who's soonger??

Back from Hawaii

Monday, September 13

Let me tell you -- everything you heard about Hawaii ... IT'S TRUE! The place is a paradise. I would have no problems going back ... in fact, I am seriously looking into getting my US license due to my great experience on Oahu. Before I go on ... let me tell you how great the wedding was. Del was such a good host. It was finally nice to finally meet and speak to his bride, Marie. Ironically, Marie has the same b'day as myself (just a year difference, that's all) All of Del's friends are cool. His family was very welcoming. I felt quite honoured to be invited to his post-dress rehearsal party at the beachhouse. What a fine beachhouse it is!!!

What else did I do while I was there? Did the usual tourist-y things like go visit Pearl Harbor, shopping, visit the North Shore, visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and do a scenic drive along the perimeter of the island. Drove a landboat of a car (2005 Chrysler 300) so navigating that beast on the island proved to be challenging at times.

One thing about Hawaii is price. If you look hard enough, you can find deals. Albeit, gasoline prices are at par with Ontario right now (30% exchange rate) so I didn't really 'feel it at the pump' like US mainlanders might experience. Obviously, those who shop and browse in Waikiki -- you will be ripped by the mark-up on things. I would think that 1/2 of the place are Japanese tourists (everyone is bilingual there -- English and Japanese).

Since I've been back, it's been tough getting used to the time difference. Unlike me going to Hawaii (ie I stayed up all night to get used to the - 6 hr difference), it was tough for me to wake up early to reaclimatize to Eastern Time. When I got back last week, I rolled into Windsor in the morning. I had to crash a bit in the afternoon but that messed up my sleep time (3AM). It's been a battle ever since to get used to the time change. And I used to think, "What a piece of cake!" Guess I was wrong!

Friday was my first day back to work in well over a week. And it was a 12-hr day (9-5, 5-9 between 2 stores). It was fine at first but I wasn't used to how hectic a pharmacy could be! At least nothing changed in a dispensary, per se. No new products or any changes to drug coverages so that was good. I was just downright tired by the end of the day.

It was a good thing I didn't schedule myself to work this weekend. I just chilled with JJ and picked up on my Chinese studies (been delinquent with that for well over a couple of months). It's a shame my memory goes really fast when you don't touch something for a long while ...

Friday, September 17

It's Friday ... but no TGIF for me. The first week back to work was kinda rough. Fighting off jet-lag and a lot of hours in the dispensary (across town) has taken its toll on me. And ... to top things off, I work this weekend at the local drug store by my house. I just hope that it does not get mental!

Nothing remarkable going on right now. Got my hotel reservation all set for the following weekend in Toronto. This wedding has me totally interested. I haven't spoken to the bride in over 4 years. The invitation I received was a total shock. Plus, I did get a hold of the guys on the Acura forum -- we'll meet up for lunch and catch up.

Like I said ... it's gonna be a full weekend for me. Work both days, full shift ... ugh. What to do? Have to make up for lost wages ... have a lot of bills to pay. And I gotta build up for my next trip. I did think about going to my cousin's wedding in Singapore but the travel time is probably what has me all bummed out. If you go overseas, you gotta go for a long period of time to make it worthwhile. Otherwise, you're cheating yourself! I think a courier with a big fat cheque will suffice. I seriously doubt my parents want to make the trek ...

Ahead: more work. Discussions with potential employers about job opportunities (in the area) -- change of pace for me. Toys for the house. More training for my wild dog, Man Tou.