Lovely Lovely Oxford...........

it has been two months since I last posted..... has been busy enjoying my new life here... Fresh air, new friends, new lifestyle...

surprisingly... I enjoyed my study life a lot a lot. I thought I would never want to study again... but it turns out studying is quite interesting.. esp if you have the study who is the same calibre as you... you involve in discussions.... talk about group work.... do research.... I really enjoy and treasure this great opportunity!

not to mention all the culture activities I have been attending. Thx to Ana, a girl from Romania, I think she is quite young but she have a lot of culture interest, we went to ballet workshop held by the English National Ballet... (oh god... have you ever had a live flute player? it is AMAZING.... great combination with the elegant dance move... )

this is just in introduction.. I will write more later..... (haha plus.. this is also my assignment at the end of the year) I have to write a diary in Oxford as an assignment!

(hum... maybe I will add a new blog just for oxford... as the Big Apple chapter should be closed!

08.08.08

8 years ago I was sitting in front of the TV screen with my colleague. The TV reporter announced Beijing will be the host of the 2008 Olympic games. We looked at each other and wondered.... where will both of us be and what will we be doing in 2008?

8 years later.... The opening day of the Olympics days is also my last day at MS. and I have also lost contact with my colleague.... I am sure somewhere in the world she is also wondering where is Eva....

The 100 billion RMB opening ceremony was certainly jaw-dropping. It is amazing how 2 weeks of games and competition create such a hype during the last 8 years. So what is the implications? How is Beijing going to carry on in the future?

08.08.08 it is also an important day for me. I have closed a very interesting chapter of my life and opening another unknown chapter....

What to do for one month in NY?

people keep asking and I kept thinking... Should I travel within the states? Other than the bachelorette party at Vegas... other places I will have to go by myself and thatz no fun....

When I was attending the Juillard school of music conceret at MoMa last nite... I just came to realize.. why dont I stay at the City and really SEE the city?

With all the free events and fee admission to the world-class museum.. why dont I make use of it while I am here?

This is like the summer month that I never had when I was in University.. Imagine, if I have a month.. what would I do?

Free Gallery talks at the MoMa and the Met
Free concerts and plays in Central Park
Museum of Natural History...
Free kayak at the Hudson Bay river
Free movie under the stars
The Free Cheese and Wine for mini gallery openings....
The Botantical Garden
The museums at the F.I.T (too bad their summer school are gone)

and on the side.. I will get back to my fitness regime and cook for Sally-chan with yummy soup. and maybe make use of my final month of health insurance and go for accupunture..

I guess I never really get to ENJOY the city since I was too bothered with work... so...

in retrospect, One month in NY? thatz the best thing that can ever happen! I have my apartment and I still have my MS benefits!

yo... Aug is Eva's month = )

7.28.08

I regret to inform you that I will be turning in my 2 weeks notice. It has great working for you and the whole group. I have learnt a lot and I treasure the time I have spent here.

Be careful what you wish for?

I have always heard this saying from my friend...

Remember on my 28th birthday in Tokyo... my wish was to have a loving relationship.. and I am willing to have take my promising career for it...

and now I have this wonderful man by my side.... but my career seems to be kind of in limbo..

haha i guess you can have it all.. but just not at the same time = ) I guess one cannot be greedy..

幸福

幸福的指標 ，其實取決於你愛那個人怎樣待你 。

thank you.... a million thank you to you........

Unsettled...

still feeling very unsettled.... but there is nothing I can help it...
BE AS WATER!!!

So how much closet space should I save for u?

John popped this question when he was standing next to my closet in my NY apartment. (note.. there is another closet which he is forbidden to open)

with a potential talk of moving in together in London.... I guess he really needs to think in some realistic terms..

My solution : Since John doesnt buy any clothes himself, if I dont buy anything for him. The rest of the closet space is mine! HAHAHAHAHAHA

Note : who doesnt want to have the dream closet tailored made by Mr Big?!?!?! (have you watched SATC the movie?)

Hello Ms Japan 2005 and 2008

Cant believe I see you again! Ms Japan -> the robot who can speak in 4 langugages -> Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean

last time I saw Ms Japan was in the World Expo in Aichi, I was already stunned by the flexibility of her facial expression and hand motion. wow.. if this was built in 2005. hum.. imagine if I can hire a robot to do my housework in the next 10 years? haha

Record High Temperature

oh god... it is close to 97F!!!!

whatz better than a MacDonald Chocolate Sundae!

YUM!

Sunday at the Met

hum.... weather forecast to be raining on sunday.. what is the best thing to do for free?

Ding Ding! The museum! It is free and with air conditioned!

Looking at the website, the Met offered a range of different tours on its exhibition, which is just perfect for museum idiot like me!

So... the one I picked is "The Dress, a detailed look at the scuptures" ... It was a good 20 people group, lead by a very elegant lady who walked us through different sections of the museum, explaining different scuptures. It provides me a very different insight to look at art = )

Treasure in New York

and the verdict is....

I am very keen to write down a lot of my thoughts on the current firm events... but there are too much that I dont know where to start. It might sound very lame.. but I believe in krama... if you act well, you will be rewarded..

Emi, remember all the weird stories I told you of my work life in NY? it turnt out.. all those people whose work attitude and philosphy that I dont understand and dont agree on... are now all gone..... so I guess it is true how the truth will reveal..

However, at the same time.. I am not sure if I agree with the new mgmt philiosphy as well.. The strong, arrogant, you are either of value or no value.. cut throat competition...

I will always miss the peaceful, yet processive atmostphere I enjoyed in Japan. But I understand I have moved on now... I cant always wished to be in the "pampered garden"

the one and only biggest tree in my garden now is planted in the Great Britian = )

Be as water...

This is the advice from Peter.. the guo lo who sit across from me. He is a special guo lo who believe in eastern philiosphopy which I dont feel weird.. There are just too many asian fancy guo lo in NY

Be as water... that is what he told me today. water is very flexible yet very powerful... It will become whatever shape you want it to become... but it can comes back as powerful as a big wave...

I believe in yuen fun... I know we wont hang out after we move seats.. But he has inspired me to look into Taoism! Cant believe I was inspired by a guo lo into Eastern culture..

Emergency Exit Plan

All buildings have emergency exit plan.. so lately I think I should came up with one too.. Esp under the current situation at the firm.

So imagine you knew today is the firmwide layoff day and you see your colleagues go.. what will you do before you receive the deadly call? Even though I escaped this time, I think I should still get prepared in case this happen again.

Last week, I came to work.. found out both my bossess were let go... checked my london colleagues, they got let go as well..

1) I called my close friend at work... tried to find out the details.
2) I started copying down all the internal contacts I needed within the company
3) I started looking at internal job bank and copying down all the possible positions and contact
4) I started packing up all my confidential files at my desk...my passport copies, photo, to take it with me as I might be escorted out the building and cannot come back
5) in the meantime I called John to update him on the situation.

at first, I thought I was feeling too uneasy so I called John
but now when I calmed down and rethink.... The reason I called him is b/c if I got axed.. I would have to pay to call him! so I should make use of my possibily last chance to make free international call! i am no kidding...

They said the layoff is over but I dont really believe in them.. who knows in the next six month?
but is the above emergency exit plan good enough?

P.S. Emi, fyi... remember all the ppl that I complaint to you about? they all got axed... so I guess in the end... people do notice what you are doing.. and the truth will reveal... (only it takes time and you might not want to wait that long... but it will happen.. eventually)

Good.. Bad... Good... Bad News.. it all depends how you view it

A lot happened over the last couple of days which I dont even know where to start... a brief recap in order

1) meeting John and his college friends in HK
2) Taiwan travel with John (met his ex-colleagues too)
3) Reading all the news about the earthquake in China (watching the news are even more heartbreaking than reading the paper)
4) meeting my old friends
5) receiving shocking news about company change during my vacation
6) I met John's parents and he met mine (and he was late for the dinner! Unforgivable!)
7) found out John's and my parents was in the same tour to the Silk Road two years ago
8) last but not least, came back to work and found out -> 2 of my bossess are axed, myself and another girl was left in the team and all my counterparties are gone. I am reporting back to the line but even the line reporting heads have also changed.

so it has been a mixture of good and bad news...

from a US prespective (or what my mentor have also told me) Personal life should be your priority, so I should be excited about the big jump in my relationship with John

for the little asian inside of me, I was crying everytime I read the newspaper about the earthqukate (at the same time, you must admit that this has removed the international focus on the problems on Tibet)

for the little workaholic inside me, I was shocked to find out basically my whole team was gone... (emi... I will write out what exactly happened today in a seperate blog entry.. it was bruttle) However, at the same time, it must also means I have done some good work in the past so thatz why they pick me to stay...

at the end of the day.. I just want to say... I am safe for now ( at least both for work and personal)

Chocolate and Sake nite...

It has been a stressful day... I guess my above and beyond are all very stressed out. I meant, I felt stressed to see them shutting themselve in the room and going to all these "for the firm's best interest" meeting.

So let's face it. You read it in the news, you heard rumours. I knew this must be much worse than last time. There will be layoffs. My up and above actually stepped out from her room, stared at our desks (most of the people are out though) looking sad.. and walked back into her room. (haha.. yourself alone probably worth 3 headcounts)

As there is totally nothing we can do about it, my teammate and I have decided to make our lives easlier... we started throwing away things and organizing things so it will be easier when we "knock knock" have to go.... Our desk never looked soo clean before!

After work we went to the "chocolate and sake tasting" organized by the firm's Asian Society. It was held on the 41st floor, in the executive meeting room. The ocassion was nicely decorated with beautiful flowers. Not to mention all the yummy chocolates tastfully pair with different sake. It is probably my first time to try dark chocolates with curry, white chocolate with lemongrass, dark chocolate with sea salt...

It was a really good crowd too! We found out we are all the upper west siders = )

The Best Sushi in NY

I found the best sushi in NY!!!

haha.. the weather was soo nice yesterday it is a sin to stay in the office... and I happened to found this place on my friend's facebook pics.

oh.. the sashimi is just sooo fresh and yummy! Beat suhsi of Gari by 9 Street!

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/ushi-wakamaru/

Lost in mailbox

When I was reading the golden book of Shopaholic, I realized I shared the same habit as the author... Not checking the mailbox that is...

Well .... in the modern days of the internet and online statements, checking my email inbox seems to be much more important than my mailbox..

So when I decided to open my mailbox after two weeks of ignoring it.. I was sooo surprised that I received 2 important mails from London! One of Kibochi and one from John.

I guess no matter how advance technology is.... it is always very heart warming to receive hand written mail in your mailbox...

夏髮

so I failed on my hunt for the perfect dress... so when I was both disappointed and frustrated.. I walked into blommies and I spotted this sales girl at Benefit cosmetic counter... her hair looks amazing and I just couldnt stop looking at her! I have been wanting to get rid of my long curly hair for quite some time... As summer is approaching, I want to get a new shorter hair summer look... (actually I want to get a New York kakoi look!)

so... yes I did.. I went up to her and asked which salon she went to

and here I am.. New Look for the summer! (somehow I think it is still somehow japanese.. but at least i got rid of the long curls!)

btw... the cut is cheap! $35 in chinatown. Much more valued than the Japanese ones!

In search for the perfect dress

what should I wear? next sat I will be in HK attending John's college friend's wedding.. It is also my first time meeting his best friends...

darn..

赤豆南瓜みるく

My new recipe from a korean cookbook. Quite a delicious dessert!

OMFG?!?!?!?!?!

so here is it... This lastest TV hit series Gossip Girl giantic poster with OMFG stood big and tall in the center of Times Square.

is this the new face of TV and advertisement? I am terribility disappointed with this so-call American Culture. This is basically putting up a BIG PICTURE of two teenagers having sex right in the so called "center of the world" (oh... and with captioned OMFG)

just ridiculous..

The Big 3

lately a lot of my friends have just passed the Big 3 day... and they all had big celebration to mark this significiant day in life.

is the Big 3 really important? is this really a time where we do a review on our accomplishment in life so far?

or is this a time when we compare our accomplishment with others and see how far we got?

instead of comparing myself to others... I rather compare myself to myself = )

I do notice some changes of myself as compared to a couple years ago...
- less energy to go out till late night
- more selective in making friends
- prefer quiet, heartful talk than big group hangout
- less frustrated when facing work issues, practicing more zen @ work...

I think the only thing that didnt change is my adventurous nature... = ) (but just done in a more subtle way)

Happy Birthday! to all my fabulous Big 3 friends! We have indeed made a long way here!

Edventures....

So finally I have decided to move home. I struggled a bit as I dont want my blogs to be everywhere... However, I dont think MSN is user friendly so I have decided to come back to blogger... Wish this new sweet home will hold more of my new "Edventures"