Sicky poo.

So I took a sick day (half-day) today. But instead of getting chores and errands done, I just slept the entire morning through. Had my coworker not called me during lunchtime, I probably could've slept until dinner. It's almost too bad he did....

A little support here, please?

I found that the frequency at which my laundry "did itself" left me needing more underclothes. So after inquiring with a few female friends, I headed off to the local department store to take a look at what was available.

The salesperson picked out a few different bras for me to try on. She told me to let her know when I'd tried them on, and she'd see how they fit. Um. Well, I suppose we were both women, so that wasn't so bad. Getting another woman's opinion might not be a bad idea.

So I was still a little uncertain about the whole letting-someone-see-me-in-a-bra idea, and I guess I dilly-dallied long enough that she started knocking on the changing room door every minute, asking how I was. When I finally let her in, I had my shirt on. At her request, I very self-consciously removed it.

She assessed the fit and recommended the "proper" size I should be wearing. (What the heck, how many years I'd been wearing the wrong size?!)

And then, gesturing with her hands, she asked me, "Can I help you adjust yourself?"

I stopped short and gawked at her. What, like... you want to TOUCH me?

She stood there calmly with her hands clasped.

Yes, apparently that was what she was asking.

After what seemed like a full minute, I very awkwardly eeped, "Um, NO ?... Can you just show me how to adjust myself?"

And of course she was fine with that and proceeded to show me how to wear a bra "properly". Admittedly I learned a few things I hadn't learnt growing up. All in all an interesting experience.

But there still ain't nobody gon' touch me.

Throw another on the barbie, mate!

Chinese New Year is the big holiday here, and folks get 4 consecutive days off. Add a weekend before and after - not surprisingly, many people take a couple extra days off to vacation during this time.

Since I have my new citizen card, I am now free to travel the world. Hence I decided that I didn't want to spend this coming CNY in Taiwan. Being an inopportune time for my other half to come globe-trotting with me, I decided I still don't want to spend CNY in Taiwan... and so I'm making my own travel plans.

So, my vacation destination is fabulous tied-for-#1-livable-city-in-the-world Melbourne, Australia. Actually I think this year they were #2. Nonetheless! Wonderful city.

(Actually, it was going to be Japan, but my friend there warned me that CNY is at the peak of the cold season, and that the winter is comparable to the Ontarian winter. Well, forget that.)

For the longest time, my Aussie friends and I have been saying "whenever [I] make it down to Australia" - since I started at CompanyA 4 years ago - and while I knew I always wanted to visit, the timing was always undetermined.

Well, this is it! I'm still a little increduled myself.

I already have some basic plans forged out: people I want to meet, places I want to visit... I might not fit it all in! I likely won't get to hit all the tourist sites, but that's okay. My time there will be to kick back and relax, and hang out with my buddy. But, be it a beautiful scenic area or a great watering hole, suggestions on where to go are welcome!

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait! :D

Gaydom

Back when I was still in Vancouver, I was returning a shirt at Blue Notes, and the cashier had a certain ... feminine air about him. Didn't know quite what it was.

His facial features weren't that feminine. He had short spiky blonde hair, like a "sk8er" might have. And it wasn't really the 3 earrings he had in one ear. He was built - well, thick. I think it might've been the tightness of his T-shirt: it fit him about how a baby T would fit women.

Or maybe it was his French manicure.

"What can I get you?" "Oh, the usual."

I have a friend with an incredibly high tolerance for things of a repetitive nature. In this case, I'm talking about food. Ridiculously high. (And since I know he's reading this: sorry, buddy, ha.) And by repetitive, I mean having the same thing for lunch and/or dinner and/or late night snack almost every day. For nearly 2 months.

It's not like the meal was particularly interesting, either: shabu-style teriyaki beef slices on rice. No sides, no nothing; just a bit of sauce. Not even speeecial sauce. *yawn* I'm not saying unpalatable, just booooring.

It got to the point where just the mention of this dish would make me gag.

And he almost started this trend in two other instances as well.... Eateries that I like, that I introduced him to got frequented a lot. I don't go to those restaurants quite so much anymore.

This got me thinking. I know I can be pretty judgemental. More so than I like to think. Or admit. Worse yet, I can also be hypocritical at times. So. Am I really any better? Am I that adventurous in trying out different restaurants?

Hmm. Not really.

I may not hit the same place 17 consecutive nights, but when I return to a place, more often than not I'll order the same few dishes I've had before. I rely on restaurant recommendations from friends and colleagues, so if they don't go to a lot of different places, then I've also limited myself to a select few as well.

In a country where there are as many eateries as there are cars on the street, I should be exploring a lot more, gastronomically speaking.

So I made a decision earlier this week. At least twice a week, I'm going to try a new place or a new dish.

And so far, it's paying off. :) (Er, sample size = 1.)

I heart V

Played indoor volleyball on Saturday for the first time since coming to Taiwan. Company event, with ridiculously modified rules to encourage the participation of women: men had to hit from behind the 3m line, and any ball-over contact in front of the attack line must be two-handed, even if not jumping!

It. was. Heaven.

My serving was stable (but no floaters). My passing wasn't too bad, although not surprisingly, it's deteriorated a bit since the Bonsor/Cambie days (yeah, I shanked a few). And once I told my teammates to utilise me more (being the only one who could attack front row), I got a lot more sets. On a women's height net. Women's height! :D

I didn't try blocking, but I should've, just for the heck of it. Not too many dives, but I saved a ball - and rolled out of it! S would've been proud. ^^ Too bad we couldn't capitalise on that play, though.

It was only a morning of volleyball, but after being away from it for over a year, my entire body aches! But it's a good ache. :)

I've always known how much I heart V, but that morning was a little reminder. I'll have to check if our company rec centre has drop-in volleyball. :D

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream.

I like to think that I'm a good listener. People seem to open up to me, tell me their problems, their secrets, their fears. And since I think talking and venting is good for one's health, I've always offered my "services" if I sense a friend in need of an ear.

One person took me up on the offer. We used to be very good friends before we went our separate ways, and I hadn't talked to him in quite a while, other than a passing "hi". But that night, we talked for 2 hours. And at the end of the call, he said to me, just as he always did, "Good night. Sweet dreams." Sweet dreams. A sign-off that only he ever used with me, back when we were close.

It caught me a little off guard, and I instinctively replied, "Yep. G'night." (I know, I know, don't roll your eyes at me!). As I pressed End on my phone, it came back to me. That familiar greeting that I had heard almost nightly.

And I smiled.

"Guess what? I'm bi!"

[Editor's note: Photo ID was slightly modified to comply with all the grumblings I received about my information supposedly being visible, even though I'd mosaicked it all.]

Well. I am now officially Taiwanese. On top of being Canadian, that is - dual citizenship. (Don't be ridiculous; I ain't givin' up my Canadian citizenship!)

This morning, in an amazingly smooth transaction unlike all processes leading up to this day, I had a newly minted citizen card in my hands within the hour. That's including getting breakfast while I waited for them to process the documents.

And then, in an equally efficient fashion, I was back in Hsinchu and rented a mailbox, opened a stock account, opened a new bank account to link to my new stock account, and dropped off my application for a credit card. All before lunch was over. Man, having a citizen number makes things so much easier.

So I'm set! Now I can start wearing high heels with jeans and matching a hot pink top with a yellow skirt. And maybe folding excess jean pant leg up. To the calf. On the outside of the pant.

Definitely half empty.

My coworker TJY left on a business trip this afternoon. A 6-month-long business trip. He'll be in California (along with 7 other members of the team) to see a project through to completion.

The thing is, I don't have many friends here, so TJY is 33% of my friends. I got to know him through the hiking club. We lunch and sup together virtually everyday. At 16:00, we meet in the coffee room for our daily apple. I even see him on weekends. He's also helped me with lots of stuff: translating e-mails, explaining company procedures and local customs, etc.

So today, there was a distinct feeling of emptiness as I watched him depart. He has a girlfriend now, but I wouldn't doubt that I feel just as glum as she does.

:(

Jazz Cat

Went to a jazz festival in Taichung over the weekend. I'd been stressing about work and was just tired in general, so I really needed a weekend to kick back and unwind. Listening to jazz in the park, in perfect weather, with a glass of Bailey's and good company - the jazz fest was just the perfect thing.

I took to the jazz and have since changed gears. I listen to one Taiwanese artist in particular: Cat Peng Ching Hui (彭靖惠) who has a wonderfully soothing Norah Jones voice. She started out in pop but switched to jazz about 5 years ago. Her latest album is a 2-CD set with Chinese and English versions (basically). I was especially pleased to find that the English was grammatically correct and virtually without accent.

For those who don't like jazz, her style is not the traditional brassy jazz, but more like Diana Krall's bop-bop-badoo-wop smooth jazz. This is one of my favourite songs - have a listen.