So I just figured out why I keep a book diary in the first place.
I was all excited to get home to read my copy of A Fine Balance, (a book that I have tracked all the way back from Singapore years ago and never read) as a girlfriend had said that it was one of the books that would be on her list of top books to read. Turns out that I have read the bloody book already in high school!!
Sheesh!
Everyone seems to be reading these days, or at least looking for books to read. I am glad to know that I have more "reader" friends than expected because sometimes I feel like this really big geek. I have this secret wish to read as many books as possible and, being a bit of an overachiever, I had this unattainable goal of reading at least four books a week. Then real life happened, so I read when I can.
I was feeling really ill yesterday night so in the morning I resorted to my homemade cure "comfort food" which is either noodle soup or congee. I decided to make congee. If you do not know what congee is, it's basically rice porridge. You can usually have it with some sort of meat but I usually have it plain with a variety of pickled veggies and other miscellaneous food. It may sound weird for people who aren't used to it but it is really good to those who do like it.
I promised myself that I would never talk about these things in this site - politics, religion and my own personal relationships. Yet, one cannot help but talk about these things if they are important to you and if they are a big part of your life. I am a very opinionated person about all these things but that being said, I am also one who appreciates open discussion about issues and even often welcome an opinion other than mine. Often times, when difference of opinions are aired out without malice, we tend to learn a lot from them. Or at least I think so.
Fall is my all time favourite fashion season. I love all the layering of sweaters, tees and coats, the footwear, the accessories.... What I do hate however is breaking the flip flop feet into the high heels. All summer spent in flip flops or flats and this week, I decided to get my feet fall ready. Yesterday was the ever so awesome acquired vintage boots, albeit they were only 3 inches high, so they were somewhat do-able. Today, I wore my favourite caramel coloured pumps and I must say I am hurting a bit. I wish I could wear flats more often but then I tend to walk like a gimpy duck so three months of duckiness is all I can stand.
The price we pay for fashion and a little bit more height.
Yay!! The Stef-anator is back in the Leyhane-Kang household and all of us at home (cat, plants and all) are rejoicing. After what felt like a very long wait after his flight landed, Albino Boy stepped out and I don't actually remember this part but I ran under the barrier and up the ramp to greet him and the first thing out of his mouth was, "Sweety, you're going to get arrested!" Why he thought that, I couldn't really tell you.
I told him that he had just missed his brother and he looked around as if expecting to see them. Silly boy. He was also greeted by his mum who had waited with me and then we went home. We did what every couple who have spent weeks apart usually does - order Swiss Chalet and proceed to pass out. I had also just returned in the wee hours of that morning.
As happy as I was to see him, Mindy was not so thrilled. She has ignored him these past few days and Stefan, frankly, is quite traumatized by it all. We have spent our past few days together catching up, doing laundry and now he is telling me to stop writing about him on this site.
All is right in the world.
Is it me or do I always seem to have problems with Air Canada? This time on my flight home, on a completely booked flight to Toronto we were delayed by two and a half hours because they were short one attendent. Heck, I would have offered to serve out the damn water if we could have gotten on the way. When we arrived we couldn't get off the plane as something was wrong with the bridge thing that you need to exit the plane. We couldn't even get too mad as there simply wasn't anything we could do.
I am just so glad to be home.
Sometimes, Stefan really never listens to me the way he should. He was going diving in Cairns this past day and I told him to be careful with his breathing because for some reason, Stefan never developed the ability to breathe through his nose and can only breathe through his mouth. It makes him a really heavy breather and all round misuser of oxygen. You know when you go diving, it's pretty important that you be able to monitor your breathing. Here is what he wrote -
So, I really try not to questions God's will too much, just in case some random lighting bolt decides to hit me for it. I like to remain unzapped, thanks. However, I do sometimes question the unfairness of the distribution of beauty and brains. Take my friend Boutsy (aka Booty) for instance. By now we have all seen many beautiful radiant smiles from her so far. What you don't realize is that you have not also met her equally beautiful sisters Khantavy (oh crap, I hope I spelt it right. You would think after all these years that I would know) and Faith.
And both of them are equally brainy and talented. If they weren't such nice girls and if I didn't like them so much, I really would be inclined to give them two tight slaps every time I saw them just for the sheer injustices for life.
By the way girls, if you didn't want your pictures of you posted, you really shouldn't have given me the link to your blog. Haven't you all learnt by now that I am a menace?
I have been meaning to write about this for about forever now. Well, actually since it happened but as per usual I am on the road again. The soundtrack of my life. Last Friday, I got to hang out with the fabulous crew. We really are terrible at getting together en masse. What can I say other than we have really busy lives.
If you have not picked up this amazing book by Audrey Niffenegger, you simply must. This has honestly been one of the few books that has completely gripped every aspect of my thoughts in the longest time. As I am a bit of a speedreader, trust me that this is a big deal as I consume an average of five books a week.
The story is based around a time traveller named Henry and the love of his life named Clare. Because of the time travelling, the reader is kept in sync with time as it follows Clare's life timeline. She first encounters Henry when she is six and he is 36. It is a fascinating story of longing, love and human nature. Beautifully written, irreverant in parts, but mostly just poignantly true to the matters of the heart and life, the book is one that you simply cannot put down until the end.
The double edged sword wound for me is that because I am a speed reader, I have come to the end of this wonderful book too soon. However, because I can read so fast, it just gives me an excuse to read this wonderful story again. And again. And again.
Can someone not design one cord that will go with every other electrical gadget that we all have to carry with us these days? I am always in a panic before I leave for trips, itemizing every cord I must take with me in order to power these tools that are supposed to make my life more convenient.
Here I am, once again at the airport. I have to say that I find this to be one of the best places to people watch, one of my all time favourite pastimes. I just love the new Terminal 1 at Pearson International. Everything is so shiny, pristine and fresh. The one thing that I do detest however, is the insane line ups at the Air Canada counter despite the fact that they have the self help kiosks. I always have to treat a domestic flight like an International one.
So, watching this totally random show on TLC about female body builders and I really, really don't get this sport. All these women look and sound completely like men with boob jobs and wigs. What do you suppose is the fascination with this?
I hate being such a grump especially with my dad. He just knows how to push my buttons and I do the same with him. WE ARE SO MUCH ALIKE! YIKES!
Work is busy but not more than normal for this time of year. However, I've been so busy on the personal front as well and with Stefan being away, my nerves are just stretched so taut.
I hate the angry, bitter, roar-ry person I can be when I am stressed like this.
Stefan, come home already.
Sometimes when I am overtired, I have the tendency to also be super honest with my mum in ways that I probably shouldn't. Today was one of those days. After a long day(week) at work (YES! ON A SATURDAY!!) and on my way back to the office, I decided to give my mum and dad a visit. It just so happened that I came just in the nick of time to give my mum a ride to work. As we sat outside the station, I merrily had verbal diarrhea in front of my mother.
You can never underestimate the preciousness of the written word. In the past couple of months, I have received very lovely long letters from my two best childhood friends. Receiving a letter is such a luxury these days. I, however, did not treat it as such as I just wanted to get to the goods. I usually rip the envelopes open and do a quick read through. And the second read is more leasurely, my fingers slowly running through the words, trying to capture the moment in which the words were formed.
I am a big fan of plain speaking. I just think that we tend to spend so much time trying to come up with euphemisms for things when we should just say what we think, then we can avoid the whole "broken telephone" problem.
I had the most gut-wrenching, jaw-aching, almost-peeing-your-pants, hilarious weekend. I've been meaning to blog about this earlier but my damn Internet was down and Boy Wonder is Down Under. Thank goodness he called today or I would have had to go to some scrubby internet cafe.
My girlfriend Marie, was in town to work and then after, it was all about play. We did a lot of "research" aka as obsessive shopping. I was afraid that we would not be good shopping buddies having never really done it together for long periods of time. This weekend proved that we are "for true" brain twins.
Mindy just had the biggest throw up because I fed her too late and then she just binges on her food without chewing. I nearly threw up while cleaning up her throw up as it's usually one of Stef's "fun" jobs. This only emphasizes my inadequacies of possibly being a parent.
Ugh, I hate vomit.
I went to see the new version of Charlie and the Chocolate factory this evening with the fabulous Miss Marie. I am still absorbing it. The movie was definitely enjoyable and very entertaining. I love that little boy, Freddy Highmore but must say that he was much better in Neverland. Then again, it's so hard to compare as they're such different movies. The new Oompah Loompa's were hilarious! I felt like the other childrens' character's to be a little weak but maybe it's because there was not as much time to build on them? I'm not sure. The sets were very typical Burton-esque and sometimes I feel he should break out of his mold but I suppose that is why they wanted him to make the movie in the first place.
Johnny Depp, however was so GOOD! He just made the character so fresh in his own wonderfully, wacky way. I was never a big fan of the original 1971 version as Gene Wilder creeped me out with his sometimes nice-sometimes weird behaviour. Johnny Depp was consistently weird the entire movie which made it all the more entertaining. I am starting to love him more and more as an actor as he matures. He just gets more versatile and interesting with every movie he makes.
So even though I was unsure of the movie in general, it warrants a look at the theatre simply because of Johnny Depp's performance.
You know that wonky toilet seat that has been shaky for two years that you said you tried to fix, but to no avail?
I fixed it today.
HAH!
Dear Stef,
Remember a while back you had read some theory about how when couples have been together for a long time, they tend to rely on each other for day to day functions depending on their strengths? It also goes on to say that that is the reason why couples who have been together for so long have a hard time adjusting to regular life when the other leaves or dies. Like for instance, if one of the couple had a really good memory for birthdays and things like that, the other with the lesser memory will eventually forget those dates.
I told you that you were just using that as an excuse to never remember anything and to be perpetually late. Turns out, I was wrong.
Interesting things that I have learned about myself and life without you these past few days.
You know how I tend to just leave my pajamas in the bath and it always miraculously appears under my pillow at night? Well, I get so confused at night looking for my jammies WHEN THEY ARE HANGING IN THE BATHROOM, RIGHT WHERE I LEFT THEM.
I can't ever find my keys, my glasses, and my watch when I need to. I forget to turn the alarm off. No one listens to my random ramblings. I don't have the patience to look for Mindy's damn ball when it's time for her midnight dash around the apartment and she makes damn sure to let me know that I am completely incompetent as a parent.
Which by the way, let me tell you that Mindy has invented weird new habits while you've been gone. On Saturday, she hopped onto the bed and walked around on the edge of the bed at least TWELVE TIMES, "Urf-ing" periodically. This was around nine when she knows full well, wake up time on the weekends is ten. She has also decided to sleep at night on top of my pillow, above my head and pass out with her two paws over my forehead.
You know how my magazines drive you crazy because there is an overabundance of them? Well, they are driving me INSANE! Why are there so many copies and do I really need to keep them all? (By the way, this does not mean that I will revert to a non-magazine buying person when you return)
The other night, I tried ironing because I wanted to clear my neverending amount of clothing and developed a blister on my palm. A BLISTER, STEFAN!
You'd better come home soon.
Love, Karen and Mindy.
P.S Did I already tell you how much we miss you?
I am proud to say that I am Marie's official "cherry-popper" to IMing!! Marie and I talk randomly during the day so it made sense that we should at least attempt to instant message especially since we talk so much about miscellaneous stuff. She finally got over her stubborn streak!! YAY! Happy, happy, joy, joy!!
Stefan made me download Skype before he left and it really is a great tool for people who don't have a home phone like me. It's an online internet phone and from user to user, the service is free. I think there are a bunch of other perks as well but I haven't bothered to find out.
The best part is that I get to call my bro in NY without the outrageous long distance rates. My brothers and I are doing the nerdiest thing right now. We're all on a conference call with one another but simultaneously IMing one another. It sounds weird but at the same time, it's nice to feel like we're in the same room.
I miss them sometimes.
And then I see them.
And the missing feeling leaves pretty quickly.