Here & There 到處走走

Happy New Year!

We are going greener for all this year!  Here is our paperless card!

To all my dear friends and family...with love!

2H 2011 update - part II

Counting down to the end of the year...and the rabbit is fleeing by.

 

This winter has been super mild.  Wearing tank top on one scorching October day, I strolled along the High Line Park built on deserted railroad.  The little stream glittered under the sun...giving me a second of summer illusion!

The Ginko tree in the backyard turned yellow over night, making my window the best frame of art!

 

 

 

1H 2011 update - part I

Yes, the title sounds like some marketing reports with fancy charts and analyses... no, it's just a quick update for friends and family... what i have been upto.   :)

1. Working on AA, GM and ExxonMobil... not sure why there are my acounts... planes, cars and fuel. Sounds like a great coverage for transportation.  I love my detroit team and yes, big teeth are one of qualifications. 

2. Living in a new house.  Starting last Christmas, we've finally upgraded from slugs to snails! We each have our own bathrooms, work space and couches to lie on!  The biggest asset of the place is a little garden with a fig tree.  The fresh fig has inspired me to spend more time in the kitchen. 

3. Spending lots of time with sis and the family.   Thanks to GM's projects, my flight, car and meal at Detroit were coverd. Being able to see the family every month was a huge bonus for the job.  I am probably the only person excited about going to detroit from the NY office.  :P   Thrilled to be there for my angels and my sis's 10K run!

 

 

 

馬局長吃魚

這天是周末，按照慣例，單位的人又要聚在一塊喝酒。
馬局長說這是深入基層、聯繫群眾的最佳途徑。
馬局長喜歡吃魚，在點菜的時候自然少不了點這道菜。
酒過三巡，菜過五味，魚端上來了。服務小姐認識馬局長，在往餐桌上放菜時
很識相地把魚頭對准他。不待大夥提議，他就豪爽地連喝了三杯魚頭酒。
馬局長放下酒杯，就開始分配盤中的魚。

馬局長用筷子非常嫻熟地把魚眼挑出來，給他左右兩邊的兩位副局長一人一個，
他說這叫高看一眼，希望二位今後一如既往地配合我的工作。
兩個副局長面帶微笑，感動地說謝謝馬局長，我們一定不辜負您的期望，全力支持您開展工作。　

馬局長把魚骨頭剔出來，夾給了財務科長，說這叫中流砥柱，你是我們局的骨幹，
這個自然歸你。
財務科長受寵若驚，說謝謝老闆。

馬局長把魚嘴給了他的“表妹”，說這叫唇齒相依。
馬局長的“表妹”就拋給他一個源遠流長的媚眼，說謝謝馬哥。

馬局長把魚尾巴給了辦公室主任，說這叫委以重任。
辦公室主任感激涕零，說謝謝老大。

馬局長把魚肚子給了策劃部主任，說這叫推心置腹。
策劃部主任點頭哈腰，說謝謝局長。

馬局長把魚鰭給了行政部主任，說這叫展翅高飛，你是咱們局離局長最近的精英，
絕對會步步高升的。
行政部主任滿臉笑顏，說還望局長多多栽培。

馬局長把魚腚給了工會主席，說這叫定有後福。　

分到最後，盤子裡只剩下了一堆魚肉。
馬局長苦笑著搖搖頭，嘆了一口氣，說這個爛攤子還得由我收拾，
誰讓我是局長呢 ?

The National

A dear friend in Detroit introduced the band to me.  Havent heard an amazing band like this for a while!

 

England

Someone send a runner through the weather that
I'm under for the feeling that I lost today.
Someone send a runner for the feeling that I lost today.
Someone send a runner through the weather that
I'm under for the feeling that I lost today.
Someone send a runner for the feeling that I lost today.

You must be somewhere in London
You must be lovin' the life in the rain
You must be somewhere in London
Walkin' merrily (?)

I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make corrections

Famous angels never come through England
England gets the ones you never need
I'm in a Los Angeles Cathedral
Minor singin' airheads come for me

You put an ocean and a river between everybody,
between everything yourself and home
You put an ocean and a river between everything
yourself and home

You must be somewhere in London
You must be lovin' your life in the rain
You must be somewhere in London
Walkin' merrily (?)

I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make corrections

Famous angels never come through England
England gets the ones you never need
I'm in a Los Angeles Cathedral
Minor singin' airheads come for me

Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners
Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners
Afraid of the house, cause they're desperate to entertain

Growing up

Parents are like the lighthouse, showing us the way no matter where we are...

As we grow older, we manage to travel farther...seeing more of the world.

We are never lost as the lighthouse is at our heart, still showing the way...  

Mom- thanks for being the lighthouse in my life.   Unlike this sad film, I am taking the lighthouse with me!

 

Grandmom said...

I lost my grandmoms when I was young but I did hear a lot of these from my mom who has the wisdom of a 80 year-old and a body of a 50 year-old! 

 

奶奶說，生氣的時候不要吵架，可以不說話，不洗他衣服，但是，不要和他吵架。

 奶奶說，和男人吵架了不要跑到外面去張揚，他向你邁進一步，你就向他走兩步。

 奶奶說，家是女人的大本營，發生什麼事情都不要走。因為，回來的路很難。

 奶奶說，兩個人在家不要老想著面子，兩個人過日子，面子很重要？那在外面怎麼生活？

 奶奶說，不管一個男人多有錢，他還是希望可以看到乾乾淨淨的你在乾乾淨淨的家等他。

 奶奶說，好男人很多，他不會去抱別的女人。但是這社會，很多壞女人會伸手去抱你的男人。

 奶奶說，你在外面工作，家裡的事情再忙也要做，不然就花錢請個工。家裡的事情一定要好好做，小孩也要好好教。

 奶奶說，他為你做了意想不到的事情，你可以感動，可以誇獎，千萬不要嘲諷的說“太陽從西邊出來了”，如果這樣，也許以後他不會為你做任何事情。

 奶奶說，誰都不是誰的另一半，你的想法不說出來誰會了解？需要什麼感受，討厭什麼事情，你告訴別人，別人才會懂。

 奶奶說，他的父母也是你的父母，就算他的父母對你不是很好，你也要對他們好。因為他們是他的父母。

 奶奶說，決定和什麼人在一起了，就不要去埋怨苦日子，既然你選擇了他，就不要去埋怨他。

 奶奶說，那麼有錢有什麼用，人呢？人在哪裡？

 奶奶說，我們這輩子能花多少錢？不要買什麼奢侈品，過得幸福就好。

 奶奶說，不要唬小孩“ 媽媽不要你”，不要生氣地時候把小孩推出門，如果他真的不見了，你會很痛苦。

 奶奶說，盡量不要打小孩，更不要在外面打。

 奶奶說，什麼都是緣分。

 奶奶說，生命無常，要好好珍惜每一天，珍惜自己的家庭。

 奶奶說，她年輕的時候，她外婆總是教她怎麼做好一個女人。

 奶奶和爺爺在一起有五十多年。她說，她是先結婚後戀愛的。

 奶奶說，爺爺年輕的時候很窮，別人給他一顆糖，他都小心翼翼帶回來，拗一半給她吃。

 奶奶說，她年輕的時候不懂什麼是好，覺得爺爺本來就應該這樣。

 奶奶說，有一次有人想欺負爺爺，她生氣的衝過去拿掃把打人一頓。

 她說的時候哈哈大笑，我感動得雙眼模糊……

My Sister

The best gift my parents have ever given me is an elder sister.   without any anticipation, she was there the moment i was born.

since we were little, she became my idol... she was pretty, she was funny, she was smart and she was everything i wanted to be.   i followed her around: tried the food she ate, put on the clothes she wore, read the book she liked as she was the coolest kid I knew on the block.  though she did not particularly enjoy my shadowing techniques, i was persistent to be a copycat.

years have passed and i have learned to become my own individual- working in new york, getting married and having my own family.   i have my own likes and dislikes, manage to dress at my best and know what to order in a restaurant to enjoy the meal...  a copycat finally grows to be her own big dog.  

having said that, my sister is still the funniest, prettiest and smartest in my eyes...

damon and i moved into our very first home last year and sis came to help us settling in.  the morning she landed,we took her to a neighbood pancake house.  after the fattening meal, we rolled up our sleeves and started unpacking.  sis reminded me Edward Scissor Hands... all i saw was boxes cut up and flattened, one after another.  her skills were thousand times better than those of our housekeeper from Colombia.  hard to imagine those hands were the same pair gliding through ipad and holding the fine china teacup. 

after all the hardwork, we finally ventured into new york city.  sis loves japanese food and i took her to yakitori totto, one of the best yakitori places in the city.  skewers used to be dad's favorite late night snacks.  having skewers with sister brought all the sweet memory back to me.

strolling around rockerfeller center during christmas is a must do.  all the buildings on 5th ave are dressed in their special costumes. we were most impressed by the snowflakes/bubbles show by saks 5th ave. 

 

watching the snowflakes show below zero degree definitely made one want to have hot chocolate!  we then went to lily o'brien, a little irish chocolatier with a lot of character.  i love their dark hot chocolate- super rich and creamy.  let's forget about the calories for a second and here are the panda sisters, sipping away hot coco in a snowy new york night! 

thank you sis for being in my life, my whole life!

 

 

 

 

Born This Way

I wasnt so much a lady gaga fan, until I saw this cute girl....

she is only 10 year old and made all the music notes herself. :)

here are the lyrics if you would like to sing along!

**********************************************************************

My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars

She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

"there's nothin wrong with lovin who you are"
She said, "'cause he made you perfect, babe"

"so hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say"


[Chorus]
I'm beautiful in my way
'cause god makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

[Post-chorus]
Ooo there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
Baby I was born this way
Ooo there ain't no other way
Baby I was born-
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way

Don't be a drag - just be a queen
Don't be a drag - just be a queen
Don't be a drag - just be a queen
Don't be!


[Verse 2]
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth

In the religion of the insecure
I must be myself, respect my youth

A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital h-i-m (hey hey hey)
I love my life I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah (love needs faith)

Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way

 

 

 

 

50 nonos in China

大陸旅行社經理的50句忠告 請參考

1不要投大錢在澳門賭博。

2不要接近嶗山的道士。

3不要買九寨溝的犛牛肉。 

4不要買三峽船上的玉器珠寶.

 

5不要在西雙版納參加“搶親”遊戲。

6不要在西安的古玩一條街購買古物。

7不要在大理購買所謂“老鄉”的便宜珠寶。

8不要進入陽朔的酒吧。

9不要招惹泰山景區的當地人。

10不要參觀少林寺時走“捷徑”。

11不要逛十三陵“***”玉石店。

12不要單獨去海南旅遊。

13不要在壩上草原騎馬。

14不要在吐魯番買葡萄。

 

15不要在深圳中英街購買任何物品。

16不要參加北京當地的長城一日遊。

17不要在張家界住便宜小旅館。

18不要在井岡山為“老區建設”捐款。

19不要在杭州的娛樂場所消費。

20不要在蘇州的茶樓喝茶。

21不要在豐都鬼城照“免費”像。

22不要在北海乘坐摩托艇。

23不要在北戴河吃海鮮。

24不要在三亞海邊接近小商販。

25不要隨導遊在呼倫貝爾草原上吃烤全羊。

 

26不要在廬山乘個體計程車上山。

27不要在宏村的路上坐計程車。

28不要去黃山讓人“免費帶路”。

29不要買在千島湖碼頭的怪魚。

30不要參觀樂山景區周邊的付費景點。

31不要在鄭州黃河遊覽區騎馬。

32不要到黃河寺廟算命。

33不要隨旅遊團環遊青海湖。

 

34不要買神農架的土特產。

35不要在敦煌的夜市吃地攤飯。

 

36不要在花果山的海鮮一條街吃飯。

37不要隨導遊逛清明上河園。

38不要在南京做“免費美容”。

39不要在上海外灘讓人給你照數碼像。

40不要買“便宜票”看黃果樹大瀑布。

 

41不要隨導遊在香港買名表和珠寶。

 

42不要接近峨眉山的和尚。

43不要在威海韓國城購買沒經狠殺價的商品。

44不要在麗江洗桑拿浴。

45不要到五臺山的五爺廟燒香。

46不要在平遙摸“魚洗”。

 

47不要在武夷山景區買茶葉。

48不要在白洋澱景區買鴨蛋。

49不要在烏鎮讓道士“免費看相”。

50不要去太陽島坐“熱心人”介紹的船。