Back To Blogging, With a BANG. Botox Bang.

So I got botox.  Bam. There you go… lol… I didn’t tell anyone because… well have you have noticed that when you want to do something.. almost anything. Someone tries to talk you out of it?  Tells you all about how bad it is, or what a stupid idea, or irresponsible it is.

Amusing side note, while I was going to brunch yesterday I was thinking about how I decided that I wasn’t going to tell anyone because I didn’t want well meaning concern to talk me out of what I wanted to do.   And I walk up to a conversation about how one of our number is thinking about moving to china and working on this project with this guy that some of us know.  And everyone (myself included) proceeded to go on and on about what a terrible idea it was.  Part way through I thought .. see this is why I’m not telling anyone, I apologized to my friend and said hey do what you want, I’m selfish so I hope it doesn’t work out and you come back here, but you should do it if you want to.

Anyway after lunch I was giving my friend a ride and I told her why it was so funny/ironic that I had been sitting at the table trying to talk her out of taking some job that she wasn’t even certainly taking, just something she was thinking about and discussing with friends.  That  I was going to go get botox, but I hadn’t told anyone (other than my sister) because I didn’t want well meaning friends to talk me out of it. Interestingly, I wonder what the reactions would have been if I hadn’t done it yet?

I mean the two people I told before were really supportive.  Actually after I dropped my friend off at the mrt I went right over to the clinic and was like… screw it.. lets do this. My sister asked me to document everything, and funnily I had already decided to do that.  What the heck, if I’m going to do it … why not blog about it .

It’s not like I’m really the type to be all cagey about anything I’ve ever done. I have been thinking about it for a while, mostly as a preventative measure, I’ve heard that you can prevent deep wrinkle lines with lower dosages if you get botox before the wrinkles are a big issue.  I did some reading, and everything was pretty clear that it wasn’t as bad as some make it out to be.  Even people who had bad experiences say that it is definitely temporary.   I read up about how much to take, how much it costs and all sort of things. I went to the same clinic where I get laser hair removal.  And asked for a doctor and nurse who spoke English, I do speak Chinese but when you’re doing something for the first time it’s much more calming if you can speak your native tongue.

The first nursy type chick was like, oh hey if you buy 40 unit you get a discount of x amount of dollars.. and I was like uh no thanks.  Then she told me I needed a minimum of 3 units anyway and I was like.. yeah ok you need to go away.  First of all all the doctors I had talked to in the past several years had suggested 12-15 units for me.  So her suggestion was insane. The actual doctor wasn’t an idiot like that girl.  I told him I wanted a very low dosage because everything I had read was that it was better to go with less and get more later than to go overboard and look like you just had a stroke.  :D  He suggested 14 units, I asked if 10 or 12 would be ok.  Because I’m rather nervous about the whole thing, being the first time I’ve ever tried it.. that and I’m going to France in a couple of weeks to see my boyfriend and it would suck to have frozen face. He said 10 would be fine, I then asked if it was enough that I would see some results, I mean why have it done if it’s going to do nothing.  He assured me that I would definitely see something with 10 units and that that it wouldn’t be too dramatic so a good middle ground.

Oh the cost, it’s 400 nt per unit that’s about $13.50 a unit.  Seems pretty standard from what I saw online, prices ranging from 8-20 dollars a unit.  So my total cost was 4000 nt and the effect is meant to be 4-9 months.  They suggest you come back in every 4-6 months depending on your results. So In the clinic, they put a little numbing cream on my face (not necessary but they are really keen on numbing cream in Taiwan) and I waited playing with my phone.  After 20 minutes, I went into the doctor’s office, had our little chat and then I laid down on the little massage table in the office.  I got a blankie and everything  meanwhile the nurse went out and got the botox.  The doctor and I chatted while we waited for her to return, actually he was really good, very confident and calm and answered all my questions clearly.

He did a really good job of making me feel comfortable and calm, if you’ve ever been to a doctor in Taiwan, you’ll know how rare such a good bedside manner is. On to the injections!  I am being treated for crows feet, which to be honest aren’t that significant, and under eye wrinkles, which have just become an issue in the last year and actually bother me.  I think they make me look tired and old… booo! So I got three injections on each side, one near the corner of the eye (for crows feet) and two slightly below the eye top of the cheek to stop the under eye smile wrinkles. The shots didn’t hurt, of the three I only even felt one of them.  The pressure of injecting liquid into the muscle tissue was, not uncomfortable, but well.. I don’t know how to describe it.  One spot hurt a little, but I mean so little that it doesn’t count, just enough for me to categorize it as pain.  The other two, I felt nothing or just a little pressure.

After that, I asked was there anything I should or shouldn’t do.  The doctor was like, oh yes don’t go to a sauna or hot spring in the next week.  I asked anything else, food?  Exercise?  Rubbing the area?  What about tanning? Can I go tanning?   The answer was I can do what ever I want, just try not to get the area too hot for a week, so no tanning, sauna or hot springs but exercise is fine.  and do not massage or rub the area for a week.

Another interesting thing I didn’t know, was that I won’t see any results for a week… well he said a week, but I looked online and they said 3-7 days.  I assume he said a week so I wasn’t calling in 4 days being like.. WTF why don’t I see anything.  Apparently results are in full effect with in two weeks. Interestingly, botox is used for a bunch of stuff including migraine treatments,  muscle spasms, and a number of other things.  Anyway since I’ve already done it, now I’m telling people and the responses have ranged from surprise  because they don’t feel I have any wrinkles, and curiosity.  So far no negativity at all.. interesting :D. I took some pictures, of before during and after.  So you can see what it all looks like.  If you have any questions feel free to ask, I’m a (mostly) open book.

Ok so I mostly wrote this right after I did it, and here is a little post op info .  There wasn’t much of anything to see for a couple of days, and then a slight lessening of the crow’s feet.  Now it’s been 6 days since the injections and there is a notable difference.  To be honest I’m quite pleased with the results, I might go with a slightly higher dose next time (1-2 more units, which was what the doctor recommended in the first place).  But so far, it’s really worth it.  Of course that is assuming it actually last a few months, it wouldn’t be worth it if it wore off in 1 month.  But I look a lot less tired around the eyes, and just knowing that makes me feel better .

Anyway here are some pictures I’ll try to make them as big as I can, but if you want big versions you can just ask me to email them to you.. it’s quite interesting all large on the computer screen!

Before the Shot, relaxed

Before, Smiling

They put this numbing cream on before the shots

I got the nurse to take a picture while the doctor was doing the injections

Just after the shot, you can see the red spots.

This is the next day, not sure why it’s out of focus, obviously nothing to see yet

Monday Jan 14th oooh a little less crow’s feet

Tuesday Jan 15th, wow! can totally see something

Jan 16th, ok, definitely can see a difference!

And this is Today, Jan 18th so 6 days after the shot.

Ok and here are a before and after side by side wadday thing?

Before

After

Really Frustrated

It’s a long story, but basically I went to France.  And I missed my gaming friends, I came back and no one seemed to come out.  Totally bummed me out, especially because a lot of them were playing DND instead of coming to play games.  I have no interest in DND and obviously the whole I missed my friends and then they were not coming to play because they were playing DND was kinda depressing.  Then salt in the wound, when they would come hang out, they would always talk about DND.  K fine what ever.

But then on the board game group they started completely hijacking other people’s threads.  So someone would post something about board games (the name and purpose of the group) and then someone into the DND or models would completely take over and hijack the threads.  It was annoying, but instead of being a bitch about it and yelling at them, I thought hey… since they have so much to say and I know that the people who are not interested in DND aren’t interested in it.  It would be cool if there was a second group, then everyone could have as much discussion as they wanted without stepping on anyone else’s toes.

Then I thought, Gee I better not tell them or suggest to them to make a separate group for dnd and model discussions, because someone will get all offended and it’ll be a big fight.  So I created a group, invited all the people who I knew who were interested in that stuff to it, made an admin (then made another because the first one left the group) and then I left it.

Jesus… you’d think I crucified kittens.

I created a group.. I created one… yet some people got all in a huff about how I was kicking them out of the gaming group.  0.0 If I had kicked you out, how are you still posting in it.. oh because no one kicked you out of anything?  But hey, people were offended, my bad. Sorry I didn’t mean it as a fuck off, I just thought it made sense.  and I was really surprised and taken aback, I never meant to hurt anyone’s feelings or upset anyone.  I mean I’m not one to mince my words, if I wanted to tell people to fuck off… I would.

So the week after, one of the guys (the one who is really upset about the whole thing) told me he was upset.  I was kinda surprised, but I said I was sorry and explained that I didn’t mean it as an insult.  He spent the rest of the day with me, even had dinner with me.  All the time still all pissy with me, completely unbeknownst to me.

Then the passive aggressive digs started.  Ok ha ha.  Then it got kinda mean.  And I was like … what the fuck?  And it come to my attention that He thinks I’m being a total bitch and refusing to apologize. Um?  I did apologize, clearly you didn’t accept it… but that doesn’t mean I didn’t apologize.  But he’s got a bee in his bonnet.  Turns out, whenever my name comes up he’s taking the opportunity to bash me and go on about what a shit I’m being.

First off, when have I ever… ever done anything intentionally to hurt anyone else?  I’m a nice person and I try to be nice to people.  Even people I actively dislike.  So why would I go out of my way to do some massive passive aggressive fuck off to a large group of my friends?   Why would I sit around and plot shitty things to do to them? Hell I’m the first to admit that I do things without thinking them through, and sure I hurt people’s feelings.  But it’s never intentional, and I always feel really bad.  I felt horrible when he said he was really upset and offended by my creating the group.  When I said I was sorry and that I never intended to upset anyone, I was being really genuine.

Hence I was so hurt by the malice and bs that followed.  And to make matters worse, not a single person went, hey hold on… That Magda girl is a pretty nice kid.  She’s probably didn’t mean it this way… no instead it was silence or joining in.  Seriously?  These are my friends?

Then another friend, who genuinely meant well and was trying to help called.  And the next day his suggestion was that “After sleeping on the matter, I’m suggesting the following course of action. 1) Remove yourself as an Admin of the group. 2) Send private messages to “them”etc. letting them know you did this, and apologize to them for the way in which you handled the situation. Let them know you understand what you did was wrong, and you’re sorry and leave it at that. Don’t explain anything, just admit your fault and move on. 3)Then give them some time to get over it.”

I know what I did was wrong?  So even though I’m the one constantly asking new people to join, following up with new people, organizing events etc.  And I’m the one who goes every weekend as long as I’m in town.  I should not be an admin because one person is upset that I created a group.

I mean come on, if anyone is being run out of the group, it was me.  I didn’t really care about the being an Admin thing.  It’s the complete lack of faith in me, and complete disregard to my feelings.  If I had done something genuinely abusive to the group, like removing posts without reason.  removing members  blocking people etc.  Sure obviously, I’ve done something wrong.  But at worst I made a political misstep, and was insensitive.  But did something horrible, wrong or with any kind of malice?  Certainly not.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally aware that I over reacted and I was more hurt than really made sense.  But like I said at the beginning, I missed my friends.  And I get back and everyone is absent.  And then there is this silly kerfuffle, and I’m sad.  But WAIT there’s more!  So when I’m bummed out, and feeling down crying my eyes out about the whole thing.  I feel like I get kicked when I’m down. No one gives me a call and says, hey I’m upset with what you did.. or hey I’m sure you didn’t mean it they way it’s being taken.  (well one person did, but now he’s irritated with me because I left the group).

And it doesn’t end, I can’t win.  I feel like shit because the people who were my main social life here, either want nothing to do with me, or actually think I’m such a piece of crap that I would intentionally do shitty things. Or that I’m ‘playing the victim’.  So even though for the past .. oh 4-5 years I’ve been trying to organize people to get together to play games on Sundays.  I can’t go, because I’m just going to either end up fighting with someone, or I’m going to feel like shit and end up crying.

So I quit, because I was tired of feeling sad all the time.  I am trying to move on and put it behind me.  But my living room has a big shelf of games, that I’m thinking about getting rid of because why keep them?  Plus it just keeps coming up (hence I’m writing this post, trying to vent with out subjecting anyone to it all), my friend and co worker, he keeps feeling really bad, because on my birthday everyone blew me off (except Rob, Tarra, Angela, and Tanya) including him, and he keeps calling me asking about events or things with our group of friends.  And he ends up feeling like shit, because I am usually in the middle of organizing things, so asking me makes sense.  Except no one is talking to me, so I’m not invited to anything.. and then he feels bad because he just told me about another thing that I was not invited to.  Drawing it to my attention, which obviously makes me sad.   But then I feel bad for him too.

And my roommate, he goes every Sunday.  And he tries to not tell me about it, but that is one of the main things we used to gab about is games.  Plus it turns out, my name comes up, and then there is a complain fest about me, and he tries to stay out of it but he gets dragged into the middle of it all the time.  Sure I talked and cried to him about it at the beginning, because he’s my friend and I didn’t have many people to talk to that would understand.  But when he mentioned he didn’t want to hear about it, I mostly stopped.  It comes up now and again, but it’s usually because he mentions something.

So now it seems I suck because I left, and also no one believes me because the other guy insists I didn’t apologize   And as my roommate says I’m not there to give my side, and the other guy is quite persuasive.    So I do something, I’m the devil, I do nothing, I’m terrible, I leave because I’m hurt and I don’t want to spend my time crying anymore.  And I’m a jerk.  Awesome.

Know what I would have done if it was anyone ANY one of them?  I would call them up and ask their side, I would take into consideration their personality and the fact that I’m friends with them for a reason.  I’d ask if they were ok, I’d be bummed that they were so upset that they felt like they couldn’t come in.

The worst, WORST part?  I want to say, I’m better off, I don’t need friends like this.  But they’re all I have here, and while some of them can be dicks from time to time, I like most of them. So I miss them.  And they all sit around and bitch about me. great.  I feel like such a chump.

Ps Happy birthday to me.

APRC finally applied

Well after all these years not only did I apply, I did it in record time.  From start to application meeting, basically 3 weeks.  Waiting for approval will take longer!  Course the whole, waiting for approval.. eek.  Because that means there is some possibility for rejection, not that the officer can make any guarantees, but she said as much as she can it’s gonna happen.    It’s just about timing, my boss is saying he will cancel my ARC on the 31st of August and that’s not enough time.  So I have to see if he’ll keep it for a little longer if not then I have to do more BS to make sure I remain legal.. sigh.

So when I did it all I had to ask a million questions and drive everyone half bananas, but on the plus side my interview took about 15 minutes and she told me that I was the first person to ever have everything ready to go all at the same time.

I thought it might be nice to write the whole thing up.. so here it is.. (boring to most of you, but useful to some I suppose)

Step By Step Process For Getting an APRC
for a Canadian 2012
I recently went through the whole process and documented it for other Canadians

1. (Depends, only took me 15 minutes, free)  Open through lunch  8am-5pm
   Go into your NIA office (National Immigration Agency, where you go to get and renew your ARC # 15 Guangzhou street, Zhongzhen district Taipei city.   Tel: 02 2388 9393) And ask if you’re eligible for the APRC, they will do a check and make sure you’ve had an ARC for long enough (5 years) and make sure to ask if you have any gaps in your ARC that you might not know about.   Also make sure you made enough money in the last Calendar year… the last I checked it was around 450,000nt but confirm with the agents when you’re at the NIA.  You can ask the Tax office for that information if you’re not sure.
2. (less than 5 minutes, free)   closed at lunch  8:30-am-5pm
   Go to the Canadian Trade office in Taipei: pick up fingerprinting papers
   This was easy as pie, just scooter over, parked by the Mitsikoshi malls zipped up, asked the receptionist and voila.
   6F, Hua-Hsin Building, No. 1 SongZhi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei 11047, Taiwan    Tel: +886 (2) 8723-3000
3. (10 minutes, Free calling with Skype)
   Call the law office in Canada and confirm what they need from you as well as have them  send you the application form for them to submit the check for you.   Need to call after 10:30 pm  Taiwan time, during Alberta Business hours.  You need application form, sign the release to have your criminal record sent to someone in Canada.  Photocopies of two pieces of Canadian ID,
   Webpage: http://canadianlegal.org/     Phone:  1-800-320-2477
   
   Copies of my driver’s license and Passport (Canadian) as well as my ARC.  Printed the Documents, and application forms.
4. (30 minutes or less, 100nt per fingerprinting set)  Friday 13th    open for lunch
   Go to the NIA office in your area, go to counter 58 in the basement of the Taipei office and have the officer take your prints.
5. (5-10 minutes, 300nt)
   Friday 13th  it arrived Tuesday the 17th and was submitted to the RCMP that day
   Mail documents to the legal office in Canada, there is a post office in the basement right next to the counter for the fingerprinting.  I sent it EMS (express post) and it’s supposed to arrive within 3-5 days.  I also took photos of everything that was included in the packet and emailed them to the law office in Calgary to make sure everything was in order.
6. (10-15 minutes, free with skype)
   Converting and Processing of prints costs $78.75 including taxes
   Called the law office again and gave them my credit card number.  Also called the TECO office in Ottawa to confirm everything needed for them to authenticate my Criminal record check.
   http://www.taiwanembassy.org/CA       Tel: (613) 231- 5080 ext. 225 or 239

7. (20 minutes, 750nt) Thursday 19th    open at lunch 9am-5pm
   Had my letter of power of attorney notarized, allowing my friend (that my Criminal record check was being released to) to apply for the authentication.  The notary office was very friendly and easy to deal with.
   Phone 02-2729-3139   http://www.twnotary.org (last I checked their site was down, but just call they speak English) The office is just upstairs of the Tavern, on the corner of Keelung and Xinyi, the door is right next to the Hang Ten.  You’re also meant to authenticate a copy of your passport, but it was expensive and annoying so I didn’t bother , I sent my passport itself.
8. (20 minutes, 300nt) Thursday 19th
   Arrived in Canada Tuesday 24th, so did the Criminal Record check from the RCMP
   Mailed my power of attorney letter, my passport, the TECO application form to my friend who was getting my Criminal Record Check in Canada.  Used EMS again 3-5 days.
9. (2 hours, 1660nt) pick up a 5-10 business days later   Friday 20th   CLOSED at lunch
   You can do it at most national hospitals, I went to He Ping Hospital (because of their quick processing time, 5 days)  unfortunately because you need to get health check type B, NOT type A (the one you get for your ARC) which many Taiwanese people need to get, so you might need to do some waiting.  Blood test and X ray themselves were quick. Went back on Friday 27th to pick it up.
10. (Time?, $107 Canadian)  Wednesday 25th arrived in Ottawa on 26th (2 days for processing)
    My friend took a photo of my criminal record check and emailed it to me (so I could have it translated).  She put everything in an envelope and sent it to the TECO office in Ottawa.  My friend got a certified cheque or money order, made out to ”TECO in Canada” from the bank for  $16 Canadian.   This link explains everything you need to do http://www.taiwanembassy.org/CA/ct.asp?xItem=170084&ctNode=166&mp=77

 

My friend went and got a money order/cheque,  the application forms, copies of their ID, my passport, my criminal record check, a letter requesting they send everything back to me in Taipei, and the money order for $76 and put them all in an express envelope to the TECO office in Ottawa.  Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada 45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1960, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P1A4  (613) 231-5080.  $60 for the EMS to send it back to Taipei, $16 for TECO processing plus postage to send it to Ottawa.

 

1. (5 minutes, 100nt)  pick up in 5 days     Friday 27th  open at lunch 9am-5pm
   Went into the foreign affairs police station in Ximen, gave them my ARC and 100nt and requested a criminal record check.  Picked up my Health Check from the Heping hospital.
2. (an hour or so driving around, gas money)  Friday the 3rd
   Picked up my Taiwanese Criminal Record Check, went to the tax office (open at lunch) and picked up my blue tax paper, went to my boss and picked up my employment letter.

3. (an hour or so, 750nt)  Monday 6th     open at lunch
   My passport and authenticated criminal record check arrived in the mail on the 4th.  I took them into the notary on Xinyi with the Chinese Translation of the Criminal Record Check AND MY TRANSLATOR (this is very very important they are not authenticating your translation they are notarizing your translator’s signature on the document, which means they must see them sign the document in front of them).  Also popped by my work and made a photo copy of every page of both my current and previous passports.   Then went to my meeting at the NIA with the APRC agent.

Check list of everything you need to prepare

• Fingerprinting document from Canadian Trade Office in Taipei
• Photo copies of ID, application form, completed fingerprint forms for your Criminal Record Check (valid 3 months)
• Authenticated and certified copy of passport, or original passport, application form, letter of power of attorney to be sent to the person receiving and forwarding your Criminal Record Check to the TECO office for authentication
• Chinese Translation of RCMP Criminal Record Check, anyone can translate but you need them to go with you to the notary office to sign their translation in front of the officer (the signature needs to be notarized )
• Health check type B  (valid 3 months)
• Taiwan Criminal Record Check  (valid 1 month)
• Tax ‘income’ form from the previous fiscal year (it’s blue)     (valid 1 month)
• Employment certificate (letter from your boss, same one you use for your ARC)
  (valid 1 month)
• The originals of your work permits, for the past 5 years (at least) and a photocopy of the most recent year.
• An ID photo
• Photo copies of every  page of your current and previous passport and if your ARC on A4 paper (You can copy both of them on the same paper, it just has to be clear).

Weekend Away in Dieppe

This weekend (oops I wrote this in the car and then forgot to post it..  so actually it was like three weeks ago) we were supposed to have a paintball extravaganza, with camping out in the woods (I can’t even begin to tell you how ‘excited’ I was about that part) for two days.  Technically it’s been planned for well over a month, but as the weekend approached suddenly people who were all for it started dropping like flies. Originally there were like 15 some people going but by Monday there were only 8 or 6 and by Wednesday most of them were making noises about the weather and the wetness.  It looked like the whole thing was rather doomed, and Regis was super bummed out.  But then he thought about it, checked the weather forcast (which wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t great either) and was like well fuck it, let’s go to Dieppe instead for the long weekend.  I was like, um ok, long weekend (my life is a long weekend at the moment) ? And what’s in Dieppe? 

Turns out we were actually supposed to go to Dieppe the first or second weekend I was here to hang out with his cousins.  I don’t remember why we didn’t go, perhaps weather or other plans, regardless I’m glad we didn’t go when I first got here or I would have spent most of the time sitting in the corner not sure how to talk to anyone.  But as is, I had a really good time this weekend.  Which is funny because we didn’t really do anything, we got here on Friday late afternoon and hung out with his cousin and her son and step son.  When her husband got off work we had some drinks and dinner (which in Europe is usually a bit of a productions.. with the food order and all ).

Honestly, there was a lot of time were I just lounged about on the sofa on my computer, facebooking or goofing around or reading my book.  But in the company of other people who were similarly occupied but still socializing with each other if that makes sense.  Sometimes we all watched TV, someone or other was playing video games… just sort chilling out at the house.

On Saturday we did end up going to a rally car race, which had it’s moments, but I wasn’t thrilled about standing out in the cold in a muddy ass field waiting for a car to go ZOOM and then done.  It wasn’t terrible, but I was cold and such a baby about all the mud.  Then we decided (and by we I mean they I was so not involved in the decision process) that the location we were in had given all it had to offer.  Including the idiot kid who kept jumping into the road so he could see the car and wave at it… um death wish much?  We all got massively splattered with mud bc of that dumb kid… the car had swerve half off the road to avoid him.  As dumb as the kid was, his father deserved a massive smack in the head and it kinda took all I had to keep from telling him off.  I mean who fucking takes a 9-11 year old boy to rally race and then lets him stand on the fucking road in front of a speeding car (sure the kid jump off the road every time.. but what if he slipped? What if the car slipped.. or crashed trying to avoid this idiot kid).  Anyway we moved to the start/ check point of the race (they do several circuits) because it was different, but of course we couldn’t get anywhere near to anything to see… The guys could sorta see… but the kids and I were pretty much hooped.  I was cold and bored so I wandered off looking for a better spot, where I could at least see something.

I had already decided that if I didn’t find any action, or a good spot I was going to hide in the car with my book .  So I wandered around for quite a while, crossed the street behind the start line (ie where the cars were not zinging off) and got some cool close up looks at the cars before they went on another circuit, then I continued on down the other side and found a great little spot (that was technically in the ‘hey hey don’t go here because it’s dangerous zone’) were I could see the cars start off.. and then they passed right in front of me (did a little loop) before zinging back down the road.  Excellent, I even had a little step to sit on!  And not a soul in front of me, win.  But I was still kinda cold.. and bored.  I mean the thing about rally cars is they zing by and then you just sit about waiting for the next one.  So I started to read.  Now I secretly, ok not so secretly as I said it out loud like 5 times, wanted to see a car crash in a spectacular fashion, and barring that I at leats wanted to see one skid out, bang into something or break somehow.  AND wish received… right in front of me a car came flying down the road with one wheel FUCKED up ended up stopping and pulling off right in front of me yay.  Not long after that we went home, for drinks and dinner and interneting.

Another day went for a walk down town, checked the Saturday morning street market, went to the super market a couple of times, I made dinner one night.  I also bought some popcorn (shit I forgot that at the house.. oh well) and made that.. which was a huge hit and I was asked to make it almost every night as an aperitif (snack with drinks before dinner).  And another night they wanted to try sushi, since I know how to make the rolls (it’s hardly rocket science) we popped down to the store to pick up some things and I made some salmon, shrimp and crab rolls, also a big hit.

Oh and we played Karnaxis one night, it was a bit of a gong show bc only Regis and I know how to play and the whole game is in English … which only I really speak.  Plus they’d all never really played this kind of game before and were really confused.  There was a lot of explaining and questions, and the game took forever.  But in the end it was a pretty good time and it was pretty cool because at the end of it, they were all like.. ‘man that was really fun and cool’ I love introducing new people to gaming.

It’s now it’s Wednesday and we’re in the car heading home.  Anyway I had a good time this weekend, and I’m glad we came now instead of a couple of months ago, because even though my French still sucks I can hold my own in a one on one conversation.  And everyone was really nice, trying really hard to help me and to understand my stories and conversation.  His cousins are really nice people. J.

Oh and one other thing, I love that everyone invariably ends up mentioning his ex and what a cow she is, and how I’m so nice lol.  I told Claire (his cousin) about his ex doing the whole kiss kiss thing with me and how taken aback I was and her reaction was fucking priceless.  She was like, WHAT? Seriously.. what a bitch.  I told her how when I tell folks back home about it, they brush it off as normal French kissy kissy business or that she was trying to be nice to me… and Claire was like.. hell no, she was just trying to make you uncomfortable and being nasty, this is wildly inappropriate of her.  Ha… I knew it.  Obviously I’m not going to be hearing songs of her praise, but man that woman seems like quite a prize.. hell even some of HER friends, they Regis met because they were friends with her… are no longer friends with her bc of all her manipulation etc.  Amusingly enough their the first ones to trash her, I swear to god I never bring her up.. and I have yet to meet anyone with a nice thing to say about her.  The best I’ve seen is, silence on the subject, for example Regis’s mom says nothing, not a word about her.  But then again his mom is like the nicest person ever, and I don’t think she’s every uttered a bad word about anyone in her life .

Ok, I’m done with writing now.. I’ll post when I get home.  Maybe I’ll watch a movie or read my book for a while.

Portsmouth at a Glance

Because that’s all I really had to be honest.  My trip to England was more of a visa run than anything else, my vacation in France is longer than the three month landing visa I get into the Shenzhen area (am I the only one who thinks that sounds super chinesey?)  Anyway, I think I mentioned it but perhaps not, when I arrived I asked the immigration officer (who amusingly didn’t speak English, really at the international airport???) if England was in the Shenzhen region or not, it’s not.  So I popped over on the Wednesday afternoon ferry, let me just stop right here for a second.  I love boats.  And Ferries, just tickle me pink, I think it must be one of those childhood pleasant memory things, because I can’t get on a ferry without immediately going exploring and delighting at every little thing. Which is precisely what I did, I beelines to a nice little sofa area, got the old couple to watch my bad.. and disappeared for a couple of hours taking every staircase, elevator, and exploring every floor, room, deck, and nook and cranny of the place that was open.

I wasn’t even particularly interesting in most of the facilities available, but I was still delighted that they existed and where there if I wanted them (well wanted to pay exorbitant prices for them).  Including, two bars, and arcade, cabins, gift shops, restaurants, and all sorts of other little doodads.  Due to high winds, while we arrived on time, we weren’t actually allowed into the port for an hour, and I was worried because I had arranged to couch surf, and my host had offered to pick me up at the ferry on the way to the coach surfing social.  But luckily he’d been caught up at work so it all worked out.  So that evening we went to a pub, and hung out with some other couch surfers, it was very entertaining, and so delightful because everyone spoke English and while it’s not really an issue… it’s just nice to hang out with people who all speak your language fluently sometimes.

The next day, my host Chris had to work all day and didn’t have a spare key so once I was out, I was out till he got back from work.  Which was fine, and also he’s such a nice guy he loaned me his water/wind proof jacket which was quite the blessing a couple of times during the day.  I meandered down the coast using a little tourist map to check out any and everything free along the way (a bunch of pay museums too.. but I’m a cheap little thing, plus I don’t really like museums).  I took a ton of pictures (you can see them on Facebook.. but as usual I was too lazy to take out the good camera.. it’s not my fault it’s really big and heavy and I walked all over hells half achre for like 6 hours… I didn’t want to be lugging that monster along.

While in a bit of a shopping district I tried to find a little present to bring back to Regis, but everything was either quite expensive or something he didn’t need or probably wouldn’t want.  In the end I went into Boots of all places (a drug store) and got him a Cadbury Crème Egg, I really don’t like them… but they definitely don’t have them in France.  Besides other people go on and on about them.. he might like it.  Then I had a major brain wave and popped into a TESCO (a supermarket) and picked up a selection of beers for him to try.  Which of course weighed a ton and made the walk back just smashing .  But it was worth it, as he was absolutely delighted by his gift.

Anyway it was getting toward the time Chris would be getting off work so I started heading back (about a 30 minute walk), by the time I got there he’d already gotten in.  We spent some time chatting about where I went and what I did for the day.  We also had a really good chat about his travels in the States and plotted some nice gifts and things he could do for his GF who was coming to Portsmouth in a couple of months (she’s living in Spain at the moment).   Chris was greatly amused that I had compulsively tidied his kitchen (cleaned all the dishes and the stove and counter tops) and that I had actively stopped myself from doing the bathroom too.  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t dirty, I’m just a nut.  Seems I’m a good house guest lol.. and he told me if I need a place to stay in oh say two weeks that would be just great..lol.   We had a bit of dinner and then headed to bed.

Because Chris being the nicest guy ever, he had offered to get up silly early in the morning to drop me at my ferry.  He works one of those jobs with flexible hours, so it worked out for him being Friday if he went in early he could go home early and start the weekend.  So we were up at 6-7am and off we went back to the boat.. YAY BOATS… (side note … I can’t hear, think, write or say the word boats… without thinking of that dude in Taipei that had named himself boats… not one boat.. several).   I hoped on the Ferry, had a long entertaining chat with this friendly older guy (who was quite the chatty cathy.. and this is coming from me of all people) who was going on a little one day hiking trip in France.  Explored a little, but as it was the same boat… meh.  And then back to France.

Oh, one last thing did happen, which amused/annoyed me.  To enter France (as in England) we had to pass through immigration.. on my way into England I got quite the grilling.. I mean she wanted to see my on going ticket back to Taipei… I was like why the hell would I have that with me??  And why do you care? You have my ongoing ticket back to France… plus I got a billion questions and warnings about taking work while in the country… um.  Do you have so many jobs that people are just flinging them at tourists?  I mean I’m here for like 36 hours… what could I possibly do in that time?  By contrast, when I arrived in the France the guy was like. Oh hi.. standard 1-2 questions, lemmi get my stamp.    Meanwhile, I guess people from England just show their passport and walk through, this woman behind me was nearly apoplectic at the fucking 5 minute wait.  Which was all my fault for being a dirty foreigner, no she didn’t actually say anything but she was all big sighs, frantic eyes, and muttering obnoxious things like ‘oh for fuck’s sakes’ under her breath.  I mean for one…. Not a particularly intelligent way to behave at immigration, anywhere else and she would have been dragged off to a little room, but luckily for her the officer was 1 busy and 2 chill.  But it was so passive aggressively obnoxious, I wasn’t able to hold my tongue.  I finally said, (keep in mind she was being such a cow that I couldn’t keep from saying anything and this was like a 5 minute wait… at most) listen lady, they have to stamp my passport, it’s not my fault calm the fuck down.  You’ll get through in a minute.  So which she got all ‘well I never’, and insisted that she hadn’t said or done anything to the contrary.  I was like well quit the sighs and muttering comments and chill out.  I really just wanted to slap her .

Well that’s it..

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Harumph

Alright, I have some bitching to do.. some shit I want to get off my chest and complain about.  Now before I start, let me begin with a couple of little disclaimers.  One, if you want to give me the little speech about how complaining and whinging is detrimental to my mental health yadda yadda… don’t.  Shut up.  I enjoy a good bitch, so nayyyayayay.  Two, if you’re about to say something along the lines of ‘you complain a lot” …. seriously?  Are you new here?  I’m 33 years old, no shit sherlock, I’m not changing now .    Three, no one is forcing you to read this, and if you’re honest you like someone elses woes.. because lets face it.. it’s amusing damn it >

ON WITH THE BITCHING

Well one.. my mouse is a cunt, I hate it.. and I want to smash it.  That is all on that right now.

I went to  get my hair cut, because it’s so dry I think it’s going to crumble off my head.  It’s getting hard to wash and comb out bc it’s so damaged and dry on the ends.  I tried to get Regis to take me to a place, because I’m all nervous about it.. but he wouldn’t (which really irritated me, yes I know I could do it myself but I want you to come and help just in case, I never told him no when he wanted help).  Anyway I finally got frustrated and went by myself at 150pm.. and of course.. IT’S FUCKING CLOSED for lunch.  le sigh.  They open at 2, not the end of the world, but irritating and all I could thing is how does anyone make any damn money here?  Nothing is open.. well I worked that out when I got the bill.  The sign says 16 Euros for a cut.. and has the word shampoo above it.  How foolish of me to think anything was included…  I get the bill… I was charge 16 euros for a basic trim, 4.50 for the shampooing, 4.50 for the conditioner (that’s right it’s not included).  And when she offered to blow dry my hair, I was like, no it’s not necissary just toss a little product in it and let it air dry.  Idiot… she charged me 3.50 for mousse… which she didn’t even use much of… SERIOUSLY???  It’s like 5 minutes from my house, I so could and would have washed my hair at home and tossed a little gel in it when I got back… all of that cost me  (these little extras, that to me are normally included or at least clearly itemized by prices BEFORE you do it) 12.50 euros… That’s $16.30 CAD just for shampoo, conditioner and a bit of mousse… in total I spend 28.50 euros… for like 30 mins and a wee trim which would have been fine if the fucking sign didn’t say 16. GR

Driving.. one of the only things Regis and I fight about.  Sometimes, usually when I’m driving bc he’s been drinking, I’m the best driver ever.  Then sometimes he’s all nag nag trying to teach me better ways to drive. Now it’s not that I don’t think he can’t teach me, I am certain he can tell me lots about driving… but it’s the way he goes about it that drives me bananas.  The worst was the whole right of way rules in France.  Now, he didn’t explain this clearly and it caused a few frustrated spats, but in the end I worked it out.

And it’s fucking RETARDED.  So this is what I’ve finally worked out, when you’re driving down a road, and there is an intersection (not a four way stop mind you) any road coming onto your road…. if they are on your right.. they have the right of way, unless they have a big white stop line before the crosswalk.  Which you can’t see until you’re basically parallel to the road.  RIGHT… the right of way is based on the marking on the OTHER road… that you either have to memorize, or just drive like someone’s grandma checking for stop lines.  You don’t have to stop, so I suppose they save on stop signs and paint lines… (shakes head)

This is seriously the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of.. what it means is technically if they want to, people coming out of side roads (as long as they are taking a right) can just shoot out into the road.  Because they have the right of way.  O.O The idea….  get this, is to keep people from on the straight roads from going too fast.  ….. really?  How about stop lines.. and if I have a stop line I stop.. novel idea.  They made this rule so you never know who is coming from where so you have to drive slower or potentially die… really.. this seems like a good idea?  TO WHO???

Speed signs… this is a fucking charmer… sometimes they post the speed limit, sometimes they don’t.  The limit could be 130km/hr on the highway or 110, or 90… sometimes it’s marked sometimes you get to guess.  On the not highways.. the roads are all two way.. even though they are usually one narrow lane wide.  The limit?  Well it is usually 90 (suicide on these roads) but it might be 70, or 50, it might be labeled.. it might not.. GUESS. So it’s probably pretty clear in town right?  Wrong.   Next to town it might might 70, might be 50, in town itself it might be 50 it might be 30.  It’s usually fine, I can usually suss it out because there is a certain logic to the speeds… but still Invest in a fucking sign…

Ok rant done.. tralala gonna go for a walk