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Are we there yet?

I've been to Sing-Sing and back, and  kept super busy at work with an overdue report.  Hollywood is filled with boxes - the move is happening this Saturday. Argh. Lots more happening. Meetings...company releasing their results and University chum and bf arriving  next week. I am trying to arrange a car rental for my impending hay trip which is happening soon while also terminating existing utility services at Hollywood. Just call me Azura Multi task Dec.

EC obtained his visa today- independently; without a marriage certificate. We are both ecstatic.

Saying hello to May

So many events happening in the month of May:

* A deadline for a mega-report (at work tomorrow, this weekend  -notwithstanding the bank holiday/long weekend)

* Moving out of Hollywood ...

* ...Into a cozy apartment in Mid-levels (cafe around the corner has a good breakfast menu, says my new landlord) 

* An old university and flat mate coming to visit from Germany (the excitement!)

* A long weekend in Singapore to celebrate Rara's MIL birthday and a chance to hold the little baby with lana in his ears

* A promising hay adventure

I suspect the month will simply whiz by.

This and that and another choco shoe pix

First I was snickering - reading this entry - remembering an incident way back then, when I made some one really upset by placing shopping plastic bags on the kitchen top.

And then I became furious: 35 mins on the phone  trying to unsuccessfully cancel the standing instruction *I set up*. The press 1 for English teller was a shouty sort and did not understand me, didn't know which account I was talking about, kept searching for a foreign account and told me  after countless please wait that I would have to go in, queue for an hour and sign the letter behind the counter as the instruction was local and involved a counter party (Are there any standing instructions without a counter-party?).

EC commented that I would have made more progress with a Malaysian bank - I have to agree. My experience with Malaysian phone-bankers have so far been pleasant - they have all been super efficient, just like the travel agent I have been using here in HK. 

* * *

It looks like I will be moving out from Hollywood sooner rather than later. The landlord who says she plans to move in here with her ageing mother has given me a choice of dates and I have opted for the earliest one {I would comment here that I think she is lying and simply wants to relet the apartment at a higher price if I wasnt concerned that she might come across this blog and change her mind about kindly compensating me). This way I will be able to (cross my fingers) enjoy the land of books without worrying about moving out having gone through the hulabaloo before.

Have I mentioned that I have a 300 year old cottage during that festival week at my disposal? Rara and bubba may or may not join me - any goirlfrends out there who might be interested to join me in this bookish adventure are most welcome to email /call me.

Sunday -random pictures

White chocolate

My precioussssssssssssssssss (I am amazed at how well this picture turned out - shiny clasp especially)

Still reading (and still buying more books)

(Shoe)box I picked up from the communal thrash -looks like candy

More white chocolate - divine Choco-shoes!!!

And some more easter chocolates - love the duck

Such cute shoes! On the person who presented me with the cute chocolates including the divine choco-shoes.

Making decisions is the key (says my self help book)

Epilogue: I must confess that I have been skipping since I made the decision to attend the festival.  I intend (and am looking forward) to making more skip inducing decisions from now on.  I practised secrets after 2 unsuccessful evenings of calling around - and suddenly found myself a vacant 300year old cottage. I have paid the deposit and now just need to find a car to rent during the time.

* * *

I've had a busy week. First there were meetings, results and reports. And then there were the tickets to organise and pay f0r (two trips in May!) and accommodation hunting for that week of books. The latter was hard work - I missed my bed time on several occasions working through the list of  everything that might be available and being told off by virtually everyone I spoke to for having the audacity to try and find something now when their beds/rooms were booked 5 years ago. How dare I!

I  lamented to my colleagues (a dutch and an English) over morning coffee - how I  had forgotten that in the olde land, you could easily be told off for not doing the right thing - plan your bank-holiday  trip in advance, know where you are going to, etc etc.

I recalled the time I was a new waitress in an Italian chain. It was Valentines day and I heard the other waitresses  talk about how they were looking forward to  sneering and saying no to men who would be calling/dropping by in the morning to try and get a table in the evening. "no, you last minute bastard - serve you right", "no wanker, get real, get organised, get a life" and on and on and on.   

I remember that sense of righteousness. Which of course, I too adopted after several years being in the service industry (Petulantly -while dropping a plate of english breakfast on a greasy table in a caf - "You want to have a chip butty? what do you think this is - a chippy shop? Do you see any tatties anywhere? )

My English colleague who has been living in Hong Kong and Singapore the last 10 years, and who as a student in Bristol worked in a grocery store, agreed with me. And observed that in his time in Malaysia and Singapore - the waitresses would just hide or disappear when faced with such impossible requests.

* * *

Off to mandarin class.

Parched no more

Ah  - to have plentiful of water at home all the time. Not having to suffer from a parched throat first thing in the morning after a night out! The giant water bottles and dispenser arrived last Monday - not too long after my Mandarin teacher helped me call the hotline number for the Cantonese speaking only kip kop true water provider. The novelty has not quite worn off - I am enjoying my random cups of hot water. 

(side story  - once in London, when I was in Rara's wee bedroom, I woke up after a heavy night and took a gulp of clear liquid which I thought was water. I realised it was turpentine when my throat burned).

  * * *

I slept only 4 hours last night. I sorely missed my bed when 10.30 came but chose to stay out and spend my zzz hours on work related events and then woke up extra early this morning to hit the desk at 6 somefink (notice that I am using empowering language, reminding myself that I have a choice in all matters, you can tell I have just reread my collection of self help books!). 

Its already Saturday morning, I have to get up early a few hours later for my mandarin class and am so knackered and want to snuggle under the duvet but prefer to wait until I receive an email from a different time zone confirming that my work is done and dusted. So what's going to happen to my doze of creme de la mer? Already I noticed this morning that my skin and hair had lost their (short lived) lustre and my eyes had become bloodshot again.

For some reason, I keep thinking about an article I read about this chica some years ago prioritising her (8,10, 12 -depending on which magazine you pick up) hours of sleep; Says she,  "sleep is the best way to happiness and beauty".  I think she's right.  Sleep is the answer. Now, if only I can get back some sleep - maybe if I spend the whole weekend in bed, it can whip me into shape and rid me of THAT kgs as well as help me grow long curly eye lashes.

Otherwise, I think I have mentioned that April is the month of happenings? I have done it - I made the decision and then bought myself return tickets which would allow me to spend a week in that quaint land of books some time in May-June. More details to follow.

Mid week report

I have saved the picture of the little baby with cotton in his ears on my computer and set it as my desktop wall paper. I am going ooooh and ahhhhh and geramnya everytime I look at my computer. I cannot wait to see the little guy again.

* * *

Going to bed at 10.30 on weekdays takes a bit of disciplined. I have managed to stick with it saved for two-three ocassions. I can't begin to tell you how rubbish I felt the next day on the days I transgressed, which makes me think that for the last 3 years rubbish is how I must have been feeling - yikes. An unexpected outcome is how clear and plump my skin is looking.  A good night's sleep is turning out to be my creme de la mer.