Home Sweet Home!

Finally back on Toronto soil after 6 months and it feels great to be home!  It was time for a much needed break and it’s been way too long since I’ve had my momma’s home cooking.  I’ve been stuffing my face since the day I came back which means I need some serious diet resolutions when I get back to BC.  The feasting began with hotpot on Saturday, Chinese New Year dinner on Sun, Pho and PizzaPizza on Monday, dimsum and Ajisen Ramen on Tues, and Jack Astor’s today.  Asides from gaining 10lbs, it’s been great to be home and out and about the neighbourhood.  Libby has grown so much since I left home in Aug, she’s about 30lbs now. Cute but bratty at times, just like a baby.  She’s definitely well loved in the family.  Despite the cold weather here, it’s nice to NOT be the only one wearing a parka around town like I was back in Vancouver lol.  I knew I was overdressed cause TNA jackets don’t seem to be ever needed for the Vancouver weather, but it’s the only “winter” jacket I have!  Clearly the Vancouver winter is nothing like Toronto winter!  One other thing I did notice is that there’s definitely less Olympic spirit here than in Vancouver.  I know the Games are there and not here, but why?!  C’mon Toronto…we’re part of Canada too!  I’m definitely not looking forward to the commute to/from work when I get back to BC but I can’t wait to be in the hustle and bustle of all the Olympic madness.  Might as well check out all the free venues while it’s around!

One week vacation is so short…hence why I have to cram all the eating into this week. Sigh, probably gonna gain another 10lbs before I leave on Sunday.

Muuuah! Lub you Libbs!

Is it NYE again already?!

It’s NYE 2009 and I’m sitting here @ work.  Not that I’m counting, but 1 hour 10 mins to go.  This entire week I’ve been so fidgety at work cause everyone else is out and about with their time off while I’m trucking to work @ 6 in the morning.  C’mon peoples, who reeeeally needs to open up claims on NYE, who reeeeally needs to buy travel insurance on NYE. 

My new year’s reso’s are the same as last year’s and all the previous years before: spend less $$, lose weight, exercise, and be more productive.  I have 6 weeks until I go home which means I have to shed 10lbs or I’ll never hear the end of it when I get back.  Typical Asian families will say “oh you’ve put on a bit of weight - you look great!” but my family has no reservations and I know exactly what they would say: “oh Rebecca, you’ve put on a bit of weight, you look fat.”  I’d much rather starve myself the next 6 weeks and avoid unecessary fat comments. 

Side note: Can’t wait to go home! Mama’s cooking, Ten Ren’s green tea slush, Demetre’s waffles, pork bone soup, here I come!

Happy New Year everyone!
Bottoms up.

Is it Christmas again already?

I really don’t know where all the time has gone the last 6 months.  Things have just been happening one right after another I don’t even have time to get a grip on what’s been going on the later half of 2009.  First things first - I finally saw my cardiologist last week and was told the wonderful news that I can try drinking my beloved Vietnamese coffee again as he doesn’t speculate that caffeine is the cause of my heart exploding episodes.  The verdict - reduce my stress and exercise more.  So I guess we all know what my new years resolution is.  Secondly, I finally received my 1st piece of BC id - my care card.  As ugly as it is (compared to the Ontario health card) I am forced to embrace my new identity because lets face it - I need access to health care here especially with my exploding heart.  At least I get to keep my OHIP card though.  Thirdly, I have officially gave up my Ontario driver’s license (though not at my own will) as of Dec 11/09.  Again it was a much dreaded process but nonetheless a process that needed to be done cause I have no proof of BC identity.  I was quite sad to part with my ON license - I even asked the CSR if I could keep my license as a “memory” in which she replied “I’m sorry I have to send it back to ON, it’s illegal to give it back to you.”  All I have left is a blurry pic of it on my bb. 

Speaking of which - my bb usb socket has officially malfuntioned - I can no longer charge it or take my pics off of it.  I’ve never felt more handicapped those couple days I couldn’t use my phone.  I think lately all my electronics have been cursed because they are breaking down on me one by one.  In the summer I broke my laptop cooler.  In the fall my power cord for my lappy almost exploded.  Last week my bb died, last night I found 2 lines of dead pixels running across my 3″ lcd screen on my point & shoot and it doesn’t stop there.  Tonight I find that my laptop battery has gone haywire too.  It used to last almost 1hr running on battery but tonight it doesn’t even last 5 mins - I have to keep it plugged in.  Talk about crappy timing for electronics to break down - when I’m still paying off all the house stuff and in the midst of Christmas shopping - the most expensive time of the year.  Yay me.

Only 4 more days till Christmas - I miss my famwee =(

Meeow

I’ve recovered from my cold-flu-almost-H1N1 but why do I still feel so shitty?  I feel like snuggling up with Tiger in bed and hibernating for a while…she’s really grown on me.  Sigh.  Can’t wait till the day I can afford a puppy.  Dogs will be loyal and genuine no matter what…

H1N1 my @ss!

All I can say is that I’m glad I don’t have it, but it still sucks being stuck @ home for the last 3 days.  Went into work on Monday morning only to be sent home after an hour cause I had sniffles.  Not only did I get sent home but I was also ordered to get a doctor’s note confirming I DON’T have swine.  Well I don’t have swine but my cold definitely got worse AFTER I went to the doctor’s that day - so I’m pretty sure my boss jinxed me.  Since the doc’s visit I’ve been coughing and hacking away, sniffling and congested, annoying the crap out of myself.

At times like this I wish my momma was here to take care of me cause let’s face it- when we’re sick, we want someone to take care of us.  I don’t care how independent you think you are, you still want someone to make you soup or congee and bring you your water along with your medication.  Sigh.

Life is like a box of…

shit.

Yup that sounds about right.

As I’m sure most of you know this past little while has been crazy busy - hence the lack of updates.  But nonetheless - I need to say thanks to everyone who helped me move and stickin’ around to build my furniture.  My place is still so empty and I can’t wait to finally settle in and feel cozy like it should.  I’ve only lived in my place for 1.5 weeks and now that I’m finally “on my own” I’m questioning myself if this is what I really wanted.  I wanted independence - I have it.  I wanted my own place - I have it.  I needed a job - I have one.  But why do I feel like I can’t make it on my own?  It’s so much harder than I thought…

A friend said to me the other day “God never gives us more than we can handle.”  As a Christian I would love to agree with that statement, but as a Christian who hasn’t gone to church for a while now…I think He has given me little more than a fair share of problems.  I guess growing never stops…

Still Alive, Maybe

It’s been a month since I started my job, and I’ve managed to doze off pretty much every day so far.  Why?  Because travel insurance is just oh-so-interesting.  It’s been 4 weeks of training and another 4 weeks left to go.  I can’t wait till I can finally do something else other than learning travel policy wording.   

As for my health - results from my Holter monitor came back not so good, need to get my heart checked out by a cardiologist cause my heart is “beating irregular for someone my age” says my doc…sigh.  I also need to cut down on caffeine, which means less nammer coffee and less tea.  *pouty face*

The last few months have been so crazy…and it ain’t stoppin anytime soon.  So many things to do, so many things to prepare, so many things to learn.

Happy New Year!

So as I mentioned before, September is my fresh start to a new year, and on Sept.11th I rang in my new year with a job offer.  I started work on Sept.14th, self-studied the entire week, and yesterday I passed my Level 1 exam.  The entire week I was freaking out that my brain would mix up Ontario insurance and BC inurance while writing the exam, and I probably did, but who cares, I still PASSED!!  It feels great to be finally working again.  Being that I’ve been working non-stop since I was 17, I’ve never felt like more of a bum this past year. 

Next on the checklist: a place to live, a much needed vacation, a car, and a puppy.

Year One

Wows.  Can’t believe it’s been a year already.  A year ago today I arrived at YVR to Will and Luke greeting me with “Welcome Hoe” plastered all over a giant yellow poster.  I still remember the moment I saw them because tears immediately welled up as they hugged me, despite already crying for the last 5 hours on the plane ride over.  I was homesick before I even stepped foot on the plane to Vancouver, and I was very much relieved and grateful to see familiar faces when I arrived in my new “home”. 

Time sure flew right by me this past year.  While the new year generally starts in January, my fresh start begins now - September 2009.  No turning back this time around.  Gotta keep on truckin’.

I Scream for Red Bean

Well I’ve been craving my red bean icecream drink for months now and I got a fix when I went back home to Toronto in July but I haven’t been able to find it out here in BC.  After a crummy day yesterday, I ended up in Richmond at Aberdeen Centre and found my drink at one of the booths in the food court, only to be diappointed yet again cause 1) it tasted like crap and 2) it tasted like crap, and 3) it tasted like crap.  The beans were still so hard, the ice was still in cubes, and the drink was so bland!  So after the let down, we ended up in the food court at Parker Place sampling 3 red bean drinks from 3 different booths.  I’m glad to report that after having FOUR of the same drinks in the same day, I finally found one that will make do until the next time I go home again.  Can you guess which one is the weeeiner?

In other news, I’ve been sleeping a little more, sometimes more than 4 hours which is an improvement from 3 hours a night.  Been drugged up on multivitamins, immune supports, echinacea and antibiotics.  Hurrah drugs.