Chung Family Reunion

I got to take a well deserved break from working at Lend Lease and visit my relatives over in the States and Canada. Two stops, LA and Toronto.

Top Ten:

1. 1. When US stores go on sale, they really go all out. There was some "take an additional 50% off the already discounted (it was already 50% off) price." I think I got some $45 pants for $/03! :)
2. Riding in a limousine back from the LA airport. It was bling bling to the max!
   
3. Having Mum, Dad, Yvonne and Claire sat on the couch to watch some TV show. It's the first trip in 7 years that my whole family has gone overseas together, and probably 10 years since we've all been chilling out like that! Just chatting, joking round, learning about my family's past...Brianna (my 11 month old niece) is super-cool! I'm glad to have the opportunity to stay close to them.
4. Spending time with relatives. I haven't seen these guys for ages, so everyone has grown so much! One of my cousins just got married in May, and I met his wife for the first time. My cousin apparently won an award for some of his artwork, which he showed to us....I never knew! I'm just glad that there some creative talent in the family *sigh* It's a shame we all live so far apart...
5. The food! It was banquets every night whilst we were in Toronto. I weighed myself yesterday...I've gained 4kg of tubs :)
6. The insane amounts of highways that criss-cross LA. Every freeway is about 8-10 lanes wide, and exit ramps all over the place. I don't know how people don't get lost!
7. I have to say it, there were tons of hot babes in LA and Toronto! Pity I didn't get to go to da cluubs hehe
8. Seaworld rocks! That Shamu the killer whale is a beast...they have this funky thing called a splash zone where everyone gets wet by the whale splashing its fins. I bought a cool polar bear toy :)
9. The amazing co-incidence that the nurse, who is in charge of admitting new applications to this really good nursing home for my grandparents, knew my Dad when he worked in Hong Kong teaching the nursing school, about 30 years ago! Red tape never got cut so fast :)
10. Seeing my Grandma. She's been quite sick, and to see her in good spirits (and remembering us...sometimes) was worth the whole trip.

On a sadder note, I got to witness a bit more first hand the divisions and bitterness that exists within my dad's side of the family. So many grudges that some have held for so long...it taints all decisions that everyone tries to make. People now nit-pick on other people's mistakes, and don't listen, even if what they say makes sense. I remember something I was told long ago..."Listen to the truth, especially from people you do not like". I hope that some of my relatives can realise that.

The good thing is that what needed to be sorted out, for my grandma, got sorted out. Let us hope that it has a cascading effect.

Damn! two cheap calls already:

Good to see you spending time with family. And I know how you feel about divisions and the like within families. There are massive fault lines in mine, and sometimes, just from the smallest problems the earth will move and our city of harmony crumbles into chaos. But then maybe using fault lines as an analogy probably doesn't capture how deep seeded these issues are, more than just cracks in the surface. But its good to see that at least some things can get sorted out, admist all the grudges and animosity, solutions can be reached.
Dre - 27 October '03 - 09:54

Ahhh Shamu. brings back so many memories.

i went to visit my family recently as well. on the surface all seems well. but theres so much crap going on underneath it all.
xtn - 03 November '03 - 14:45

I've Been Labelled

I've been enjoying the sunshine and relaxation of Port Stephens, during the long weekend just past. Just chillin out at the house, walking to the beach, watching more Virtua Tennis action (I brought the PS2 up), it's what these coast holidays are all about. It's a great opportunity to catch up with friends, and "chew that fat", as it were.

The topic of conversation always swings into relationships, and since it's always the single people that have the more interesting stories, I always get picked out :). It's not like I have that much to hide, and in some cases, I am sure some of my friends are living vicariously through me hehe.

So I told some of my more entertaining woes of the past year, and was subsequently labelled a "serial liker". I thought that phrase was pretty funny! Upon subsequent thought, it's probably quite true.

• I do not believe that there are times when people are not looking for potential.
• I think, everytime you meet someone, there exists a decision making process where you make a call (maybe or no) for that person's potential. Why maybe? Because you can never tell how good it is upon an initial meeting, yeah?
• Hence there are always people of interest, and hence stories of interest, and people that I "like".

The reason for the quotation marks is maybe it's not an established like. It's something that's could be there, but you're holding back a bit because you don't really know how much of a potential that person really is.
So I really could just be a "serial mayber" :)
Lack of committment? Perhaps. Not that many that really stir the emotions? More likely.

I think it takes a lot for me to really like someone. It just always seems that they do not recipricate the same feelings...don't you hate it when they describe their ideal partner, and you fit every criteria bar the most important one ie that the partner cannot be you?

Damn! eleven cheap calls already:

I think the "like" doesn't necessarily mean "leads to love" but more "enjoy spending time with this person, get along with this person". In this case, yes, there's always the question, will i enjoy spending time with them? should i put in the effort to start a friendship with them?
Ding! (email) - 13 October '03 - 16:54

I think I am a serial-'get-treated-like-a-manho'-er. I am beginning to doubt if there are any real nice women left.
Dre - 13 October '03 - 22:45

point 2 has truth...best thing about not having too high expectations about these things is that you've got a free option to reverse the call if its not all good. gotta try, cos u never know 'til u give it a go...right?
its definitely vicarious...but not thru u mate! working up a new collection of stories to share at xmas
bjee - 20 October '03 - 18:18

Hmm..true true, true true. I think you've hit the nail on the head there JookBoy.

BTW, where ARE you? Livin' it up over thurrrrr in Canada? :P
bOGi - 21 October '03 - 21:57

Ding: If you put the effort in to start the friendship, when do you make the call that you want it to be on?

Dre: Ho'ing it up is your specialty mate :P

bjee: Haha, can't wait! I've heard Honkers isn't the hotbed that it once was? :)

bOGi: I was, but back in the west syyyyyiiide in LA now. I saw Ingelwood on the map!
JookBoy - 24 October '03 - 04:50

The call can be made whenever... it all depends on whether you feel something can work
Ding! - 24 October '03 - 16:35

ingleWOOOOOD!!!!
Dre - 25 October '03 - 13:54

damn right mate took the free option to reverse the call, as they say. Same old answer "why you got to go and pull out all this serious shiat?" :) later....

but singas continuing to treat me well, of sorts
bjee - 28 October '03 - 13:07

Dude, maybe you just promote this type of "let's get serious" attitude from the ladies.
More "I'm only down for sum of that" calls :)
JookBoy - 06 November '03 - 19:11

There are stages of like and often the development of a relationship (or divolution dare I say) is just a process of elimination - until you reach critical mass and things breaks up.

Inversely, I hold out the ideal that things can evolve to the point where you decide, hey I want to spend the rest of my life with this person.

I'll tell you if that ever happens.
-Stephen- (email)
-Stephen- - 07 November '03 - 23:15