Canada D’eh, Canada Day and Everything Between

Photo’s may have to wait but here is me trying to catch up.

See the thing is after the beach party I had to pack and then I had to battle (again) and then go to the airport then plane then in Canada but tired/lazy. Sigh so here I am with many things to catch up on.

The Canada D’eh Beach party was pretty good, it felt like less people this year but really it’s hard to say because it was a pretty large area plus there was a typhoon threatening the north shore so no one knew what the weather would be like.   This year it was in Dan Shui, which was nice because it was only 10-15 minutes from the MRT, downside they had MAD security with drug dogs and stuff.  Not that it hugely mattered to me but they did pilfer my smirnoff ice   (s’ok I went back out to the parking lot later and chugged them… ).  Ah did I mention I was all kinds of sick and decided to go for dope up on cold meds and drink .  Mostly just hung out on the beach, munched on free/cheap promotional foods (thanks McCain’s and That Mexican place), and  drank.  Post all that there was some dancing and a little Colby O’Donis concert.  He was decent but the show was VERY short, and then I decided to head home (you know how it is when sicky and tired).

I worked all day Monday and was kinda running around trying to get some last minute stuff done.   I had tried to be slick with some money stuff with this cheque thing and in the end I decided it wasn’t worth the couple hundred NT I was going to save so I just wired my money home the normal way.  Plus I had to pack some stuff away so my friend Toby could live in my room for the summer.  That worked out quite well, I needed someone to help me cover my rent for the summer and he wanted to try out living somewhere other than where he is.  And if you’re going to test the waters, my room is a pretty awesome place to do it in (My house rocks, I’ll admit it I miss it a little, I miss my computer A LOT).

Gah and like running around trying to get everything done last minute wasn’t enough???  There was one of those big F-ing spiders in my room!!! WHY.. what did I do wrong? 

Whoa… dude… TMI

TMI, too much information.  It happens so often, but what’s truly entertaining is of you just say whatever it is with out any warning people cringe and look horrified.  With comments such as “whoa… why did you share that… ?”  BUT, if you give a warning first, like “this is way too much information” and give them the opportunity to opt out.  Well lets just say  I have yet to ever EVER come across someone who has said “ok, don’t tell me”.  Quite the opposite in my experience, they hesitate… then lean in excitedly and say “go on”.

That said, this here post is totally WAAYY too much information.  If you don’t want to know.. don’t fricken read it then you tool. 

Persistence Hunting: And you though you were tired?

I read the article on a blog a while back and I’ve been meaning to write about it.  [here is the blog I read it from] <– actually I highly recommend reading this article, it’s really very good!

Essentially, Persistence Hunting is running an animal to exhaustion and death.  Impossible you say?  Not at all, the human body was actually designed to do this, running on two feet is more efficient over long distances, sweating cools the body so we do not need to stop as much, we have hands and are capable of carrying water to cool down and rehydrate on the move.

Here is a part of a documentary demonstrating the tribe that still practices this form of hunting.

No real point in going on and on about something, when others have already outlined it very well .   I found this super interesting and thought I would share it with you guys.  Honestly it gives me pause thinking about the human body, what it is designed to do and what we are physically capable of.  Each one of us is different but I think more than we realize this sort of thing is in our heritage.  We were not meant to be domesticated in the sense of cubical office rats… but that’s another post.

Off for my morning run.

Shit dude… you’re looking old!

Ok, no judgment but what’s the deal??  Why are so many people looking so rough these days?  And don’t give me that, they smoke, they drink they party and they wear out BS… because I don’t smoke but I go to smoky clubs, I drink, party (admittedly less than before but more than most people do and did) I am a totally sun worshiping bunny.  As are a couple of my friends… and we DO NOT look twice our natural age.

Oh so back to the point at hand.  I was on this web site and have been getting these messages from people.  And I don’t know if they picture is new but they haven’t updated their profile in a while.. or what the score is.  But these guys are like 29, 32, 34… and they look

The Magic and Power in a Word

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted something, you’re parents always said “what’s the magic word?”  You said please, and got your cookie, toy or whatever it was you were asking for.

Now please is a nice word, but is it really Magic?  Does it really alter how people feel about what you say or do?  Perhaps it’s just my personal perspective, but not especially.  I notice when kids don’t say please,

I'm Sorry

but generally speaking say it or not as long as you are reasonable and polite there is no issue.  If someone asks you for something, and you’re disinclined to acquiesce but then they say please does it make any difference?  Not really.

So what is the real Magic word(s)?

I’m Sorry.

Seriously think about it.  There is far more power in these little words than almost any other.  They are for more likely, than anything else one could say, to invoke a strong emotional response. Positive or negative.

This was at the end but I’ll put it here for those who don’t make it.  If you read it I mean it for you. (*insert hand pointing from me to you)

I truly and sincerely apologize to you, for any intentional or inadvertent insensitive or stupid thing I have said or done that caused you pain.  I’m Sorry.

An example: While being vague I’m divulging my private thoughts and experiences, which I do not do often so enjoy the peek into the inner me.

Canada Ho’

As most people already know I’m going to Canada this summer.  There was a lot of drama and stress involved but I did manage to get it all sorted, tickets bought (mostly.. still waiting on mummsy for the flight to see her) etc.  I was having a really hard time visualizing my options… which actually is really odd, it was probably due to all the stress.

In the end I decided to make a pretty little chart (or several) in order to make things clear… yes I am a dork.. and I don’t care all the pretty colours make me ohhhh so

MY Stuff got Stoled…

And I blame Drew’s Cancer…  http://www.blamedrewscancer.com

Ok I don’t but that’s something different.

So I’m so mad.. at myself and the fucker who broke into my bike and stole my Camera and all my cash.  Now I am aware it could have been worse… much worse.   I mean just in the ‘grand scheme of things’ things could always be worse.  But also My credit card could have been in there (it’s not because I’ve learned not to do that again… I never carry my credit cards in Taiwan), I could have NOT taken my Palm Pilot with all my Chinese on it, and my Ipod out of my bag.  I could have not gone back and gotten my phone (before someone broke in).  They could have taken my whole wallet cards and all, (although there is one card missing.. and I can’t for the life of me figure out what the card was… not a bank card, ID, Licence, ??? maybe there was nothing there but it looks oddly empty) They could have stolen my bike, my $200(USD) Motorbike Helmet….  and so on.  They (as best as I can tell) only took my Camera and Cash.  They did steal my tiny water bottle… (really.. wtf??)

So why am I so upset?  Because this is not the first time I’ve have stuff stolen, out of my bag/bike.  AND I had a funny feeling and I Ignored it… I’m so SO FUCKING mad at myself…   That and I didnt’ even want to

Dear Apple, you suck

I have never been an apple fan.  And while I wasn’t about to jump ship to the mac wagon, I had let go of some of my dislike.

Oh it’s all back.  Reasons I want to step on ‘Apple’s” proverbial head.  1) Apple users are obnoxious (meh meh meh apple is so much better… Well I’ve used it and I don’t agree.. and that makes me a moron?? really?  Bite me)  2) Apple (in spite of what crazy apple people seem to think) cares no more about you than any of the other big bastards.  If your shit breaks.. guess what it costs twice as much to fix it than to buy a new one.  3) You’d think a company as big as apple would have some fricken staff on hand to answer questions if you need help… WRONG instead you just get swung around a fancy little dance of automated service… and if you don’t call during US business hours you’re SOL.  (shit out of luck).

What you don’t have customers in other countries??? REALLY…. You’re customer service sucks…. getting any answers off of you site sucks…  And your products are becoming more and more ‘disposable’  You don’t even seem to want them to work for more than a year… since you put out a replacement product every year or so and your CRAP break right around that time.. you know once the warranty has run out.   Even just replacing the battery, THE BATTERY, usually costs more than a new product.  At least in Taiwan I can just go

Ow fuckity ow

So here’s what made perfect sense while I was asleep.  On my big toe a little flap of skin came loose, you know how it does.. like a little ‘tag’ of skin.    it must have hurt or something bc I woke up to it and was like.. oh just pull it off.. MORON  Now if I had been awake and in reasoning mode, I would have remembered that pulling it just rips the skin all deep like, almost never solves the problem and makes it worse 90% of the time.  Yeah it made it worse.. woke up REALLY fast.  OW OW OW  Had to really get up get some scissors to cut it off but then it hurt like a bitch.  So I had to find a band aid, and then I had to take a fricken pain killer because I couldn’t get back to sleep.

Gawd I’m dumb.   You know it’s going to hurt like hell for days, and I won’t be able to go running (although I might try).  Well I can bike anyway.

But I do have to take more time to study,  I’ve been falling behind and it sucks that I can’t remember a lot of the new words.. sigh.

Coming Soon to my Sister’s Blog

Magda’s words of wisdom (hahhahahahahha)

Shit.  I didn’t forget that I was meant to do this every week… but damn it if the week doesn’t just sneak up on you all unexpected like, that and life (as Dee will attest to) has just been getting in the ‘way’ for me recently.  Regardless here we go.

Wait quick side note, seems I come up with idea’s when running… maybe I should run more
Shin splints:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints
From what I hear they suck, some serious ass, I’ve never had them personally for a multitude of reasons.  I’ve been a runner (and yet I still don’t have a running belt.. [looks a Dee side ways and smirks] since I was a little kid (as in competitive all through elementary to high school until my ‘accident’).  As a result I received all kinds of training and just general practice that prevented them.  As a result of learning it all so young I have no idea what was relevant and what wasn’t.  But in High school a lot of the other athletes had problems (maybe I’m just lucky?), so we got speeches all the time on different topics.  Another reason I’ve never suffered with shin splints is I know the warning signs and then do what is needed to

Balls, I hate The Government sometimes

GRRR I’m going to write the mayors office or something.  They did the same mental thing last year.  All the Holidays in Taiwan follow the lunar calendar, and dude to stroke of ASS almost all but one of the Holidays this year fall on a Saturday or a Sunday.

Now, what happens in these circumstances in every nation with a REASONABLE system in place?  They just give you the preceding Friday or following Monday off, They do it in All the cool Countries damn it.  I thought Taiwan wanted to play with

I don’t like the busy…

I’m just not a fan of being busy, with work or anything it seems.  After this weekend, I’m realizing I just don’t like being too busy.  I had a good time this weekend, but I was really busy and I had a good time.  But at the end of it all I felt sulky that I was so tired and busy.

We had our first race on Thursday, as I mentioned in my last post, and then on Friday we had our second race.  The odds of us drawing such hard teams again were very slim, sigh.. but we ended up racing the team that won the whole thing.  Oh well.  We tried.

You know I can’t even remember what happened after the race on Friday, something though.  We decided to host a BBQ on Sat as we all had to go back to the race area for the closing ceremonies anyway.   I went for a bike ride that morning.. and bloody well fell down like 2 mins from the house.  Was totally my own stupidity and fault, but that didn’t dull the pain.   I was faced with a choice, go home and clean my wounds (but likely be lame and stay there), or just keep going and clean up when I got home.

Yeah me I chose option number two, my logic being the pain is the worst in the first thirty minutes.  Adrenaline cuts the pain, so f%$k  it I should just go.  The only really bad bit was when I stopped in HsinDian for a min and I started to sweat… damn it all to hell that stung like a bitch!!  The little old man that informed me I was bleeding and asked if I was ok was pretty amusing though.

I made a video that I will edit sometime soon, (so I say).  Oh and when I went outside to make  video of my injuries I checked the mail and HOORAY!  My samples have arrived, Nadine is now forgiven.  I was so stoked that  I checked them out all sweaty bleeding and dirty, while Shane was chasing me with antiseptic trying to clean the cuts .

After the BBQ, which was awesome btw, we all headed up to the closing ceremonies.  And then to see Terminator (which was fine but nothing compared to Star Trek, which I loved and I’m going to marry

First Race Day

Today we kicked off the Dragon Boat Festival, our first race was hectic, we were against a couple really tough teams.  We actually messed up a little at the start and there were a few problems in the middle but we pulled it together and we placed!  Which was what we needed to do to go on.  It was probably the best race of the day, the top three boats were really close pretty much the whole race and we beat the third team by some silly amount like 4/5ths of a second.

After the race, we hung out for a bit and then went to Carnegies for brunch with the Hess team.  Then I went home for a nap.   Oh I forgot a rather important bit.  I have a little concussion   It’s totally not my teammates fault, but when we went over the buoy, it hit her paddle which whipped out of her hand and cracked me across the back of the head.  And yes it hurt as much as that sounds like it did.  BOO…  I’m sure the maitai I had with brunch probably didn’t help.. needless to say I was  a little groggy after my nap.

But up I got and went to the opening ceremonies, we had some drinks and messed about for a bit.  We went to dinner and then out to Bliss, we were supposed to meet up with the Filipino team but they never

我不高興

我不要人知道我說甚麼.  我知道你會看的懂, 可是我也知道你不常看我的blog.  今天你罵我, 我好不高興.  真的不知道會做甚麼事.  我通常不對, 我做你說的可是都不夠,為甚麼不夠?  你說我們是朋友可是我常常覺得你有一點討厭我. 為甚麼你那麼生我的氣?

今天我很難過, 我很厭倦.  我沒有人可以講話這事情.

Welcome to …. the trip!

Welcome to my own personal ego trip ;0)!

I have had a rather rocky past with my self esteem.  I had a pretty weird childhood, I was the dark horse in my town.  And not for any easily discernible reason.  Yeah I know boo hoo.  Whatever   The point is for years I was told I was the ugliest thing there was.  Weird thing was whenever I left my home town people always acted really weird like I was one of the pretty girls or something.  Obviously that was fabo but clearly they were just confused, right?  Well and my Family and (6 friends) all said I was really pretty… but hell they’re supposed to .. I mean you don’t tell uggo’s their uggo’s unless you’re being mean.

A what a twisted web!  The masses of teen brats saying you’re a dog, and the few people disagreeing with them are WILDLY unreliable sources… Damned loved ones.  Now this isn’t all that exciting but it does explain the back and forth love affair I’ve had with my own image.

The funny thing is in trying not to show any weakness, I have come across as high on my self to some people.  Which is endlessly amusing to me.    Generally speaking I think I’m just a normal girl, can be pretty can not… meh.  But it’s funny to me because at the same time I kinda think I’m super pretty. 

Today is one of those days… and I decided that I’m allowed (that’s right I’m giving myself permission to be a ego maniac !!!)  to think I’m

More Business Adventures

Hey so I wrote back just asking dude how much money were we talking about and was he sure it was legal this was his reply:

Dear Sarah West,

Thank you for your response, I sincerely appreciate your interest, actually I got your contact email discreetly during my search for someone who would assist me as a partner, however I would like to be sure of your willingness, trustworthiness and commitment to execute this transaction with me, as I cannot afford to compromise these virtues.

Please know that all aspect of this deal has been

WTF Scary wasp

OMIGOD… so I came in from taking out the garbage and was horrified to find this in my room.. I was a huge was and squealed like a sissy… But I definitely won.. although the chemicals I used are making me dizzy.. so.. maybe I lost a little.. I definitely lost my dignity…

So I made this video and here is a link to the scary wasps and their freakinesshttp://www.vespa-bicolor.net/main/vespid/polistes-gigas.htm

SHUDDER

Exciting Business Opportunity!

Wow I”m so excited I just got this email for the wild new business opportunity!!  And look look I’m ‘quite astute in private entrepreneurship’  HA

FROM: Mr.Liu Yan
Bank of China Ltd.
13/F. Bank of China Tower1 Garden Road
Hong Kong.

I sincerely ask for forgiveness for I know this may seem like a complete
intrusion to your privacy but right about now this is my option of
communication. This mail might come to you as a surprise and the
temptation to ignore it as unserious could come into your mind; but please
consider it a divine wish and accept it with a deep sense of humility.
This letter must surprise you because we have never meet before neither in
person nor by correspondence,but I believe that it takes just one day to
meet or know someone either physically or through correspondence.

I got your contact through my personal search, you were revealed as being
quite astute in private entrepreneurship,and one has no doubt in your
ability to handle a financial business transaction. I am Mr. Liu Yan a
transfer supervisor operations in investment section in Bank of China Ltd.
Secretariat of the BOCHK Charitable Foundation 13/F. Bank of China Tower,
1 Garden Road,Hong Kong I have an obscured business suggestion for
you.Before the U.S and Iraqi war our client General Mohammed Jassim Ali
who work with the Iraqi

Just do it!

This isn’t a Nike ad… but I do have to say they have a really great advertising department.

I was thinking about it the other day, and people are always on about whose turn it is .. and how many times they have done this task and how much they are owed.. blah blah blah.

Don’t deny it, you’ve done it, thought it and even said it.  But I already did this, or I’ve done this 10 times.. it’s your damn turn.  And fair enough no one should have to take out someone else’s trash 16times a week.  At the same time, really what’s the point in getting all self righteous?

Honestly I don’t have any stones to throw, living in a glass house like I do.  But this all crossed my mind the other day when I was washing a sink of dishes.   See one problem with the whole ‘turn business’ is everyone remembers the times they have cleaned but are generally a little fuzzy on how often they dirty things and someone else cleaned it up.

I have roommates, and sometimes I don’t wash a dish and sometimes they don’t.  I used to be super childish about it and religiously only wash my dishes, or nothing at all.  Now I just wash whatever is in the sink, because it’s just stupid.  Same with the trash and recycling, I just haven’t been home to do it recently, but the last couple of times I did do it I remember thinking.. GOOD my turn is done… WTF that’ stupid so if it’s not my turn I’m just going to not take it out?  If it’s full I’m just going to take it out.    Ok everyone knows that, but do you just do it because it needs to be

PICKLES and Bananas

Yeah that title came from a complete lack of inspiration.. meh waddya gonna do?

So my sister is mad at me..  Well not so much mad as mildly irked.. oh she’ll deny it, but ti’s there a smidgen of animosity.  I can sniff it, I can I can.

Now how or why could anyone ever be irked with someone as precious and lovely as me you ask?  I just don’t know, she must be a cranky and disturbed chicky poo.. yes I’m sure that’s it… It can’t be related to the fact that she asked me to do something weeks (yes really weeks) ago and I still haven’t done it.  That would just be silly.

Now in my defense before you all jump up and down accusing me of being a big suck face, she did ask me to do something.  And made the task wildly vague, with no real guidance of what she wanted!  Other than hey can you write a guest sport or two something along the lines of a sports injuries for dummies.  Sounds simple right?

WRONG… what the hell am I meant to write about.. where do you start?  Where do you end?  It’s a heck of a lot harder than you might think.  Imagine if you will, that someone asks you a simple everything and then asks you to give them 10 examples I bet you money you get stuck!

So I have thought of a couple of topics I could mention, but how much do I say?  How much is too much how much is to little… the pressure is

Rid Yourself of the Beast (part 2)

Aaaaaand … we’re back

So to recap, I went into the pro’s and cons of  shaving and waxing.  On to the others…. chemical, Epilator, lazer, threading

Now Chemical hair remove has always struck me as a little hinkie, I mean you slather some hardcore paint thinner type stuff on your skin wait for it to essentially dissolves your hair and you rinse it off in the shower.   Really? There is always the superfine sandpaper route that again I have to say WTF?? You want me to sand the hair off?  I’ve heard threading can be nice, but I have absolutely  no personal experience in the area so other than I have heard good things I have nothing to add.

On to epilating, technically any form of ripping the hairs out (waxing, tweezing, epilator, etc) is epilating, but it’s more common for people to refer to epilating as using a little epilating machine.  Now back in the day when the things first came out (remember that twisting wire that spun around a twisted metal rod? If you don’t… yes it’s as bad as you’re imagining) they sucked and where the 7th layer of evil.  All skin pinching and torturous, good times.

A couple years back a friend mentioned they had new ones now that didn’t blow ass, and cost less than a single waxing.  Well I’m cheap as hell, so sign me up!

I have to start out with, DO NOT START WITH EPILATORS!  If you have been waxing for a while and are pretty comfi with that then it’s great.  It takes a little longer and is a little more uncomfortable than waxing, but the results are generally the same.  I just watch a little TV, and get my epilate on.   That said I can’t do all the places myself, some hard to reach spots and a few

JAZZ Bush!!!

Remember that movie bring it on?  With the choreographer and his jazz hands?  heh , ok I just spent way too long looking for a clip.. forget it.. if you don’t know.. tough

The point was a while back we were talking about ‘personal grooming’, and how a lot of people especial local here are not big on the same style as westerners.  Heh cryptic enough?

We were talking about crotch fur.  Waxing, trimming etc.  How the one waxer in Taipei tends to do a full porn star job, cleans everything up in whatever way you want.  As her clients all seem to be foreigners, we wondered if she has local clients and what they get done.  Again this sparks the convo (that comes up whenever the whole ‘grooming’ things comes up) about guys needing to trim too (and a lot of western guys do it actually) and then the whole scary lions coming at you in the locker rooms in gyms.

In change rooms here at yoga and the gym, people just cruse around starkers.  With MAD untamed bush!  Seriously, mad.  This last we were chatting about it,  I coined the ultimate term… ready?

Jazz Bush

…. you need to say it with pizazz and do the jazz hands near your crotch, for the full effect that is

Moving along.  Remember that post I made about the shaving vs waxing business?  Well after several months of  ‘experimentation’, I have made some conclusions.

First the different commonly used forms of depilation/epilation (aka hair removal):

shaving, waxing (sugaring), chemical, Epilator, lazer, threading

I have tried all of the above at some time or another (plus quite a number of others.. including this very freaky sandpapering

Better Facebooking 101

Everyone seems to have stopped bitching about the changes to Facebook, but after speaking with many friends it’s apparent that most people haven’t discovered the good changes.

Honestly, before the changes I almost never did anything on Facebook, because I often didn’t see the people I wanted and there was too much ’stuff’ to shift and sort through to find things that I found interesting. Plus they use that little algorithm to judge who you are close to and show you more of their updates, but it’s not always accurate.

So I made this video that Kinda sucks, if I’m being honest, to break down what I do now. I only spend a few mins checking updates and making comments, I see everyone I want to, and I’m WAY more

Crazy Japanese Store in Taipei

Tracey and I went to the Japanese store… t’was amazing amounts of fun !

This is part two .. it’s first because I just modified and moved an older post…

Tiny fun things.. plus every item you’re ever seen for sale on tv!!

And the first half of the trip to the silly store with the

Happy Mother’s Day

Normally I would try to be creative.. make some kind of video… or do something but I’m not really in the mood

Besides I got my mom an early Mother’s day / Birthday gift anyway.  And I called and talked with her for a while about this that and the other as well.  She is ecstatic so I’m pretty sure I’ve filled my quota for awesome daughter-ing right now anyway.   This might even top the replacing of windshield wipers!!

Happy Mothers Day to All the Mum’s in my life, Mine of course, My sister, My sister’s sister, Nadine, Jo-anne, Cheryl, Aunty Lin, Ane everyone else.

Loves and kisses

Mag