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睡不著

清晨五點鐘 起床喝了點水後 就難以再入睡
也不知道為甚麼 近來特別容易輾轉難眠
在LA歇了幾個禮拜後 又再度出發到歐洲

維也納的富有 是我之前無法想像的
在那城市待了七天 卻仍沒有辦法參觀完當地有名的博物館
這個君王家族 擅於以婚姻為外交及鞏固政權的手腕 為他們贏得了幾百年的穩定與繁榮
手中所積累的收藏 也令人嘆為觀止 光是一間小展覽室內的珠寶 便可以一舉付清當今第三國家的債務
奧地利人也比我十幾年前來拜訪時親切許多 當然 小秉鑫的笑容 想必融化了不少日耳曼民族人的鐵石心腸

搭乘火車 來到了布拉格 一個截然不同的城市 街頭上 全世界來的遊客絡繹不絕
人氣一點也不受那深秋的低氣溫影響
老城中 宏偉的建築物一如百年前屹立著 當時該是一個多麼富有的城市啊
經歷了過去一世紀戰爭及共產主義的洗禮 現在她正一步一步地慢慢甦醒過來
只盼望她那老東歐的文化氣息不要因此而抹殺掉

再過四天 就要踏上回鄉的旅程了 在香港及台北再作短暫的停留
人越大 胃口越思鄉 眼裡雖然看著充滿異國情調的新奇人事物
心裡卻牢牢地想著家裡的老阿嬤 老爸 及 老弟

廢物製造器

要出遠門了 決定退掉現有的公寓 暫時把東西寄存到storage去

這個禮拜開始整理 才發現我的廢物還真多

購物時不拿白不拿的購物袋 塑膠也好 紙袋也好 就有兩大箱

參加活動時 免費贈送的紀念品 回家之後 才發現一輩子也用不著

住旅館時 順手牽羊的牙刷 牙膏 拖鞋 

搭飛機時 忍不住又拿一個明明已經有很多的小化妝袋

敷不完的面膜 擦不完的護脣膏 永遠都不會記得擦的隔離霜 防曬油

打折時多買了那雙穿了腳痛的高跟鞋 多帶了那件要拉著跳幾下才能擠進去的牛仔褲

林林總總 數也數不清

人真的是生出來就是一個廢物製造的機器

下次要再往家裡帶回什麼東西的話 一定一定要三思再後行

要不然 一念之間 家裡又要多出好幾件垃圾 

今我遊冥冥 弋者何所慕

卸下工作的這一天終於到來

剛成為無業遊民的我有點失落

打開郵件信箱 老半天的沒有郵件

彷彿我的存在與否 並無自己當初想像舉足輕重的地位

沒有決策要做  沒有會議要開 連電話也罷工不響了

上無老闆需要匯報 下無幹部需要督促

只好對著老公發號施令起來

偏偏老公不吃我這一套

只有牙牙學語的小兒用他不解的大眼瞪著氣沖沖的我 

我揮一揮衣袖

今天香港的同事幫我做了一個小小的歡送晚餐

在香港的團隊 可以說是我一個一個找進來的

每一個都是有無比的熱情 在過去三年來幫了我不少忙

進來我們公司之前 他們均是在較大型的外國企業工作

能夠適應在一家中國公司工作 真是不易

我們對外來的人 要求又高

難得的是 他們對這裡的工作環境及出差需要

都沒有絲毫怨言

我的年紀 幾乎比他們每個人都小些

他們的專業知識 也都比我強

但至少我與他們的合作都是相當愉快的經驗

做人家的上司 其實比做下屬難得多

但做人的道理 應該都一樣

我向來不喜歡趾高氣昂的老闆 

高高在上而忘了他的下屬也是一個人

越是基層的人 越需要人的尊重

做一個老闆 我有許多需要改進的地方

但至少我能說我這三年沒有不尊重過任何一個人

卸下了作老闆的包袱 不帶走一片雲彩

卻擁有美好的回憶 及濃濃的友情

謝謝大家!

 

Confession of a Shopaholic

It seems all very counter-intuitive. I have started shopping again. I used to enjoy shopping a lot when I was in college. I would shop so much that I had to roll my credit card bills from one to another (using the interest-free balance transfer offers). I would skip lunch or eat instant noodles for dinner just to save up for shopping. Strangely, when I started working at Goldman, my shopping experience soon became limited to buying only those items useful for work. Over the last decade, it seems that the more income I made, the less I shopped. Then I started wanting to shop again the minute I decided to quit my job.
After having the baby, I soon realized that I need to take advantage of my 30s (since my 20s was wasted away in looking like a mad woman with no make up and bags under my eyes working for Goldman) and what's left in my youth. I want to dress nice and look nice before I start to age more. After all, one of the things that money can't buy is youth...
With that in mind, I bought a dress last week for my best friend's wedding. I bought a jacket and a skirt last Sunday when I was just walking down Chung Hsiao E. Road in Taipei. And then, just now walking down Avenue of Americas, I decided to come home with another dress. Could this be the beginning of my shopaholic life?

Drunk and Ride

Where should I begin? The fact that my best friend whom I have known for 20 years was getting married last Sunday? Taking her out on Saturday night for partying? Or the fact I woke up in my own living room next to my pew and not remembering how I got home exactly?
It sounds crazy but I totally lost control. I was so happy to be partying with my gals with whom I have been partying since I was 16 that I completely threw my identity out the window.
Despite the fact I failed to hire any entertainment for the night, I have apparently compensated it by becoming the entertainment of the night. I took off my shoes dancing barefoot, down vodka like it was water, yelled at the taxi driver for failing to find my way home, rang the door bell at 3 am waking up my baby, left our house key outside while I slept on the couch and ... I just don't remember the rest. And honestly I don't believe that any of the above actually took place because if the night was as lively and animated as described by my dear friends, why would I not remember any of it?
Instead I suffered a pounding headache and perpetual stomachache on Sunday...

Secret

The secret was kept well! I had saved those blog entries as drafts and only published them when the news was released. But the blog kept its time stamp which was great to record my 心情。

黑白想

知道自己受肯定
是同事眼里不拾的眼泪 而非上司手中挽留的现金

脫軌的木星

Jupiter 是太陽系的第五個行星 也是最大的一個
從我五歲在幼稚園學了九大行星後, 便再也沒有怎麼關注過木星
卻沒想到 三十年後的今天 脫軌的木星 成為我的代名詞
當個行星 需要有耐心 萬年不變的軌道 只因恆星無比的引力
引力消失了 便會飄離 偏移
短暫的徜徉在宇宙之間 直到遇到下一個恆星

淡淡的三月天

还没完全接受2008年已经是过去式
马上就面临了三月到来的事实
好快呀

Addicted to BB!

Ever since I installed MSN Live messenger on my blackberry, I have become even more obsessed with BB. I can now chat via three different chat programs (blackberry, gTalk, MSN) and also update my status on Facebook. I simply cannot put it down when I am in transit. Even now when I have no emails to check, no one to chat with (dinner time), no status to update (just riding the bus home), I'm still blogging via BB. I think it would be quite hard for me to decide whether I could migrate to iPhone...

不能说的秘密

这阵子 心中有个不能说的秘密
做出人生的一个大决定 却无法询问我诸多亲爱朋友的意见 真是苦恼
希望到时候他们能了解我的苦衷
怪只怪大家都太有成就了

一成不變

發現我其實是個非常矛盾的人
平常的日子 我習慣了一樣的人事物
同一家餐廳 我永遠是叫一樣的東西 不管菜單上還有多少其他推薦品
十幾年來買了十幾套西裝 但好像穿起來都長得一樣
美容師,按摩師,朋友 只要不是對方變 我是絕對不會變的
也許是慣性 或是惰性使然吧
但另一方面 我卻不愛做同樣的事情
喜歡到處去旅行 看不一樣的文化 作不一樣的事
在之前那個公司 雖然待了近八年 但卻換了五個老闆 三個不同性質的工作 兩個不同的工作地點
這樣的我 竟也在香港一住就是十年
也許該是時候出去走走了

我想

即將公開我會離職的消息 心中有點不安起來
一塊大石頭 壓在胸口 稍有疏忽便似乎喘不過氣來
也不明白為甚麼會有這樣的壓力
只是不知道人家會怎麼看我暫時不工作的決定
是會覺得我懶惰我傻 還是會羨慕我有休假的能耐及勇氣
但反過來想 我為甚麼在乎人家的想法
重要的是 我終於可以做我想做的事
我可以花更多的時間在家人身上 與家人相處
細細品味那書架上已滿是塵埃的書
找個時間研究烹飪,品酒的學問
督促自己再開始荒廢已久的瑜珈
重新安排那遺失已久的私人空間
我想到這裡 胸口的石頭已不見
取而代之的是我嘴角上漾起的微笑

休息是為了走更長的路

我已跟公司提出辭呈
想休息一下 大概做到4月底就開始給自己放長假了
大家可能會很驚訝
為甚麼選在金融海嘯的時候放棄手上的工作
但其实這已是考慮了很久的計畫
只是刚好時間點碰上這百年一見的金融危機

工作了十年 上一代看起来理所當然的事
到了这一代 好像已工作了一世纪 <笑>
到了我兒子那代 可能工作一年就要休息一年

對於不上班的日子 有點惶恐
好像沒了工作 沒了頭銜 便不知如何給自己定位
也怕別人是不是會因此而改變對我的評價
但回頭一想 我的朋友家人只會鼓勵我
因為暫時沒了頭銜而鄙視我的人 似乎也不值得我去重視他們的意見
只能勉勵自己 休息是為了走更長的路
也想趁這段時間考慮一下未来到底想做些什麼
一直以来只想到赚钱 好像不太對
也趁這空檔花多點時間與家人相處
我和老公的父母親都退休了
想趁他們還走得動時 帶他們多出去走走
要工作還有大把時間去做 不是嗎

想放假的心情

今年也許有個機會放個長假
從就業以來　幸運地遇到一個接一個的機會
讓我可以不斷學習　不斷成長
也可以從中慢慢地減少身上的財務壓力
但我也因此每每不覺有可以喘息的時間
十年了　２００８年的金融海嘯　　
也許就是我停下腳步　享受人生的機會
老公非常支持我　我們一直想要到處去旅遊
不受時間拘束　走到哪玩到哪
現在身旁已添了個小娃娃　深知旅遊已無法想以前那樣無拘無束
如果再不去快快實踐這個夢想
也許一等就要等到２０年後　
娃娃們都離家上大學了　我們才能上路
工作了十年　一下子要放棄工作
不禁感到有點惶恐　
上一代的　工作幾十年都沒得休息
我僅僅十年的工齡　便不安份了起來？
工作是否也如逆水行舟　不進則退呢？

買低賣高

股市一片哀鴻遍野
我也深受其害
幸運的是 我們平時的開支不大
不幸的是 我們超過90%的資產都是股票
去年股市當紅時 老公曾勸我把手上的股票給拋了
換來的是我白眼相對
石油大漲 通貨膨脹的情況下 有人手上現金擺著讓它貶值嗎
今年就算我殺紅了眼 全部清倉 也換不回當時的價錢
還好 我至少現在不是投行一員 不用日日心驚膽跳
一會兒又是被人炒魷魚 一會兒又是頭家倒閉
What goes up must come down
這萬年不變的物理定律 下次的牛市可要好好記住了!

九九重阳

秋高气爽的日子 香港是两岸三地唯一指定了重阳节是个值得放假的一天 在中国上班的我却只能起个大早 按一般的时间上班去
路上没什麽人车 但到了口岸回乡祭祖的人还是挺多的
其实从我14岁出国后 已经慢慢习惯了不过这些传统节日 但8年前到香港后 才又过起这些传统的节日 还是觉得很有意义的
春节 元宵 清明 端午 中秋 重阳 冬至 都是家人团聚的日子 比起外国一些商人为了卖东西而推广的节日 都来得窝心

Sipadan之行

Sipadan是馬來西亞一個極出名的潛水勝地 在香港學潛水時 教練便極力推薦 趁著十一假期 我們來到了這個美麗的小島

住的地方離詩巴單島仍有20分鐘的船程 整個是以木材搭建而成的海上小屋 上面是藍藍的天空 點綴著些許白雲 下面是清澈見底的海水 小魚 大魚 還有海龜 徜徉其中
在水裡 無時無刻不讓你驚嘆造物主的奇妙恩典 鮮艷的珊瑚 海草 各形各色的魚兒穿梭來回

潛水的人應該是會更珍惜萬物 中國人越來越富裕 鯊魚 鮑魚 龍蝦 就越要遭殃 大鯊魚那麼雄壯威武 卻面臨數量不斷減少的威脅 一隻長了七八年才大的龍蝦 可能一轉眼便成為桌上餐 一個不過一億多人口的日本喜歡吃鯨魚 便可能造成鯨魚絕種 何況一個13億人口的中國 豈不是要造成所有鯊魚 龍蝦 鮑魚 老虎 大象 山熊 所有中國人愛吃的珍禽異獸絕種

這次在詩巴單 遇見許多國內來的潛水朋友 希望他們能散播這個珍惜萬物 保育生態的觀念 而不是只顧著照相回去炫燿 地球只有一個 我們如果不好好保護 很多我們現在看得到的動物 環境 我們的下一代很可能就只能看相片了

扯得似乎有點遠了 但我見到這麼美麗的景觀 實在希望能永遠保留下去

慢 慢 慢

现代人的生活 凡事都求快
好像只要比别人慢了点 就得要吃亏
我从开始工作起 就似乎没能慢得下来
最近 开始学习怎么可以慢下来
习惯了走路永远是两步并一步
吃饭两口做一口
电扶梯能用走的就绝不会好好站着
争取以最少的时间做最多的事情
现在突然要我慢下脚步 整个人都不习惯了
但 人为何要过得这么忙忙碌碌呢
神经永远紧张 一件事没做完 便扣住另一件
很多压力都是自己给的
现在开始 我要记着细嚼慢咽
从容不迫 累了就地坐一坐 悃了歇一歇 除了"生" 更重要的是好好的"活" 以慢打快的过活

媽媽回美國！

媽媽七月份由上海回香港後 就因機票問題待了下來 (因為她的女兒只給她用哩程機票)

不知不覺 她也跟我們一起生活了七個星期

有媽媽在家 生活可愜意極了 每天回到家就有營養美味的飯菜可吃 七個星期中 我還真沒有吃到什麼重複的菜色 我的夏天 每天忙得跟驢子似的 但回家後的那一頓晚餐 肯定是我最開心的時間

一般早餐時間 都因忙碌而挨餓的我 也不再空腹上班

忙完了廚事 又開始忙起陽台的花花草草 前後扛了近大大小小七、八包土 把原本已垂頭喪氣的花草 照顧得朝氣蓬勃 每天早上我看了就精神氣爽

上周六 她搭下午6點多的班機回美國 中午全家帶了她去淺水灣吃點心 我心裡可是捨不得她回去 但一向對家人都無法坦率表達情感的我和弟弟 卻又無法開口真的好好謝謝媽媽

我那平常國語不太輪轉的ABC老公 倒是在這時派上用場
用他的洋腔中文 謝謝媽媽每天煮好吃的菜 又整理了我們的陽台花園
喲 這小子 可是明白了半子的真諦 讓他挑剔的丈母娘 越看他越有趣

嘿嘿 可不是我教的唷

媽媽走前還交代了一大堆 我讓她不要操心 我可是已在外面住了十五年 當然知道怎麼照顧自己啦

(但隔天我們就開始餓肚子了；今天也沒有早餐吃）

還是有媽媽在好咧

无力的夏天

夏天只剩下几个星期，怎麽我觉得精力却越来越少。
忙完了对外财报，又到处去让投资人口试，明明每个人都说是长期投

资者，但又对着季度数字问个不停。
这两个礼拜又到处找香港办公室，偏偏这个市场跟天气一样的火热。
我日夜不离手的黑莓机又跟我做对，无缘无故闹脾气坏机，以为送它回娘家检查下便好了，娘家人却说要大整修，得要港币3200才搞的定，哇！这是什麽warranty program... 待会儿还得领它回家退休。
好不容易盼着明天可以放假回台湾，老公的签证又过了期，搞到我们又要急急忙忙到中华旅行社来办签证。台湾也真是，要推广观光还这麽刁难访客，搞的每个人在这里都怨声载道，人家有美国护照有绿卡，难道还会在宝岛长住不走吗？时代在变，但政府不变，难怪这十年来台湾的竟争力日渐越下，实在是悲哀。
唯一值得安慰的是还有facebook去看看我的朋友们...

Summer Days...

This summer has been going really fast for me. Weather is hotter than ever but time is going by 10x faster than the lame Typhoon Pabuk that we had in HK 10 days ago. HK/SZ had no Spring at all and temperature started hitting 30+ degrees Celsius in May coming after a very warm Winter. June I was practically on the road half of the month and then July I was basically occupied with our midyear review and interim results the whole time. Then when I woke up, it was already August. Where did all my time go?
Everyday, there seems to be endless chores and tasks and meetings... I get so tired to the point that I just want to sleep all weekends. Sometimes I wake up at 11am and only going back for a nap at 2pm. No longer can I go out on the weekends, dancing and drinking until dawn. I stopped going to the gym (long time ago) or doing Yoga (even though Katherine has tried to sweet-talk me into going with her). I stopped seeing friends (thank goodness I already have a husband at home). I am just constantly tired and energyless. It is kind of weird. It is not like I am working harder than I was two years ago. I have actually cut back my travel significantly since (instead of traveling every week, I only travel every quarter now) but I simply am missing the energy source that used to reside in my bones and flesh. This is the same body that used to work 100-hour weeks and still partied from dust 'til dawn on weekends. The very same body now complains when I try dragging it up only 7 flights of stairs at work...
The Creator is fair. The only thing that everyone has the same amount is 24 hours in a day. Whether you are rich or poor, black or white, man or woman, you have the same 24 hours. If you spend 20 hours making money then you naturally will have only 4 hours for yourself and your family. I have been learning how to best use my 24 hours and I have already improved a lot in how I spend my 24 hours from my Goldman days but obviously there is still a lot of room for improvements...
Right now, I can only dream of a long vacation where I would need no alarm clock or blackberry (这个令人又恨又爱的东西which just broke down on me).

周六的下午

對於部落格 我常常是不寫則已 一寫不停

週六的下午 香港的天氣仍悶熱不已
我和老公固定在週六下午上網球課
今天老公跑去帆船賽 我只好一個人去上課
今天的球場 又沒蔭 又沒風
只有火熱的太陽光
向來都沒什麼耐性學東西的我 從未擅長任何運動
小時候成天戴眼鏡 玩什麼球類運動都不合適
現在年紀大了 覺得也該學習學習
透過Frances介紹 開始學起網球
但因工作忙碌的關係 有一頓沒一頓的
到現在還是沒怎麼進步
今天教練竟然反常 要我開始學反拍
一開始還很排斥 但打了一會兒
發現反拍打得比正拍好
怪哉怪哉
一個小時就這樣過了

回家太陽還挺大的 開始練習鋼琴
又是一種老了才來學習的嗜好
一首曲子自學了兩個月 還是無法上手
但至少還稍微可以入耳

六點鐘 老公總算回來了
拉著他陪我去游泳
從不肯放浮板 到現在可以游半圈而不停
這也算一種進步吧
週六的下午 偸得浮生半日閑
是學習也是放鬆吧

忙碌的夏天

印象中 夏天是可以理直氣壯偷懒的日子
所謂 夏日炎炎正好眠嘛
近年來 夏天對我來說 卻是
一年熱過一年 一年忙過一年
生活越來越像冷氣機 越熱越不停轉

00年股市剛剛崩潰 但年少無知的我們 在紐約的培訓 玩的不亦樂乎
01年夏天去巴黎又跑了Ibiza 反正公司也沒事做
02年夏天去Mauritius参加好友的浪漫婚禮
03年為了搞收購 在紐約度過一個没有Hamptons的夏天　（也可說 有時間可能也找不到地方去Hamptons)
04年為了脫離韓國項目組 在大陸上鄉下海找項目 沒天沒夜 光南京上海就去了不下十次　
05年忙到在旅館半夜昏倒 嘴唇撞到像angelina jolie還堅持去開會嚇客戶(順便把老闆也嚇了一跳）
06年搞上市 一天只睡3小時 足不出戶吃泡麵　老公早被我趕到美國去　除了開電話會議罵人外　連個人說說話的精力也沒有
今年仍是有開不完的會 擔不完的心 做不完的事
每年的財富指數上升 生活幸福指數下降 健康指數也更差

唯一安慰的是 今年有媽媽在這裡照顧我 雖然逃不了她的嘮嘮叨叨 但至少睡眠少了有人碎碎唸 吃飯吃少了有人壓著吃
總之忙歸忙 回到家就放鬆許多 多謝United無用的哩程機票

人生吧 責任與壓力是只多不少的
過兩個禮拜 忙完了 回台灣看看阿嬷 到處走走
夏天也就過了

西部通道

回归十年人民政府送的礼物中 除了八一跳伞表演 维港超级烟花 及e时代猫熊盈盈和乐乐外 最能令我受惠的应该就是这耗时五年 由中港两地投资建造而成的西部通道(又名 深圳湾口岸)

我基本上是与一班往返深港的通勤客人反方向通勤 由香港跑马地 到深圳南山科技园上班 一般早上点到点 至少需要90分钟 晚上回来可能甚至耗上两个小时（尤其是在湾仔等1路公车耗时甚多）等于我一天二十四小时有六分之一的时间在路上

西部通道于前天经胡总剪彩通车后 我昨天便迫不及待的想试试是否新路可以缩短我通勤时间 决定昨晚便一闯新关 新关口为一个一地两检的大楼 没过过关的人可能还不了解这一地两检的奇妙 但对于我一个已厌倦关关需上下车的人 能从大楼的一头到另一头并在五分钟内过中港两关 简至是美梦成真

美中不足的是 过了关后可供选择的交通工具极少 我们得搭的士回港岛 基本可以在一个小时内到家 时间是省了 但荷包也瘦了不少 难怪人家说 时间就是金钱

女人看女人

女人最好的赞美 不是男人注视的目光 而是女人妒忌的眼光
一个女人 要吸引男人眼光不难 最基本的是 穿点上曝下露的衣服 肩膀 胸口 小腹 大腿 只要肌肤露出的比例多于衣衫 很难不引得男人转头向你行注目礼 但这是基本入门的方法 只适合用在自信心明显低落的人／时候 女人只会给鄙视的眼光 较高级的 性感而不过度曝露 可以避免一些色眼眯眯的男人 女人也会给予你赞同的眼光 最高级的 天生丽质 不施胭脂 也会让人有回眸一笑百媚生的感动 但这是只有25岁以下的女孩才做的到的事 而且是千人中一 年纪较大的女人或是没有特别得上天厚爱的女孩 一定得记的要薄施脂粉 并以气质取胜 刻意但又得让人觉得不经意的性感 天真却又带点神秘的笑容 让男人目不转睛 女人又羡又妒 有点像艺伎回亿录中写的 以雪白的颈及手腕为勾魂的技俩 以轻瞄的眼神 让男人从单车上跌下来 那你就成功了
不过女同志们 要练功夫要快 年龄是最大的敌人 等到皱纹满面 再怎麽样也不管用啦

出差新标准

不当投湾女之後 生活上最大的变化就是少了许多出差的机会

以前是一周有三到四天在外跑 早班去晚班回 往往是过了午夜才进家门／旅馆门 早上又要搭八点的飞机离开 真是飞（非）人的生活

进了新东家后 出差机会少了 对整体生活素质也有相当程度的提高 老公也不用餐餐都只有自己一个人低头吃便当

公司对我的出差要求也降低 通常等到上完一天班或开完一天会後 再急急赶赴机场 往往是在惊险万分的情况下 在柜台要关的时候 才办理登机手续 或需要我秘書找人看住櫃檯的人 不讓他收

现在出差 是在正常上班时间搭飞机 （明天晚上因工作的需要而须搭晚上最晚一班飞机回香港 老板还很不好意思） 相对地 我也不再來回都搭商务舱 每晚都住五星级饭店 出入都有奔驰轿车接送 早出晚归的 或甚至不归（说真的 我的门房肯定怀疑过我以前的职业性质）

但是现在这样的日子是快乐的，而且人也较以前少了脾气 多了耐心 还多了感激的心

像今天我还在暗笑自己是否会遇到以前同事进商务舱而我走经济舱的糗境 我却被升级到商务舱 呵呵 要是原本打的就是商务舱的票 就没这种惊喜的好康事咯
但唯一我对于住的要求还是高些 国营的五星级饭店呀 真是不敢恭维
但只能還是入住了

台北行

说了那裡有家人 那裡便是家
老公既然不在 周末我就打包回娘家
周六一大早 扛着美国带回来的一堆床单床罩 飛回台北
新买的房子 位於台北市正中心 交通非常方便
爸爸他们已经将整个房子整理好了
南北通的房子 既明亮又通风
以后就可多多回来咯

下 午我和投湾族(註)的女友们一起去探访Margaret一家
Emily顶着一頭新剪的俏丽短髮 开车接我们过去
到了柯家 来应门的Marg 壓根儿都看不出是6个礼拜前才出产房的媽
体形比仍未当妈妈的我還要好
今儿个是我们第一次与Ines会面 中法混血的她可真是个美人胚子
眼睛圆圆亮亮 长大了肯定有大把男孩追
小小的她 虽动了大手术 但恢复的极佳 也不吵闹
非常体贴让日夜为她担心的爸妈
我可得赶快加油 生个男孩
虽说姐弟恋已见怪不怪 但相差太远可不太好
生不出洋娃娃 想要有洋孙洋女 总还是有希望的吧
(哈 可能想太多了)

星期天我决定去整理我的三千烦恼丝
Emily的髮型师很给面子的帮我剪了个很青春洋溢的髮型
让我走在忠笑东路上也抬得起頭来
但不知是否从此就会落入被错认为小秘书的命运
我原本的年纪 已与我的职位不太符合
新的髮型肯定更要让人投下不信任票
算了算了 还可以装年轻的日子不多
有大把时间做老女人 趁现在还可以时髦的时候就时髦点吧

(註) 投资银行的台湾女生;为台湾九族外的第十族

Spam Eggs Instant Noodle

There is no place in the world that would allow such a horrible sounding, seemingly unnutritious thing to be served in a restaurant, not to mention being included as a breakfast item, except for Hong Kong. Picture this: a bowl of instant noodle topped with one fried egg and two slices of spam.
The bowl should have only been seen (and made) when you come home at 4am with a severe hangover and after you are just done puking out overpriced alcohol. At 4am on a sunday morning at home, this makes the perfect food item. However, this is an item that makes your dad frown, your mom grim and your grandma scream when consumed at any other hours.
In Hong Kong, though, this is certainly not the case. Any local restaurants would not even open for business without having this dish on the menu. It is the most legit and authentic breakfast. More people have this for breakfast than cereals. If you have not had it, you cannot claim having tried and tasted authentic flavors of HK.
Spam eggs instant noodle was the first i ate when i returned from the US and it was also the breakfast i had this morning before flying to Taiwan. Yum yum yum...

熱呀

才刚稱赞过香港的交通舒畅 生活便利
让我人在风和日丽的加州 都还念念不忘香港
回来不到一个礼拜 我已经要跟这天气喊投降

一向以环保人自许的我 现在進每间房间 都得开冷气才能待的下去
走在路上不到几分钟 便已香汗淋沥

古书上说什麽冰肌玉膚 自清凉无汗
這肯定不是一个住在香港的美人
哎呀
人家杨贵妃可是年年在骊山避暑
有着仕女挥扇 躺着玉枕
吃着跑死了几十匹马由嶺南送来的荔枝（而且还不用自己剥壳吧）

我呢 至少有冷气 也有我弟弟从嶺南带回来的荔枝
雖要我自个儿用我的纖纖玉手剥壳 也还可以吧 （在冷气房里 我也是清凉无汗唷）

家

從小到大 我搬了無數次家
從斗六到台北到台南
到了美國 又從南加州到北加州到了紐約
回到了亞洲 在香港一住便是近十年

剛搬到美國時 真正是水土不服
乾燥的天氣 讓我流鼻血流了一個月還不能適應
美國的台灣菜 除了媽媽做的以外 全都難以下嚥
也受不了一到天黑就無處可去的生活
每年一放暑假就急急逃回台灣 一解鄉愁

十年後到了香港 是美食天堂也是夜生活的天堂
人卻天天想著回美國
人擠的不得了 房子貴的不得了
夏天又悶又熱又潮濕
怎麼說都對一個在加州住了十年的我
都是一種無比的折磨
加上空氣污染 我眼角整整發炎了一個禮拜
才能戴回隱形眼鏡

到前幾年都還是堅定地說一定搬回美國
這幾年結了婚 才發現家的定義
在於家人 而非外在的環境 心也有點定了下來

上週回了洛杉磯 發現其實美國的生活還是好的
加州的天氣是一成不變的陽光燦爛
暖暖的陽光 伴著涼涼的風
整個人就懶洋洋地 什麼都不想做
那天誤打誤撞地跟老公開車進了Newport Beach
那兒的房子真漂亮
對著蔚藍的大海 有著綠油油的草地
看了直呼這是我想要的家
但開了幾天車 領教了LA高速公路永無止境的塞塞塞
我跟老公就已經想念起香港的地鐵
香港的活力與朝氣 也讓人更有動力去工作

早上下了飛機
香港人的高效率讓我在十五分鐘就過關提行李
上了計程車 清晨無人的公路 讓我三十分鐘就到了家
梳洗一番後 徒步到家附近的茶餐廳
歎奶茶 享用公仔麵 真是人生一大享受

我的老闆說的好 走遍大江南北的壞處
便是無法對現狀知足
想吃的是台灣的美食
想穿的是法國義大利的衣裳
想住的是美國的大房子
想付的是香港的低所得稅
想要的是中國的低生活支出
想享受的卻是瑞士的福利
到那裡旅遊 都有能讓我動心的地方
有個嗜好是看看當地的房價
想像如果在那兒落了腳 過得會是什麼樣的生活

到頭來 還是無法找到一個十全十美的地方
滿足貪心的我 現在只能住在香港租來的房子
天天發夢嘍

The Choi's in Philly

One of the great joys of travelling is to have friends to visit in different cities. Today I got to see the Chois: Lucas, Jenny and Greg!

Lucas is now a 2-year-old boy. It been a bit more than 6 months since I last saw him. When I came in to the house, he was running around without pants on. He looked at me for a few seconds before he put up a big smile and asked me if I wanted to play with him. He is looking more and more like a boy than a baby compared to when I last saw him and he speaks a lot more this time. Jenny speaks to him in Chinese so he is now bilingual somewhat but inexperienced as I am, I still need to rely on Jenny to interpret for me.

Kids are so lovely when you are in their accepted circle and when they are not grouchy. Today Lucas happens to be the best kid in the universe. We fed him (or rather his parents fed him while I played with him) and he insisted on eating raw onions only to find out they did not taste as nice as they look. He ran around the house and danced with daddy and mommy (man, he's got talents!) He then took a bath happily with his duckies and other toys. He smelled sooo nice afterwards and his skin was as soft as Korea tofu...(hehehe..)Soon it was bedtime for Lucas. It was Greg's turn to tug him to bed so he faithfully picked up the story book to lie down with Lucas. I kissed him goodnight and told him that I will come back to see him soon...

Now the adults... Jenny and I have known each other for almost 20 years so we can always pick up the conversation where we left off last time (even if we don't get to see each other as often as we would like to). She is the youngest in our group but she was the first one to get married and also first one to be a mother. She has certainly grown even more become mature now being a mother (she was always been the more responsible one anyways). Everytime I see her, I regret not having visited her more often and I realize how much I miss having her in my life. We have not lived in the same city since 1994 but we managed to stay close in each other's lives. I am so happy to see that she has a loving husband, a lovely child and an amirable family. I asked if she would move back to California soon and she answered with the same question for me. Well I guess it will be awhile before we settle down in the same city again. Until then, I will continue to enjoy having the Choi's to visit when I come by the East Coast... See you all very soon!

菲靡靡之音

极其喜欢王菲的歌

我的少女时期 有着一段段不成熟恋情 次次以为无法修复的心碎 全是王菲的动人歌声陪着我度过

高中第一次与C分手时 我化身成为容易受伤的女人
之前两个月的天堂 因为我孩子气地提出分手要求
而变成了我心碎的地狱
好强的我 不懂得如何低头
但夜深人静想着他 听着此歌
只盼望他也能如歌中男角 回头挽留这颗倔强的心

与K热恋的时候 冒着第三者的身份 成为众矢之的
在一起的时间不长 但毕竟是爱慕多年的对象 只能以执迷不悔来对应

最软弱的时候 是大一时下定了决心与韩国男友分手
也只有多得他这歌 来写照我的心情
以讨好自己做为动力 终于由这苦繭解放出来

与相识相知多年的J 愈行渐远时 只能听着冷战
与他冷战却暗地伤心 在爱与痛的边缘徘徊

出了社会 二次与C相恋 仍是说不出的倔强
只能唱着嗳昧 希望这似苦若甜的感受 他也能知道
那时的我 只认为你快乐(所以我快乐)才是爱情的真碲

到真正遇上了老公 才发现有人可以让我在你喜欢不如我喜欢中的感情也得到快乐

最近几年 听的歌越来越少（王菲也越唱越少）
心情大部分只有快乐 為賦新詞強說愁的年代已過去
有什麽不愉快 也不用拐弯抹角的鬧彆扭
（王菲唱的歌 香蕉老公也很难懂）

王菲的歌 成了我少女情怀总是诗的记忆
藉由这些歌 我的回忆得以保存

Travelling is not as fun as it used to be

Ten years ago as I was going through the recruiting process to find my first job, one quality that attracted me the most is the opportunity to travel. How cool would it be to be flying around to different cities, sleeping in different countries and have all these immigration stamps on your passport? After joining Goldman, I certainly got more than what I wished for. I logged in more than 150,000 miles easily every year on air travel, flying across the Pacific, over the Northpole, and above the Atlantic. For a long while, I have to admit, I really enjoyed running from one airport to the other. I prided myself for being the last person getting to the gate (which, in my mind, equated to how important I was). Sometimes I checked into 5-star hotels just to take a 20-min shower before presenting myself at a breakfast meeting. My husband faithfully waited for me and had gotten used to dining alone. I , on the other hand, had options of terrible microwaved airline meals, midnight room service food, or uncomfortable client dinners. The jetsetting lifestyle must sound quite interesting to a lot of people and may even be the envy of some folks, however, it took a heavy toll on my body. After fainting on the marble floor in the bathroom of a 5-star hotel suite and hearing protests from my ever-so-patient husband, I started to look at what was really important to me in life and got a new job.

Whereas my old job required me to fly around for at least four days a week, my new job only demands once a quarter for investor meetings. These days I enjoyed staying at home, even if it means just flipping TV channels or doing laundry (the latter often deserves a less frequent occurence). I lament and groan whenever I need to travel for business. Some of my friends know how much I hate sleeping in hotels alone and most of time I suffer from insomnia because I am so paranoid and superstitious. When Jaime is not traveling with me, I have this little stuff animal that I carry around with me (sometimes its sleepy bear and more recently the lovely donkey) to keep me company. Last few days, I have been traveling again for business and all I am thinking all the time is when I can return to my own bed, my own home and my dear husband. Perhaps this is a sure sign of aging, when you prefer the smell of your old linens than the fluffy fresh down pillows at the five-star hotels (or rather 3-star hotels that I am subject to these days)... At least I have a lot of traveling stories to tell my kids so they will be impressed with their mom's former jetsetting life...(of course I should/will never reveal to them my secret stuff animal companion)

Relax, it is only two more nights to go before I meet up with Jaime in LAX...

加油

我的寶貝弟弟今天要考CFA一级测试
祝他考試順利通過
加油 加油 加油

繁體字

好高興
總算找到用拼音打繁體字的方法
我的親朋好友們就不用讀得那麼辛苦了
但是從我黑莓機上還是打不了繁體字
所以有些得上了網再改
可能還是會有些文章是四不像的...

Happy Birthday Jaime!

轉眼功夫
我的老公已經34歲咯
從27歲到34歲 他還是一樣靚仔
很快就是我們相遇七週年紀念日了唷

東興街134号

我的老家在東興街134号
當地人叫我们那裡牛頭湾

早上起了个早 穿過铁路上的行人天橋
循着记憶往老家走
我们现在住的公寓 是建在我们當初的稻米田
小時候常常跟着爺爺奶奶来巡田送饭 现在已建满了公寓

老家是一个最典型的四合院
進門便是两棵大蓮霧樹 還有三个大米倉
院裡的那个廣場 是我跟堂兄弟姐妹追趕跑跳的操場
也是收割後爺爺奶奶晒米的地方
更是我们夏夜裡乘凉看星的場所
我的脚踏車也是在這學的
院子裡除了我家十多人外 還有狗，雞及小兔子
熱鬧得很
现在的四合院輪廓仍在 但却已人去楼空了
小時候的房间 甚至已被拓宽的馬路切成两半
现在已被小攤販佔據

大門对面是一家做贡糖的工廠
無時無刻空氣中都溢着令人嘴饞的香氣
旁边是一家做麥芽糖的
我常常求奶奶買給我
一支糖便可以舔上半个小时
现在看到舊麥芽糖招牌還有廢置的贡糖廠
仍会不禁地舔舌

还有那条大水溝
有次颱風天 我的塑膠拖鞋掉了下去
堂哥姐们追趕了半个牛頭湾 才捞回来
但现在为了安全 已经加盖成路面了

对面的另一个大院 有好几棵大龍眼樹
小时候常拿着竹竿去打 现在仍枝葉茂盛
好久没聽到的知了 不停的叫着

我走到了東興街底 是老廟口
吃了碗熱呼呼的台湾鹹粥
老板娘的小女儿 不顾辛苦 跟着妈妈忙进忙出
体贴地让人心疼
心中想起還在家裡顧盼的奶奶
急急地踏上回家的路上

回家

下了飞机 南台湾的天空是我久违了的蓝天
白云朵朵 顿时令人精神气爽

从高雄搭莒光号到斗六 仍要两个小时的车程
但吃了个怀念已久的铁路便当
看了看窗外黄绿交间的稻米田 两个小时也就一下过去了

下了车 才发现从我有记忆已来就有的斗六火车站已不复在
但久久未听的乡音 让我觉得彷弗又回到了儿时回奶奶家的感觉

赶着正午的阳光 以最快的速度走回了奶奶家
爸爸已到了二伯家
二伯刚满一岁的吉娃娃 前天刚刚生下了三支小娃
护儿心切的她 对着我呲牙咧嘴
但过不久 她已安静下来 因为小东西要奶喝

爸爸还是顶着圆圆的肚子
我每次见他 总要叨念几句
要他戒烟 要他运动 多吃青菜 但好像一直没有效

奶奶的头发又白了些 今天她的心情似乎不是特好
只有我的小小侄女（奶奶的最小曾孙）来探她时 她才笑颜逐开

近百的她 作息仍是相当规律 八点多便开时催促着我上床
我到九点便乖乖地躺下 一如小时候 握着她老人家的手入睡

这些年来 她记忆已有些衰退 但不外乎就是多问我几次在那就职 何时结婚
三点醒来 她细心地帮我拉被子
但我开口问她是否睡饱了时
她微笑地问我 你是那一个呀 我不记得了
我笑着取笑她 怎么记性不好啦
她回说 我都快近百的人啦 当然记性差咯
我说奶奶您才九十六岁呀
她一脸讶异地瞧着我说 你还真清楚唷
後来 她一下子找到了属于我的记忆
问我结了婚在哪住 育诚在哪上班 爸爸现住在哪
问完了 才又缓缓入睡

但我已睡不着 我亲亲爱爱的奶奶一天天老去
但我却无能为力
她不记得我 代表我探她探的不够
我可要多来看看她 我希望她活得更开心 更健康
我姐弟俩都还没生出小曾孙给您看呢

Blackberry Addiction

Alright alright, JoJo gotta admit that she secretly got her blackberry ("BB") back last November after she tried her best to stay away from it for more than 180 days.

Her addiction to BB was so severe that had experienced multiple withdrawal syndrome during the 6-month detox period, particularly when she was surrounded by those bankers/lawyers/high-power people who just simply could not remove their thumbs from the keypad. Finally, JoJo gave in and got her BB back.

Some rules and parameters needed to be set by JoJo's beloved husband of course. As he suffered as the largest victim in JoJo's prior addiction. No BB in bed. No BB during meals. And No BB when walking. Simple to follow, isn't it? Not quite right.

Those of you who are addicted to BB as JoJo is will understand. The behavior is almost incontrollable. You reach under the table during a nice conversation as soon as you see from the corner of your eyes that the red light is blinking. You sit down in a car or at a restaurant and your natural reflex is to start scrolling down the inbox to see if you are needed by someone for an answer.

JoJo simply cannot get her hands off the keypad and she is just so proud of her ability to type without looking down. She doesn't stop until there is no more new messages. And even when there is no more new messages she will check and re-check her calender until it's time for the next appointment.

But BB has it merits too. For example, she is JoJo's companion when doing the 3-hour roundtrip commute to office daily. And she is also JoJo's best defense when she is sitting or eating at a restaurant alone. And best of all, this entire blog was typed on BB!

得与失

人是很奇怪的动物
一方面有其自豪的文明道德
但另一方面 其竞争的本能却牵引着人们的一举一动

人 按理论来说 是一种永远都不会知足的动物
因为知足了便没有上进的动力
亚当与夏娃 因为不知足 被逐出了伊甸园
于是乎 最原始的剧本 不断的在我们身旁上演

我们这一代的 可以说是人类有史以来 最丰衣足食的一群
但我们竟争的本能并没有因生活需要上的满足而减少

我们在学校 便争排名比成绩
毕了业 争职位比薪水

也许现代人的文明 在于不再赤脚空拳 争得头破血流
但人与人之间的勾心斗角 你争我夺却也每每令人伤痕累累

上天是公平的 无论穷富 不分老少
时间就是24小时一天
你花了20小时经营事业 肯定晋升快过那个每天只花10小时工作的人
但凡事有得必有失
当某天你爬到高点时 是否会回头叹惜 你失去的家庭 朋友 生活？

我的好友K最近做了一个抉择 她在职业的战场上歇了歇脚
每天看着她的部落格
她心情上的变化 为我带来了心中的平静与快乐
她的生活
并没有因为不再朝九晚五(或者说不再朝九朝五)失去意义
反而 因为她有更多的时间去享受生活 体验生活
她体会到了最平凡的幸福
我还有许多朋友 仍是在得与失中做抉择 (包括我自己)
希望她的经验 可以为我们带来启发
停一停脚 也许你寻找的伊甸园 就在身旁

Shanghai Shanghai

Haven't been to Shanghai for almost 2 years... It's a city that never ceases to amaze me. It was going to be a busy weekend. We were supposed to go check out the sizzling property market, visit my mom, my god-daughters and Hui/Sophie.

We were staying at the Le Royal Meridien, right at the heart of the most busy shopping district (Nanjing E. Road). Saturday morning, we have 10 properties to check out... I actually really like the city and therefore am interested in seeing what property there is on the market. Unfortunately, places we liked we cannot afford...

In the evening, we (and Mom) met up with Erin, Steve and my two goddaughters (TingTing and NingNing). Even though we haven't seen each other for almost one year, they immediately recognized that I'm their "JoJo Mami". Ting is already almost 6 years old and even Ning is now 4 years old. I still remember holding them in my arms when they were babies. They have boundless energy and keep asking Jaime to play with them even though they cannot communicate in English. I guess for kids, there is no language barrier of any kind...

On Sunday, we walked around some more with Mom. She seems to really enjoy the city (even though she complains about the long Winter). She lost weight and seems to be in a better mood and health condition. Our last stop is Hui's place. Sophie is more than 9 months old now. She is super adorable with eyelashes that are longer than most of the dolls I played with. Pink cheeks that are as fluffy as as a sponge cake. She can almost stand!!! Next time we see her, she should be able to walk already!

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Lisa and I share the same last name in English (Chinese character is different). She was practically my missing sister growing up in the small town in L.A.

June 1989, I left Taiwan to move to the US. In August, without knowing a word of English, I went to my first school in the U.S. (Okay okay I knew 3 words: 'Joyce' 'Hsu' 'Here'). After the first period, which I still remember it was a Social Studies class, I walked out the class room with confusion and a bit of shame. I had changed school many time before and everytime I adapted quickly. I was elected the class rep (班长）on the first day of my previous new school. I was always confident, strong and aggressive. But at that moment, I was weak, scared and lost (and literally lost, because I had no idea where my next class was). As I stood there in the hallway, this Asian girl came up to me and said "?????" in English. I replied with even more question marks in my eyes. And then she asked again, this time in Mandarin, "你讲国语吗？＂ Never in my life I had been so touched to hear my mother tongue, I nodded to her frenatically.

From there on, we became friends, then best friends, and then sisters.

We (and little Jenny) spent almost everyday together in the next 5 years. We had most classes together. We ate lunch together. We hung out after school together. When we were not together, we were most likely on the phone with each other. We even got scolded by my mom together (my sisters just very bravely stood there with me). Like all other teenagers, we had endless conversations. We tried to cover for each other. We shared our dreams, complaints, happiness and sadness. After I left LA for college, we stayed in very close touch. Then I came to Hong Kong.

I still try to see Lisa at least once a year when I go back to LA. As we both got busy with our lives, we don't get to update each other as often as it used to be. I can't remember the last time I celebrated Lisa's birthday with her and I am sorry I had to miss it again this year. I don't know when it will be that we get to live in the same city again but one thing I know for sure is that our friendship will never end no matter how far apart we are.

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

母亲节快乐！

从小到大 我一直不认为我的生命中是拥有足够的母爱

妈妈在我九岁时去了美国 临走前答应我一年后回来
一年后才十岁的我 用我的零用钱 买了车票从斗六到台南外婆家等妈妈
妈妈却一直没回来 我等到了我十三岁 她才再次出现在我生命里
我选择了与妈妈漂洋过海地到了美国 但之后十年与妈妈的相处是非常艰苦的
母女俩有无数的争执 她害怕美国的文化影响我 辜负她带我来美的用心
我无法理解小时后对我有求必应的妈妈 突然之间成了一个叨叨念念的管家婆
加上青少年时期的叛逆 我们之间有吵不完的架 流不完的泪
这情况一直到我读大学时 才渐渐改善
妈妈其实是非常非常辛苦的
她二十岁生我 三十岁到了美国 由非法移民拿到了绿卡
中间的辛苦过程并不是当初十几岁的我可以体会的
她辛苦的目的
只是希望她俩个孩子可以受好的教育 未来有好的出路
近年来 我和弟弟都独立了 我也希望她能开心的过日子
不再为我们操心

奶奶从我还是小小孩是就陆陆续续的担任起照顾我的责任
妈妈到了美国后 她更以今70岁的高龄 一手拉拔长大我跟弟弟
她疼我们 往往留着最好的鸡腿给我们 说故事唱歌来陪我们入睡
在那些没有妈妈的日子里 我们完全是靠着奶奶的宠爱
才能不自暴自弃 即使同村的小孩笑我们没妈妈
但他们也无法反驳奶奶对我们的爱
到现在 我回去探望她时 她仍是嘘寒问暖
恨不得把她珍藏的饼干 水果 全让我吞到肚里去
她的记忆不好 但她的爱永远不变

阿姨嫁给我爸爸的时候，我跟她闹了很大的别扭
爸爸执意要我改口叫妈妈 但我死也不肯
（心里还是等着妈妈 怕叫了别人妈妈 自己的妈妈就不回来了）
有很长的一段时间 连阿姨也不称呼了
索性走到她面前 等她看到再出声
她仍尽她所能 把我和弟弟当成是她亲生的孩子
自己选择不再生育
后来 我们选择了妈妈 去了美国
她仍是不改初衷 到现在我们回台湾时
她仍是会不断张罗吃的 句句关心

回想起来 我拥有的母爱比别人都多得多
三个母亲 给我了源源不断不求回报的爱
我只希望这生中有足够的时间 来报答她们的恩惠
在母亲节的这天 我也祝她们永远健康 快乐美丽

Ines

The first time I heard the news about Margaret and her little baby girl I was so saddened. I called Margaret and tried to cheer her up but my tears just came down uncontrollably down my cheeks when I spoke to her. Even though I am not yet a mother, I can understand how tough it must be to decide the fate of your baby at week 25. And I was not at all surprised to hear that our Margaret, who is one of the strongest girls I know, decided to keep the baby and keep fighting. This week, we were so happy to finally see Baby Ines after months of suspense (even just pictures of her). Although she had a operation right after she was born, by Day 6, she was already breathing on her own. Just like her parents, she is a strong fighter herself too. We are all so proud of Margaret, Julien and their new family member, little Ines. Ines, we can't wait to see you and hold you. As we all had expected, you are a beautiful girl and your daddy will certainly have a hard time keeping the boys away from you (especially with mommy's charming genes!). Keep fighting, little Ines!

Ines grabbing her daddy

Sydney

Had a such a wonderful time in Sydney. Jaime and I have always had all these places we wanted to go but at the end always ended choosing the destination randomly (not necessarily random actually--usually it's whichever city CX happens to have a fare sale on... :o). This time, it's Sydney. Although most people think it's far, it's actually quite accessible from Hong Kong. You board a midnight flight and after you wake up from your sleep, you are almost ready to land. We landed at 11am in the Sydney airport and the minute you step outside of the airport, you realize immediately that this city is so much less polluted. Just like what the tour book warned us, you start to question your own quality of life after spending some time here.

The city itself is beautiful. We spent a total of 6 days here. We saw Koalas, Platypus, Kangaroos, Wombats, Penguins and all other legendary animals that you can only see Down Under. We went to the famous Bondi Beach (so Jaime can get his craving for surfing satisfied). We were awed by the grand architecture of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. We even went to sand boarding at the Sand Dunes (where you only see tourist groups from Northeast Asia). We drove through the lovely Hunter Valley (although our sunrise balloon ride was unfortunately cancelled). We did a lot in six days but at a much slower pace, just like the way it should be in Australia. The only complaint we have is that with the weakening dollars, we left Australia with a much smaller wallet than when we arrived (but it's more than made up for with the memories we have)...

Australian surfer boy at Bondi Beach

Not a Dead Kangaroo but a napping Kangaroo inside Taronga Zoo

one-month anniversary

hola! today jojo celebrates her one-month anniversary at the new company. already she is fully accustomed to the life of a cross-border commuter. she has mastered the art of maneuvering through the immigration lines. the 30-minute immigration process is the most competitive time of her day. instead of climbing the corporate ladder to get ahead (her old defintion of being competitive), now her new defintion of being competitive is to outrun the elderly, bypass the baby-carrying mothers and elbow the inexperience travelers to get to the front of the lines. the one-and-a-half-hour commute each way is starting to feel short (sometimes she barely finishes the morning papers before border is reached). she is getting used to eating RMB5 lunch at the company cafeteria (cheap and delicious, however). she is starting to understand not all people are obsessed with work and having 8 long hours dedicated to work is actually the norm and does not equal to laziness. in other words, she is living the reality and not the old banker land. when she had a blackberry, she used to think that people don't know what your hands are doing under the table during meetings but just as teachers see when students try to read comics in class, it is truly apparent to the people sitting in the room. today, coincidentally, she came across an article on the Financial Times mocking people who hate their high-paying jobs but cannot get out of it because of they have grown to enjoy their expensive lifestyle (which can only be supported by the high-paying job). here is an excerpt she likes: "the solution to your lifestyle problem is such that if widely known would result in the collapse of the financial services industry. it would prompt a mass exodus that would prove devastating to the [UK] economy. therefore it is not in the national interest that the solution be divulged." haha, how true! but as an ex-banker, she can tell you, life actually begins and does not end after your stop getting the handsome paychecks!

Grandma

For those of you who were there at the wedding, you must have all witnessed how emotional I was when my brother mentioned my grandma. She is 93 years old this year and she is my favorite person in the universe. Because my parent's work, I was sent back to live with her at early age. I was and still am her favorite grand child among all 21 of them. She was born a merchant's daughter but was married to my grandfather whose family farmed rice for a living. She would tell me stories about how much hardships she endured in the early years of her marriage, getting adjusted to the farming life.

When I lived with my grandparents, they always spoiled me with the best things they had to offer. She saved me chicken thighs every time because that was my favorite. She made sure that every demand little JoJo had was met. One time, I so foolishly put my foot into a running bicyle wheel while ridinig on the back and hurt my foot so badly (a piece of flesh was shaved off)I couldn't walk for one month. My dear grandma carried me on her back everywhere I wanted to go. with such a tiny body! At age 88, she was still living alone and cooking for herself, claiming that since she has five sons and one daughter, it was unfair for her to burden any one of them. We had bought her a washer but she insisted on doing her own laundry... by hand. That's who she is, a stubborn but lovely old lady! (the same trait you can probably see in me). Then she fell on her back 2 times at age 89. When I saw her in the hospital after her surgery, it was the first time in my life that I saw a weak and vulnerable grandma. I went outside and wept and realized for the first time that my grandma was getting old. Ever since then, she has to live with a maid even though she is still telling us that once she gets better, she wants to live by herself again.

I try to go see her as often as I can. It's not an easy journey from Hong Kong to Douliu (almost 8-hour of air/train travel time one-way) but she is my grandma and I miss her so dearly when I don't see her. Even though every time I see her, she tells me the same old stories, reminds me again and again that I ought to get married soon (before I become 'expired' goods), and asks me the same questions, but just by sitting there with her, I feel I can already be at peace and be a child again. and I know, I also make her happy by just being there. so this weekend, I am going to see her and this time, I can finally tell her, her old granddaughter finally married herself off before she becomes expired goods...

--Joyce

One-Week Anniversary

it's been one week since JoJo started her new job. gone is the glamourous life as a private equity investor. her schedule is fairly rountine: up by 6.30am, out the door by 7.30am, bus to Shenzhen from 8am to 9am and taxi to work from 9am to 9.30am. 3 hours from bed to work! many people have questions about such commute arrangement. well it is not the easiest commute in the world but what JoJo also sees is a whole new world. she used to work until 3 or 4 am and get up around 9 or 10am and always felt she was on a rush to do things. and her commute sometimes was worse because she would need to get up sometimes at 6am to catch 8am flight just for a meeting in Shanghai at noon! now, she walks to the bus station at 7.30am and she notices many different things she never used to experience in life. free news papers (4 kinds of them!), time for sit-down breakfast, time to read the FT on the bus and time to look out of the window instead typing feverishly on blackberry. work is exciting although much slower paced. but she feels she gets a lot done during the day and still has all the time after work even after factoring in the 3-hour roundtrip commute!

God is fair. everyone gets the same 24 hours whether you are man, woman, black, white, rich or poor. everything in life is a give-and-take. if you choose to devote 18 hours to work and all you have left for yourself and loveones are 6 hours. jojo has spent all her twenties climbing the ladder and neglecting herself and her family and now she thinks it's time to slow down. does she feel something is lost with such a huge transformation? does she miss her frequent flyer miles and hotel points? of course! but then she looks at what she gains from this new experience, she knows immediately why she chose the path she did. will she ever regret her choice? maybe, but then she will remind herself that every decision made in her life has been carefully considered and debated and if she shall choose to make a decision, it would've been the best decision she could've made at the time with the information at hand. no point looking back but one should only look forward and try to make the best out of it...

Happy Valentine's!

Thank you!

Dear all,

Thank you again for coming to our wedding. We hope you all had a great time. Many of you have traveled a great distance to be in Panama with us on this important day to share our joys and tears of love and no matter how many times we said it, we just can't thank you enough. My parents (and parents-in-law) have all told me many many times that this shows how much each of you care about us and what great friends you guys are. You have all been very important to us every stage of our lives and your support, love and friendship is what molded us into who we are today. 30+ flight/travel time is not something easy to endure and we never expected so many of you to be there given how busy each of you are and how difficult it was for you to take time off (3 full days in travel time!). I am so blessed to have all of you to be my great friends and to have you to be there with me as I walked down the aisle. For those of you who couldn't make it, we thank you as well for sending us your love and wishes, we regret not having you there but we were certainly thinking of you and wishing you were here with us. So again a big thank you, a big hug and a big kiss from both of us to all of you!

Second of all, I want to thank my new mom and dad. You have both worked so hard for this wedding and wow, I mean WOW, it was spectacular! I arrived in Panama only a week before everyone else did and already I could feel that the stress was unbearable and I can't imagine having to live through the planning and stress for the last six months. Mom and Dad went an extra mile to make sure all the little details were taken care of and that each of my guest would feel home as soon as they step on the soil of Panama. My participation in the wedding preparation was limited and short and yet I was able to show up at my wedding and have everything taken care of. I often joked that I was the groom in this wedding since I didn't need to do anything but the reality was, I was so busy with work last year I counldn't have done anything even if I was asked to. Even up until 2 weeks before wedding, I was still so tied up with my job change and my parents-in-law have so understandingly taken of the duty and responsibilities. Unlike many other girls, I never grew up dreaming about my ideal wedding but what you planned and delivered was so much more than what I have expected and dreamt for. When I walked in to the reception and the fireworks went off, I was so much in shock and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Fireworks! A surprise gift from Mom and Dad (and I can't even think about it without tearing my eyes). Thank you for taking me into your loving family!

Lastly, I want to thank Jaime, who's put up with me (and Linda) all these years (4 years and 8 months and counting!) and particularly the last 3 months when I was going through the toughest the decision with my job. He had left Hong Kong right after Xmas to be in Panama to take care of the wedding planning. Every time he called me, something had always gone wrong and our conversation would always ended with me screaming at him. He was alwasy so patiently waiting for me to calm down and never once lost his temper. Being the proud me, I was always reluctant to admit that I was wrong but he always found ways to calm me down, even though he was thousands of miles away. During the last three weeks, he barely slept, taking care of every single little details of the wedding and occasionally taking care of psycho Linda or freaking out JoJo. I was so touched and moved and was ever more convinced of why this is the guy I should marry. Thank you Jaime, for accepting all the little and big faults of me, for sharing with me a loving family and for adoring and spoiling me the way you do.

--Joyce

10 more days to go!

what a busy week it has been for jojo. it took her 3 days to pack up. she moved out of her office yesterday so the next person can move in on Monday (gosh, by tuesday no one will remember that jojo used to occupy that room!). she gets stressed out like all brides do with endless errands to run and many things to worry... she had to pack and leave for the U.S. at the same time... poor husband-to-be of course again becomes the biggest victim in this situation even though he is some 10, 000 miles away...

on saturday, she woke up with a slight hangover at 9am (thank you for throwing me a farewell party on friday) and went into the office to pack up the last bits before the mover came to take her 10 boxes home with her (how does one keep 10 boxes of personal junk at work you might ask...but she just did). she went back to work to send out her farewell email (it's amazing how many people actually responded to that!), to fix her shoes, to pick up her bridal gown, went home again before heading out to causeway bay to pick up another dress before going to facial at 4pm. by the time she got home around 7pm, she only had less than 3 hours to pack before going to the airport. she essentially threw in the entire closet in her suitcases because she didn't want to make too many decisions. She was late for the car pick up, almost missed her flight, begged to get her old seat assignment back afte CX has given it away (but with only a gold card status, she only got laughed at when she asked to exercise her member privilege), and finally got on the plane that was too full for anyone to be comfortable. 12 hours (or one movie and 3 CSIs) later, she landed in LAX, waited for an hour for her snowboards to show up at the oversized baggage claim only to be told that snowboards have gone missing. this time, she didn't make a scene because she was simply too tired to do so. instead, she just filled out the form and walked out to the arrival hall to see her dear brother who has faithfully waited his sister for almost 2 hours...

here she is, sitting in front of her computer, 4 am in the morning, suffering from jetlag, rambling on and on to that unknown audience somewhere out there... a lot has happened in the past week, somehow it feels super-unreal that she has left her old firm. she had dedicated nearly 8 years of youth to that place (and her entiring working era in her twenties...) how was it that she could just pack up and leave? many people have asked her the question, she constantly asks herself too. it's hard to quantify and prove why it was a rational decision but as with all important decisions in life, jojo felt that she should just follow her heart. it was very very sad to go but she is so excited about going into her new chapter. the only lesson she learned, is not to try to begin writing two new chapters at the same time. don't try to get married and switch to new job at the same time... way too painful... luckily she has had so much support from all her friends helping get thru this difficult time and she has a husband-to-be who offered nothing but unconditional love and patience...

Happy 2006!

wow! who'd thought it's only been 15 days into 2006 and it's already been like a roller-coaster ride for jojo!

first of all, let jojo say hi to you all. it's been a long time since we last spoke, because last time jojo had her jojoland up was when she was still a college student at Berkeley (or something like 1998!). well well well, jojo never thought little journals she used to keep online is now a multi-billion industry called blogs! :)

anyways, 2006 is a very important year for jojo and here is why: 1) jojo is getting married; 2) jojo is leaving the firm she's worked more than 8 years for; 3) jojo will be moving to a new flat; 4) jojo is becoming 30-something; and lastly, jojo finally has the time to put up her online-journals (or so-called blogs). As all important decisions in life, this took a long time for jojo to convince herself (that she is ready to return to the cyberworld) and to convince her husband-to-be (that this will not unleash the unknown beast inside of jojo). Anyways, 8+ years will take a long time for all of you to get caught up but luckily for anyone who'd be spending reading this, you have all be part if not all of my life in the last 8 years or longer (or else you wouldn't have been invited to jojoland).

we are counting down to our wedding (i think it's less than 3 weeks to go!) and all of you should know that jojo and jaime are in a panic state. jojo has not contributed much to the wedding planning process other than yelling at her poor husband-to-be (aka the amateur wedding planner whose only wish is for the wedding to be over) whenever she has anxiety attacks or wakes up with nightmares... whether or not you will be there to witness our big day, jojo just wants to make sure that you know without jaime she wouldn't be able to pull any of these together...

...to be continued...

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to the JoJoland blog!