back to reality

I am back, after a very good time in "Holland". haha. we made so many silly jokes about "Holland", thanks to watching too many Cantonese movies. All I wanted to do today was to come home early, blog & show off my perfect tulip bloom photos. However, my plans are dashed, and my day is ruined!

Last Wed afternoon, I was told that I have to go to US for a business trip. I was like, what?? Why no one told me earlier? Then, it was a mad rush to arrange for the visa interview blah blah blah. From the sly looks and the remarks, i knew that this was not an accidental miscommunication. It would be convenient to leave me out because "I cannot go", isn't it? To my great luck, my friend has just applied for a visa, and could tell me all the procedures, strategies and saved me lots of mess.

After some hiccups here and there, spending more than £100, and almost 2 hours standing by the roadside in a queue looking like a beggar wanting a bowl of free soup, I "passed", and got my visa! I looked like a panda, after sleeping at 2am to prepare for the interview, and waking up at 6 am.

Happily, I went back to work with the good news. Then, B told me there is a "change of plan". TMD!!! Despite all my obvious hints about the cost of a visa, there was no offer to pay for it. So, afterall, I might not get to go. Keeping my fingers crossed. Bloody hell! Are they playing me? I sometimes feel like I am taking a kindergarten level office politics here, the tactics are so crude and cheap.

Humongous words

This week's new theme:

Humongous words. Yes, the more complicated it is, the better, and preferably used in an alliterative way.

Eg, make sentences like:
...to include inputs, involvement and interactions of important members....

Then, insist on Englishness, by saying:
"....irregardless..., we have to use UK spelling!!!"

Damn, it feels like I am back to secondary two. J was angry because he lost to a gal in science. Gals should be terrible in science and losing to one was a major loss of face to a pimply 14 year old.

So, J threw me huge huge words. Big was slum-ish. Large was laughable. Only humongous words could show off your intellect. :D I miss "quarrels" with J. We were after all really good friends, and J actually brought along a dictionary in school. Honestly, without J, I wont be who I am. He is one of those important friends in your development stage who helped to shape who you are today.

This is how we used to fight:

"choppp!!! What did you say?"

"xyz! Don't you understand? Proven-girls are stupid"

"Don't understand! Not like you, I don't speak English at home! Ok, why don't we speak in Chinese? Speak Chinese!"

[For someone who could not even pronounce his name accurately in Chinese...] "Ok, ok. Check dictionary..."

Wait, how do you spell XYZ?

Girls are stupid, X-Y-Z!!!! Grrrr.

.... and then I would check the dictionary & get angry when I realised what he meant. During the "cease fire", I would compose my argument by substituting the words with humongous synonyms to scold him.

Those were the fun, innocent days. Where did they go?

This time, it is not innocent. It is a constant stress.

Gosh, I am a lazy bum. Why must you insult me?

This has to be blogged!! -"BLOODY FOREIGNERS"

What happens when you go to someone else's country and do as well as/better than them?

1) you are lucky-they actually appreciate you-wow! foreign talent, good for the economy!
2) you are not so lucky-they quietly wonder why you don't go home, behind your back, and lament that their rice bowl is threatened by people like you. What will happen to their children? Compete with yours? -- does this sound familiar? I am sure we all have been in this position before, when Mr's Brown's Ren Ren got the no 1 place (again) in school.
3) you are in a "normal"(at least you try to tell yourself) situation?- they openly hate you, after all they see you as going to their country and take away their rice bowl.
4) You are not so lucky- they do all they can to squeeze the max out of you, and get rid of you.

I am probably around 3) and 4).

What happens when you have
1) back stabbed
2) robbed people's credits, and push the blames to them
3)sabotaged in countlessways

and the person is still around, surviving?

You call them "bloody foreigners"? and you tell them "this is ... [fill in the blank with your country's name]." -

I got that today. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when i saw the email. I was stunned. Really stunned.

Being a donkey, I will take that as a compliment. Long live bloody foreigners!

Long time ago, I was a foreigner who did not do as well as the locals. I was asked, "why are you here?"

Between "bloody foreigner" and "why are you here", which one would you prefer?