October 2010 Bubble Tea Tally / My realm of power

MONTHLY BUBBLE TEA TALLY, OCTOBER 2010 (3)

pudding with mango stars @ Kat's Tea House (Friday, Oct. 15)
lychee @ Tapioca Express (Tuesday, Oct. 19) [good hanging out with Vanessa H.!]
strawberry @ Flaming Wok (Wednesday, Oct. 26)

What is YOUR Realm of Power? by Akhirian
LJ Username
Birth Month	JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Favourite Season	SpringSummerAutumnWinter
Your Spirit is..	Darkened
Your Rule Extends Over..	Martial Earth, Earthquakes
Your Guardian Companion is..	Raven, the veiled guide
You Are Weak Against..	Chaos, Imbalance
Your Lucky Color is..	Red

Who knew that Superstore doesn't really sell wallets?!

Turns out Henry had a good reason for calling early; we had to pick up Martin from his building, then drop him off at the Auto Mall where he could then pick up his own car because it had been undergoing service. We talked about the SFU and UBC (Chan Centre) screenings of the Christian 1040 movie ("very powerful," they said); not listening to secular music; encouragement and hope in Christian music 24/7; various phone calls (Henry's niece Evelyn being hungry ["get Pop-Tarts from your aunt... I'm not upstairs because I've left already!"], Sabrina inviting the guys to the 10 PM screening of JACKASS 3D); Sonya and Daniel Fellowship people; Enoch Fellowship canceling their program for some PASSION concert; Chris Tomlin; and more. When we got to church, we said hi to Eric T. - I then told Daniel that Chrystal wouldn't be here because of a cousin's wedding. We managed to cover things all right, and that meant I interacted with more kids: Ian M. (looking sad and missing his mom - she's in the Philippines now because of her own mom's health problems), John H., Luke, Andrea C., Erin L., Amos, Harrison, Emily Q., Owen, Ray, Ian L. (wearing his cool blue dragon shirt!), Kayden, Justin L., Stephanie, Cynthia, Kirsten, Esther F., Joshua, and more. I also waved at Priscilla (who's graduated from Awana) - she's excited about Grace's baby Micah, all right! Said hi to Lawrence, Victor, Sabrina, Benedict, Emily Lam, and others. Martin predicted he'd giggle all the way through JACKASS 3D; oh my!

I encountered a kid called ADEN... PARENTS! After things had settled down a bit, I got some laundry money and consolidated my change. The stupid zipper pull on the purple dragon change purse got caught on something, and then broke off! UGH! I knew it wouldn't be good quality if my mother bought it, haha. Since Auntie Vivian wasn't around, I told Daniel that I was going to Superstore, and I'd be back in half an hour. We wouldn't be doing anything other than field random queries, anyway. I saw Christmas stuff in Superstore, but it turned out they didn't have any wallets... I decided I didn't have time to scout out candy or other things! As I told Golden when I got back, "Who knew that Superstore doesn't have wallets?! I was like: You're SUPERSTORE, dammit!" (feeling free to use "dammit" because none of the kids were in the room) He suggested Wal-Mart... yeah, maybe when I have the time! I might be better off getting a makeup bag or something of the sort (like a zippered pencil case) from London Drugs or Shoppers Drug Mart on Monday! (that is, if they're relatively cheap AND not a girly color!)

Joshua was all excited about passing a few handbook sections, and told me about it - YAY! Refreshed Daniel's memory on the scoring system, encountered static, told Ryan K. that giving candy only to boys was sexist, calculated points, and had a bag full of soon-expiring Starburst candy / Edo chocolate-filled biscuits with koala bears on them / Maynards Fruit Mania candy / Chupachup lollipops / one regular lollipop / chocolate-flavored GARDEN wafers foisted on me by Auntie Vivian. (I later gave the lollipops to Margaret, who then tried giving one to Mary) I didn't mind if Chris Lam took a couple for himself! Eric T. asked me how I was doing - apparently, some of the kids whom he teaches at John Oliver seem legally insane, haha! Auntie Vivian also gave me a slice of cake with nuts in it - no, I don't have to worry about allergies OR crumbs! After Awana, Andrew said that I wasn't scary - FINE, then! I asked his sister Stella if her brother scared easily; nope! Keenan, Isaac, Eunice, and Joshua were trying to "sting" (poke) Jessica and me later - we weren't having it! Tim (Joshua and Keenan's dad) said bye to me as well as saying hi when he got in - nice! He says that Karen I. has had her baby BOY, but doesn't know if she and Chung have decided on a name yet! We heard a CRASH from the kitchen, so went to investigate - Jordan had broken some mugs! I added Mott's Fruitsations and Maynards Swedish Berry candy to my bag later, courtesy of leftovers and Ian.

On the way home, the boys and I talked about zombies / brains / their life at school / skipping stuff / smart kids / kids who are the best at soccer / a girl Sean apparently has a crush on (he admitted that he talks about her all the time!) / practicing IN FLANDERS FIELD and CHURCH TALLIS (aka AMAZING GRACE) for a Remembrance Day assembly / trick-or-treating / Halloween parties / Ian's forgetting my name / giving away candy / eating dinner at Sea Harbor Restaurant at Yaohan with their cousins Jonathan and Janice / Nintendo DS / dancing with the Nintendo Wii / characters in their games getting up to Level 4000, 5000, or 7000; regular people get maybe Level 7 or 17 with a gun. When I got home, I caught up on stuff while eating Janina's bone and skull Halloween candy... I also threw some stuff away in the laundry room. I also saw that Renit Bains had finally added me to Facebook - good times with the notes in math class and Nick Turner, for sure! Randal had emailed the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT group to say that he was somewhat abstaining from alcohol (DO IT ALL!), so he could have one fine beer or two Bud Lights. Jeremy then replied to say that he himself has been abstaining from Bud Lights for some time now: OF COURSE HE HAS! HE'S A GOOD PERSON! I knew that skipping Bible Study would do wonders for my soul (and my online time) - turns out I'll have to overhear Randal at Steph's place tomorrow, too!

Early calls, car brands, psychology, and Halloween cupcakes

After sleeping at 4:15 AM, I somehow got up on my own at 10:45 AM. This is good, as it left me several hours to check stuff! Henry just called twenty minutes early, so I gotta go!


Facebook quizzes taken from Darren L., Kelli, Tamara, Jennifer J., Michelle C., Candy B., and Kaitlin:

What car brand fits you? Leslie used What car brand fits you? to analyze Leslie
1) Lamborghini: 8%
2) Audi: 29%
3) Holden: 13%
4) Ford: 1%
5) Porsche: 18%
6) Lotus: 13%
7) Zonda: 9%
8) Dodge: 8%


PSYCHOLOGY PERSONALITY QUIZ
Dear Leslie, based PSYCHOLOGY PERSONALITY TEST, You're a stubborn sweetheart... You "love" him / her only because he / she loves you. If his / her flame puts out, you let go with no trouble.
You're intimidating! People have an impression that you're elite — or if not, you simply look sophisticated. You gain praises, but not companions.
Here is the analysis
웃 : You love the crowd... a party animal!
웃 : You hide your emotions... Sometimes pretending to be always happy.
웃 : You search for love...
웃 : You appreciate simple things in life...
웃 : You're independent!

Which US city do you belong in? Leslie got New York, NY. This city never sleeps. It's always going, even in the dead of night. This place is a hotbed for culture and art, and has a strong entertainment industry as well.

You Are Traditional

You are active around the holidays, and you are big on keeping traditions alive. You have an amazing memory, and you're good at recreating past events. You love to get a big group of friends together. You can't imagine spending Halloween by yourself. You love decorating, picking out candy, carving pumpkins, and dressing up. You really get into the spirit of things.

The Halloween Cupcake Test

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT episodes / Halloween Candy / Honey and golf

Jon's emailed us some more updates which pertain to the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon: we'll start watching around the middle of Season 1 since they watched Episodes 1-6 at the Fellowship retreat. Since I probably watched those the time we went to Nathan's, I should be fine with that. Everyone will just grab their own lunch, and he doesn't know how much beer to bring. Hahaha, that's always how it goes!

I'm also spending my night reading this ONTD post on Halloween candy... Nerds! Werther's Original! Whoppers! Rockets! Aero! Ferrero Rocher! Smarties! Some stuff is BAD: Mary Janes, those strawberry candies, Tootsie Rolls, black licorice, candy corn, and more.


Trivia fact for Saturday, Oct. 30: What role did honey once play in the game of golf? It was used in the core of golf balls. Before the solid core was introduced in the late 1960s, most golf balls had a rubber centre that was filled with a liquid - which frequently was honey. Today, synthetic materials are used in mass-produced golf balls with liquid centres.

More time online is a blessing! / Various Facebook quizzes on Halloween, sex, and more

Since I figured I had to call Eric back after hanging up on him, I did - he wondered whether I'd started my laundry yet. Nope, and I didn't intend to do it tomorrow, either! After trying to say that he'd pick me up at 6:55 regardless (OH HELL NO!), he asked what he should tell Cindy when she asked where I was: I'm sure you can think of SOME excuse which doesn't involve the laundry! Then he thought I was avoiding a certain someone; maybe, but at least it gives me more time to be online, especially with my temperamental beast of a computer!

While I had him on the phone, I asked if he were going to the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon on Sunday: he is, but he isn't going right away since he's going to the BC Lions game. Before saying that I'd see him on SUNDAY, I opined that football was a snore-fest unless there were good-looking players, haha. Then I called Flime to make sure that he knows I need a ride to said marathon, before I totally forget! He says Monday's dinner with Steph and Lisa is confirmed, so that's good then. Of course he probably doesn't want to tell me what he thinks of my skipping Fellowship to do the laundry, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! ;)

Chrystal also called me, but she thought I was at Fellowship. Nope, I just didn't have the phone on so I could enjoy blessed peace! Turns out she won't be at Awana tomorrow because of a cousin's wedding - I'm sure Daniel and I can cover things quite handily! She thanked me for doing so... it's a responsibility, and someone's gotta do it.


Facebook quizzes taken from Jason Wong, Mandy O., Chris T., Darren L., Vicky, Candace, Mark, Hilary, Silvester, Vanessa H., Angela V., Mandy W., Charlotte, Chalaine, Quan, Hannah N., Shauna, Petra, Melanie, Heather, Danielle, Jasmine, Veronica, Dilys, Citrus, Anthony, Hannah W., Scott P., Kaitlin, Jessica G., Lisa B., Susan, Jennifer L., Patrick, Jennifer J., Sarah G., Billie, and Adam:

Which Canadian city do you belong in? Leslie got Toronto, Ontario. Largest city in Canada, and home to skyscrapers, numerous museums, and endless shopping.

What will your career be in 10 years? Leslie got Surgeon. You work well with others. You aren't afraid to take risks, and are quick about it. Your caring attitude helps you help others. You act responsibly with everybody. You're someone's hero.

How long will I survive in zombieland?? Leslie got 5-6 months. Raygun? Check. Flamethrower? Check. Gatling Gun? Check. Ammo? Check. About the only thing missing from your arsenal is Chuck Norris. The road to survival is a long one, so be sure to use caution around every corner.

What Glee character are you? Leslie got Rachel Berry. Diva that you are, you do the right thing. Sure, you may be blinded by your own goals and motives, but you stand up for what you want, and won't stop until you get it. If you hurt people, you realize it and apologize. You've been duped a couple times, and even though you still get slushy-ed on occasion, you know what your role is in Glee Club, and stick to it. Your controlling ways do bother people, but you are secure in who you are. It's not your fault everyone doesn't have as high standards as you!!!

What will Your Baby's name be? Leslie got Arabella. The Latin name Arabella means "beautiful altar." She will be beautiful and graceful. All the boys in the world will want her. She is smart, and you rarely see her frown.

What movie is the story of your life? Leslie got Harry Potter. On the outside, people may see you as self-assured, confident and perhaps a little arrogant. However, if they manage to get past your tough exterior, they'll find that you are passionate and loyal. You have a strong personality that makes you driven to achieve the things you want. People admire your strength to survive and cope during tough times.

What Halloween costume are you? Leslie got Michael Myers. You scare the shit out of people, so it's the best option for you.

What type of sex partner are you? Leslie got abstinent. You are not a freak. Sex doesn't cross your mind even once a day. When you finally open those legs up, bats will fill the room. You're always angry and stressed, can't seem to find satisfaction in any area of your life, and you're waaaay too picky. Hmm.. wonder why???

Why is the Inquisition after you? Leslie got Witchcraft. You are quiet and mysterious, yet you feel a strong connection with the world around you. You are kind-hearted and love animals. Unsatisfied with leaving things up to fate, you want to control your own destiny. Whether it's trying to find cures for disease or predicting the weather, you want to control your environment to better human existence. Unfortunately for you, the medieval church doesn't care much for alleviating suffering, so you have a date with the stake!!

What Rocky Horror Picture Show Character Are You? Leslie got Columbia. "Well, I was walkin' down the street, just a-havin' a think..." You got Columbia! [my personal favorite] You are the bubbly one with such spunk! You have the amazing talent of tap dancing, and seem to be the one to stand out the most in the group. You tend to get overlooked sometimes, but that's okay; you don't seem to mind. You have a love of a dope that sadly dies, and you're forever heartbroken. You are known as the groupie, and tend to rebel against the leader since he / she killed your only love.

What Hogwarts House are you? (Realistic) Leslie got Gryffindor. "You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry, Set Gryffindors apart." - The Sorting Hat. You have been properly sorted into Gryffindor. The colors of Scarlet and Gold as well as the elemental of Fire represent you best. The hat sees leadership qualities, greatness, enthusiasm, and idealism within your heart. The factor that one can attribute to a Gryffindor is their heart, which is often used before the mind. You are indeed a noble wizard.

Which Famous Witch are you? Leslie got Witch of Eastwick. Strong, sexy and ready to use hex education to get ahead, if needed.

What kind of creep are you? Leslie got Hopeless romantic. You are exhausting and annoying.

Dream of two brothers named Mattias and butter / "Laundry" excuses / Haunted houses

I went to bed at 5:30 AM again, mainly because I spent about an HOUR AND A HALF on the Cheezburger sites and the comments within. Had a dream which involved little Mattias having a younger brother also named Mattias (we called the brother Mattias John to distinguish between the two), their being in the shoe department of a big store when their dad Chung was demonstrating an airplane toy for the public, their liking the elevator for some reason, our reading a book in which we had to save a character from death via poison, and going to the grocery section of the store in order to buy a lot of butter since we were down to one single pat in the tub we had. No idea why I had it - I assume Mattias is a big brother now, but I know that Chung and Karen will probably choose a differing name! It's not like my subconscious is processing those times when I really WAS down to one pat of butter in the past!

Eric also tried calling me, so I invoked the mythical "laundry" excuse. He immediately went Australian ("Stanley") on me, so I said I wasn't going to come out tonight. If he figures he's getting me out of the house tonight, he has another think coming! Besides, I have a rather involved dungeon to do, which is way better than having to listen to a certain someone all evening long!

You Are Classic and Chic

You don't fall for old fads thinly disguised as new trends. You prefer to stick to what's tried and true. You are wise and savvy. You know history well, and you aren't doomed to repeat it. You aren't scared of much. You prefer to get to the bottom of things rather than wonder about them. You believe that most fear is fear of the unknown, so you try to know as much as possible.

The Haunted House Test

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Avowing to smite the cozy ones! / Facts About Multiples / International airports

High-scoring words of the night:

AVOW (116 points) - against Shelley V. [5W, 3L on W, hook off IF to make FA]
SMITE (156 points) - against Briana M. [two 4W - one used twice, hook off OVAL for a plural]
COZIE (114 points) - against Amina B. [2W, 3W]
KILOS (100 points) - against Cindy C. [5W, 2W]
MIAOU (1000 points; 4W, two 5W), PAYDAY (6720 points; two 4W, 3W, 5W) - against Janice L. {crazy homemade board}


YES! Facts About Multiples has finally been updated, with a section on hoaxes too!

Trivia fact for Friday, Oct. 29: What international airport is named for a world-renowned French writer? Saint-Euxpéry International Airport, which is located near Lyon, France, hometown of Antoine de Saint-Euxpéry, author of The Little Prince and a legendary World War II aviator. Formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, it was renamed for Saint-Euxpéry in 2000.

Laundry, huge sushi portions, Halloween candy and stickers, Halloween characters

Gotta do laundry today! Kevin emailed us about huge sushi portions at Samurai Sushi and some other place called Sushi Boy; he also said that we'd need to exercise self-control. Well, we shall see about that! Janina (mrshannibal) mailed me some Halloween stuff - TOTAL SURPRISE! The envelope has various stickers on it: a pumpkin, a bat, a graveyard scene, scary monsters, and other things. When I opened the card, it had what looked like a small package of candy in the shape of bones and skulls. The package itself had ghosts, a pirate skull, pumpkins and other things on it.

The card itself had stickers of ghosts / a black cat / a spider spinning a web (purple background!) / candy corn / Frankenstein / a pumpkin / "BOO!" / a green witch on a broomstick / a disembodied green head / a yellow cat outline. On the front of the card, it has a woman saying "If drinks aren't involved, neither am I." It has stickers of eyes, a pumpkin, a bat, a witch's hat, a spider, and other things. "Well, if drinks aren't involved, then do some pigging out on candy! Happy Halloween! Love, Janina." HAHAHA, sweet! I bet certain people will get a kick out of this, haha.

You Are a Wizard

You are a total brainiac and whiz kid, but you're smart enough to know that. You seek knowledge of all sorts, and you never stop learning. You know that knowledge is power. People may call you a geek, and you're totally okay with that. Some of your favorite people are geeks. If a geek means being a master of many skills, then bring it on!

What Halloween Character Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Advanced spawn at halftime with jam! / ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon / Blue bloods

High-scoring words of the night:

JAM (130 points) - against Millie F. [5W used twice, hook off YEAR to make AY / ME]
HALFTIME (296 points) - against Amira B. [two 4W]
ADVANCER (274 points) - against Jennifer F. [two 3W]
SPAWN (105 points) - against Kathy T. [2W, 4W, hook off LAID to make PLAID]
OXBOW (467 points) - against Janice L. [3W, 5W, 3L on W] {crazy homemade board}


Finally, Jon includes me in the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon email list! At least undesirable people do not seem to be invited; I'll be happy to see Jeremy, of course! Lunch and dinner need to be coordinated since we leave after Sunday School for Steph's place! As for this Friday's dilemma, I'll probably stay home because I do need to catch up on stuff and soak in the downtime. ;)

Trivia fact for Thursday, Oct. 27: How did members of the nobility come to be called blue bloods? In Spain, blue blood was claimed by pure-blooded aristocratic families to differentiate themselves from those who had intermarried. They were not referring to the color of the blood they bled, but rather to the blueness of their veins, which could be seen clearly through their very fair skin.

Great deals on cards and underwear, word searches galore, sexy costumes, and more!

Decided to go out today after I paid my hydro bill - the bill was about what I was expecting, so Teunis need not worry! Did some necessary banking (I hope things are okay there), got a deal on underwear at Sears (so not like last month... three for $6.99!), had a strawberry bubble tea at Flaming Wok, bought a word search book and Uncle John's 4-Ply Bathroom Reader (Bathroom Reader's Institute) at IndigoSpirit, purchased six greeting cards (Jon / Steph / Harmony / "guess what? chicken butt!" for Corey / Cindy / a spare) and a pack of letter stickers for Cindy at Carlton's when Hallmark's didn't prove inexpensive enough (buy three and get three free), bought The Word Origin 2011 Day-to-Day Calendar (Gregory McNamee) at the calendar store (so I can post them later!), and successfully returned that glass Pyrex container (the girl said it smelled bad!) / bought scissors (for my Nature's Path bag), cherry-berry splash-strawberry Icebreaker mints, a Canucks keychain for John A. (snooooopy), Excel bubblemint gum, and spicy chicken noodles at London Drugs. Of course there was Christmas stuff in the stores. *sigh* On the way home, I saw someone with an Uncle Fatih's pizza box: SCORE!!!!! (they're very near the church, but may have other locations)

You Should Wear a Flight Attendant Costume

Your brand of sexy is fun and easygoing. You're always ready to party. You fit in well with almost any crowd, and you are an unstoppable flirt. People find you attractive because you are friendly, but also a little hard to get. Snagging you is quite an accomplishment, and that's part of what makes you sexy!

What Sexy Costume Should You Wear?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

Noise, GLEE, Marble Slab Creamery, birthday cake ice cream, and tobacco

High-scoring word of the night:

NOISE (143 points) - against Alice P. [two 5W, hook off BOXER for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}


After the girls watched the ROCKY HORROR episode of GLEE, we were pretty much on our way out the door to go to the Market Crossing location of Marble Slab Creamery. I didn't care where we went, because I'd heard they had BIRTHDAY CAKE ice cream; I got the Birthday Bonanza with gummi bears and sprinkles! (Steph got pumpkin pie) Lisa asked me whether the gummi bears got hard in the ice cream: they were still somewhat chewy, I thought. They'd last been there on Labor Day, and the store makes all its own fresh ice cream and stuff. On the drive home, we listened to the Canucks and Avalanche in overtime... there wasn't very much of it because some Colorado guy shot the puck in his own net with only 28 seconds played! No idea what HE was thinking, but Mason Raymond got credit for the unassisted goal, haha! Then we discussed Christina Aguilera's divorce, unmarked police cars, license plate expiry, cops being at Tim Horton's, blacked-out windows, Feb. 28, being melodramatic, affection, getting Lisa to slap my butt (she won't!), being "proper," no gum after ice cream (a good point by me!), Jon's birthday parties, how I should come by more often even if it is far, her guestbook, Dave Wong (I don't think it'll work!), and more. It was good seeing them again!


Trivia fact for Wednesday, Oct. 27: What field ration did General John J. Pershing claim was needed "as much as bullets" to win World War I? Tobacco. The U.S. distributed cigarettes free to GIs beginning in 1917. They were eliminated from C rations and K rations in 1975.

Classes on bionic people, owls, Facebook, cyborgs, and more! / NOODLE HOOKUPS!

After some time, Corey finally managed to have Taiwan conversation! We were trying to one-up each other when saying how our days went:

[23:27:56] Corey: beep beep
[23:34:23] Flami: COREY! BOO!
[23:34:46] Flami: ... and by "boo," I mean "BOO!" I am a bad ghost :P
[23:34:49] Corey: AHH!! DONT SCARE ME
[23:35:59] Flami: just spent an evening with my sister and a friend - had dinner, watched / listened to hockey, and had ice cream
[23:37:04] Corey: well, I just had steak and eggs, and I went out and bought a Coke, and I had an Internet repair guy come to my place who doesn't speak English... and I don't know if he really did anything, but for the moment, things appear to work
[23:38:00] Flami: well, I also had a good dentist appointment with the son of the dentist, and visited Grandma in the respite centre, too
[23:40:33] Corey: oh YEAH?!!? well, I also... uh, watched some videos and stuff on my computer. so there
[23:41:58] Flami: ooh, ahh... we also listened to the end of the hockey game, which Vancouver won because some Colorado player shot the puck in his own net, 28 seconds into overtime :P
[23:44:10] Corey: I have a class about Facebook tonight. I've never even used Facebook! they've been waiting for this one, though, since they looove fartbook, so they better have some energy this time. they were all dead on Monday
[23:45:08] Flami: well, what were you discussing on Monday?
[23:45:53] Corey: Owls!
[23:46:17] Corey: last night was more owls, and bionic people
[23:46:47] Corey: well, not night, during the day was owls. cyborgs were at night
[23:47:18] Corey: and there's a girl that will bring me spicy noodles from her sister's Thai restaurant when I'm in Zhongli now. that's pretty cool
[23:49:00] Flami: so you got a spicy noodle hookup now? that's sweet!
[23:50:55] Corey: and students in both Taoyuan and Zhongli that will show me where to get stuff to eat that's not McDonalds or a sandwich from 7-11
[23:51:54] Flami: that's really resourceful!
[23:57:17] Corey: since all the signs and the people are in Chinese here, it's not that easy to get stuff that's not McDonalds most of the time :P
[23:58:20] Flami: yeah, I can understand that
[00:00:26] Corey: a girl showed me a place and didn't read the menu to me, then said I can come back there whenever I want and ask for what I want in English... I don't even know what they have!! except the pork thing I got with her
[00:06:32] Flami: that might be a problem
[00:09:15] Corey: well yeah, kinda :P but at least here, the other people are more afraid of me than I am of them, so it's not always horrible to try to deal with people here
[00:10:39] Flami: HAHAHA, nice
[00:24:36] Corey: so I kind of have discrimination every day here, but usually it's just like people being afraid to make mistakes or even use English around someone cool enough to know their mistakes. I thought I could be kind of shy and quiet, but people here have me beat by a long way
[00:26:54] Flami: how shy and quiet can you BE?!
[00:29:27] Corey: a lot of people here are ostriches
[00:29:36] Corey: they think if they hide their head in the sand, you'll forget they're there
[00:29:53] Corey: they don't even get nervous and leave, they just kind of freeze in place and hope you forget they're there
[00:30:29] Flami: how can you if they're right there?
[00:32:11] Corey: well, eventually I give up trying to make them talk, and go on to someone else... not many people in my classes are like that now, though... they're pretty good. the one tonight is my hardest class, though... they won't talk in class... not because they're afraid, they just don't really want to.
[00:32:19] Corey: these kids at least shrug at me, or show me some sign that they're listening or whatever.. that's annoying, but at least they're not pretending I don't exist
[00:33:05] Corey: most of my other classes are good, though... I just kind of go in and talk with them for a while
[00:43:49] Flami: so what are you going to tell them about Facebook, if you haven't used it and they have? :P
[00:59:46] Corey: I'll ask them what they do on it, and they'll tell me a bunch of Chinese games I've never heard of and they won't explain them very well, so then I'll just say "uh yeah, sure whatever," and we'll play a game or something
[01:00:12] Corey: every class uses an article, so we'll just read the article. hopefully, since they like this kind of thing, they'll speak up a bit today
[01:02:13] Flami: you'll have to tell me what they say!
[01:08:27] Corey: you can be a guest teacher via cell phone if you want to do the class for me for free :P I'll type up the article so you can read it for them
[01:12:32] Flami: ha
[01:18:04] Corey: I can put it on speaker phone
[01:18:12] Corey: those kids even speak pretty clearly... it should be okay
[01:18:54] Corey: I don't know how I got stuck with this kids' class in an adult school, though. there's a kids' school that they all say they went to previously in the same building
[01:24:15] Flami: how old are these kids?
[01:32:05] Corey: the youngest are 6th grade.. some jr. high, some high school
[01:32:11] Corey: most of my classes are old people
[01:33:23] Flami: then I'm not sure why the youngest kids would be in an adult school... and I don't know how well your little "guest teaching" gig would go over :P
[01:40:40] Corey: the kids at the kids school in that building are little kids. and now it's raining a lot, which means almost nobody will come... which means the class will be boring and suck because they won't talk enough, and we don't have enough people for good teams for the games

Edit:

[02:49:21] Corey: okay, I have noodles now, and not a lot of time to eat them
[02:49:54] Flami: STUFF YOUR FACE!
[02:52:16] Corey: crab and scallops too
[02:55:09] Flami: don't try to make me hungry at 2:55 AM :P
[02:55:36] Corey: and fish balls
[02:55:42] Corey: I made it alllll by myself
[02:57:05] Flami: don't you even think about it
[02:58:55] Corey: udon noodles. the big thick kind
[03:01:22] Flami: yes, I know well what those are :P I saw these little kids eating some on Friday :P
[03:01:38] Corey: I have steak and eggs every day of the week if I don't make noodles :P
[03:05:05] Flami: hahaha
[03:06:03] Corey: well, sometimes chicken
[03:06:17] Corey: I have some instant noodles too, but I haven't had to stoop that low yet so far :P
[03:08:53] Flami: but you can microwave those in three minutes!
[03:15:56] Corey: I don't have a microwave!
[03:16:05] Corey: or a stove or an oven...
[03:16:12] Corey: I have a hotplate / pot thingy
[03:21:15] Flami: oh... well, I don't know anything about that... I've seen that in CL ads for rental places, where they don't have microwaves / stoves / ovens...
[03:19:50] Corey: well, time to go to my kids' class.... so talk to you later :P
[03:23:03] Flami: bedtime here... talk to you later :P

Gentle dentist appointments, no payment, visiting Grandma, pasta, new Bathroom Readers

First time using my sister's "new" laptop, so I need to get used to it! I went to see Sean, who actually impressed me with his gentle dentistry skills! He let me know whenever he was doing something, for one. It's been a long time since I've been called "Les" at least ten times in 45 minutes, haha! (and of course he can do that - it's SEAN!) We talked about Jon, Harmony, my parents being on an Italy cruise with Vivian's parents, Alex (met someone in Texas and got married?!), Sarah and Vernon, Hannah and her new husband Eugene, his missing Jon, Steph coming by his house in her car for Vanessa to see, the Croatian Cultural Centre, Calla and Stanford (Sean met him at Fraserlands before they started dating), Jason and Karen, plus more stuff. The receptionist Winnie gave me some good news: no more payment is required from me! She also gave me a message to pass on to my sister, who apparently hasn't been to the dentist since she went to Regina in July 2008! When I did, she said that she keeps on forgetting to book an appointment! I got a free calendar while waiting for X-rays to develop, too... I heard Sean talking about firecrackers or fireworks on the phone in the back room, haha.

Decided to go posthaste to visit Grandma: found the hospice without too much trouble, and actually interrupted her when she was sleeping! She thought that I was crazy for not sitting in a chair to read, wanted me to have some of her mixed fruit in a can (no), wanted to know when the parents would be getting back (and then disbelieved my answer), thought I shouldn't have eaten before I came to visit (er, I kinda needed to eat lunch before the dentist appointment...), thought Jon would be taking her out for dinner (no), and complained about the interruptions going on when she was sleeping. At least she called me good for visiting her! I hung around for about an hour or so (reading), and then called Steph to see where she and Lisa were - just heading back from Body Works, as it happened. When they got to the respite centre, Steph talked to Grandma briefly. Grandma called me the younger sister to someone there - no, I'm the older sister, and I just had to correct that! Told Steph, who just facepalmed!

Since I didn't care what we had for dinner, a homemade meal at the house it was! Steph, Jon, and Harmony sat on Mom while they were at Alan Liu's house, hahaha! Went grocery shopping at Killarney Market first - they bought garlic, dill pickle rice crisps, Dijon mustard, and other things while we discussed hockey / getting gas / Tina Turner / passports / Celine Dion / bacon / Terrence / Jay-Z and Beyonce / Hollywood Theatre / mushrooms / kiwis / ADULT SMALL uniforms (JORDAN!) / the smoke alarm / salad / pasta sauce / my microwave and oatmeal / cayenne hot sauce / being a lush / Mariah Carey / bombing / Melissa and Denver or Anaheim / Ironwood Marble Slab Creamery later / Lisa's birthday being the same as Kate's / GLEE / more crazy subjects. Steph and I concluded that Jon was rude to his sisters since he didn't include us on the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT email exchange, and I didn't know where it was being held. Good thing it's at Steph's, though Lisa can't make it till later. Good thing it's at Steph's, though Lisa can't make it till later. Now pasta / chicken / mushrooms are cooking, and we're watching the Avalanche-Canucks hockey game with the PVR. Gotta love rewinding live TV while it's still recording the live stuff! I've heard that the new Bathroom Reader (Uncle John's Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader) is out now, so I'm totally going to buy it (plus something else to make my collection even) tomorrow since I need to do some banking anyway!

Dream of a person with just a head and eye slits, my ex, and toy caterpillars / Mr. Goodbar

Well, I got up within ten minutes of my alarm being on... I hope that I don't have to set it another time before Sunday! Had a dream which involved being in a field with my friends; Jeremy found this person who apparently just had a head. Their eyes were just slits, and we wondered how they could stretch out any arms to reach for things. After a bit of wondering (and raising things above them just to see if they wanted to reach), we turned away since we wanted to see an octopus sit on a reclining chair! We went to a restaurant where all the tables had pristine white tablecloths on them. Eric gave me a bunch of loonies, and I went to the bank machine to get more dollar bills. When I got back, he told me that we had some applicants to a job posting - one of them happened to be my ex! I told Eric NOT to accept his application despite how he felt about the guy, but he said that he needed money too. Everyone else was in agreement with me, so we played with a colorful purple caterpillar toy with lots of yellow / red legs while we colored using an assortment of pencil crayons. Not sure why I had the dream, although the caterpillar and pencil crayons remind me of Toddler Sunday School, haha.

You Are Mr. Goodbar

You are the type of person who wants it all. You are very driven. And while you are obsessed with getting ahead, you're not about to break the rules to do it. You're a natural people pleaser. You like people to approve of you, and luckily they do. You have many facets of your personality. There's always something about you that other people find appealing.

What Miniature Chocolate Bar Are You?

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Bleh... I don't think I like those, even!

Points for the roomie on the doorstep with boxes! / Metrotown / Yucky alarms / Tanzania

High-scoring words of the night:

SOUARIS (250 points) - against Nat B. [two 5W]
ROOMIE (225 points; two 5W), OBEY (250 points; two 5W) - against Jennifer F.
POINTS (105 points) - against Jennifer F. [5W used twice, hook off TALK to make STALK] {different game}
DOORSTEP (664 points) - against Jo Ann S. [3W, two 4W]
BOXES (160 points) - against Wendy T. [4W, 2W, hook off TOONIE for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
WOMANISE (202 points) - against Allie D. [two 3W]
TOADIES (132 points) - against Janice L. [3W, 4W] {crazy homemade board}


I think Billie and I have kinda settled on a location for our hangout - Metrotown near Superstore should be doable on the Skytrain, if I don't forget my bus pass that Sunday! I'll check 430 times closer to Nov. 14, of course!

Ugh, I have to set my alarm at 11 to get up tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll never get up on time OR have enough hours to catch up on stuff before I have to leave! Oh well. I guess I have to go to bed now, since I do want to get a semblance of enough sleep - the curse of the night person! :(

Trivia fact for Tuesday, Oct. 26: Which African countries merged to form Tanzania? Tanganyika and Zanzibar, in 1964.

Possible hangouts with Billie / Sneaky Christmas commercials / Snacks / GOOD WILL HUNTING

Billie and I may be hanging out on November 14 after church: it's just far enough away from Jon's annual Birthday Dinner Extravaganza to not do any damage, haha. I also called the hospice to let them know that I intend on visiting Grandma tomorrow afternoon after 3:30 or so. Transit there from Oakridge SHOULD be easy enough with the Canada Line and 49, after all. Then I'll call Steph to see what she and Lisa are doing!

I've been hearing sneaky Christmas commercials in the form of ads for the RED and BLUE Beatles albums for the last couple of weeks. COME ON, HALLOWEEN ISN'T OVER YET! Also, I learned why Mariah Carey (who's pregnant) considers herself a black person: turns out that she is half-black and half-Irish. Celine Dion has apparently given birth to twin boys, as well. My sister used to like these artists way back when, haha.

You Are Compassionate

You are a very socially-minded person. You care deeply about the world and the people in your life. It's easy to tug at your heartstrings. You have a lot of causes and issues near and dear to you. You are a natural humanitarian. You are disturbed by all the problems in the world, and you try to help people as much as you can. While you crusade against injustices, you still like to have fun. You get along with people of all types, especially those with spicy personalities.

The Snack Test

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Trivia fact for Monday, Oct. 25: At what university was the 1997 hit movie Good Will Hunting filmed? Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT. The Oscar-winning script was written by the film's stars, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Confusion, Mr. Creep, Jocelyn, Conor, random kiddy hugs, Randal, and tense meetings

After having to restart the computer THREE times when I got home (and I had left it off from 9:45 to 6!), I think I finally have it working the way I'm used to. It's probably not OPTIMAL by any stretch of the imagination, but it's passable. And now someone by the name of Chun Wai Chan wants to add me to Facebook; for some reason, the name sounds familiar! Maybe I've had them on my list before, via Katherine H. or someone else. HMM! At least I was able to catch up and read amusing status updates / wall posts from Martin, Vania (posing as the former), and Benedict! The comments were GOLD, too!

This morning, I seemed to have issues getting out of the house on time. Luckily, Eric didn't have to do sound or worship duties, but I still should have kept better track of time. Guess I turned off my computer too early, heh. Eric did ask what took me so long, but I was just reading about musical influences. After a period of quiet, I warned him that I'd consumed an energy drink, so we discussed that for a while. NO, THEY DON'T COME WITH ALCOHOL IN THEM! (no vodka, no Kahlua, or anything else!) We also discussed whether he was ready for the AGM (which turned out to be tense as usual) - no, and he hadn't had a timely sleep either. That never helps, and I know it well. Talked about WORLD OF WARCRAFT, the Lich King, his guild, the Awana Conference which I didn't go to, my Saturday being lo-fi, and more.

We got to church just in time for the sermon and a few pastoral comments about the meeting this afternoon. I saw Steph sitting with Jeremy, so made a mental note to talk to her later. Melia, Angus, Denise, and I were all distracted by Mattias looking for pencils and other things to play with! Christon was subbing in as worship leader, and looked well doing it. After service, I did indeed talk to Steph: she said that Grandma was really confused this morning. When Steph went to pick her up, Grandma asked if she were coming to visit! After receiving the answer "No - I'm here to pick you up for church!" ... she went to her room to get her stuff, then asked Steph the same question again when she got ready... AIYA! Then she asked where Jon and Harmony were, as she had a pineapple for them - I had no idea, while Dianne warned her against it since her mom hadn't found those ones to be very good. Steph said it smelled okay! When I said that I'd tried the Red Rain mocha cappuccino energy drinks for real, she asked how I liked the flavor, which she'd found too strong. I said it was PERFECT FOR ME, which she'd thought originally!

For a few minutes, we looked around for Grandma - she couldn't have gone OUT, and she was probably with the other old people! There were a few old people sitting in the chairs near the stairway, a few more just walking around, and some going into the sanctuary. Finally, we found her near the washrooms, so talked to her for a bit. Then I talked to Danielle (about Lisa) and Denise (about Mattias), who seem to be doing pretty well. At least Danielle's cousins are doing better after going through certain things, but of course she's still committed to spending time with them on Friday nights! The small group all understood when her priorities shifted a few months back, for sure! Cindy, Steph, and I all saw Jocelyn - what a surprise! She's back from Japan for only a few more days, and then is going there for a couple of months... after that, who knows? We all hugged her, of course. Steph and I also attempted to say hi to Mattias - no dice, haha. I said hi to Victor, who said that yesterday's conference was LONG - the year we did both the conference AND Awana, everyone wanted to be home before 8!

Then I saw MY WORST NIGHTMARE: Mr. Creep was back! Maybe it's a good thing that Eric and I were late, so I could spend the half-service in contentment. I didn't have any direct or indirect contact with him - good thing I got one of the snacks from the fellowship hall BEFORE going to look for Grandma! Since he was back, I limited my next excursion into the fellowship hall to touching Eric on the arm when Creep was nowhere near (he's too tall to tap on the shoulder - I'M SHORT, DON'T HATE!) and saying that I was going upstairs, and I'd see him at lunch or the meeting. He acknowledged that, and I went upstairs after saying hi to Jeff / Anita / Allison / Joanna. (whom we'd seen on the way in... I'd also waved to Julie C. when we came in, too)

I saw Maxine, her sons Joshua and Keenan, Frances, her sons Micah and Isaac (who's just learned to crawl - he found the zipper strings on my jacket quite interesting!), and other kids in the Toddler Sunday School room. I had to tell Isaac that my zipper strings weren't for eating; not that he was going to try that, but you never know... it could be dangerous for him, too! Of course, he probably didn't understand what I was saying to him either, but English is my default language when it comes to babies and small kids! (actually, everyone except my grandma and her friends)

Ramen, Shira, Mattias, Ada, Arthur, David, Evelyn, and Ashley were in the class today. When I'd gotten myself settled on the floor to play with toys, Ramen came up and gave me a hug! That was pretty unexpected, and it shows that the kids do love us! I got a few more English words out of Mattias, who's going to be a big brother by Wednesday: mainly "truck" and "car." Then Ramen's sister Shira wanted to hold my hand: due to our own height difference, it was more like she led me by the finger around the room to what she wanted to see! Hahaha! David and Evelyn are definitely learning English and using it: we talked about the toy slide, drawings, toys, colors, cutting things out, and more. I helped Ramen and Shira's mom Jessie make a "London Bridge" while she sang something to the kids: later, Shira wanted me to make our own bridge... so cute! I poured some water in a cup for Mattias, also.

After seeing most of the kids go out of the room with their parents, I went downstairs. I saw a brief glimpse of Conor in another classroom, and said hi to his mom Pauline. Even though the elevator took forever (I'm assuming that the seniors were using it), it was worth the wait. Steph and I made sure to say bye to Grandma, since we thought that Auntie Eva was taking her to lunch and then back to the hospice. I saw Quan, Margaret, and others eating spaghetti and meat sauce near the door of the fellowship hall before the quick structure-oriented ESC family meeting. Since I absolutely cannot eat that kind of thing standing up, I went inside with John / Ada / Ian / Sean L. / Ivan's brother Nathan. We talked about borrowing pens, a "Ten Commandments Puzzle Book," Ian's Nintendo DS, chicken sauce, mandarin oranges, and other things. Sean asked me about his puzzles, so I gave him some tips. I asked Ada about yesterday's leadership conference: it was useful for her since she hasn't been to one since Ian was born in 2001!

The lunch was pretty good for what it was - I didn't want to waste the $3 I paid for a lunch ticket, either. After finishing lunch, I didn't want to show up late to the first meeting, so instead waited around in the foyer for the second meeting to start. Saw Hien, so talked to her for a while even if she was ostensibly studying her linguistics textbook. When one of my mom's friends came up to me and asked about my parents, I told her in my bad Chinese that they'd be back in November or something. Hien didn't know that I knew some Chinese - as I said earlier, it's useful for communicating to my grandma and her friends! I was pretty surprised when Grandma entered the church, but didn't really say anything. When the first meeting was finally over, I told Steph that Grandma was in the sanctuary - she was astonished! Turns out they went for lunch (dim sum?) and then back to church, so Steph said that she'd take Grandma back.

As I thought, Pastor John stands by his resignation, although people hope that Pastor Edward postpones his retirement for a while! We sat next to Alan and Tracy, and exchanged comments and such about bylaws / the voting / ballots / extreme paper consumption (just RAISE YOUR HANDS instead of wasting 300 more sheets of paper which you'll have to recycle / destroy!) / declining of nominations from the floor / Robert's Rules / Uncle Stephen / nominations for financial reviewers (various people DECLINED!) / Sudoku / emoticons / apps / Uncle Sam / tabling motions already under discussion / translation mixups (ENGLISH!) / offering DRAMA / family love and treatment. It was funny when Auntie Ruby would say "I'm ___" in her translation, especially if it was a man speaking! I told Steph that I would get Lisa to "attack" her if only I knew her number, hahaha. When I saw Randal's name on the ballot, I knew that I'd vote for Isabel's dad over HIM any day! (but he got elected to the congregational committee... UGH!) I reminded Steph that she still has Jon and Harmony's Italy souvenir for me, and have just called her to see what she's doing on Tuesday evening since I forgot about that earlier... Tuesday could be a go for dinner with her and Lisa, but I'll check to see what time Jon is taking Grandma back from lunch. Although with time taken up by the dentist appointment and transit there, I may be okay! Steph wanted me to talk to the lards (parents) about why Dad isn't the church admin anymore, but I bet that I won't get full answers!

During a break in the tense meeting, I asked Jon where Harmony was - at home. He also said he didn't need to email me about the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT marathon because I'd hear about it anyway - BAD! Then he reminded me that Grandma would appreciate my visiting her - I KNOW THAT, but I keep just missing the bus! Perhaps on Tuesday, since I'm out already and don't have to make TOO much of a special trip! (my siblings live closer, though that may not be an excuse which holds water!) He also commented that Sean might take more risks than his dad or Tracy, dentistry-wise... I can totally see that! Steph reminded me to CALL AHEAD, since she'd called on Saturday only to find out that Grandma was out at Seniors' Fellowship with Auntie Eva - I shall do that then, and confirm the transit from Oakridge to the hospice later! When Grandma left early with Auntie Eva / Auntie Paula / Uncle Percy, we both went to say bye - yes, I'll probably be there on Tuesday!

When we sang hymns to fill time, Eric wondered why we didn't sing any of the other 300 or 400 songs which were in the hymnal that weren't done to death at previous meetings! I have NO idea, man! He also said that he was taking Pastor John and Hannah home - I ascribed ulterior motives to his saying that he had two extra seats in his car, haha. (Karmie, Josiah, and Noah apparently had to go home early) Christon, Connie, Jon, Eric, Phil, and I discussed conservative people / the pastoral search committee term / Regent friends who may not want to work at our church / Chinese pastors / other things before going home. Pastor John, Hannah, Eric, and I discussed the INTENSE RAIN / coffee / lunch / a free meal at Jon's / computer fixing / Friday's program largely not being applicable to Eric (Chinese TV shows and literature?!) / Cory Schneider being better than Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks goalie controversy again?) / slamming doors / grass getting in the way / shortcuts through parking lots / the "usual" route home / when Deb and Dylan are getting back from the Philippines. Once we'd dropped them off, I vented about Mr. Creep and Randal - contrary to what Eric seems to think, I'm not necessarily going to leave the church because Randal is now on the congregational committee! (I thought about it briefly, but I most probably won't do that) And no, I'm not afraid of shaking Eric's hand either! I'm also wondering if it would be a good idea to write someone a certain email with feelings - probably not, but I'm still thinking about it! Oh sure, I'm feeling without companionship NOW... ugh, why couldn't things have been different?!

Energy drinks and brains

I think I kinda need one of these energy drinks since I couldn't really sleep till 4 AM... the rain kinda helped, heh.

You Are the Left Side of the Brain

You are a logical and orderly person. You have a system for almost everything in your life. You like to stay busy, and it's important that you stay on task. You prefer to do one thing at a time. You are rational and detail-oriented. You love to analyze, and you have a head for numbers. You are also good with words. You love to read, and you've been known to write well.

What Side of the Brain Are You?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

I do NOT have a head for numbers!

Mash the mounters with hydrogen peroxide, wood, and your stiff rope! / Cayman

High-scoring words of the night:

MASHIE (400 points) - against Cindy C. [two 4W, 3L on H]
ROPE (140 points) - against Laurie S. [5W, 4W]
MOUNTERS (110 points) - against Wendy T. [5W]
WAHOO (325 points) - against Sandra M. [two 5W]
PEROXY (550 points) - against Sandra L. [two 5W]
VIRTUOSI (232 points) - against Amy M. [two 4W]
WOODBINE (100 points) - against Barbara M.-S. [3W]
AIRPOST (627 points) - against Elke S. [two 5W, hook off XI for a plural] {a good deficit-erasing word!}
YOUR (160 points) - against Julie D. [5W, 4W]
STIFFEN (280 points) - against Janice L. [3W, 5W] {crazy homemade board}


Trivia fact for Sunday, Oct. 24: What sports car is named for a relative of the crocodile? The Porsche Cayman, which was named for the caiman because it is "small, agile, fast, and a little bit aggressive," according to a Porsche exec.