Living below the Cloud

Saturday, 25 Apr 09, 4.51pm at home

Hi again diary,
Now the sun is shining. Yes, and I finally did my laundry, no more excuse. Here I took another picture for you when I happened to go into my bedroom and I saw them... doing this...

-Abbie-

Living above the Cloud

Saturday, 25 Apr 09, 11.23am at home

Hellow diary,
I woke up this morning under a very dark sky. I went down from my apartment to buy breakfast. It was not raining but I sensed that it would rain so heavily today so I did not do my laundry today. 30 minutes after I finished my breakfast, the sky was much darker than before! I saw very dark black cloud hanging outside, so near, so close, till I could see it, till I could feel it on my hand. I felt like living on the sky. Living above the cloud. A city above the cloud!

Here I took some pictures of the view outside from my bedroom and from my balcony. You can hardly see what's outside, right?

My two teddy bears were so amazed seeing nothing from my bedroom's window!

I was so amazed seeing nothing from my balcony, that's why I took this picture!

Now, the dark cloud has slowly vanished. The sky has been slowly cleared up. The sun has slowly been shining brightly. I've gotten my normal Saturday back and the question now is; should I do my weekly laundry then?

-Abbie-

The HK Typhoon

Tuesday, 21 Apr 09, 10.28pm at home

Hi again, my diary..
I just had my shower and dinner. Today's dinner is pineapple rice without the pineapple and not-so-green curry seafood mixed with chicken, potatoes, and some broccoli. I tried to make thai food but ehmm... there is always room for improvement, right? I actually bought the pineapple in a can but I forgot to buy the can opener, that makes my pineapple rice without the pineapple. It sounds like ice tea without ice, or sate lontong without lontong. And about my not-so-green curry, it's because I put too much water in it and I did not want to waste my green curry paste so I just added coconut milk and salt and hoped that it would turn more green but it did not. Since there's so much soup, I needed to put more stuff inside so I put the potatoes and broccoli in. And yes, I know! Seafood can't get along well with chicken. It's ok, at least my hubby said "Wow, it tastes like sayur lodeh that my mum usually cooks!" Can I take this as a compliment?

Diary, the wind is blowing very strong outside. I'm not sure if this is already typhoon no 8? Or if it will turn to no 8 tomorrow? According to my employment agreement, if the typhoon level reaches no 8, we are allowed not to come to work and this kind of thing usually happens quite several times in a year. Now the problem is, how can I measure the level of the typhoon? I don't want to get stupidly stuck somewhere on the way to my office while all my colleagues are still sleeping tightly and soundly at home, enjoying extra holiday because of the typhoon. I also don't want to be the only one who is still sleeping tightly and soundly while all my colleagues already start working. So I asked my colleague and he answered with something very logical "Watch the weather forecast the night before and see if the forecaster says that the typhoon will reach no 8 tomorrow. In the morning before leaving for work, watch the news again to make sure. Usually the newspaper tells us too. The level of typhoon can be measured by colors too; yellow, red, black......" He also explained to me how the wind moves from south to north, or east to west? Whatever. He explained to me very clearly and technically but the problem now is; I dont understand what the forecaster or the newspaper says in Cantonese. Should I just assume it by looking at the color that my colleague mentioned? I'm not sure if he was referring to the color of the sky? Let's see if my guess will be correct.

Time to sleep again, diary..
The wind is still blowing so strongly. But, the living still must sleep.

-Abbie-

p.s You should be able to guess who that colleague is ^^

About My Grandma

Tuesday, 21 Apr 09, 8.40am on the bus

Hi again diary,
Lately I have been thinking a lot for my grandma. She is still in hospital until today and her condition seems getting worse and worse. My mum said that my grandma is very thin and weak now. She is the only grandma I still have. Her disease is very complicated perhaps because she is already old, around 85 years old, so some of the organs are not functioning well anymore. Honestly, I am not very close to her since she lives at different city and she doesn't talk much. Whenever I am in Indonesia for holiday, I always make some time to visit her but I never stay overnight at her house. I only visited her for few hours and whenever I was about to leave her, the same question that she always asked me "When are you going to sleep here? Please stay here with me for few days", but the way she asked me was with smile and did not sound so serious. So, I also always replied her the same answer like a template answer "Next time ya". Again she replied me with the same question "When is that next time?".

Now I am writing it here, this really makes me sad! I never keep my promise, not even once! She is now in hospital and is having operation on 29 Apr. We did not agree on having operation for her because her condition was too weak, we have been waiting for her to get better so she can have a surgery. However, her condition is not getting better, it's getting worse till she is cornered to have a mandatory operation now.

The only good news that I received about my grandma was; she was baptized last Saturday! Now she believes in Jesus, now she loves Jesus, now she believes that Jesus will take away her pains and bring her to the place where Jesus lives after this world. I really pray that her operation on 29 Apr will be done successfully. I really pray that she will be given a chance to have longer life so that she can experience a life after she follows Christ. I also really pray that I will be given a chance to stay with her and take care of her, just once will do. I feel like going back to Indo now but I can't! Exactly on that operation day, I will be in Amsterdam for another business trip. I am not excited for this trip at all!

Diary, please help me pray for her..

-Abbie-

It's Gonna be My Real Little Diary

Friday, 17 Apr 09, 8.50am on the bus

Morning my super-little diary,
I'm on the bus on the way to office now. This is my first time writing diary using my iPhone. My diary now looks super cute and super little from my iPhone. Now I really feel like writing a real diary, not a blog post! You know what, I used to admire those people in movie who can take note every detail of every event on a small book and bring that small book and pen in their pockets wherever they go. *Are you admiring detectives??* No! those people who write diary on the park, on the bus, in toilet, wherever they find there is something interesting! Isn't that cool? Now I have this small diary that I can bring wherever I go. From now on, I wanna write more detail about my life, about what I do, and about anything that I see as interesting. Each post may be much shorter than my usual post, but I really wanna try it. Lets see if I can do it regularly.

Diary, I am reaching office soon.
Bye bye my cute little diary..

-Abbie-

Nothing

Wednesday, 15 Apr 09, 10.18pm at home

Dear my lil diary,
I have not taken my shower yet. This is the real me. Every night after I go back from work, I have dinner, clean up the dining table and the dishes, and just play Internet till my husband shouts at me to take shower. Ron is now busy watching movie using his own laptop, so he doesn't really pay attention to my smell me. Soon he will finish his movie, so I better hurry up writing this diary.

Actually...
There is nothing special to report this week.

That's all I need to write here.
Good night, diary..

-Abbie-

All About Paris

Saturday, 11 Nov 09, 3.43pm at home

Hello diary!
I was just back from Paris yesterday afternoon. That was a super tiring trip! Lucky that my seat on the plane on the way back to HK was upgraded to business class for free! So, at least I could sleep more comfortably on the plane. But still, last night I slept for 12 hours, the longest sleep in my life ever! I really feel sorry for my husband who already arranged for a one-day trip today to Lantau island. This morning around 10am, I heard he was telling me something excitedly about the trip, about the crystal cable car, about the factory outlet, and about the food? or the walk? I don't really recall it now since I was still in the middle of my reality world and my dream world when he said that to me. I couldn't really move my body, I couldn't open my eyes, and I fell asleep again after that. He kept entering the room to check if I have woken up. I'm really really sorry for ruining his plan because I slept too much like a pig. Can we arrange the trip again tomorrow or Monday? Please...

Anyway, my Paris trip was great! I had fun with my colleagues. The picture above was the first picture that I took when I was in Paris. When I was having my hot French Cappuccino and croissant as breakfast while I was searching for good places from the Paris Guide Book. I wanted to take picture before I sipped my coffee and before I ate the croissant actually, but it was so tempting till I couldn't resist and just realized it when the coffee was half-finished and when the croissant has been fully eaten.

I visited some nice places but this Eiffel picture is my favorite picture among all. I always wanted to touch Eiffel Tower with my own hands to make it more real. I know it sounds not too elegant but that's really the desire of my heart. I did enjoy the French food, quite amazed with the well organized menu; appetizers, main course, and desserts, at the beginning. After few days, I felt tired of waiting for the complete food to be served. Maybe you don't agree with me. Yes, I like a proper fine dining too! But the fine dining that I had in Paris was really too much longer than what I expected. Especially the first dinner that we had. We entered the restaurant at around 9pm and finished the complete course at 12.30am. Wasn't it too much of waiting? The restaurant was empty, we were the only customers at that time, and we were only 6 persons! And because that was the first day in Paris, we were so tired and some of us even fell asleep in the restaurant.

In that restaurant, I felt that my upper lip was swollen and numb! That was right after I sipped my coke light. I urgently warned all of my friends for not drinking this French coke light as it's too strong. I asked one of my friends:
Me: "Look at my lips, can you see it's swollen?"
Friend: "OMG, it's swollen so big!"
I was so panic, stopped drinking coke light, and gave light massage to my upper lip during the dinner. Maybe my lips were not so metropolis. Right after I reached the hotel, I looked at myself in front of the mirror. I just realized that my lip was not numb, not swollen at all. My lip was just dry because of the cold weather! It feels like numb because of the dryness. Now I'm wondering why my friend said that it's swollen so big? That was the shape of my lip at a normal size!

From this trip, I discovered something interesting. The buildings and the subway stations in Paris are all old. The subway stations' floor is still made by black stones. The ceiling is also like ceiling in a cave with some water dropping from the ceiling too sometimes. The train is also old, there is no automatic door so we have to open it manually by hand. Lift and elevators are seldom found since they only use stairs. It's very different with HK subway with shiny ceramic floors, elevators everywhere, and automatic doors for the train. The whole city looks old till I can call it 'classic'. Classic is artly and beautifully old. Now I'm looking at the buildings in HK from my 45th storey apartment's window. Yes, they are old too. *Classic?*

I'll tell you more about my stories next time, I'm tired and sleepy again now.
See you again, diary..

-Abbie-

Leaving for Paris!

Sunday, 5 Apr 09, 4.04pm at home

Hi my little diary,
It's a bright Sunday today. I just finished cooking for my hubbie's meal for the next few days after I leave. I did cleaning for my home, and finished all the laundry. I did my shopping too! You know, last Friday after work, I went shopping for clothes! It's been a long time since I last shopped for clothes. I didn't intentionally want to buy clothes actually, it's all because I need some formal clothes for my Paris trip. I need to dress more formally and professionally as my work requires me to do so. And I don't want to look like a country woman who's just out of the chicken farm.

This morning, I've started my packing, I put the essential things on my luggage, such as all the work-related things, passport, documents, and my new formal clothes, and I stopped. I stopped packing because I was confused what casual clothes I should bring, which type of shoes I should wear. Hey, it's Paris! The city of fashion! I don't want to wear a dress that is like 10-years-old behind for them although I have just bought it last Friday. And how about the shoes? Honestly, I already packed 2 pair of shoes in my luggage, and I will be wearing another pair of shoes later. I can't make up my mind which shoes I should bring.
1. I bring my high heel open-shoes (to match with my formal clothes)
2. I bring my high heel long boots (just in case it's too cold to wear the open-shoes since it's still Spring over there and it's too casual to wear sport shoes)
3. I bring my sport shoes (just in case I'm tired of wearing high heel shoes)

Now I'm also thinking if I should just take off my contact-lenses, wear my thick grandma-like glasses, remove my make-up, wear pajamas, just go to the airport for my midnight flight and be ready to sleep? Or, should I still dress up nicely just to get on the plane and remove my contact-lenses and make-up after that? Or should I dress nicely till the end?

Anyway, I just realized something. Whatever I will wear later, I will still look like 10 years old behind their fashion. There is no way I can match how Paris-women dress. So, just be myself and hopefully their latest fashion is back to 10 years ago so I will look on track. Hey, fashion always changes, right?

I'll try to be online when I'm there and tell you my experience in Paris! ^_^
See you diary..

-Abbie-

April Fool

Wednesday, 1 Apr 09, 10.50pm at home

Dear my little diary,
I just had my evening shower. A long evening shower with hot water. I like showering actually. *Is there any hidden meaning behind the word "actually"?* You know, it's like a little kid when his mother asks him to sleep, he always refuses. But, once he falls asleep, he wouldn't wake up till the mother tells him so. I never say that I refuse to take a bath, ok!

Today is the first day of April. People call the 1st day of April as April Fool. I don't know why they call it 'Fool'. Why must we have a special day for fools? Anyway, we are already on the fourth month of the year 2009 now. Time indeed goes by so quickly, time never listens to the girls who scream "Stop ticking! My wrinkles are coming out!", time also never listens to the boys who yell "Stop ticking! Tomorrow is my wedding (read: prisoning) day!"

This Sunday I'll go to Paris for 5 days. The most romantic city in the world. I've been dreaming to go to Paris on my honeymoon with my loved one. Yes, I've been to Paris, 13 years ago, when I was young, when I was still 15, when I was still so excited to know what love was, the time when I decided where I would go on my honeymoon! But, life is not always smooth-sailing. Life sometimes doesn't go on like what we have planned and expected. *What do you wanna say??* Ok, cut the story short, I didn't go to Paris for my honeymoon. And this time... I'm going to Paris neither for my 2nd honeymoon nor for my holiday. I'll go there alone, without my husband, for work. *Does this have something to do with April Fool?*

I was very excited when I knew that I was going to Paris months ago. But now, I am so nervous of being on the plane for 12 hours. I am also afraid of being jet lagged. I feel like I have to do my houseworks. Who will do the laundry and the cleaning then? And how about preparing dinner for my hubbie? Suddenly I feel old and weak and sleepy and lazy. I feel like not going anywhere now. I know that I'm a house-person but I can't believe that I've turned to be a turtle who can't leave its house forever. I think I have started having air sickness especially when I'm on the bus *Hey, it's because you always play with your iPhone on the bus!*

Oh, about the iPhone, I can get the GPRS thing on April 6th since I have to finish my current voice plan contract first. It's ok, I can wait till April 6th.

Can you see the picture of my iPhone's red casing on my previous post? It's so beautiful, right? Yes, I love the casing so much since it really matches my elegant iPhone. However, that casing is already half broken now. Yea, you can guess it right. It's all because of my stupidity that already reached the max limit! Last night on the way back to office, I had nothing to do on my mini-bus. Although the mini-bus runs very fast, I felt so free and bored doing nothing on it. So, I took out the phone accessories with the word "Abigail" which usually was hanging on my old phone. I wanted to put it on my iPhone, then I suddenly realized that there was no place to hang it. I looked at the casing and saw the clips at the top right and left of the casing that grab the iPhone to stay still. I tried to insert the accessory in between the gab at the top right and suddenly "Crack..!". The clip at the top left was broken. I gave up. I put my iPhone back on my handbag.

This morning on the way to office, I was bored on the bus. Again, I took out my iPhone and my "Abigail" and wanted to try other method to hang it on the casing. And I saw the 2 clips at the bottom of the casing that grab the iPhone from the bottom right and bottom left. These 2 clips at the bottom have holes! Then I quickly tied the string of "Abigail" on one of the holes. I was so excited and kept tying it till I made a big knot. Then I tried to insert the iPhone back in the casing again and I was shocked when that familiar "Crack..!" was back! The knot was too big, the space wasn't enough for my iPhone to be in so the clip at the top left was broken. I really gave up. I put my iPhone back on my handbag and sit quietly till my bus arrived to my office. *April Fool is indeed for you!*

Diary, need to sleep now. I need to collect my sleep whenever I have time to sleep now to prepare for my Paris trip. *Are you a kind of camel that can collect water in its special stomach??*

Good nite, diary!

-Abbie-