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Busy busy busy

I have not posted in ages.  Life got super busy.

So, happy early Christmas to everyone :)  Hope you're all enjoying the season, getting bonuses and Christmas dinners from the boss, etc.

Once, my office was told that we didn't deserve a Christmas party.  They had been having money problems due to their inability to stop travelling and keeping up with the Jones' and not bothering to leave some money in the business accounts for the payment of bills.  Which somehow got twisted around and became my coworker and I's fault.  "You sell only when you're in the mood" was what I heard.  So, being told that we didn't deserve a party was an insult.

My coworker ranted one day to me after this all happened.  The boss' son overheard and told his dear daddy, who then decided to have a Christmas lunch for one and all.  Everyone from all the stores was invited..  for sandwiches...  which put everyone in a grump.
I dreaded the sandwich day, and when it arrived, it was funny.  First of all, we had been told that we could close up for an hour to actually have a break.  While we were waiting for the last customer to leave, I was asked to make a sign for the door stating that we were closed due to a holiday lunch and would reopen at 1:30pm.
Wait..  1:30??  But it was 1:17 at this point, so I asked again if 1:30 was what he wanted.  Yes, he insisted that 15 mins was more than enough time to enjoy our sammiches.
We then had a very awkward time standing around our tiny little kitchen and making inane smalltalk..  all the while noting that not one of the bosses bothered to say thank you, or we appreciate you, or anything of the sort.

Nothing puts you more in a holiday mood than that.

Laptop Woes

 source

My hangul (Korean) lessons are suffering..

I have (had) a program on my laptop that helps with learning pronunciation and sentence structure, but I had to put my laptop in for repairs about 3 weeks ago.  And here I wait...

There is more to the story.  In fact, it has turned out to be a fiasco with the repair.  My laptop was ready for pickup after a week and I refused to pick it up because it had a large crack down the center and the side was gouged.  Needless to say, I did not want to take it home in that condition.  It was sent back for assessment, after which I received a phone call stating that the bill would be $288 for a new cover.  I had to explain my situation seeing as there was no documentation for the poor girl on the phone to go by.
Anyway, to make a long story short, she's calling the store today for me and will tell them that if the laptop was damaged anytime between when I dropped it off and came to pick it up, then they are responsible.

*fingers crossed!*

Ah, the frustrations

I wish I could understand Korean.  It's getting frustrating.


One of my favourite Korean shows is getting really, really good and I can't even watch it!!  Instead I have to listen to my husband laughing at the latest episode while I have to make do with my subbed version of a 6-8 mth old episode.

So unfair :(

Telemarketers

I got one of my daily telemarketing calls today.  Usually it's a marketing company calling on behalf of a bank or some other institution, but today's call took a new approach.
The lady who called sounded exactly like a recording, to the point that I didn't answer her first question because I hadn't realized that she was really talking to me.  When I did answer her, she gave me some scripted small talk about it being refreshing to talk to a real person since all she's gotten all day is answering machines.  I gave her a little bit of silence on that one.  Then she went on and ON about some police foundation for needy and starving children and wouldn't I like to help out these poor children?  I declined, knowing that it's probably a scam (there are a few going around right now).  Then she asked if she could ask one more question before she hung up.  I said ok.  She then went on a sob story about how these children are abused physically and sexually and would I donate just $25 to help out the abused children?
Wow..  talk about laying it on thick.  I can't believe that they would use tactics like that.  And I can't help but wonder how many people fall for it.

Babies, babies, and more babies

My friend's wife just had a baby a couple weeks ago.  She's beautiful.  And I don't say that lightly.  I think most newborns are squashy and slightly non-human looking.  So I'll usually exclaim, "Oh, wow, she's so small!" or "Look at those tiny little feet!  How precious!".  So for me to say this baby is beautiful means that it's the truth.

I was looking at pictures of her online, and noticed that I don't have that hard-to-ignore type of yearning that a woman my age is "supposed" to feel.  That's not to say that I don't want kids.  But all things have their time, right?  And right now is not the time for children for me.

I was again creeping online and saw some wedding anniversary congratulations for a girl I've met.  Two years today!  That's nice news :)  But the last congratulatory note had this tacked onto it: "It's been long enough now!  Time for babies!"

um..

I know that it's an age-old practice for older women to tease younger brides about having children, but in today's day and age you should be a little more careful about doing that.  I can think of several friends of mine, some even younger than me, and also myself included who have medical conditions which may or may not hinder future fertility.  I'm sure they get teased often about not procreating fast enough because heaven knows they've been married long enough!  What if they're already trying to start their fairytale family and and feeling heartbreak month after month?  Why rub salt into the wound?  I mean, society has always dictated that all women are happiest when they are bearing and raising children.  And let's not forget that biological clock that keeps on ticking whether you've already conceived or not.

Have a little courtesy, people.

G20 in Toronto - June 26th

Wow.

That's all I can say after a day like today.

Is it really worth it to destroy other people's property for the sake of making a point? I wonder at the logic of people when I see store windows being smashed and cars being torched on the streets of my hometown. I suppose that it's all just to get a reaction, but still. We're just coming out of a recession and those stores are people's livelihoods. It's unfair to attack others just to make sure that everyone knows you're annoyed. :( This does not help your cause in any way.

I wanted to see the peaceful protests downtown, but now I'm afraid of going and getting tear-gassed when some guy behind me throws a hatchet through a bank window.

What is this world coming to?


Check out this amazing Flickr set by jen: G20 Toronto 2010
Her pictures say it all.

Buying a new car - The Horror!

So I've had my eye on a Toyota Yaris for the last year. I think they look like a nice little car.. the sedan still has a spacey backseat as well as a nice trunk. And the price can't be beat. Unless you're looking at a Neon.. hehe.

Anyway, I found a couple good 2008 ones on the Toyota website, called the applicable dealership and made an appointment for today. It was a little out of my way.. well, more than a little. I drove almost 60 kms to get to my appointment today.. with no air conditioning.. in 30+ weather..

So I get there 20 minutes early. The guy I had my appointment with isn't there, which is fine. I tell them I'll wait. Then, past my appointment time, another guy comes out and explains that he'll help me today instead. I think nothing of this. Happens all the time.

I test drove a couple Yaris'. One had black smoke coming out of the tailpipe. I was told this was normal when you first start it up. What I do NOT think is normal is black smoke coming out the whole time while he drives away and around the building.
The next one had a hesitation when you hit the gas pedal. He claims to have not felt it. At this point, I'm losing whatever trust I might have had.

Later, we're sitting in his office and I'm assured that any mechanical problems will be taken care of, and that there is a warranty to cover these things for 30 days. I'm feeling a little more trusting than I was in the parking lot.
So I want to discuss price. Any possible deals that could be wrangled and all that. I'm told that deals can be made.. but the guy who handles financial things has stepped out. Alright. I'm a touch annoyed now. I'm then told to go have lunch somewhere and come back in the afternoon. Maybe the guy will be there then. Maybe.
At this point I'm sure that I'm not buying today or maybe not ever. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the finances to be taken care of while I'm there. After all, I DID make an appointment after all. So I ask for a written quote to see if I could shop around. He then prints off the exact car from the Toyota website. It clearly states the price as $300 cheaper than the price on the car itself. So I ask him if that's the price that will be honoured, since it's their official website after all. But no. He can't do this at this point. Sorry.

So I left. And drove home almost 60 kms in the sweltering heat. That's a total of 120 wasted kms. Thanks.

Honestly. I did not feel as if I was being taken seriously at any point during my visit. And this is coming from an actual dealership.

Oh, and did I mention that my t-shirt was on backwards the entire time? Cause it was.

Sigh.

Edit (Aug. 9/10):  I ended up getting a Corolla after all.  And I must say, it does drive much better than the Yaris!  Good job, me!  :)

Gulf Oil Leak

I honestly think this oil spill in unbelievable. I have a few things that make me angry.

1. Who puts into place something that has the potential to damage the environment on a colossal scale with no proper safety measures in place??? I mean, honestly?? If you don't know how to fix a potential oil leak, then why are you drilling in the ocean in the first place? I think this should be a wake up call for the large drilling companies.

2. Who approved off-shore drilling with no proper safety precautions in place? Whoever signed the dotted line and allowed this company to drill in a healthy, well-established ecosystem should be held accountable for the damage thus far.

I personally think that this company should pay for all the clean-ups, plus fines, and possibly criminal charges. The buck is not more important than our world, people.

Check out the live footage of their latest attempt to stop this leak.. btw, I just want to point out that this is 5 1/2 weeks after it started to leak AND this method may make it worse......

Why do so many look the same?????

 When I was waiting around for 4 hours in Incheon airport in Seoul, I sat and watched the airline employees. Think that's weird? :P But anyway.. I think that airline attendants always look all pretty (or handsome) and polished.
Welllll.. the ones in Pearson have nothing on the ones in Incheon. They're all ladies. Very tall, slim, white-skinned, drop-dead gorgeous ladies. That look the same. Not just a little.. but almost like twins. At first it was interesting.. then I started to get a little weirded out. Do they have a factory where they churn out identical fllight attendants??

Well, my roommate informed me today that Korea is famous for plastic surgery. They get their eyes done first.. to look bigger and more "western". Then they get bigger noses, higher cheekbones, and shave down their jawbones. Can anyone say OW? And the result of all this surgery? The Korean version of the Stepford
wives...

Nothing wrong with looking beautiful.. but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. not the latest model on the billboards. (This goes for North America too)