RSSAdapt
27 Apr 2009 No Comments
in Quotes
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. ~ Charles Darwin
Dutch – Level 1
23 Apr 2009 No Comments
in Belgium, Happenings
Yipee! I’ve completed Level 1 Dutch!
I scored a 91%, making me one of the top scorers. I probaby got the highest points in class, but I do not really care. Really! All I need to know is that I did well enough to move on to Level 2.
I do admit that I sometimes study like I was pursuing a college diploma. But I am not trying to be an over-achiever. My intention was to build a strong foundation. A solid base is the key to mastering a new language. And a strong solid foundation means hard work. That plus practice, practice and practice! 
Raversijde
18 Apr 2009 No Comments
A lot was packed in the short afternoon trip to Domain Raversijde.
First was a lengthy guided tour where we were introduced to the remnants of the world wars. We walked in the trenches, went into gloomy bunkers, took pictures of the exhibits, and gawked at all sorts of war machines. What a visual irony to see these machines of destruction laying quietly among delicate little white daisies.
Then there was a self-guided tour in a small museum that documented happenings in the region and a short visit to the house of Prince Karel. Snooping about an outdoor museum of a medieval fishing village was a lot of fun. The excavation site was interesting and the museum about this fishing population was very intriguing.
A very pleasant and informative trip well worth the time. The local beer Walrave was not impressive but try it anyway if you have the chance to stop by Raversijde.
Ta-Da! Moment
16 Apr 2009 No Comments
What’s stopping me from going to the next level in life? When was a barrier ever a barrier to me? When have I think and stayed inside the box and live within other people’s expectations? Erm… almost never?!
- I went to the US to pursue a higher education on very limited family funding.
- I stuck it out with mom back in Lahad Datu when I could have been a highly paid bank officer.
- I left Malaysia again to pursue the dream of living and working in US, when people my age were settling down and having kids.
- I left comfortable and promising USA to face the uncertainties of Belgium.
Now… Why should I be doing things that are expected of me? Why must I only choose between 2 options and not a 3rd one that I made up on my own? Why must I eventually have a 9 to 5 job? Why should anyone? Why must I babysit a house? Why can’t I do this while I am doing that?
Aha!
Meetings Canceled
14 Apr 2009 No Comments
Here’s a gloomy bit of travel and business news I read from the article Momentum Around Meeting Cancellations:
Over the past six months, 402 conventions and meetings have been canceled in Las Vegas alone. According to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, this translates into a loss of $166 million for the city … and that doesn’t include lost gambling revenue. It’s no wonder that the city has to be inches from paying guests to visit.
Come on Vegas, roll out some new strategies! Come out from that sin city niche. The valley has so much more to offer.
Dropping Dead Weights
12 Apr 2009 No Comments
in Health, Human Nature
The following is an excerpt from an article entitled People to Ditch, Things to Dump, and Races That You Shouldn’t Run.
Before you can move forward, you have to get unstuck. Before you can focus your vision, you have to open your eyes. Before you can use your resources productively, you have to set your energies free. Free from what?
- From tasks, chores, and activities that you don’t like and that you are doing out of an obscure respect for tradition.
- From people who don’t appreciate you, ignore you, or waste your time, with whom you put up out of excessive benevolence.
- From supposed challenges, goals, and objectives that are not really your own, that you have picked up somewhere along the way and that are preventing you from doing what you know you should be doing.
Old Jeans
11 Apr 2009 No Comments
I worn out a pair of jeans while working at the new house. A tiny jap of sentimental pain zapped through me. The jeans was one of the 2 that I brought along in December ’07. It was purchased with my significant employee discount way back when. It will now require much restoration to be wearable again.
Coincidentally, good fortune decides to shine upon my little round head yet again. As if planned, D’s sister gave me 2 pairs of old jeans. One of them works perfectly well as my new work pants. Hello?! This is freaky!
As I sit here pondering about the old jeans… I also think of my free iPod, my trip back to Malaysia this time last year, my passport stamps from China, US, Belgium… and my life right here right now.
I’m a little lucky star, aren’t I?
Veggie Garden
10 Apr 2009 No Comments
in Belgium, Simply Green
If I can do whatever I want with the garden, I would be planting fruit trees, vegetables, herbs and the sort!
However, there’s those damn city ordinances. And there’s my D preventing me from becoming the crazy Asian woman. Guess I’ll have to be content with a veggie garden at the backyard then….
I’ve never planted anything edible in this kind of climate before. Where I’ve lived in the past years were not very encouraging for traditional gardening. First, there was Kalamazoo. The place does not belong to me and my cousin turned her whole backyard into a toilet for her dog Zing. Hmmm…nasty. Then there was Vegas and it’s a freaking desert. I was not about to spend time on an expensive hydroponics system. Besides, I never have much free time then.
D and I planted little red onions 2 weeks ago. They haven’t sprouted yet. I do look forward in planting more stuff. And then harvesting them! Nothing gets more organic than eating greens that you’ve grown with your own 2 hands. Now…what shall I plant next?
Vos En Haas
08 Apr 2009 No Comments
in Belgium, Movies, Books & TV Shows
I first came across the Vos en Haas series at the childrens’ book section of Fnac, Gent. Fnac is an essential place where my boyfriend feeds his need to be amongst geek stuff. As much as I am fascinated by new gadgets and shiny things, my true passion lies in books. While D goes ooo and aaas over new laptops or pondering whether or not to buy yet another DVD, you’ll find me among the books.
As luck has it, the local library in Harelbeke carries a good selection of Vos en Haas. Reading this series of childrens’ book make all the difference in my learning process. They put simplicity and fun into Nederlands. Two more weeks to go and I’ll be done with Level 1.
Spec Work
06 Apr 2009 No Comments
I was catching up on some design articles and came across a term that I do not know. What the hell is Spec Work? Why is it evil?
It didn’t take me long to find a definition and a simple explanation at the graphic design section of About.com. Spec work simply means any speculative job for which the client expects to see examples or a finished product before agreeing to pay.
I would assume that this is a problem faced by most freelancers and not so much the in-house designers. Nevertheless, I do recall times when my bosses wanted something horrid and I had to cringe inside out. Getting paid for designing something stupid does not lessen the pain, but I guess it helps.
There’s a Chinese saying that goes something like this: As long as one lives, there will always be something new to learn. My learning is done, now it is time for some nagging. D has too many spec works, it is unfair to him nor his clients.