Canadian really got talent - and as I watch this group played at the Farmer’s Market 2 weeks ago - I can’t help but think that this people sure got guts and perseverance. I’m not too arty farty like - but I do love music a lot - I remembered going to the Symphony - everytime a friend was in town from US or Australia. Those were the good ole days! unfortunately, for me PB is only into the heavy metal kinda of music - but I can’t stand them because they are so loud and had lots of foul languages in them. I do love this group - sometimes the groups playing isn’t so fantastic and I don’t stay and listen - but acknowledge them nevertheless.

So we were up in the city a few weeks ago - and had seen all these guitars for sale - and Chloe had asked for one as well - but she already has one - that her ex-babysitter’s father bought for her one year for Christmas. Once in a while she would strum on it and try to make music out of it - but refuses to go for lessons to learn how to play the guitar for real. So I told her that when she decides that she really wants to learn guitar or learn to play it for real - and not for the fun and strumming it and making noises - we will get her a proper guitar for the guitars that we saw on sale weren’t cheap at all. Like we all know that kids can’t really decide on what they really want for now - and unless she is learning how to play classical guitar - I doubt she can play the guitar without the nylon strings - the other type of strings are just too hard on the fingers even for me. I’m all for music lessons - but knowing the brat of mine - she would probably give up after a few lessons - so for now - we’ll just have to play by ear.

Looking back to my life before living in Canada makes me smile - because never would I have thought I was so passionate about supporting our local businesses and online shopping. Where I come from - we have shopping centers 8 stories high in department stores. Where I am now in a remote area in Canada, it’s really hard to shop for everything in town. I’m passionate about buying local because the spouse owns his own business - a small one - and without the support of the local community - we could never have a comfortable life. Therefore, whenever I can - I will only shop locally or within Canada - it’s smart move to shop within Canada because shipping is cheaper and in a lot of cases it’s even free. Most importantly, I don’t have to pay for brokerage fees. If I needed to buy a big item like a painting (made the mistake once and paid as much for the brokerage and shipping fees as the painting itself).

Since I can’t head to the city every time I need something (because of the store and Chloe at school), shopping online at places like Centrsource or Roots are my best options. I like to shop for everything under one roof, so it’s great when you find an online shop that carries most of the things I need. And I never shop for anything that is not on sale or has a deal/great offer, for I get a little carried away when I shop - don’t you? I’m checking out Centrsource as I write and it’s very unique, it brings you to the site the offer is on - and you deal directly with the seller/shop - pretty neat. And I can shop after Chloe has gone to bed so I can read up on the things I love and get the best deals. Now if only they carried Asian groceries I’d be all set.

So we invested in a little cottage by the lake in Pembrooke - and this is our little getaway during the weekends - we just loved going there with our little bass boat and while PB and Chloe do their water sport thing, I just lazed around the sun and get a tan. But because Pembrooke is out of town, our cell phone signal isn’t the strongest but have no fear for in Canada - they have cell booster antenna that you can get from your local store in the mall - not expensive at all - and with that you will never have to miss a call. Although we say we are going there to relax, you all know that we need to keep our cellphone ready and available because of the store, so yes! thank God for gadgets like the cell phone booster else I doubt PB would want to buy this little cottage out in Pembrooke. The cottage was cheap and it has lots of potential, come spring next year, we are putting up a sunscreen porch and inviting friends over for more BBQ. woohoo!

I watch a lot of movies from youtube - and I found it really to watch because you don’t have to pay for watching time on youtube - plus I also get to watch some of my favorite concerts on youtube as well. But I would much prefer to be able to download it and watch it anytime I want on my laptop - and there was no way as far as I know whereby one can download a youtube video - until I found video download. It’s great for both PC users and Mac users - I haven’t used it myself but am game to try it out because it said that it was pretty fast downloads. It’s definitely a great app for someone like me who loves her cantonese movies.

I grew up with parents who are not very arty farty - nor are they very hipped. When it comes to the Beatles and lyrics of songs - my mom was just not into it - and my dad “the shit face” well - he was never around right - so you can’t expect to learn anything from him. Now with Chloe - it’s a different story altogether - because she has got a dad - who loves music - although he wouldn’t sing to her - and she picks up all the good stuff from him. Like this song - Octopus’s Garden - Chloe who is 7.5 yrs old - would sing this song to me - and the yellow submarine. I who is 46 yrs old is learning so much from this little girl who brings me so much joy. So I’m inclined to believe - that what your children are - us as parents have direct impact on them. So yes! you want your kids to be this and that - make sure you check yourself - are you also this and that? I don’t believe in pushing my kid - but strongly believe in nurturing them with love and encouragement.

I wanted to think of a title that won’t offend my Chinese friends - but there isn’t really a good way to put it - without upsetting some. But this only applies to those who are not technically inclined because the Chinese men that I’ve met - are not very technically inclined - well - except for the engineers I used to work with. But truth be told the Western engineers are by far more handy and knowledgeable when it comes to anything electronic. And I can prove it because PB is such a person - ask him about wires, cable or even digital video cables, he is able to tell you exactly what they are for and how to use it. But if I were to ask a chinese friend - I seriously doubt they are so good with it. Some of the chinese male friends I had known all my life - don’t even know how to tune a VCR to record what is on tv *slap forehead* so can you blame me for wanting to marry a chinese? well - of course, there is more to knowing about cables to choose from a Chinese to a Westerner - but that’s for another post and another day.

PB has been playing online games since Everquest 1 first came out - and that was even before I came to Canada 11 years ago. But as time passed - he also played EverQuest II, WOW (World of Warcraft), which was a big hit around the world, Lord of the Rings Online for a while and now - he is into a new game called Rift. First, they have to pay for the game - and then they have to pay a monthly fee - and what they do is gang up and kill other people as far as I know. But as for me - I’m not into those games - no matter how much I tried to get into it - I was never that kind of gamer.

I tried the Facebook online games - the fishing game and also the Chef game - but after a month or so I got tired of it - too time consuming and don’t really make me think so there’s no real motivation there (no offense to those who love FB games eh!). But PB still encouraged me to find a game that I will enjoy playing - to de-stress, so I thought about games that I used to play every now and then back home. Mahjong is one of them and of course I also played the slot machines every time I was on vacation or on a work trip near a casino. But where I am currently - in a small town - there are no casinos around - so PB showed me how to play slots online - whenever I want to have some fun and do something I like.

I’ve known about internet casinos for quite a few years now but never really did anything about it till now since I like thinking games like blackjack and mahjong - I hear it’s especially good for training ones mind as you get older - so your brains won’t get lazy on you. But I never go overboard when playing online games - I play because I want to have fun and de-stress and of course I did my leg work and checked out only the reputable online casinos. It’s amazing how much information a reputable online casino has on their site and I can even use my paypal for deposits and payments - I never have to have it reflect on PB’s credit card statement - definitely a plus point in my case - I like to keep my online gaming private since PB never liked to go to a real casino - so this is a fun thing I can do on the weekend when Chloe is sleeping and I’m all done with my housework. I play responsibly of course and know that playing in an online casino is for fun and not for trying to become a millionaire.

We only have one radio station in this town - poor us eh! unlike home, we have the chinese station, the english station, the Malay station, the Gold 90.5FM, the symphony station and many more by now I am assuming. I missed the talk shows - the interaction between the listeners and the radio DJs a lot and the discussing of certain high key issues in the country. So we have sirius a Satellite Radio and listen to Howard Stern Radio and Oprah Winfrey instead especially if we are driving up to the city. 4 hrs of driving can get very boring - trying to think of something to chat. But I do love the Howard Stern Radio a lot because it’s just hilarious - and he does the most outrageous stuff and say the most unthinkable thing. Plus his guest lists are awesome too - from Chris Rock to just about anyone you can think of - you want to hear on the radio. Thank God for satellite radio else I would be bored to death here.

We brought in a magician from New Minas - Tim Valillee for Chloe’s birthday - courtesy of her “Kai Mah” Lina from Singapore. Since Chloe already celebrated her birthday at the movies - we decided to extend the goodwill to her school friends’ instead. Her teacher suggested doing for the lower primary and after a chat - thru’ email with Tim Valillee - he agreed to come down today - for a reasonable price.

Chloe had such a great time - and so did the kids at her school - that I honestly felt that the money spent - was definitely worth every penny. Tim Valillee did such a great job with the kids - that the school is going to bring him back for another occasion.

This year - we picked to go to the movies with Chloe for her birthday. She invited 11 friends from school and from the store. 9 turned up and 2 with their parents - to give us a hand with the kids. Chloe’s grandparents came too - but didn’t stay for the movie. We wanted to try something different.

The movie we saw was Tangled - it was a great movie - but going to the movies with so many kids - without their parents can be quite tedious. So for now - we won’t go to the movies till she is a lot older with older friends. My princess will be 7 years old soon - time surely flew for us.

So have you been watching Some Day from tvb - it’s on Episode 80 today. So finally - now I know why Simon is helping Zhang Qiu so much !! and all this time - you must think that he likes her eh? hahah!! i thought the same too - so donch feel bad about misunderstanding him. Very interesting - how Simon and Edmond - Zhang Qiu ex’s got to know Simon on the internet eh! what a coincidence - and like I said before it can only happen in a show/movie. Anyhow - if you are excited and want to know where to watch Episode 80 - you know what to do - leave a comment.

Although I’ve known PB for a long time before coming to Canada and migrating - it has actually only been 10 yrs that we are together physically. Chloe is almost 7 years old and in any relationship - we tend to become pretty complacent now. So we are renewing our vows to each other in December 2010 - quite romantic right? People say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend - and they are not wrong - I love my diamonds more than my gold. But I was not always this way - when I was younger - I was crazy about gold - but now that I’m of age - diamonds are what I like and it cannot be any diamond but one with a platinum band and must be at least .30 carats and a certain clarity is a must. So PB is looking out for a diamond ring for me - and the above is what i like - I told him. Hopefully, we can find something similar - the above is a vintage diamond ring of my grandmother’s.

Halloween costumes are all up for sale everywhere in the mall and I’m tempted to dress up too this year. Last year - the girlfriends all dressed up for Halloween - and some were in a cat woman costume - another was in a french maid costumes and had joke that this costume comes in handy for other occasions too - like spicing up their love life and we had a good laugh about it too. So this year - I told the spouse - we should join in the fun with Chloe and get dress up too - afterall, we are never too old to be in costumes right? and it’s HALLOWEEN!!! so what kind of costume will you be in ? let me know eh.

U2 is coming to Toronto !!! yes ! you heard me right! Ahhh..! talking about U2 brings back so many good memories. Yes ! I grew up listening to U2! and yes ! they have been around for a long time - 30 yrs. I was in my teens too when they started the band. Irish guys and so handsome ! we all went ga-ga over all of them. So who do I liked? Bono of course!! and he still looks so good now - at 50. Wished they were coming to Halifax in November instead of Toronto but for those who are in Toronto and want some U2 tickets, make sure get yours really early - coz’ i hear they are sold out on every concert. Dreamy, dreamy I am now - and plotting to get to Toronto if I can in November - afterall, you don’t get to go for U2 concerts every other month eh. And I leave you with this you-tube of one of their many good songs - bringing you back to yesteryear.

When Lanes Merge Episode 19 & 20 (End) is out for watching !! woohoo!! excited right..?? leave me a comment will yer! i will share, share with you.

I came to a conclusion last nite about why women love their chick flicks - haha! now, now - i know what you are thinking - women just loves it - no reason/s - but there ISsssss..! it’s all because of our men! hahha!! i know what the men are gonna say - blame it on the men again ! hahahah!!! but it’s true - the reason why we women love the chick flick is because we are not getting enough romantic encounters from our own men - so we look into other ppl’s life - even though they are only a show - and may not be true - it’s ok to dream about it eh. Likewise - why some ppl would wear casually and others insist on branded clothings and handbags but some are comfy with urban clothes because they are just those who are pretty confident - it is what you want that you don’t have so you watch or wear them. Food for thought eh.

While helping my g/f do the baptism invitations, i started watching this new show from tvb. Leave a comment if you want to watch this show too. Setting out on their quest for fame and fortune, three female TV stars of different backgrounds are resolved to achieve their dreams at any price. But after so many ups and downs in their acting careers, they finally come to discover the secret of true beauty.

Driven by sheer vanity, KO CHING MAN (Kate Tsui) takes part in a beauty pageant despite the strong opposition of her mother, a long-retired actress named CHEUNG LAI HUNG (Yuen King Tan), and leaps to stardom soon after winning the championship. Rising actress TONG HO YEE (Sharon Chan) feels threatened by MAN and decides to join another TV station to look for a breakthrough, which is not supported by her production assistant friend DEACON CHONG (Lai Lok Yi). Leading actress KEUNG CHIN FUNG (Ng Wing Mei) used to be a bitter rival of HUNG. Realizing that MAN’s acting career is taking off at top speed, FUNG means to approach her as a mentor, through which she hopes to drag the girl into her moral downfall bit by bit. Desperate for everlasting beauty, FUNG injects herself with illegal substances in an attempt to slow the aging process. But things do not really go as planned and her face starts to change in shape. Her advertising deal with a cosmetics company is subsequently canceled and MAN has soon replaced her as the new product endorser. Even the Award of Best Actress, which she has won for years, is slipping out of her hands. To vent her anger, FUNG seeks to extract revenge on MAN, finally plunging her into a world of pain and trouble.

Born Rich Episode 40 & 41 are both out for watching..! yes..!! yes..! 2 episodes in one sunday! i’m sure you wanna watch it too right. Check the synopsis out at HERE !