Merry Chrismas

This is in fact my second time celebrating Christmas here in the UK. The difference this time is I have feel the Christmas mood, busy doing Christmas shopping, writing and sending Christmas cards. I think I just like sharing the love and happiness to people around me. Some were surprised receiving my card and present..Ha! To be honest, I am the unexpected most of the time, coz I like to give people surprise!

Christmas Shopping
This is the first time I do Christmas shopping in a foreign land. It is quite different than what I used to do back in KL. Coz those I did in KL should call Chinese New Year shopping, coz retailers will do Christmas Sale, and it is time to get prepared for Chinese New Year, buying new cloth, new lingerie, new shoes, and CNY groceries...The thing here is I am actually shopping present for others...ha! I quite enjoyed it...:)

Christmas Dinners
I was invited to a few Christmas dinners this year, which was very nice :)

Xmas dinner with Suzie on the 15th December in The China Palace restaurant, Reading.
Shame that no picture were taken, too busy eating I guess...haha

Xmas dinner with the Chinese PHD students from Informatics Research Centre (IRC) on the 16th December in the Honeymoon Restaurant, Reading. Again, I guess we were all busy eating that time. But I was amazed by how my lecturers enthusiasm in karaokeing..lol.

Xmas dinner with DP folks on the 17th December in The Bel & Dragon, Reading. The meal was very nice, just that for me, I think the portion is too little..anyway, I have enjoyed the food...hehe.

DP queen? :p

25th the Christmas Day
I love my aunt's cooking... She is a good cook. The Christmas meal was a combination of the east and west. Look at the turkey, and all different types of stuffing that we had..I especially love the gravy that my aunt made, it was a mixture of meat juices and granules...best gravy I ever had!!

The small Christmas tree at the corner...still lovely!

East + West Christmas Meal!

Highlight of the day- Mr Organic Turkey... But you are roasted now...ha!

Then it was time for Christmas present....

'Mother Christmas'...present time...

My unwrapped pressie....hehe

26th the Boxing Day
It was also my movie day. Thanks for the unnecessary tube strike which caused me not able to travel places and seeing my friends, I had to stay in at my aunt. Well, the positives was I can have loads of great food still, so I spent my time just watching movies (The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Holiday in Handcuffs, The Santa Clause)on BBC iplayer..chewing chocolates...and of course chatting around with my friends...

quite like the google interface :)

27th : Seeing Brian, Albee and their mom in Four Seasons Restaurant, Leicester Square
It was a very nice catch up, I have not see them for 2 years. Still, when we sat down, we just have unlimited topic to chat about...eat and chat, then eat again....

28th: Post Christmas Dinner with Bee
This should be my last Christmas dinner of the year. Ha! Bee was making me roast chicken, my favorite mash and sharing me the Pineau... :)

Stuffing in the corn feed chicken...

'yit lat lat' just out from the oven!! The color is nice!

Here we go...roast chicken with stuffing, yorkshire pudding, vegetables, wine and Pineau

we only remembered the crackers after finished our meal...lol

my present....the Pashmina

Christmas here gives me the feeling like celebrating Chinese New Year back home, it is time to catch up with family and friends, knowing how everyone is doing.. I have enjoyed my Christmas 2010 in the UK :)

Flashing my xmas and birthday presents...haha

Lastly, and again...to all my friends and family....

Multi-agile waitressing

Out of a blue moon, I walked in to a Chinese restaurant in Reading the other day. Perhaps this is just me, playful and always like to try new things. Since I am quite free now, so there is no harm trying something new. Seriously, and yet, it is another life experience!

It snowed quite heavily this morning. Still, I had determined to accomplish my mission, which is to work from 11am-11pm in a restaurant. I told my friends about my waitress-ing trial, and most of them were not convinced that I can bear with the more than 10 hours work.

On my way to work....heavy snow

So I have made it! Loads of first time:
First time waitress-ing
First time being scolded harshly by boss (worst than facing my project clients in my profession last time)
First time washing toilets (the best ever experience, coz i never wash toilet in my life, not until today :) )
First time serving food to customers
First time operating the restaurant without bosses around (luckily it was off peak period that time, and i fully utilised my problem solving skills)

All and all, waitress-ing is definitely not an easy job as most people think. Let me illustrate it with business terms. First, to be a successful waitress, you need to know the 'business process', ie: the process from taking order, entering details to system, until sending the orders to kitchen, then serve! Secondly, communication. You may need to know what are the specific wording for special wording, ie: serve (去餐), tidy up (收餐) etc. Thirdly, be quick and smart. Make sure a to and fro journey from the hall to kitchen is serving the most, and be smart.

It is just agile!! :)

14 December 2010: Happy Birthday to me!

AM: Destination - Abingdon

I just feel like documenting this down for some reasons. Perhaps this is something I never done before, attending interviews in the foreign land. Whether I get the job eventually or not, I take every interview experience as myself going to explore a new place. And the destination today is Abingdon! And yet on my birthday!


When the recruiter called me for an interview, he asked whether I have a driving licence. He told me that Abingdon is hopeless for public transport. Hmm. Now I am sitting in McDonald near Abingdon Business Park. I think it is not that bad really. I have to first take train from Reading to Oxford, then take x13 bus to Stratton Way bus stop, and then walk about 20 minutes to the business park. A good exercise though.

The fact is I have arrived 3 hours earlier before the interview. The reason is simple. I am not that good in direction especially when it comes to a place that has no direct public transport to take me to the destination. Some may laugh at me, but this is how things should be. If I am not familiar with the place, best to arrive early and try to locate for a place, then find a waiting place to fill in the gap time. As for preparation, I bring two pairs of shoes with me. One is my heels and another one is my walking shoes. Lol. Of course, I always have my laptop with me, so I can working on stuff ie scheduling my plans, offline blogging, blasting music and drowning into Chekie’s world, or watching movie…lol.

The funny thing was there was a lady I believed she was here for an interview and thought I am the interviewer.

PM: Birthday dinner in Giraffe Restaurant, birthday coffee in Starbucks Oracle, Reading

Own made birthday cake :)

Chrismassy birthday in the dark! Love this pic! ^^

Another Chrismassy birthday picture that I love!

birthday present and cards :)

Thank you so much to family and friends back home for remembering my birthday. Not forgetting friends here for celebrating my birthday and treating me birthday meal! I have had a wonderful birthday 2010. I love you all. xx

Fever. Cold. Flu

I have a presentation on my dissertation project tomorrow..and yet i am having fever, cold and flu since last two days.

I spent most of my time, laying on bed and trying to memorise the words..

I think medicine has lost function on my illness anymore. Now I am praying hard that at least let me have the capability to talk tomorrow. I can still present although I am ill.

Random thought '如果有一天,我学会不在跟人比较,把自己做好,我觉得那天就是我真正变成一个开心人了'

Keep Going! The unlucky one!

I never MOAN that I am always being the unlucky one!
I never BLAME anyone when things are not quite going in a right way!
I never EXPECT anyone for comfort, support or symphatise!
If things can turn around in an opposite way, it is a BONUS for me!
Keep going! The unlucky one!


PS: I thank the one from above for always showing me a way when I am down. He destined me to meet someone, to see something that reminding myself not to give up easily!

6 Dec 2010: I saw this clip on facebook!




2 Dec 10: Wayne Lai talked about his success

I watched this on youku. Wayne is one of my favorite tvb artist since I was a teenager. Remembering that time he wasn't the first line actor, always on second or third line. He started off as TV extra.
I remembered that time I told my mom, this guy has fabulous acting skills, why he just can't be as famous as the others?
Mom said, because he is not good looking enough!
But after 20 years working hard in TVB, because of one of the latest tvb drama and he has a good character in it, now he is one of the famous tvb stars!
So, never give up! Opportunity comes for those who are prepared. Whether how long the time frame, no one will know. But never ever give up!
Was blogging about him before :)

Being extremely vain!

I had completely no idea why I was being extremely vain yesterday before going out. Thought to post it on facebook, still, am feeling a bit shy to. But I want to share these pictures. Lol! So the best way to share it is through my blog. Coz I know that not many people are reading my blog. Ha!

Early Snow in December

How cold?! This cold!!! According to my landlady, it is not usual to be that cold in early December.

Cited from BBC weather today, the 2nd December 2010

Due to the internet failure this morning, I had no choice but to wrap myself, then went out to university just for the internet. It is quite a challenge for me to work without internet.

Snowy outside my home

Snowy Uni....

I could hardly feel my ears, my face, my everything walking in the condition like this....but no matter how, with my earphone on, Ill still sing along.....

Right, dinner time ~~

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