August 22, 2004 (Hong Kong time)
Happy birthday dad, from rainy Hong Kong! I hope you'll enjoy the dinner tonight. :o)

Indeed I am updating a little bit from Hong Kong. I'm at my cousins Tania and Fong Fong's house right now, doing some internet errands after making lunch with Fong Fong. I'm down with either a bug or allergies to the really smoggy and dirty Hong Kong air right now, so this part of the trip is not as pleasant as I'd have hoped. I did do quite a bit of shopping though (more than I would in Canada, anyway), so that kind of makes up for it! The food here is great... I think I'm a true Chinese when it comes to eating.

Beijing was great! It's a beautiful and surprisingly clean city, and my family was fortunate enough to have a private tour guide to take us around (not enough people signed up... our gain!). If you ever want to go to Beijing and want an English speaking tour guide, just give me a shout. :o) We went to all the important historic points... Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City (where Tiannemen Square is), Summer Palace (gorgeous place!), Ming Tombs and of course, the Great Wall. I am now a "good hero," in the words of Chairman Mao. ;o)

I still have about two weeks to go here in Hong Kong. It's been great seeing family - I'll see them again tonight at yet another family celebration. Lots of great pictures to post, if Seneca doesn't swamp me too much!

Well, I better jet. Gotta catch a shuttle back to our apartment at Villa Athena in about 15 minutes. Take care, and have an awesome rest of the summer!

August 13, 2004
Almost didn't go to fellowship day (one of those anti-social days, you know?), but I know being alone doesn't do any good, so I went. How could I have missed the fun of filling water balloons to the sugar coated voices of Hilary and Hayley Duff on the Ryan Seacrest show in the ladies room, flooding the floor and spraying yourself with water? It's nice to see people for once, and to belong again. I hope the next 4 months will be filled with great fellowship and a cool small group again.

Boarding the flight in one day! I'm actually not as excited as I sound yet, but I'll probably have to be on the plane before I actually get giddy, if ever. So I'm gonna be flying to Vancouver for a stopover first, which means I might get to catch GOOD flicks, provided that they play them in the morning. And airplane food! Who can miss that?

Anyway, this should be my last entry before I leave for HK and Beijing. Have a good rest of the summer, everyone! And hang in there, those with exams 'til the bitter, bitter end!

August 10, 2004
I've been done school since the 7th. It's a nice feeling, being done exams. And being done EARLY too, no less! Praise God for pulling me through the gruelling 4 exams in 3 days schedule! Seriously... without His strength, it wouldn't have happened.

Anyway... came home to Blund sitting on my bed! Becca bought me a Blund. :oD Thank you! Also, this week has been quite packed, already! And it's barely begun! I hung out with the church crew yesterday (gotta get me a pack of Phase 10), then went out to Elora with Angela, Becca and Steph today (we took over 100 pictures! thank goodness for the digital!). I think I'd like to take a day to bum around at home... sleep in, veg out on TV (watch that second last Joan of Arcadia episode I still haven't gotten around to yet!)... we'll see. Maybe tomorrow. We're grocery running tomorrow as well, which I think will be quite fun - at least I hope so!

Well, that's all for now. Becca's gonna need her laptop back soon, so I'll call it an entry. May not come on again until 3 weeks later... or maybe I'll make a surprise overseas entry... so take care, y'all!

August 4, 2004
So we got a knock on the door this morning, and a man informed us that our water has been contaminated with total coliforms. That means that all the water we consume and wash with HAS TO BE BOILED. So the random people walking in our backyard on the weekend were checking our water out. There's always random people everywhere now. Anyway... remember Walkterton? Well, this seems like it's similar. I definitely blame all that messed up construction that's been going on outside - one way to contaminate the water is through soil, and there's soil everywhere! Speaking of construction, they took out most of the lawn in front of our house - there's about one metre left before it hits the sidewalk. There used to be at least 3 metres. Life is just lovely.

On a more personal note, I will die on Saturday from shell shock. Or perhaps exam shock is more correct. Two DE exams is not a good thing! Especially when one involves TEN ESSAYS to write (none of which I've prepared, though I've had the questions since the beginning) and the other one... who knows? No exam outline was given. Ugh...

She trudges on...

August 3, 2004, part b
Oh my... looks like I'm making a habit of double posting in one day! Well, just wanted to let you know that I added a Hong Kong weather button below, as I will be there in less than 2 weeks! It says it feels like 44�C there! Ack! I shall bring *all* my tank tops...

August 3, 2004, part a
Look who I found while procrastinating on Australia East's Ikea website:

Yes, even though I'm two decades old, I love teddy bears. Everytime I go to Ikea, I have to head to the kids section to see my favourite Blund bears. Look at him, all snuggled into a blanket. ;o) I think I bought 2 over the years cuz he's so cheap (currently $2.99!), but I always gave them away. I think it's about time I got one for myself. Anyway, during these stressful times, here he is to warm the hearts of all.

SONG OF THE MOMENT

Hand out the window
Floatin?on air
Just a flip of the wrist
I�d be wavin?you goodbye

Drive past the lifeguard stand
Where I sit around waiting for you to remember
Well past the beach hotels
Where the girls are getting?bronzed on their monogrammed towels

I drive this ocean road
And remember

How the girls could turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
And stay with you in your steps, pace with you a while
For so long, so long, so long, so long

The speaker in this door is blown
So nothing sounds quite right
And I drive this ocean road
And I remember
The small of your back
And the nape of your neck
And the soft way you�d hold me in the night

I remember

How the girls can turn to ghosts before your eyes
And the very dreams that led to them are keeping them from dying
And how the grace with which she walked into your life
Will stay you in your steps, and pace with you a while
So long, so long, so long, so long...

And I will leave under the cover
Of summer�s kiss upon the sky
Like the stone face of your lover
Just before she says goodbye
I was thinkin' that the season could be held between my arms
But just as summer�s hold is fleeting
I was here but now I�m gone
I�m gone

"So Long, So Long", Dashboard Confessional (unreleased, available live)
I'm suckered by this song. It's a really pretty piano number... and can you say emo??? Click on the above link to download your very own copy.

August 2, 2004
Took a little test:
My #1 result for the SelectSmart.com selector, Are you emo?, is YOU'RE KINDA EMO. Oooh. You probably like Weezer, don't you?

Haha... I guess I'm not as emo as I claim to be! I definitely don't dress the part (no studded belt, patches and pins, but I got the glasses down!). And I don't like Weezer, although it's not because I've heard them before or anything. I like Christian emo. :o) Oh, and I downloaded some Dashboard Confessional today (some interesting unreleased studio cuts)! Doesn't that count for something??? Can't get more emo than that! Well, it's about the music, not the look. ;o)

Anyway, today was better. Actually, yesterday was better, after venting a bit on here. Exams messes up with the hormones and stuff. I got a lot read last night, although I could've probably read more than I did. Today, mom and dad came up today, and we ran a few errands then had dinner at King Tin. The pineapple/beef dish was awesome! Real live pineapple, real juicy and sweet. Mmm... anyway, on a different note, I hope that the road will be paved nicely when I move out next week. And I hope it doesn't rain!

Well, I should read more now. Take care!

SONG OF THE MOMENT

Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye

And roped me in
So mesmerizing, so hypnotizing
I am captivated

I am vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
I swear I knew it all along

And I am flawed
But I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

So clear
Like the diamond in your ring
Cut to mirror your intentions
Oversized and overwhelmed
The shine of which has caught my eye
And rendered me so isolated, so motivated
I am certain now that

So turn
Up the corners of your lips
Part them and feel my finger tips
Trace the moment, fall forever
Defense is paper thin
Just one touch and I'd be in
Too deep now to ever swim against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away

Slight hope
It dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption

"Vindicated", Dashboard Confessional (from The Official Spider-Man 2 Soundtrack)
Cool song, and cool video, for an awesome movie. I love the pre-chorus to chorus part. I love how he chops up the lines. Nice touch!

August 1, 2004, part b
Nevermind the jetting off thing. No one is coming up. Instead, they're coming tomorrow. Not too pleased is an understatement. *sigh* Exams are STRESSFUL!!!

August 1, 2004, part a
Wow... first day of August already. That means I'm *that* much closer to moving out of 95, and going to Hong Kong for the first time in 14 years! I'm so excited!!! The movies on the plane suck though - why can't they show Shrek 2 or 13 Going On 30 on my flight??? I'll hafta settle for Hellboy and Man On Fire. And Fantasia, some Chinese flick. *sigh*

Today was the first time I went to KWCAC. I really like the benevolent offering that they have - a nice trait to have picked up from the early Church. OCAC also had something similar, which I thought was the coolest thing. Why can't MCBC have something like that as well? Wonder if it has to be in the constitution or something, or require member's approval (probably). Well, each church has its own strengths and flaws. I still love my home church all the same.

Well, I'm off to read some texts then I'll be jetting off with Becca for some errands. Getting out of the house will be sweet... anyway, all the best on exams, and have an awesome week!