Flea Massacre

I was quite happy to live with those fleas and even feed them from time to time. I guess I was in denial because if I actually went and bought flea bombs, then I had to acknowledge that I had a flea problem, which may imply that my house is not tidy or clean(, which may be true :P).

However, they really crossed the line last night!!

NOT THE FACE!! You stupid-tiny-little-brain FLEAS!!

Chrismas Presents

I must have been a very good girl this year with all the presents I got;

There are chocolate, chairs, hamper, cloth, chocolate, a mug, free entries for leisure centers, chocolate, Christmas dinner made by a chief, a towel with my name on, soaps, chocolate receipt book, and more chocolate!!

" Well, there's no such thing as too much chocolate..." He wrote.

I won't ask for much this Christmas
I don't even wish for snow
I'm just gonna keep on waiting
Underneath the mistletoe
I won't make a list and send it
To the North Pole for Saint Nick
I won't even stay awake to
Hear those magic reindeers click
'Cause I just want you here tonight
Holding on to me so tight
What more can I do
Baby all I want for Christmas is you

- Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas is You

Christmas and TW/NZ Family

After J&J came for lunch with presents, I then went to Z's place for Christmas dinner :)

I was hesitant for days whether or not it's appropriate to go because I knew that Christmas was more a family thing and I didn't want to be intruding. However, I was glad that I went as they were all so lovely and welcoming, and I had fantastic time. It was an honour to be invited and be part of someone else family as always. Seeing them so excited about their presents, enjoying the wine, food, music and each other's company made me feel thrilled to share the true spirit of Christmas with them. It was a pure joy without being homesick because Christmas has never been part of my family things. Thus I have never missed it.

Christmas is celebrated in a rather odd way in Taiwan. I think it's overly extravagant for a society whom doesn't understand the essence of Christmas. It has much more overwhelming/spectacular decorations and *awareness* than here in NZ, but it's very superficial and commercialised. I only get to know the real meaning of Christmas in the last few years and start loving it because ppl who I love celebrate Christmas.

Coming from a very family-orientated background, I used to misunderstand and doubt the bondings within a western family. A traditional Taiwanese family is more like a little society. There are a lot of responsibility and expectations from other family members. You have to play many different roles and consider others, but yourself is always the least significance. There is ONE strong family, but less individuality. Children are expected to live at home until they have to work/study in other place or get married. It looks like we are very close to each other, but I sometimes feel that this kind of closeness may actually cause unnecessary misery and conflicts. However, no one seems to mind too much. After all, thinking of the big picture of the family and endurance are taken as grounded and are considered as virtues.

On the other hand, western society is more about individuality. Children may be expected to move out home once they are 18 or 19, but the love and care they have for their family isn't any less. They still come home frequently and be there for each other whenever and wherever. Maybe it's why westerners feel more comfortable to say love than easterners. It's not because they don't mean it when they say it, but they are able to express it without hesitation. However, in a Chinese family, there are just so many expectations already that saying love is just too heavy and too much.

I am not quite sure how my happy Christmas led to such deep and meaningful thoughts, but meh~

Seasonal Greeting

Here comes the special Anita seasonal greeting -

Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!!

P.S. It's much harder than I thought to say this right. But you know what? Says who that Christmas has to be Merry and new year has to be Happy?!

After Work Day 2

Is it just me or is it really sad that I have been hanging out with my colleagues since we finished working on Friday?

After they left at 2am last night, they came back for more adventure this morning. (P.S. The TV died again.) We went for a bush walk at Waitakere and I enjoyed practising my flax weaving skills and all :) We then feasted our eyes on the Piha beach and played soccer for the entire afternoon.
"You play soccer very well!! Did you use to play?" He asked seriously on our way back to the car.
"Thank you! What a beautiful lie! I think I'll consider believing it!" I grinned joyfully :)

After dinner, they all came back to my place and watched 3 DVDs until 4am and I kicked them all out as I had to work on K'd Rd tomorrow!

I think my buddy may win the Richard Fish Award next year...

Last night, he said to D timidly,
"Is it a she or he?" pointed at D's soft toy?"
After holding it for few mins, he suddenly murmured to himself and said,
"I think it's a He!"

Today, after playing with the neighbour's cat and checking the gender of the cat (Of course!), he asked us,
"How many pair of Wonder bra does she need?"
It was a dead silence when everyone stop whatever they were doing and looked at each other. Then it burst into a laugh when he smiled bashfully and innocently!!

However, nothing above is as awkward as what he asked me after I mentioned that we should all go shopping on Boxing Day. Completely, out of the blue, he said with his normal shy voice,
"So...Anita, how many bra are you buying?"

Last Day at Work

It was the last day of the year at work and everyone was surprisingly busy including me! However, it was a short day as everyone was ready to relax by 3pm with some bubbles. Few of us then went for dinner and then Go Karting to celebrate the end of hardworking year!

It was such a bad idea to try and race with boys, especially I thought I could! Silly me! After few minor crashes, I came to this tight corner and I thought I could overtaken another girl just like the rest of boy gang, then BANG! I hit into the concrete barrier so hard that my right leg didn't like it at all. Despite the injuring, I was still aggressive but slightly conservative due to I can't step on accelerator fully anymore (Not because I have short legs!). Come on, I have to act up to the reputation, right? Female, Asian Driver and all that!

I must have been a good girl this year because Santa dropped another surprise tonight - My old TV works!!! After Go Kart, my colleagues came back to my place and I was gonna show them my late best friend. Thus, I turned on its life-support system and it was magically working perfectly!! How weird and wonderful is that!!! (It should have nothing to do that he kissed the TV, right?)

We then played some board games at my place and some quotes are definitely going to win some of them the X'mas Awards next year for sure!!

"What's the other name for a Wonder Bra?" Girl team asked.
"Humm....I don't know exactly what's a wonder bra, but I know the colour. Does it count??"
"Huh????!!!!"

How he knew the colour when he had NO IDEA what's a wonder bra is still a mystery!!

First X'mas Present

It was a very nice surprise to come home and find a X'mas present sitting on my doormat, especially after a day like today. I am deeply touched by his sweet thought and kind wishes.

Section Christmas Party

I didn't expect Waiheke would be such a nostalgic place for me. The emotion was so overwhelming that I barely sustained myself. Fortunately, ppl were so into their X'mas joyful mood and no one seemed to mind/notice/care my quietness. The vineyard was further into the island, which helped a lot to get over my pathetic sentimentality. I quickly tucked myself into the shimmering valley of beautiful olive groves, grapevines, ambience, unlimited alcohol supply, hot/attractive waitress and croquet.

The weather was perfect and everything seemed to be so much funnier at the time. I remember that everyone was laughing at the most trivial things for the entire afternoon. Must be the alcohol!!

Richard Fish award - Who has been the biggest perve this year? The nomination are:

• J for txting S (a guy) using C's phone "You are so hot without your cloth on!"
• J for txting Anita, "Like the stars in the skies, your eyes lit up the universe. Like the milky way in the universe, you're the most mysterious creature on earth."
• J for asking Anita "What is your hourly charging rate on K'd Rd?"

The work/life balance award - For the person who achieved the impossible.
"The winner is... Anita for all the extracurricular activities she is doing!"
"On K'd Road!!" Someone shouted out!
"No! OFF K'd Road" Someone else corrected it.
"^$%*$^%&..." What can I say, except taking my shot!

P.S. Trust me! It was much funnier at the time.

She Resigned!

I knew it was coming, but it was still a shock when I found out she is leaving!

I am happy for her as I know it's time for her to move on and grab a better opportunity. However, What about the poor little ME?!!

Without her,
who is gonna give me all the techinical guidance?
who is gonna protect me from all the blame?
who is gonna dodge a bullet for me when I am overloaded?
who is gonna share/start all the gossip?
and who is gonna do all the murmur so I don't have to?

She has made my last 8 months so enjoyable at work and it's really sad to see her go. I guess I have to grow up a bit and be more responsible now ;)

I wish I could say something smart;
I wish I could give more comfort;
I wish I could be more helpful,
but I feel really helpless at this moment!

I would give you a hug;
A hug without me saying anything;
A hug that lasts as long as you need!
I would give you all my love,
if only it would ease you with less struggle

I wish there is more time for you
but I hope you seize every moment
To do whatever you need to do;
To say whatever you need to say;
To forgive whoever you need to for giving;
To forget whatever you need to for getting;
To love whoever you need to love.

21st and X'mas in the Park

21st birthday party?! Yes, I know that it seems weird that I still hang out with that age group, but come on! I am not far off from that age group, aren't I? Don't answer that!

I wasn't prepared to see him there as I double checked with the birthday boy about who were gonna be there and his name wasn't mentioned. I noticed myself talking to everyone but saved him for the last. He probably was feeling as awkward as I was, so we managed to avoid each other easily at the beginning. Then, after I was more grounded, we finally had some pleasant chat and everything seemed normal afterward. It was a lovely night to catch up with everyone, esp with him.

I left around 1am and had to get up to do my car service at 8am the next day. I was so tired that I couldn't repeat my cellphone number to the mechanic. I was like,
"021-25.....no I mean 021-2115...Doh!.....Can I just write it down? :$"

After reading my book for 3 hours at McDonald with a coffee and a breakfast, and $500 later, I finally got my car home safely. I then went to the Christmas in the Park to do fundraising for Youthline, so I can get a free feed and a free T-shirt :P I was actually pretty good at selling! I may consider it as my 2nd career :P. As far as I am concerned, the target market were definitely little kids with big family and group of friends with bf/gf!!

The firework was so incredible that totally made up for the rain and the cold. I was jumping and jaw-dropping while I was watching the firework. It was a magical moment that everything around me seemed to blend into the background and it was just me and the fabulous firework. The night ends with a warm friendly goodbye which left me timidly at a loss for words.

"Hey, how has your evening been? Would you like to buy a Santa hat to keep you/your kids/family/partner warms?"

"How about a light stick?"
"Does it keep me warm?"
"Umm....for a while?!"

You and Me

I am so sorry to hear what you have gone through. None of it is your fault! Please stop blaming yourself because nothing justifies what he did! What happen to you should have never happened, my dear child.

I know that everything seems so helpless and hopeless to you and you feel you can't trust anyone anymore. However, there are good ppl out there and I hope one day you will be able to find ppl whom you can trust, love and be loved again. Your amazing strength has impressed and inspired so many others and I deeply believe that one day you will embrace all these and offer so much more to the ppl who around you.

Hang in there, my dearest child. When you are ready in your own time, I'll be sharing that moment of joy with you side by side.

It was a wonderful feeling to have something to look forwards after work - to be back home to the loved one.

Oh! TV!

Free

I have been

• TV free;
• Car free - I finally got around and fixed it;
• Cellphone free - I left it in my car with the mechanic;
• Internet free - It just gave up on me for 2 days;
• Bank card free - I left it with my mechanic when I went to picked up my car/cellphone (It was rather embarrassed when I couldn't pay my 1kg of cherry and 3 packs of strawberry at vege shop).
  

They all happened in this week.. Oh well, at least I got free lunch twice this week :P