Meet Caleb.

I am very very happy to announce the arrival of Caleb Isaiah Wu. He weighed in at 7 lbs 9oz. I have to say that he is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Usually, when they are first born they are all wrinkly and red, not very attractive at all but he is simply perfect. I am not saying that cause he is my brand new nephew but in actuality in a totally unbiased opinion he is beautiful.

I sense our bond already, afterall we almost share the same birthday and when I picked him up today he was crying but soon after he stopped crying and fell asleep. I think we will get along well, I am going to be the bestest ever aunt in the whole wide world to him.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Sorry, it was a little late but I have been preoccupied as of late and completely forgot to wish those faithful blogheads out there a very Happy New Year! Gung Hay Fat Choy! Wishing each and everyone health and prosperity over the upcoming year of the monkey.

Supposedly a good year for the horse folk out there.

I was a good Chinese New Year surrounded by my family eating traditional Chinese foods, a far cry from the lonely New Years I had last year in my cold apartment eating sushi.

Aunty Char!!

You know how it is, you are in the perfect REM sleep dreaming that you are on a white sand beach, sipping a margarita, enjoying the view of the ocean, and as far as the eye can see you are surrounded by nothing but coconut trees and your very tall, dark, handsome, and highly intelligent personal masseuse, then from out of nowhere you hear the phone ring. You groggily think, hey there are no phones on my beach, then you wake up and realize the phone is ringing.

I was woken up at the un-godly hour of 7:00 am this morning by my brother-in-law. It seems that he took my sister to the hospital because she was having contractions. So, for the whole day I have been patiently waiting and waiting for the stork to drop off my little niece of nephew, it has been 12 hours so far and nothing, nada...hope he/she comes soon. I cannot wait to be Aunty Char.

I find myself spending too much time watching TV. What is it about TV that sucks you in and then proceeds to zap your brain of all independant thought. I question whether I have any self control what-so-ever and how long it will take for my brain to turn to mush.

In my efforts to combat the slow decay of my brain I have tried to switch to the computer and read interesting things and the news as well as reading books. I will also try to get out and about and try to do some lessons or something other than sitting my butt down in front of the zombie machine.

Still looking for a job but no luck so far.....I have decided to redo my resume and see if that helps any. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

As for going back to school next year, still not 100% sure of what direction to head. Everything is up in the air still. Hope to come to some conclusions. If anyone out there has any suggestions of interesting careers then send them my way.

Happy New Year!! Full update of what is running through my head as of late.


Well, actually, Happy January 8th. I wish a 2004 filled with much joy, challenges, achievements, and above all laughter, for each and everyone of you.

I had a wonderful holiday, it was my first holidays back and it was good minus the working part. I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of a "Canadian Christmas" and also learn how hellish it is for those poor people working retail. It was also wonderful to spend time with many of my friends whom I have not seen in a long time. They were home for the holidays and I was really happy I could spend time with them. I truly missed everyone and our crazy interactions.

As well, we had some snow in Vancouver. Which is a rarity. I was quite happy about that. The one thing I always liked about Japan was the snow we got. I love the way it makes you feel when it snows, like a big kid. I still get all excited about snow and want to rush out and play in it. I will never get too old to go out and build a snowman nor go sliding down the hill. It was funny cause we had a snow warning for Vancouver, oohh nooo, we were going to have 10 to 30 cm of snow overnight. "Tell everyone to stay at home if they can, power might be knocked out, yada yada yada" The whole city shuts down for a little snow, trust me I have friends in TO who get that on a regular basis and where I lived in Japan it snowed for an entire month.

I did have a chance to see some movies during the holidays. I tried to catch up on a bit of pop culture that I had missed during my tenure living in my bubble overseas. I watched quite a few movies, "the Last Samurai, Pirates of the Caribbean, X-men 2, Lord of the Rings Return of the King, American wedding, and Bowling for Columbine". Let me say that I would recommend the Last Samurai, LOTR, and Bowling for Columbine. The other ones kind of sucked, well let me say that Hugh Jackman makes a very hot wolverine.

I watched Bowling for Columbine twice and I really liked it. It was thought provoking and reminded me just how stupid we as humans can be and how careless we are with each others lives. Time to stop and think.

Finally, life is still moving along in a transitional kind of way, a little too slow paced for my liking. I am as always still searching for a job. I am a bit disheartened by the whole process and the sense of futility. I try my best and do what I can but sometimes it just does not seem like enough. I will persevere though. Life always has its way of working itself out. Until something better comes up, I am still working one day at the BAY, long story but the bottom line is that I love working with the people there.

If no job appears in the horizon in mid-Feb. I will take a little train trip to TO, Montreal, Ottawa and NY. I have some friends in that neck of the woods and thought that I would take some time to see them as well as see this country a bit. It should be fun and I am looking forward to it. The plan is contingent on the employment situation as well as the new addition to my family. I am going to be an aunt. Can you imagine, auntie Char...I am ecstatic. My eldest sister is pregnant and is expecting in Feb. Let me say a great time to be born.

I will fill everyone on the details when he or she arrives, although I have a gut feeling it will be a little boy.

Sushi

Back in my uni days sushi was a comfort food for me and my friends. We would always go out for sushi if we had a bad day or a bad lab partner. Well, yesterday I met two of my friends who have gone away to school in Toronto, for lunch and of course we had to reminisce so we stopped by our usual Sushi joint for lunch, YUMI FUJI SUSHI. Unfortunately it was closed for lunch but we managed to find another one. It was so much fun to be out and about with them. It was like nothing had changed over the 2 years since we have really seen each other. We have this great relationship, filled with sarcasm, a bit of razzing, and genuine love and admiration for each other. It was a hoot to be hanging out with them. We laugh and make a bit of chaos when we get together.

It was a good day.

Snow

The main winter weather in Vancouver is rain and more rain, heck the main weather in Vancouver is rain and more rain almost all year. However, today we got snow. I am so excited we got snow, it was not a lot of snow but enough snow to lightly dust all the houses and yards. It was so pretty. I was out and about today in Vancouver doing some post-Christmas bargain hunting and was delighted to be walking around while the snow was falling. It was the wet gross stuff we used to get in Toyama. In fact, it totally reminded me of all the gross days we had in Japan with the wet snow. It was not so bad today, it made me happy. Nasukashii so... I think that I am happy with any type of snow here in Vancouver, wet or otherwise.

And no I did not find a lot of bargains, but did get a pair of super warm boots lined with wool that keep my feet nice and toasty with super traction. Yippie for my new boots.

Merry Christmas


I have just gotten back from a rousing Christmas dinner with my extended family at my sister's house. My tummy is full with nummy food and my soul rejuventated for a little while. It has been a long time since I have had a "normal" Christmas. Normal being the weird and wacky hodge podge Chinese/N. American Christmas traditions that we have. I think the most important thing was spending time with my family. It was nice to be all together and laugh with my cousins. My family drives me nuts for the most part but once in a blue moon it is nice to be able to spend a little time with them. My overbearing sisters, my lack a dazy brother, and my know it all cousins. There have been some changes in the last two years, first of all Christmas was not in Chilliwack and my grandmother was not there but it was nice to be on the same continent as my family this Christmas.

Our Christmas, consists of all my cousins, aunts, uncles getting together. We usually end up cooking a lot of random food, all different types from all continents. The kids get together and chat while the adults sit together and chat. I remember once that there was even a bit of karaoke. We tease each other, we share what is going on in our lives, but most of all we laugh and are happy. Somewhere in there we open presents and ooh and aah about what each other got.

My Christmas spirit was lacking, it got sucked out of me by the craziness of working retail during the holidays. I never really felt like celebrating Christmas and it seems like I have not had a chance to enjoy and it has passed by. My soul has been rejuvenated by my family and the craziness that they bring, and I think that just as long as I do not work at the BAY I will be much happier.

BTW, I quit but somehow got suckered into working still. I am still trying to quit.

I hope that everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas no matter where they were. Remember it was not about the number of presents under the tree but about your friends and family.

Decisions

I am going to leave the BAY. I have not told my boss this yet but I have decided that after next week I will not be working at the BAY anymore. It was sucking the life out of me and I felt like such an uncaring robot just out there to make money for the company. It was sell, sell, sell. I am really surprised that I had not quit early in fact. I think I felt some kind of loyalty to them and did not want them to be left high and drive before Christmas...(cause we all know what a selling machine, I am)

I am going to step out the comfort zone and perhaps just take some time to find a job I do like or if not, then take a train ride to NY and take in some of this beautiful country and the one below us. I know that this is not financially sound but alas, I think my happiness and my own sanity are worth more. I will just have to take a dip into my savings and finance it from there.

Sayonara, BAY

Christmas Day is on its way

I was really excited this year that I would be having Christmas at home with my family. However, after several weeks of retail hell at the BAY, I am starting to wish that Christmas is over.

I normally abosolutely love Christmas and cannot wait for it to come. This year, my Christmas season consists of disgruntled customers complaining to me about how long the line ups are and how expensive items are. Where is the Christmas spirit? It seems that Christmas is all about the presents and money.

ARRGHGGH!!!

Well, I am out here to remind you that Christmas is about spending time with your family and realizing just how blessed you are to be able to spend time with them. I had the pleasure of making cookies with my sisters one afternoon. It turned out to be quite disasterous but bad cookies aside it was what the Christmas spirit is all about.

The Future

What am I suppose to do with my life? That is probably a question that almost everyone has struggled with at one point in their lives and perhaps like me, still are asking themselves that question. Man...How am I suppose to know what I want to do with my life? I feel like I am 5 again, when I wanted to be an anthropologist/aeronautical engineer/prime minister. It seems like there are many things that I want to do but am not sure what I want to do exactly. The only difference is that at 5, I thought that I can do anything, now at 25, I am not so sure of myself anymore. Can I really do it all?

I do not think I want to be a kinesiologist anymore. After encountering some very memorable people in my travels, I want to find a career that is more meaningful, something that will benefit people and help to alleviate some of their problems. As a kinesiologist, I think that the people that I would encounter would only have "first world" problems, problems originating from a too rich society taking too many things for granted, for ex. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, caused from too much time on a computer. Hello...there are people out there who have problems affording food, let alone affording a computer.

I know that this sounds very preachy, but I cannot help but feel that my career should be something more meaningful and helpful.

I have narrowed it down to two things, get my MBA in non profit administration or do acupuncture. Not sure, both seem equally challenging. In all honesty, I am a bit scared of the unknown and my own capabilities. Can I do it? I am not as invincible as I thought. The trials and tribulations of getting older, self doubt creeps in.

The Future

What am I suppose to do with my life? That is probably a question that almost everyone has struggled with at one point in their lives and perhaps like me, still are asking themselves that question. Man...How am I suppose to know what I want to do with my life? I feel like I am 5 again, when I wanted to be an anthropologist/aeronautical engineer/prime minister. It seems like there are many things that I want to do but am not sure what I want to do exactly. The only difference is that at 5, I thought that I can do anything, now at 25, I am not so sure of myself anymore. Can I really do it all?

I do not think I want to be a kinesiologist anymore. After encountering some very memorable people in my travels, I want to find a career that is more meaningful, something that will benefit people and help to alleviate some of their problems. As a kinesiologist, I think that the people that I would encounter would only have "first world" problems, problems originating from a too rich society taking too many things for granted, for ex. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, caused from too much time on a computer. Hello...there are people out there who have problems affording food, let alone affording a computer.

I know that this sounds very preachy, but I cannot help but feel that my career should be something more meaningful and helpful.

I have narrowed it down to two things, get my MBA in non profit administration or do acupuncture and TCM. The trouble now is choosing which one to do. In all honesty, I am a bit scared and doubtful of my own capabilities. Can I do it? I am not as invinceable as I thought I was. The trials and tribulations of getting older, self doubt starts to creeps in.

MIA

I have been away for a while from my blog, both physically and consciously. All apologies for the MIA (missing in action), to those faithful readers of the goings on in the Wacky World of Char. The things I have been writing about lately, just seem so trivial and so inconsequential. It feels like the things I have been writing about just have not been coming from my heart. It lacks my usual enthusiasm and spirit.

The thing is that as of late, my world has not been so wacky, in terms of adventures in wonderful and exotic lands, nor in meeting of random people who stalk me. So it feels like there is nothing I am really excited to blog about. My life has been crazy in terms of finding myself in a place that I cannot actually place. I am at a point where nothing is really concrete and everything seems like it is in suspension. I am in fact in transition and let me tell you it has been a difficult time here. Things have not turned up rosey as I had expected upon my return to Canada. I find myself in a position that has been hard for me to adjust to, living at home, working in a job that I do not love, not having the chance to travel, and of course the involuntary relationship abstinence (that is a given in my life and I have gotten used to that), among the changes in relationships with my 2 year absence. I am not complaining about my life because I know that I am extremely blessed to have a wonderful family who allows their 25 year old daughter to once again invade their space and live with them and of course the fact that I am employed.

It is just that I had imagined my life at ......25 a little differently. Not married nor in a career persay, but at a place where I am sure of the direction that I am supposed to head in. Oh, the joys of life post Japan and the depression that goes with it. How can I smile, when I feel like there is nothing to smile about.

I am sure that I will figure it out soon, afterall you are not given challenges that you cannot overcome, you just have to try a little harder.

The Rest of my Life....

From what I can gather, I am a retail genius of some sorts. My talent , however, does not work in the traditional sense that one would believe it to work. One would believe that a self proclaimed retail genius would have the ability to sell everything and anything. My talent on the other hand, seems to function in the favour of the customer and not in the favour of those signing my paycheque. I think the correct term would be "Retail Idiot Savant". It seems that I have the ability to talk a potential customer out of buying the 1200$ diamond ring, they had their hearts set on, and instead steer them into the direction of the 120$ cubic zirconia. I can spend hours talking to a customer about their lives and get to know them, and then talk them into realizing they do not need that ring but instead should spend their money on something else. I am not cut out for a career in retail. I think the closes thing to retail that I seem to excel at is shopping.

So is my life and the trials and tribulations of one Wacky girl at the Hudsons Bay Company.

Weird things are happening....

Tonight, at work we had this fragrance, cosmetic and jewellery night. I bought a ticket cause I kind of got suckered into it. The high pressure sales tactics of the Bay.

Side note, I had my eyebrows done and I must say they are nice looking for a change, better than the raggedy job I do myself. Sorry, I am sure everyone out there cares about my eyebrows.

Anyways, the real reason for this blog is the psychic reading I got done. I thought that I would have my stones read just for fun. I usually do not believe in these sorts of things but I thought what the heck, why not. Well, first of all she asked for something of mine, I gave her one of my rings and right away she said, something else, you don't wear this all the time. In general, she gave me some good advice about life and being myself, but she did mention some other things that kind of weirded me out. She was completely right about some things and about how my life is proceeding. I am not a believer in things like this at all, but it was kind of strange how accurate she is about some of the stuff she said.

A little bit of the Twiglight zone.

Astro Boy

I am not sure if very many people out there remember this cartoon about a robot boy who had extraordinary powers. When I was little I used to watch it all the time with my brother and loved it. When I was in Japan I found a whole bunch of Astro Boy aka Atom things there and could not get enough of it. So my friend sent me the theme song and I thought I would share it with you all

SORAOKOETE RARARA HOSHINO KANATA YUKUZO ATOMU SEIGINOMIKATA
KOKOROYASASHI RARARA KAGAKUNOKO JYUMAN BARIKIDA TETSUWANATOMU

Find Char a job....

It seems like the whole job search process is like another full time job in itself. It requires searching for the job, then applying for it, and then hoping and praying they like how you look on paper, to call you in and see just how fabulous you are in person. It is at times pretty tiresome, especially with over 10 resumes and cover letters sent out. Please note that I am not complaining, just stating a fact.

If only it were easier and people or companies out there would just figure it out and realize that I would make a great employee. Come on I am well travelled, love to laugh and smile, speak 4 languages, only one of which I can speak fluently, but who needs to tell them that, two years of teaching English to highschool kids in Japan, and survived...
and gosh darn it I have a 4 year degree and lets not forget a certificate both of which cost me a lot of money and now have a student loan that is the GNP of a small third world country. Come on, with those qualifications, who wouldn't want me.

Job oh job, job meaning the non retail kind...where art thou?

Been thinking....

Yeah, yeah, I know what some of you are saying to yourself...thinking...Yeah right...Char...Never.....

Well FYI, I have been thinking about a lot of things since my return home, yup you have a lot of time on your hands when are do not work full time. Well, it has occurred to me that I am a complainer...Yup...I complain about everything....First I complained when I was in Japan and now I complain that I am not in Japan. Man, have I always been a complainer or has this been a recent phenomenon?

Well, I have decided to do less complaining and suck it up. After seeing the poverty in Nepal, I have no right to complain about anything at all. From here on in, I am going to be thankful for things and try to focus on just how lucky I am. Sometimes we forget about all that we have been given and just how good we really have it. Even for retail hell and the BAY....Well, that one will take a little more time to be thankful for....Working up to that ....Thankful for my great co-workers who at least make working there a little more bearable...That is a start, I guess.

Pictures

My Japanese family, (one of a few), sent me the photos of the rice I planted last spring. They harvested it by hand and then sent me the photos of it. I was sad I was not there to help them do it, but touched that Nao, sent me an email and told me about it...




nb: I love this family, they are un-like any other family I have ever met in Japan and treat me like I am one of their own...plus, I think Nao is kind of cute....

Retail Blues...

To those regular readers of the Wacky World of Char, (those loyal bloggers, you know who you are and I love ya all), I must apologize for the lack of blogs lately. I have to say that I have not had anything exciting happening to me in the last few weeks, other than the tales of working retail and how it is sucking the life out of me and making me a drone of the corporate greed that drives oppulence and overspending in an already over saturated first world country. Let me get off my soapbox....

Anyways, my friend (my sister in retail Bliss) sent this along to me and I thought that I would share with y'all and remind everyone to be kind and not forget that we too are human and deserving of the Christmas spirit too when you are shopping for the holidays.

From Courtney...

Hey everybody, the holiday season is approaching, and
in the interest of general peace and harmony, I think
it's high time someone compiled a list of DON'TS for
shoppers across the nation. Having worked retail for
almost 10 years, I'd like to draw your attention to
the most common, most annoying bad habits of customers
I have dealt with.

I make no apologies for truly bad customer service!
I'd just like you to keep these things in mind for
those of us who really try to treat you well but
become frustrated by the following:

1. DON'T walk up to the counter with no salesperson
behind it and look disgusted that one does not
magically materialize before you.

2. DON'T enter a store talking loudly on a cell phone
and continue to gab as you browse, all the way through
your transaction, visibly annoyed that you must pause
long enough to receive your change.

3. DON'T throw your money or merchandise on the
counter when we have our hands outstretched to receive
it.

4. DON'T treat us like your own personal shopper.
Ideally, good customer service should make you feel
like you're the only person in the store. But this is
not reality.

5. DON'T give us bills all crumpled up, or, worse,
damp.

6. DON'T wait until everything is rung up to ask if
it's on sale. We will be much more cheerful about
answering your questions if we don't have to void the
sale and re-ring things.

7. DON'T neglect to estimate the total cost of your
purchase and then freak out like it's our fault you
can't add in your head as you shop.

8. DON'T carry things around the store, decide against
buying them, and leave them laying in random places.
This makes it harder for everyone to find what they're
looking for.

9. DON'T simply ignore us when we say hello or wish
you a nice day. You may be sullen, but you should at
least be polite.

10. DON'T let your children run amok. While you may
think it's cute that they're destroying things, we do
not.

11. DON'T try to make change with pennies when there
are 8 people lined up behind you.

12. DON'T set your items on the sales counter as you
shop, taking up valuable space and confusing everyone.
Unless your purchases are extremely heavy, use a cart
or a basket.

13. DON'T think you're cute by teasing or otherwise
harrassing us -- this goes out to older men for the
most part. You are not the first one to do so, even
though we may be humoring you.

14. DON'T ask for any amount of change in quarters so
you can do your laundry or wash your car. This is
what banks are for.

15. DON'T let us ring up half your items, suddenly
announce you forgot something, and spend the next ten
minutes running around the store some more. This ties
up the register, slows down traffic, and makes us want
to shoot you. If you can put a candy bar on your
debit card, you can come back and buy that forgotten
item later.

16. DON'T make comments like "You don't look like
you're doing anything" when approaching us alone at
the till. Chances are this is one of those rare
breathers in between mobs of people.

17. DON'T assume you are entitled to all the wonderful
boxes, bags, tissue paper, etc. Wrapping your items
is a service we provide to make you happy, not your
God-given right.

18. DON'T get angry when we ask to see your ID. We
are only trying to protect you and prevent fraud.

19. DON'T yell at us when returning an item that is
defective. We do not order merchandise for the store,
we did not purposely sabotage it, we just ring things
up.

20. DON'T wander leisurely for an hour and then check
your watch repeatedly while we ring you up, as if
WE'RE making you late.

21. DON'T assume we're half-wits. Many of us serving
you have other jobs and degrees.

22. DON'T summon us with beckoning fingers or
snapping, unless your socials skills are so limited
you have no other way to ask for help. You don't have
to treat us like dirt to prove you have money