it takes two to speak the truth

i wanna be a kid, again!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:32:47 GMT

While running some errands during my lunch break, I passed by an elementary school and saw kids anxiously waiting in line outside the cafeteria, all ready to chow down on the delicious but oh so unhealthy meals, and kids playing on the playgrounds. Suddenly, all the childhood memories came flooding back and I found myself yearning for those simple and innocent times again.

Why can’t there be recess times and lunch breaks, where the most important decisions to be made are whether to play jump rope or dodge ball or kick ball, etc… and whether regular or chocolate milk would taste better, for adults? I so miss those days! It’d be awesome to not have to deal with work-related stress, being a good role model for my younger siblings, personal dilemmas, other people’s morals and fidelities (Tiger Woods, anyone?!), the war in Afghanistan, and the list goes on and on.

*Sighs*. And I wanted so badly to become an adult when I was 10 years old. Now that I’m considered an “adult” by all means, all I want is to be a 10-year-old kid again.

it's the little thing that makes me happy

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:43:56 GMT

All it takes is just a simple "How are you today?" from a stranger to make me smile and my day that much brighter. :D

...

Tue, 19 May 2009 01:18:51 GMT

there will always be users and givers. the trick is to know how to give generously without being taken advantage of.

Fri, 23 May 2008 04:08:08 GMT

Is it just me or do kids grow up way too fast these days?

I just attended one of my brothers' Senior Honors Night and throughout the ceremony, these are the things I noticed:

--girls dressed in short shorts
--girls wearing designer high heel shoes
--girls parading LV, Chanel, Burberry bags
--girls with full face of make-up including fake lashes and the works
--girls with hair all done up

Someone please tell me that this is NOT normal. I only graduated high school 7 years ago but man, did I feel ancient standing around those girls. I didn't even know about designer shoes, apparel, and purses until I was a senior in college! And make up?! Pssstt, I didn't know how to apply fake lashes til like 2 years ago! And there those girls were, 18 years old at most, showing off their collection of various designer items and flawlessly made up faces.

Either those girls are spoiled princesses or they must know ways of making major moola because I know for a fact that those purses are real. How? Well, let's just say I've spent enough time on the purse forums...

But yeah, back to what I was saying...Those kids are growing up way too fast! And I think that our celebrity-obsessed culture has something to do with it. I mean, if I were surrounded with reality shows, gossip magazines, and now-a-days MTV when I was in high school, I'd probably be one of those girls, too.

bike the bridge - sf to sausalito

Mon, 19 May 2008 04:28:41 GMT

Fritz's co-worker suggested that we bike across the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito, have dinner, then take the ferry back to SF. Without contemplation or hesitation, we said, "Why not?!" It has been so HOT and sunny in the bay so we couldn't possibly turn down a chance to experience something new in the City. And so, we embarked on this adventure yesterday when the sun was shining brightly at Pier 41...

our bikes - rented from Blazing Saddles

fritz on his bike

passing Pier 43 1/2 where people are enjoying a great day at the beach

Fort Mason Center

Marina Blvd.

instead of the sunny day, we got a bridge filled with thick fog and crazy winds - i was so afraid to get anywhere near the rail for fear of being blown away...

on the Marin County side of the bridge

just look at all that fog rolling in!

ah, we made it to Sausalito - what beautiful view of the coastline

the town of Sausalito

view of the water at Piccolo Caffe

egg, ham, and parmigiana croissant @ Piccolo - great meal to refuel after the 1.5 hr bike ride

turkey breast panini

bike, linh, bike!

What a fantastic adventure that was. Even though there were moments I just wanted to give up such as those steep hills and the non-existent vision on the Golden Gate bridge, I'm glad we stuck to the course because the view on the other side was simply breathtaking. =)

My back and legs are screaming bloody murder right now...but nothing a few Ibuprofen can't cure.

tart frozen yogurt or da ua

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:57:41 GMT

ms. clearbright, this is for you! =)

traditional chocolate and very berry frozen yogurt with peanuts and strawberry syrup in waffle bowl

i went to get my eyebrows threaded today (to prepare for vegas this weekend!) and thought, "hey, i'm in santa clara so i'll go check out frozo's!"

and that my dear, is 6 ounces of tart frozen yogurt goodness that i devoured and loved! fritz got 7 ounces of the original tart and lots and lots of topping but he didn't like it because it was tart and he's a guy with a sweet tooth so he prefers ice cream over tart frozen yogurt.

oh, and i kind of suspected that tart frozen yogurt was similar to "da ua", a vietnamese kind of yogurt. and i was right! i had a taste of the original tart and instantly i thought, "hey, that is da ua!" hahaha, i ate a lot of it when i was a little kid in vietnam. =D it was sooo good on those hot, humid afternoons...which is like, 95% of the time in saigon...

anyway, i highly recommend this place if you love tart frozen yogurt for cheap. seriously, i thought that thing was gonna cost me at least $10 but it was only $3.89. yay!!

stuff white people like

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:43:39 GMT

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

That blog is hilarious! Definitely check it out when you have some free time.

#41 - Sushi!
Regardless if you are vegetarian, vegan, or just guilty about eating meat, all white people love Sushi. To them, it’s everything they want: foreign culture, expensive, healthy, and hated by the ‘uneducated.’

But there are different levels of white person Sushi love. At the bottom are the spicy tuna/california roll eaters. These are the people who get their fix at places named “Rock And Roll!” “Magic Sushi Company,” or Trader Joes-type supermarkets. Often times, this sushi isn’t the most authentic, but white people can’t get enough!

Thanks NPR for introducing me to this blog! =)

phalaenopsis - my favorite flower

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:09:37 GMT

overheardintheoffice.com

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:16:50 GMT

5PM Couldn't I Just Use a Quill and Parchment?

Paralegal in training: Help me! The text that I am typing is replacing the text that is already there!
Patient coworker: Um... Hit the 'Insert' key.
Paralegal in training: ... Where on the screen do I click that?!

San Francisco, California

4PM "Sounds of Silence"?

Coworker #1: I can't believe you're singing.
Coworker #2: I always sing.
Coworker #1: Yeah, but the owner of the company is standing right over there!
Coworker #2: Why? Does she have a request?

12PM What about Pineapples?

Employee #1: Alright, so I could say, 'One thousand, one hundred twenty-five -- the average number of apples on a tree.'
Employee #2: Hey, wait, no -- that's not right. It's too many.
Employee #1: Well, can you prove it? You would have to count every apple on every tree in the world.
Employee #2: No, I'd just count out of a hundred apple trees and get an average from that.
Employee #1: But that'd be an incomplete average, and I said 'every tree,' so you'd have to count, like, pine trees and...
Employee #2: There are no apples on pine trees!

9AM A Very Limited Edition Reese's Cup

Chick: Can you pass the penis butter?
Boss: [Silence.]
Chick: Peanut butter. Oh, God.

Cornwall
United Kingdom

Overheard by: monk.e.boy

Hhahaha, hilarious!!! This is why my co-workers and I do not talk about stupid/inappropriate stuff in the office. We come from the generation of computers and cell phones, after all. So we e-mail and text each other instead, even though we're only a cubicle or two away. =P

for the snowboarders/skiers

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:32:28 GMT

http://www.sfgate.com/flat/archive/2008/01/28/chronicle/archive/2008/01/28/BA48UNM5E.html?tsp=1

Please, please be careful when you're boarding/skiing. Especially when it's snowing and blustery.

What's scary is that I was at Homewood on Saturday. And I did have a little meeting with a tree even though I was not doing tree runs (I wish I had the skills to do that!). I did have to dig myself out of the powder and the five minutes it took for me to get out drained me of all my energy!

In other news, my brother has been transferred to Palo Alto so I get to see him everyday now. My work is only 2 miles away from the hospital. =) I visited him for the first time since Christmas! I'm gonna bring him some Jack in the Box for lunch tomorrow. =D

amazing view while snowboarding

more than a foot of snow dropped overnight!!

people getting pulled over for chain control...good thing fritz has a 4wd

my brother, nye, tahoe

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 04:38:46 GMT

My brother. Thank you to those who have been concerned about my brother. Fortunately, he has been making good progress on his recovery. The doctors have been filtering his blood since Christmas and are continuing with it since it has proven that it is the only treatment that works to rid the virus. My brother can now talk, work the remote control, and apparently, scream and kick the nurses. Hehe, I feel bad for them. Since he is now alert of his conditions and surroundings, he can feel the feeding tube that is put into his stomach until he can swallow whole foods again. In addition, he can feel all the tubes in his body that filter his blood. So if the nurses are not careful in removing him from his bed to let him try to walk (the nurses have to act like his crutches as he's been bed-ridden for the past two months and his muscles have atrophied) they will get a kick or cussed at.

I'm just glad he's getting better now. I hope that he will be transferred back to the Bay Area to continue his physical therapy soon. At this moment, my Mom is in San Diego with my Dad to celebrate their 25th anniversary. It saddens me to know that they can't have a great celebration with all of their kids and friends like they've always wanted. However, I know there is nothing worthy of their attention right now than the well-being of my brother. I hope they will have a great 25th anniversary tomorrow. =)

New Year 2008. Happy 2008 to all! This year, instead of staying at home or having house parties, my friends and I decided to go to SF to ring in the new year. We didn't want to drive back to SJ after a night of partying so we booked a room at Hotel Bijou. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment:

our decorated room

girls having fun

happy new year! (and please ignore the pimple on my cheek)

Tahoe 2008. We finally made our way up to Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort for our first snow trip of the season. It was to celebrate Fritz's birthday and to take advantage of the 4-8 ft. of fresh snow that was dumped over the Sierra's last weekend. Luckily for us, when we went up on Sunday, the roads were cleared and we didn't encounter any chain control areas.

We had a fantastic time gambling at Harvey's on Sunday night. Then we headed to have some sushi at Off the Hook Sushi. Unfortunately, nothing there was off the hook. Ughh, I will be writing a review on yelp.com on my worst sushi experience yet! We wanted to go to Samurai Sushi because we had such a great time there last year. But we spent a little too much time at the casino and by the time we arrived at the restaurant, the host informed us they had ran out of sushi. WHAAATTT?! I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I mean, it's a sushi restaurant! How could they run out of SUSHI?! Nevertheless, they recommended Naked Fish, which is down the street, closer to our hotel. However, we didn't heed the advice and went to Off the Hook instead as it was only a block away from Samurai. Never again will we re-visit Off the Hook.

We made our way to Sierra on Monday and were treated with great snow and the (lack of) crowd. Just as I bent down to strap in my board for the first lift, I felt a streak of cold water rushing out of my nose. I just knew right away that I was having a nose-bleed. I wiped away the blood with my gloves and saw bright red liquid against the black gloves. I immediately called out to Fritz and laid back on the snow. I was in that position for about 5 minutes and by the time I got up again, the blood on my gloves has frozen over. Yup, it was that cooooold!! Brrrrr. I got to practice on my toe-side carving and made a little bit of progress. Just as I was able to turn toe-side, I got overly excited with my accomplishment and fell. Hahaha. And for the first time in my snowboarding experience, my legs aren't sore today! Yay! (I do feel soreness in my arms and upper back though. Fritz told me to fall on my butt next time and not my arms! Haha.)

Here are some pictures of the nice scenery:

on our way up - the trees were still lined with fresh snow

the view of heavenly from our hotel room at Horizon Casino & Resort

my bf in the snow

i'm making a snow angel

Hope you all had a nice New Year's.

all i want for christmas is...

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:32:28 GMT

...for my brother to get well soon. He's been in the ICU since before Thanksgiving yet little progress has been seen/made. =(

With my brother being so sick and my family having to travel between SJ and SD in the past 2 months, there was little Christmas spirit felt by my family members. And I didn't want to waste my time fighting traffic, parking dilemma, and check-out lines when I could spend that precious time with my brother. So I asked Fritz to skip the gift-exchange this year and he agreed. The same accord was reached with my friends. However, I could not not get a present for my youngest brother. He is only 12 years old after all. I would just feel so guilty to rob him of his childhood Christmas memories. So I did fight the (human) traffic at Great Mall on the 22nd to get him his Christmas presents. =)

As if he knew that I needed to be cheered up, Fritz decided to surprise me with a Christmas present. I swear, that guy is so great at surprising me! First he told me that he found a pair of Nike work-out pants for me and that he would wrap them up so I would have a present under the tree. Since we have been running together for the past couple of weeks and he found out I only have one pair of work-out pants, and the fact that he loves all things Nike made this the perfect gag gift. He even showed me the pants and the box he used (which was an ugly brown shipping box he took from work with lots of foam popcorn inside) but was adamant that I cannot have it. He justified it by saying he wanted to wrap it up. Hahaha. I thought that was foolish but went along with it.

After giving me the box, he kept asking if I would open my present in front of my family. I thought that was odd considering he knew it was my family tradition to open our presents together, after mass on Christmas Eve. Fast forward to Christmas Eve, we got home from church and started opening our presents. When it was my turn to open my ugly brown box, I kept laughing since I knew (or thought I knew) what was inside already. So there I was, sitting on the floor, cutting up the box and finding the Nike bag with the work-out pants. Then I saw a black box under the white popcorn and thought, hey, that's another gift! I took the box out and the single word on the box had me jumping for joy. Standing out on the black box was a white word made up of six letters with the first letter being an "M" and last letter being an "O". Did you already guess it?! I really thought in my head, "Oh, he'd better not put an empty box in there just to get me, 'cause I'd be so pissed!". I think I set a record time opening that box!! Hahaha. I was just really excited. Upon opening it, I found this...

YEEESSS!! That was my exact reaction when I saw it (with joy of course)! And that is the best Christmas present I've received to date. Mainly because I wasn't expecting anything. =D

It would have been the perfect Christmas had we received good news regarding my brother's condition. But we're still praying and having faith. So maybe we'll have more than one Christmas to celebrate this year.

thanksgiving - it's never too late

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:02:03 GMT

I'm grateful my brother is still alive, although in critical condition.

I pray that God will give him back his health soon.

birthday present

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:57:20 GMT

Finally, my birthday present from the boy is here...

I've been looking for a white coat for ever! Yay! =D

my younger sister

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 21:07:57 GMT

Just a few years ago, she made faces at the designer jeans and purses I purchased and how much time I spent playing with my hair and make-up. Well, guess what, SHE is the one owning $100+ curling irons, designer jeans, and Coach purses now. Muahhahahaha. See what kind of influence I have on the people in my life?! Of course, I gave her her first pair of designer jeans and taught her how to curl her hair. Hahhaha, before you know it, she'll be begging me for make-up tips. =D

balut

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 02:56:39 GMT

for some reason i totally craved balut on the way home today. it's one of those rare events that i would volunteer to go out of my way to have balut. i had to try two different stores before finding them. and when i got home, i devoured 5 of them!!! 5!!! i think it'll be months before i'll eat another one.

out jogging?

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:02:24 GMT

So yesterday I was out running after a day of work. Unlike other people who like to run on treadmills, I prefer the pavement. I have been making rounds of my neighborhood for the past few weeks so it's no surprise some people know me by now as I tend to follow a set schedule. Anyway, this one guy probably saw me for the first time and asked "out jogging?". Uhhh, yeah, captain obvious. Of course, I only thought that. I'm way too polite to chew off strangers. Hehehe. Instead I reply with a "uh hmm" and gave a quick smile as I passed him.

But that's besides the point. By my calculation (albeit somewhat skewed) I ran almost 4 miles! That was the farthest I've ran my entire life! Mind you, I have never been an athlete and will never be. Even back in high school when running half a mile every day and a mile every Friday, I never saw myself as someone who could run for that long. Of course, I didn't have work-related stress nor relationship dilemmas to work through so I had no motivation to put myself through such physical exertion. However, I've found that I like running. Not just to relieve stress or work out problems in my mind, but just for the sheer fulfillment of knowing I can do it.

My goal is to complete 5 miles by the end of the summer. Let's see how it goes. =)

bad luck

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 05:48:36 GMT

I've never believed in the Vietnamese myth that when it is your year (referring to the animal year you were born in), you have the worst luck. Well, this year is the year of the Pig, which marks my 24th year on this earth, and my friends, I am a firm believer now. Why, you ask?! Let's see here:

/Someone stole $140 from my wallet at the New Year party last Friday. The wallet was IN my purse and I was only 10 feet away from it! Yes, I may have paid more attention to the poker game than my purse, however, it's a choir party, which means, I trustED the members like I trust my family so my guards were down. Whomever stole my money must be a professional thief because I wasn't the only one whose money was stolen that night.

/I lost my trusty and beloved Canon SD 450 while boarding this weekend. I've brought that camera with me on every single snow trip with my pocket unzipped and I've never lost it until Sunday. So sorry guys, no snow pictures or videos to document my progress. =(

/I sprained my thumb during a fall. Of course I expect to injure some parts of my body but I didn't even try anything stupid! Plus this is my second season! You'd think I'd be more prone to injuries during my first season. Add to it, I had wrist guards on. Pssssttt!!! Now my thumb is still swollen like a pig! I'd show you pictures if I hadn't lost my camera.

But all is not lost. I managed to enjoy New Year's with my family and Fritz. We kids lined up at midnight to wish our parents the best in the coming year and received our li xi. Then Fritz and I headed for our weekend in Tahoe, which was fantastic to say the least. Well, after the whole debacle with the lost camera and sprained thumb. We stumbled upon Womack's BBQ on Lake Tahoe Blvd. for lunch and man, was it grubbin! We decided that it was only second to Memphis Corky's BBQ! If you go boarding at Heavenly and would like a good lunch/dinner, Womack's is the place.

We spent some time in the jacuzzi that was in our room before heading out for dinner. Instead of going to The Cedar Room, we went to Samurai Sake Bar because I wasn't in the mood for fine dining after the weekend I had. That decision was a very wise one if I do say so myself. We were seated at the round bar with the fireplace in the middle - perfect for the snowy condition! The food was somewhat good, not the best sushi I've had, but not bad either. What made the experience great was the rounds of sake bombs shared with strangers. =) We all put our sake shots on the edge of our bamboo chopsticks on top of the half glass of beer. We placed them strategically on the edge so that when we pound on the table with our fists, the shots would fall down into the glass, making a perfect sake bomb! And ichi, ni, san, shi, pound! I have no idea why those guys counted to four instead of three.

After dinner, we proceeded to Harvey's to test our luck with the li xi money (my parents had li xi Fritz twice what they li xi me, no fair!!). I knew I had no luck whatsoever so I only put out $20 for the entertainment; I lost of course. Fritz didn't have that much luck with pai gow, black jack, and craps, either. $50 for an hour of entertainment was good enough for us. We went back to the hotel and watched "The Illusionist". If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

So that was the high light of my weekend. I hope yours fared better.

valentine's surprise, anniversary, and singapore

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 06:04:11 GMT

Valentine's Day is not a day that Fritz and I celebrate. We have never believed in this Hallmark day and nor will we ever. But that has never stopped him from surprising me. Our relationship officially started around Valentine's three years ago. And that was his first attempt at "courting" me, per se. That's another story for another day though. =)

As usual, we had no plans for this commercialized day except for having dinner with a group of friends. It's funny, every one in the group has a significant other, yet none of us found this day worth celebrating. However, we believed that enjoying it with friends would be much more meaningful.

Because of the dinner and our plans for Tahoe this weekend, I did not expect anything for Valentine's - which makes it all the more special. There I was, typing furiously away at the report that needed to be issued by this Friday and in came the administrative assistant. He just plopped the two dozen roses on my desk along with the heart-shaped box filled with chocolate goodies. I looked at him for seconds before I was able to open my mouth and ssked who the lucky recipient was. Of course, he stared at me and said, "for you!". I didn't have to open the card that came with them to know who had sent them. You should have seen my grin - it was a mile long!

He never ceases to amaze me with all the surprises. Granted, they are few and far in between. I guess his logic is right. Don't spoil them or else they keep expecting them. Hehehehe.

And this weekend, we are celebrating our three year anniversary snowboarding and pampering ourselves in Tahoe. I had given him the task of planning the ordeal this year since I've been doing them in previous years. So we will be snowboarding all day Sunday, then pamper ourselves with a couple's massage at the hotel, and end the night with a dinner at The Cedar Room. I seriously can't wait!

Today, we received news that he will have to go to Singapore again for business. And I promised him last time that I'd tag along for his next trip. Well, the next trip is in 10 days and guess who's going to Singapore?! ME!!!! I am beyond ecstatic right now. Imagine spending a week in Singapore without worrying about hotel or food. Yeah, the only thing I have to do is pay for my ticket, of which half is paid for by him. Yes!!!

So anyone who has been to Singapore, what should I do there besides shopping? Any cool places I should be aware of? Thanks! =)

if you are an accountant/auditor...

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 01:34:46 GMT

Top 10 Signs You Work in Public Accounting/Consulting

10. You lecture the neighborhood kids selling lemonade on ways to improve their processes.
9. You get all excited it's Saturday so you can wear casual clothes to work.
8. You refer to the tomatoes in your garden as deliverables.
7. You find you really need PowerPoint to explain what you do for living.
6. You normally eat out of vending machines and at the most expensive restaurant in town within the same week.
5. You wear gray to work instead of navy blue to make a bold fashion statement.
4. You know the people at the airport and hotel better than your next door neighbors.
3. Ask your friends to "think out of box" when making Friday night plans.
2. You think Einstein would have been more effective had he put his ideas into a matrix.
1. You think a "half-day" means leaving at 5 o'clock.

Top 10 Pick-Up Lines of Accountants

10."You've got a lovely pair of W-2's."
9."Please, baby, let me withhold you."
8."Technically, having sex with me is a charitable gift."
7."In my office, 'I.R.S.' stands for 'I'm really sexy.' "
6."If I help you screw Uncle Sam, can I be next?"
5."You're entitled to a $5,000 tax break on your municipal bond income...now let's do it."
4."Let's fill out a 1040 -- you're a 10, and I'm 40."
3."You're the kind of girl I could take home to mother - which is good, since I still live with her."
2."Lady, you make my pants file for an extension."
1."Nice assets."

Top 10 Signs You've Hired a Bad Accountant - © David Letterman

10. You hear him on the phone saying, "Have I ever let you down, Leona?"
9. Instead of IRS, sends your completed tax return to UPS
8. His "short form" looks suspiciously like a cocktail napkin
7. He lets you list your imaginary friend as dependent
6. Lists every time you laughed at Letterman as "charitable donation"
5. Used to be some kind of financial big-shot in Orange County
4. Announced he donated all your assets to O.J.'s defense fund
3. On the 1040, he lists your occupation as "sucker"
2. At least five times, he says "here's a little trick I taught Darryl Strawberry."
1. He makes you wear a hospital gown

An Ode To Auditing

We test without apology
Both safety and ecology
And inventories, budgets, and production.
Checking scrap and sanitation,
Overtime, and transportation –
Not forgetting cost accounting and construction.
We test sales and check insurance
(EDP tries our endurance
As we audit payroll, cash, and simulation!)
We study management by objective,
Test controls that are defective,
And evaluate employee compensation.
We do sampling and regression
And there is a strong impression
We're responsible for catching all crooks.
We are really in our element
With research and development –
But thankfully we do not keep the books.
We check aircraft, trucks and motor cars,
And rockets that fly up to the stars,
And leases, loans – even personnel.
We examine engineering
Even salvage is endearing
And we check on records management as well.
There is nothing we can't verify –
There's nothing that escapes our eye.
Alert to all misconduct and to fraud.
We will go where others fear to tread
And as it has often been said,
"We are the eyes and ears of management and the Board."
- By Lawrence Sawyer

ACCOUNTING JOKES

1. What is the definition of an accountant?
Someone who solves a problem you did not know you had in a way you don't understand.

2. How many accountants does it take to change a light bulb?
How much money do you have?

3. What is the definition of a good tax accountant?
Someone who has a loophole named after him.

4. When does a person decide to become an accountant?
When he realizes he doesn't have the charisma to succeed as an undertaker.

5. What does an accountant use for birth control?
His personality.

6. What's an extroverted accountant?
One who looks at your shoes while he is talking to you instead of his own.

7. What is an auditor?
Someone who arrives after the battle and bayonets the wounded.

8. Why did the auditor cross the road?
Because he looked in the file and that's what they did last year.

9. How do you drive an accountant completely insane?
Tie him to a chair, stand in front of him and fold a road map the wrong way.

10. What do accountants suffer from that ordinary people don't?
Depreciation.

11. If an accountant's wife cannot sleep what does she say?
"Darling, tell me about your work."

12. When the accountant laughs loud?
When some one asks for a raise.

13. What did the accountant say when he got a blank check?
My deductions have at last caught up with the salary.

14. What did the accountant say when he looked at the tax form?
The man who set the standard deduction must have been a bachelor.
I am lying when I am listing myself as a head of household.

15. Why the accountant started smoking?
So he can deduct cigarettes from his income tax. Called it loss by fire.
So his medical expenses went above the 71/2% threshold.

16. How does an accountant stay out of debt?
He learns to act his wage.

17. Did you hear about the constipated Accountant?
He couldn't budget so he had to work it out with paper and pencil.

18. There are just three types of accountants: those who can count and those who can't.

19. Did you hear about the shy and retiring accountant?
The accountant is $1 million shy and hence is retiring.

This is just so hilarious to me. I think it's because I'm an auditor and can so relate! =)

snowboarding talk

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:18:24 GMT

After much anticipation, I finally made my way to the snow on New Year's. This is only my second season and already I am such an addict to this sport. Although this is the one sport that relentlessly tests my patience time and time again, I just can't give up. My determination to keep learning grows stronger with each fall. Even though my body took quite a beating yesterday, primarily my derriere - which was more tender than the bo kho (beef stew) my mom made. Due to my inability (this is something I'll need to focus on this season as well as learning how to carve toe-side) to look ahead at the trail and anticipate where the flat areas are, I unfailingly came to a stand still at every flat area, thus, my repeated falls on my derriere. And I sprained my right index finger when I stupidly tried to break my fall with my hand. Tsk tsk...never again!

I didn't have a lot of chances to try carving toe-side as Homewood is more of a ski than snowboard resort. Many of the trails were narrow and not as steep as Heavenly or Northstar. However, the blue trails did have crazy 90 degree turns that made my heart stop quite a few times. Fortunately, I learned how to slow down around those turns and was able to make my turns without tumbling down the hills. And I'm proud of the fact that I can maneuver around other skiers and snowboarders at various speeds as opposed to just running into them like how I did my first two trips last season.

Overall, I think I did a great job up there for the first trip of the season. Can't wait for my second trip, which is only 4 days away. Yes!!!

Sorry, my camera died the moment I turned it on so no pictures. :(

and it's a wrap!

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 23:54:59 GMT

for 2006, that is.

2006 was a great year. i am extremely grateful for all the great opportunities and beginnings and friendships, so i thought i'd share some of the events with you all.

snowboarding

jamaica

graduation!

viva las vegas

another year older

hope you all had a great 2006. best wishes to all for 2007! it's the year of the pig (well, not for another 2 months, but i just can't resist cute little pigs (and because it's my year) =)

Being sick sucks!

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:39:59 GMT

Ever since I was a little kid, I've had the phobia of taking medicine. No matter how hard and many ways my parents tried, they could not get to drink my medicine without having to waste an hour. Unlike other kids, I could not be lured by the prospects of sweet candies, even if they were my favorite ones. 'Til this day, I still have not discovered what triggered my pharmacophobia.

If the medicine were pills, they had to be crushed up and mixed with water. It was the only way my mouth and throat would accept them. It has been proven time and time again that if they put a whole pill in my mouth, I would either throw up or spit it out because of the bitter and foul taste (to me, of course). And this phobia has never left me. Although I am now 23 years old, I still can not just throw a pill in my mouth and down it with a few drops of water. If you see me taking my medicine, you'd think I'm gagging myself. I need to place the pill all the way at the back of my throat and pour at least a cup of water down my throat with a quickness! Yes, that's how afraid I am. And I'm sure it's all mental, yet I have not been able to find a way to conquer it.

Even now, as I'm writing this, my throat is dry as a desert and hurts like hell when I swallow, and nose is clogged, I still could not work up my guts to down those pills. And the thought of having to drink DayQuil is just as frightening since I despise the after taste of all liquid medicines.

With that said, does anyone have any home remedies that will help rid me of this sickness? Thanks in advance!!

Gobble Gobble!

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 04:22:04 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hope everyone is having/had a fantastic day with your loved ones. Anyone planning to go shopping tomorrow, be safe! =)

some ramblings

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:52:02 GMT

• Some people need to learn that respect is EARNED, not given!! The fact that they are older than me does not automatically warrant me to be respectful to them if they have not done anything respectful (in my book, of course)!

• Shooting stars are so fun to look at! Every time I get the chance to watch them, I jump at it. I’d give up whatever is planned to spend hours looking at the clear sky with bright lights running around. Yup, I know that’s not what shooting stars are, but hey, that’s how I see them and that’s why I love them!

• I learned that the phrase “like a deer caught in the headlight” is literally, just that! Hahha, on the way back from exploring Chabot Space & Science Center, we saw not one, but two deer! One ran across the street and the other one was on the side of the street. I wanted to take a picture of it so I made Fritz turn around. I didn’t think that the deer would still be there, but it was! The funny thing was, when the headlight was shown directly at it, it just stood still, staring blankly at us. Unfortunately, my new phone camera does not have flash so I couldn’t capture the deer in the dark! Which leads to another point…

• How could the new Krzr not have flash installed? Bah! Can’t believe I wasted money on something that doesn’t even have something so basic such as flash!

• I am praying for blizzards up in Tahoe (I know, bad for the people up there, but I want to go snowboarding!). My first trip this season will be the weekend of Dec. 8th and I am very afraid that I will be snowboarding on ICE! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…