Moments in My Life

In this world you have to be careful whom you be friends with. I knew someone whom was very nice to his friends, he even opened a credit card under his name for his friend to use because his best friend couldn’t be approved for one. Well, there is always a reason why credit card companies don’t approve his application. This is a friend whom he knew for very long and very well trusted. A few months later, my friend received the credit card statement and his eyes almost dropped out. The bill was for over $100,000. His friend had swiped the card with his careless attitude and raked up the bill to over $100K. And since my friend’s name is on the bill, his friend doesn’t really have to be responsible for the payment at all.

Poor my friend, he had to file for a bankruptcy. He owns a loan office himself where he shares the office with two real estate agents whom are also my friends. But now he has to close it down. My real estate friends had to move out and find another office because their names were not on the lease. Not just that, they will also have to print new business cards and redo all their Real Estate Custom Promotional Products because their phone number and address were no longer the same. I am guessing they may be donating the items with the incorrect information away soon.

So to all readers … do not ever open a credit card for your any of your friends, even though you know them very well. This is a very costly (time and money) lesson  my friend had learned and he swears that he will never ever do anything like that ever again.

San Francisco Day 1 Part 1
San Francisco Day 1 Part 2

October 18th 2008

After breakfast at the hotel, we drove around Downtown San Jose near the San Jose State University but most of the businesses were closed. We went back to the hotel for a little bit after the short drive. Next we went to the Daiso at Mountain View before stopping over to visit Vien and her family. Was able to get a few bento items from this store but nothing major. By the time we got to Vien’s place was around 11am.

First thing we saw when we arrived at her home was this beautiful changing color of the fall scenery.

Chatted a little bit with her before we went out lunch together at a Hong Kong Cafe style at downtown Mountain View. Brandon ate quite a lot of the wonton noodle soup. We cleaned out our food pretty good.

We caught up more when we returned to her home after lunch. Vien wanted me to carry Cassie for a picture but she cried when she saw me carrying her. Vien told me to pass her to Alan and immediately she stopped. It is true how Vien said she prefers men carrying her instead of ladies.

Brandon was very busy with the fan that he found in Vien’s family room. He was having so much fun with it that he didn’t want to leave at all. We had to ask Belle to sit and pose next to Brandon and the ‘fan’ for this picture below.

I didn’t have a picture with Cassie but I got Belle sitting on my lap for this picture.

Brandon really didn’t want to leave Vien’s house. Right Vien? We had to stay a little while on her porch and slowly moving our steps towards our car.

We wished we could stay longer to catch up but since Alan had to meet up with his co-worker and wife at San Francisco, we had to go.

To be continue …

A long time friend of mine got involved with a guy whom was married. He lied to her about his wife and told her he’s single. It was too late when my friend found out that he has his family and that his wife was demanding for him to leave my friend. My friend was so sad and went into depression.

If she would have accessed and checked that man’s Marriage Records before she went too deep into her relationship, she would easily found out about his status. For future, when any of you are going out with any guy, check his status at Public Online Marriage Records first. I tried it with my own name and found it listed there.

My friend has just delivered her baby girl to join her family end of August. She had just called me less than a month ago to let me know that she was pregnant. I was surprised. Then she told me her due date’s only three weeks away and she will be on maternity leaves beginning that week. And more surprise came my way, she is going to name her baby Mei Ying. SHOCKER! She told me that she and her husband have decided to let her father in-law to choose the name and he came up with Mei Ying or Wai Ying. She said she had never heard about Wai Ying so she went with Mei Ying. Now I know some one else other than myself who is Mei Ying.

Since her family has expanded, she may be looking to get a new place to move to. May be I should suggest to her looking at Gaithersburg MD real estate. But I don’t think she might want to move that far away from her work place in Atlanta. Unless she and her husband had their jobs move up to Maryland or DC area, then may be they will get a home in Gaithersburg.

Her mother has arrived to help take care of her for her confinement and only able to stay for about 1 month. Then her MIL will come to help and stay for 4 months. She will have to decide if she going to stay home or leaving her baby at the daycare while she resume her work. She has 3 months paid maternity leaves after the delivery. Good right?

We are not moving this summer but my ex-landlord and his wife did. They sold their homes and moved to Santa Monica for now. This year, they will be on sabbatical and financially they have to budget their plans very well and as he said it, “We are living frugally now.”

Right before they placed their home on the market, I advised them to find cheap movers like the one at ABF U-Pack Moving. ABF U-Pack has the alternative to cheaper moving because you will have to do the loading and unloading part. They will drop off an ABF Trailer or ReloCube® at the location, you load, then they drive to your next location and you unload from there. They can help you move anywhere within the US between 5-7 days. For my landlord, he didn’t have a good back so he hired a few high students to help him load and unload at his new location. It was much cheaper than paying for a full service mover to help.

One of my ex-school mates from SMDJ just called me up from the South East Coast. She has been married for a year and half. We haven’t been in touch since she got married.  That day she called me and told me a Malaysia girlfriend of hers from DC will be moving to LA and if is possible to give out my phone and email contact to her. Of course I said yes. Then she surprised me with the ‘news’. She is only 3 weeks away from her due date. And something more … her daughter will be name May Ying. She told they let her Father-in-law choose the name and he came up with two choices - May Ying or Wai Ying. They chose the first. Ahh … I was so happy for her.  Next time seeing her daughter, I will be calling her my own name.  LOL!

She will be off starting from this week till her delivery and then she will have 3 months of maternity leaves. She told me they may have to look for a bigger car, and may be an SUV. Since the baby may come anytime now, they may need to shop for the car a bit later. She told me her husband likes to check out the SUV at Bruce Cavenaugh Suzuki Wilmington NC. For now, they can browse the available cars online on the website.  Hopefully the new car will arrive when her mother comes over in October. Then after her mother leaves, her MIL will come and stay for about 4 months.

We went out with another mommy and her boy to La Romeria Park this morning.  They were already there when we arrived at 9:50am.  We stayed till 11am.  I can see my son is start learning to play with another person.  Brandon loves others to chase after him.  He was trying to get Colin to chase him but Colin preferred to play with the other older kids at the playground. 

Brandon was on the slide, climbing the stairs … he is not a swing person.  He has shown no interested in it at all.  I tried to get him sitting on one, but his legs was pushing hard not to get inside.  I am guessing he didn’t like the ‘roller coaster’ feeling when the swing comes down. 

We played at the playground a little while and then went to the grassy field to run.  Brandon was running all the way.  I have to bring him here more often and let the running and playing tired him out for a good afternoon nap. 

We came home around 11:25pm.  Fed him his lunch.  I made fish porridge prior to the park outing this morning so I didnt’t have to prepare the lunch when we got home.  I just need to feed him.  He likes the porridge and finished two plates fast. 

It was at 12pm when I called MIL to come over but she has a guest.  It is now 12:30pm.  I will probably give him a bath at 1pm and let him nap at 1:30pm.  Will see how the napping goes.  I get a little worry everytime when nap/bed is around the corner.  *cross fingers*   

My friend used to work for Sony Picture Studios in Culver City. He had stopped working there now that he moved to Las Vegas. But right before he left his job, he invited me to visit the studio. I was thrilled about the trip.

We had lunch inside the studio (fast food, nothing fancy) and he brought me over to view some of the movie sets. He told me most of the furniture and electronic items on the set were rented. And since my friend was working there on contract, his office had several MacBook Pro rentals on the desk that belongs to CRE. And once the work contract is finished, they just need to return all the office furniture as well as the computer equipments. It is much easier that way as the studio does not need to store them when these items are not needed.

This was my first wedding ceremony and reception on a yatch. Hubby has went to several, but I wasn’t with him. It was exciting and we were so looking forward to this event since the beginning of the year.

That Sunday 4/27, we left home to drive down to Newport Beach around 3:35pm.  It was a very hot day whereby the temperature hit above 90s (could be over 100).  Hubby was wearing a tux while I choice to wear a simple two pieces top button down with a dark grey skirt.  We arrived at 4:30pm and there was a huge crowd waiting by the dock. 

Around 4:40pm, they allowed some other guests to get on another yatch.  At around 5pm, they allowed the guests of the Ambassador to board.  The ceremony was held on the middle deck.  There are a total of 3 decks on this yatch.  The bottom deck where there is a lounge and bar area.  The second deck for the ceremony and later changed into the reception area.  The top deck is roof deck, open air with view.

We sat at the back row since we hardly know anyone there except for the groom’s parents.  I lined up to sign the guestbook which turned out to be the picture frame of their wedding picture.  It was then I saw the groom and congratulated him.  I joined Hubby and Brandon after I was done signing.   The ceremony started almost immediately after everyone signed the guestbook. 

After the ceremony was over, the guests were told to go down to the bottom deck for a drink while the relatives stay back on the same deck for pictures.  We went down and had couple of drinks (non-alcoholic).  A while later the groom and bride came to join the party.  A few guests have come up to the front to address the groom and bride and the toast were done then. 

It was probably 630pm by then, and we were again invited to go back up to the 2nd deck for the reception dinner.  Each table was meant for 8 guests.  The groom and bride sat by themselves in the front facing the party.  We were seated with another 3 guests (groom & bride’s college instructor plus 2 daughters).  Even before I saw down, I was amazed by the center piece of each table.  It was a small aquarium with two little gold fish in it.  We played a game before the dinner began and the winner (not us) would take the centerpiece home with them that night.

Because of the small space, each table was called up individually to take their dinner from the buffet set up by the dance floor.  The menu for that night had salad with red wine dressing, steamed vegetable, garlic sauce penne, shrimp with white sauce, prime rib, bread and butter.  After dinner, they showed a slide show with a touching speech ending by the groom and bride. 

Then the games begun.  We didn’t participate in the games.  I would like to share an interesting game that was play that evening.  Guests were asked to contribute any amount of money to a pot.  Only those whom added will be able to play the game.  The MC gave the bride a cell phone and had asked her to slip it into the groom’s body from top to bottom ot bottom to the top.  I wasn’t able to hear clearly the rules.  At the same time, the MC will annouce the cell phone number, one digit at a time.  The participant guest whom able to call in successfully and have a short conversation with the bride win the whole pot.  Interesting right?

After games were finished, they open the dance floor for the bride and groom.  Then all guests were invited to joined in.  Brandon wanted to dance so we headed onto the dance floor a few times.  He wanted me to carry him all the time though.  I was tired because Daddy didn’t want to show off his dancing skill by going out with Brandon. 

The yatch docked after 9:30pm.  We were the few first guests whom left the yatch.  It was Sunday and Hubby needed to go to work the early next morning.  We arrived home around 10:30pm.

Overall, it was a beautiful wedding. Everything was so perfect.  Kudos to Richard and Pauline. We had a very good time, even Brandon approved it.  At least he didn’t make a big fuss being inside a yatch with so many new faces. 

Here are some pictures to share.

Today is a big day for my friend, Richard and his bride, Pauline.  We were honored to be invited as a family to attend their wedding ceremony and reception on the Ambassador Love Voyage.  Yes, Brandon was invited too. 

I only have a few close friends that are living in LA, and Richard is one of them.  I’ve known Richard for a longest time.  It was probably sometimes in 1994 or 1995.  I met him at Stamford College while we both we in the same American Degree Program (ADP).  Funny thing is that we became close because he was asking for my homework almost everyday right before the Calculus class.  We did two Calculus classes together while in Stamford.  It was becoming quite annoying to me when he kept asking me to share my answers with him.  REALLY!!  I just let him copy my work.  That’s how we came to know each other.  And coincidently, somehow we both ended up in LA.   

Congratulations again and may the two of you have a happy and loving lives together.  Another truly never ending love story has just begun today.  As in the old chinese, I wish you two ‘white hair till old‘.