Whitney's Birthday/ New Year

We've all been slowing down on the blogging. What's up with that? Shannon? Sarah? Karen? It's time for y'all to update.

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Okay now that I've called out my 50% of my blog reading audience, I have an update!

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A few weekends ago, Dad and I celebrated Whitney's birthday. Whitney is a absolutely addicted to cheese, so a massive cheese and wine basket was the ideal gift.

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Sarah and I also got Whitney a Kiva loan. Whitney's loan went to a woman in western Africa named Christine who owns a shop that sells fabric, alcohol and snacks. She will repay the loan within a year at which point Whitney can either loan the money to someone else, or cash the money out. This is Christine:

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Then it was off to watch a bit of the Chinese New Year Parade. We were a few people back in the crowd, so it was a bit tough to get any decent pictures. I remember the parade being totally different when I saw the parade 20 years ago. It was a little repetitive. Every group in the parade had a dragon or two, and drums. We watched for an hour and left just as it started to rain.

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So many dragons. Some were better than others. This was one of the better ones.

In the words of Journey...

Don't Stop Believing!

Maybe the NKOTB reunion isn't going to happen. I think that all the buzz around the rumour might make them realize that a tour a la the Spice Girls could be very profitable. Besides, I'm sure the royalty cheques aren't rolling in like they used to. If you are bored, check out Danny Wood's my space page ( http://www.myspace.com/dannywood2006). He has a solo thing happening, some of the worst music I've heard in years.
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As some of you may know, I have been accepting all facebook applications for a 7 day period. No application is too stupid, I'll agree to them all. All but one have been an absolute waste of time. I think I might keep the "Are You Interested?" application. It is the hugest ego boost EVER! This is how it works: You view profile pictures and click on 1 of 3 buttons "No, I'm not interested", "Yes, I'm interested (annonymous)" or Yes, I'm interested (let them know)" The only info they have about you is a screen name, your age and picture.
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Similar to the "hot or not" website that was popular a few years ago. Each time someone clicks that they are interested in you, you get an email letting you know. They don't tell you when someone says No, so it's only positive feedback. Granted, most of the people who clicked "Yes" look like Elmer Fudd and haven't left their computer in weeks, but who am I to judge. It's a little creepy, but if nothing else it serves as a pick-me-up on those days when I think I look like crap.

Listen Up Everybody 'Cuz Were Gonna Do Our Thing!

Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!
Pinch me, I must be dreaming. New Kids on the Block (NKOTB) are reuniting and going on tour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NKOTB was my first concert in grade four or five. I remember standing in line with my mom at the old Woodwards in New West waiting to buy tickets. We bought the tickets about six months in advance, it seemed like years until the show. Finally it was time for the concert, about 8 of us went with my mom (because we were too young to go on our own). Our seats were up in the stands at BC Place (the only concert I have ever seen in the echo dome). Good thing they had a jumbo screen otherwise, I would never have been able to see them. My god the screaming. 40,000 little girls. Excellent.

Okay, so who's going to go with me? Not sure if you can handle it? Lucky for you I bought a NKOTB VHS tape of their music videos and stuff. All the favorites, Hang'n Tough, Please Don't Go Girl and I'm sure they had other hits. You can borrow it, I don't watch it anymore. I wonder how Joey will reach those high notes? What about Jordan? Joey use to be my favorite, Jonathan was my least favorite. (He always looked a little special to me.) Who will be my favorite now? Start crimping your hair now, and brush off your white Ked sneakers. They're coming....

Hello Africa!

I just got my first hit from Africa!

Where ya been all this time? Obviously word is spreading, my blog is where it's at! Now if only Russia would get with the program. Maybe I should start some sort of email campaign.....

This post is brought to you by my 3 favorite websites.

www.Kiva.org - lend $25 to someone half way around the world. The money is loaned to small business people to help them improve their businesses (and their lives). At the end of the term, the person re-pays the loan (no interest on the loan) and you can either re-invest in someone else, or you can cash your money out. Pretty cool idea- so cool it won the Nobel prize.

www.last.fm is a awesome music website that sends you music based on your preferences. Type in the name of you favorite artist, and similar artists are streamed to you live. You can customize your profile by telling the website which songs you like and which ones you don't as you listen. The more you listen, the better it gets.

The vegan lunch box website is no longer, as the author has decided to home school her munchkin. I needed something else to fill the void. http://www.veggiemealplans.com/ is the new black. It is written by a local BC woman. Every week a new meal plan is posted complete with recipes and pictures. Older recipes are vegetarian, and the newer ones are vegan. If you are ever stumped for dinner, this site will give you some awesome ideas. For the meat eaters in the crowd, it's really easy to ruin... oops I mean add meat to the meals if you wish.

Christmas 2007

What a Christmas! Hope yours was good too!

I bought a couple of santa hats for the cats. I had visions of cuteness floating around in my head. But I underestimated how hard it would be to put hats on cats and then have them pose together. They aren't into hats, I guess I'll have to stick to bibs and sweaters.

Marley showing her anger.

Sarah and Ryan flew in for Christmas this year and brought the snow with them. We had Christmas morning at Dad's and then continued on for present exchanges at Jami and Chris's. The paparazzi found Sarah and Suds. Unlike Britney, Sarah knows how to play to the Paps. I think she looks like Medussa with the tree reflection on the window.

Girls night on the train. Don't let Sarah's outfit throw you- It wasn't minus 20 degrees!!!!

Dinner was at 6 Acres- a funky 50's cowboy restaurant. Then we went out for dessert at Morton's. We scored free dessert and free drinks because our order had to be done twice. (Something about the first batch not turning out.) Then it was off to Chicago's and Mugs and Jugs for a goodbye drink- both of the clubs closed for good that weekend. The club was packed with the strangest looking people, it was a bit like a trailer park social.

Next was Whitney's annual re-gift-it party. Creepy Santa was unavailable this year. However Years-of-Therapy-Will-Never-Erase-The-Visual-Santa was available. Yes that's my Dad, after doing shots of 90 proof alcohol!!!!!!!!!!

Ryan was Santa's Special little helper

This was definately a memorable Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho!

(the Santa "Ho", not the street corner type)
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Last week I was walking home from work. Strange things happen to me all the time, I think I have a freak magnet. Anyways, I was half way to home, when a bus stopped and Santa got off complete with the boots, full red and white outfit, a real beard and snowy white hair. WOW.
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But this Santa was a little bit off. He was piss-drunk. He was so drunk he could barely walk! Where had he been? Was he at a party? Have children driven Santa to drink? Is that why he's so jolly? I've seen him a couple more times since then, doing a little better, not quite so drunk. I'll never look at Santa quite the same. After a search on the internet, it appears that Santa is a drunk. I'm sorry to say it but, there are hundreds of pictures of him passed out, half naked and drunk. (I've spared you all the pictures of Santa naked!)


So Merry Christmas- tell your children the real story of Santa

Dealing with credit card companies is like playing Monoploy

Y'all have a couple of these in your wallets I bet. I used to have 3 of them, but I cancelled one and have been slowly paying off the balance. In October I made my last payment of about $35. I felt really happy that I had finally paid it off, and was looking forward to seeing nothing but zeros on my next statement.

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I had always thought when you pay off a balance in full, that you are not charged interest. Anyone else think that? But today when I got my final statement, I noticed that they had charged me interest! It was only 9 cents, but I was annoyed enough to call up my CC company. The guy on the phone said "Well lets not make a big deal out of it, it's only 9 cents." But in my mind, those cents add up.

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In the end, I got the 9 cents credited to my account, and I got a tutorial on interest charges. Here's how it works:

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They send out your statement and estimate the number of days it will take to get to you (about 4 days). They then charge you a daily interest fee from that day forward. In my case 6 days worth of interest on a $35 balance. So if you are like me, and pay your bills just before they are due, you are getting charged extra interest. TIP #1: pay your bill as soon as you get it to avoid the daily interest charges.

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My other tip of the day, (let's call it TIP #2) is that if your credit card ever charges you fees (like overlimit fees, late fees etc) call them up. A quick phone call is all it takes- as long as you ask nicely. They have never said "no" to me. The one time they hesitated, I just calmly asked who I should talk to about cancelling my card. That changed their tune. Same applies to having your interest rate decreased.

HK Leftovers

A few last pictures I forgot were on my camera.


On Sunday, all the nannies have the day off. There are so many of them, that they close the streets. Anywhere that's covered is packed with them.




Is this Lexi's water dish, or is it a foot spa for cats?






Sarah in the Hong Kong jungle



I don't know what this bird is, but it looks like a teradactil


Lunch was at a Vietnamese place- very nice.






Random street shot




Sarah do you have any lip balm??? Let me check...


on a 2 hour outing, Sarah brought 8 different lip balms/glosses!




Manolos!

Hong Kong

Good things come to those that wait, here are the HK pics.

In Sarah's neighbourhood on the moving sidewalk


On our way to the peak we met Jackie Chan.


To get to the top of the Peak, we took a trolley it felt like a 30 degree incline. It was one of my favorite things



The view


At Bubba Gump


Sitting on the double-decker streetcar.


The streets are pretty confusing. Not only are the cars on the other side of the street, but they won't stop for pedestrians. In the above picture is a double-decker street car, they run down the centre of some of the streets.


Near the base of the peak is a park with gardens, ponds and an aviary. Theresa found a humongous leaf



The next day we went to the other side of the harbour, an area called Kowloon.


Judy had told me about a giant escalator. It was HUGE! I noticed that all of the people that were riding the escalator were taking pictures, so we weren't the only hicks.


About 10 years ago Whitney worked for a company that was in charge of designing a museum in Kowloon called the Hong Kong museum of history. We went and checked it out. There was lots to see.

Sarah with some giant dudes


Sarah and I in a trolley car in the museum


A Chinese junk in the harbour


And then it was time for the light show while we ate gyros. A bunch of the buildings are lit up to music, but my camera just didn't capture the light show very well.


We checked out a park in Sarah and Ryan's neighbourhood. Theresa and Sarah tried out the reflexology rocks. It's supposed to be good for you.


Cool Pagoda in the park, complete with a pond full of giant fish


Ryan came back from work, and we headed off to Shenzhen for a day of shopping. (And relaxation). Sarah and I got peddy's, Ryan opted for a massage.


I needed the pampering. Shenzhen was far and away the most overwhelming experience of the entire trip. The border was confusing, without Sarah and Ryan I would have been lost. In the shopping mall, the sales people were so pushy, and all I could hear was "Missy, Missy! DVD! Missy, Missy! Copy handbag? You Look!" Not to mention the squatter toilets...



The next day Theresa and I went to see the big Buddha on Lantau island. The Buddha is on the top of a mountain, and at the base of the hill is a monastery.

At the monastery

Next was a day at Macau. Macau was owned by Portugal, and has some very out of place buildings, it also has a ton on casinos. We got a pedicab tour of the tourist areas. Our guy was so old! I thought he might keel over and die on us.

Strange signs. Was this a bathroom for dogs? Or people?

We went to an old barracks or fort

A view of the city through the fort walls- they were about 3 feet thick.

Cannon

Heading back to the ferry, we checked out the casino area. It was all new, but made to look old. There were a bunch of nice looking bars and restaurants, but they were all deserted. Turns out that lots of things are closed on Mondays, so we didn't get the full Macau experience.

We went to a Moroccan restaurant Sahara, where we got to smoke the sheesha pipe. I think this is Sarah's imitation of Snoop Dog. The food was so good we ate here twice.

And then it was off to Lan Kwai Fong, the bar area. It was Carnival, so it was extra packed. There were lots of food stalls and entertainers. Ryan got into the spirit apparently. Theresa bought a shirt similar to a "I Love NY" shirt except hers said "I Love fish balls" but in Chinese. I never saw her eating fish balls though...

The next morning, after a breakfast at the Flying Pan, we hopped on a double decker bus for a winding drive to the other side of the island. It was one of my favorite things in HK. Here I am dipping my toes in the ocean for the first time. If I get cancer of the foot, we'll all know why.

After that, we spent a couple hours shopping at Stanley Market. I loved it! I could have spent an entire day shopping there. The other thing I liked was the grocery stores, Safeway is so blah now.

Off to Thailand for some sun!! We spent 1 night in Bangkok, that was horrible. Our guesthouse was beside a night club (little did we know). BOOM BOOM BOOOM all night long. Theresa and I fell asleep sometime around 5, just in time for the alarm clock to go off at 7. And then hopped on a bus for a 6 hour journey to the beach. After a ferry ride we were in paradise on an island called Koh Samed. Our bungalow was just off the beach

The restaurant out front of our bungalow

My beach umbrella and chairs

The view from my chair. The beach vendors were very nice, not pushy like in Mexico.

Perfect! In Hong Kong it was so smoggy, that I never wore sunscreen and didn't get any colour. But in Thailand it was so hot that I reapplied constantly.