Bachelorettes

OMG, I had sooooo much fun last night!

After work (which was also fun, especially near the end!), I went to my gf’s bachelorette party!

The weather was terrible, so a lot of people couldn’t make it. It was just a group of 7 girls, out having a good time.

Remember I couldn’t drink anymore?? Well, I drank last night and it was fine. Everything went down so easy and I got DRUNK.

Eeee!! I haven’t been drunk in SOOOO long. For the last year-ish I would drink a *very small* amount (like less than 100mL) and get sick from it. So this was a nice treat!

While I was walking to the club, it was FREEZING COLD. There was a lineup outside to get in, and as I approached, I told myself “I am NOT waiting outside”. Not so much attitude-y but I was just really too cold. So I bypassed the bouncers and walked in.

The bouncers did stop me. They asked me questions like whether I had already gotten in and I didn’t lie, I said No. Then they asked me to wait (at the front of the line!) but I said I wanted to wait inside. Instead of making me wait, they immediately stamped my wrist and let me in.

Just like that!!

WTF?!?!

When I got in, I couldn’t find my friends at first but it was fun making my rounds alone. I was in such a great mood!!

The bachelorette got sufficiently sloshed. Not in an embarrassing way, hehe. This is exactly how I’d want my bachelorette party to be: Classy, silly, and FUN!

It was nice seeing my gf’s again too. I’m so proud of everyone!

Exchage rate hopeful

Goldman Sachs is urging people to buy the Canadian dollar!

Reasons: there is room for growth, our government carries a surplus, and our economy is not as bad compared to other first world countries.

Hmm, and I’m going to Europe? lol.

It’s okay. If more people listen to Goldman Sachs, the Canadian dollar will rise and I can buy more Euros!

I *heart* cute boy

Since the cute boy is all the way in Germany and most of my friends are here in Canada, I wanted to write an entry to introduce him to everyone. This is a random list of details about my cute boy, which also doubles as a list of why I like him so much!

1. He was born in former East Germany in a town with more cows than people.

2. His favourite food is the döner, which he will describe to you with vigour (unless he’s eating one and then he will be silent save for some delighted groans!).

3. He likes cell phones and will research it everyday before he buys the most expensive one.

4. His hobby is mountain biking. This is his bike, which he is in love with (hence the posing it for photos):

5. He’s very intelligent, and doesn’t even know it. If you ask, he’ll make it sound like everyone does what he does. But not everyone graduates with great marks, a full scholarship, a paid internship in the states, and created a specialized job for themselves (out of their amazing thesis!) in a multinational company. Like, WTF?!

6. He thinks driving at 200 km/h is normal. Germans… lol!

7. He likes doing laundry! Apparently it’s fun, who knew?

8. He loves dogs! And will listen to me talk about dogs!! Unfortunately, he also likes iguanas and snakes as household pets. WTF?!?

9. He is the first born and only son. He has 3 younger sisters, all close in age and all close to him.

10. He is my one and only RSS subscriber and reads jisk.ca from his phone.

11. He is a good teacher, with an approach that is encouraging, warm, and positive . How do I know? He teaches me German words and how to drive stick, and he is SO sweet about it. If I say a German word 20 times over with only 1 time sounding sort-of okay, he will applaud me as if I’m a German linguist. With driving stick, every time I kill the engine (on his new car!) he’ll cringe in pain but will always tell me that it’s okay and that I need to make mistakes in order to learn. He also relays comforting anecdotes of when he first learned how to drive, and he never discourages me. I like that.

12. He likes Rammstein (German heavy metal band) and Die Ärzte (German punk band). I like Bach & Beethoven, Germany’s virtuosos and national gems.

13. He’ll phone me everyday after work on the 5 minute walk from his office to his car, just to say Hi and to let me know he’s coming home!

14. He never calls me by my first name, and hasn’t for over a year (that I can remember!). Instead he calls me by several names/terms of endearment that he made up for me.

Last but not least…

15. He’s CUTE!! Like really reaaaallly cute! kekeke.

It ends with diarrhea

Hello, my research job is keeping me pretty busy. Originally I was supposed to help out a few hours here and there to get things off the ground (since I have experience with another project), but now it’s turned into a full-bloom, full time job where I’m managing and coordinating the whole project.

I’m pretty stressed, because I wasn’t expecting it. I almost quit my seasonal retail job to have more time on this project, but I’m determined not to quit because I want something different. Hopefully the retail job will be fun, what are the chances of that? I start next week and have high hopes ^_^.

As much as my current job stresses me out, I am very attached to the outcome and success of the project. This is probably why I’m so stressed, because it matters. It’s my baby and I want it to go well!

There is some activity with my employer in Germany too. They asked me if I could teach on the day I arrive (!!), and I said Yes. Now the class has been moved back a week so it won’t be so rushed. I have an appointment to go in to sign my contract though. Woo!

Oh, and I qualified for a focus group session tomorrow night. I’ll make $45 for the first hour giving my opinion on diarrhea meds. Yay!

On the brink of an adventure

Woo hoo!

I finally picked up my visa yesterday morning!

After some freaking out about whether my visa also doubles as a work permit, my cute boy translated it for me and yes, it does allow me to work!

Phew.

Now essentially all I need to do is board the plane!

I can’t believe I’m moving to Europe. It’s like a dream come true. Eeee!!

The cute boy and I are very very excited!

He was helping me pack today (as in, giving me advice on what to bring via the phone) and laughed at me when I narrowed it down to: 7 jackets, 7 pairs of shoes, 6 purses, and 5 dresses!

He chuckled and said “Well, you’re going to have a different list when you put everything into the suitcase.” I didn’t even tell him about the 22 tops.

This packing business is truly painful. I’ve decided to bring a suitcase and a duffle bag full of clothes, plus a carry-on with other odds & ends.

All in all, I’m getting very excited and happy!!

This will be a fantastic adventure that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

Youtubing Chopin

I want to let you know that I’m obsessed with Chopin!

I’ve been teaching myself to play Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major, and every single day, I’ll watch YouTube videos of virtuoso’s and non-virtuoso’s playing this song. I whistle along and continue whistling whilst going about my day.

I’m not a virtuoso, so appreciate when other pianists post imperfect videos of themselves playing. It’s helpful when I can see their hands clearly, because then I can learn with them. I also like reading the comments posted by other YouTube members, because it’s often what I’m thinking too: too mechanical, great phrasing, noice piano!, you missed a trill!!

Oh, and I do [attempt to] play the song myself. It’s a lot harder than I expected, or maybe I’m just a lot rustier than I expected.

Probably this won’t happen, but I’d like to see if I can get a piano while I’m in Germany. Not a fancy one, just a full weighted electronic keyboard will do. I will always remember this Chopin song as that song that got me to Germany, and I want to continue playing it while I’m there.

Years down the line when my back is long broken on this song, I’ll play it again and will return to this time. I am sentimental about music that way. Who isn’t!

This new obsession is making really happy!

Monthly Personal Goals – December 2008

December is the last full month I’ll be in Toronto for a long time. With so much left I want and need to do, it’s the right time now to make a list of goals. I’ll be doing this every month to keep myself refreshed. Plus it’s fun!

Clean My Room. I moved the contents of my apartment back into my parents’ home earlier this year. And then I left to travel. Things are still in disarray and I need to go through it all. I want to leave my room near-empty (furniture not included) so someone else can use this space while I am gone.

Make a Packing List. I’ll be gone for a year so will need to pack clothing for all seasons, crammed into 1 or 2 suitcases! This still baffles me but it has to be done. Packing strategically will be a challenge!

Spend Quality Time With My Family. I’m going to miss my family a lot. I’ve changed my habits and have been spending lots of active and purposeful time with them, which I intend on continuing.

Spend Time With Friends. I want to see people and hang out!

Save Money. Packing lunches and eating in before going out. Or going out without over-spending.

Become An Online Tutor. I’ve signed up with tutor.com and now need to go through their process to become an online chemistry tutor. If I get in, I’ll have another source of income while abroad.

Play Piano Everyday. I will miss playing piano while I’m away. Right now I am learning Nocturne No. 2 in E Flat Major by Chopin, which is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. My goal is to play it everyday, along with some Bach two part inventions (I like No. 13 the best!). This all makes me very happy.

Expand My German Vocabulary. I’m learning German! It’s very, very hard. I want to learn a new word and phrase everyday and make flash cards. Then practice with my cute boy ^_^.

Floss Every Night. I don’t floss my front teeth too often because I have a permanent retainer cemented onto the back. Luckily my dentist just gave me a snazzy little tool that cuts down flossing time from 5 minutes to 5 seconds!  

Read a Book. I borrowed a book from the library and I want to read it!

Send Out Christmas Cards. I need to write and send cards to my family in Hong Kong, and my German Oma!

Talk to My Sweetie. I miss him and I like talking to him. He’s cute, what can I say!