In this page, you will get to explore the mind, events and feelings of a Chun Jui... ok, fine, judging from the past 22 years, my life is far from what you call "eventful" (in fact, "dull" might the be more appropriate adjective) but I'll try to keep my entries interesting!
Friday, August 30, 2002
I hate how some people think that I'm dumb enough for them to rip me off or take advantage of me. Even if you're doing so with a friendly smile on your face, don't think for a second that you've got me fooled into thinking that I will give you whatever you want! I may look stupid at times but like your teacher taught you, don't judge a book by its covers!! argghh.... Sorry, I just came home from work, where a mother of one of my students tried to rip me off. Don't ask-- it's a long story.
Anyway, yesterday was family day, as I didn't have to work and my dad took a day off too. I've noticed that we've been having more and more of these family days these past months. I feel touched that my parents value and cherish each moment they spend with me (my brother moving out probably sparked their realization that I, too, am pretty much an adult, and thus, will move out in time as well) but at the same time, it kind of makes me feel sad. It makes me feel kind of sad because it's like they know that they're getting older and that soon I will also be all grown up and no longer need them. It's like they feel that they need to spend as much time with me as possible before I no longer have time for them.
Anyhow, we went out for the whole day yesterday, and I feel dorky for being excited about this but we went to a really cool supermarket! Yeah, yeah, you can laugh as much as you want but really, this was a pretty neat place. =) It's new and it's a Chinese supermarket (although it also sells pretty much what other Western supermarkets sell) called T&T Supermarket, at The Promenade shopping mall. It's cool cuz they have this whole section where people can pick and assemble their own sushi platter. Each piece of each type of sushi is individually wrapped, and you just place whatever sushi you want into a box or platter for a set price (e.g. a box/platter of 20 pieces of sushi is about $17). Then, down the aisle, they have all these cool already prepared Vietnamese and Korean dishes. They are also individually packaged, and if necessary, all you have to do is to pop it into a microwave and it's ready to eat! They had all sorts of yummy stuff, like those Vietnamese rice flour rolls (they're like Chinese spring rolls, except they're wrapped with rice flour sheets)--- yum!! Oh, and besides the sushi, there was also a wide assortment of Japanese food too, like tempura (freshly made!), sashimi, soba noodles, etc. As you can guess, I was going bonkers because as everyone knows, I love to eat!! Oh, and they had a really good dessert section too...mmmm, coconut pudding! =D
Sabrina, I'm soooo glad you called! I am so sad to hear that your dad is back in the hospital. Just remember that no matter what happens, your dad is a very strong man, and that we can all learn from him. Please know that everything will be ok, even though it might not seem like that right now. I really hope to see you soon so we can talk some more. =)
Thursday, August 29, 2002
What a fun night! =) Me, Cindy, and Golnaz went for dinner at "Day and Night" and then to-- you guessed it!--- karaoke! heehee....Moaz and Courtney, Tammy and her sister joined us a little bit later but too bad they had to leave early. =( Gol, you're sooo funny at karaoke-- you've got the Michael Jackson thing going on!
Yesterday was one tiring day. In the morning, it was work, then off to an outlet mall with Cindy (major shopping, baby!! Well, I didn't really buy that much but we sure went in a lot of stores!). After a quick dinner with Dad at home, we were off to IKEA to shop for a new bookcase for me (I've got my brother's room to put my stuff in now!!), and THEN, after a long game of phone tag with Miranda, we FINALLY met up with each other and went to bubble tea. I was soooo tired but it was a satisfying day, cuz I felt like I did a lot of stuff in one day.
*sob sob*... a huge chunk of bank account is gone now after I paid my tuition today... =( I hope I can save up to go on a vacation next year after I graduate. Cuba for a week or an Asia tour for 3 or more weeks? Hmm... obviously, the latter is much more expensive but I think it would be worth every penny of it. I've now added South Korea as another Asian country I want to visit after watching a couple episodes of a Korean drama on TV. =) What do you think? Any suggestions? =)
Cindy, welcome to the new millenium!! =D You finally got DSL!! Yes, when I first got modem, I was totally amazed at the speed of it, and I was constantly online since everything was so much faster. But you're gonna have to tear yourself away from your computer soon and take a break from downloading all those mp3s! hahaha....
One more week until it's back to school.... *groan*. =(
Friday, August 23, 2002
Someone congratulate me cuz I got the job! =) Starting September 14, I will be teaching three grade two English classes. And how is this prinicipal really like in real life? Well, pretty much everything I expected, except maybe she's a little taller than I imagined... =P Anyway, someone correct me if I'm wrong but is it not unprofessional to be talking on the phone, having meetings with other people, and yelling at the employees downstairs all during a potential candidate's interview?? My appointment with this principal was at 11 am but I didn't even get to speak one word to her until 12 pm!! All this time, I was sitting in her office, watching and listening her do all the stuff I listed above. Then, when I kindly told her that I had to leave at 12:30 (I had to go to work, for goodness sake!), she got someone else to interview me (but in her presence), which was actually a good thing cuz he was soooo much nicer! Oh, and you wanna know the kicker?? She wrote in pencil at the top of my resume, "Has verbal problems"!! I'm assuming this is from when we had our WONDERFUL phone conversation a few weeks when the woman accused me of not being able to speak in a complete sentence/form/thought... arghh... If you have spoken to me lately, you would have heard me tell you that story in detail, and thus, would understand why she is so darn aggravating!! And, if you know me, you should know that I have no "verbal problems"--- in fact, it's sometimes hard to get me to shut up. =) Anyway, I had to go back later in the day (i.e. after work) to write an English test, and that was another aggravating experience... To make a long story short, I pretty much aced the English test (which, no doubt, probably knocked her off her chair, seeing that I have "verbal problems"!), so she had no choice but to give me the job. Tomorrow, I have to go to their meeting, which apparently, is very dumb (e.g. how to use masking tape properly, and how capital "I" is supposed to be written)... totally not looking forward to it. =(
All things that begin must also come to an end: my job teaching the summer camp program at STS finished today. Although some of you guys may have heard me groan and complain about it the last two months, I really did have a good time, and I feel very lucky that I got an opportunity to work with such great people, and teach such good kids. I think I'm going to miss it. =P
Last thought: I'm sorry I keep coming back to the topic of my new job but it's sure going to feel weird not having to teach preschool on Saturdays once I start teaching the English classes. This would be the first time in the entire five years I have been working at the preschool that I wouldn't be teaching on Saturdays....
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
I've finally gotten myself an interview with that idiot prinicipal! It's tomorrow at 11am, so right now I'm feeling kind of anxious. Why would I feel anxious if she's such a moron? Well, partly because of all the stories I've heard about this woman (for example, she's very Nazi and NOBODY likes her!), and partly because I'm just that kind of person who worries/get nervous about such things (it IS a job interview afterall). My co-workers who have worked with this woman have told me that I have to be tough and hard as nails if I want respect from her. If not, if she knows you're soft, she'll just completely walk all over you. Great. I don't know how to sound tough yet polite--- I sound stupid whenever I try to give attitude. =( I just hope I won't be so intimidated that I would get coaxed into settling for something less than I deserve tomorrow. I must think straight and not waver. Geez, I feel like I'm going into the battle field tomorrow or something. Oh, and I hope I don't fail the test she's going to give me tomorrow... =P I'm counting on my retention of all the linguistic lectures I've ever attended in my university career to pass it!
Speaking of my co-workers, last night we went out for dinner at East Side Mario's. I had such a fun time, what with all the gossip about our boss and the tutorial school. Like a bunch of silly teenaged girls, we chatted and giggled about boys, clothes, etc. =D It was so much fun! I needed a good laugh. I really hope that all of us will keep in touch after this summer camp program ends (on Friday!). It's pretty amazing how fourteen female employees get along so well and most of us didn't know each other from before.
Monday, August 19, 2002
I finally got to see my brother's new place in London yesterday. =) I must say, I'm very impressed! It feels very spacious as soon as you walk into his apartment. The best part about his apartment, I feel, are the many closets!! =) This place is just filled with closets! The master bedroom is even bigger than my parents', and the second bedroom, which my bro will use as his study, is bigger than my own room... So, that means plenty of room for me to sleep if I ever go there for a weekend or something (or maybe when I go to Western to do my B.Ed....=P) After puttering around in his apartment for a couple of hours (e.g. setting up his stereo, plugging in lamps, cleaning out some garbage, etc.), we drove to Western. It felt kind of strange when we got there because it both looked and didn't look like U of T. It looked like U of T because there was a part of the campus that resembled University College and King's College Circle, including the field. However, it was different from U of T because Western seemed more enclosed and not as scattered as U of T. Anyhow, we probably looked like a bunch of tourists from Hong Kong or something, what with our cameras and the gazillion pictures my mom insisted on taking in front of Ivey, the building for the MBA program. I took a couple of silly shots of my bro-- I'll post them up as soon as I get them developed. =)
Miranda , I STILL haven't seen you yet! I should have called you on the weekend but most of it was spent with family. I was thinking of calling you when I got home from London last night but I was too sleepy even after sleeping for nearly 4 hours (I slept for pretty much the entire two hour ride there, as well as the two hours back from London--- something about trees that go on and on that makes me drowsy... hehe... I just needed my Snoopy cushion to make it even more comfy! =) ). I hope we get to see each other soon before you leave again!
Message to all my friends: we should party some more before we all head back to school!! This is especially to those who I haven't heard from or seen in a while-- you know who you are!! I just know that as soon as we go back to school, it will be months before we all see each other again, as school tends to take over and become our entire lives for the next 8 months. =)
Thursday, August 15, 2002
If one day I ever get the money to buy a car, someone please remind me NOT to get a black car!! Actually, after driving my brother's black car the other day, I don't think I will ever forget the greenhouse-like experience I had! If any of you drive a black car, you will know how your car just sucks all the solar energy like no other cars do. And, if you drive a black car without air con on a 34 degrees Celsius day, then you'll be even more sympathetic!! On top of that, if you've ever driven a black car with no air con on a rainy day, then I'm sure you've also sworn never to buy another black car! On Tuesday, it was extremely humid, I'm sure all of you will remember, and at around 4:30 in afternoon or so, the sky managed to squeeze a few minutes worth of rain on us. Well, here I was, already sweating like a pig from driving in a car that seemed more like greenhouse, with the windows rolled right down, when it started to rain. Hard. So, what was I to do? There is absolutely no cool air in the car at all but getting pelted by the rain was not appealing to me either, which meant I had to roll up the windows. I thought I was going to faint from a heat stroke behind the wheel. To make this experience even more pleasurable, I ended up having to wait in the left turn lane for ten long mintues before I could make the turn. By this point, my head felt like it was gonna explode any minute--another migraine attack. Thank goodness I didn't need to prep for the next day's lessons or else I wouldn't have been able to sleep as much as I did that day when I finally got home.
So, everybody, how are all of your schedules for the school year? I'm proud to announce that this year, I will have FOUR day weekends as I don't have classes on either Mondays or Fridays!!! hehehe.... I'm only taking four classes, two on Tuesdays, and one class on Wednesdays and Thursdays!! =P Plus, my earliest class begins at 1:00pm, which means I get to hoard more hours at work this year and earn some more moolah. =) Let me know how your schedules are, so we could work out when we would be able to meet up!
Monday, August 12, 2002
3 Stress Factors: 1) The EAS Undergrad Coordinator still hasn't responded to my pleading and begging emails yet; 2) I still haven't heard back from that stupid idiot of a principal of a tutorial school I had applied to for a job after our WONDERFUL phone interview a few weeks ago; and, 3) what the hell am I gonna teach tomorrow???
One last random thought: it's been such a long, long time but still...
Wednesday, August 7, 2002
It feels so strange to see my brother pack his stuff into a van... Well, to be exact, I didn't actually see him load the van (I was at work) but I did witness him pack and move a ton of stuff out of his room and into boxes. Yes, it's sad because that means that these few remaining days before he officially moves into London are probably going to be the last time all of us will live together under the same roof. My brother is older than me, which means that I never knew life without him being there in the same house as me. Sure, there was that time a few years back when he lived in London for two months because he was doing his SPEP (or whatever it's called-- some kind of internship thingy) for his pharmacy program. That was different though because I knew that he was coming back after the two months. But now, it's going to be two years, and he's setting up a new home with his girlfriend. It hits me especially hard when I'm helping them choose their furniture because buying such big ticket items makes his moving out even more permanent. Do you know what I mean? *sigh* It's just so strange to see such a huge part of your "childhood" move out. No matter how hard I try not to admit that we're growing up, I'll have to keep getting used to that fact that we are becoming adults. My brother and I are no longer two silly kids anymore-- we're both grown adults now (well, more so for my brother, I guess). Who would have guessed that I'm going to miss saying to him, "Oh, shut up!" or "Ewww!! Could you stop farting, please??", and that I will miss hearing him snore up a storm whenever I pass his room to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Little things that used to annoy me will actually be the things that I will miss. Awww.....=P
On the bright side of it though, I will now have a place to go to when I need to escape from Toronto for whatever reasons (he really should have bought that sofa bed from IKEA!!). hehehe... you better be prepared, Gogs!! But seriously, though, getting into the MBA program is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm so happy that he got into it. He's still young, he shouldn't have to settle down without exploring his other dreams and goals. But, as cheesy as it sounds, I WILL miss him. I know he will miss us too.
Monday, August 5, 2002
Happy Birthday May! Haha, now YOU'RE old!!! Remember, it was only a little more than a month ago that you laughed at me, calling ME old! =P So, do you see a big wrinkle starting to form yet?? hehehe... Oh, remember to save some time for me too so that I could give you your bday present---Gallan can meet up with you later on! =D
Very depressing: yesterday, I went shopping and it saddened me to see that all the stores have now put all their fall stuff out already. It's a sad reminder that we have to go back to school in about a month----NOOOO!!! It's still hot and summery outside, school CAN'T be around the corner already!! It's interesting that I have such adversity towards going back to school, yet my goal is to become a school teacher... =P Just imagining myself walking along St.George, going into Sid Smith, Robarts, Lash Miller, etc., brings a huge wave of dread wash over me... ughhh.
And now that school is just around the corner (I don't care what anyone says-- one month is a very short amount of time!), I've begun to assess what I have done with myself over the last three months or so of summer holidays. Hmm... not too hard to describe: "NOTHING MUCH" basically sums it all up quite nicely. =) For the first two months, I wasn't working that much yet, so all I did was eat, sleep, watch TV, read some books, work on this webpage, go out with friends, and that's it. Oh well, it is precisely that kind of lifestyle that I will miss and long for once we get back into the swing of things when school starts again. *sigh* School. =(
Thursday, August 1, 2002
Happy Belated 27th Birthday, Gogers! Wow, my brother is going to be 30 in just three years!!! Yo, Gogs, you're OLD!!! =) Anyway, sorry I haven't gotten your present yet--- but wait a minute, you didn't get me one yet either!!
So, what do I have to rant and rave about this time? Let's see... well, on Tuesday, I finally met up with May, who's back from HK. Just talking about her experiences and adventures in HK, and also looking at her photos reminded me so much about my own experience last year. Actually, it was kind of funny because many of her pictures seemed to look exactly like the ones that I took but the only difference is that it's her in the pics and not me! =) Anyway, May, thanks so much for getting me the top and the denim skirt! I love the whole outfit, and yes, it DOES fit me, despite my initial worry that I would be too fat to fit into the skirt. =P And, thanks also for the paper umbrella you got from the Big Buddha, even though it freaked you out so much! hehehe....
Dinner with May was the highlight of Tuesday because earlier that day, a little Chinese old lady pissed me off. She is the grandmother of one of the little girls in my preschool, and after conversing with her, it was no wonder why the little girl is the brat that she is: apparently, bitchiness is hereditary! This little girl with a name that sounds like it belongs to a stripper who jumps out of huge birthday cakes, threw a fit, cried, screamed and even bit my co-worker the last two times she came to preschool. She refused to settle down, threw every toy I handed to her on the floor, and just wouldn't stop crying. I was patient with her for the whole class, and I even gave her one-on-one attention but she just didn't settle down. So finally, on Tuesday, after many attempts to get her involved in the class, I decided that if she wanted to sulk in the corner and be a brat, I was gonna leave her. She wouldn't let anyone come near her anyway. But, when the grandma came to pick her up at the end of the class, she ignored me and said to her granddaughter in Cantonese, "Come, let's go, the teachers just ignore you anyway!" Oooooo.... how my blood boiled! I turned to the grandma and said in perfectly fluent Cantonese, "We did not ignore her, she refused to join in and wouldn't even let anyone come near her." The grandma goes, "Well, she stopped crying after a while anyway but you just ignored her! You should have given her a toy to play with but you only paid attention to the other girl that was crying." I say to her, "Look, Grandma, your precious little granddaughter BIT one of the teachers, do you think any one of us would want to go near her anyway??" Anyway, this went on for a few more minutes, and finally, I was just sick of trying to argue politely with an old 4 foot 8 Chinese woman. It just pisses me off that I tried my best to go around and play with all the little kids, while dealing with screaming and crying kids who keep on trying to escape out the preschool room, and I still get yelled at. But as far as I'm concerned, if she doesn't like our program, she could take her granddaughter somewhere else where no one will even want to go near her biting granddaughter.
On a happier note, Mel called me last night. It was so great to talk to her again since I hadn't really spoken to her for about a year. Mel, I'm sooooo happy to hear that you're ok now and that you've healed. You went through so much and I can't imagine how I would have been like if I went through the same things that you did. To be able to come out at the top even after all those disappointing and hurtful experiences, is clear proof that you're one strong, and resilient person. And thanks for your words to me: you really made me feel a lot better about myself and my future, and I will always remember your kind and encouraging words. You're right: every person should have the right to maintain a fantasy or a fairytale vision of their life in the future. And yes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with beng an optimist-- what kind of world would this be without optimistic people? And Mel, thanks for letting me know that you're on my side and that you support me. Thanks for making me realize that it wasn't my fault. *wink*
And finally, a happy and unexpected find: a glow in the dark, 1000 piece puzzle of the Peanuts characters in a Hong Kong night scene for--get this-- 10 bucks ONLY!!! Yep, it's the same one as the one we got for Moaz for his bday but now I have it too and for much cheaper!!! (Don't worry, Moaz, yours wasn't that expensive either) The only thing is, though, when will I ever get the time to actually put it together? I hope that even if I do find the time, I will have enough patience to finish it. Tammy, you wanna help?? =P
Happy Belated 28th Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I know things weren't always easy (28 years is a very long time!), and sometimes you wonder if you've made the right choice when you decided to marry each other. Let me tell you, YOU DID. It has to be only you two together to create who Vin and I are today. I know sometimes you two get frustrated with each other because you aren't each other's "perfect" spouse but you love each other anyway--- what a wonderful example you've set for Vin and I. We love you two! =)
3 Irritating Moments: 1) Rogers Cable has been screwing up more and more frequently lately; 2) my infamous stomachaches; and 3) turning left onto Midland coming out from STS after school!!! argghhh....
1 Major Adjustment: My brother moving out (see previous entry).
1 Seemingly Minor Accomplishment (but pretty major to me!): I started and finished the 1000 piece, Peanuts in Hong Kong puzzle! Framed and everything too... =P
1 New Discovery: The hottest toy right now amongst kids are no longer Pokemon but Beyblades. what the hell are Beyblades? Well, I've discovered that they're spinning tops that--this is the catch--- battle. =P One of my students explained that to me in an exasperated tone, as if to say, "Duh, like, spinning tops that kill-- how cool is that??"
1 Really Fun Sunday Night: KARAOKE!!! hehehe.... stop laughing, people! =P I went with my brother only last night and, hehe, we sang for four hours straight!! Yup, it was just the two of us only... it was pretty cheap too: $40 minimum charge, for 4 hours (we could have sang until 3 am when they close but that would be pushing it a little. =P).
1 Shout out: Miranda, I haven't heard from you in a week since our last talk on the phone but I'm guessing it's because you can't really move your mouth after having your wisdom teeth yanked out last Tuesday. =D Hope you're feeling ok!! I remember when I had mine taken out, my best friends were Tylenol 3 and Jell-O...
Home