vanessa’s blog

The flat I am currently living in is the same one I moved into 9 months ago.  Wow... 9 months, I can't believe I have been living in Hong Kong for 9 months.  Anyway, when I first saw this apartment I fell in love with it.  It had a real bohemian look to it, the location was exactly where I was looking and I was to live with a great Australian girl, an African guy and a French guy.  Sortly after moving in the French guy left for China and an Italian guy moved in.  Then, in September the Aussie girl and African guy moved out, they were husband and wife, and a Canadian guy moved in.   Shortly after that, we all went on a cleaning spree and the bohemian look dissappeared for a boring empty look.  Nothing was ever quite the same once Ali and Adams moved out.  Then, in November, the Italian guy went back to Italy and it was time to find yet another flatmate.  Our flat is in a great location and the rent is quite low for what we have, so it is quite easy to rent out rooms. 

So Lou, the Canadian, and I started interviews.  One night a Romanian girl came for an interview but Lou wasn't home.  I decided right then and there that this was who I wanted to move in and was willing to fight for it no matter what, and I did.  Lou let me have my way ,but told me his feeling on what he thought her personality to be.  Anyway, she moved in on November 15 and I have regretted it everyday since.  He was right on the money.  Of course we have had fun times together, but generally she irks and frustrates me to no end.  I could sit for for 8 hours and just keep typing all the things she does and says.  Lou basically feels the same way but he is never home so doesn't have to deal with it as much as I do.  Plus, she has a huge crush on him.  There's really nothing wrong with her, she's nice and generous.  But she is lazy and self-centered.  Those two things just don't work well when living with others.  I always feel like she just takes, but never gives.  This experience has really made me doubt myself.  Before this, I always thought I could read people pretty well, but now I am not so sure. 

Well, now I am moving out.  Not so much because of her though.  My share of the rent here is $500 per month and about to go up another $100 or so in April.  The location is one of the busiest places in Hong Kong, whenever I step out of my door I am quite literally surrounded by thousands of people, imagine the busiest Canada day you can and that's what it's like all the time around here.  Because it is so busy there is a lot of exhaust from buses and cars, not to mention noise.  So, now that it's time to resign the lease on this flat I decided I should look at other possibilities.  So I looked and found a terrific flat in the country.

Of course this flat had positives and negatives to it as well.  There are only three negatives that I can see so far.

1.  I will be living with three Hong Kong guys.  Have never lived with Chinese before. 

2.  My room is very tiny.  It basically has an elevated bed and the floor space empty.  Enough room for a computer desk and some shelves.  No room for yoga or exercise in my room, and the wardrobe is out in the hall.  It's very uncommon to find closets in Asia.

3.  If I move in before May 1, I will have to share another room with a visitor for 1 week.  I guess he has a doctor and teacher staying with him during that time, the teacher for 1 week and the doctor for a while.  So, for some reason, for the last week of April I will have to share the spare room with the teacher while the doctor sleeps in my room.  Not sure why the doctor and teacher can't share a room and I stay in my room, will try to figure that out later.  He told me it's better if I don't move in until May 1 but it's ok to move in sooner.

Those are the negatives.  The positives are:

1. The rent is only about $200 per month.

2. It's on the first floor of a village house.

3. It has a backyard.

4. It's in the country- no exhaust, people or traffic.

5. I can go running and not feel as though I am doing more damage to myself from the exhaust.  Now if only the pollution would dissappear.

6. I can do yoga in the backyard outside.

7. I can read and drink my tea outside.

8. It's not far from the mountains or hiking.

9. I like the flat.

10. It's still quite convenient even though it's in the country.

11. There're trees everywhere.

12. And so on

But what am I giving up by moving:

1. A very large room with a whole wall of closet and cupboard space.

2. A very large flat.

3. Living downtown.

4. A frustrating flatmate.

5. An okay flatmate.

6. A horrible shower

To me, the positives really outweigh the negatives.  The only thing I am not thrilled about is the size of the room, but I think I can live with that.  I don't need to do aerobic videos in my room because I can go running outside or, if I feel really brave, in the livingroom.  I can also do yoga outside or the livingroom as well.  The only reason I need the space in my room is to exercise.  I am also a little worried about where I will put all my clothes, but not really.

But, I guess what I am really thinking is that you never know if the decision you are about to make is the right one.  I believe this is the right one for me, I think it is the right one for my soul, I think I need to get out of the claustrophopic city and into the wide open spaces of the country.  I think I am making the right decision, but how do I know?

The only thing I do know is that $200 is a whole lot better for me, my loans and getting back to Canada than $600... so I am going to go with that.

I feel it will all work out.

Now, for the weightloss.  I haven't exercised yet.  Food has been ok, but not enough of it.  Small steps I guess.

V~

Blah, just wrote a big long post about weight loss and why I need to take it seriously but don't and my computer froze just as I pressed save.  Frustrating. 

Basically I said that I can feel myself getting more and more unhealthy, that obesity and diabetes are common on my father's side, and that I am now 30.  Because of these things I really need to take care of myself.

I also said that I am lazy but there seems to be more of a pyschological reasoning behind it.   I don't want to sound cliche, but I think I need to use my fat as protection.  I need to protect my inner child because I couldn't when I should have.  I also think I am afraid of not being able to use my fat as an excuse anymore.  I don't know really, all I do know is there is something subconcious that makes me sabatoge myself each and everytime I get somewhere. 

If there is anyone reading going through the same things, please comment and let me know. 

I am also posting some new photos.  The first one was taken in the Philippines, the only one I dare post in my tankini top.  The next one is shortly after on the Peak in Hong Kong, you can see the outline from my sunglasses.  The rest were taken last week.  Decided to give black a go.  I like it but will go back to blonde soon, just feel the black to too dark for me and my clothes.

Also, please let me know if anyone is actually still reading this.

Thanks.

V~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've got a computer.  Let's see if I post here more often now. 

I read 41 books in 2007! 

Sorry guys!  I don't have a computer yet and whenever I am at the cafe I just don't feel like posting.  Not much is new though.  Still get sad when I see the picture on here of my long hair.  Subway still isn't finished so we still have a lot of money problems and stress.  Rob still can't move here with me.  Still planning on moving home next fall.  Still looking for more hours, but I do have quite a few and am now making money.  Those three months of me not working and having to get money sent from Taiwan really hurt us.  But do I want to make as much as I can to put towards paying things off and getting make to Canada.  I just want Subway finalized so the stress will be gone and I can start to worry about myself and be happy again. 

Rob had a long 4 day weekend a couple weeks ago so we thought it would be silly to waste it.  Here are some pictures from then.  Remember, I cut all my hair off.  It still makes me cry but it will grow back, at least that is what everyone keeps telling me.  Sorry for the lack of posts but I don't actually have a computer of my own so I cannot post when I actually feel I want to.  Soon.

 

 

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=036_1186245897

I am moving home in a year.  Mostly likely Ottawa but at least I'll be in the country again.

I took my measurements today.  I don't have a scale, nor the money to buy one so this is the only way that I have to measure progress by.  Guessing I will do them on the first day of each month. 

Things for my two flatmates who are married are going terribly.  So she is moving back to Australia and her husband is moving in with friends.  This is all fine and dandy except here you need to pay utility deposits and the total is about $230 CAD, this really sucks at the moment.  I think I will have to ask the other flatmate and the new one moving in to pay third and they can get it back with there rental deposit when they leave,  I will be taking over the lease.  The other crappy thing is a couple of flatmates who lived here months ago are moving into a new place that isn't furnished, so they are coming on Saturday to pick up the things they left behind when they moved out.  WTF!!!!! When theyy left the willingly left the stuff behind and said it belonged to the apartment.  The one girl actually moved to the states but missed the other one too much so came back.  Yes, they are two girls and yes, they are together.  Now they want their own place so they found a place that wasn't furnished.  I understand taking your stuff with you when you move, but I don't agree with coming back way after the fact and taking advantage.  They are taking one of the beds, two livingroom chairs, the toaster oven, the kitchen table and chairs, the FRIDGE, some dishes, and maybe the coffee table but I can't remember if that is on the list.  It really sucks.  And now I have to replace the fridge as well.  I feel I can't really say anything since I wasn't here originally but I think it is very unfair.

There is a special showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Drive-In theater on Saturday.  Rob and I really want to go but I don't think we'll be able to pull it off.  First, he'd have to fly here and that is $200-$300.  Second, the tickets are outrages, $75.  So, I think we'll have to skip it even though it's a unique opportunity.

Other than that not much is happening.  Working on some new ideas that will hopefully get us to Canada in a year or so.

Now, I am going to be a boring diet blog and list what I ate and did for exercise.

1. tall green tea frappacino with whipped cream.

2. stir fried rice, tofu, salad all with a lot of olive oil.

3. left over rice and tofu.

No exercise, just cleaned my room top to bottom.

All-in-all, not a good first day.

Bye for now. 

So, Rob came last Wednesday night.  I am a mean person and arrived at the airport late...really late.  He had been waiting for me for 30minutes.  I guess I just misjudged the time.  We didn't actually get back to the apartment until 11:30pm or so.  We picked up Thai food on the way home.  I live right next to Temple Street Market which is great for late-night take-away food.  He loves the apartment as much as I do.  That is great and means we will likely stay here after he comes even though that will mean having 2 flatmates.  The flatmates I have now will all soon be gone.  One guy is from Italy but he is here for only 3 months for an internship.  The other two just found out they are pregnant and are most likely going to move to Australia in Decemember or January.  That means I'd have to take over the lease then. 

Anyway, last Thursday was the Gwen concert.  It was really great, much better than I was expecting.  I actually like her more now.  She was more like the No Doubt Gwen.  We didn't have very good seats but everyone stood so once the show started we just moved up as far as we could.  At one point she even climbed up into the crowd but not on our side, unfortunately.  It was lots of fun and I am really glad I went.  She had a lot of energy and looked like the was really having fun. She always had a smile on her face. I didn't take my camera because the tickets said no cameras aloud and bags would be searched.  What a bunch of lies.  Oh well, I was too busy dancing to take pictures anyway.  Here are someone else's off flickr.  *If they are yours and you want me to remove them just let me know*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday we went to Disneyland.  This time we just plain dumb forgot the camera and disposables were too expensive.  Since we figured we'd be back again as it's not too expensive and it's right here we just didn't worry about it.  Disney was ok but they don't have much yet.  Rob, the disney expert as he's been to all of them except France, said they are missing a lot of things but they are expanding as they go.  Rob got to talk to Stitch.  It took us a while to realize that the Stitch on the screen was actually interacting with two kids in the audience.  By the time we realized that the mic was being put in front of Rob and his picture was being displayed on the screen.  He was some sort of space criminal (very fitting) in the little skit that was going on.  He was over the moon with excitment by this as he just loves Stitch.  I got a cool skull/princess keychain.  The big thing there is the Pirates and Captian Jack Sparrow. 

On Saturday we went to see the big Buddah on Lantau Island.  This is something we have wanted to see since we first came in Hong Kong like 6 years ago but never made it on either of our trips.  After the Buddah we went to a restaurant called the Stoep which is where Ali and Adams had there wedding reception.  We didn't get there until just before dark because we had to wait an hour for the bus from the buddah.  We got there jsut as the sun was setting then walked along the beach before going to the restaurant.  It's really a great place, the verandah where you eat is right on the beach so we sat facing the ocean and watched the sun finish setting.  We ordered a South African BBQ and shared it.  After we ate I went to change into my bathingsuit to go swimming when I heard a loud clap of thunder so I got dressed again as I knew that meant the rain was coming.  By the time I got back to the table it was pouring, thundering like crazy and lightening that lit up the entire sky.  We asked which was the easiest way to get back to the ferry and it seems liked the bus was.  So we headed up to the bus stop, Rob in his raincoat and me with a cheap little umbrella.  We were soaked by the time we got there.  I had never seen a storm like this.  It seemed like a freak storm, the employees at the restaurant were really scared.  The thunder hurt your ears at times the the lightening was insane.  We were waiting and waiting for the bus and were just looking at the schedule when all the power went out.  So there we were in the middle of nowhere on an island waiting for a bus that was late in the middle of a crazy thunder, lightning and rain storm.  The bus came after 30min and we waved like crazy because we were afraid that it wouldn't see us in the dark.  By the time we got to the ferry it had died down some but we say the most awesome lightening ever on the ferry on the way back to Hong Kong.  Root lightening that branched off in every direction and filled the sky every few minutes.  Flashes that lit up the sky as far as you could see.  I honestly have never seen anything like it and Ottawa has crazy ligtening storms.

Here are a few pics of the Big Buddah and the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the restaurant looking out over the ocean.  I was actually quite dark by this time.

 

 

a bad picture of rob and I.  Yes, I cut my hair off.  No, I don't want to hear anything about it. Yes, I hate it and regret it and am very sad everytime I think about it.

 

 

Rob in his mask.

 

 

 

Me in mine.

 

 

 

Both of us.

 

 

 

 

Ok, gotta go, another flatmate needs to use the computer because he can't get the wireless to work.  Plus it's 12:35am and I should get to bed.

Have a good weekend.