Moved In
Oct 30, 2005
First evening at the apartment. I am tempted to say 'new' apartment as its a totally new experience for us but the apartment is housed in a fairly old building, in fact, it was occupied by some people before us and we can safely assume many more before them. My uncle Lawrence was kind enough to help us carry all the furniture and belongings and also arrange for his friend to bring his truck for moving the stuff. Dennis [Tseng] had moved quite a lot of things already last night into the garrage. Dennis is a genuinely nice guy and one of few people who can sit and have a long chat with Caroline & myself. The stuff we moved in with includes a double bed, a cupboard, a side cupboard, a Sony TV, a really good computer table, a table with 2 chairs, a sofa, 2 phones [one cordless with answering machine], toaster and many many more things which I am able to mention, all given to us by Yun Hua Khew & Khew mei & family. When we finished loading everything into the truck and was saying good bye to Yun Hua Khew & Khew Mei, all of us had tears in our eyes. That says it all. Caroline does get emotional but I hardly do and yet I couldn't help myself when Ah Khew was about to give me a good bye hug. We have been provided with the best of house to stay in when we landed here in Canada, the best of food, cooked by Khew Mei, all the support which all meant that we never had to face any discomfort and felt right at home. May God bless their family and provide us an opportunity in future to be useful to them as well.Tim Hortons Coffee
Oct 22, 2005
checking.
Nothing Is Really Work Unless..
Oct 20, 2005
"Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else." -- James M. BarrieThis quote cannot be more apt when applied to my present situation.
Till about 3 months back [June 2005], I never really did any work. I was employed full-time and paid by technology companies from 2000-2005 for solving problems with computers but it was never 'work'. Honestly, I didn't even realise how time flew by and I had been programming computers professionally for the last 5 years. I don't remember ever feeling like "oh shit, tomorrow's monday". I don't remember feeling relieved and happy to leave office and go home. In fact, for the last 5 years, I may have spent more than 80% of my 'awake time' doing something or the other with computers. If not programming, then reading about technology. Ocassionally, assembling computers or troubleshooting computers at friends and relatives. Everyone who knows me, know that the only thing I know about is computers and thats about the only thing I really like and can talk for hours on end about.
Coming back to 'work'. I do work now and have been working for the past 2 months. About a month in the restaurant as waiter and now in a bank's back office doing data entry. It sounds like I am not happy with it but thats not the case. Money is the main consideration now behind my daily efforts. With programming, money was secondary and a bonus. See, the word 'daily' and 'efforts' got associated with work.
Programming and technology is a part time hobby now. Also, I have developed an interest in photography which continues to jostle with technology for my 'free' time.
Of course, a lazy person like me would prefer not to have to work at all. I have tried to get into technology companies but have not succeeded yet. Maybe next year, some organisation will pay me for having fun with computers again. Until then, I will work.
Hearing Sideways
Oct 19, 2005
While one queues up for the small-double-double coffee at Tim Horton's every morning, one can't help but overhear things other people say.
Two interesting 'quotes' I overheard :-
Case 1:
A lady to a guy - "I trust him only as far as I can spit"
This one is new to me. She basically meant that she didn't trust 'him' at all. The expression was different and 'yucky'.
Case 2:
A guy to another guy - "I couldn't sleep last night because it was too hot"!!!!!???
Did I hear him correct ? "too hot", while we were all dressed up in jackets. Yesterday's weather was between 13 degrees Celsius and 7 degrees Celsius [normally the min. temperature-7 degrees is at night, when everybody tries to sleep]. I suspect, most people, like me, in the Greater Toronto Area was under thick blankets last night while this gentleman was sweating sleepless!! Man, is everything in the world relative, cold for one is hot for another [maybe he is the only 'another' amongst the millions of Toronto residents :-)]