“If I agree with you then we’ll both be wrong.”- House, M.D.

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May 21, 2014

Quote of the day (Ironic content)

“If I agree with you then we’ll both be wrong.”- House, M.D.

 

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Being brutally honest has its perks. The comments that immediately leaves your lips with so little of an after thought does not leave a grating-burning-regretful sensation at the back of your throat. It actually makes you feel good speaking the truth out loud. But with that being said, why are most people who are THAT honest are termed anti-social or worst yet, a socio path? 

And yes, being educated may or may influence the socio path issue, remember ethics is always the last subject prior to graduation. Then again, it could just be human nature, urging itself out and being pleased with one self.

Socio paths does not have much friends, if there is one at all. It is a condition but truth be told, honest truth is needed in this world. It is the delivery and show of proper empathic gestures would make a hard-ground-crushing remark acceptable. 

 

 

But no matter, humans we all are. Any remark as long as its not good would be taken not as acceptable as a praise. As the French people say C’est bonne!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo insert from:

http://orchestroscopy.blogspot.ca/2010_08_01_archive.html

The Million Dream

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Wouldn’t it be nice to have an robotic ward robe that would identify matching clothes and accessories plus an added information of when was the last time you wore that number? Or spend $2000 for dinner of 5 people, 2 adults and 3 kids at a Teppanyaki bar? Well it sure is nice to be Victoria Beckham. Oh I forgot, there is a palace where one can roam around and have your mail mistakenly dropped at the Beckingham palace because of the nearness of the names (ludicrous, but true!).

 

Anyway, aren’t people always dream of winning the lotto or having a sudden windfall that finally you can chuck the old wagon for a 4 wheel drive BMW (some don’t need the windfall and manage to have the BMW, though most of them in these situations doesn’t sleep very well at night) . How does one make it? I got an advise from a self made millionaire who is an author of how to be a millionaire book and yes, write a book on how to be a millionaire and it works. Or flip houses, in Las Vegas that is a hit. And yes, make your own business. Very few people get rich working, if at all.

I am about to start a venture and I will blog all the details of that venture here for the delight of the dreamers like me. Who knows maybe I will be flaunting my Hermes Evelyne bag in a year or two, huh! Fashionestees’ about to come.

Photo courtesy of:

http://douglasvermeeren.wordpress.com/tag/how-many-millionaires-are-made-each-day/

Office Bully!

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Have you had an office bully? The one who has control over you say, a supervisor, a visa officer, or just a colleague that annoyingly saunters into a room, expecting all eyes on him/her like he/she is the best gift of the universe?

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We’ll I had that, for nearly 10 years before I gained enough zen to zone him out hah!  How much of a bully, alright, I’m about 5’2″ and average built. He’s a 6’2″ large built, bile-spitting-visa officer of the company that everyone is nice to because he can make a mess that would throw you out of the country as fast as you can say “ok”. And he threatens everyone with that. He’s rude, annoying, unprofessional who make snide remarks that’s demeaning to women and humiliating to men. Yes, for a fact, the guy barely speaks English and had self learned, started working when he was 14, so there goes the ethics from school. Ah, but he can make wonders, difficult transaction he can execute as he uses the “I’m-annoying-so-u-gotta-give-what-I-want-to-get-rid-of-me” style, and man does that work!

He was so bad he had to turn in one of my colleagues awaiting legal residency because she asked for a receipt on his transactions! (She’s accounts payable by the way). The boss is at his mercy, having those red tapes and what-not. Mind you, I had worked on having that guy fired but no matter what I do, he’s still there. Until the day his head grew so big, he head banged the boss, alas! After 12 years together, he and my boss went their separate ways. To the happy indignation of my true self and the 60 other people who had to endure him to survive in the middle east, he’s finally gone! But that’s 10 years, though he just visits @ least once or twice a week during that time which made me endure working there still. In another place and time, that guy’s best job can’t have human interaction. He was fired from the rest of the companies he also worked with when he was fired from our company. I just realized how lucky I am to have that over with, boy was I ever thankful it is! I have a female version of this, maybe next blog 😉

 

Picture from:

http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Intelligence/Office-Bullies-Make-Work-Hard-372093/

A Mother is born

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Tick, tick, tick, tick, time ticking and the moment is growing near for another mother to be born.

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It is normal that we shower attention to all new babies, this blog is for the mothers that gives way to the spotlight for their kids.

My advise before the due date, sleep and rest as much as you can. It is going to be a fun filled adventure. My son’s paediatrician was also a friend and when I asked him when will my life get back to normal (my son was 1 month old then) he answered “Oh in about 19 years, give or take a year.” and then he smiled.

True to the fact, motherhood had changed my world. I didn’t imagine I would still enjoy Disneyland pass my 30’s :). Or be able to make houses out of Lego bricks (remnants of what used to be cars or ships) and be more creative.

Yes, there are sleepless nights, cranky moments and tantrum spells but they all go away and mutates into task arguments, Ipad or TV time and bedtime. The venture continues and so will my blog.

 

For all the babies to be born soon, en guard! A mother will be born with you!

 

 

 

 

Sunset in Vancouver

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Yellow back draft with hints of gold glittering on the air before darkness sets it. Sunset in Vancouver, today that is at 8:48pm. Nice to play a round of golf before heading home.

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Talked to an old friend yesterday. She still lives in Dubai and is still running with the crowd to make it to the finish line. I told her I started a blog, and she smiled (skype 🙂 ) she said, “Ah finally you have the time.” And she still doesn’t. Life in Dubai with its numerous perks are so tempting. Malls are open until 10 pm on normal days and until 1am in Ramadan for a whole month. It’s a festivity!

Do I miss it? The shopping, well yeah! My brother and his family, definite yes! But other than that, hmmm, not really. I miss the people but my life there as a whole, no. I work long hours, I barely see my son. I had witnessed my office plant grow though. Not a very good sign.

Vancouver with its heart is different. I am human here. I finally get to watch movies (not to exaggerate but I could squeeze a movie or 2 only in a year) with the pace I was living in.

Less money, less pizzazz, more life? I was more alive in Vancouver, alive to see life not running pass by you but with you. I am finally living it! And enjoy watching the sunset in Vancouver at 8:48 tonight.

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Odds and Ends 3

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Alright getting back on my migration topics, do you know that the worlds tallest building is in Dubai, UAE? It’s called Burj Khalifa, I won’t go with the calculated height of it, it’s easy to google anyway, I will just show you how it looked like on New Year’s Eve courtesy of my Michael Jarabelo’s persistence on this night.

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Though according to CNN the next tallest building will be built in 2014 in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah to be exact and will be 1kilometer in the skies. I’ll wait for the pictures.

 

Before Burj Khalifa out shown all hotels and tall buildings in Dubai there is Burj Al Arab and they have an amazing evening for couples where you have 1 bedroom suite and an adjoining parlor that you will share with another couple to be served by your own butler for the night. Now, how’s that for a memorable night. I’m unsure if they have that offer still, that was in 2011. Has been awhile.

 

Now if you are envisioning having dinner in the tallest building in the world, there is this nice restaurant  that I personally recommend, try the At.Mosphere, Foie gras to start and veal as main, you won’t  be sorry. Schedule the dinner as soon as you can in 2014 before Saudi snatches the Guinness record title 😉

 

 

Post Mother’s Day

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mother's day A day after Mother’s day, what great stories do everyone carry? My 8 year old son made a very thoughtful poster that he gingerly hid last Friday and made sure I wont see you it until Sunday. The hiding  effort is already too much fun and can’t wait when he finally remembered to give it to me. Plus he was sweet enough to prepare my toothbrush and mug last night as his passing gesture for his subservient celebration of Mother’s Day. I am very lucky!   I was asked by an acquaintance what was my plan for Mother’s day. I said I am going to light a candle. And the obvious question is why should I light a candle. My mother passed away when I was 14 years old. I light a candle to remember her on mother’s day. There’s no getting over it, just getting used to it was and is the only coping mechanism me and my brother could come up with. We are survivors, we have to be.   One curious topic on motherhood. What is a mother? According to Wikipedia (which if used in a Masteral context, is not a substantive source of information, in other words, Wikipedia is a good tool for definition but not that good to be used as reference. So in this regard, I am just simply informing) motherhood is basically related to bearing an offspring or had been an object of making an offspring. If you ask me, I would like to broaden that definition to all women who had given birth in their hearts instead of their tummies. Nurturing and caring for children similar to mothers as how are we going to account the mothers who adopted kids or had been a great aunt or sister. Now the difference in my definition between mother’s and none mother’s is the birth process itself. Yes, the birth process is a great effort indeed (up until 2-3 years ago, the memory still send shivers down my spine) but so is motherhood. If I as a child had not given the chance for my aunt or grandmother or all the other females that mothered me on the days that I need one the most, then I wont be where I am now. I thank them all. The friends, acquaintances and even neighbours that had taken the inkling to mother me, I gave them all the chance. It fed my hunger and formed me that led to the success of being a mother. Let’s play it light, kids has to be loved, cared and fussed on, give all the available females the right to do that. The world will be a better place with it anyway. Cuddle away! Mother's love

Odds and Ends 2

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As promised I am bringing in your midst the sights and colors of my migration.

opp La Plage

Speaking of migration, these are migratory birds, often a common sight during winter season. In case you were wondering where do the birds from your place go during the freezing winters well here are some of them. This shot was taken by Michael Jarabelo, 4 years ago at the back of my previous office in Jumeirah 3, Dubai.

It was a beautiful day then, but aren’t all days? hmmmm

Not to be out done, here’s a burst of color last winter in Vancouver,IMG_1549

 

I took this shot, its almost evening. Isn’t life glorious?

 

Life the tent ladies days, there are colors, represented by the untoward happenings to her life that made a surprising turn of events when she was crowned queen. Her grays turned into gold. Things happen for a reason. No one can explain why (I can definitely argue with you endlessly but I could never confirm nor can anyone does) it just the way the universe works. We can perceive and receive. The best advise “en garde” and don’t delve. Life is too short.

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http://fleity.deviantart.com/art/turn-your-face-to-the-sun-45382943

 

Odds and ends

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This is a typical sunset in Dubai, very rare that doesn’t appear. Sunset could be from 5 – 7 pm only. For all seasons, by the way, the seasons there are hot and hotter remember? Predictable, short spanned, sunset times.

Now let’s talk about Canada, image

This is whistler in summer, thank you Michael Jarabelo, another great shot! It’s like a dream. The brilliant sunshine and amazing temp comes almost predictably between July to September, unless global warming starts challenging my statement, this is the time to enjoy.

Vancouver is indeed beautiful. I’ll be posting some more pictures in my next blogs, so stay tuned. Feel free to ask. I’ll be pleased to reply. Have a great weekend!