Author Archives: Christine

Slowly, I think I’m getting into a rhythm. I can sleep a bit longer at night. I am not as tired during the day. Weather is getting better, the front has passed and the rain is leaving. I think the best time to visit here is probably mid of April to mid of May. And then sometime in the fall. I’ll probably schedule to come back about that time in the future.

After I got the papers printed, signed and scanned and emailed, I went out and had the traditional Chinese breakfast, soybean milk and chinese pancake and an egg. Then I walked down the street and found tons of food I’d like to eat in the next few days. Can’t wait to take Leo around next time. I was looking for the seal paste and was directed to a small store that sells just about everything. It’s like I have found a treasure store. I spent a lot of time walking in the narrow isles with stuff piled on top of stuff looking at everything. As I was paying for the few items I picked up, I commented to the owner how much stuff they have. The clerk told me there is a second floor still. I think I’m going back again.

Coming out of the store, I saw a tea shop. I walked in and said I am looking to buy some tea. The young owner said sure, come in, I’ll let you try a few different kinds and see which one you like the best. There were a couple other customers already sitting around a small table made from a big tree with tea pots laying around. And they were tasting different teas already. So I sat down with them and we started chatting. I tried 3 different kinds and liked 2 of them. The owner was telling me the differences between the tea and where they were from and how to distinguish between them. I can’t remember everything he said, but he told me I can go back and he’ll be happy to share more about tea and let me taste others. I think I will, for sure.

I bought a few steamed buns and went and had lunch with mom. She wasn’t in a talkative mood. We just sat and watched TV for a while. She has a bit of a cold and when she choked on some rice noodles, it was hard for her to catch her breath. I was very concerned, but Mary was a lot calmer. I guess she is used to the way the old people cough. I’m not sure if I can handle the health situation for mom if we live together. I would feel helpless as I did today. I am very thankful that she is around people who know how to take care of her. She kept telling me nowadays, those kids couldn’t wait to rush their elderly out to the nursing home, that they don’t have any sympathy for their elderly and no feelings. She said in her days, people love to have their elderly around at home. I feel very guilty whenever she said these things. I know she was hinting that I should come back and take care of her. But I can’t. I don’t want to live here any more and my home is not here. She told me she doesn’t want to go to the US. So, there is no middle ground here. I am very sad.

Yesterday when I went to visit the older couple of relatives around here. The lady said something that really cut into my heart too. She said it’s good that my mom sold the apartment cause that’s why I am coming back so much often now. Sounds like I only come back because there is money here. I guess financially, it’s true. Without mom’s money, I wouldn’t be able to make these trips, but it also appears to them that it’s only for the money that I am here. I guess I can’t blame them for thinking this way. It is true that I never came back very often before.

Every time I came back, I get sad and melancholy. On one hand, I feel helpless towards mom’s situation. On the other, I have to deal with all these relatives who stand on the side holding a mocking attitude and yet I have to thank them profusely for taking care of my mom.

Oh well, instead of staying in the hotel room brooding over these negative thoughts, I need to go out and find something positive and happy to do.

Finally, after 13 hours and 40 minutes cooped up in small airplane seat, I emerged on the other side of Pacific with an achy knee in Taiwan. And for the first time in all my traveling, my luggage did not show up on the carrasel. After filling out the necessary forms, I had to leave the airport without any clothing and necessities. I guess that’s a good thing to add to my repertoire.

At the exit I asked someone who’s just passing by (maybe intentionally?) where I can get a taxi. He siad, you found the right person, I can take you. After bargaining for a bit, he agreed to take NT $1200. On our way to his van, I started to have second thought remembering the advices I was given about getting a taxi at the airport taxi line. They told me the police will take down the destination and the license number to ensure safety. But I just met this guy at the exit, how do I know I am not walking into a trap. With the doubt in my mind, nevertheless, we got to his van and started off. It turned out that we had a good conversation all the way to the hotel. He may even provide the service if Leo and I want to take a trip next time to visit some tourism spots in Taiwan.

The same receptionist was at the counter, and she gave me a room right away rather than making me wait like the last time and didn’t ask me to pay the fees for the extra few hours. I was able to have breakfast, take a shower before I go to mom’s nursing home. When I got to my room, it is familiar, the same layout as last time, but I felt utterly alone even a bit at a loss. Weird. I am only 5 mintues away from mom’s place, I am in the country I was born and raised. My relatives are only a phone call away. But I felt utterly alone. I guess I don’t identify with this place any more.

Mom was very happy to see me, the helpers said that she was not willing to walk normally, but she did a bit when I was there. And she ate extra food that I brought for her. We talked for a few hours. She didn’t seem to be in a very upbeat mood but nevertheless glad to see me and talk to me.

I was really exhausted after lunch and went back to the hotel and took a few hours nap to get some enregy back. Got dinner and went back to the nuring home to be with mom and talked for another couple of hours. By 8:30, I was tired again. so I cam back and went to bed around 10:30. But then woke up at 2:30 and have been up since then. I guess the jet lag is still going to take a few days to work off. But I don’t feel like walking in the fog as I did yesterday at least.

On to some legal stuff this morning and will get back to see mom again later.

Whether it is real or not, it’s nice to get some comments on the blog. Proves how little readership I get for my blog. LOL! Unfortunately, I can’t read the blog in spanish? Oh well. It’s funny to see how others get directed to my blog. This one is about smartphone, but my blog is mostly about dancing and knitting. Albeit, my love of gadgets and my work experience peek out once in a while.

Been living a busy life. Haven’t knitted for a while, danced a bunch, a bit of exercising at the Gym and lots of playing on my laptop. Life has been full, and fun.

Starting from trying to help Tim and his web site to send mass mailing for the studio to the dancers, I got frustrated with Google’s group not allowing me to add more than 100 people to the group. What do they think a dance studio’s mailing list should be? Under 50? Then Constant Contact was suggested, but it costs $15 a month. Then phplist was suggested but the web developer wants to charge for installation. I got so irritated I bought my own site and started installing phplist on my laptop. One thing led to another, all the software finally cooperated with each other and worked but the ISPs are again rejecting my email because we have a dynamic IP! Man! You just can’t beat the conspiracy, can you! Nowadays, even if you have the know-how, you still have to shell out a lot of money in order to run a mailer successfully.

The phone call finally came from Taiwan and I would be going back again some time in April. I think. They can never say anything for sure till the last minute. And I’ll have to pay the big bucks to buy the last minute plane ticket. But hopefully, this will be the last official trip that is dictated by someone else’s time line. From there on, I can plan my life again,

Summer has helped a lot with my latin dancing techniques. Although the 3 hour session can be exhausting in the end, I am getting a lot out of my lessons. The frustrating thing is to learn that my right foot just won’t want to stand on the heel stably. It tends to go to the outside of the foot and no matter how much I try, I can’t find a point where I can stand on it without wobbling. Frustrating! I wonder if it’s because of the curve in my foot that tends to put the weight on the outside of the foot. I’ll keep on practicing and see if it will get better. Otherwise, I’ll just have to walk like a duck to maintain my balance. 🙂

Almost finish this one. Two more rows on the chart and the edging then it’s done!! My very first Shawl from a chart. Can’t wait to block it and see how it turns out.

Monday seems to be my catching up day. No gym scheduled, no dance lessons, finally went through my mail and called my former employer about my W2. Even find a bit of time to blog a little.

Brandon showed me the new apps for itouch last night and I happily purchased them and installed them. Man! It was not straight forward as it should be. Had to reset my itouch, lose everything before it will allow me to install the apps. For all the good things it has, this is not really up to par to Apple’s claim of fame, simple.

He also showed me the live search on windows mobile. Man! That’s slick, too! I still haven’t got around to fully explore it yet. It’s on my to do list though — got to get around to put it on the list, I guess. 🙂

So many gadgets, so little time! But they are all fun, fun fun. Just read a list of things I wrote last year titled “Dream”. And realized that I have got 99% of them in my life right now! I am so blessed and thankful for them. Leo is certainly a positive dose of happiness since he came into my life, no doubt.

Here is the completed shawl

I just finished reading Steve Job’s keynote. Wow, what a toy Macbook Air is! I think I’m leaning towards Apple products more and more. They are thin, easy to navigate and yet lasts longer with their batteries. what’s not to like! $1799 is not hugely expensive either. I’m sure they’ll sell mega units of it too.

Since I decided not to go to Washington for the competition, my dancing time has crawled down to just about nothing and so has my exercising time since dancing is my exercise. Tim has not called for a lesson yet since before the comp and I’m getting a bit impatient. I want to practice the skills I need to do well in the comps not just last minute franctic lessons to try to cram everything in.

But, I have been reading knitting blogs and organizing blogs and I have finished the shawl and working on some leg warmers. L helped vacuuming this weekend and we put away the Xmas tree together. The house looks so much better without the clutter and that also inspired me to be more organized and keep on top of the house chores.

I also want to blog more and I have so many ideas I want try putting into the blogs. But they keep flying in and just as quickly out of my mind. So I’m putting together a notebook to catch the ideas and put them into some kind of plans. Man’o’man, there are so many GTD sites one can browse and read to your hearts content. Sites I’ve been reading are

Hacking a GTD Moleskin
Yet Another GTD Moleskin Hack
mGTD
pigpogPDA

So many ways just using this one kind of notebook. Love it.

Then I got an email from Knitpicks and one thing led to another, I started listening to Kelly Petkun’s podcast and reading her blog Yarn Rambles. Both are interesting and she is also into organization and talks about her knitting in her busy life. Maybe this will lead me into getting the office organized and paper filed and crafty stuff in order.

Oh yeah, I was at Joann Fabrics the other day, and I got my eyes opened to scrapbooking. Those card stock with photo background, and little printed quotes or words, little decoration objects like silk flowers, glittering martini glass are stirring up the motivation to get my hands dirty and make something.

B is trying to get me to switch from Blockbuster to Netflix and it does sounds like a good idea. Less money for more option. I can download movie to watch on my laptop too… He’s such a good salesman for things he likes and he won’t quit till you give in. 🙂 He’s such a sweetheart.

Ok, I should rename this blog to rambling the way I have been going tonight. But that’s just the way my mind is right now, scattered brain actually.

Pilates. All star festival dvds. bluetooth headphone. yeah, there are a lot more in there. This is why I need to catch them somewhere before I start babbling or is it too late already? 🙂

Finally, the shawl is done and now waiting for blocking. Actually, this will be the first time I would attempt at blocking. So we’ll see how it turns out!

Finally, after several months of glamour, — ha, with fake nails — they are off. Freedom! What a price women pay to look good. I have to say that there are advantages to have those long beautiful nails that never split or break though. I have to deal with the split nails again but I can type better and probably use the itouch at last. Why in the world the itouch designer didn’t include a stylus for those with long nails, I don’t understand.

Played Zuma too late again last night, so a late rising and a long soaking off the nails, it’s mid afternoon already. Listening to the 3rd book of Golden Compass in the background. It’s nice that I no longer need to hurry out the door in the morning any more.

However, I sent out a resume to an internet job. Part time, which is what I’d like anyway to facilitate the expensive hobby of ballroom dancing. Maybe a possibility. Another showing for the house tomorrow, too. At least, people are willing to look at it. Hopefully with some positive ending…

It was a very busy holiday. L, me and Em and B went to Cozumel together for a week right before Christmas. Man, was it nice!! Free drinks, free food, nice pool with swim up bar. Well relatively speaking free, we already paid for it, I guess.

L was on vacation since then till today. It was nice having him around, doing things together. Now, it’s back to be by myself during the day again. Not that I’ll be sitting around doing nothing though. So many projects waiting.

Twisted Drop Stitch Shawl

2 x 50gm hanks Colinette Tao Silk #UK02

2 x 25gm hanks Colinette Parisienne Kid Mohair Marble 088

My simple shawl is coming along, finally pickig it up again. And a whole bunch of not so interesting things to do, nails, hair, dog grooming, get back on my healthy diet, gym, library, organizing papers. My mind is running in 100 different directinos. And the darn Zuma is keeping me up at night… What a life to complain about!! Actually, no complaints, except not enough money to do everything I want to do. But enough is keeping me busy anyway.

Hope the house is showing well today, need to get that off of my back in a big way. Need to upload some pictures to this blog too. So many ideas floating around, I like to play with the blogs more, use the group feature too. If only these can bring some $$. 🙂

Wow, it’s been a while since I blogged last time. Life is going by so fast.

I did ok at the ballroom competition a week or so ago. What’s significant was the desire to learn how to do makeup that rose from the morning I fumbled with my make up and almost missed the competition. Tim called serveral times to check where I was and I was lucky to have made to my events a few minutes before they started.

I’ve been on the make up learning binge ever since. After reading and searching on the web, going to the cosmetic counter and ask questions and getting a demo done, and practice, practice, practice at home. I’m pretty pleased with my progress. I’ve also found a wealth of makeup tips and helps on the web, the videojug is a great find. Lots of lots of demonstration and wealth of knowledge there.

I love the freedom but feel guilty a lot of the time thinking I should be doing something else than sit around and surf the web or doing makeup or shop. It’s quite a different life than going to work. I have learned a lot of real life stuff since I quit working, explored the new neighborhood and found great stores. Life is full of anticipation now, too much sometimes I am at a loss trying to decide what to do next.

Found a realtor and started the process of selling the house. But the basement needs work so now it’s finding someone to get it in shape. But it’s one step furthre to get it sold. All the blinds for the condo have finally arrived and they’ll be installed in a week. We would finally get some privacy at home. Sandy and Chen came and saw the condo for the first time last Friday. They both love it. The kids came for spagetti dinner yesterday and watched the browns play. I really like having them around and it’s too bad that eny can’t stay here because of the cats.