In this page, you will get to explore the mind, events and feelings of a Chun Jui... ok, fine, judging from the past 21 years and 11 months, 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!
Saturday, June 29, 2002
Your creativity and imagination peak. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is likely to be yours this year. If you are single, someone challenges your status. Summer introduces you to a special person. Let this relationship develop. If you are attached, your relationship becomes more loving as you create deeper bonds. Scorpio adores you. That was my prediction on my 21st birthday last year. well, let's just say that none of that stuff they predicted occurred!! =P Oh, maybe except for the creativity and imagination peaking part cuz I did have to rely on my creativity and imagination when I had to write those endless, boring, and difficult sociology papers this year! hehehe...but as for all the good parts (e.g. "the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow" part and the "summer introduces you to someone special" part), didn't happen! =( Well, I still have about 5 hours until my birthday, so there still might be a chance for all that stuff to happen, right? Like, maybe when I'm buying my (winning) lottery ticket, there will be a cute guy in line behind me, or something!! Yeah, that's right, I don't need to worry then. =D (A girl can dream, can't she?!)
Anyway, I started and finished reading The Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophia Kinsella yesterday, and it was such a funny book!! No, it's not a self-help book for shopaholics if that's what you think it is. =P It's about a shopaholic who is supposed to be a finance journalist but doesn't know the first thing about finance, and is in huge debt because of her maxxed out Visa. It's really funny to read all the fiascos that she gets herself into, and her desperate attempts to cut back her spending. It's an extremely easy read (I read it all in a few hours!), so I'll recommend it to anyone! Thanks Mika , for including this novel as part of my birthday present! Mika also got me an brand new baking pan and a Silpat mat (Martha Stewart uses it when she bakes cookies-- yes, I remember about boycotting all Martha Stewart stuff but this doesn't count cuz she didn't actually make it, she just recommends it. Plus, it was a present, so it doesn't count!) Hmm... what should I bake??
Wednesday, June 26, 2002
It has been one year since my grandfather had passed away. I still remember almost falling off my bed in disbelief when my mother told me the bad news over the phone. My grandfather was very healthy and he was to celebrate his 90th birthday last September. But my whole family took comfort in the fact that he passed away peacefully in his sleep and that he was completely healthy before he died. The man never spent one single day in a wheelchair, and being the gentleman that he was, he had even pushed all the little old ladies in their wheelchairs back to their rooms after dinner that night in the nursing home.
When my grandfather had passed away, I was still in Hong Kong. Thus, not only was I saddened by the fact that my only surviving grandparent had died but I was also guilt-ridden for not being able to come back for his funeral here in TO. I seriously considered flying back home and cutting my stay in HK short, even though it meant that I wasn't going to earn the credit but my entire family insisted that I stay in Hk and finish the program. For this, I really am grateful to them for their reassural and support as they knew how much I had looked forward to doing the HK program. So, to show them and my grandfather my gratitude, I vowed to myself that I must do well in the course, or at the very least, to try my best. Even though the course ended up being a joke (=D), I'm still pretty sure that my grandfather is glad that I had completed the program and earned the credit (which ended up giving my GPA a very healthy boost! =P).
In other matters, as of noon today, my union is on strike. =/ I was actually working (cleaning the preschool room for the next session-- I was scrubbing those filthy chairs, to be precise! I should demand to be paid twenty bucks an hour today-- scrubbing chairs, wiping down walls and tables and doors are not in the job description of "preschool instructor"!!! ) when my boss came down and told us to finish up what we're doing as they had to lock the doors to the community centre because of the strike. In a superficial way, I'm glad for a strike because that means I don't have to go back tomorrow and clean some more but in a more mature point of view, I hope the strike doesn't last for long because that means I'll be losing income and our city will become very stinky very soon, what with all this heat and humidity. =(
Last ramble: well, it looks like Martha Stewart is in a lot of doo-doo! Her tireless desire to climb the social ladder has probably finally caught up with her, as suspicions of her taking part in insider trading are becoming more serious. Today, I heard on the news that she's now suspected of obstructing justice--- that probably means she's lost many millions of dollars personally already because of the plummet in her stock, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Her enemies must be rejoicing right now! =P This Martha incident, the Enron scandal and today, the WorldCom fraud, just goes to show how greedy CEOs and those other "biggies" are...
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Today I went to see "Minority Report" with Cindy. I liked it and the whole idea of "precrime", arresting someone for a crime they are going to commit in the future. It reminds me of a discussion we had in a tutorial last year about the controversy over whether it should be allowed to arrest someone of a crime they commited in the past but weren't arrested because the act they had commited wasn't a violation of the law then. In other words, should people be arrested for an act that is considered to be a crime now but it wasn't against the law before? However, the people who wrote "Minority Report" were probably aware of this controversy, so by "future" they mean the immediate future, like a couple of days or so. That way, I guess the writers would be able to avoid the possible argument that the law could be changed in the future, where a crime today might no longer be one in the future, therefore questioning the whole concept of "precrime". Anyway, the effects are really cool too (I like the cars and the hovercrafts and their computer thingies... =D)! The movie is based in the year 2054, so if all of the technology that was shown in the movie does actually get developed by then, then I would most likely be alive to see it! Wow... that's a weird feeling. =P Anyway, you have to see it to understand what I'm talking about. =)
I'm also starting to plan my lessons for the tutorial school, which starts next Tuesday. Do you know how much work lesson planning is?!?!? Especially when you're teaching students from grades 1 to 9?? aiya.... =( But I guess that's what I would have to deal with anyway when I become a teacher, so this is good practice...
Caroline!!! I ruined yet another surprise!!! aw man!!! I was working so hard to destroy my reputation as a "surprise spoiler" but I did it again! Now, I don't intentionally ruin surprises but somehow they never work around me. I'm sorry, Caroline and Benny, for ruining the surprise because of my stupid bday party... if it wasn't for my party, then Benny would have been able to pull of that sweet surprise for Caroline!!!!!! =( Sorry!!!
Saturday, June 22, 2002
Last night was Golnaz's birthday party at Mandarin's. I had a wonderful time, getting to meet some of her friends, stuffing myself silly, taking pictures, putting out a fire =D, laughing, chatting, and gossiping. heehee... Gol, you're such a nice person but yesterday was your birthday, and you didn't have to be so nice--I know you wanted to treat us all to bubble tea and we all appreciate it but we just couldn't let the birthday girl pay for it all!! =P I hope you're not mad at us... Anyway, thanks for inviting me!
Cindy, thanks for an awesome talk last night! =P I hope you figure things out soon and find a way to resolve things. Don't worry, like I said before, you're perfectly normal-- you just need to let go of certain issues. You can't change the past, no matter how much you want to but I hope you don't ever regret anything. I don't believe in regrets, no matter how heartbroken, upset or angry certain people/situations have made you. Everything happens for a reason, so instead of regretting, find out what that reason was, and then move on...
One year ago, I had just returned from Shenzhen, China , where I visited my maternal grandmother's grave. Then, the next day, I made whirlwind visits to my uncle's and my aunt's homes, and then it was off to Chai Wan to pay my respects at my paternal grandmother's grave. It would then be another 3 days before my only surviving grandparent, my paternal grandfather, would pass away in his sleep in Toronto. Needless to say, those few days were not the happiest for me. But thanks to those people who were there for me when I needed them and tried to cheer me up-- you know who you are. =)
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
I think I made myself a new three and half-year old best friend! hehehe.. He is the son of my co-worker at the preschool and he comes along with her to work. He's the funniest thing!! =) For example, the other day, I shocked him with the news that I don't own any Hotwheels cars (he said something like this when I dropped the bombshell on him: "You...don't...have...any...Hotwheels????"),and he offered that I could borrow one of his-- but only the blue one cuz the green and the red ones are his favourites, and that, according to him, "My family needs the rest of them" hahaha....He was also expecting me to go camping with him and his family this coming weekend (he apparently was telling anyone who would listen that I was going), and also offered to come pick me up at my house. =) But since I wasn't really going camping with him, I had to break the "bad news" to him-- I simply said that my daddy wouldn't let me go...=) He looked shocked again but he said I could still borrow his Hotwheels. =D Then, when his mom (my co-worker) was trying to explain why someone they know died in an operation, this kid goes, "But Mom, all they had to do was put in another battery!" He apparently thought his mom was talking about "Operation" as in the game! hahaha...
More present- shopping today!! =( I don't think much of my paycheck is left-- and I just got paid last week!! Oh well, the recepients of these presents are worth it. And, oops, did I buy myself another skirt today?? ;)
Monday, June 17, 2002
Don't laugh but lately, I've been reading the biography of none other than... Martha Stewart!! =P Ok, ok, you done laughing now?? Anyway, I finished it today and it sure made me look at the woman in a totally different light now. As suspected, Martha is really a bitch, a manipulative, conniving control freak. She doesn't look like it, though, does she? Behind that gentle, goody-two-shoes demeanor, is a really smart and extremely lucky woman who built an entire enterprise that sells that exact image/illusion that she's created for herself. She apparently is also very verbally abusive to those around her, often using extreme foul language to communicate with her employees once the cameras are switched off. Anyway, the point is, I'm starting to ferment the idea of boycotting everything Martha Stewart, which means no more watching her shows (she doesn't do any of the cooking or crafts anyway nor does she read the scripts that's been written for her (she often doesn't know what the particular segment of the show is going to be about until they're actually taping it!) and she often does a bad job of pretending to like the food that her guests make on her show), no more browsing marthastewart.com for recipes, and no more buying her magazines! =P Oh darn, I got the recipe for those checkboard cookies from Martha Stewart!! arghh... So I guess the old adages "Don't judge a book by its cover" and "Looks can be deceiving" are reinforced in the case of Martha Stewart. Think about that the next time you're about to buy any housewares from Kmart, where Martha has her own line "Martha Stewart Everyday"--- they may look good and stylish but they were most likely made in sweatshops in China or India (a claim, which of course, she has denied!)!
Another book that I'm reading is Margaret Atwood's The Edible Woman . It's different from other books I've read. It seems a little boring but weird, the kind of book that makes you go "Huh? Okaaaay...." but I would argue that that's the author's point. Atwood is a great modern 20th century writer and this book not only exemplifies the "principles" of modernism but it also depicts life in the latter half of the 20th century. But, I have to admit, this isn't my favourite Margaret Atwood novel so far--- The Blind Assassin, her latest work, is much, much more appealing but then again, it's probably not fair to compare her most recent novel to her very first novel. *ahem* Ok, I'm done pretending like I know a lot about literature. =)
Sunday, June 16, 2002
Last night was Benny's SURPRISE party and no, I didn't ruin the surprise!! =P But, unfortunately, we didn't arrive at Jack Astor's before the birthday boy... heehee...but it wasn't our fault that the traffic was so congested everywhere!! But luckily, Benny was surprised anyway because his other friends were punctual. =) Anyway, I had a great time, with Anita always keeping us laughing!! =D And it was a lot of fun because yesterday marked exactly one year since we all met each other in HK, so the party last night served as Benny's bday party as well as our HK group's "anniversary"! So to those who couldn't make it last night: shame on you cuz you missed a great night! Just kidding, I know that some of you had prior engagments. =) I'll try to post the pics from last night as soon as I finish my roll of film but that could take a while since I have about 24 shots to go... =P
Friday, June 14, 2002
Almost one year, almost one year since my amazing trip to Hong Kong!! Right now, May , one of my closest friends, is in HK, probably unpacking or showering after a long 19 hour flight... I am so envious of you May!! =P But it felt kinda strange today, as I thought of May flying to HK... I don't know how to describe it but I guess it feels kind of weird that I know exactly what she's going through because I still remember pretty much everything from my own experience so clearly. I remember how HOT I felt as soon as I stepped out of the plane and into that tunnel thingy that connects to the airport, how that smell of HK brought back so many memories of my previous visits there, and then how I realized how much hotter it actually was when we walked out of the airport!! ugh... but I do miss it, as crazy as it sounds! And of course, I remember Caroline stealing my seat on the plane, her bewilderment with the water in HK =D, etc., etc. ! I remember Tammy's obsession with finding good and cheap coffee, her ability to sleep like the dead, her shopping sprees (yes, Tammy, I know, it was mostly for your friends and family! heehee), and her desperate wrestle with her suitcase when we were packing the night before our departure from HK... =D Did you actually sleep at all that night?? I think I managed to get like 4 hours or so of sleep that night... =P Sacha, I remember sitting next to you on the school bus from the airport to Lee Hysan Hall, our first shopping trip to Ladies Market and Mong Kok with the other girls, and your 50 kg suitcase!! hehehe... Viv, Berlyn , I remember that night we went to "The Spaghetti House" for dinner and then Ladies Market for shopping afterwards and how we couldn't find the right mini-bus stop to take us back to Lee Hysan... heehehe.. and our many crazy but fun marathon karaoke sessions!! I guess that goes for Carol and Norris as well... =) And Kendrick , I remember how I was supposed to meet up with my mom at Taikoo Shing but I couldn't find her and I ended up telling you my life story while you were waiting with me! =P Thanks for being so easy to talk to! And thanks to the whole HK gang for an amazing experience and making it so memorable for me!! Oh, does anyone remember that famous Sam Chiu tour of HKU??? I haven't forgotten it!! =P
Happy Birthday Cindy!! Sorry I couldn't go to "Raq 'n' Waq" with you guys after dinner tonight!! I had a great time tonight at dinner though and I told you sashimi was good!! =P By the way, are you sure you weren't drunk after that Strawberry Daiquiri??? hehehehe
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
So sleepy... We went to see "Sum of All Fears" at 9:50 last night but the trailers didn't even come on until around 10pm... We didn't get home until 12:30 am or so and I had to wake up early to go to work too. =( I guess the movie got delayed because some dude sitting behind us wouldn't leave because he insisted that his free pass should be honoured as it supposedly expires in December 31, 2002 but a sign at the front door of the theatre said that it no longer accepted free passes... Anyway, these security guards were called in and had to take him out. Almost as interesting/exciting as the movie itself! =P The movie itself, actually, was pretty good. Not excellent but not bad. I actually thought that the movie was scary-- not scary like horror movies but the whole idea of war and terrorism (which the movie was about) scared me. How past grudges aren't really in the past and how war is basically based on power and retaliation (i.e. "We'll have to show them that they were wrong to cross us!"). The innocent lives sacrificed, the amount of time, energy and money wasted over something that could have just been a small misunderstanding... Anyway, although I thought that $12 was a little too much ( Thanks Gogers! =P ), this movie wasn't a total waste of time... =) If you need more reasons to watch it, here's one: Ben Affleck! =)
After work today, it was bday present shopping !! *sigh* I didn't get all the presents I needed but I did buy yet another handbag for myself! heehee, oops! Then, I got really thirsty... and then, really hungry... =( I spend too much money on myself! Someone stop me...
Sunday, June 9, 2002
I had a meeting at the tutorial school that I will be working at, today. As I mentioned before, I will be teaching General Knowledge, which, as I found out today, includes Geography, History, Sciences (Human Biology, Physical Sciences, Chemistry, etc.) from grades 1 to 9 !! So that means I will be teaching from first-graders about different animals to third-graders about parts of a plant to ninth-graders about the atomic theory of molecules in one day!! gosh, I gotta read up on this stuff and make sure I sound like I know what I'm talking about! I just hope I don't have too many inquisitive kids who will ask me "Why?" or "How?" to everything I say in class... =P They will just have to accept my words at face value and learn not to question anything I say! hehehe... some great teacher I'll be, eh?? =D
Even though I know I will be pretty busy and stressed when July rolls around as I will be running from my preschool job to the tutorial school everyday, I'm really grateful that at least I'm employed. There was a job fair for No Frills, the supermarket, yesterday and Friday at the community centre where I work and there were TONS of people lined up for it. Apparently, this new No Frills only has 100 positions open but there were at least twice as many people lined up, vying for jobs. And by the way it looked, I think the wait was at least 45 minutes. So, although the kids at preschool were driving me insane yesterday (I'm starting to run out of threats and/or bribes to get the kids under control!!), I feel very lucky that I not only have one job but two (and of which they're both stimulating enough that I don't need to be "competing against my co-workers to do more work" !! hahaha... you know who you are!). =)
P.S. Happy Birthday Lilian! I miss you and I hope to visit you Down Under some day! =)
Friday, June 7, 2002
I had a wonderful day today, catching up with Merriam and May . =) We went for bbt (of course, what else is there to do, right??) at that place in Market Village that looks it's overgrown with vines and trees... That was my first time there but I think it's the same bbt place as the ones we went to in HK, "RBT" or whatever. Anyway, I had a great time listening to Merriam's stories of her experiences as a student dentist and the surgeries she's done, especially the one where she had to overdose the patient with anesthetics because the patient wouldn't pass out... hahahaha....I hope you managed to work everything out with you-know-who, Merriam! =) And thanks for listening to me ramble on about all the interesting as well as some of the less interesting things that have happened to me these past five years. We went through a lot during this time (although you probably did more than me) and I could see that you have matured a lot because of all the things you went through. Proud of you, Merriam!! =)
May , only less than a week before you head off your exciting trip to Hong Kong!! I know I've said this a million and twenty thousand times already but I'm so excited for you!!! =D I promise that you will have an incredible month and an experience that will be unforgettable... I know that for me, it was the best summer I've ever had in my life. Anyway,I hope the slippers fit you and I'm sorry they're soooo ugly... =( But they will serve their purpose. =P Oh, and yeah,the fan is cute but now that I think about it, it might not actually be that useful since it would only be blowing hot air if you use it outdoors... Ok, I'm done babbling now. =P
Thursday, June 6, 2002
The long, boring days of summer... yes, I'm complaining about being bored again, even though just a month ago I couldn't wait until I had nothing to do. The ironies of being a young woman without that many responsibilities! =) But, yes, I am grateful for this leisure, so don't yell "Hypocrite!" at the monitor if you read my last entry. =P
Anyway, June seems to be a popular month for birthdays, including the birthday of yours truly. Did the parents plan this?? I know NINE people whose birthday occurs within this one month. At least two of them are my cousins and they don't live in Canada-- don't need to spend money on presents for them!! hehehe... free e-cards is a wonderful by-product of the Internet! Oh, and speaking of birthdays, a Happy Belated Birthday to Moaz ! =D Hope you had a good one!
I got a real pleasant surprise today when Merriam , a good friend from high school, give me a call today. =) She had gone back to the Philippines five years ago and I believe this is her first visit to Canada since then. I hope that we will get together tomorrow, as she's leaving on Monday... I have so much to tell her and I can't wait until hear all her stories!! And speaking of "old" friends, another high school friend left me a message on ICQ about a girls' night out later this month. I haven't seen those girls in ages and we always end up having a fun, silly time when we get together. Only, I hope that I can make it to that gathering cuz I may have to go to a bday party that weekend...I'm going broke here, people! So, a warning for those whose bday is in this month: your present may be cheap because I'm starting to run low on the cash... =D
Lastly, I feel like a much happier, lighter (no, I haven't lost any weight) person. I feel like a major emotional issue that's been bearing down on me for a while now, has finally been resolved and lifted from my shoulders. Although it wasn't a happy ending for me but that's ok cuz life goes on...
Tuesday, June 4, 2002
Hmm... how many of you actually read these journal entries and/or visit this website? Am I just wasting my time here, trying to think of something interesting to say in this journal? =P I promised that I would try to make these entries interesting but it really is hard work since my life right now is anything BUT interesting...
Anyway, while I'm at it, I might as well just write some more in this entry. I'm going to try to be "deep" now, so bear with me: To anyone who is going through a tough time, remember to stay true to yourself. I know I sound cheesy, corny, colloquial even but I think that that is the best advice and the most valuable thing I've learned. And to those who are going through happy, fun or exciting times, remember this: cherish every moment but don't take your current situation or anyone for granted. There, those are my words of wisdom. =) And you can tell them, Chun Jui said so. =D
P.S. Kendrick , good luck with everything! =)
Sunday, June 2, 2002
June already?! As I pondered over how quickly time seems to go by, I began to feel nostalgic and sentimental... I miss being completely carefree with nothing to stress over, nothing to worry about, nothing to plan for... In about 2 months, my brother will be moving out to London, ON to start his classes in the MBA program at Western. It will be weird with just the three of us in the house, no one to fight over the bathroom with, no one to bug. I doubt he will be moving back into the house after he completes his MBA two years later, so I only have 2 months left of my "childhood" with my brother. It feels weird... Anyway, I went digging into some photo albums and I dug up some photos from when my brother and I were kids. (You can find them here .) They brought a smile to my face when I looked at them. =)
I wanna travel. I wanna fly somewhere far... I learned so much about myself from last year's trip to Hong Kong but I'm not done yet. Unfortunately, I won't have any time this summer to go anywhere but my wish is to go travel to Asia again maybe next year and visit Japan, Singapore, China, Taiwan and of course, HK. My goal is to save up so I can do this next year or some time soon. Anyone else interested? =)
My attempt at a self portrait! =)
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Thanks for being the best dad Vin and I could ever ask for! =) This is your day to relax, so I'll do the dishes tonight--- oh wait, we're going out for dinner tonight, aren't we?? hehehe...Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?? =P
Two silly kids compared with two silly adults 19 years later! =)
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