Coffee anyone?

I have already got 2 (you need to send to different addresses though!)
http://www.sharesenseo.com/index.jsp?q=e-v30_31 
You get a couple things with the Senseo, but you have to pay $15 for shipping and handling (prob. not worth it to some of you guys). I can’t wait to use it (w/ decaff of course)! Woohoooooo!

BOY!

He’s due 2/12/08!

測字,先不要看答案,想完再看唷~


日字再多一筆劃，你最先想到什麼字？                   
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結果

[mood | busy ]
[music| 五月天-志明與春嬌]

Moving Update

I have finally settled in to my new apartment. What a nightmare! First there was that whole moving-not-moving-I don’t know where the hell we’re moving to- fiasco and then there were little things during the move.

-The move took longer than expected= we spent more $ on movers than intended.

-Dish does not work in this apartment (despite what the rental office told us). Trees do block the satellite. Result= no more Chinese Satellites. I now have ONE channel on cable.  But I did get tivo, on demand and I think the picture looks better on a 1080P tv with cable!

Other than that, we’re pretty much unpacked, furniture is in place, etc. My closet is a disaster, but that’s because I am packing and storing most of my clothes as I am way too fat now to fit them  I guess this is an excuse to go shopping now…

My mom is out here visiting, so I am making her paint while I am at work. She’s painting the baby room light green and snoopy (Elaine, I know you’d love it!), my bedroom teal (just one accent wall–I was shocked at the bold color, especially since my sheets and blanket colors are red, black and ivory–we’ll see how it turns out) and the living room orange (also just an accent wall). So, we’re slowly getting decorated.

五月天 (MayDay) Concert

I went to the Mayday Jump Concert in LA last Sunday (yeah, yeah, I know, I am getting baby started on Taiwanese things early ). It was pretty fun, although it wasn’t as re nao as their concerts in Taiwan are. I was shocked that you couldn’t bring in a camera (my cell phone took crappy pics!) and that it was ‘sit down’, but in the end it worked out better (but it didn’t stop me from getting up and jumping and dancing around…hehe). I did get some pretty weird looks from people there, especially while I was singing along (especially the Taiwanese song志明與春嬌 ) and of course, I was the only white person there…

Here’s more info on Mayday  http://www.imayday.com/index.htm

I can’t wait for the Jay Chou concert on  Dec 24.…anyone want to come with?

Did I mention that I totally love living in SoCal?

SchoolS Update

I have spent the past week getting my 2 classrooms together. I hate the fact that I am again being split between 2 schools. But, it’s more pay this way because I end up being 6/5 and still in some way have a prep period (even though I am not supposed to) so I can’t complain! My middle school classroom looks awesome, as always and my elementary is coming along. I need the grant to buy me more stuff to make that room look better–they’re saying they’ll give $500 but I’m asking for $1000. I think part of the reason it sucks is that I didn’t spend 16 hours on drawing the Great Wall and making a pagoda. Oh well. I don’t plan on  being there more than this year, so the middle school is still my priority. I will take pics and post later. I made thousands of books this weekend for character writing, and needless to say I am burnt out before it’s even started

I am kind of looking forward to meeting those new little kids though (teaching 2-3 &5th grades)  and I am pleased w/ my 7th and (for the most part) my 8th grade classes. I have no idea how my 6th graders will be like….better whip them into shape that first day  jk!

Happy Labor Day Weekend Everyone!!!!!

[mood | Furious]
[music| Andy Lau 劉德華- Superman 超人]

Warning: This is a major bitchfest…. Read at your own risk!

Moving:

UGH! OMG  First off let me say that I HATE moving. I am so sick of it. I have moved, seriously, once a year for like 10 years. I don’t know why I do this to myself.  I have been in Cali for 2 years and this will be my 4th (yes f-o-u-r-t-h) apartment here (in my complex!). Yeah, the mailman hates me. Oh well.

Anyways, I always try to be organized. So before leaving to Taiwan I went ahead and signed the new lease, scheduled the movers, arranged for all things that were coming UPS/Fedex to go to the new address, change over parking info, forward my mail, set up the new utilities, call the Dish Network and have them schedule a move, set up for the internet people to come out, etc. I was scheduled to come back on the 15th and start moving on the 18th. That would give me 3 days to pack.

Wellllllll so the 18th comes and I go downstairs to start taking small things to the new apt (no need to waste hours on the movers for things I can do myself ) and I realize that someone is still living there. WTF???? Ok I know by California law the tenant has to move out and the apt has to be turned over (cleaned, sanitized, carpet cleaned, walls repainted, damages repaired, etc. before they can rent it out to someone else….and there was no way they’re going to do this all in the next hour). So livid, I call the rental office. They’re like “Oh, the tenant isn’t moving out–he decided last minute, while you were in Taiwan, that he didn’t like the new apt and wasn’t moving”. Ummmm WTF?! OK so 1. why not call me and let me know and 2. if I already signed the lease, doesn’t that make the new apt mine???

Ugh so I call and cancel all the utilities and go to reforward my mail, which is totally screwed up now, and also came to realize that that tenant received all of my mail while I was in Taiwan and sent it all back!!!! (He knew someone else was moving in, he could have totally taken it to the rental office) But noooo he had it sent back. So there goes all my bills, my 五月天(mayday) concert tickets (now I have to go pick them up the day of the concert), my paycheck stub, my new credit cards, etc. So I spent a whole afternoon calling, paying over the phone, etc.

 我真的超級無敵非常他媽的好生氣﹗﹗﹗﹗﹗﹗﹗

So later that day, the rental office lady calls me back (thought you didn’t have my number, biatch) and tells me that there is a new apt I can move into on Friday. It’s $80 more a month. Well I flip out on her and tell her she needs to give it to me for the price of the original. She says she’ll talk to the manager and call me back. Thankfully she worked that one out and Friday it is. Totally sucks because this week was repacking and now refowarding mail, tracking down my fedexes (that guy is an idiot–he just put it inside his apt and didn’t open it…. then after I picked it up he called the rental office and said I had a package but UPS came and got it…yeah, I look like UPS). This move has totally screwed up my work schedule, I was supposed to run a 補習課for my former 8th graders this week, and now it looks like I have to move it to Monday (which was supposed to be my copy/prep day for school). If that rental lady tells me Friday I can’t have my new apt I think the next time you will see me is on the evening news…

School:

Oh joy, it’s that time of year again. Time for back to school. You know the back to school commercials are really starting to piss me off  I did get some work done today (parent letters, course outlines, course expectations, syllabi, etc.) as well as my expense budget for Taiwan (what a bitch!!!) and notebook w/ receipts (it’s so awesome) and updated my school webpage…I need to go to work and print out all the things I made today and make copies. Maybe tomorrow….

I did get a sneak peak at my rosters…8th grade class looks like it sucks! lol and my 7th is pretty sweet. Of course I won’t know my elementary kids or my new 6th graders. I am teaching from 8-10 at TCES and then from 10:50-3:25 at the middle school. Should be okay! And I am getting 6/5 pay this year baby, yeah!!!

Movie Updates:
It’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted one of these…(remember my weekly cuteegg movie posting?) I saw a few movies in Tawian…

Transformers: I give it a C- Personally I think I am being generous here. I thought it sucked. Sure the first few times they transformed it was cool, but the story line, or lack of totally sucked. Blah!

Die Hard 4.0: Damn, how can Bruce Willis be so damn old and in shape and making those movies? 他死不了﹗ 好吊﹗I give it an A+, it was very entertaining!

The Simpsons: Hillarious! I give it an A++!

Secret 不能說的秘密﹕I have to give it an A because I LOVE Jay Chou. It was a good movie. I don’t know why none of my Taiwanese friends would go w/ me to see it (booo!) but it was a great story and 拍的好﹗If you can DL it somewhere you should!

Hmmm I think I am out of things to bitch about or update you on….I better finish my packing!

PS. It should be against the law for some man to look that good at 45! Damn 劉德華帥到不行﹗﹗﹗

For some reason I can’t post  you tube videos on here (help!) so here’s the link …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_p2ZmGGl-8

[mood | bittersweet]
[music| 五月天- 我又初戀了]

I’m back from Taiwan! It was great to go back (it’s been 3 years) and I definitely missed my friends there. I didn’t get to see everyone (sorry guys!) that I planned on seeing, but there is always next summer!

So, more of an update later….I know you guys just want to see the pics anyways!

On the way to Taiwan…

@ LAX waiting for our flight

That is the first meal on the plane. The way back was even nastier, so I didn’t bother with a pic (plus I couldn’t reach my bad due to super-bitch in front of me)

We flew China Air. It was my first time flying with them and I wouldn’t reccomend it again. Stick w/ Eva or Singapore Air. Even the time I went on United was better. The flight there was okay–every nice new leather seat had it’s own personal tv screen and you could watch movies, hear songs or play games in Chinese or English. The food sucked of course, the lu rou fan…eh not even I could have made it that bad but nothing beats the flight back. IT SUCKED!!! There were no more nice new leather seats, instead itchy, dirty smelly ones. Forget the personal tv’s, there was just ONE for the whole section. Oh and there was less leg room, not to mention the old annoying Vietnamese biatch that sat in front of me who had sheer pleasure of flying, not gently reclining, her seat back, cracking my knees everytime. I have bruises!!!! oh and don’t forget the loud autistic kid who screamed and talked for all 12 hours! Ugh…

I didn’t take a lot of pics in Taiwan due to the horrible weather (2 typhoons and tons of rain) and my crankiness. For those of you who didn’t already know I am already (unexpectently) 14 weeks pregnant, so I am sure that didn’t help my mood.

So we stayed w/ my friend Winny (fegecheng), who is 7 months pregnant. She is still tiny and probably weighs less than me!!!  (excuse me, I am completely hormonal right now lol). I love staying at Winny’s house. Basically we did a lot of catching up w/ friends, some sight seeing for sake of my school (I will spare you with those pics), visiting family and friends, and shopping.

This time was different than every other time in Taiwan. More on that later….

So as you wanted, time for pics!

Sam, Weiyi, Nikolena and Fanny @ Ferris Wheel at 美麗華 (Mirimar)

Charlie & I at the Ferris Wheel.

As you can see I hate when Charlie takes my pic, so every pic he took I didn’t smile in. I am not sure why I have that habit. For some reason it just annoys me. Oh and that Ferris Wheel is HUGE; it takes 20 mins to do the full circle!

Winny, Nikolena and Charlie outside of Winny’s apartment. As yuo can see, our tummies are big now…

Sam, Winny, Nikolena, Charlie and Weiyi. It’s funny, I am the only white girl in the pic…but even with heels I am the shortest!

Sam, Nikolena, Charlie and Wei-yi

Sam, Nikolena and Wei-yi @ the airport (I know, we do this same pic every year)

Winny and I at the airport–I think we’re doing the belly-bump

everyone at the airport

Charlie, Nikolena, Wei-yi and Sam enjoying a Costco pizza﹗

Winny and I posing w/ the Simpsons. Btw…this movie was hillarious!

What is Sam doing to Bart?!?!

Whew, finally a normal one

Look at Winny & Homer, she’s such a homewrecker

See, I mean it’s like Marge doesn’t even exist….lol

Bozhi and I posing outside of a bar. He wouldn’t put me on his back for this one!

Charlie, Sam, Bozhi, Wei-yi, Winny, Nikolena, Fanny (Sam’s twin sister) Xiao Zi (Angela) and her bf at a bar.

Don’t ask why I look so bitchy in my pics….lol I was having a good time, I swear!

Claire, Nikolena, Xiao Zi, Winny, Charlie and Sam @ Xin Jiang BBQ Restaraunt.
(Wei-yi had already left and Fanny hadn’t yet arrived.) This place is pretty good but really hard to find!

another shot

boys only

oh lookie, they posed

girls only

again…

Claire and I—Claire it totally sucks that you’re not coming back to LA! I am going to miss you la!!!!

Charlie and I in Hua Lien 花蓮

Chalrie’s aunt, uncle and me in Hua Lien

With an aborigine 原住民from the A-Mei Tribe

More family pics in Hua Lien

Charlie’s cousin, Aunt, Uncle, and A-Ma

Replace the cousin w/ me….

Charlie and I at Taroko Gorge (I will post all the Hua Lien scenery in a later post)

And yes, I know the airport pics should be at the end, but oh well .

I neeeeed xanga premium

[edit] as you can see I already went ahead and upgraded. I couldn’t stand not posting any longer!!!!

[mood |sad ]
[music| teardrops falling ]

3 days ago my aunt went to the hospital because she had weird bruising everywhere. They admitted her overnight. The next day they got results from the mayo clinic and found out she has leukemia. Today they called and apparently the blood hemmoraged in her brain and she’s in a coma. I guess because of the leukemia, she doesn’t have the platelets to stop the bleeding.

I want to go home. Next week is the last week of school and I am out of sick days. I don’t know what to do. On one hand I want to be there, to see her, even if she won’t know I am there. On the other I wonder if I should–what if I show up and she’s already gone?

I can’t even believe how quick it happened. I guess it’s acute leukemia. The fastest and most fatal kind.

My aunt lived with my mom, my grandparents and I growing up. It’s almost like losing a 2nd mom. I spent the whole day at work not paying any attention to my students, but texting back and forth and taking phone calls from family. Right now I am overwhelmed with sadness. Her and my uncle got married right after HS–she has 3 sons, all under the age of 25. Right now I think my grandparents are taking this the hardest…I can’t bear to hear my grandpa cry. My grandma can’t even talk. It just seems so unfair that this can come so sudden, and so fierce…

[Edit] My aunt passed away around 1am. RIP Aunt TT, I will miss you!

[mood | partying like a rockstar]
[music|Wang LeeHom--Birthday]

So it’s that time of the year again. I am now officially old…er, I mean 28

I spent my bday this year in ChinaTown. Taking my 8th graders on a field trip seemed more fun than spending my Bday in a classroom teaching all day!

I asked my students to arrive at 7:30am because we needed to leave by 7:45 to board our 8:30am train. The kids were there at 7 and in that time they prepared me a special bday song and dance LOL. Charlie and I were a little shocked walking up. Oh and they also brought me flowers, candies, a bracelet and some Chinese chop set. So cute ^__^

The Amtrak was nice (car on the way back was nicer–we were moved to first class!) It was even nicer that my dentist (studen’ts dad) bought me a drink on the ride there hahahah

We arrived in China Town around 10am and walked up to eat at Empress Pavillion for Dim Sum. Not bad. I felt sorry for the poor waiters and cart ladies who were trying to deal w/ 20 white kids screaming “Wo yao zhege, Wo yao neige” the whole time. Overall, my kids loved dimsum and tried it all. Chickenfeet and jelley fish were a hit Oh the duck was popular too. And they cleared out the boba cart.

There was one guy there (maybe a manager) who was apparently upset that we had them give us a seperate ticket per kid for dimsum (because I didn’t want to sit there and have them figure out who ordered what and needs to pay, etc. Trust me it was easier this way, each kid pays for what they ordered off the cart, even if they shared). I know this makes for like 20 bills, but so what. Anyways, the guy went on to state that it was “ma fan” and a few of my students overheard. One even turned around like “I’m not mafan” LOL.

Anyways’ here are some pics of the trip…more later. I have a bday cake to eat ^_^

[mood | happy]
[music| Ma Ting- Perfect Moment]

Engagement Update

Ok first things first. I totally forgot to ever come back and give you the whole engagement story

It’s really simple. He kind of asked me over Xmas break when we were in Ohio but being that it was like a spur of the moment asking, and he didn’t have a ring, I was like whatever, he’s not serious, and ignored it

So we looked around at rings one day and I showed him what I liked, didn’t like, etc. Still wasn’t taking it as a hint! (Ok, I am very naive like that la). Anyways, one morning, maybe around 6(or some ungodly time)I kept feeling something going on with my finger. I was like “WTF are you doing?!?!?!” (only because he’s really cuddly and it was weird to be touching my finger lol and I am extremely cranky in the morning). Then I think I said something about stop bothering me and let me sleep. But then DING DING DING! I realized something just happened and that there was a ring (a big 2.01 carat round solitare) on my left finger!

Needless to say, I was no longer cranky, and I said YES!

(ok and I totally suck at telling stories lol)

(ps. I have since changed the setting to one w/ small pave diamonds, not the plain solitare hehe)

Wedding Planning…

…is a nightmare!!!! OMG there is SO much to do. We’re having it in LA, so out of town friends make sure to send me your addys!

I have no idea of the timeline, or anything, but I know we’re having a tea ceremony (Ling, Winny and Ashley–you girls better think of some torture–he hates Taro! LOL); western ceremony; then traditional Chinese banquet.

We did pick an officiant who is bilingual (Mandain and English), we’re between 2 DJ’s/MC, I picked the songs for ceremony, and some for the reception (PLEASE SEND ME POPULAR& UPDATED MANDARIN SONGS!!!!!), flower place (but not sure about what flowers yet), we’re between 3 locations for the ceremony, 2 for reception, we picked out invitations, mom made save the dates, thank you cards, etc. Hmm what else?

OH! I did pick out my wedding gown and colors. Will post all that later. And we did get our lucky date–8/9/08!

My  mom has been great about making things…she’s so creative and artsy (something I didn’t get)

Work

Well surprise, surprise, I am up for rehire next year. But they don’t have FT. So it’s back to elementary school I go for the mornings. I am staring Chinese at another school, so now our district has 2 elementary schools, one middle and one HS that offers Mandarin Chinese. Oh and the cool thing is after next year, I will get tenure. YAY!

Summer

I am going to Taiwan this summer to see Winny and study!!! So excited I haven’t been back in a few years, so I am super excited! Well, I may skip the study (even though I really need to work on my Taiwanese–FI’s family only really speaks Taiwanese) but we’ll see.

So I will write more later, and I apologize in advance. My blog may turn into a wedding planning one for a while  hehe and don’t worry, for those of you in the LA/OC area who may wed soon (ahemm Yvonne ) I will post vendor info/reviews!