Chocolate dreams

Three birthday cakes, two birthday celebrations, only once each year.

Last Saturday I got to explore Lamma Island briefly with Karen, Pinky and Jamie as it was K's day of relaxation/celebration. There's definitely a stronger hippie feel compared to other Lantau villages or outlying islands. It's pretty convenient to get to, a 30 minute ferry ride from Central gets you to Yung Shue Wan and from there we walked over to Hung Shing Yeh beach. Beach is alright, a few sun tanners and Chinese tourists as well -interesting mix of different ethnicities. The weather was gorgeous but sadly with regards to the scenery there were 3 chimney stacks in the near distance (hk electric?) which is quite unfortunate because apart from that, the area is really quaint and relaxing. Picture time:


Wine kept out in this heat? *ponders.. That homemade hazelnut & chocolate cake by jan was pretty amazing! Hope your bday was filled with your closest loved ones and all the best in the new year :)

On Sunday it was J's turning of quarter of a century old and we had a pleasant meal with his family on the south side. Even though he just got back in the evening, it was nice to spend the remainder of the day with him. =) HB from PB, health and happiness all the way! *big hugs
<3 <3 <3

Tomorrow is another day

gr..ever disliked something with such passion that you wanted to explode like a ticking time bomb? All I can say is that I'm so relieved to be out of there. Yeah, one might think that it's this new generation of spoiled brats who can't handle hardship n' stuff but no, I feel like I've done enough retail/low paying labour in 3-4 years to know that this office job that paid extremely well was just NOT right for me (only after 4 days!). Good thing the contracts said that either parties could end the employment immediately because I would seriously pop a blood vessel if I had to stay there any longer. I was telling my parents about it and they were kind of surprised by a western company's controlling tactics and they just laughed when they saw me get so worked up about something that I hated. Not only was the work not right for me but there IS something fundamentally wrong with their operations as it doesn't take an idiot to understand why the previous girlsss did not last. I truly give props to anyone who can mentally endure that place for over a week because that place is a total 'dream and social life killer'. A disclaimer should be made in 12pt of the health/mental hazards that can come with crazy work environments. lol I could perhaps hack the long hours but long term wise, no proper lunch AND dinner breaks, well I don't want to put my health on the line again.. I used to be pretty neutral when people ask me the question on happiness vs. money but for this particular instance I know 100% that I pick happiness because I don't want to feel pressured just because they're paying me x amount. ugh.. makes me boil again but I won't rant anymore even though there's alot more to say... What a horrible experience but at the same time now I know... Can't possibly be happier to tick that one off my list.

Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts..

Art jamming in tst with boo and friends last week. It would've been cool if we coordinated our paintings so he was a cookie monster or something on the other canvas and be shooting back with chocolate chip BB-gun pellets. haha We only had 2 hours to paint but it was pretty fun. =)

Gorgeous Sunday sunset on the ferry back to Central.

I feel so vitamin D & J deprived this week. Getting too much indoor lighting and not enough quality time with human beings. One more day.

Finger's crossed

Will let some photos describe what goes into my tummy and what goes on in my life during the month of July:

Watching the exciting Spain vs. Germany game at Stanley where I won my first bet with J. It makes everything that much more exciting when something is on the line. KEKEKE

Pretty self-explanatory.. =D Oi I was being reaaally nice already.

Mmm..smoked salmon eggs benedict shared with yves. The strawberry compote and yoghurt waffles were really tasty as well. =D

So pretty I almost don't want to eat. ALMOST hehe Love their scones with strawberry+rose jam and fresh clotted cream. Thanks to the Duchess of Bedford we can enjoy high tea whenever we please. *nibble om nomnomnom lol

An amazing iced chocolate drink at Vero with abit of crunch and snap!

A very sexay neon green lambo in Central.

I am an alien :P

Dinner and drinks at Tivo with old coworkers just like the good ol times

Yum cha on a beautiful day at iSquare. Got to meet my 4 month old niece for the very first time and see how much my 14 month nephew has grown. Both very cute with chubby "I wanna pinch them so badly but I also don't want to traumatize them" cheeks.

First time going to the beach this year to catch some rays at Shek O with siu pink & ling yee. Apparently my thighs look like weiners? -_- Accidentally fell asleep but no harm done *whew

Testing the fish-eye function on the iphone and catching up with kho at Brunch Club. This place gets so packed at lunch hour and then virtually empty after.

Eat Pray Love, the latest book that I'm reading. Yes yes and yes! ..please =)

What will tomorrow bring

I've counted my calendar and it's been almost 58 days from the 'start date' and for the first time I truly feel like things are brightening up. *PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR* haha I mean each time I saw my doctor he would tell me that things are going well and really boost my morale but yesterday he looked at my wound and was really really happy with the speed in which the wound has healed. Since the last time he saw me he said it has healed up exponentially (almost half as big) and gave an estimation that in approx two weeks time, it should be fully recovered! whoaomgosh.. I wasn't expecting everything to be healed that fast so it kind of comes as a surprise when you learn that the end is in sight. yea, I think it's all the tlc that I've been receiving. hehee It feels like it's been so long since I've done anything strenuous so can't wait to be back outside doing something fun!

Mmm.. so I have been taking things pretty easy lately, reading, hanging/eating with friends, meeting the parents, watching movies like Salt & Inception over the weekend which was pretty amazing! Loved the movies..both were very entertaining. However at the same time it kind of bothers me because I feel like I don't deserve some of these things when I'm not working at the moment. Maybe I am being too hard to myself and but I think I'll only be able to fully enjoy socializing/shopping/eating once I have a stable job under my belt. I've started job searching and have an interview tomorrow with this group that I would love to be associated with. Might be tough work and measly pay but we'll see how it goes :P

Since things have settled down pretty good now except for some weekly check-ups.. here's some of my goals for the next month:
1. Find a job that pays decently and won't have to work till v. late.
2. Go running 3 times a week, average 5-10km per run.
3. Go hiking and biking on the weekends.
4. Try and cook more often.
5. Have quality hangouts with Jboy and girl friends :)

I'm pretty excited yet anxious for the month of August. Bu zhi dao wei shenme dan shi wo hui yong gan mian dui.

Round II

This time everything went really smooth. Thank goodness for full body anesthesia, go to sleep..dream for awhile which I did but forgot about what and wake up laughing in disbelief! I remember feeling a little high when I woke up and asking the nurses if they did the operation yet before passing out again and waking up in my room. Perhaps mine was more on the weak side but I didn't feel groggy, cold or have poor appetite afterward. I know it's not fair to compare local vs. private hospitals but...I can't help it. Makes life so much easier when you don't have to bring your own metal containers when you want to eat, basic soap and tissue paper when you want to use the washroom, no biatchy nurses that stab you with IV drips every few hours and lastly no foul smell wherever you go. It's crazy how my accommodation ward in HK was the most basic and yet I already felt like a Queen, happily ordering away from the extensive menu and feeling like I was staying at a hotel. heehe I feel so stupid for putting myself through this crap but I guess I wasn't thinking straight with the pain and discomfort that I was experiencing and I really had no clue that the hospital conditions were going to be 'that' bad over in China. Sigh..never again.

Well, just want to give a big hug to my frds who were able to stop by, I really appreciate your company =) Fruits were yum and the lil gifts super helpful. And thank *YOU for stopping by everyday. Wasn't expecting you a few times so was very happy (as always) when you're around..because to me those are the most priceless moments.

Snapped some shots from my iphone. Yes..I've finally converted when I vowed that I'd never get one. teehee I've caved and am a follower of apple. Love it! :D

Happy Valley view from the 20/F.
PINK.
LOL

Time for pc to start the recovery process all over again. *Kazaaa

ET has returned home

..but still feeling slightly alien around here. =P Even though I'm SO glad to be back, I'll really miss the simple ways of life in BJ like: riding our bikes out to wudaokou, grabbing the 731 bus to zhongguancun, wearing flip flops everywhere, grabbing milk tea boba from Happy Lemon, a slice of cake from Cafe Bros, hanging out at 10 years cafe & cramming for the next exam over a big basket of popcorn. Eating subway sandwiches when I was feeling sick, eating cheap dumplings & congee in the canteen, watching man versus food and movies on the laptop, student discounts at the cinema, the polite cleaning lady who comes by every other day, the dry weather and of course all the peanut butter + jelly days.

heh If I had to highlight certain things I'll definitely say it's been most memorable living on my own for the very first time. I'm pretty independent so apart from the homesickness during the first week, everything else was smooth sailing. This has been longest time I've ever been away from my family and I've grown closer to my mom for sure..just from her worrying how I'm doing and what I eat on a daily basis. lol Then there was traveling with some great friends. Going to Inner Mongolia has taught me the meaning of 'roughing it out' in extremely cold weather. =) I'd love to explore more places in China someday..places which are far away from civilization with amazing landscapes.

The first sun-rise I saw in the grasslands at around 6am.
The sun-rise on the 2nd day in the dessert.
:)

And then there's that trip to Zhangjiajie in Hunan province, the place that looks like the Avatar mountains but less touristy compared to Huangshan. Although it was a pretty long train ride down and the scenery looks really familiar by the 3rd day, it was still very breathtaking.

The blistering hot 186 step up to the Tai Shan XP

It's kind of sad to leave despite everything that's happened. Seasons pass, people come and go, things happen and the only thing you can do is treasure all good times & accept all the things that have happened, learn from past experiences and just start from here. My language partner taught me this proverb during our last meeting and I feel like its pretty applicable to me right now: [温故知新] a saying by Confucius and the rough translation of it would be 'Warm up the old in order to know the new.'

Aside from practicing Mandarin, which I'll need to resume and continue learning in HK, I guess I've gone in treating Beijing as my very long vacation. In the past 2.5 years that I've been working, I don't think I've taken any longer than 7 days off. Even though the past month has been pretty crazy emotional for me and the whole ordeal is still far from over (MRI and possibly surgery on Sat), I would hands down label this as the most memorable experience in my lifetime. You might go 'yeahh right' but I'm not kidding! Such a wide spectrum of ups and downs... I guess one can say that I've also caught a glimpse of the University life which I felt like I missed back in the day but looking back again have I really missed that much? Yes and no, I think. There might be things which we wish we can go back in time to change and other things that you are perfectly content with..which I am very much so at present. =)

It's time for me to say good-bye Beijing. No wait..see you later Beijing! hehe It'll sound incredibly cheesy but this is only the beginning, not the end.

Taking a trip down memory lane
Things have changed One thing remains
That they will always have each other
And even though those days have gone
They know here is where they belong
Theres some kinda magic in the air

Feel the warmth
That only summer breezes can bring
Sweet little notes of spring begin
Nothing to fear

Taking one step at a time
Walking hand in hand
1 2 3 4
Cheek to cheek
And they're learning how to do that dance
Let this love be forever more they say
I wish for this, to be true for you and me

Holding her close he leading the way
Out at the park enjoying the Day
And you can tell they'll be ok
Feel the warmth
That only summer breezes can bring
Sweet little notes of spring begin
Nothing to fear

Taking one step at a time
Walking hand in hand
1 2 3 4
Cheek to cheek
And they're learning How to do that dance
Let this love be forever more they say
I wish for this, to be true for you and me

You & Me - Olivia Ong