly, we refilled the water for at least 4 times. I felt bad bringing back the empty pot and asked for more hot water. Well, you can't really blame us for this; their cakes are just too sweet, we all need water to "dilute" the sweetness somehow.


Should have taken the picture earlier...


Bunch of old ladies hanging out at Hikori

We chatted some more at Rida and Jamie's place for the rest of the night. By the end of day, we came out with the theme for our Halloween costume. Just exactly what our theme is? Hum..All I am going to say is that it will be a freezing night, but all of us will look hot and sexy.

I miss this kind of gathering every once in a while. It feels great to be surrounded by whole bunch of old friends. Oh yeah, the rest of photos have been posted on OBS site.

BAck Alive

Just wanted to prove that my blog is not fully dead yet; I decided to update once again.

What's New? I would like to start with my Chicago photos, something I should have posted like two weeks ago. Ha!

Let's start with food. The famous Deep Dish Pizza is the must-have in Chicago.

I really enjoyed the architecture and history of buildings, the buildings that shape the beautiful city of Chicago. Each skyscraper comes with a unique design along with an appealing story behind it.

Of course, another must-see spot - Millennium Park. Chicago government adds an extra 2% state tax to build this park. You think 8.8% tax in Seattle is bad enough, try 10% tax in downtown Chicago.

University of Chicago Campus, I have to admit some of their buildings look better than what we have. But my UW pride keeps on telling me that it must be an illusion.

Basically, I got to see everything I wanted on the list, and more. It is only after I took those guided tours, I noticed the structural differentiation of skyscrapers that are constructed in different era. It is difficult NOT to fall in love with Chicago after you have seen those buildings.

Chicago is a city where I definitely will go back and visit again, hopefully during the summer time in the near future.

FYI: Chicago Here I come

CinDy will be in Chicago from 09/23 to 9/27; I am leaving this Friday and will be back on Tuesday.

Here is the rough list of things I would like to see or visit

1. Sears Tower
2. University of Chicago
3. Magnificent Mile
4. Reliance building (Hotel Burnham)
5. Lake Michigan
6. The art Institute of Chicago
7. Lincoln Park Conservatory
8. Water Pumping Station (visitor center inside)
9. State of Illinois Center

This is going to be fun!!! Time to take some awesome photos.

My Lastest Hike in the Eastside

It feels like I am so behind with my blog update...before I write anything new, a simple hiking photo will be a good start.

1 to 1.14 Can it get any LOWER?

I already knew the conversion rate will be close to 1:1, but reality struck me again at Canadian Exchange Center. It is not a good time to visit Canada, but it is not likely that exchange rate will bounce back anytime soon.

Yet, the Annual Richmond Night Market is waving at us: if we don’t get there now, we will have to wait for the next round in a year. It is not something I’d like to miss, and that decision was 100% correct.

The night market is so much better than I expected (I wonder why some people kept on saying the night market this year is not as good as previous ones?) I got a pair of cute pink Mashimaro car seat head wrap and a couple of T-shirts: one is green short-sleeved and the other is blue vintage v-neck.

The rest of my Canadian probably goes to food tasting. As I am counting my shopping souvenirs, there is really not THAT much. If I remember correctly, I didn’t eat a lot, either. All I remembered was that huge chicken kabob which I spent over 20 minutes to shove down my throat. I was pretty much done after that. Yup, that is enough to be said about the crappy conversion rate.

The night market is ending in two weeks. If you are planning to hit the food, make sure you wear a sweater, as it gets pretty chilling at the night. My lesson of the day: spend Canadian dollars wisely, but everything is worth it at the Richmond night market.

Spider...You Die

Spotted a 1.5 inch spider INSIDE my house. I asked around if anyone knows how to get rid of it without physically TOUCHING the spider. The most common answer is...




Find someone else to kill it for me.

yeah, thanks a lot. Just whom I am going to ask? I live alone. okie.

I remember Connie had a spider problem last week; we spent the first 30 minutes on the phone trying to figure out a solution. Unlike how I would attempt to kill them all, she want to keep them alive and not hurt the spiders at all.

Well, shame on me, but look what happened now: Connie's spider friend decided to move into my place, taking over my space....inch by inch.

Why can't spiders just age fast and die OUTSIDE of my house?

Cooking

Started cooking more often recently. I actually go back to 3-4 meals a day routine; that is something I have not done in a long time – eating on clock with snacks in between that is.

It comes as a surprise that cooking is not too hard after all, IF you keep the expectation LOW and not picky. I wouldn’t say cooking is fun, but it certainly saves a lot of money verses dining out. Since I am cooking just for myself, everything is easy. As long as it is well cooked, I can eat them all.

However, nothing compares to my lovely Thai yellow curry. Even though I just had it three days ago, I miss my baby yellow curry already. I brought the pre-made curry source the other day, but it is nothing like what I have in Thai restaurants. Hum..there must be a secret recipe out there….

Oops, I did it again.

Always hated it when this happened, but I just couldn’t help it…falling into sleep right after consumption of large amount of food.

Now I just woke up, three hours after my dinner, feeling extremely guilty ...and hungry again.

Also, all the sun cakes are officially gone. Say goodbye to all three pieces of them.

Big Moon Day

Does the moon look pretty bright and round to you today? Well…it is.

Happy Moon Festival and good luck to those who are taking the finals.
I tried to get a good shot of the moon, but they all look darn small on my digital camera.

BTW, if you have extra moon cakes, please have them delivered to Cindy’s place. I can trade you with my sun cakes (太陽餅). I have about 3 pieces left.

An Interesting Question…

If you go out with a guy friend for a casual dinner and he offers to open the CAR door for you, would you feel weird? Is it normal for guys to open the door for the lady?

(Note: it is not a date, just a casual hangout)

Ice Caves Today

The trip of this weekend is "ICE CAVES"...which I will depart in less than 6 hours. (Why is my place so far away from EVERYONE and EVERYTHING; Life is just not fair when you have to wake up the earliest.)

FYI: Yee already loaded the last half of the San Juan photos. I also transferred greenlake and singing photos, too. You know where the photos are located.

As a side note, I finally finish translating my graduation project (only the PowerPoint slides) in chinese. It took me three days of hard work. 最大的收穫是中打真的變快了

Ice Caves Photos Updates....
Those photos are in original size, they are pretty big, huh.

Inside the Ice Caves


With My Best Travel Partner


The Far View of the Ice Caves


My Favorite Shot of Connie

I am just leaving you some personal space...

Many people might not agree with me, but I do believe friendship sustains without regular/ frequent communications.

A few friends of mine briefly touched on this subject this evening. Personally I am totally comfortable with the idea that friends do not call me up regularly, but still manage to keep a good friendship (yes, even if they do not call me often, I still consider them as good friends of mine).

In fact, I believe true friendship will survive under that condition. If I were to be away from my friends for a long time, I am still able to talk to them like I never left. Time would not make any difference. (However, friendship is different from relationship, though).

I wouldn’t say this concept would work well in very case; it strongly depends on the person. Of course it is nice to receive warm greetings from my friends, but it also does not bother me that friends do NOT call me regularly. Hum…maybe that's why people stop calling me these days.

Just for future reference, if I do not call you for a long time, it does not mean you are forgotten . I still care great deal about you, but I am just reserving some personal space for you at the same time.

However, I will always be around whenever you need me.

I wonder if my cell phone will ever ring again after this entry… ><

The Day After Portland

Didn't do much other than washing my car today. The process might not be fun, but it is always rewarding to see a clean, finishing product. Yeah, I am turning more and more like a real o ba san now.

I am still in the process of loading and organizing Portland photos. The Mt. St. Helens (see below) is by far the best photo taken on the train.

San Juan Photos Loaded

A total of 146 photos are now loaded on OBS site. My index finger even gets sored clicking through these photos, ha.

San Juan Part II: A New Realization

After a brief moment pondering over the highlight of the trip, the realization comes beyond the physical encounter with natural beauty. Sure, you can say about the amazing island views from Mt. Constitution or a stunning close-up of Mt. Baker.

But what matters the MOST is the opportunity to go on this trip with two of my special friends. It is the experience to drive in the dark on an island we know nothing about; it is the experience to hold a flash light and hike over to the public bathroom to take a shower (there is no private bathroom in our cabin). It is those simple moments that made this trip memorable.

Yee asked me the next morning whether I was afraid to drive in the dark.

My answer was no.

It is not that I am not afraid of getting lost in the dark. It is the thought of knowing your friends are right there next to you, a thought of not being alone, supported me the whole time.

Without their help of reading road map & giving turn-by-turn directions, I would not have possibility focused on driving. It is one of those times that you really appreciate teamwork, and most importantly of all, friendship. Thank you, girls.

San Juan Part I: Amazing Views

Our trip starts with San Juan Island, where we spent the first day tour around the main city- Friday Harbor and watches whales in Lime Kiln Pt. Park. We then island-hopped to neighboringisland, Orcas, for the most incredible view of San Juan Islands on top of Mt. Constitution.

A few photos to share first; the rest will soon be posted on OBS site if interested.

No, it is not Mt. Rainer. It is Mt. Baker.

A beautiful lighthouse taken on Lime Kiln Point State Park, where we see the whales from shore.

I wonder who wanna hike here...

American Camp on San Juan Island. Most of the camp looks like a desert.

South Beach on San Juan. Not a white sand beach. We sit on a log and had a light dinner here.

The Island

Went to see The Island today. The story is pretty much I expected… and more. I always like action movie with a solid storyline that leads you somewhere. The Island does just that.

There is no disappointment throughout the movie, except the lady who screamed so loud at one point in the movie theater ; her voice actually scared the heck out of me. This is not even a scary movie; there is really no point yelling so loud, lady.

The Island deals with clone issues. This is the kind of movie that makes you think a bit after it is over; a good topic for a 5-page sociology term paper that discusses whether human has the right to copy themselves via technology advancement.

Of course, there are more surprises in the movie, but you have to see for yourself.

If there are more famous & cute actors in this movie, I am sure The Island will be a big hit in the box office.

Meet "Pororo"

A friend of mine introduced me to Pororo today, a little Korean-made penguin.

According to their official website, "Pororo the Little Penguin" is 52 series of 5 minute 3D CGI animated stories for 4 to 7 year olds.

Well, I am not in their target group, but that little penguin looks so adorable to me.

Pororo has some friends, too. They are just as cute.

All photos are up!

I just loaded all Leavenworth and Olive Garden photos in our OBS album. Go check it out.

Almost Ricca's B-day

Happy B-day, Ricca.

We know it is not today, but hope you had fun with us this evening. I updated this photo just for you. ( very efficient, don't you think?)


I loved the breadsticks and salad...like always.

Finally, to our b-day girl. Ricca!

The Gingerbread Factory in Leavenworth

For the details about our trip to Leavenworth, WA, please refer to Yang’s blog.

What i am going to do is to introduce my favoriate ~ The Gingerbread Factory. I highly recommend The Gingerbread cookie house in Leavenworth. The building is designed like an actual Gingerbread Cookie House ( the one they sell in safeway during chrismas), everything in the store is gingerbread-related or in gingerbread shape.

I actually went to that store three times in 10 minutes, each time I came back with more ginger cookies in my hands. Yes, it is THAT good. The type of cookie I got is called “Skinny Dippers,” I ended getting a whole bag.

Some Info About The Gingerbread Factory

(509) 548-6592
828 Commercial Street
P.O. Box 315
Leavenworth, WA 98826

On the way home, we found a blueberry farm. Blueberry picking was fun, I am sure Ricca is enjoying our LOVE right now. : )

The German Town where Yang and I spent the afternoon out

The german-styled lunch but way too sour for me..Their potato is cold ><

Cool Lodge Where We Stayed! Wish I can move in there...

Another Reason to Love Alaska Airline

As I went check-in for my flight back to Seattle this evening, I suddenly realized my flight was scheduled yesterday. In other words, my flight was GONE.

Can you believe I actually MISSED my flight as I overlooked the returning date on the ticket? Because my flight is scheduled to arrive at midnight, I ASSUMED it is Wednesday that I need to go to the airport. In fact, I should have gone on Tuesday night while flight arrives in Seattle on Wednesday morning.

When the staff told us there were open seats and we don’t have to wait overnight, my mom and I were VERY pleased. The best part of all, Alaska airline did not charge any cancellation/reschedule fee for missing our flight yesterday. It is awesome to know that I don’t have to pay for my mistake.

As soon as we boarded, I found out the flight is actually packed tonight. I am very fortunate for getting back Seattle today. Big thanks to Alaska Airline.

So yeah, I am back in Seattle.

Leaving for Las Vegas Tomorrow

Need to wake up early to drive to Vegas tomorrow; approximately 5 ½ hour drive from my brother's place.

Just checked the weather and it is expecting to be over 100 degrees tomorrow. Monday will be even worse.

Will blog more after I come back on Monday night. I will also include my trip journal for Day VI – Balboa Park and Day VIII – OC County Fair.

And no, I won't gamble there. But I will eat as many buffets as possible in the next two days.

OMG, I got my bikini line already!

The thing is… I didn't even stay for that long. Two hours of straight sunlight already showed me visible difference in my skin tone. As soon as I removed my bikini, the parts covered under my bikini are lighter, much lighter than that uncovered parts. The result is so much faster than what I expected.

What really pissed me off is that I forgot to wear sunscreen lotion in the section below my neck and above my belly. As a result, they turned red…and will be super dark tomorrow. ><

So here is what I have learned

1. Apply sunscreen lotion evenly BEFORE wearing the swimming suit. That way I won't miss any spot.
2. Even if the bottle says“waterproof," don't take their word for it. Always re-apply again after coming out of the water.
   

My mom worried that I will get too dark and kept on saying the color I have is good enough. She always thought Asian ladies look better in lighter skin and encourage me to stay away from the sun as far as possible.

Catalina Island: Day IV

Catalina Island is the highlight of my trip in CA so far. Never thought I would have so much fun doing outdoor activities on a small island; approximately 75 minutes ferry ride from CA mainland.













Driving the motor boat is the best part of my Catalina one-day tour. My brother asked me if I wanted to drive the boat and then handed me the wheel. The boat spun around before I figured out how to stay control and drive straight. I almost throw a few nearby kayakers overboard while learning the technique. Fortunately, I didn't kill anyone that day.



We spent the rest of day touring the island and everything went smoothly. The view was incridble. I would highly recommend Catalina Island to anyone, especially those who love water activities.

Sunny in California - Day II

Ah ha, it is kinda expected, but it is so nice to enjoy the warm weather here in California.

There is a huge shopping mall around my brother's place so I spent a lovely afternoon wandering in the mall. It is not like we don't have those stores in Seattle, but every store is wider, brighter, and comes with lower state tax. The only down side is their suggested retail prices are higher.

As a reminder, 4th of July sale is coming up. It is now a good time to shop. Express has“box deals" with items saved up to 70% off, so are other brands. Be sure to shop this weekend. My next target will be a new swimming suit. : )

Tribute to Two of My Leaving Friends

It is so sad to see you guys leave. You two will always be remembered. Thanks for bringing in so much fun in my life.

Saturday BBQ photos are now online

Finally signed up an online photo space to store & share my digital photos. I decided to go with Ofoto for unlimited space. My first photo set are bbq photos taken at Yee’s.

If you attended the bbq on Saturday, you might have already received a link in your e-mail. If not, click here to check out the photos.

My Future Trip Plan

I will be out of town during the following time

Camping Trip with Amy: June 24 to June 26.
Southern California with family: June 29 to July 12.

Yang, may I reserve your 27 or 28 for dinner, bubble tea or hang-out? Otherwise I will see you after I come back on July 12^th.

Digital Transformation

Before my introduction to digital camera, I sent in my roll of film to the shop, developed all the photos, and throw out the bad ones. I kept the rest in my photo album. This is me two years ago.

Before my introduction to photoshop, I picked the good photos, printed out the selection, and then saved printed copies in my photo album. This is me six months ago.

After my introduction to BOTH photoshop and digital camera, I spent much more time in post-production. To ensure the best quality, I spend more time taking and playing around photos than was before. That is me at present.

As I am writing this blog, my memory flashes back to a person who used a very high-tech digital camera on my 21st b-day dinner. I was amazing by the fact that he did not print out any of his digital photos and store everything in his computer.

You can call me a slow adopter. Viewing photos on a computer is quite different from flipping through pages in a photo album.

But I have changed. I no longer develop all the photos; I pick a few good ones, touch up with photoshop, and then change photos in my picture frame every once in a while.

Maybe I will become “fully-digital” someday. But printed photos will always be more memorable and valuable to me.

Maybe it is a good thing to dress up

I bumped into my classmate and her family at ToDai after graduation yesterday. Later that evening, she called and left me a message.

I called back today and found out her brother is interested in asking me out on a date.

Never gone out on a date with non-Taiwanese before. This will be a new experience for me.

Mahahahah… I would suppose my dress did catch some attention yesterday. : P

Next question: what should I wear on the date? I can’t find anything to top this dress. He probably will be a bit disappointed when I show up in jeans.

UW Graduation 2005

Click Below to See the Enlarged Size



Front: Amy, CinDy, Connie, Yee and Rida
Back: Tim (sorry for blocking you, didn't know I am THAT tall, LOL), Jeff, and David

My "hello" still doesn't connect well, so I tried ImageShack instead. Their thumbnail is kidda small, but you can see view the large size after the click.

Do I have a problem standing?

Has it ever occurred to you that standing alone felt weird? I can stand ok, but I don’t enjoy the feeling of standing there and doing nothing.

I would walk around, jog, or give a presentation when I stand. Otherwise I quickly feel tired of standing and look for a chair that is closest to me. I need a reason to stand up AND this reason must involve with some sort of physical movement.

Maybe this is just pure laziness.

Speaking of movement, I should go to IMA tomorrow. It is my last day to go…for free.

A Day Full of Surprises

After the lunch with my classmates, I drove to school to see my professors. The meeting was at 2pm; I calculated just enough time to arrive on time. Unfortunately, traffic was awfully stuffy today; this unexpected delay took away the possibility to find a free street parking around campus.

I checked the time; I should still be able to make it on time if I buy the parking permit. After I painfully took out cash out my wallet and handed over to the gate cashier, he told me the parking space is full.

Excuse me, how can the entire parking garage be full? There are at least four levels.

“How about the next level?” I asked.

“Nope, there is a graduation today. It is full. But you can try the northern entrance” he responded. Hum, it must be one of those stupid high school graduations.

By the time I turned to the northern entrance; I was already 15 mins late to my meeting. I grabbed my cell phone and called my professor about the delay, he is not answering the phone.

I got another parking permit at north end, but the parking lot is full as well. I was VERY worried at this point. Why did he assign me a parking with no space available?

20 minutes late on the clock. “I might have to reschedule this meeting” I told myself.

I got my parking money back and decided to park in the bookstore. My professors might have already ditched me by then. Last time I checked my watch before I walked in the Communications building, I was 35 min late.

Surprisingly, they were still there, chatting happily. I apologized and quickly set up my laptop as they finished up their conversation.

“So, Cindy. Bring on your presentation. You got exact 12 minutes left” one of the professors asked.

“Huh, what presentation? I thought I am here to show my graduation project, a website, that’s all” I was in shock.

“ Just briefly talked about your business plan and showed us the website”

“…….” I almost fainted.

I didn’t realize this is the comment that I was supposed to defend my project..like a dissertation/thesis debate before graduation.

The worse part is that I didn’t prepare at all. I thought it is a casual meeting between the professors and the students.

I randomly made up something, and played around my website. The whole presentation took no more than 5 minutes via a totally unprepared manner. Later on they asked some questions and made suggestions for the project.

The whole thing ended before 3pm, as they are rushing through another meeting.

“Congratulation, Cindy” you passed. We actually already signed the paper before you arrived today.

Yyyeahhh, I thought so. I wasn’t really expecting a formal presentation in the first place.

So, I guess I am officially done with school.

Done Done!

Check out my newly-designed cap. Yup, that little green furry thingy with pink strips it is. My parents probably hated my design but they were afraid to hurt my feeling to say so. If I am in a good mood, the design probably will stay the same until graduation.

It better not rains on Saturday; otherwise my green fur will absorb all the water….oh no, please please don’t do that to me.

Before I messed up my cap



After the damage is done

The Better Version of Me

Dear Yang
Don’t want you to feel left out in the first photo-viewing group, so Amy and I picked this photo specifically for you. (I like all my photos, but Amy suggested this one, hehe)

I will share the rest with you after you come back.

P.S. "Hello" is acting weird today. I can’t upload any photo there and would hate to waste any of my dante space. I might need to pay for web space after graduation. This sucks.

Finally Arrived !!!!!

It is here…it is here….

My portrait album has finally arrived.
Other than the fact that I don’t look “fit” enough, it is all good. (time for some work-out).

Amy: do you want to be the first person to see this? I can show you the whole thing when we meet tmw : D

Gee, why can’t you tell me earlier?

Just as I am enjoying doing absolutely nothing in final’s week, I received an e-mail from the professor who is making “additional” suggestions for my project this afternoon.

Each suggestion takes a few hours to complete. The most ridiculous part is that I “specifically” asked him whether it is an important feature in my business plan back in early March.

His response, back then, was “No, this will not be applicable to your project.”

Apparently, he changed his mind today. It is ok to make changes, but I will be highly appreciated if he can be more decisive in terms of his expectation for this project. Working under pressure is not a pleasant thingy.

Finally, I noticed a trend. I feel hunger and eat more while putting my brain to work. I have been eating like every 2 hours since I started working. I must have consumed a lot of energy in the process. Um, never thought study and diet can go together. (that is if you can focus and forget about your hunger).

All right, it is time to search for some food.

Almost Done

Finally picked up my cap and gown today; I am one step closer to finish so-called student life. Not sure if I am toooo happy about that .

Prior to the pick up, I had to visit my professors who are in charge of the approval of my dissertation (that stupid travel website I have been working on for the past two quarters).

Fortunately, both committee members liked my project. Man, they better like it otherwise I can’t walk next week. . How bad would that be to order cap and gown but not able to wear it >.<

I will need another 2-3 days to fix some minor errors then I am officially done. Then I will devote the rest of my energy to decorate my gap. I am thinking about a long & sharp feather or something in that nature. This gotta be fun.

Accident Happens

Bumped into a little squirrel on my drive home today. I was going to make a sudden stop but was afraid cars behind me could not react on time. (My insurance doesn’t cover for animal-related accidents).

My car slowed down (but not to a complete stop); it appeared to me that little squirrel (or squirrel-like animal) stopped for 0.1 second, and then it “intentionally” chose to ignore me and run under my car.

I wasn’t sure whether I run over it or not. I kept checking the rear mirror to see if that squirrel was still in one piece. I couldn’t locate the victim. Nothing. There was no bloody tire track, either.

One question immediately popped up in my mind after this incident. If this squirrel is dead today, will I be sad because I accidentally killed his/her life, or because I have to spend hours washing my tires ??

Geez, little squirrel, watch for traffic next time, ok?

Sore and Beat-up

Have to admit that I am weak.

Feeling so sore and beat-up after tennis today. I started feeling tired after first 30 minutes of “warm-up,” my legs stopped functioning after 45 minutes and the pain continued to deteriorate in rest of my body after the game ended in an hour.

My right arm is half-dead and my shaking fingers were so weak that I couldn’t even press-open the shampoo bottle in the shower today.

Worse of all, I will ask for the same torture again next week . Hopefully I can hang on longer.

On a side note, is there anyone who wants to canoeing this weekend? We can do some practice before yang comes back.

Need to be Strong Again

So sunny today, it is only 80 something degree but this already reminds of the heat wave in Taiwan.

I dressed up nice to have dinner with Judy and Yee today. The food was ok. We then went to IMA after the dinner. If I remember correctly, this is my first visit to IMA since the quarter started.

Both Judy and Yee felt I lost a lot of weight, but seriously, I am only 2 pds less than my original weight before the trip to Taiwan. Does 2 pds really make a difference?

Anyhow, I am going to work out often in the next few days before quarter is over. Need to re-gain some muscle back and most importantly of all, be strong again.

Back in Seattle

Me back..along with my overweighted luggages.

I heard it is U-Way fair this weekend, is that true?
Time flies. I still remember working in Shinka handing out samples during the fair last year. It has been a year already.

Who wants to go? Raise your hand, please.

不能再買了

我一直以為我只有買一點點
直到行李箱的拉鍊
用蠻力拉也沒法讓它們閉口的時後
我才意會到事情大條了

我的行李不是很多
只是稍微超過機場標準而已

想想我要拖著比我體重還要重的行李
又要裝作淑女樣
就覺得這會是場艱辛的奮鬥

I am hungry 24-7

I want food...solid food. ><
Have been "drinking" food since the day after my surgery.
It is so painful to smell food that you can't swallow.

A Question

Dear smart blog readers out there:

Where can I get free space to post my photos?
a free space without too much advertising.

Thanks.

Looking like a Pig Head

Ok, many of you asked for the picture …of my swollen face. But I don’t think it is appreciate for my beautiful blog. I will share my beautiful teeth with you instead.

My Wisdom Teeth

Due to technical failure (again), only two teeth are removed this time.

My condition is better then what I have hoped. I have been lying on the couch and watching TV whole day.

I Deserve Good Food

We were planning to go to “Tasty” – a steak house for mother’s day.

Never been there before, but mom liked it. Sadly, we couldn’t find a parking spot near the restaurant, so we had to go to a different eatery instead.

That place sucks but the worse thing is that I had to finish the leftover for dinner.

Even the pudding I had for dessert is not the right brand, either.

This might not be a good sign but I have noticed that I become *very* picky about food in the past few weeks. I actually was complaining (and a bit pissed) because I don’t get good food today.

Ok, it is my surgery tomorrow. I might be off the blog for a few days. Wish me good luck.

BTW, remember to call you mom to wish her happy mother’s day. ( in case you forgot)

My life is now full of “project”

Never thought this project would take me so much time!

As many of you already know, I am building a travel site as my graduation project. After spending hours of photo-taking, I am in the stage of putting everything together.

Shortly after I built all the content in flash and ready to connect everything via Dreamweaver; something went wrong. Somehow copying and pasting commends does not like each other as I integrate scenes from different .fla files.

Anyhow, I had to go back and fix every little annoying .fla file to make them work. Unfortunately, the realization comes late. I didn’t discover the problem until building 20 plus .fla files.

It is when I figure “planning” is super duper important. I should have tested, tested and tested everything prior to building the entire content. (Considering I didn’t even know this program three months ago, I guess it is ok to make mistakes).

Minus the 2 week of my dental recovery time, I have less than two weeks to complete this project. Pressure is on.

I already ordered my graduation cap and gown. I better finish on time.

I Knew It

Went to portrait store to select photos this afternoon.

I knew the photos will turn out to be great, and I will be buying extra. And I was right. I ended up paying twice as much to get additional 40 plus photos.

The makeup was fine; most photos still look like me after wearing the makeup and extended hair.

Just hate the fact that I went over my budget.

What a joke

Just when I was getting ready for my surgery yesterday, my appointment extended to next week due to technical difficulty with the “driller.” Can’t you believe that driller is broken on the day of my surgery? Is that a sign?

That means I will have another good week to enjoy food, gain weight, go shopping, and be “alive,” but one week less of the recovering time.

The funny thing is that the nurse messed up my x ray with another patient. The doctor almost gonna to pull 3 wisdom-teeth out of that misfortune patient. It is how malpractice takes place and what doctor insurance is paid for. hahaha

BTW, I might be flying back early this time, possibility as soon as May 19^th. Hopefully I can recover within 2 weeks. See you guys soon.

How many of you remember Bob Lin?

I had dinner with him and his girlfriend today. I felt like an untra big light bulb sitting in the middle. We went to a café place where they serve a simple combo meal, including a soup, main meal, a slide of cake, and a drink of my choice. ( Didn’t take any photo of the food, though)

I have not seen Bob since graduation; the only difference I see in Bob is his skin color. He is sooo tan. ( I think he looks better that way, but his girlfriend disagreed with me). Basically it is still the same old Bob.

I tried to talk to his gf as often as possible during the meal; I was afraid if she was bored when Bob and I talk about old school stuff.

Anyhow, the food was great, just the portion was too small. I had to buy another cup of bubble tea with tapioca after dinner to get the feeling of “fullness.” (A.K.A. satisfaction). It is now 12 AM here and I am hungry again….

Finally, Bob said hi! To all of you who know him.

My Latest Photo

Cindy and Her ex-classmate

Expecting a Fun Day of Photo Taking

Just scheduled my personal portrait appointment yesterday; I will be taking my first-in-lifetime portrait in one week.

Photo package will include full make-up, hair set, and six different set of changing clothes/themes, all will be provided by the studio. They will be taking 150+ photos and then I can choose 30 photos of which will be made into a photo album. They also give out a lot of goodies that will be made from those photos, including a keychain, a few posters, mini album and others.

My mom went with me and she helped me to “negotiate” a good deal. What surprised me was she encouraged me to take a set of “bikini” portrait. Haha, I am not sure if I am ready for that.

Anyhow, I will be expecting a fun day. Then I will be heading in for my dental surgery. > <

More and More Independent – Eating Alone.

I finally did it! First time eating alone.

Just to make it clear, I often eat alone. But I have never eaten alone in a “restaurant” until now.

It was a lunch on a busy, crowded street in Taipei. My parents were unavailable, and I am friendless during the weekdays.

I wondered around and hunting for food, then I saw a big menu board that features Italian-style meal served over rice. I decided to give it a try and walked into a tiny place with a few seats. Six on the center; three on each side.

Since I don’t like to face other unknown people, I chose the aisle seat facing the wall. My food soon arrived and it tasted…ok. Good thing is that ice tea is free with unlimited refill.

I felt awkward during the entire 30 minutes when I was in the restaurant. I didn’t know what to do other than focusing on my plate. It might be better if I had brought a book with me. But scratched that idea; the restaurant was dirty. I would not want to leave any mark on my book.

Meeting My Old Classmate

Went to see my old classmate this afternoon. She also took two of her friends along. One is English major, the other is Japanese major. My friend is a German major. (It is interesting how they all get to know each other).


They are super good friends, it felt like an advanced level of our o ba sun club. They all understand each other *very* well. Even if they are making fun of each other, I still see the strong bonding of friendship among those three.

A thing I want to point out is the guy in the group is a such gentleman. He does everything for the ladies; no question asked. Wow, I have never seen a guy who treats his lady friends so nicely…in a long time. I wonder if most Taiwanese guys behave that way, but my classmate said that all her guy friends are like that somehow.


There must be a lot fun to go to college in Taiwan…Just by observing my classmate and her friends, I already envy that kind of environment.

The Skinner and The Better?

I always thought that I am underweight, but my perception has changed after coming to Taiwan. There are tons more girls who are skinnier than I am; I fit in quite well in the crowd. (No need to gain weight after all)


There are talk snows and TV programs discuss about diet plans 24-7. Healthy diet is good, but even super skinny girls are on diet. They complain about their body and try hard to push themselves to the next level. Their extreme diet scares me.

It is not just girls. Guys in Taiwan are skinner on average as well. There are plenty of bony guys walking on the street. It makes me wonder whether it is Chinese food that is low fat, or it is just a cultural thingy???

Wait, I know. Chinese food is too good, so people tend to overeat. Taiwanese need to be on diet otherwise they would eat too much. As a result, they keep away from temptation by putting themselves on diet.

Nevertheless, it is an interesting trend.

A Touched MV

Many of you might have seen this already, but wow, it IS different.

This is the “ I love you” MV by S.H.E., forwarded by Yee.

I know it is just a story, but I cried.

To view the MV, Click Here. The MV is about 3 minutes.

15 Min Haircut

Almost forgot it. I got my 150NT haircut the other day. And my hair looks….shorter. The quality is not bad (you can’t expect much for a 150NT haircut).

What surprised me is that the lady finished cutting my hair within 15 minutes. I have not even touched my tea, read one gossip article in the magazine, but then my hair is done.

I am always confused when they asked me that kind of haircut I want. “Layer and shorter” seem to be my only answer. I suppose I got what I asked for.

What else can I do, what else should I buy?

Am I having fun in Taiwan? I could only say that it would be more fun if I have more friends who can go out with me. I finally got a hold of some friends today - my ex-classmates back in junior high.

I just happened to have too much time to kill yet most of them are busy (either working or schooling). They could only keep my company during the weekends; I need to find other things to do to fill in the space. *sigh* I am friendless in Taiwan.

What have I done since I came back? I sure ate a lot, but still not enough.
I already went to see the dentist but too afraid to do the surgery just yet. I need to eat more to make my time worth.

I also want to have professional portrait done (similar to what yee had), go to night markets, and buy cheap clothes, CDs and Chinese books. Maybe I should get another pair of glass, too (getting a pair of glass with prescription is much cheaper here, too).

If I have more time, I could do some sightseeing within Taiwan as well. Of course, my project…that should be the first thing on my to-do-list; unfortunately, it has been pushed further down the list in the past 2 weeks.

One, Two, and Three Mosquito Bites

There are countless mosquitoes flying around and they all want to kiss me at night.

I have not gotten so many mosquitoes bites in ages. The interesting thing is I was not aware of their existence at first. I thought those red spots are acnes as a result of change in temperature or hormone problems.

After red spots start itching and anti-acne solution stops working, I finally realize those are not acnes but mosquito bites. I have at least 4 bites on my face and there is always new surprise each morning I wake up.

Rain Rain and more Rain

You would think rain is a privilege in Seattle. Wrong. It rains just as much in Taiwan, but only worse. It is acidic rain not only damages your hair, but also interferes with my shopping plan.

Due to poor quality of rain, I do have to hold an umbrella during these days. (Wearing a hooded jacket is no longer an option) It is so inconvenient to hold an umbrella on the hand, my purse on the other, along with a bubble tea and other bags I previous purchased at night market. It is even more difficult to cut through the crowd and move on to the next spot, with all those stuff on my hands.

I am still trying to get used to the crowding in Taiwan. There are people everywhere and it feels like walking into a street fair everyday. It is important to get used to the feeling of having people around AND pay attention to my personal belongings at all time.

Ok, if I catch a thief who is attempting/stealing my purse, can I still run after him/her with all of those on my hands?

Anyhow, I would to have to wait for a sunny day to shop again. Stop raining!!!

I love Taiwan

First week in Taiwan and I have gained 2 pounds…it is going a bit faster than I expected. The bubble tea is just too cheap, a large cup with tapioca cost less than 1 dollar (average 25 NT per cup) I manage to drink one cup per day. It sorta explained why I gained weight so fast.

Bye bye… China Airline

Just when I start thinking about packing for Taiwan, the travel agent called for a reservation problem of my flight this Sunday. It seems like she (or the airline people on the other end, as she claimed) didn’t take my order. Now the ticket request is cancelled and my china airline space is gone.

I might end up taking Eva Air for a narrower seat space, no individual TV monitor, and awful food. What a great way to start my trip.

When it is a good time to say NO

It feels weird not studying finals this week, especially when everyone else is doing so. I can’t help but go to library, as there is a deep voice inside telling me it is the right thing to do. I might be the only one who goes to OURL to watch other people studying (or suffering)

After all the problems with my old gateway (if you have not heard enough about my complain, don’t don’t don’t get any gateway product, they make crappy laptops). Due to prior product failure, I finally went to office depot to get my laptop exchanged.

The sales guy tried really hard to “encourage” me to buy the 2-year insurance plan. I should have turned him down at first, but I pretended to be polite and told him I would think about it.

“Thinking about it” is a bad response. (Rule No. 1) Sales people don’t take no for an answer and they take that as a clue to trap you down.

I ended up staying the store for another half an hour trying to correct the mistake I made in the first place; feeling bad about not helping him to get his commission.

Yet my sympathy didn’t change the fact I am cheap. I walked out of the store without the insurance.

Yes, I just saved money on laptop insurance. 30 minutes can save you 15% or more on laptop insurance." I am so proud!

I Hate Rash

So I was bored last night and saw a few beer bottles my brother left in the storage room. I knew I usually have allergic reaction to alcoholic drinks, yet I thought beer would be different…Wrong!

I was stupid enough to try half bottle of Corona Extra, felt dizzy and went straight to sleep with in an hour.

Next morning I woke up with rash all over my body. Good thing the rash is not on my face, otherwise I will cry to death.

Please stop me if you see me drinking or asking for a drink next time (cocktails or beers are now off my list) I have not tried wine yet…maybe wine will be different?

Anyhow, I need to buy another box of Benadryl Allergy pills before my next experiment.

Little Learning Lesson

I weighted myself this morning. After all that hot pot buffet last night, I …..dropped 0.5 pound. This tells me:

1. I didn’t eat enough; meaning I didn’t make my money worth

2. All the meats are not fulfilling; starch is what gives me the satisfaction.

3.Carbohydrate is what gains weight; once again I proved that the theory is right.

On a side note, Yang’s "family" is all meat lovers. You need to eat FAST before all the foods are gone.

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A Nice Afternoon Out with Yang

No one is updating these days. Oh well, I guess everyone is busy, I will write something then.

Yang and I went to Seattle Downtown today. And I found my first Starbucks. (Yes, I don’t know where the first Starbucks is…shame on me). They sell one of those cute Pike Place Market bears that are only available in the “original” store. I guess their apron started to be brown then changed to the green ones they have today. I should have bought a bear or at least took a photo of the cute bear. But again, I probably don’t need another stuffed animal.

The First Starbucks

Good thing Yang ordered her Vanilla Latte fast. By the time I took the photo and went in to the store, there was a group of 10+ students/tourists coming in after us.


Oh yeah, we also went to market grill for chowder. One important lesson I learned today is that chowder looks small, but they are filling. I ordered a medium yet by the time I finished the whole thing, I was about to throw up. ><

The Med Size Chowder

I am sure yang will post the rest of highlights so I will just post some more pictures here.

Le Panier - Fresh Bakery



Yang can't resist...that's what happened

Yes! I made it

Finally set up a personal blog account. This is what peer-pressure could do to you. I highly doubted about how often I would write, though. I will try to keep it up for like…the first week. (yeah, I will fill up my cover page so it would look nice and give an impression of a "live" journal .