Comic-con, Day 1

It's so nice being back in San Diego after two years. Gorgeous weather, gorgeous environment, beautiful accommodations, it's just too bad this visit is only a week.

Fanny loves it here too. It's got me to thinking... possibly... after Jeannie moves here when she finishes primary school... it might finally be time to leave Hong Kong...!!!????

Wouldn't be to bad, as long as I could find work. Fanny and I could get married and settle down... who knows?

Comic-con is pretty fun, though I'm nowhere near a comic book geek.

Plenty of cuties in costumes, and lots of things to look at and play with.

Although I'm not a comic book fan, I unfortunately ran into a few money-draining things...

First, I love the PowerPuff Girls. One of the artists who draws the PPG comics had a booth, and I bought one of his boards, and the comic that went with it. Then, out of sheer coincidence, I ran into the creator of the series! So the comic got signed by the artist and the creator, and I have the original artwork for one of the pages as well.

Second... I gasped aloud when I saw some Clive Barker Abarat prints for sale. This was my big splurge, and now I've got a gorgeous signed piece of artwork from one of my favorite people on the planet to put up on the middle of my living room wall. I'll post a photo when it's up.

Fanny joins me at the fair tomorrow, and Jeannie's not invitied. Her head would explode when she saw all the things she could play with, and we'd spend at least an hour per booth, as she'd have to study and play with every single item she saw.

Now of course, I'm not attending the convention for fun or for buying things... I'm supposed to get some business! That's going pretty well so far. Still got a lot of work to do, but I've got a good feeling we'll get some solid orders.

Until then, I'll enjoy the sun and the environment of the most beautiful city in America. We visit the world famous San Diego Zoo on Saturday and Sea World on Sunday, then we have two days in Disneyland before we fly back on Tuesday night.

Long time no update... so here's a disconnected mind dump.

It's been a while since I posted here. The fact is I've been really busy, and otherwise nothing spectacular has happened recently.

Relationship is stable. Job is stable. Everything is just nice.

I quit my teaching job (felt kind of guilty), so I'm earning (much) less, but I have way more free time, and I'm much better able to pay attention at my real job. All in all, I feel great about the decision.

It's wonderful to be able to spend more time with my loving girlfriend, and I'm looking forward to the summer time! I'll want to have that free time when the weather is nice!

It was nice to have the chance to visit my friend's cat while she was away on holiday! I really want a cat sooo much but it's prohibited in my building. :(

A new Japanese restaurant opened in my building today. Cyd Ho (whose office is next door) told me "of course!" when I asked her if it meant there would be more rats and cockraches... yuck.

Actually, I've never seen a single cockroach in my flat, but we've had a rat twice. Really terrible. The first one got in to the rice. The second one I think ran in and out of the door while my daughter left it open one day. Of course, if I had a cat, it wouldn't be a problem!!! Maybe that'll be my excuse if some day I sneak one in, and later get caught by the landlord!! :p

My landlord is so nice, otherwise! The nicest landlord I've ever had in my life! Must have a nice life, too, just golfing all the time. He must be a pretty good golfer by now. I'm happy for his sake that he finally rented out the first floor restaurant. But I was hoping it would be a sauna or massage place or something! LOL! Well, I guess a Japanese restaurant is better than another kind of restaurant, as it's usually cleaner. Hopefully it'll be a nice place to eat too.

I've really grown fond of Nice... I think I eat there about five times a week now! Mostly for breakfast, but also for lunch or dinner usually on Sunday.

I've been going to the dentist lately to fix my poorly maintained teeth. Quite a hassle. Finally getting my fillings put in in 2 weeks. And at least my breath won't be as bad... :p

I'm just lucky my teeth aren't worse. They're actually not really that bad.

Photography hobby is great! Work is great! Other hobbies are great! Bought too many skirts and bikinis and tops and shorts and pants and lingerie for Fanny! But if anyone deserves my generosity she does. She gives me all the love and friendship I need, and that's really the only thing I need in a relationship. Economically speaking, I think she's getting a pretty good deal! But we're both happy.

Swim season!

My company has a pool on the roof, and I think I'll start swimming at work when the weather gets nice! I think rather than swimming in the morning or after work, I'll swim in the middle of my shift. That way I'll get a little sun as well! It's nice to have the freedom to do it!

The friend I introduced to my company is doing great!!! She was really the right person for the job, and it seems this was the right job for her. I'm so proud of her, and I knew she could do it. I think she's getting a good raise after her review.

Now I need to sleep... I'll post something else another day. I've been wanting to post about my favorite comic strip, What the Duck! But I'll save that for later.

Until next time... be nice. Be honest. And be fun.

That's all.

Day Jobs

Well, what is it, April almost? That means I've been working 2 jobs for more than half a year... wow! Ant it's been much more manageable than I thought. I don't have a lot of free time. And I don't get enough sleep... But things are okay, and I enjoy both jobs. Not really ready to give up the teaching yet.

Anyway, here are a few images...

CUBELAND:


And the Kids!

Being Saint Nick

LOL I think I'm going to be Santa for as long as I'm in Hong Kong.

It all started last year, when a friend asked me if I was interested in being Santa Claus at Ocean Park. Of course, I jumped at the chance, the job went through, and I absolutely loved it!

Well, this year I've been asked to be Santa Claus three times.

One invitation came from the same friend, for Ocean Park again. Sadly, because of my 2 jobs, neither of which I can back out of or take leave from for a month, I am unable to accept the job. Too bad, because the pay was awesome, and it was SOOO much fun! This year they were even going to have a Mrs. Claus. I recommended my friend Matt for the post, but, unfortunately, he's in jail for deflating a huge McDonald's sign this Spring. :'(

The second invitation I couldn't refuse. I've been roped into being Santa Claus for the Christmas party for the hundreds of employees at my company/group. I was asked because I'm one of only 2 Westerners in our 2 buildings. I won't be getting paid any extra, but it'll be fun, and earn me some brownie points with the HR Dept. My daughter and girlfriend will also be able to come and take a photo with me, just as last year (different girlfriend, same daughter - LOL).

The third invitation came from one of my schools. It'll be fun to be Santa for the little ones during their Christmas party, which falls on my regular teaching day at that school. Just a short party, and probably the same working hours, but it'll be a good change from the usual class...

Well, I've established something pretty solid to fall back on if I ever find myself free during the holidays.

Ho Ho Ho!

Unbelievably busy...

I've done it before... but was I a fool to attempt the 2 job thing?

One thing's for certain, at the end of this month my finances will be looking pretty smooth, and at the end of November I'll be bloody rich.

And my desk job is the one I want to develop into my career.

The only thing that helps me get through it physically is to go home and hold Fanny as I fall asleep, and to spend Sunday with her. It seems like if she's there I sleep so much more solid, and 5 hours can suffice where normally I'd be exhausted. I feel sorry for those people who can't relax with someone. They really don't know what they're missing...

Maybe I don't love Fanny as much as I should... but she gives me one thing... security, and even if it doesn't work out between us, I'll always love her for that.

It was the same thing with Jackie. I needed that security from her. So sue me. Kill me, break up with me! What a crime... to want to hold the woman you love. Only problem was... she mistook the unhappiness I felt because I couldn't hold her (because she wasn't there)... for jealousy. She still so foolishly thinks I was jealous or suspicious. God, how little she knew me. The man she said so many times that she loved. The truth is, I wasn't jealous at all! I just wanted her to be there with me to sleep with, and to spend a completely reasonable amount of intimate time with. That's all.

I loved her, and when I couldn't hold her to sleep I felt so exhausted. That was the start of the end of our relationship. She didn't understand how much of an impact it had on me -- or she simply didn't respect that I was different than her and wanted to hold the woman I loved.

I now know that she simply has trouble understanding (and trusting) -- or caring about -- other people's feelings. Yet she demands that other people consider hers, without compromise...

And then when other people hurt her the same way she hurts them, after they're so frustrated with the way she's ignored their feelings... she blames them for it. I'm not the only one who has said so. I'm just the only one stupid enough to still have faith in her.

She always said "It doesn't matter what you do for me, I don't have to do anything for you in return". Some day she'll wake up and get the fact that she has to care about people's feelings, and sometimes (God forbid!) compromise, just to make someone feel better.

Life is about give and take. And Lord knows I give more than I can afford. With Fanny I'm finally getting some honest, selfless, caring in return.

But damn I spent too much money on her last weekend...

The smell of success

There are so many great things about returning to the printing industry, particularly the company I work for. There's the thrill of working in an industry I love. There are the beautiful, beautiful books. There's the satisfaction of working with intelligent, sophisticated clients overseas. Then there's the smell.

That wonderful aroma of the presses, the ink, the paper. I don't know why, but that pungent chemical aroma satisfies my olfactory desires in a way no other aroma can. Is it because it brings back the memory of one of the jobs I loved the most? Is there some chemical in the aroma that releases a certain hormone like endorphin? Does anyone else feel the same way about this smell?

My favorite smells, beside the expected food and flowers, are the ocean, the rain, the smell of sagebrush growing in the mountains, the smell of chow dou fu in Mongkok, and the smell of the press. Maybe they should make a printing press scented room freshener. Then my world would be complete.

A peek into my mind...

##### says:
how's work today

Bentonton says:
Fine. I haven't been very productive, but I'm not really getting behind either. I'm just taking my time getting back in to the swing of things... refamiliarizing myself with the workflow, etc.

Bentonton says:
But I have a lot of free time to waste if I don't concentrate...

Bentonton says:
So it's a danger situation.

##### says:
yes that's true

Bentonton says:
Basically I should be studying.

##### says:
in same position

##### says:
haha

Bentonton says:
And organizing my work... creating organization tools like excel worksheets for job status and to do list, etc.

##### says:
man u're organized

##### says:
puts me to shame

Bentonton says:
Back. Got a call from a client! Excitement!

##### says:
awesome!

Bentonton says:
If I get disorganized I self destruct because I don't do anything at all.

##### says:
yea true

Bentonton says:
That's the danger.

##### says:
same la

##### says:
but at least u've got it all sussed

Bentonton says:
That's happened to me many times in the past. So not only do I need to get organized, but I have to maintain it perfectly and NEVER get behind.

Bentonton says:
Because when I fall behind I procrastinate more and more.

##### says:
yea same

Bentonton says:
One difficult thing about my job now is that I have to work at 2 offices in different buildings.

Bentonton says:
I just promised the client who just called a quote, but the materials for that quote are in the other office, which I just returned from 10 minutes ago.

Bentonton says:
So the risk is that I'll procrastinate on that because I don't want to go back to the other office.

Bentonton says:
So I really have to discipline myself.

##### says:
oh yea that's true

##### says:
that's a pain!

Bentonton says:
Anyway, I'm going up to the canteen for lunch now. Great canteen here in the ##### building.

##### says:
is it ##### #####?

##### says:
wha

Bentonton says:
Signed my contract today so I'll show it to my landlord and explain why I'm behind on the rent and when I'll be completely caught up.

Bentonton says:
Yeah, it's ##### ##### building.

Bentonton says:
My company is owned by #### #####.

Bentonton says:
I also had a class to observe this morning, so I've had a taste of what it's going to be like when I start my teaching.

Bentonton says:
It'll be a pain when the class is not near my office.

Bentonton says:
A lot of traveling.

##### says:
yea that's true, but also a challenge

##### says:
that's cool

##### says:
!

##### says:
u're lucky!

Bentonton says:
Not sure if I'll go to the office super early, go to teach, then go back, or if I'll go to the office after my class, and work super late.

##### says:
wha

##### says:
do u have flexi hours

##### says:
and would u teach everyday?

Bentonton says:
I do have flexible hours, but it'll be better if I set a stable schedule.

Bentonton says:
Starting Oct. 1 I'll be teaching nearly every day.

Bentonton says:
That's how I'll be earning 30k.

Bentonton says:
But I only plan on doing this for 3 months now.

Bentonton says:
Because I want to focus on this job... very good prospects.

Bentonton says:
And I love the industry, and I love our product, and #### ##### is great to work for.

##### says:
wha

##### says:
lucky!

##### says:
i actually wish i was in your position

Bentonton says:
Just too far away lah!

##### says:
cause although ### is cool

##### says:
thing is .... there's no colleagues around still

##### says:
stIll

Bentonton says:
You must be desparate for your husband's affection when you get home... lucky guy.

##### says:
haha

##### says:
chur

Bentonton says:
I'm lucky too because Fanny really appreciates me.

Bentonton says:
Finally, someone who does.

##### says:
hehe

##### says:
see

##### says:
things do turn for the better la

Bentonton says:
In other news... I saw XOX on Monday at the meeting and it turned into a disaster.

##### says:
oh no

##### says:
how come

Bentonton says:
I asked for my phone back, and she ran away, and I ended up making an ass out of myself in front of ######### #####-#####.

Bentonton says:
I can't believe how she can be so unethical about the things she didn't return to me.

##### says:
oh shit

Bentonton says:
And I was surprised that after one year, she still is intent on refusing to deal with anything.

##### says:
what did u do

##### says:
u asked in front of her?

##### says:
i mean

##### says:
in front of ####?

Bentonton says:
I asked XOX in the lift lobby and she ran into the office.

Bentonton says:
And I followed her and asked again.

Bentonton says:
And started losing it.

##### says:
it was your phone?

##### says:
like or u gave it to her?

##### says:
as a gift?

Bentonton says:
Yes, my old phone.

##### says:
ah

##### says:
but if its a gift

Bentonton says:
No, it was the phone I owned before I even met XOX.

##### says:
she may have chucked it

Bentonton says:
But I recently lost my other phone, and the old one had my numbers on it.

Bentonton says:
If she threw it away, she should say so, and explain why.

##### says:
so she borrowed it?

Bentonton says:
No, it was one of the many many things she just never returned.

##### says:
oh man

##### says:
sux

Bentonton says:
Like my wallet, important documents, my backup hard drive with 10 years of important data...

Bentonton says:
And she refuses to even acknowledge any of it.

##### says:
sheesh

Bentonton says:
And none of my friends, even though they witnessed what happened, had the balls to confront her about it.

##### says:
well, just pretend its total loss

##### says:
and forget about it

##### says:
she's never going to acknowledge it happened

##### says:
and she won't admit it

Bentonton says:
It's easy to let go of the monetary stuff, but the other stuff, like my lost contacts and documents, and my 10 year-old emails, are hard to lose.

##### says:
yea true

Bentonton says:
And it's so hard to accept that someone I put so much love into and gave so much of my life to is capable of this.

##### says:
dude....u have to forget

##### says:
and move on

##### says:
live your life for now

##### says:
not for the past

Bentonton says:
I'm not the first person she did this to. I was so stupid to be with her.

##### says:
nooo

##### says:
u were meant to be with her

##### says:
so u could appreciate fanny now

Bentonton says:
I always accepted her "disownment" of her own parents, even though her own sister told me she was lying.

##### says:
silly

Bentonton says:
I always felt sorry for her because of the exes she claimed hurt her and stole from her.

Bentonton says:
But I really think it must have been lies or half-truths.

##### says:
well

##### says:
sometimes, its to get pity from the guy

##### says:
just remember

##### says:
as long as u're enjoying yourself now

##### says:
don't look back

##### says:
ok?

Bentonton says:
But I'll be reminded of this injustice all my life. You can't just forget. And besides the cherished memories, there are constantly things that remind you.

##### says:
that's true

##### says:
but make an effort!

Bentonton says:
Like when I lost my phone and though of my old phone as a source for my contacts.

Bentonton says:
Or when I apply for permanent residency and don't have my documents.

Bentonton says:
Or when I see a cherished photo of the happy times we shared together.

Bentonton says:
How can I make her see what she's done?

Bentonton says:
And get an honest answer to why she did it?

Bentonton says:
I just can't stand the injustice and the lack of heart.

##### says:
yea i don't get why she won't give u back your stuff

##### says:
doesn't make sense

Bentonton says:
She just didn't want to make the effort, that's all.

Bentonton says:
And I'm afraid she's just going to keep hurting people like this.

Bentonton says:
And I fear for her safety, because maybe one of those people will be less restrained about it than I have been.

##### says:
don't be afraid of what doesn't concern u anymore

##### says:
why waste your energy

Bentonton says:
It haunts me.

Bentonton says:
From time to time.

Bentonton says:
And hurts a lot.

##### says:
dont' let it

##### says:
it'll consume u8

Bentonton says:
Bye now.

Bentonton says:
I'm going to eat.