I had an inspiring dream about investment.

Hubby and I were meeting with our financial advisors to review our portfolio. Then one advisor told us, “Hm, you have $15M invested from 3 accounts on this fund (symbol LOO). This is risky, you know. What if the company goes belly up?… oh… this LOO is in Belgium… wait a sec.” Then he turned super serious and he was checking on LOO’s website. “OK it was still operational.” He said. “There’s a rumor that this company is shaky.” Oh no… then I asked if our investment could be withdrawn immediately. He said, “It took 3 days at least to settle… OK I am sending this email to our secretary. This proves that you are a priority debtor. If anything happens to the company, you will be on the priority list to claim loss.” Then I was thinking to myself, how this email would work as this email doesn’t reach LOO…

In the dream, this fund had a symbol, while in my knowledge, funds don’t use symbol; only stocks/equities. Then for kicks, I was searching on the internet about this “LOO” yesterday. Didn’t find any in the NA markets. Plus, it would be nice to have $15M to invest as well. Oh well, it’s only a dream afterall.

I now remember I have another advisor whose last name is LOO! Perhaps this is a “sign” not to invest with “LOO”…

Inspired by my brother who dedicated a post for my Dad on this Father’s Day, the following is my version.

Dad, thank you for teaching me indirectly to ask questions - tho I only developed this habit (or nerve) when studying in Canada.

Dad, thank you for challenging my math and scientific mind - tho I wasn’t and ain’t any good in these subjects (yeah I flunked chemistry (didn’t know I had to memorize the atomic table!!!) oh… I did end up doing IT (shhhh don’t tell my bosses) …)

Dad, thank you for showing me patience - tho I still can’t behave as “normal” as you when I am impatient; see I still can’t control my facial color not to turn black!

Dad, thank you for accompanying me @ piano practices when I was little - tho I knew you were fooling around then (!!) but that made me feel better. With that foundation, today I can help in choirs in a singer or conductor role.

Dad, thank you for taking me and Bro to other countries for vacations when we were kids - have to thank Mom too!!!

Dad, thank you for sacrificing your youth and money for raising me and Bro and sending us overseas for further studies (otherwise I might not be able to make university, definitely not my bro - academically then) - hope you don’t regret and love us more than the ever famous “char siu 叉燒” that you might otherwise have gotten instead of us. Ditto Mom. Oh, ah - had to say my bro got couple scholarships and even got a MBA.

Dad, thank you for putting up with me and Bro when we went our own way of doing things. “OK OK… I hear you, but please just leave me alone. Next subject.”

Dad, thank for you passing more genes for photography to me than Bro - tho he would argue it’s the other way around. Love the photos you took of us when we were little. The most interesting one per my definition was taken in Taiwan, on a highway by the cliff…. ha ha ha!!!

Dad, thank you for punishing Bro for ironing my forearm when he was a kid so he dared not perform more experients on my other body parts and thank you even more for using the “almighty and super stinky” chinese ointment for burnts - no scars left at all!!!

Dad, thank you for accepting Christ as your personal Saviour and thank you for quitting smoking - I pray that these become true one day, like the above “thank-yous”.

Love,
Your Daughter

p.s. told ya I ain’t good at math; can’t count the “thank-yous” properly… but the more, the merrier!!

19 years ago today. 1989 June 4th.

I was in Toronto. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I watched the news - massacre of the own kind (race) - the cream of the crop generation was repressed because they voiced their ideas and beliefs on how the government was corrupted. These young people defended with their own bodies, own blood. That happened 19 years ago in Beijing. Some are still jailed since then. Those who escaped / exiled afar are still prohibited from visiting their motherland, their mothers and fathers, their families and friends.

Today in Beijing, I bet all flags were flying high. (Correction: I forgot that the flags were flown at half-staff for the Szechuan earthquake disasters; the flag position hasn’t changed.) This “massacre” (what massacre? they ask) never happened. It’s only a “local riot that the government put out decisively and boldly”. One of the darkest darks of the human nature had revealed itself under a glorified mask.

Regards to the victims and their beloved families. If you’ve been through the massacre and are reading this now, live better, live healthier, live happier, live longer and live broader. Today you are a walking witness who can show those who then made the decision to run tanks over students how to live properly, how to run the government properly, and how to make people who love and depend on you live properly. Get to be a better person by living better.

For the rest, lest not forget. Hope I live to see the day that the chair of China said to its citizens and the world, “China apologizes”.

I have been registered with the Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry (UBMDR) program when a cute girl called Elizabeth (Lue) needed bone marrow and her brave mom called out to the Canadian community to come out and register, especially to the oriental ethnic background because Little Elizabeth was an oriental.  I am a sensitive person - in this case, I could faint from the blood drawn procedure because of the needle - actually the pain associated with the needle.  Back then, your blood sample would be needed.  I struggled but I did go and had my blood drawn at a temporary location.  Professional technician did this and I didn’t faint!  Little Elizabeth passed away the same year, 4 months after the bone marrow campaign started.  That was 1990.

After that, I had been contacted once for another blood drawn for another potential match.  They need more details (further antigen match).  It’s a winter snowy day.   I went again.  And my hubby (I really needed his support!!) had to run to a store nearby the clinic to get me a drink as I felt dizzy after the blood draw - again due to the pain and some blood loss (I thought they took 4 tubes and I used the lunch time to go to this clinic (meaning, I didn’t have lunch yet)).

May 2008, the Chinese community was once again touched by another girl, Carolyn, to go register with OneMatch (a stem cell and marrow network).  A young lady, may I say, and a pretty loving one too.  Her courageous Mom and Dr. Joseph Wong pleaded for more to go register. 

And I have 2 good news to share.

The first good news: for those who are pain-avoidance in nature:  this time, initial registry only need a mouth swab - you will be mailed a kid, with instructions, and I think they provide 4 pieces of mouth swabs, (like Q-tips, I imagine), then send the swabbed sticks in a return package.  Wa-la.  No more initial blood samples needed.

The second good news:  in old days, bone marrow donation always means you need to undergo a day surgery.  Now, only in specific cases, they will perform this.  In most other cases, including Carolyn’s case, only your blood will be needed (called a stimulated circulating blood stem cell donation).   No surgical procedure; no freeze (anaesthesia).

For those who are UBMDR-registered, your data is automatically accessible by OneMatch.  And if you have a new contact address / phone, please - important - provide an updated address / phone to OneMatch.

Know why I went every time?  Every time, I thought (and honestly, had to repeat to and reconvince myself) what a little pain, inconvenience could do; how far could that go, and the answer is: to save some one’s life.  Some one’s LIFE.  Think your own life. Some one’s life is just as valuable. If some one takes a little pain and be inconvenient a bit and that can save my life, and that person refuses to help… just flip the mirror. The smallest gift to the person and those around them who could be benefited.  Yes, “they build their happiness on top of your pain” - but I promise you - it’s all worth and you’ll be in the ninth heaven if this happens. 

If you haven’t registered yet,  here’s what you can do:

1) Visit http://www.onematch.ca/

2) Read this page, (tells you about who OneMatch is, the donation process, expenses incurred during the donation etc) and proceed to take a knowledge test - OneMatch wants to see if you understand what they and you are about to do etc

3) Write this test; Yes/No questions. If you make mistakes in the test, you will be explained and will have the chance to correct them. Then you will be asked some questions about your ethnic / health background (Yes/No etc)

4) Provide your D.O.B and contact info, and they want an alternate contact

5) (and if your profile is ok) You will be mailed a mouth swab package.  Follow the instructions to take the sample and mail the sticks back.

Done.  You are registered.  Now you wait to see if you are a potential donor. 

You’ve done great.  Be proud of yourself!!!

Want to know more about Carolyn?  http://www.savecarolyn.com/

N.B. Be aware that there are age/health constraints as a potential bone marrow donor: e.g. you need to be in between the age of 17 and 60 to qualify or you must not be HIV-positive.

Hubby said, ”so, you watched TV soap all night…” when I told him about this dream I had last night.

In my dream, Lo Hoi Pang 盧海鵬 (a prolific HK actor / sit com host) had lots of money and he invested in real estates via two mid-aged curvy ladies.  The condo unit costed him $14M.  He later found out that these two ladies were cons.  The unit was never theirs to sell and Lo never owned this unit.  At his ”evergreen” age, this was an unbearable loss and he broke down into tears.

Eric Tsang Chi-wai 曾志偉 (another prolific HK actor / film director&producer / MC, known to always lend a hand to those in need in the entertainment biz) had overheard this and had decided to help Lo.  He put on a golden wig, put on clown-like make-up and dressed himself up as a woman.  He was going to pretend one of these con ladies, and he wanted to trick these ladies into repaying Lo his money.  (Look, a logical error in my dream is following:)  He went to confront these ladies, like he always did in movies.

On the way, (at this point, the dream changed theme  ) there was a terrible situation that called a large crowd of police, perimetering a dark street corner with illegal overhead overlapping wood boards.  They seemed to have been there for a while.

Then I went to one of the fast food stores near this crime location.  I ordered a sandwich with prosciutto (italian-style smoke ham)… (yum yum… quite creative in my dream  :)  ) and when I was about to go, suddenly I thought, ”let me buy some food for these policemen and policewomen as a token of appreciation for their efforts”.  Then I ordered 3 rice boxes with prosciutto, and 6 congee bowls with prosciutto, and half of these congee bowls should have extra “green” (aka - chinese spring onion), and the other half should skip the “green”.  That’s because I didn’t know if everyone liked the green, and the extra green was for, in case, all of them wanted some green, there would be enough to share.  I’ve asked for 3 times more the spoons and chopsticks.  When the take-outs were ready, I checked the order.  Instead of prosciutto, I saw regular luncheon meat and egg in the rice boxes!  Then I rebuked the store for their greed - a big reap-off comparing what I’ve paid and what I got!  But the store insisted I ordered the “regular” rice box.  (Wasn’t smart enough in the dream to ask why they charged the price for prosciutto.)

Then I delivered the food to one police officer.  He’s grateful for the food, and he carried the take-out behind a partition and some others gathered to share food.

Did one good thing.  Was happy.

Last night, I had a graphical dream - the scenes were quite eye-stimulating.

In the dream, I was in a girl guide gala.  Many guides were busy presenting dances, songs, drama etc.  My group was in a room practicing.  I saw my grade school physical education (P.E.) teacher which I haven’t thought of for a long time; she came into the room and said something (which I can’t remember now…). 

Then I went into a bedroom.   These was a bed.  Someone asked me to check out the room for pests.  I lifted the mattress and, omg, there’s a colony of ants living underneath it!  They were “contained” into the box.  They were moving fast…  like the beatles in the movie ”Mummy”.  You know how ants crawled over each other in a tight space… in layers.  Then I saw a pile of ants moving on top of the rest of the spreaded ants.  The pile was in a rectangular shape…  how peculiar…   then the ants moved away from that rectangular platform and revealed the mystery - it’s a silver TV remote control and the queen ant seemed to be very fond of this remote!  I actually didn’t see the queen ant in the dream - I just “figured” it.  Since she’s decided to stick with this remote, other ants moved and protected her together with this TV remote.  I was stunned and questioned myself how come I never saw these ants, and was trying to think whether I noticed a missing remote.

Hm… perhaps it’s time to clean up the rooms.  Please don’t let me see these ants!

Dreamy night last night.

I was visiting my friend’s apartment unit.  The building wasn’t very tall; just about less than 10 stories.  Buildings surrounding were also about the same height and the buildings are almost back-to-back.

My friend was out.  I was the only one in the unit.  While I was looking outside a window, I heard someone rattling the bamboo sticks for laundry outside the unit.  Oh no - someone’s trying to break-in!  A tall, thin man (or woman??) got in through the window!!  Somehow someone came in to wristle this person on the ground, and I read this person his(her) right:  I am going to call the police; do you have any objection??  And I was asking myself in the dream why I had to ask for objection…

Then I went into a room and looked out the window again.  The building opposite had some very outstanding decor outside on the building wall - it’s decorated like a girl’s pinky shoe rack with 2 different pairs of shoes - spring-fashion, very upbeat and “loud”; even the wall was painted in fancy pink.  Then I saw 2 young girls with long black hair walked up from the unit below to the unit above using some black ropes.  Like Bourne Identity - reverse the scene of Bourne escaping from the Embassey…

Then my friend returned with her friends and they wanted to go out for midnight snacks.  A girl said she wanted meatless pancake.  Then at a blink, I found myself sitting down with my friend and hers all eating pancake.  There’s even a pancake with a strip of white meat (curried) in front of me!  I was so puzzled and I told my friend - I had no idea how and when we got here!!  How did I get here?……

This is not about dreams.

Hubby and I went grocery shopping this morning.  Well, we got up early to beat the crowd and after shopping at two different stores, we were ready for breakfast.

Then we visited McDonald’s as planned.  We had coupons for free McMuffin…  hee hee.  Well, if we don’t think about the fat and cholesterol and nutrition info, McDonald’s food is really quite tasty and inviting.

Then I witnessed this “parents temting daoughter” scene.  A young couple, with their really young daughter (2 years old?)  were having breakfast…  and technically speaking, the parents were eating but not the daughter.  The parents talked and ate, the daughter was left alone.  It didn’t look like the child was being disciplined.  The parents were just too busy enjoying themselves.  Then the little girl started to rock her body and made noises.  And then the pitch went up and the noise came more often.  Well, the parents gave the girl some attention but they were busy eating as well.  The girl could only stare… oh this was almost “cruel”!  Perhaps the noises meant: “huh…. bring me to Mc’s but don’t let me eat yummy Mc’s!!…  ahhhhhh!!”

It’s like the wife’s on diet but the husband wants to go buffet.  Or the kid has to study for exam but the parents watch TV and push up the sound.  Temptation from the closest ones.  Just too many tempations, eeh?

So I vacuumed half the house today to compensate for the Mc’s breakfast.  Hee Hee. 

I didn’t go to bed empty-stomached last night so I am not sure why I dreamed of an array of food … 

You know what T-Bone steaks are, right?  It’s favoured by many “steak experts” and they prefer T-Bone to striploin steaks.  Well, I had something “better” last night; I had 7-Bone steaks.  :)  Well, that’s basically T-Bone, with the right (or left) side of the bone and meat removed, so the shape of my 7-Bone steak is like a right-angled triangle - a “7″ with juicy, tender meat attached between the bones.  I had 2 pieces of grilled 7-Bone steaks, and 2 sausages with yummy junky instant noodles.  :)  Then there’s a dish of fried vermicelli as well.

Oops… I am hungry now; gotta go.

Here’s how I passed the Grade 8 RCM piano practical exam last night.

There were other candidates waiting (sitting) in line to get to the piano.  The examiner was a lady.  I would be next.  Somehow my knees touched the lady examiner’s legs.  I felt that she had very soft skin.  And when it’s my turn, I complimented her about her skin and I stressed that this compliement was not meant to get myself a good mark in the exam…  and I went on to said that if the legs had such nice skin, then the face would even be softer and more tender… (OMG…) and she must have taken great attention to treat herself well!  Then somehow, instead of me playing the pieces, she was playing scales and then she started to sing with me…  and people outside the exam centre heard this as well.  We had a great time together.  After the exam, I learned that she gave me two marks - 116 and 124, where 116 was the technical mark and 124 was the presentation mark; and the average was 120 and that’s a good pass fo the Grade 8 RCM piano practical exam.  People outside the centre were commenting whether this was a smart way to get a pass or that’s cheating.

Ah - please be reminded that this happened in my dream, not real life… don’t imtitate or disaster may (almost definitely) happen…  

BTW, I recently went for Yundi Li’s piano concert.  I was really impressed by Yundi’s piano skills.  I witnessed how his hands flowed on the keyboard and how piano music could be so interesting…  I didn’t dare to compare my piano skills to Yundi’s…  naa…  He had a small white towel for cleaning sweats at breaks - so cute.