Life of a Student: Part 1

Studying week....

The more I want to focus on studying, the more I get distracted. Help?

Shutting down the computer may be the best option. But most information is only accessible through the School's intranet. Boohoo. 

Marketing midterm tomorrow. The first assignment didn't do too well. Time to fight for some marks!

Travelling to Seattle on a Budget

01: Transportation

To get to a destination, the best way is knowing someone who lives in the city! If not, there's also different commuting methods to try out. I've gone to Seattle in a number of ways and here's a few:

1. Casino Bus: This is probably the least expensive, but also the most limiting way. With a small fee (<$10), they take you from Vancouver to Seattle. There's a number of casinos in Seattle that provides this service. Though its a half-day trip, it is a much cheaper alternative if you are looking into a day outta town without paying too much for gas. If you're lucky, you can visit the stores nearby after putting in some $$ in the casino. The Tulalip Casino is situated beside the Seattle premium outlets so shopping is about a 5 minute walk away.
Good for: Half-day outta town

2. AmTrak: The most expensive, yet the most comforting method! The train is rarely full (except the memorial weekend) so you can pretty much choose to sit elsewhere with an extra seat to put your belongings. They have comfy leather seats with power outlets for your electronic devices. There is a small lounge if you want to get some food/alcohol beverages. Wifi is available on the entire trip, connection is strong enough to run flash games. Going past the border is really convenient as you've gone through the inspection before you head on the train. So the border officers come on the train & asks a few simple questions. The pitfall is that the train has more stops than buses so it will take about 2-3 hours longer than a bus to get to Seattle. It is roughly $54 one way & runs twice per day.
Good for: >1 week vacation

3. Boltbus: This is the second least expensive for a weekend getaway. If you're looking to take a break & head outta town but don't want to drive, this is your best alternative. Boltbus is run by Greyhound company & offers a cheaper alternative for passengers going back and forth from Seattle/Portland from Vancouver. Their bus stops are located beside the train stations so getting to places from arriving is not a problem. Wifi is available half way (in the US). They have leather seats and the bus is usually full going to Seattle & less people coming back to Vancouver. There is a young crowd for this service & bus drivers are really helpful/knowledgable. It is roughly $19 per way.
Good for: weekend/outta town short trips

The above is all personal opinion & is not sponsor/affiliated in any way with those companies. 

What some professionals don't have: customer service.

Good customer service is important in retaining customers, its written in the books. 

But in reality, how many people do that?

At least not at Cross Roads Medical Clinic. 

As my second visit at this clinic, I am further disappointed from the once wonderful service I've had. 

I wouldn't say everyone there is not good, just a few "senior-level" who seemed to have a self-centered attitude towards its customers. Let me summarize my initial thought of brief, but a decade long visit:

So I came to the clinic at around 9:19AM and was greeted by a very nice lady in a Maroon uniform. She had a smile on her face with a light but natural makeup. She explained about the long 1hour wait and recommended us to take a walk around. I was a little concerned with the time because we paid for 1hour underground parking. In one of the busiest and expensive neighborhoods, parking is nowhere near cheap. So we waited quietly. As we waited, more and more people arrived and some got to enter as soon as they arrived. It was understandable because they made an appointment ahead of time. Through my observations, the nurses seemed to give "baby appointments" a priority over everyone else. Even if they were walk-ins. We understand that as walk-ins, we don't have ANY advantage in the queue. 

As the hour went by, we were getting concerned if they moved our spot all the way to afternoon. So I wanted to ask the nice lady but she was busy with another customer. There were three front desk ladies but two of them were rarely serving customers, they were on the computers doing who knows what. Anyways, a Filipino woman stepped up and this is when the bad part comes in. Now I was in my calmest, nicest tone possible and asked where I am in the queue because we've been waiting for an hour and it was well over the time we were told. I explained to her that we would need to pay for parking if this goes for another hour. She did not "CARE" about customers wasting our money (as if we were granted to waste money for this). She had a harsh, strong tone and told me "there's 4 patients in front of you" without looking at me. She was looking at the computer screen during the whole conversation. 

So I paid for another hour. 

30 minutes later, a Chinese lady who direct patients to different rooms were really nice and showed us the room. She knew my mom didn't really speak English and attempts to speak Chinese with her, that was really thoughtful. 

The doctor came, it was a Chinese woman who attempts to be white washed and simply: had an attitude. From personal experience, there are some Chinese who doesn't like to be classified as Asians so they disguise themselves with (1) appearance (2) attitude (3) language. Needless to say, she's one of them. So I translated my mom's conditions to her and she wrote down two things: (1) ice (2) bearnyl cream. 

Like WTF? 

I would have least expected an hour and a half of my quality sleep time for bullshit? She said before we left to "come again" if it gets worse. At this point I know what she's doing. Doctors earn money through patient's each visit. Thus some doctors like to delay the time it takes for patients to heal so they can earn more visit times. At where I came from, time is money. The medication the doctor gives patients are strong. This means after less than days, you can be all well and ready for work/school. I am not saying she's doing that, but its suspect-able.

Anyone with a high school/college degree can come up with that combination, its common sense. As I repeated the conditions, she gave an attitude of "I just said its normal, are you an idiot?". 

Some professionals are educated with an extended knowledge and taking pride in his/her work is great. However, they may lack the sense of thinking everyone as equal and be treated the same. This is heartbreaking to me. 

In conclusion, customer service is important in all industries, not just business. To think that only businesses are educated with this in mind is saddening. Professionals or not, please be advised that your actions will shape your company/workplace. Take a moment and think about it. 

Accessorize "the window to the soul"

This semester has been really hectic. 

For the past two weeks I have been preparing for my final exams. 

The countless days studying in front of my laptop for what felt like forever, has finally ended. 

While cleaning my "war-zoned" table, I realize its been a while since I've made an online purchase for glasses (with prescription). So I cleared out some plastic-rimmed glasses which had discoloration on the edge due to my crazily acidic sweat. Ordered them last Thursday and came this morning! 

Clearly contacts has been my favorite online optical store for many years. Their exceptional service is getting better and better on every visit. Their website is easy to navigate and there's always that one pair of glasses that fits you, no matter what. Mostly I take advantage of their free shipping promotion (free express shipping via Purolator, WOOT!) They come within 1-2 business days AND they don't just drop-off and leave like Canada Post sometimes does. Its annoying because your box is left to heat up under the sunshine, not good service indeed.

I usually need glasses to run errands or for school (when I am in a computer lab: no contacts please!). My mom occasionally visits her nearby optical store on Cambie for fitting purposes and to get the gossips in for the local areas. For me, I am really keen on "speed". Their products are extremely awesome that I have to share it here: 

Here's what I got in the mail today!

1. Kam Dhillon 3012 S. Gunmetal

This pair is good for attending formal events. Usually students would wear plastic-rimmed glasses but it lacks the sophisticated feeling to it. On the inner back of the ear piece, they have added a hint of sparkle to make the glasses stand out. In addition, the front of glasses (which holds the lens) is a shiny metal piece. This is very different than the matte metal color that I got a few years back. It really makes the face stand out.

2. Joesph Marc 4070 Grey Smoke

This year, it seems like ombre colored fashion is in the trend. So I decided to get this color for the "safe" look. However, it seemed like this color makes a person look more mature. Or probably because I have darker facial features that affected the age matter. After asking opinions from a few household members, they said it looked fine. This would make a good pair for running errands.

 3. Lacoste 2609 513 Purple
This was the pair that I fell in love with the moment I saw it in the email. I adore the color along with the alligator-like texture, which fits the brand perfectly. The big lenses gives it a bigger area to see from & more stylish and trendy. On top of this, I have added a UV protective coating to my lens option to avoid switching to sunglasses unless the sun is particularly strong. And look, they come with a custom case as well!

 Here are the boxes that the glasses were shipped in, very durable. Clearly contacts also have a Change the view Project who gives a pair for someone in need for every purchase.

To make sure customers are satisfied with their purchase, clearly contacts have a 366 day return policy. Personally I have made numerous returns because sometimes the real pair doesn't quite match how I imagined it to be on me... And the customer service is great. They don't really probe into your reasons and sends you the return label to ship everything back, free of charge with refund. Before they had a large piece of "postcard" like info sheet. But now they made it into a smaller sized folded card. Really appealing to scrapbooking freak like me.

 

Currently they have two promotions going on:

2 Pairs for $99 (specific ones): 2FOR99 

Free shipping over $99: no promo code, automatically deducted at checkout

Translink 10% off= transit10 

I ordered it separately so 10% off is available for my Lacoste pair in addition to the 2 for $99! Both made the mark for free shipping so its a better deal to split it.

PS. For each pair of glasses I ordered, it came with a lens cleaner and a cleaning cloth too. 

The Smile Project: Day 1

Sometimes one smile goes a long way. I remembered on my last trip to Seattle, a smile made someone's day. There was a boy sitting at a store's front steps. When I passed him he said," Hi Tracy!" My initial reaction was I smiled at him. And he smiled back. We didn't talk further because I had two bags of groceries after walking 7 blocks from the nearest Walgreens. But it shows that a smile goes a long way. I smiled because I thought it was funny and Seattle people must be outta their minds to do that. The time before that, I remembered eating at Glo's for breakfast. A guy entered the store and sat on the table beside me. He looked at my large plate of egg benedict and that's how I started talking. Its funny because Seattle is less isolated than Vancouver in terms of meeting new people in the community. People are less hesitant and more welcoming to the people they pass through everyday.

Believe me, it rarely happens in Vancouver. (Unless you're in downtown street at 11PM, the tipsy and the drunkies will probably do that)

I am going to start a mini project of capturing my smile of the day. Shyness gets to us and prevents us from thinking or expressing ourselves properly. But smile is a form of acknowledgement and a positive force.

Me spending my special day writing a 10page report due tomorrow morning. With the lack of sleep from the previous night (slept at 3AM and woke up at 9AM for meeting), my eyes can barely open

Simplified version of Photoshop: Pixlr

Yes, its super awesome to have Instagram. 
The current trend is to update people with what you see in real time. 
Bad picture resolution, no problem. 
There's a wide selection of touch-up features that help you "beautify" the image.


I found a even better site for people to upload pictures from the convenience of computer!

For the typical desktop/laptop YOU: http://pixlr.com/o-matic/

Evolution of Cell phones

They say owning a Chanel is every girl's dream. I am definitely the outcast.

My dream had always been owning a blackberry. 

Through the course from seeing to owning a cellphone, I went through the cellphone revolution.

1. The very first phone my family had was an Audiovox. It looked something like this:

At the time, this was THE PHONE. One that allowed people to take it out of their house and it still works!! It was really convenient, but didn't serve as a substitute for the landline. 

2. After about 2-3 years, the whole family stopped using a cell-phone. During the period when we didn't have cell-phone, dial-up internet connection became important. It was a time when students become interested, and major addiction towards neopets started. Whoa talk about taking over 2 minutes to get online! While I was online, obviously the phone line would have crazy buzzing and beeping sounds when you wanted to call out. It was not possible, and internet had a strict limitation of the space for their plans. So chances are you either never use up the spaces the plan provided, or the person could never get to you by calling. Looks like we needed cell-phones after all =)

Sony Ericsson z520i

3. First phone with a CAMERA! You can't believe how excited I was to get this. There were a couple of really amazing things this phone did: interchangeable cover to different colors, advanced camera settings, lit up keypad, color screen!! This was a smaller size than the first one we had. My favorite: the snapping sound when you close the flip phone. CRAZY!

Sony Ericsson z750i

4. The NEXT amazing phone. This one had a BIGGER screen, higher resolution pictures, and a MIRROR (the front)! The design was amongst the best during that time, better than the iphone3G design (in my opinion). Sony Ericsson's parent company is Sony, so camera/screen resolution, and design are created by top designers. This particular model focuses further on the curved, smooth edges with round buttons. Adding a hint of feminine touch to the finished product. Nicely done. 

 Sony Ericsson U8a

5. This just made texting like typing on a computer!! Bigger, TOUCH screen =) 

A HIGHER quality picture resolution, app available for download. Much Much MORE. More fascinated than ever.

Blackberry curve 9300

6. MASTERPIECE. Can't be explained with words.

Mother's Day Crafty Idea

Not quite sure what to make for mother's day.
Too late to get pictures developed and create a scrapbook from scratch.
My weekend classes goes from 9-4. Today is pretty much my last day to make crafts.

So.... I did this:

Tools:
-cue card
-color paper
-embellishment
-ribbon
-button

And... creativity!

Cleaning 101: Cleaning a Bath tub

Photo Credit

A prime definition of a couch potato: after two big meals, sat on the couch and watched The Voice. 

This is so NOT good! (in Chandler's voice)

So I decided to do some extra cleaning around the house to compensate for the extra pounds I threw in during the break. Washing my bath tub.

I normally use my bath tub for quick showers. Actually, I never used it for "taking a bath" really. A piece of information I read online which talked about the Pros and cons the two methods. So basically its good to shower to save water & promote more cleanliness. Though the downfall would be it becomes difficult to clean places which requires more time and effort on. 

So what is the other big half for? buckets! Buckets are filled with water for putting clothes to test out if their color dyes come off. Another benefit is washing newly bought clothes. The neatly hung shirts/bottoms in the store usually has gone through the unimaginable places: the dirty floor, dusty shelf, filthy boxes.. A simple rinse will usually do the trick. 

With all the accumulation of dirt/residue/hairs in the bathtub, how do you clean it?

Materials you'll need:

-Vim (in liquid form)

- Mop

- extendable shower head

-labour

Really simple, inexpensive materials you can get from anywhere. 

First, use a decent amount by drawing a zig-zag pattern in the bathtub with the Vim. Then using a semi-wet mop, evenly spread the mixture to the whole tub. Use the same strength as if you would mop the floor. The harder you scrub, the cleaner it gets. Do this for about 5 minutes or so, then open the water and use the same mop to rinse all over. Make sure the Vim gets rinsed out completely so avoid slipping the next time you shower. Getting the water from one end of the tub to the other end may be time consuming, so be prepared to allocate extra time for this step. It took me about 5-10minutes for the rinsing part, but its the last step for hard work! Lastly, use the shower head to go over the whole tub again to get the remains down the drain. 

NOTE: Make sure there is enough air circulation around the house (especially the bathroom) to avoid breathing in the odour. 


Have fun!

What does your horoscope say about your spending habit?

I have always been crazy with looking at horoscopes, if you haven't noticed. There's a popular famous woman in Taiwan who talks about Horoscopes. (Super accurate, yup). So for the episode airing in Taiwan today, I've sorta translated to English to let everyone get an idea if you are on the listed. This is strictly for entertainment purposes, not to be used for anything else. 

Top 3 worst Horoscopes who will go CRAZY shopping:

1. Scorpio- They live in their own little world, will earn enough money. They will set aside a pool of money for retirement/pension and etc. With the remaining, they will spend it. They don’t like to be ripped off. Earn enough, and then spend.

2. 

Aries- They will buy, then regret. They are unstoppable.

Capricorn- They love to buy. They do homework. They probably don’t have enough money or it is buy 2 get 1 free. They will encourage you to buy.

3. 

Libra- They don’t give good advice because they are busy looking at something else. They mostly encourage their friends to make purchases that probably aren’t the best. Indecisive.  

Taurus- They will lavishly spend in their own little world. They keep it within their budget. Whatever they like to buy, they will continue to buy them. 

Thank god I am not IN THERE! I am cancer, by the way. I am part of the Cardinal Sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), who lavishly spends but comes up with excuses. 

I don't think its really accurate because I've always saved up money and end up starving. But my pocket is never empty! It is pretty extreme to the point where my mom (Taurus) who needs to persuades me in order to make a purchase.

Does this apply to you?

Spring: A fresh new cut

Got a haircut. Oh yah.

Before I've always thought that a haircut is my least favorite thing to do. 

I mean, I don't "dislike" my hair. It does have its perks:

1. spending longer in the bathroom

2. good excuse for vaccuming more often

3. takes the attention from your face (especially when those Zits come)

4. get creative with styling/braiding/stuff like that

But then again, there's the downfalls:

1. too heavy

2. too much

3. gets dry (the sand from beach volleyball pretty much sucks up all the water in your body, major dehydration!)

4. takes too long to style

5. looks hideous if left un-brushed

So I finally took time off my lazy schedule and went to get a cut. 

Its a nice way to celebrate season change with all the beautiful things in mother nature! 

Funny when I browse the friends list on my facebook, almost everyone have long hair.

Seems like there's a long hair trend going on, or maybe its the convenience. 

Because after a while, your hair doesn't grow "longer", it goes "thicker". 

Scary thought!

Before

After

PS. Love how the bright sunshine illuminates my entire room! =)

Procrastinating on Classics

During the night before finals, I am taking the time to relive memories of the past.
The Classics from my childhood:

Backstreet Boys



 Spice Girls 



N Sync


PRECIOUS <3

Gift Card Nightmare

I have lost my Winner's Giftcard... and have been looking for it for WEEKS. Turned my bedroom upside down 4 times and still couldn't find it. Will do a fifth search (my bed hasn't moved an inch yet) later on. 

Any who, so the giftcard I am referring to is the $500 Bookstore Giftcard, a gift from my first co-op at Terasen Gas (now Fortis BC). So somehow I was looking through news articles online and lightning strike me! Having realized the existence of my GiftCard, I was in panic mode last night. The back of the card said its only good for one year, and its been close to an year since my co-op. 

I was worrying sick about it because there's about $200 left in there and I imagine collapsing if the cashier told me the card has expired. No appetite for food, homework, anything. I was having difficulties focusing on other things (super crazy!). So that night, part of my dream (mind you I have up to 5 different dreams per night, and they are mostly action thrillers) was going to the bookstore and asking for the expiry date at the cashier. The moment she said it expired, I immediately broke down, my face filled with tears from anguish. 

Woke up with swollen eyes (eww), and told my mom if she can help me spend it (I have work that morning and a group paper to finish). I went, and surprisingly the lady at the front desk said there's NO EXPIRY DATE! Super happy, told mom to spend on whatever and I left.

Little did I know she spent it ALL on my school branded CLOTHES! Like I can get those for free, and she spends 150+ on them!!!! I was super shocked and super pissed off. But I couldn't take it out because I didn't specify in the first place. But spending this money to promote my school's brand is BEYOND RIDICULOUS! I don't know, I feel like spending $200 in Metrotown (in the Bay) or something to compensate for my built-up stressed, "not worth it", super unhappy mood now.... >=(

Day 6: Walking in Heels!

 

Day 6 marks my last day being a fb-free freak! So last night, I saw one of Wendy's (super hilarious woman!) you-tube clips about walking in heels & stilettos.

I had been, or I was told to be a tomboy all my life. I hated anything to do with heels, runners were MY thing. There's always a store nearby, in the mall or at any location, its extremely comfortable. They protect your feet to avoid injuries, and it doesn't take long to try out (15minutes max!) Price is reasonable, many designs.

Soon after choosing to major in business, its becoming a "need" to wear heels. I wish they did the men's shoes, with "just for the ladies" designs ;) Sadly not, so I started with the kitten heels. It seemed like bearable, so I skipped the wedges and went right to these:

Its not the "easiest" pair of shoes to walk in. But I survived 10 minutes with them today. Practice makes perfect! 

Here's Wendy's inspiring video: the art of ladies in heels :)

Day 5: You-tubing Gurus!

Sundays are usually for studying, catching up homework, and blah blah blah... In fact, I have my negotiations textbook RIGHT in front of me and I am YOU-TUBING! (So hardworking ;)

Any who, there's one new discovery for me today.

While I was browsing through youtube videos, I came across a testimonial. Its about an internet company who sells makeup samples/testers to people who subscribe to them. This make-up company, called "My Glam", had collaborated with popular makeup gurus such as Michelle and Promise Phan to market and promote its products. I was a little excited when I heard about paying for subscription to try out new sample beauty products. There is a lot of new companies who sees this as a business potential. As a student, I only use makeup occasionally. Mind you, this is my last resort for those countless days of staying up late. (panda eyes, eekk!!) On top of that, my crazy impulse buying habit has filled my drawers with a million drugstore makeup products. Any type of product that you can name, I have. Except eye brow pencil. It is beyond reasonable for someone like me with only one face, to consume all of them within one year!! I'd be lucky if one small palette gets used, ha! 

For all the curious hearts out there, here's the video!

From what I've studied in business, most people choose to start their business through the use of internet because of its low to none start up costs. I am guessing the increasing trend of young, optimistic entrepreneurs are really working their hearts out for the joy of this accomplishments! However, when there's interaction with customer involved, most cases you'd need a strong team of customer service reps who would help you make customers happy and satisfied. This adds to the operating budget (more labor = more money! AHH!) Which is partly the reason why I choose to work for a company, rather than run it. Too many costs and uncertainty involved, its not for me.

Personally, I feel sorry for the guru who decided to cut the subscription, once and for all. Its frustrating on the customer's part and its stressful on the company's part. Having to constantly check up with the company and worrying over "bang for the buck" can get you burned out. Companies who does not do a good job at keeping customers happy and informed, can really come back to bite you!

But fear not, I am practicing to live a life free of worries. Which is partly the reason why I am closing facebook as an experiment to see how it helps/ or not =)

Day 4: Thrifting Fun

Fourth day without facebook, I am doing great!!
This morning I went for a ride along to do observation work for my Operations Management project. It was a lot of hard work, props to people doing deliveries!! It requires a large amount of strength & endurance. Motivation is important to maintain doing a mundane task. However, the perks are seeing different people's homes & seeing smiles on their faces when service is provided :)

After tagging along the morning shift, I went to MCC Thrift Store (at Fraser & 43rd) to find Postcards. So far I've been to the Dollar Rama, Dollar Giant, Baker Dozen Antique and couldn't find postcards that has a unique characteristic to it! But today, I bought 9 postcards for only $1.35! (super good deal!!) Usually, the cheapest I've found is 5 Vancouver scenery postcards for $1.00 (in Gastown). But here, they have the most different designs! Time for post-crossing =D

Seal the deal!

Day 3: Facebook-Less

Currently, I am going on a "Facebook Diet" (as my friend puts it). The reason being I am on facebook for a shocking amount of time each day. I think typical is 2-3 hours for a regular user. But for me, I am constantly checking on my ipod/laptop (thanks to the convenience of Wi-Fi) for new updates on my news feed. For a soon-to-be stalker, I decided to deactivate it!

Deactivating is not uncommon, as I usually do it during finals and midterms (more than 2, back to back). I felt like it was eating up a gigantic chunk of my time from schoolwork & leisure time!

First two days I was busy procrastinating on my midterm, which came out horrible... just hope its not as bad as I think. On the third day (TGIF!), I was committed to do some project work for my operations management class. From 1-5pm, I've been sitting in a cubicle in the library, typing away a blueprint of our report. Along with two team members, we were able to separate tasks to an even amount. After some hungry chit-chats, we all went home.


I decided I shouldn't stay in during a great sunny day like today!

Vancouver has missed your shine!!

On the same spot, sat down overlooking the sunset

Everything becomes so peaceful when you take a moment to admire the scenery.

And ending this with my super tired, but happy look =D 

Easing back academic life

Photo Credit: Social Psychology Eye

There were a lot of topics which I wanted to write about...
Which I hope to write later because they have made an impact on my view.
So I hope to share them with everyone out there!

So far, well.... let's get back to updating on my life at hand.
Does it happen to you when you starts to do some hardcore studying and become anti-social.... that grades are sparkling gold on your transcript?

There is definitely a inverse relationship between academic & social life for me.
Negative as in... one goes up, the other comes down...
For example, when I decline all my facebook event invites & networking parties, I get at least As on my midterms and quizzes. (Studying three days before, that is)
Then there's the other spectrum when I start to care less for school and procrastinate studying. Probably popping in and out for parties, celebrations, social events. Then grades plummet. But it does MAXIMIZE MY HAPPINESS!

I tried experimenting them on two semesters, and results were favorable to my predictions.
But this time, I'll be experimenting in one semester, breaking it 50/50.

Academic life, check.
Social life, it starts now!

EBAY Adventures

Photo Credit

Bidding.... Where shall I start?
I met EBAY when I read my first business textbook in Year 1....
But signing up an account and actually participating in the bidding is a whole different story.

My EBAY adventures started on late January/early February. My friend and I was hanging out in Downtown and we started talking about where to find the good deals. She held up her hand and showed me her gold-chained bracelet with a strawberry attached to the chain. She told me she bid the item for 99cents with free shipping. Considering the ones you'd see in night market, its about 3-4x higher that amount.

Three MUST-NOT-HAVES:

1. Competitive

As a competitive newbie, I like to compete for the highest amount and ends up re-visiting the page every time I got outbidded. One time I won a bid for a $40 keychain! I ended up giving realistic excuses (not being able to afford rent/food) and she was kind enough to reverse the bid. Lesson learned. =)

2. Don't Care, lose track of time

After bidding at 5 things at the same time (different ending times/dates) I gave up checking it every now and then. They were hair accessories/bracelets which didn't matter if I won or lose. Most of these items ended up in the hands of an experience bidder who won the bid for under $2 (and free shipping I might add).

3. Not researching enough

When you bid for an item, usually there are more than three sellers that carry the same item (high demand, high supply). Not researching enough may get you bidding for something higher than the alternative, with a lower price. Some of the time, the "buy-it-now" price is cheaper than the bidding price, ironic eh?

Best of luck to all the brave souls out there! Have you bid on something you regret?


::PS::

My winning bids: 3X cellphone case, 2X couple keychains, 1X oreo portable mirror, 1X bracelet, 1X bag, and 1X Fringe hair patch

Lesson Un-Learned: Procrastination

Photo Credit

When you see filled up seats in the Library, computer lab, and cafeteria, you'd know its midterms week. 

It's one of those times when I start studying 3-4 day ahead.

Attempting to study about 1 chapter per day.

Writing down all the concepts from the book while I recite it out loud in my bedroom.

(Part of the reason why I wasn't able to study in Library, with the exception of math-related exams) 

Eventually when the night before the exam comes, crammed 5 chapters' worth of terminology & concepts. 

After midnight, I eventually give up and climb into my comfy bed for a good night's sleep. 

This treacherous cycle happens over and over again. 

Just to make sure, typing "study tips" on google search engine pops up numerous websites that provides similar advice. The part of me that goes "I knew that since I was in high school!" when I read through them, one by one. By the time I have finished a midterm in class, I'd be like "gosh, I wish I had done blah blah blah..." Regretting too late. 

Does it happen to all students, of all ages? Do you have this cycle as well?

A Sense of Belonging

Came across this inspirational video through a tweet by Vancouver Foundation.
Which sparked a lot of "light bulbs", if you may, on my mind.

Born and raised in a urban city, I developed a sense of independence since childhood.
Being the only child, there wasn't many whom I can depend on.
My parents have been my mentors since I was young, teaching me morals and ethics as I grew up.
I have slowly become the one to depend on, after moving to Canada.
I am blessed have someone depend on, there's always the feeling of belonging through interdependence.
This allows me to see, the real abilities I have within for accomplishments.

Really? You might say.

Yes. I really feel I belong after I have joined my school's business club.

I remember the first event I participated in, we were all a mess. There's the new group of students without manual/instructions/mentor to guide us through. But we worked as a team & able to help out most of the logistics with my connections within the campus. It feels great to solve problems, with my own hands. There's no.1 accomplishment.

On our next event shortly after, I feel blessed to have a group of people who did recognize my presence. More importantly, I was less concerned about the attendees and more about the people I work with. It takes a whole lot of effort and the whole team did a fabulous job at putting it together. I am really happy to be cherished & thought of.

Sentimental value means the whole world to me, more than money can bring.

It doesn't take a whole lot to walk up to a friend and give them a great big hug!
"Thanks for being my friend"  

NY resolutions, SMART this year!

Photo credit: Training Journal

SMART is a marketing term that stands for:


S-pecific
M-easurable
A-ttainable
R-ealistic
T-ime realistic/specific


I never think thoroughly about making goals every year. In fact, I make short-term goals as a form of motivation to get me "through" challenging times. On my last week's business club meeting, our chairman asked each one of us our goals for the spring semester/2012. 


And?


I thought of goals that require little effort, and would be achieved within a short time. What's one of them, you might ask? Here's a list I've come up with so far:


1. Drop some pounds, weigh less than last year
2. My list of drinks to conquer: 

• Margaritas (CHECK!) 
• White Russians
• Bushwackers
• Rum Punch
• Vodka Punch
• Coconut Rum & Pineapple Juice

3. Achieve an acne-less skin (a little difficult..)

4. Finish all my core courses this year

I have been a "workoholic" for a long time. I am a competitive/ambitious person. When I put my heart into something I have faith in, I won't give up until I've accomplished it. Which brings me a lot of stress and expectations for myself. Its time for change, rather than putting my health at risk.


So if I can't achieve them all, then I might GET A LIFE.  
Goals are meant for motivation, and if it stops you from moving on then its not doing you any good. 

Stereotypes in Vancouver Males/Females

Photo Credit: MAC

An interesting discussion sparked on my facebook wall feed, guess what it is?

War of genders: "Vancouver" Females & Males

Here are the articles:

Do Vancouver Women Suck?   VS. Do Vancouver Men Suck?

Before giving my own opinions on the article "Do Vancouver Women Suck", I shall start by giving an overview of my background.

I was born and raised in Hong Kong, which was governed by the British colony then.

My dad worked for the HK government and my mom was a housewife. 

Without any siblings, I pretty much learned everything independently. 

Going through countless mistakes, with scars and injuries on my body.

I was proud, because they mark my experiences which I learned myself.

Still staying on topic, I grew up with female friends all my life. 

Starting from kindergarten (got poked with a pencil lead by a BOY), elementary school (almost got a detention getting into a fight with a BOY), till high school (got a compliment of being fat by a BOY).

My experiences with males in general were not very pleasant. These are probably all I can recall from "BOY" encounters before high school graduation.It seemed like I became neutral (feeling like a nun, haha), when I started my post-secondary institution. AND the "cooties" feeling disappeared. 

Usually, I don't talk with strangers on the bus because you don't know who you will meet. Stalkers are creepy and you don't want one following you home..... But when I get people asking for directions or making compliments on my clothing, I will happily continue a conversation with. However, its pretty difficult for me to start a conversation due to the feeling of embarrassment when they don't respond. I do smile when people look at me, to show I am a friendly person =)

I love the beach! Joining my Vancouver Beach Volleyball meetup group this year has got me to practically all the beaches in Vancouver. I love meeting new people, but you don't usually see people going to the beach alone. Quiet common, you'd see at least two people lying on the beach or one person walking around trying to find their friends. Circle of friends are usually confined with an invisible bubble, so no "intruders" can invade. The awesome thing about my meetup group is, we welcome people to join us in playing volleyball! Making changes, bit by bit. 

No comment on the park, I rarely go there :P

As for Yaletown, I rarely know the place to comment on it. But its another area where you'd hang out with friends more than going alone. Meeting guys at a bar, there's no long-term friendship in that category, Sadly. 

I definitely agree with coffee shops, and even breakfast places! I once went to a breakfast place alone. Ordered a huge meal, and it looked super delicious! Since it was my first time trying western breakfast, i wasn't able to finish it all. But a gentleman about the ages of 20-30s came in and sat beside me. (I was sitting at a small table, and he was sitting at a small table beside me as well) He started complimenting on how delicious it looked. But I didn't really continue the conversation because I wasn't feeling well. Oh, did I mention this happened in Seattle?

Nevertheless, I do agree with the gents that Vancouver is a hard place to start a conversation in the middle of nowhere. But don't give up hope! You might be able to catch "one in a million" with your courage! Ladies, like myself, its time for another evolution.