A little bit of white

After weeks of cold air and freezing temperature, we finally got our first 8 inches of snow this season. Despite the fact that i hate driving on a slippery load, it is nice to have that rapid change of scenery overnight.

Oh my...an interactive Starbucks gift card

This is totally a random discovery, but Starbucks recently introduces an interactive gift card where users get to design their own gift card off the template online . I created a special one with caramel macchiato in green background. Absolutely loved it.

Of course, this fun package comes with a small price tag, but no doubt this is definitely one the best gift cards ever invented. I had so much fun playing around with different templates. Most important of all, i am one of those crazy people who actually collect Starbucks gift cards out of boredom; this will be a great addition to my current collection.

Once again, kudos to the innovative Starbucks marketing team. You guys are soooo cool!

Not feeling festive

Two days of straight rain in the desert city has somehow disturbed my otherwise peaceful weekend. Usually this time of year I get excited about holiday shopping and gift wrapping. However, i feel detached from all that year-end routine this year. Other than putting on a mini Christmas tree on my coffee table (the same mini green from last year), there is nothing else I wanted to do spice up this holiday season. Is it a sign of rapid aging, plus laziness combined with lack of creativity? or maybe i have come to realization that I can save some trees by sending an e-card instead?

Regardless of my lack of festive spirit, it is almost turkey day. I am very much looking forward to my day off. Yeah, that's something to feel excite about.

Welcome Autumn

Before my Hot Springs trip to Oregon this coming weekend, I sacrificed my precious power nap in exchange for some fresh air during lunch today. Even without the luxury of green mountains, I feel fortunate to be in the proximity to colorful leaves and a mini creek. Best part of all, this spot is only minutes away from my office - a quick getaway from my otherwise chaotic morning.

Never thought that i would fall in love with autumn, but i have to admit that a colorful autumn without nasty rain can be quite attractive sometimes. Suddenly, living in the country isn't so bad after all.

i am weak

Two days after my flu shot, my upper arm is still sored.

Honestly, i don't even know why I got my flu shot at first place. I have never had a flu shot in my entire life, yet i thought getting a shot might be a booster to overcome possible sickness in winter - something I suffer every year.

Still, i am not sure whether this shot would really help, but guess we will find out soon. Regardless of outcome, there are about 1/3 of the sales team are already sick at work. With this widespread of virus floating around the office, it seems like what I need is more than a shot.

An offer I can't say no

One of the benefits living in an old community of a small town is to be physically close to many friendly, yet sometimes nosy neighbors who can and are willing to look after you. It is not my first time getting a phone call reminder to close the garage door, nor my first time receiving generous offer of homegrown fruit and vegetable that are freshly picked in their backyard.

While it is great to eat those tomatoes/melons that I actual love, there are also other stuff that are worth giving a second thought. Grandpa's beef/turkey jerky is a common item that goes on top of that list. There is nothing wrong with the taste - I tried it before and thought the flavor is decent. Everything is great until one day i walked into his garage where jerky is made - hum...not the cleanest and most sensitized kitchen i have been to. I didn't get sick or anything, but it was then I start to convince myself that little amount of bacteria is good for our health.

Grandpa visited me again this afternoon with another pack of his homemade jerky in his hand " Turkey is good for you, kiddo"
What can I say other than thanking for his kindness? I felt bad turning down his enthusiasm after all.

Looking at another pack of homemade jerky sitting in my fridge, I seriously doubt when I am going to eat it, if ever?

Bangkok Trip Continue and Finale

It seems like there is never a good time to finish the blog about my recent trip to Bangkok, so I might as well start now. Since I didn't spend that much time on sightseeing; this entry should be brief, simple and painless.

So what did I see exactly?


well, i had a Thai dinner buffet on a boat, touring through the city and the surrounding buildings/temples along the river. Last time I checked the map, there is only one river cutting through central Bangkok, so I would assume it is the Chaopharaya River.

Due to nature of a typical business dinner, I couldn't devote 100% of my focus on what is supposed to be an incredible view on the river, but can I just say that the food is awesome as well? Toward the end of an 2-hour boat ride, I went on the deck to get some fresh air. I felt nothing but a thick layer of humidity running through my face. It is very.........warm even late at night.


State Tower - this place is referring by my colleague. They accidentally "found" this building while looking for a Starbucks last time in Bangkok. When they got the coffee on the ground floor, they also found the entrance to an extraordinary city view on top of the building.


With a purchase of an very expensive drink, I get to see a view like this for "FREE" on top of State Tower




Later on i found out, according to my tour guide, Sirocco in State Tower is where you get to enjoy the MOST expensive (about $330 USD a meal) lobster meal in bangkok. For those of us who are on a tighter budget, we can skip the whole seafood idea but go straight to the Sky Bar on the roof of building at the 64th floor.




Standing on top of the stairs looking down the bar.
I actually got stopped by the security guard when trying to snap some shots of this beautiful bar. But toward the end of night, the he was nice enough to grant me one shot. I took more than one shot, but who is counting anyways?




Gate/Temple in front of the famous Siam Lum Night Bazaar - pretty much a night market mixed with live performance, bar, street food, and arty crafts. It is a very organized market for the western tourist; this means you won't be able to get a good bargain out of anything. Later on we went to another night market where any bargain is possible, including the "special service" along the side of the street. Hum...I wouldn't want to get into too much details here, though.



Bangkok Airport - getting ready to go home. Since I didn't have time for a real temple, I think this decor will work as well.

A relaxing weekend

Nothing beats a relaxing weekend at home and the privilege to wake up as late as I wanted to. It feels great to sleep until whenever, no work, no jet lag, no sickness, or just simply not being on the road. It is not like I don't like travel, but it just feels great to be home again after a long trip. ( Yes, two week is a long trip for me)

What did I do this weekend at home? Not only did I spend my whole Saturday mopping the floor, I even cleaned my bathroom. It is all fresh and shiny now, yeahhhh.......I also cooked both meals, which is something I haven't done in a long time. Regardless of so-called flavor, or flavorless of my dish, anything homemade is always good.

My Sunday also starts late with my classic espresso. It would have been nice to take a sip in the morning, but considering the time I woke up, an afternoon would also serves the purpose. For those of you who haven't tried my espresso, it is time to pay me a visit in the country. It is so much better than my cooking.

Finally, the picture above is my lovely hotel room in Bangkok, which will be the introduction for my Bangkok journey, which I will soon update when I am fully settled at work. Yes, i posted that picture for that special someone who keeps asking about the update. :)

8/24 to 9/2 in Taipei then 9/3 to 9/7 in Bangkok

9 more days until my vaca starts. After thoughtfully planned my Oregon Trip, i haven't put in much effort into the planning of my second trip. Since I am pretty much running of time, i picked an easy and effortless spot - Taiwan.

Besides shopping and dining, I figure there won't be much time for anything else. It sounds like a perfect effortless trip that requires least amount of planning.

Just as i booked the ticket and called it job well done, I mentioned this upcoming trip with one of my customers. Instead of showing his enthusiasm and excitement, he asked why I didn't choose to go somewhere else for this week-long vacation?

I paused for a second in dismay. Good question, why didn't I choose a different spot? Taiwan was an easy choice, but you learn and appreciate so much more when reaching out of your comfort zone. I did just come back from Taiwan 6 months ago, now I am going again for pointless shopping? As fun as shopping goes, there are so many other destinations I have yet to discover. There is life outside of shopping after all; I just wish this thought would have stricken me earlier - before booking my flight.

Since now it is too late to reconsider elsewhere, I am still going to Taiwan as planned. However, I will definitely put more thought and make a better use of my vaca next time for sure.

A Cool Personality Analysis

I never liked forwarded e-mails, but every once in a while I see a good one that is worth reading/playing. If a lazy person like me who actually spend time to advertise and share the link, it gotta to be good, right?

Here is my latest discovery for a cool personality analysis; i had to admit that result is amazing - it is very close to my so-called true personality.


When you open the link, a series of about 12 pictures will come up.
click on a photo in that category that most appeals to you. Just continue to keep picking the pics that appeal to you after reading the category. At the end it will give you a profile of yourself .


http://dna.imagini.net/friends/

Luggage Hugger

"What a great product!"
as soon as i see its debut on TV, I can't stop thinking how great this is for those of us who own a pair of black luggage - the color that's so common that it takes forever to spot it on the rotating belt at baggage claim.

Luggage Hugger https://www.myluggagehugger.com/default.php is a creatively-designed piece of fabric that can tightly wrap around your luggage, so eye-catching that finding your bags from distance is no longer a problem. Even though I am not a big traveler, but I can totally see myself using this cool thing ever time I travel. As a serious shopper who always fills up bags to its capacity; it is total frustration when I accidentally grab someone else's bag and then have it throw it back on the belt. Did I mention the bag is heavy?

Once I dress up my luggage, i will no longer worry about where my bag is and always get the right bag the first time. Now that my next trip is coming up, i am seriously thinking about getting this. The last question i have in mind is whether this is worth my money,but either way i have to admit that this really is a smart idea.

Folklife Festival

Finally, something interesting goes on while my friends are in town.

Folklife Festival is an annual event where music, food, and art come together. This is a 3 day celebration where you pay big bucks to enjoy greasy food, listen to live performance, people watching (or being watched in our case), check out unique homemade décor, homemade skin care product and accessories, or even get a splash of water from the water slide that runs into a public swimming pool - it is all the fun in one package.

The best part of fair? The tattoo!!! After convincing my good friend Amy to get one with me, this tattoo becomes the best part of folklife memories. Although it only lasts for 3 days, you have to be amazed by amount of attention I receive at work when showed up with this baby on Monday

The tattoo i loved - it is definitely better then that curly fries i missed.

Amy and I in front of The Depot Restaurant and Lounge where more live music continues.


As fun as it is, i still like the night market in Vancouver B.C. better, time for some serious shopping!!!

wow, I never thought that size matters

A handshake tells you a lot about a person. Yeah, that is nothing new. I read about the study before and I believe my handshake well passed the test. Doing what I do at work, I get to meet fair amount of new people with plenty of handshakes involved. A good handshake is affirmation that that shows your enthusiasm and passion toward a person - an essential tool in both business and personal world.

On the way to the warehouse, my supervisor and I started having about this conversation about handshakes and how certain types of people have various handshakes. The most interesting example is how someone with Short Man’s Disease tends to hand your hands.

“A person with Short Man’s Disease tends to grab your fingers without touching the palm. It is a way to show their domination over you” he said.

“ The what? Short Man’s Disease?” I asked. Honestly I have never heard of that terminology ever in my life.

A Short Man’s Disease is someone who appears to be tougher and meaner than their actual physical body size indicates. They are short in height but try to build up this image for being strong, big, but often self-possessed. Or you can call them the group who are full of themselves.

It is interesting how people name that kind of behavior and call it a disease. Being almost the shortest person in the company, I never thought people actual create negative language against us shorties. I guess size does matter after all.

Happy 4th of July

For those of you who don't need to work today, I am sure you are as grateful as I am for getting this extra day off. It feels really good waking up around noon on a Wednesday and knowing that weekend is going to come again in 2 days.



Happy Birthday, America.

The famous I-phone weekend – love and hate of Mac products

It is not like I would ever purchase this overpriced item, but the introduction of I-phone somehow triggers my love and hate feeling toward Mac Products in general. I wouldn’t call myself a Mac loyalists, but I am deeply in love with my I pod and shuffle ever since the fist day I laid my hands on that sleek-design luxury. Shortly after the fulfillment of my music world, I went ahead and purchase a bigger price ticket item - Mac Mini.

I have to admit that I always wanted a Mac since my video editing days in college; however, it is not until nowadays that I finally decide to make my childhood dream come true. Unfortunately, Mac does get expensive when realize that I need to purchase more than one item to make her competitive with my current setting in PC. Of course, it is not like software programs are free with PCs; but my so called friendship has helped the big time.

After months of struggles, it finally comes to my comprehension that a good-looking mini is not going to be complete without the heart and souls of programs I love. It is just sad to acknowledge that I will actually have to pay for these software programs, one by one after all. Taking granted for the fact that there is no free lunch, I still have this sadness over this upcoming massive investment for the love of Mac and becuase mini looks so cute on my desk.

Gas Price is going down

Finally, i see a more reasonable price of $2.99 per gallon on the sign this morning. Actually, nothing is reasonable these days. A big portion of my paycheck has been contributed to the oil society since as long as I can remember.

However, it is still a good feeling to know that gas price is finally coming down. Even though i still don't get to do another road trip in a short while, it is good to know that I will be able to save more on gas from now on, or at least for now.

Hum..maybe it will be dropped down to $2.89 when i wake up tomorrow? Hum..that makes me feel great just by thinking about it.

New Return Policy at The Limited.

For you female shoppers out there, have you noticed the latest return policy at THE LIMITED?

Not only do they now ask for your driver license as a second piece of ID, but also they SCAN your driver license to verify your information. What? You think we are at the airport under the assumption that my driver license is fake?

It is not like I am an underage teenager buying drinks with a fake ID, either. Do you really have to scan my driver license multiple times?

This new return policy took extra 3 minutes; but it is the whole shopping experience that counts. This annoying process totally ruins my prior impression with that store. With such unfriendly return policy, I wonder if it is mandatory to try on shirts at least three times and triple check the size before buying it. If you only have 10 mins left in the mall, don’t bother walk into that store; otherwise people like me will get panelized for rush decision.

Most important of all, I will definitely buy less to avoid possible future returns. In other words, if you are not 100% sure that you want something very bad; please don’t bother buying it at THE LIMITED.

latest trip photos

Only back to work for two weeks, yet I am already dreaming about another vacation.
here is my latest photo collection of my recent trip to Oregon Coast and Mt. Hood. To see the rest of the photos, click me me me.

Yes...i finally remember my password

after weeks of struggle and laziness, I finally realized and magically remember my password. I guess I can start blogging again....

i felt bad accusing gmail took over my account the other day, it seems like I am that SOB who was stupid enough to forget the password. Too many gmail accounts can be confusing sometimes.

Anyways, I am back...for a short while. However, you can always stay tuned with color changes in thie blog. It is actually fun....

A Little Bird was Flying Back...

Since i am too lazy to post anything, here is something fun to share...

A little bird was flying back home in winter
The bird froze and fell to the ground
A cow came by and dropped some dung on it
Bird began to realize how warm it was soon began to sing with joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing & dug him out cleaned him and ate him


Lessons to Learn:
1. Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy
2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend
3. When you're in deep shit keep your mouth shut....