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....

Hibernating...

30F --> right about freezing temperature. Cold.
20F --> It is damn cold in here
10F ---> My pinky starts to twinge and slowly loses its senses
Anything under 10F --> What the (*#&$*^%

It is that time of year again. I reached my personal low at 9F last Tuesday. Yes, it is WAY under endurable temperature in my standard. The best I can do is to snuggle in my comforter and sleep whole day. And that's exactly what I did today. Almost felt guilty for not doing anything productive during weekends. Any good sunny weekend shouldn't be wasted in bed, even if it is damn cold like this.

Due to nature of my work, it is extremely busy during summer. Since then I have set a winter goal, which is to take as many scenic photos as possible in an open country around here. Not only can I update my photo portfolio, but also I get to appreciate the beauty of this new town in an artistic approach.

One major flaw with that goal is miscalculating how cold this place can be during winter. Even with a nice sunshine in the 30Fs, it is still freezing cold after layers of sweaters and a big jacket. It is just not feasible to stand outside and leave my index finger out of glove to click shutter continuously. Plus Christmas is on the way, how I resist the temptation of shopping? The big ON SALE sign pulls me further away from my winter dream.


Here comes some freezing yet beautiful memeories from last week. This reminds me why it is worth going outside and freezing to death.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is my first thanksgiving since my move.
The first time spending thanksgiving alone
And the first thanksgiving that i get to enjoy this old-time tradition with an American family for an awesome full-course dinner.


Initially I was so bummed at the fact I would have to spend holidays alone. I am usually good at wasting time and wondering around by myself. However, spending any holiday alone just sounds depressing, not to mention Thanksgiving is where family/friends supposed to get together. In addition, all the shops will be closed early; I would have no choice but to stay home.

Fortunately, a lot of people feel the same way for me. I actually received up to five invitations this year and I get to choose where to eat my turkey dinner at. One of the families is even going to deep-fried their turkey. ( For those of you who know me, I try to stay away from deep-fried stuff due to my body hormone imbalance) I kindly turned down that invitation, knowing that host is an awesome cook, their family is exceedingly friendly, and it would have been a delightful dinner.

Tomorrow is the big day, I will soon find out whether I made a good choice. I am going to dine at my colleague's new house where half of his families will fly in from the east coast. It would be fun to check out his new place and have a traditional turkey dinner. My only concern is why his reception starts at 3pm? Does that mean we will have to eat for like 5-hour straight or what? Let's hope I won't overeat and his east-coast family won't be too mean to me.

When less is more

I used to be proud of my e-mail respondent skills where I have learned to deliver ambiguous answers under certain situations. This doesn'’t make me an insincere person, but I have to learn to cover my as* from time to time. When I was in school, I am a very detail-oriented person and often been rewarded for orchestrating a project with full details. Being detailed-oriented and follow-through once made me a good student, but things have changed around when you step into the workforce.

Since I am still fresh out of school, sometimes I forget my new identity and the fact "less is more”" or how my colleagues called it a KISS -– “keep it short and stupid method. There are times I state facts as clear as possible and share a bit more than necessary; I end up being grilled for my honesty.

There is no such thing as being right and wrong at work. Experience is the key, and I have to learn plenty from my mistakes so far - and still counting. Today happens to be one of these days I made one of those stupid, but harmless mistakes. Even though it is not that big of a deal, I still wish there is a little re-do button where I can just press and go back to fix that little problem. What I did was absolutely a right thing to do, but sometimes the smarter way is to let it go and pretend you know nothing about it; meanwhile, pray that no one will catch your little tail.

Education Vs. Sleep Time

According to the latest edition of Time, a survey shows people with higher education tend to work less hours, or as “know more, labor less.”

• Less than high school diploma: 7 hrs and 54 min a day

• High school graduate: 7 hrs and 50 min a day

• Some college: 7 hrs and 35 min a day
  

• Bachelor’s degree and higher: 7 hrs and 22 min a day.
  

• Cindy’s average working hours: 10 hrs - I work more hours than those without a high school diploma. Why did I go to school for?
  

Sleep Time: Oh..my favorite topic

American averages to sleep 8 ½ hours a day. The time that people wake up in the morning gets later as education levels increases. Damn right. I wake up at 5:30am and arrive at work at 6:30am.

All those results show that my education doesn’t quite pay off. I work more hours even with sufficient education. Alternatively, I can just call myself abnormal and doesn’t qualify to be a part of this survey. However, there is one thing that actually fits my pattern - TV Time: majority of people would choose to glue to the tube as the most popular spare-time activity. Oh yeah, watching TV might be a little bit brain-dead, but that is just exactly what I need after work.

Back to Beginning

Simply saying that I have been busy might be a lousy excuse, but there is just so much going on that I just don’t know where to start!?! Anyhow, it finally feels like settling down and I can’t wait to get back to my old routine again. The problem is, do I even have a routine to begin with?

Before I can set up a new one, I am going to make a sacrifice first. After all, nothing comes easy, right? This decision that will grant me additional 2-3 hours a day, approximately 15 hours a week. Just the time I need for my new plans, whatever they are.

I always dream about those so called “plans” every morning, but sadly, I don’t have the energy to accomplish any of them after work each day. *sigh*

This sacrifice might be painful at first, but I have finally decided it is time to let go my love of 2 months- my sweet online blockbuster deal. Initially I subscribed it so I would have something to do after work. Since there is no cable TV in my place, DVD becomes the second best option to allocate my free time – it is like watching TV with some form of control. But who am I kidding, really?

There is just so much I can watch, and they keep on coming in the mail. At the end, I am exhausted. It has gone to the point where I go home, eat, watch dvd, then sleep. It is not a healthy routine at all. Plus I go out for lunch more often than ever; my weight is going up like crazy. Damn it.

Here I am, self-reflecting again for a fresh start. This time, I hope it will go on a bit longer.

I am going to update...

I am...I really am going to update this time.
Yes, I mean it this time.
But it is almost my bedtime....Maybe tomorrow?
I am trying hard to save this blog. It has been 5 months, guess it doesn't hurt to wait for a few more days. hahahaa

If a picture is worth one thousand words, sharing a picture also makes me feel less guilty for abandoning this blog for so long. Here comes my latest picture of the most recent trip to Tillicam Village on Blake Island.

Rain Rain and Snow??

After a week of lovely sunshine, I fall in love with Seattle all over again. Just as I was ready to take out my tennis racket and went out for some outdoor exercise on what-I-thought-would-be perfect Saturday afternoon, sky turned dark and soon started raining. What the heck? I changed back my normal cloth and called my friend to cancel the fun.

Alternatively, we went to a Belle Pastry – a French bakery in Bellevue. We picked a window seat, watched people walking pass by, and talked nonsense for a short while. It is like that scene in Sex and City, Carrie and her friends having a brunch during weekends. (In my case, it is afternoon tea because I woke up late). To my surprise, I am actually very happy to enjoy a heavy-rain Saturday like this. Sitting in a coffee shop with my cake and coffee- I am easy to be pleased.

After years living in Bellevue, I am shameful to admit that I have never been that that part of Bellevue (around 100^th and main street). There are some high-end clothing stores, antique shops and even a bathroom accessory store with a magnified mirror cost more than $300 bucks. Who will need a mirror like that when I can get a set of my own for under 30 bucks in Bed, Bath and Beyond? There is one reason you gotta love those chain stores.

It is not only the rain; temperature must have dropped at least 20 degrees in matter of 24 hours. During my drive home, it even started snowing. Can you believe that? Snow in May!?!

No More Nap?

Sooner or later I have to stop taking this nice 40-min nap inside of my car during lunch hour, or I will get sunburn as it is finally warming up in Seattle. In fact, my cheeks are already burning up. I love Seattle with sunny weather like this, but where will my new napping spot be? Under a tree?

Ahh, screw it, i will wear layers of sunscreens.