The King's Speech

this is an actual conversation i had with a co-worker:

me: you know people that are just born into filthy rich families?
co-worker: yeah tell me about it
me: i noticed there are two types
co-worker: oh really?
me: yeah. those that take full advantage of their parent's status/money and act like complete snobs
co-worker: and the other...?
me: those that are really... um...

(10 second pause)

me: ... oh god.. what's the word...

(co-worker looking intently at me)

me: ... low to ground...?

co-worker: um, you mean, DOWN TO EARTH?

me: oh my god, yes!

co-worker: did you just seriously say low to ground. what's wrong with you? your brain trying to come up with synonyms or something??

(both of us dying in laughter)

i don't know if it's because i just turned 24 a few days ago but i'm experiencing some strange phenomenon between my brain and my speech these days.

No Longer a Virgin #2

today i feel like a new person.

the moment i opened my eyes, i could see everything. even the frigging product code of my AC that lies within my vision when i wake up from bed. never knew that thing even existed.

i've come to realize two things from this experience:

1) life can be painfully boring when you are restricted from opening your eyes.

this is a little different from simply not being able to see. this is fighting the temptation of opening your eyes when you know that perfect vision awaits behind those thin eyelid walls. imagine having to close your eyes and not being able to do anything for one entire day. i was dying in boredom waiting for either sleep to hit me miraculously in the mid day or waiting for the night to come so that sleep would eventually hit me. which came first? i don't even know.

2) music is soul to the eyes when all else fails.

i've never appreciated the existence of music so much in my life until yesterday. especially between the cruel hours from 3-8pm where your mind and body is just simply awake. i could've easily napped during those time but considering the consequences of a screwed up sleep schedule, i fought off the urge. that's when my ipod came to the rescue. the least i could do was use my ears on behalf of my eyes to give me some sanity. i've never listened so intently to each lyrics of the 200 songs on my ipod. i have to say some songs are really profound.

but in the end, all that i invested and went through was worth every part of it. if i fail at life, at least i know i made one good life decision.

so bye to my fugly glasses with a missing nose piece, bye to my contact lenses which have served me well for the past ten years and bye to my contact solutions which have insignificantly yet surely contributed to my monthly expenses. like the texans would say, rip y'all.

just in case no one got the gist of this entry, i had lasik surgery yesterday. which also means i no longer have virgin eyes!

No Longer a Virgin

yes after months of being "mia" from this blog, i have returned with such scandalous news as seen from my blog title.

*drum roll please*

i no longer have virgin ears!

Where is Neverland?

clara c : wake up in neverland

did i mention how good this song is?
the whole song can be heard here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYDEVc6vWcQ

That's a Fine Looking Ass

...so she said

This Might Be A Monthly Ritual

best friend: hey you want to hit up china tomorrow?
me: for real? what do i need?
best friend: yourself
me: haha.
best friend: lets get some cheap massage
me: sounds like a plan
best friend: so i'll meet you around 2:30pm?
me: yeap i'll meet you there

me: hey for real, what do i need
best friend: hmmm passport?
me: oh thats pretty important
best friend: yeah i thought you knew
me: right. i forget that we're crossing the border.
best friend: true... it's only like 7 stations away
me: how is it that it takes longer for me to get to work than to get to china.
best friend: when does life ever make sense
me: it does sometimes

best friend: i haven't been there in awhile, hopefully we make it there
me: dont rely on me, i dont even know how the process works
best friend: should be okay, we'll figure it out when we get there
me: cool, so do we know where to find a massage place?
best friend: ... no
me: ... brilliant
best friend: we'll ask around. i can say that in mandarin
me: you do have a pretty legit accent
best friend: compared to yours
me: thanks. hey at least i can write
best friend: this is why we are compatible
me: haha. so true

trip to china: 5 bucks
body massage + (first ever) manicure/pedicure: 10 bucks
last minute spontaneity: priceless

RIP (pun intended)

poor banana did not quite make it in the supermarket.

Old School

i remember my dad bought this cd when i was...ten? and i loved it so much. some songs just never get old.

Happy Stretching

i love doing this pose. i try to do it every night before i sleep. its basically my lazy version of a stomach/waist workout. the thing is i used find this pose extremely painful and unable to bend. but with everyday practice, i can now achieve this pose and use only my stomach muscles to bring my body gradually upright again (you have to keep your feet remained where it is without any bending). you will wake up some muscles that you never thought existed.

Power of Connections

i used to hate the word "networking". i guess i still do. it carries the connotation that i need to be somewhat fake and look all interested in getting to know that person when really im just hoping that they'll offer me a job. i always thought, how am i any different from a gold digger?

my recent "project" has been to take over the first round interview process from my boss to hire a new candidate to join our team. sure i felt honored that my boss would even consider me to do such thing. little did i know that interviewing people is one of the most complex, time consuming, bureaucratic process ever. it's not just asking a set of pre-determined set of questions and chatting with the candidate. it's like going through your first date in a professional setting. you have to ask questions that pull out the true characteristic of each candidate and subtly sell the position so they want to be in your team. you have to be a quick thinker so you can carry on a conversation and be an active listener so you can bounce off questions from what they say. not to mention, you have to know your company inside and out because they have the right to ask anything and you dont want to look clueless.

but the point i actually want to make is not the perspective of what its like to be on the other side of interviewing. it's about the power of connections. after interviewing couple candidates, i decided i wanted to refer my long time friend with a finance degree to my team. she didn't need a spectacular resume. i knew she would fit right in the team. some people are just not given the opportunity to shine because of the tough criteria society puts on them and my friend was a sure victim of it. i talked to my boss, highly recommended her and despite the obvious bias, my boss decided to move her on, and on, and on.. and on.. until she ended up being hired among the many other qualified candidates.

if i were to be pessimistic, i could say that my two months of countless resume analysis, time spent during lunch/after work hours interviewing candidates, post interview feedback reports, one on one meetings with my boss were... a waste of time? but of course i dont. i am nothing but happy for her and i am super excited to have her on my team. she is someone ive known since five and how often can i work with someone like that? i later asked my boss what made her pick my friend and she simply replied, i very well know how you work and if you think she's a good fit to our team then i want to give her a try. power of connections.

You've Got Hair

these days i start to wish my mutant power was to never get dirty. no im not suffering from some unhygienic syndrome. i just find taking showers such a waste of time. and i honestly dont enjoy the process. by the time i soak my thick hair, im already dreading the drying hair part. by the time i shampoo my hair once, im already thinking what's the point since i have to shampoo my hair twice anyways. by the time i apply conditioner, im already impatient about having to wait "a minute" for the treatment to soak into my thick hair. oh and by the time i reach my body, im already feeling bad for my mom to have another set of towel to wash. all in all, if i had the choice and if i didnt have an ounce of respect for society, i would not take a shower.

this is kind of what went through my mind last night twenty minutes into blowing my hair. my short hair that is. so much maintenance sigh. 

You Go Girl

its been about four months three weeks and five days since i last went jogging. my excercise regime has so far been: morning walks to the bus stop, few flight of stairs up and down the subway, lunch break strolling around the office area, another few flight of stairs up and down the subway, walking to my front door. my lifestyle has become so sedentary, i almost included my "walks" to and from my desk to the printer at work as part of my excercise regime.

so yes i needed a change. and hence went jogging today. ive always known from experience that staying in shape is much easier than getting in shape. so i knew i was in for a tough run today considering my long hiatus. of course i never forget my usual stretching before my run :) i started off feeling surprisingly good, my legs bounced off the pavement with ease and my breathing was under control. but as soon as i passed the ten minutes mark, i could hear my heavy breathing despite the ipod in my ears and a slight muscle strain along my calves and thighs. i thought to myself, gazing ahead to the corner hundred meters away, i'll take a break there and stop. 

then suddenly, a rather overweight person appeared in front of me from another pathway. she was definitely not the typical "fit" looking person but i could tell that she had been running quite awhile depsite the slower pace. suddenly, the competitiveness that rarely shows itself came eating at me and before i knew it, i had hit the corner that i was supposed to take a break and found myself...still running. i thought, if she can keep running, i can as well. as a result, my ten minutes run became a thirty minutes run. not bad considering i had absolutely no heart pumping excercise in the past few months. 

im telling you, nothing is more motivating and inspiring than having someone rather obese in front of you running their hardest. i am in no way implying anything, i just want to sincerely thank that person today for allowing me to push myself even with my face looking like a bright red tomato about to pass out.

well guess what, now i can literally pass out with a good nights rest. 

Are You Lost?

it's such a strange feeling to have a stewardess sitting next to you on a bus. yes a public bus. a fricking mini bus. i dont know whether to expect her to say "coffee or tea" or "please fasten your seatbelt". is she going to bow and guide me out when i get off? what is she doing on ground, she should be up the sky!

Lazy Bum

these days my go-to word has been "im too lazy." but it's not that i'm actually a lazy person. it's just that i've become lazy about explaining why i'm actually not that lazy. there are times when too many words end up costing people's time and unnecessary explanation. therefore, i've realized that sometimes it is much easier and less of a hassle to tidy up with the phrase "oh im just lazy." 

for example, i had an appointment at two with a lady who practiced eastern medicine at my friend's house who lived fifteen minutes down the hill from my place. now, i am a huge fan of walking even if there was free transportation to get there and that day was no different. i was ready to get changed around one thirty so that i could leave the house by quarter to two. except i got an unexpected "hey, the lady is actually coming thirty minutes earlier than planned" type of text and threw me off guard. i had to think fast and as i was changing my clothes while throwing everything in my bag, i decided that i would take the bus that would take me down the hill in five minutes. i ran to the bus stop, got on the bus, got off the bus and ran again from the bus stop to where her apartment was. of course i arrived on time. but seeing that i was rather quick on my breathing, my friend asked how i came so i told her i took the bus. and of course cause she knew that i live quite close and knew that i never take the bus, she asked back why i took the bus. well, did i really want to explain that my intention was to not take the bus, but because of her sudden text i couldn't spare any time to walk down like a healthy person as planned since the last thing i wanted was to be late for this special appointment with the lady? so i said, "oh i was just being lazy." and i got right into the treatment session like that. done. no time wasted.

Hi My Name Is...

after seven very long months, i finally went out of my way to buy a wireless router so the nishios no longer have to fight over our one and only family computer (its really just a small dell laptop). some important things i've learned to do from sharing one computer with my whole family. always log out. and yes i mean from facebook and email. i dont want them to find out all my dirty little secrets you know? haha

joking aside, i am so hyped about being able to use my macbook air finally. i bought it a little more than a month ago and i have kept it closed this whole time since wireless is the only way to connect to internet for macbook airs. i spent consecutive days feeling sorry for my macbook air for existing quite uselessly. although it did serve as a chic stylish accent to my room. anyways, writing a blog now with this macbook air is my dream come true. thank you wireless (bows at router). i am also surprised how easy it was to set up the whole wireless router. why did i wait until now to finally get it? oh right, i was busy.

i need a name for my macbook air. it takes up too much word count on this blog. any suggestions?

Nirvana



after working non stop for six months, i spontaneously took a ten day vacation. i had so many options, so many countries i could have gone, so many people i could have met. yet in the end i decided to travel alone to good old osaka, where really i only know my grandparents and my two cousins. i didnt even care how much money i was going to use, the bottomline was i wanted to go all out and travel somewhere new. but my body didnt. and i knew i had to listen to my body because ive never gotten sick like this before. i just simply needed to rest. and hence here i am in osaka. i have been away from my computer for the last seven days in strive to achieve a "peace of mind". perhaps this music video can best describe that state.

Stalking a Stranger

going through rush hour on a daily basis for the past six months, i can only say one good thing can come out of it: great rush hour episodes to share with friends and family when you run out of things to talk. let me share one here.

this happened on a very unusual day where i actually managed to grab a seat. a very tall lanky man with red pants (nothing wrong with this, i own one too) wearing a blue shirt came walking in from one of the stops. and because tall asian guys are just naturally a rare specie in hong kong, he immediately grabbed my attention. it also didnt help that he had a bob trimmed to perfection at shoulder length. he carried a certain type of aura. which is usually a good thing but his was just... strange. not only did he weave through people in the midst of rush hour back and forth as if he couldn't decide where to stand, but he also carried a ginormous book with loose paper sticking out in all directions and would stop just to read sections of this book before he resumed his previous roudabouts.

and since i was sitting, i had the honor to observe every move he was making and i got to decipher what he was reading (yes i think i somewhat judge a person by its cover literally). it was called: "extraordinary encounters: an encyclopedia of extraterrestrial and otherworldy beings." i remember it so well because i had to say it in my mind couple times before i could understand the title. this man was reading about aliens, ufos, and people's intereactions with non-human creatures. who knows if he really believes in these things but i was just in awe that such a book exists. and i couldnt agree more on the encyclopedia part. its not a book you would just carry around and this man had nothing but this.

so lets say he does believe in these things. personally this is not an issue for me, but it does make me wonder what his views of the world are like. he would've been one of those people i wished sat next to me on a long flight instead of on a train during rush hour. i would've probably had one of the most interesting conversation and the long hours wouldn't seem as bad.

Never Underestimate the Word "Really"

hong kong has been charging fifty cents per plastic bag since 2009. i think this is one of the smartest moves made by hong kong following the invention of octopus cards. it's amazing how this "law" works on people psychologically. we never give a crap about our loose cents jingling in our pockets and yet when we are forced to pay a mere fifty cents for a plastic bag, we become hesitant. why is that? either way it's definitely motivating people to carry around their own shopping bags. hong kong already has issues with littering and pollution so reducing the amount of plastic bags can only do good for the environment.

today i was asked a very interesting question. i went to a fruits shop, ordered a freshly squeezed juice along with a fruit salad. i had my hands full with my wallet in one hand and some papers in the other. i gave the lady my money and asked for a fork as well as a straw. as she gave me back the change, she asked "do you really need a bag?" now this took me off guard. you see, if she had just said "do you need a bag?" then i would've said yes without thinking twice. but by her just adding the word "really" i thought, why yes, can't you see that my hands are full and i could really use a little help of a bag? but now that you ask, hmm i guess i dont really need a bag.

so i left holding my wallet and drink in one hand, my fruit salad with the fork strategically placed between my fingers and my pile of papers tucked under my armpit - all without the help of a bag.

and i left thinking, wow all shops should just simply rephrase the question just like how the lady did and soon enough people will naturally say no to plastic bags even without the fifty cents levy.

Inspiration

when i was young, i dreamed to be a singer. i watched in awe every music show available in japan that my grandma would record just for me to be sent to hong kong. i especially adored this one j-pop star, namie amuro, and i loved her so much, i was determined to name my daughter after her if i ever had one.

but i was too shy and i couldnt sing. at least not as good as my brother and i was able to take that as a sign as something i shouldn't pursue. that dream still remains in my heart but it is more of a fantasy dream than a realistic dream.

then my love for dogs came. i know many people love dogs, that's normal. but what's not normal is to spend your allowance on dog encyclopedias and to spend your free time copying exactly word for word what's written in that book onto another notebook. i still have this notebook in fact and as i skim through, i realize that i even copied down the friggin index. oh and the page number of course. i knew exactly what category a certain breed would be classified under, what their personalities are, what kind of food you should feed them, what their average weight and height are etc. not to mention i took the time to draw out what these dogs look like. it is insane. which is why i have such a hard time throwing this dinky little notebook away after all these years because of the time and effort i sacrificed for this.

but i couldn't even let a dog survive for more than two weeks after spontaneously buying a shitzu at a random pet store. honestly, there was nothing we could've done, the puppy was apparently already sick when we bought her at the pet store (just shows how some dogs are poorly taken care of). but to a dog connoisseur that i thought i was, it was purely devastating. why couldn't i prevent her from dying? that was my only thought when i went to bury her away with my mom and my brother. i think ever since, ive stopped my crazy dog obsession and i think i can safely say that i am just an average normal dog lover.

so why am i writing about this? because im starting to understand what it means to be passionate about something. my best friend is a very passionate person. she knows exactly what she wants and she'll sacrifice a lot of things to achieve that dream. i tell her she's damn lucky she knows what she wants in life. but she tells me she wishes she weren't so passionate so she doesnt have to feel like she hits rock bottom every time things don't work out. so i tell her, but imagine when things do work out eventually, how fulfilling that would feel! would you rather look back on your life realizing you haven't accomplished a thing just because you were scared to face hardships? she gave me a hug.         

i know my life revolves around work these days and my responsibilities keep increasing by the day. i really do like my job and my teammates make it worth going to work. but am i passionate about what i do? probably not. and it makes me wonder if i ever will find something i can be passionate about.

to me someone who knows what they want, full of passion and works hard to achieve that dream is simply inspriring and rather attractive. it is my hope to be that person one day.

In the Spirit of...

rugby sevens hong kong. march 25-27, 2011. to think that i actually played on that field and how good it felt to have the ball in my hand and dodge past those boys scoring a touchdown. time flies indeed.

Japan, You Are Loved

watching the news depresses me. and i never get depressed over anything.

couldn't stand watching the repetitive news. grabbed my ipod, went for a long walk, cleared my head.

the weather was absolutely beautiful. and to think that a country so close is in devastation.

but there is always light at the end of the tunnel i'd like to think.

sure, houses are gone, food is scarce, stock market will plunge, economy will start from ground zero.

why the whole country will take years for it to look like it used to.

but people are staying strong, government is taking action, countries are lending a helping hand.

why is it that i can feel this strong will to live from these people admist of such tragedy.

its because japan, we all know you're a tough country.

and people of japan, you are truly loved. don't lose faith.

Twins

so my brother and i are only eleven months apart. which means there is at least one month in each year where we are the same age. and theoretically, if we share the same age, then we could be twins which means we should look somewhat alike. does this theory make any sense.

anyways, we all know my brother and i don't look alike. and we just seem to look more unlike over the years that it's come to a point where people think he's my boyfriend, not my brother. that's a little disturbing. perhaps not as bad as being mistaken as my son. now that would be really bad. anyways i knew i had to go on a mission to at least prove that we, at some point in our lives, did actually look like siblings if not like twins. judge for yourselves:

obviously i only searched for pictures that somewhat proved my point. so yes, i was a little biased. but in the end i was faced with the unrefutable fact that we just simply dont look alike. just look at the picture below...

just how big can his eyes get and how small can mine be seriously?

i also realized something as i was searching through albums and albums of pictures. but thats for another post.

Oh Land

Listening to...

"these dreams, under my pillow"
"there is no silence, i will keep following the siren"
these two phrases are constantly stuck in my head at work.
i have a thing for accents and i dig her accent.

Creative Binge

i've been on an extremely serious reading/music/singing/drawing binge craze this past few weeks.

it all started when i watched this particular youtube video of "i'll be there" by mariah carey. i knew this song long before and its not like i was never exposed to good music. but something about this video "hit the spot" for me so to say. i loved everything about it: the song, the way she sang it, the emotions i felt as i was watching her. the closeness of the audience. trey lorenz. he just nailed it. just putting myself in her spotlight gave me an emotional high (is that how drugs make you feel?). sounds like an exaggeration but never made me wish i could be a singer so badly in my life before. (my dream career as a child was to be a singer if anyone didnt know). i spent my afternoons of my precious weekends playing my favorite songs over and over singing along as if i were on stage (what an embrassing sight to be caught in). not only that, i started to fantasize how i would perform live on stage singing and playing the piano like alicia keys style. and i would get so giddy just thinking about how good it would make me feel to be applauded by so many people. so i started to show some love again to my abandoned piano, "putting it to perfection" some of the pieces i started halfway in the summer.

but wait it doesnt stop here. suddenly my cravings for words, lyrics, literature, books, phrases, insights all hit me. i wanted to dive myself into the world created by authors, feel the words as if they were tangible. it's been about a week and a half since i started this phase and im already on my third book. i now look forward to lunch at work not because i can eat but because i can read. starbucks has been my favorite place these days. i never knew an hour could go by so quickly. i also realized that i read in british accent.

makes me sound like a pregnant woman with all these sudden cravings. but the point is, everyone has and needs their creative outlet. and in some sense this blog has been my creative outlet as well. its different for everyone though obviously. what's yours?

as for my drawing binges, ill leave it to the pictures.

and because its valentines day, here's a nice vase of roses ;)

Thoughts of the Day

did chickens come first? or did eggs come first?

why do i chop my hair off in the winter and keep it obnoxiously long in the summer?

why are my best hair days never the day i shower?

why do i never benefit from both the japanese new year and the chinese new year?

gong hei fat choi. give me lai see :D

From Me to You

happy birthday dear mother, how truly blessed to be your daughter.
you faithfully live by your words and speak through your actions.
hardworking is an understatement, if the world would realize.
never the first to take glory, yet the first to take blame.
complaining gets you nowhere, it's your motto in life.

twenty three years, inching up slowly towards you.
since when was i taller? do you know when?
hoping one day to be like you mommy.
watching your back as a little girl.

it may be a long way ahead.
but at least there's a way.
and every night i sleep.
with head held high.
thanking silently.
my beautiful ma
for making me,
me.

lots of love,
your daughter.

I'm a Saggy

so i have a secret obsession. i love reading anything related to personality analysis. i love finding out more about myself to see if they are true or not. im definitely not a religious believer in these things but i find it very amusing how accurate they are sometimes. true, they can be vague and can be easily applied to anyone, but for me, it's a way to understand myself even more. one day i would like to go to a fortune teller and get my palm read for fun. or perhaps in all seriousness??

so today i was reading my horoscope analysis and i have to say some parts are really true:

Sagittarians are lucky by nature, so they usually display a cheerful and optimistic disposition. Their inherent curiosity keeps them more interested in what will happen tomorrow rather than focuses on the mistakes of today. A state of constant change is a delight for them. Sagittarians are extremely independent, truly free spirits and yet, they are the nicest of all the zodiac signs. Sagitarians are kind, openhearted souls who do not expect anything in return when helping a friend. There are no hidden secrets to a Sagittarius - what you see is what you get. Creative, clever, straightforward, congenial - all these traits describe Sagittarius.

Sagittarians are usually up for any adventure and love travelling to exotic destinations. That is because they are so curious about the world around them. Like Gemini's, they want to know about everything, but whereas a Gemini might learn a little about something and drop it, the Sagittarius can remain interested until the end. A Sagittarius's restlessness and distain for the mundane however, may be damaging to relationships.

In addition to being curious, Sagittarians are also the great philosophers of the zodiac. Broad-minded and inquisitive, part of Sagittarius's inquisitiveness includes pondering the great questions of all time such as the meaning of life and religious issues. Their clear thinking means they have no problem seeing the "big picture."

Sagittarians are very social people. They give off a charm that draws people to them. The friendliest of all signs, Sagittarians are kind to all and always doing favours for which they expect nothing in return. They are not jealous or possessive because they would not want anyone else to be jealous or possessive of them. They also do not tell you how to live your life or what you should do - they do not stick their nose in your business, only help when it is needed.

Sagittarians make great entertainers because of their creativeness and outgoing personalities. They have a great sense of humour and, like their opposite sign, Gemini, are great conversationalists and magnificent storytellers.

Sagittarians can often be seen as too talkative and pushy because of their extrovert ways. Sometimes their frankness is seen as being too blunt or impatient. Because of their desire for change, Sagittarians may have a hard time committing to a relationship for very long. A Sagittarian's carefree nature may also lead them to be careless.

You may think that the Sagittarius woman lacks all the feminine charms. But think again, for she is very friendly, outspoken, bright, and has a pleasant disposition. She lives under no illusions but is very optimistic and enthusiastic about life. If you are close enough to her, you will find her emotional side and would be tempted to care for her. But the negative aspects of her nature can be that she is very outspoken and will refuse to lie for the sake of it. She will never falsely compliment her partner or falsely say what he wants to hear. This can result in failed relationships. But if you let her be as she is and encourage her to pursue her dreams, she will be extremely loyal to you and even trust you blindly.

Sagittarians have the ability to look beyond the external appearances and appreciate a person for his nature more than his looks. This virtue applies in terms of friendship as well as love affairs. This may be the reason for them having a lot of friends and very few enemies. Sadly, Sagittarians are often mistaken as being flirts because of their friendliness. Sagittarians always look for equal partners who are bright, intelligent and as energetic and enthusiastic as they themselves are. If a Sagittarian says the three golden words to you, do not doubt her genuineness as she will say it only if she really means it.

Sagittarians are very passionate and full of fun. Basically adventurous by nature, they like to explore and try new things in a relationship and even love making. This can even have a negative connotation in case of some Sagittarians, and they can get bored very soon and turn promiscuous. Sagittarians are also capable of getting over lost love or failed marriages very quickly, as they are of getting over broken dreams.

Although the word 'marriage' can make most Sagittarians nervous, they can be most interesting partners once they get married. The Sagittarius woman will be an interesting partner, a friendly mother and a charming hostess, only if you let her have her independence and do not boss her. The Sagittarius woman will hardly make a good match to the dominant and chauvinist men who want their wives to be timid, shy and old fashioned. With the kids, a Sagittarius mother will be more of a friend than the mother, who will inculcate in her kids values of independence and freedom which are very dear to her heart.

As love for freedom is one of the basic and inborn Sagittarius traits, do not ever think of keeping them tied down by using your charms or sentimentality, as it can only make them go away. If given a free rein, Sagittarians can be the best buddies, talkative partners, and most romantic bed mates to have!

あけまして、おめでとうございます。

how is yesterday any different from today? well i woke up to a brand new year of 2011 eating a cucumber first thing in the morning. oh and doing laundry that has piled over the week due to my parents not being at home and me leaving it till now due to lack of time.

but really nothing has changed overnight. and that's not necessarily a bad thing in my books. counting down from one of hong kong's tallest skyscraper with my closest friends couldn't have been more prominent and ideal for a hopeful celebration of a better year to come. but to me, it was a count down to realization that i am still the same person, that my friends around me are those who will always understand me, that hong kong is the city that i will truly call home. it gave me nothing but assurance that i can continue to start this new year blessed and surrounded by the amazing people i have met at every stage of my life.

and so cheers to you, 2011, because no matter how much of an obstacle you may or may not throw at me, i will always be ready. because i know the most important thing is really quite simple - to never forget those who have shared my experiences in every way possible. because i guarantee they are the ones that will last me till 2012 and the many more years to come. but until then, 2011, i hope you and i get along really well.