The Internet Has Spoken, and It Wants Me to Cut Mah Herr

A few weeks ago I asked the Internet to help me decide on whether or not to cut my hair. A lot of time has passed since my disastrous Florence Henderson (aka Carol Brady) back in 2006, and well, it’s about time for a change. Of the seven of you that voted, four of you said that I should cut my hair during the summer, one of you said that I should cut my hair after reaching my 5K goal time of 19:55, and two of you said that I should keep my hair the way it is (or rather, stop messing with your hair already). Internet, I am a woman of my word, and I will be scheduling an appointment with my stylist in about a month or so to get either this cut:

Or this cut:

Since I don’t know which cut will go better with my hair texture/type I am bringing both of these photos in and asking my stylist which cut suits me. Communication is key! Hair takes time to grow back, and getting the wrong cut can mean months of misery. I’ll keep you posted with the results.

6/3/08 Update: See result here. I love my stylist!

Speaking of haircuts, guess who is getting one this weekend? I'll give you a hint: he’s an adorable guy who loves to go on long walks, cuddle in bed, and is not afraid to show his feelings:

He’s been shedding these past few weeks, leaving little tufts of red fur wherever he lays down. His coat is getting a too thick and heavy for summer, and it would be nice to see him like this again:

He's not getting a cut as short as this (due to a miscommunication with his groomer, which you can read about here and here) but you will see a big difference. Cute, no? He transforms from a little bear to a little lamb. I think it's much easier for him to sport this cut during the summer as it gets very hot here in LA, especially for a dog that loves to stay indoors.

A Vera Lovely Spring

I love spring and all that it represents: awakening, renewal, and growth. I love seeing trees sprouting brand-new leaves, like a bald man whose hair has started growing again. I love seeing flowers bloom from the ground, displaying their colorful petals and shiny leaves. This time of year everything is so gorgeous, especially here in Southern California, that simply being outside is like being in a garden.

My allergies, however, are telling nature to suck it. Every morning this week I’ve woken up to a stuffed (and sometimes leaky) nose. Euhhh! During the day I sneeze about 1,523 times and I constantly scratching my itchy nose and eyes. (No wonder people don't want to shake my hand at work.) I’ve had to start taking my allergy medication this week, which I normally don’t do unless my allergies are superbad (and they are). The thing is, my medication has a teeny, tiny bit of steroids in it to help shrink my sinuses but nowhere near the amount that would, say, cause me to turn into the Ultimate Warrior anything. But still, a part of me thinks that all the tiny steroid amounts I’ve ingested are being stored somewhere in my body and will someday get together and form a revolution. I fear that they will turn me into Vera De Milo from In Living Color (dude, remember that show?!):



It’s just a thought, one of the million random ones I have throughout the day. If you use Flonase or Nasonex, don't you think about it too?

Shoe Rx

When was the last time you got measured for a pair of shoes? This hasn’t happened to me since I was nine or ten years old, when a salesperson at Kinney Shoes measured my feet for a pair of sneakers. I’ve been wearing the same size (size 7) since high school. Then last week Rene and I noticed a cool new running store next to Trader Joe’s called Roadrunner Sports. Our friend May, who runs with us on Sundays, needed a new pair of shoes so we went with her to visit the new store.

Roadrunner Sports offers this fantastic service where they determine the best kind of running shoe for you based on the shape of your feet and your running style. It’s really high tech: first they make you step on this gray pad with sensors to determine how high your arches are and which parts of your feet absorb the most pressure. You view the results on a computer screen, with color and everything (you’d think I was having a medical procedure performed!) and the store associate talks about your feet – apparently I have high arches, absorb pressure with the balls on my feet and heels, and push off with my big toe and second toe (who knew?!).

Going over my foot scans with Tana, the best sales associate EVER

Then they make you run barefoot on a treadmill so they can capture video images of your feet striking the ground. This shows whether you overpronate (run with your feet pointing outward, supinate (run with you feet pointing inward), or have a neutral gait (your feet are pointed straight, which occurs in only 20% of the population). I found out that my left foot is neutral but my right foot overpronates slightly. According to the foot and treadmill analysis, I need shoes for stability/cushion, as well as inserts for my high arches.

They made May and I run down the middle of the store to try out our “prescribed” shoes. It was like a little runway up in there, with customers running up and down the store all gussied up in new shoes.

May working those shoes and lookin' fierce!

I was impressed with the shoes I tried on, the Asics Gel Kayano 14, but I just bought new running shoes last month and couldn’t justify buying another pair of shoes. They cost a whopping $135, which is beaucoup bucks for a running shoe! They were so pretty though, with turquoise trim around the bottom, that they will most likely be my running shoe purchase six months from now. Here’s a picture: I felt bad about taking up so much time and not buying the expensive shoe that I ended up buying the arch supports inserts (which I did need). The inserts feel great but yesterday I laced my shoes too tight and got a blister on my left arch. Honestly, who gets a blister on their arch? I am hoping that it doesn't sideline me for the rest of the week - I'm feeling good for the first time in a month!

Why the IRS has a Rotten Reputation

I’ve wanted to write a post about getting audited by the IRS for the past week but this post has eluded me. At first I thought, how ironic, getting audited by the IRS. You see, I used to be an auditor but I didn’t work for the IRS. I’m an accountant, and right after college I worked for a public accounting firm as an auditor, and after that, as an internal auditor for a large company. The shoe is now on the other foot, so to speak, and the auditor has become an auditee.

At first I was going to write a witty post about how my experiences as an auditor has helped me prepare for this moment and how the poor IRS should watch their back because I was “bringin’ it.” I imagined my examination would be a big joke, like on Seinfeld: remember that episode where Elaine had to justify claiming a water pick and a down comforter as business expenses? She proved it by using the water pick to water her plants in her office and by wearing the down comforter as a toga? I wish my experience was something like that, but getting audited by the IRS is every bit as daunting and nerve-wracking as it sounds.

I’ll spare you the details – basically the results of our audit came down to a single statement I made during the examination, a simple statement that was twisted and misconstrued to the point where it resembled nothing of what I meant to convey. During my examination I had to dig my nails into my palms to prevent myself from having an outburst (and also from punching the IRS jerk in the face). Now I have to write a very detailed letter to the examiner (aka IRS jerk) supporting my position, as well as produce additional documents. All on account of one sentence! One simple, harmless sentence that I clarified a million times during our conversation. If there is a lesson learned here it’s to watch every single thing you say to the IRS because they will twist your words to fit their interpretation, and that means paying them money.

As soon as the IRS jerk heard something to "nail" us, he went to town and showed us the IRS code supporting his argument. Despite giving many examples of how the IRS code DID NOT apply to us, the jerk still soldiered on, almost gleeful that he “caught” us doing something wrong. My dad thinks that people like that love putting other people down because they couldn’t get a job elsewhere and are socially retarded. Before the audit I would’ve disagreed and said that IRS auditors are just doing their job but now I am in total agreement with him. I now think 90% of people that work for the IRS are socially retarded and/or have poop for brains (I would’ve written something else but this blog is PG).

So now I am writing my fact-laden letter to the IRS and collecting documentation for my position. If anything, my experience has helped me prepare for moments like these, and more importantly, put me in touch with very good, experienced writers to proofread my response. So take that IRS jerk and shove it in your file cabinet!

Nick & Jessica: Newlyweds Part 2?

Overheard while giving Chuy a bath at Dori’s Pet Wash last Sunday:

Customer: So you two are getting married? Wow! You guys are so young. What are your names?

Boy: Nick

Girl: Jessica

Customer: Jessica, what a pretty name. Good luck to you Nick and Jessica!

I don’t think their names were really Nick and Jessica – these kids working the front register were just having fun with a customer asking way too many personal questions. Still, it was pretty funny seeing the kids carry on this conversation with straight faces.

Old cube, new cube

Last Friday I moved from here:

To here:

You can definitely tell how exciting my life is from these two pictures - that I actually took the time to take them and post them. It was the highlight of my week.

The move itself wasn’t so bad; I had two boxes of stuff to transport and the tech guys took care of my computer and phone right away. The new location, though, is a bit perilous. I sit in the cube directly in front of my boss’s office, who is a VP. This space used to be occupied by her assistant, who now sits in front of another VP’s office (the assistant now has two VPs to service and sits sitting in front of the more demanding one). At any time of day the VP can see whatever I am doing, so surfing the internet during the day is risky. I have to make sure she is out of her office before I can open my browser. I’m even afraid that she’s going to start reading blog posts I’ve been typing up on Word so I’ve made my font smaller.

Despite all this, the new cube location isn’t terrible. The best thing about this set-up is this: everyone who brings goodies to share puts them on top of a filing cabinet in front of me. This week it’s been Cadbury chocolates, Girl Scout cookies, and snacks from Thailand. Since I sit right in front of the snacks I get first dibs. Check it out:

I’ve actually been really good and had only two chocolates last night. But that’s not to say that I won’t take all the chocolate donuts if someone brings them. I probably will.

PSA for all eligible bachelors out there

Today there is an extra day in February on account of leap year, and for those people born on this day, they actually get to celebrate their birthday on the day they are born. Otherwise it’s usually February 28 or March 1 for them.

So what is a leap year, and why do we have it? To find out I went to my favorite website of all time, Wikipedia.org, and found the following:

A leap year is a year containing one extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat at an exact number of full days, a calendar which had the same number of days in each year would, over time, drift. By occasionally inserting an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. A leap year occurs once every four years; an easy way to remember is that the Summer Olympic Games always occur during leap year.

I also found out about a tradition that exists on the extra day during leap year: women may propose marriage. Supposedly, way back in the day, men who refused marriage proposals from women had to compensate them to “soften the blow,” and compensation could range from a kiss on the cheek or a new silk gown. Men felt that this law put them at too great a risk, so a new tradition was formed restricting female proposals to the modern leap day, 29 February. I've never heard of this "tradition" but it is interesting. I thought Wikipedia was making this up until I found a postcard from 1908 for leap day.

Forget about walking in LA… the parking is even worse!

Most days, I love LA. I really, really heart this city and all of the wonderful things it offers: the good weather, constant sunshine, the multitude of places to visit (everything from museums to parks to beaches to shopping malls) – there’s a little bit of LA for everyone to enjoy. You just have to make sure you can find a parking space!

Last night I stopped by a little restaurant on my way to my book club meeting and found no parking spots nearby. I went around the block, across the street, down a block across the street – nothing. I found no parking spots. I was only going to visit the restaurants for a mere five minutes (since I’ve already placed my order and only had to pick it up), so I thought I’d park in the resident permit area just a skip away from the restaurant. After all, it’s only five minutes, and what meter maid is going to go after me for five minutes?

I was in the restaurant for no longer than five minutes, and as soon as I stepped out I saw a meter maid writing me a parking ticket. A parking ticket! For five friggin’ minutes! Are you kidding me?!! Apparently the meter maids in LA take their job very seriously.

I was fuming and ready to unleash a string of expletives on the guy writing me a ticket for five minute parking – which, at $45 cost me $9 per minute. But really, it was my fault for parking there, and why fume at the guy who was just doing his job? So I kept quiet and waited for the stupid ticket to print out. I really hate the parking situation in LA, especially that neighborhood of West Hollywood. All the meters are always taken, and if you are near homes or apartments they usually require a permit to park in the street. Don’t get me wrong, I understand where the residents are coming from; I wouldn’t want random people parking on my street either. But getting a ticket after five minutes? Come on! At least have the decency to grant a five-minute grace period.

Superfat Tuesday

Last night, after a long day at work and a visit to the dentist, I parked outside a nondescript church and got in line to vote. It was cold that night, and I was behind a number of people waiting to do the same thing. It was nice to see so many people out at 6:30 pm waiting to cast their ballot when they could be doing so many other things: having dinner, relaxing after work, bonding with their children, or getting much-needed rest. Instead, they were lined up with me because they thought their votes mattered. Just thinking about it made my eyes misty.

This feeling of pride in my fellow Americans was soon diminished by the ignorant old couple behind me. I kept hearing the old lady make references to "making sure the illegals don't vote" and "turning the illegals away," which was so damn offensive. I don't know how in this day and age, in Los Angeles for god's sake, that this kind of talk is considered acceptable to utter in public. I turned around once to give them the stink eye and let them know that kind of talk was not okay. I don't know why illegals would want to vote - if anything, their biggest fear is having their status discovered - and voting would be one of the ways that could happen. I think this big concern about "illegals" voting is thinly veiled prejudice against minorities at the polling place exercising their right as citizens to vote. Being a minority, I might have been an "illegal" to them. This is why it is so important to vote - so that people like this don't win!! I'd never been so determined to vote as last night.

Despite all the hype leading up to Super Tuesday, where primaries took place in over two dozen states, the Democrats have not yet crowned a winner. It takes roughly 2,000 delegates to win the Democratic Party nomination, and right now it's a tight race, with Hillary and Barrack running neck and neck. At least no one lost, and it looks like it's going to be a fight to the finish.

Surprisingly, I am not terribly disappointed by this news. To me, it's been an exciting primary race that encouraged many voters to come out and support their candidate on Tuesday. It seemed like every vote counted, especially in states like Missouri where Obama edged out Hillary by one percent. I hope that this election year mobilizes many more voters, particularly those in my generation, to speak out and vote for their candidate. There was a record turnout in California last night, and to me this is the best part about Super Tuesday.

I also hope that this drawn-out contest between Hillary and Barrack is a fair contest that does not tear the Democratic Party in half. It'd be a shame to have that happen after all their hard work. The worst thing that can happen is for ignorant people like the couple standing behind me last night to have their party and their agenda win. Obviously, that kind of talk is never tolerated by Democrats.

*****

Did you also know that yesterday was Fat Tuesday, the final day of Carnival, and that means that today is the first day of Lent. Fat Tuesday is the last day to party it up before the somber Lent season begins. Anyway, I hope y'all had a great Fat Tuesday and that you have figured out what you are giving up for Lent.

Happy Chinese New Year!

After fighting the worst weather in China for the last hundred years (and all the travel woes that came with it), I am finally home! I am finally back to gloriously sunny Southern California, and she has never looked better. I, on the other hand, looked a little worse for wear on Saturday. I looked tired, jet-lagged, and my clothes were out of place. While everyone else at LAX was wearing California-appropriate winter clothing (read: flip flops), I was wearing jeans tucked into black suede boots, a gray cashmere hoodie, and a pink snow jacket. In my defense, it was really cold on the flight from Shanghai to San Francisco, and I held on to that down jacket for dear life. It became a big chore carrying it around once I got to San Francisco where the temperature was a balmy 70 degrees at the airport terminal. There isn’t such a notion in Shanghai, and most people have to wear their thick jackets inside the airport where the temperature is not controlled. I only shudder to think what the conditions were like in the Guangzhou train station, where over half a million travelers were stuck for days waiting for trains to take them home for Chinese New Year.

In case you have not heard, today is the Chinese New Year and it is the year of the Rat. Xin Nein Kuai Le! (Happy New Year in Mandarin) You are a Rat if you were born 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, and 1996. According to Wikipedia.org, attributes of this Chinese zodiac sign are:

Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat's natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.

Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way. Rats need to learn to relax sometimes, as they can be quite obsessed with detail, intolerant and strict, demanding order, obedience, and perfection.

Rats consider others before themselves, at least sometimes, and avoid forcing their ideas onto others. Rats are fair in their dealings and expect the same from others in return, and can be deeply affronted if they feel they have been deceived or that their trust has been abused. Sometimes they set their targets too high, whether in relation to their friends or in their career. But as the years pass, they will become more idealistic and tolerant. If they can develop their sense of self and realize it leaves room for others in their life as well, Rats can find true happiness.

According to tradition, Rats often carry heavy karma and at some point in life may face an identity crisis or some kind of feeling of guilt. Rats are said to often have to work very long and hard for everything they may earn or have in life. However, a Rat born during the day is said to have things a bit easier than those who are born at night. Traditionally, Rats born during the night may face extreme hardships and suffering throughout life. Rats in general should guard themselves against hedonism, as it may lead to self-destruction. Gambling, alcohol and drugs tend to be great temptations to Rat natives.

Traditionally, Rats should avoid Horses but they can usually find their best friends and love interests in Monkeys, Dragons, and Oxen.

Professions include espionage (oooh, a spy!), psychiatry, psychology, writing, politics, law, engineering, accounting, detective work, acting, and pathology.

Happy Chinese New Year to all Rats out there! May you be prosperous in the coming year!

Wanderlust

Last night I watched The Amazing Race Asia in my room. I’ve always had this fantasy of competing in The Amazing Race, and until recently, only US citizens could compete on the show. It was nice to see people from other countries competing in the program because I know how popular it is worldwide.

If you who haven’t watched the show it or ever heard of it, it’s a reality show that features a race around the world. It’s like a really long scavenger hunt that takes place in several countries, and the last one to arrive in each leg is eliminated.

I’m not usually a fan of reality programming but this show has always appealed to me because I love traveling, and this program shows off so many exotic locations and cultures around the world. It makes you want to get out there and visit all these countries! Unlike other shows like Survivor where people build alliances and plot/connive to secure their place in the next round, winning The Amazing Race depends on teamwork and a little bit of luck. It’s not to say that some TAR contestants have not built alliances with other teams in the past, but the true winners are the ones who make it through the race on their own terms.

I’d thought about becoming a race participant a few years ago, and for various reasons I never made it past the point of actually auditioning for the race. I think Rene and I would make a great team – he’d be really great with the navigation and physical aspect of the race while I’d be the one trying to figure out the clues and figuring out the best way to get to the next place. Plus, I can drive a car with manual transmission, which is a plus in countries where automatic is not an option.

So last night I caught an episode midway through the season and there are only five teams remaining in the competition (originally 10). For this leg of the race, they started in Prague and made their way to Budapest where they visited a farm, went canopy flying, and looked for a historical fountain featured on the 1,000 Forint bill. While I was excited to see TAR again after two or three years, and while watching the show last night it dawned on me that TAR might not be very fun at all. Sure, contestants get to visit lots countries during the race and meet people, but it saddened me to see that it was on a superficial level and not the in-depth and leisurely visit I prefer. The contestants spent a day in Budapest chasing clues and running from one place to another, and by the end of the day I don’t think they realized what Budapest is about. Having visited the place back in the spring of 2007, I had memories of visiting Castle Hill, taking leisurely walks, and dining out with friends. I felt bad that instead of admiring the scenery and exploring the city they were stressed out and concerned about not being eliminated during that round. To me, the best traveling experiences come when you least expect them. Sometimes it sneaks up on you when you are sitting in a piazza in Italy enjoying a gelato or when you are riding a bike in the rain in Amsterdam. It reinforces my belief that the world is full of wonderful places to experience, and you should fit in as many of these experiences as you can during your lifetime. Do I sound like a travel commercial yet?

I’m not saying that everyone should quit their jobs and purchase a ticket around the world but if the opportunity presents itself it should be taken. To me, this means visiting far-off locales you’ve always wanted to visit like Prague (where the above picture was taken) as well as local places in Southern California like the San Gabriel Mission. Traveling is a state of mind, I guess, and it doesn’t matter where you go but how you get there that truly counts.

Shanghai Observations

I don’t see many children here in Shanghai. The kids are either in school or at home during the day so I don’t come in contact with them. Since I’ve arrived I’ve seen only a handful of kids with their parents.

I have only seen three dogs since arriving the Sunday before last. Someone in the office explained that most people here live in high-rise apartments so it’s hard to have a pet dog, especially the larger breeds. This morning I saw a German shepherd being walked near my hotel.

When I first arrived in Shanghai I was surprised by how many signs are were translated into English, and how many people here at the office speak English. I shouldn’t have been fooled: not many people outside the office speak English, and it is hard to get around without a business card or the address in Chinese.

Most people my age don’t have any brothers or sisters because of China’s one-child policy. The bulk of their childhood is spent studying and preparing for exams, and some of them never had pets growing up. How lonely that must feel.

Dear Prime Minister

Dear Gordon Brown,

Please stop stalking me. It’s becoming embarrassing for both me and your entourage here in Shanghai.

First, you check into my hotel, which was fine at first. After all, it is a very nice hotel, and there are lots of English people staying here. I’ve even brushed past them on the breakfast buffet line trying to decide between bacon or sausages (or both), whether to try dragon fruit or stick to watermelon, and some adventurous souls having the Chinese breakfast. I didn’t even mind when the security staff at the hotel installed the metal detectors and x-ray screening machine on Friday night, when I had to wait in line for five minutes while fellow guests ahead of me where searched and patted down. Those machines are becoming commonplace now, and having experienced it just a week ago at the airport, it was no big deal. I also didn’t mind having to walk all the way to the back of the hotel to flag down a taxi the next day.

Now what I’m finding questionable is your appearance at the Shanghai Museum on Saturday, which happened to be the same time I visited. I saw you use the escalator to go all the way up to the fourth floor, and I must say that was a nice lavender tie (but you should’ve worn a red one, because this is China after all, and red is a very popular color). You might have seen me from the lobby as you were going up, or perhaps by the make-shift parking lot you and your entourage set up by the museum entrance. Thanks to you I had to wait ten minutes to get to the other side of the street, being told very curtly by the Shanghai police to stay behind the barrier. Thanks for making me stand out in the rain, Gordon. I like getting my pants soaked from rain blowing sideways.

I don’t understand the fascination with me, and frankly you’re not my type, but could we make sure to avoid future contact whilst here in Shanghai? I am planning to go to dinner here at the hotel, so please make other arrangements. It would just be weird and creepy to see you again. Don’t make me call security.

All the best,

Abby

Lookin' for Love in Shanghai

Shanghai is everything I thought it would be and nothing what I thought it would be. If that statement made you say “huh?!” please allow me to explain.

Shanghai is full of contradictions, and everyday I learn something new about the city, the culture, and the people. Apparently Shanghai is very different from the rest of China – it’s cosmopolitan and modern, which is reflected not only the city’s high-rise buildings but in its attitude as well. I’ve been told that most of China is very rural and simple, and finding someone who speaks English is highly unlikely (but not impossible).

I’ve been visiting warehouses and distribution facilities located an hour out of the city for the past three days (hence the lack of posts), and it is during these excursions that I’ve learned the most about Shanghainese culture. I met a girl named Jessica who had the task of translating my conversations with the warehouse staff. The warehouse staff had lunch brought in for us during both days, and while we ate lunch we had some time to chat about cultural differences between the US and China. Did I mention we ate KFC on Wednesday and Pizza Hut on Thursday? If the Chinese keep eating like this they might beat us as the fattest nation on earth soon.

I learned from Jessica that Shanghainese women are determined to make good use of their education and excel in their career but also have a strong desire to find a suitable husband. For Shanghainese women in particular, it is hard to find a husband who is as successful in their career and have the same family and educational background as the women. It’s very important to have an equal partnership so that family, education, career, and salary are carefully matched for an ideal marriage. For Jessica, good men are hard to find, especially with such vivacious females here in Shanghai.

I asked Jessica how one would find a husband, and she said that the most common method was to have blind dates set up by the man and woman’s parents. The parents would meet and discuss their offspring: where they graduated, their salaries, their interests, their goals, etc. If they found a good match, two would meet at a local tea house and get to know one another. If the date went well, they’d see each other again; if not, it was up to the parents to set up another blind date. To me, this sounds like an episode of the show Parental Control in MTV without the sound bites. Anyway, Jessica just had a blind date recently, and she said that it did not go well. Her date was too quiet for her and she wanted to find someone who could equal her conversation skills (which is a tall order because this girl talks A LOT). Jessica’s goal this year is to find a husband, and since she was born in the year of the Rat (which is the animal for this year’s Chinese New Year) she might get lucky this year.

Jessica also told me that ladies here in Shanghai love Starbucks coffee, Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and Louis Vuitton purses. She said that if men want to cheer up their girlfriends or wives, they take them to Haagen-Dazs for an ice cream treat. She also said that an appropriate gift for a 30-year wedding anniversary was a Louis Vuitton bag – sure, you can tell your wife that you love her, but giving her a Louis Vuitton bag proves it. I cannot make this up!

Louis Vuitton must be dancing in his grave.

Getting It Done

One of the things that make it hard for me to appreciate my upcoming trip to China is the amount of work that needs to be done before I leave.

I have to configure my new laptop here from work to make sure that it works and that all of the files I’ll need have been saved into said laptop. I also have to make sure that the laptop is configured for the internet; otherwise I am SOL when it comes to e-mail and access to the shared drive here at work.

I have to make sure that I have completed the planning phase by the end of the week. The planning phase is a really involved process, but since I’ve never visited this location I am making a few assumptions so that planning is done – which is to say, I am grasping at straws. I’m starting to get back into it today, but it’s already 3:51 pm and I need it by Friday afternoon.

I have to start making lists of all the things I need to pack, namely books to read, travel guides, work outfits, casual outfits, accessories, toiletries, entertainment (besides the books, i.e. DVD), and most important of all, travel adapters. You’d think that I’d have mastered this part of the trip by now but it’s always a race to the finish.

The only things keeping me sane are the Hello Kitty post-its. Who isn’t cheered up by that pink bow and cute face?

On to work…

Of Cake and Molars

I am two days away from my two dental appointments: one with my orthodontist to change my wires and bands (courtesy of Braces Part II), and one with my new dentist for a cleaning. Given all the sweets I have been eating during the holidays - hey, who am I kidding - all of 2007, I may have a few cavities that need to be filled.

I've been to the dentist enough times during my lifetime - at least once a year for annual checkups and Braces Part I - that I don't even fear the dentist anymore. My most painful dental appointment was back when I was 16 and had 13 cavities. I got seven cavities taken care of during that visit (sans novacane) and came back for the remaining six the following week (again, no pain medication). At this point the pain is more uncomfortable rather than painful. I feel like I have an out-of-body experience when getting work done on my teeth: I just relax and think about something else. The work is usually done before I know it.

I was reminded of the dentist today because it was someone's birthday today at the office. As is our custom here, the whole department takes a break in the afternoon to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake. Today it was a fruit pie from Porto's Bakery here in Burbank, and last time it was chocolate cake. This is in addition to the donuts and pastries brought in for the birthday girl this morning. I may need to start buying new pants due to weight gain.

I think it's really sweet that people celebrate birthdays here and pass cards around for everyone to sign. I know it felt nice to have cake and a card on my birthday, and it made the day really special. I don't know if I can say the same about visiting two dentists on Thursday.

A Quiet Time at the Office

There’s a hush in the office this afternoon, which is not surprising given that it’s the last work day before Christmas, and many are taking the day off and not coming back until December 26 or after the New Year. I’m one of the unlucky ones still sitting at my desk at 4:30 pm.

It’s not that I forgot to schedule vacation time – I would’ve been nice to take a vacation next week. It’s because I only have two weeks’ vacation and I am saving the days for a trip next May. In my past job, I had five weeks’ vacation, which is almost unheard of here in the US (but common for European countries). Even though I like my current job more than my previous one, it’s this time of year (and summer time) that make me miss my old job. Is it shallow to love a job because of the benefits?

Now that my vacation is reduced to two measly weeks I have to be really careful with how I use the days. Last year I took the week between Christmas and New Year’s off then took three weeks off in January – just because I could. I don’t remember much from that lazy three week vacation apart from sleeping until noon and watching Oprah whenever the mood struck. I also remember spending a few days exploring the newly-opened mall near my house and giving my credit card a serious workout at Nordstrom’s.

This year I will be working hard throughout December and next January in preparation for a work trip to Shanghai, China. I have never been to China, but have always wanted to visit, so this work assignment is exciting. The work will be demanding, but I have no problem with that since I will only be coming home to an empty hotel room at the end of the day. Hopefully I will have a chance to relax and explore the city during the weekends. I have already checked out several guidebooks from the library and will be drafting my weekend itinerary over the long weekend.

Cupcakes - yum!

I've gotten tired of looking at my old post but I'm not quite ready for my next entry, so here's some food for thought courtesy of Blogthings.com (you should visit, they have some fun quizzes):

You Are a Cupcake

Cute and fun, you never take life too seriously. People are constantly surprised by how delightful you are.

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

What's in a Name?

A pregnant friend recently found out that she's having a boy. She and her husband both wanted a girl this time, a sibling to their adorable three-year old boy. Until now, she had been thinking of girl names: Sydney, Peyton, and Sophia. Since she's having a boy she wanted to know if I had any ideas for boy names and I told her I’d think about it.

To start, I looked up the most popular boy names of 2006 according applications submitted to Social Security. Here they are, in ranking order:

Jacob
Michael
Joshua
Ethan
Matthew
Daniel
Christopher *
Andrew
Anthony
William

For the most part those are nice, solid names for a boy. Of all of them I like Christopher the best because it’s versatile (the boy could be called Christopher or Chris) and also because I have a cousin who's always made me laugh with the same name. On the other hand, I’d be hard-pressed to name any kid Anthony because it’s such a common name and also because I had a really lousy manager named Anthony who made me cry at work (not in front of him, thank goodness, because it might have freaked him out; I cried in the ladies’ restroom). It’s amazing how our choice in names is influenced by people we’ve had in our lives.

On my drive home from work the other night, I thought about all the names that I’ve liked throughout the years. Oh, there were some horrendous ones:

Tzeitel Anastasia - During 8th grade, we read and watched Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye's (the main character's) oldest daughter was named Tzeitel: the one who was in love with the tailor named Motel Kamzoil. Anyway, she had been promised to a fat old butcher named Lazar Wolf in the beginning of the play, and when Tevye found out that she was in love with Motel Kamzoil he broke off the engagement by making up a dream where his dead mother came to him told him that Tzeitel should marry a man named Motel Kamzoil. The fact that I can spell all these names correctly is a little scary but I really loved that musical. With songs like If I Were a Rich Man and Matchmaker Matchmaker, how could I not? I added Anastasia as an extra flourish.

Chantal Giselle - There was a period in my life when I was obsessed with French names. Of course, I always like the unique ones, ones that you didn’t hear too often, hence Chantal. Sounds tragic and romantic at the same time, no? I also liked Chloe but only the way it’s spelled and not the way it’s pronounced – like Zoey, a name I don’t like.

When picking out these names I wanted them be unique, but now I realize that names should symbolize something and be unique, but not so unique that they get teased in school. I mean, can you imagine the horrible teasing Tzeitel Anastasia would get from other kids and the number of teachers and principals that would mispronounce the name? Unless you lived in Russia before the Cultural Revolution, of course.

Speaking of weird names, I have come across some that have either grated my nerves or made me laugh:

Nimrod - Seriously, someone had this name at a company I used to work for. I don’t even want to know how many jokes were told at this poor guy’s expense. His last name was Johnson – I kid you not!

Tolu - A girl from Peru (named Tolu – hey that rhymes) was in my third grade class. She sat next to me and liked to talk but I always got into trouble, not her. She had a thick accent that sounded like Penelope Cruz.

Priscilla - Only drag queens should have this name, plus the nicknames are horrible - Prissy or Cilla, anyone?

Cherry/Apple: It’s only recently that fruit names have become acceptable (or have they?). Gwyneth Paltrow naming her daughter Apple didn’t come as a big surprise to me – I once had a neighbor named Apple and friends from school named Cherry (Cherry is a pretty common Filipino name). I like both names but Cherry bothers me, only because teenage boys can be crass and might joke about “popping the cherry.” Gross!

After all that, I'm probably the last person she wants to consult for a baby name, but there's a few months left to think about the right name for her new baby. Good luck!

'Tis the Season for Gifts

According to Blogthings.com, I am a

Practical Gift Giver

Your gifts are useful, appropriate, and custom tailored to each person. In your opinion, the best gifts are gifts that someone will actually use. Your gifts may not be the most glamourous, but they are always appreciated.

What Kind of Gift Giver Are You?

I only have a few more gifts to go...