Last night I got to meet up with Leo and Wendy after work to eat at Gau Bee at north road. Despite the fact that it’s not very well known, the food there is quite decent and the prizes are very reasonable. One can easily be filled up with food for under $15. We ordered a tofu soup combo for two, a sushi roll that consisted of both tuna and salmon (may favourite!) as well as a rice and noodle combo that had both a kimchi noodle and a dried soya sauce noodle. I really liked the texture of the noodles.

It’s been a while since I’ve met Leo so it was a good talk filled with lame jokes and laughter as we ventured through sensitive or stupid topics. I haven’t laughed so much that it definitely cheered me up from the day before and brought back some energy in me to joke.

Unfortunately I still woke up super tired this morning so I was feeling grumpy the whole afternoon. But after my visit to the seat otters and having gotten two free passes to the ghost train at Stanley park later in October, I’m much more enthusiastic and came home to find caryl and rhodery wanting to play with me. Caryl wanted to show me her rainbow nails. They were beautiful.

Life is filled with ups and downs. And sometimes you get so tired that you just want someone to hold you and tell you that they love you and understand you. But the truth is, reality most likely wont provide you with that comfort and probably will continue to push you to exceed your limits. And that’s when you truly grow and shine (ex: Calvin always reminds me multiple necessary qualities that I must possess ).

Maybe I’m not making any sense in this entry because I’m already in my bed as I’m typing this, but either way I’m glad for what I have. May I continue to grow and learn.

Without a doubt, time flies. Time flies so quickly that I can’t seem to remember when the leaves started falling or how it ended up being Wednesday again when the week seemed to have just started.

Sooner or later I’ll probably find myself getting more fat or having physical symptoms since I’ve stopped exercising for a while after work started. Oh boy.

But looking on the positive side I try to remind myself that every single day I’m learning some new and even though I have a small beginning perhaps its training me for what’s coming up next. Speaking of which, this is what I read in today’s devotion (it’s been a while since I’ve read the one on my iPhone):

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The Danger of Jealousy

Anger caused by jealousy is one of the first negative emotions mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 4 tells us that Cain killed his brother Abel because he was jealous to the point of being angry. Although this is one of the more extreme results of jealousy, it reminds us of how dangerous jealousy can be.

In today’s society many people feel their status is dependent on their job or position in the church. Because of this mindset, they’re afraid someone else may get promoted ahead of them. Jealousy causes them to try to be important in the eyes of man.
If you have this problem, understand that God has you where you are for a reason. He knows what’s in your future, and He may have you in training for it right now.

Don’t despise the days of small beginnings. Our rewards come from obeying the specific callings He’s placed on our lives, not from jealously trying to achieve things that you think will impress people. Don’t let jealousy grow in you. Trust God to place you where you need to be.

Prayer Starter: God, jealousy is dangerous and I don’t want to have any part of it. My status isn’t dependent on worldly positions and recognition. All I need is You.

Sometimes I just feel everybody just like following each other’s footstep. For one thing, even though I’m not rushed after getting off of the west coast in the mornings, once I head out the door of the train I’m bombarded with people who storm like crazy, forcing me to speed up with my walk also. In life, I feel the same way too. Maybe I’m not exactly in need or wanting to walk a certain way, but because of the people around me I’m forced to follow.

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According to the book “Think and Grow rich”, people who succeed are persistent, ambitious, dream big, and act differently than other people. May I have the wisdom to dream big, work harder, think and act differently.

Yesterday was one of those days where you know you have lots to do but you can’t seem to motivate yourself to accomplish everything on the list.

I woke up at 9am, talked with Calvin for a while, then got ready to head out for breakfast with mom and go to the dentist. Originally we were headed towards Copa but then ended up going to white spot because Copa was so full and we thought there wasn’t much point to waiting in line since we wanted breakfast and by the time we were at Copa it was already 11am.

It was my first time eating breakfast at white spot and to my surprise, then actually serve brunch which was very appetizing and with a reasonable prize. I ordered the pulled pork burritos which came with two pieces of flat baked potatoe as well as a large burritos cut in half filled with green onions and amazing pulled pork. The prize came to be $10.99. On the side were three sauces: avocado with corn, sour cream, as well as taco sauce. To me it was a very good lunch. Mom ordered their blueberry waffle for $7.99 and all I could say was that the waffle was very fresh and thick with fresh made blueberries

I made it in time for my dental appointment and had my teeth cleaned after three year’s time. Yes that’s right! I’m so freaked out by dentists in general that I try to avoid seeing them until in times of need. And this time it’s mainly because I’d like to get my wisdom teeth examined and see if I’ll need to take them out. Well, it turned out that I’ll have to consult with a specialist about my three wisdom teeth haha. Hope I don’t have to spend too much on pulling them out!

When I came back home initially I was really motivated to study but what started from a sofa comfort turned out to be a sleeping episode. Dot dot dot. When I awoke it was already time to head out to a friend’s wedding dinner and I quickly got dressed up in a flower bloom dress I got from H&M last week for a mere $15. If you ask me I think it’s a really good deal considering how the original prize is $30 and you can’t tell that it’s cheap quality.

All I can say about the wedding dinner was that the food was really good and that I was stuffed to the max. We ate at Golden Harvest restaurant situated on 4818 Main Street. A simple look at the food they serve should be enough to motivate anyone to go try. I’m not sure how the normal dishes they serve are like but I especially liked their lobster as well as bao Yu. . I’m not so keen on the shark fin and really do oppose to the capture of sharks for the sake of shark fins, although its been a tradition of the Chinese culture to eat them during special events.

Rita and Eric’s was quite simple but sweet in the sense that they shared a very fun an unique love story, and from all the games and interactions that occurred last night, one can tell how “fun” this couple is. Of course, with every married couple comes a unique love story of their own, and I hope that some day I can have a unique story of my own to share too.

By now, I’m two days late in posting this but its always late than never right?  Memorable moments come and go so it’s definitely important to keep track of them so as to not lose sight of them when I need them in the future.

I still remember that morning when I was cramming like crazy to get to the train station so as to not miss the West Coast Express.  I probably looked a bit frantic to people but fortunately, I managed to secure a seat after someone left their spot at the Port Moody station.  There were a bunch of ladies sitting beside me who were laughing away like crazy.

Work was normal but in the afternoon I managed to have lunch with both Sue, Bratt, Ann, Jenn, and Jan and then had a walk through the park with Jenn and Dana.  Came back to the office and worked on some stuff before Nicole called me in to Lori’s office to have a “meeting”.  Turns out Nicole bought me some cupcakes for birthday and they wrote me a mini birthday card which I have now somewhere tucked in my drawer.  I was quite happy for the mini surprise.  We talked for a bit, and then I went out and worked a little more before I packed my stuff to leave.  I couldn’t make it for the 4:50 train so I ended up riding the 5:30 and arrived at Coquitlam at 6.  Rushed over to Milestones where I had a fast but nice dinner with my mom and cousins.  Caryl and Rodery were there too so all the while they were very excited and kept on taking pictures of me and mom. 

Apparently Milestones has a birthday deal.  As long as you registered online for their deal with your birth date information and bring the coupon they send you via email with your identification to the restaurant, they will provide you with a free entree.  The only condition is that it’s on your actual birthday and that you bring three other friends along who order three actual entrees.  But common, it’s still worth it right?

Dessert came to be my birthday cake, which I ordered from Dairy Queen.  But as I was eating the oh so delicious cake, I couldn’t help but remember how it was like last year.  And I missed it dearly.  I truly miss my friends from exchange and remembered how they spent so much time to create a mini celebration for me.  Karen and Bonnie took the time to create me a cheesecake as well as Bernia’s fruit cake.  Those times were unforgettable and will forever remain in my little tiny heart

Yesterday I woke up early to go to church, only to find that I was late and that the service ended early (so I was only there for 30 min). Regardless, I enjoyed listening to the message and truly believe that the bible is the truth. It is historically and prophetically correct, and no matter what this world says, it cannot prove the bible to be wrong, just like how you can not believe in gravity but gravity will somehow let you know that it exists (ex: you can’t float in the air and you fall).

After church I went back home and don’t ask me why but I started mix matching my wardrobe and tried to find a series that I think would suit me. I did this for about 30 min before my mom came home and went up to Gu Gong to eat Korean food. We always like that place despite of the price because we find it quiet and comforting. Actually, given the big portions of the appetizers I don’t think the price is expensive. So yesterday we ordered a Bibimbop as well as a seafood pancake. The pancake was so big I had to take it home and then pack it for lunch today.

Following lunch I decided we should go check out some sales at the mall and went into H&M to look at stuff. I ended up buying a semi formal dress from the sales section for $15, as well as some personal items from lasenza. I also bought myself some lilacs in early celebration for my birthday.

Dinner at night was not bad. We went to the Keg and I shared a black garlic tiger shrimp in cheese sauce and 10 oz prime rib with Wendy C. I forgot what the others ordered but they all looked really convincing to me. The only concern I had was that I remembered the portions being more friendly when mom and I shared and had it split up. So for example, instead of half a twice baked potatoe they’d give us one each. But it would make sense that they actually split the dish up, given the fact that if they don’t everyone will start sharing plates.

A few days before yesterday I received a parcel from Calvin and it contained some very yummy candy from sticky. I’ve always loved stickies so I’m particularly fond of them. There were also night lights and some hand written and drawn cards from him which I absolutely adore.

The girls and I took some snap shots after the dinner. We then talked for a long period of time before we decided to head home.

The future, the future, what holds for the future?

Tomorrow I shall buy myself a birthday cake. A birthday isn’t a birthday without a birthday cake right???

The other day I received an email from Shutterfly letting me know that I have been offered a free 8×8 inch 20 page Hard cover photo book and that all I had to do was pay for the shipping fee. Thinking that it was too good to be true, I clicked into the link and found out that Shutterfly was actually a transformation of Kodak, an account that I originally owned several years ago.  All of my old photos have been transferred to the new account and attached to the website was an extensive and fascinating Photo book creation tool. 

Thinking that it might be fun to create one for free, with a mind set of creating one for my exchange trip last year, I put myself to gear and finished it within two nights.  Now that I finished with my product, I thought I’d share it online and receive another $10 voucher for free to use next time. .  I really like Shutterfly now.  Do you?

              

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photobook in progress…

Driving through down town makes me feel that I’m in the middle of everything…yet I’m actually in nothing.

I wanted to be early for work today, but instead of ended up right on time and I literally ran with my fob to the door. Not a very good way to start the day I must say. I really hate the traffic and I really hate how I already left home at 7:40am, which meant that I drove for over an hour to get to work. If you ask me, I think Vancouver’s road infrastructures definitely need some improvement. For example, highway no 1 constructions should never occur during peak hours. Neither should the roads only be merged into one lane. That kills. Like. Really.

Tomorrow I’ll try driving another route other than Hastings. Perhaps there’s a better route than that

On my break today I bumped into one of the talk shows for the Belugas. Seriously, those creatures are horribly amazing. The way their bodies move make me wish that I were them. Although all mammals in the Aquarium are rescued creatures from the sea (so they were not captivated, as many people tend to believe), and so they’ve suffered from injuries, in the end they have a beautiful home and live a care free life everyday, being fed by workers and understood by other creatures with them. That, to me, is just simply enjoyable.

If there was nothing in the world for me to care about, I’d be drawing 24/7. I’ll doodle all day and mess around with paint in my hands. I’d make art and hang them all over my walls. And if money wasn’t a concern at all I’d travel all over third world countries to make art with them together. If there’s one thing I’d like to do, it’d be to make one united art piece that the whole world worked on together. But to this point I highly doubt anyone has done anything like this before. At least not all over the world.

Money. Sometimes I’m just so mad at myself. So mad, so mad, so mad :/.

Some people say the first day of work is like entering into a new relationship without knowing much about your partner (actually, I just made that up ). But to a certain extent I think this is the case for every new job because although you’ve done your part of the research about the company and position, you’ve never actually entered into the company and with that comes and excitement and fear. Excitement for the things you’ll learn and fear for the things unknown (including failure). To me, today was that border date.

I originally intended to wake up at 6:30am but after a hard knock and “WAKE UP” call from mom at 6:15, I couldn’t sleep anymore so I decided to take a shower. Had a brief 2 min conversation over the phone with Calvin afterwards, ate my breakfast milk shake, and then headed out the door at 7:15. Believe me my mood wasn’t exactly in good shape by then. For one thing, I was extremely tired and for another I hated the long drive. 1 arrived an hour later at the Aquarium. 8:15. Work starts at 9. So for the next 30 min I tried phoning Calvin again and talked with him for another 10 min, and then read my bible for 15 min. Entered into the reception area at around 8:45, got my parking pass and asked the reception for Nicole, and settled into my seat at 9am sharp. Orientation went from 9-12, followed by lunch with Nicole and Siu, and another orientation from 1:30-2. Read the employee policies for 2 hours and then got an early dismissal at 4.

So my first day was really really slack.

But I found my first fault at work already. It’s hard to make new friends without being initiative. And quite frankly, it’s hard when you’re in a cubicle setting and everyone is already working over the phone or occupied with their work when you enter in. Maybe I’m having the first day “newbie” freak out but I hope tomorrow and the remainder of this week will be better as I familiarize myself with the work environment and people. I can’t imagine myself working in the HR department if I’m not even people-oriented enough in my workplace.

But a few happy things for today:

1. I got a new Vancouver aquarium mug and two coffee vouchers
2. I saw the Belugas and sea otters again . I also saw the penguins for the first time!
3. I got a tour around the 4 levels of Aquarium and it is amazing. They have a library with books dating back to the 1800s! Imagine touching a book 100+ years older than you!
4. I read the perks that I get to receive
5. I drove home safely without crashing into anything

Tomorrow I shall bring a few more things to work that will help decorate my beautiful cubicle. Though a little on the loud side, I’m sure I’ll be able to cope with it.

This morning I woke up with a jolt from my alarm clock before I realized that I was going to be late for church.  Going to a morning service meant that I had to wake up extra early (compared to my schedule for the past couple of months) and also meant that I had to get my breakfast ready on my own because my mom attends an even earlier service at her own church.  But the effort to get up early on a Sunday morning is definitely worth it when it means that you can get something useful and meaningful into your life. Today especially.

At CAC, the service for the next month or so will circulate around the topic of studying the word, namely the bible.  In conjunction with the sermons, the church encourages us to dwell into the word intently for the next 40 days and see what we can come up with on our own of what God is speaking into our lives.  Despite the fact that I’ve been a bit “spiritually dead” lately, the moment I stepped into the church this morning my spirit felt lifted up and I was really excited as I listened to every single word Pastor David said.  I’m excited to study the word for the next 40 days (hopefully I can be disciplined enough!).

In particular, Pastor David used James 1:1-19 to mention these few points today in dealing with reading God’s word and letting them have an impact on our lives:

1. We must receive them with our ears

• our hearts need to be quiet
• we need to be calm
• we need to be clean
• we need to be humble

2. We must read them with our eyes

• we need to look at the words intently

3. We must study the word with our minds
4. We must store it in our hearts through memorizing scriptures
5. We must respond with action

So basically the end conclusion is that there should be co-relation between what we hear and what we do, and that the more we grow the more we will want to serve and cycle continues.

After church service I ate lunch with mom and others and then went to visit the show homes across from our place at Thomas House.  The condo apartments are surprisingly spacious for an area of 819 square feet for 2 bedroom and 2 bathrooms, and the price range starts at $279,000, which, to me, sounds reasonable for the location and club house facility that is included.  Of course, besides me, other potential buyers think this way also and so yesterday (when the condos were initially set for sale), 2/3 of the place was sold already.  Amazing market isn’t it?

After the show homes I went home to read for a bit before heading out for dinner with my relatives.  On the way I got my pay cheque (yay money!) as well as flowers for my aunt’s birthday.  She ended up loving the flowers very much

Dinner was really decent as we had a 8 dish combo at Ningtu restaurant (Near Kingsway and Victoria Dr.), which featured numerous of their famous dishes ranging from their appetizer dish to their egg white dessert.  All I could say was that my stomach went up to its maximum volume.  Not to mention how much I love Shanghai food.

Tomorrow will be my first day at the new work place so hopefully I’ll make some new friends and be able to enjoy my new work environment!