{Warm Afternoon Green Tea Addiction}

3.27.2006

Lately, I have been contemplating some strange crushes.

Well, I got this call at late Saturday night. I answered even though it was a strange number which I have never seen before. Maybe it's an important call, I always think so.

"Weih..." An older man's voice.
"Um...Is this beautiful teacher Hsu?! This is me, you know, the herb tea boss...."

Oh...Okay, but why did you call me at the midnight?

"You know? I am just thinking about you...in fact, I have been thinking about you a lot lately"

You must be joking me here...I know you are always flirty with me...but...

"Yeah, I just thought that I'd let you know that I've known and really liked you for 6 years. And I'd really like you to know that I miss you today. So you think I have a chance?"

Huh?? Shit, he's not kidding!"

"So who's that American guy who sometimes comes here with you? Is he your boyfriend? Are you guys living together?"

After a few minutes, I realized that things were getting weird. So I stopped laughing, and I stopped thinking that he's just joking around.

"So...Um...Mr. Jang. Thank you, I'm flattered. Really. But about your question? I'm not available anymore. I am in a firm relationship now, and he's not American, we are not just having some fun...You know?"

"Oh, I see. But I have practiced some songs with my guitar for you. Like this one I learn this afternoon called 'True Love'...."

O M G!

I don't remember how was the phone call ended. I hope I didn't offend him by saying something stupid (I might). Anyway, I do know I'm gonna miss that herb drink for a long time. What a shame cuz he makes the best hot "Sian Tsao" in town.

Yeah, so I guess I've attracted some older guys lately for some unknown reasons, including some professors, some other teachers, and parents. All these just leave me wondering: "Hello, what are you thinking?"

3.23.2006

The weather has been wet and gloomy! Sometimes the sun comes out bright and sunny but just about when you are ready to step out the door, the clouds start to roll in and then the rain follows. I feel like being played emotionaly by this "sentimtal" weather these days.

Not much happening. Just maybe that I miss traveling again...

3.20.2006

This is yet again, the time of the month which we all go crazy working on the magazie trying to hand in everything by the deadline. Blah~

But, I opened up my mailbox and found this lovely note from a very nice blogger friend concerning about health. I thought I'd love to share it to everybody here. {Sorry Jen, i hope you won't mind this... (: }

Hey Iris, I can't post comments in your "Ha-Chu" post! Why??OMG, eating/living ethically/healthily is totally my favourite topic in the whole world. =D You've opened the Pandora's Box! =D

Why don't I catch the cold often? I am not really sure. But, I think it's probably because I gave up eating meat over 10 years ago. I think it's made me much healthier. (Hint, hint). :-)Plus, I think taking Western medicine unnecessarily is really toxic for the body (if you believe the yin/yang stuff). When I had the 'flu five years ago, I also didn't take anything for it. But, you have to be aware of your body enough to take such a risk when you have the 'flu - because sometimes the heart can't take it and you can seriously damage it. I was lucky, I guess. You should not over-stress yourself if you don't want to take Western medicine, when nursing a cold/'flu. :-) But the plus side of letting your body take care of the 'flu/cold naturally is that, you'll get the 'flu/cold much less frequently.I do eat very healthily, too:

1. Barley grass drink, first thing in the morning.
2. Eat nothing else except four different fruits, until 12pm. This is because the body is still trying to flush out the toxins from the night before - so you should let it rest until 12pm. Definitely do not eat any dairy/meat products before 12pm - you'll over-tax your body.
3. Use olive oil, garlic and cooked tomatoes as much as possible in cooking.
4. Drink a lot of miso soup and green tea - for the antioxidants. They also help to flush out toxins.
5. Drink lots of water.
6. Drink one lemon's worth of pure lemon juice after dinner, most days - very cleansing.
7. Eat seven types of fruits and vegetables every day.=DIf that's not too much trouble for you, you should give it a try. :-) If you don't like eating so much fruits/vegies, you can always use a blender or juicer - it's almost the same. :-) Just make sure you always drink fruit juices on an empty stomach.

Get well soon, Iris! :-)

Again, thank you sooo much Jen.

Really your cute note just made my day, even in this time of the month.

3.16.2006

I'm sick...I have been lying in bed for about two days. Sore throat,caugh, runing nose, slight fever...you name it. Feeling real shitty...can't hear anything, can't taste anything but salt, either.

I woke up, it was already afternoon, I stared at the beautiful ocean and the bright sun, thinking damn... i just can't seem to get up and do anything. This flu, whatever it is, really sucks!

Sigh! Wish me luck! \ :

3.11.2006

Another month od editing work. Besides that, I've got 3 different new classes set up last week. My world has been spinning around, so has my head. Only glad that I've survived all that. How about allowing me show you why I'm guilty for not been able to post for a little while...

Ms. Tsou called: "Come meet me at a hotel lobby near where ya live!" "wow, you are young, I can't teach anymore, six years of being tighten up in the town, I'm leaving for China next week. Thank God I've found you..."

Mr. Chang Called: "I'm this OLD community college's class leader. Nice to meet you! Here are the rules that you og to follow in this English class. Fisrt, all 60 old folks are retired famous people in this town. No messing around. Second, start booking the books that we need.......Ten, blah blah continues. Finally, don't forget you have to eat with us after the first class. Meet at Aster Hotel...."

Marco called: "So how was the fisrt class you had with our hotel receptionists the other day...My God they English are terrible. How was the phonics going?"

Book Publisher called: "Just wire the money I enclosed in the box with the books that you ordered the other day."

Mr. Chang called (again):"Don't worry, I will take care of everything. There's a reason why I'm the class leader for 6 YEARS here...Don't panic... Blah..."

Emily called: "So where's this tea house you'd like to meet for the editorial meeting? I'm stuck in the clinic here, will be late about one hour. Really sorry... I'm still new to this town, where is "Won Ji"? "

Ryan: "So are all the Chinese articles clean now, remind you the deadline is tommorrow!"

Dr. K called: "Iris, can we start my kids' class same time next week?"

Cofee Shop called: "Hi! The artcle that we like to post in the magainze was done yesterday. You must be too busy to come and get it. Just call to remind you about that. See ya!"

Mr. Chang called (again): "Just do what you like to do in class, you have your own teaching style. Don't panic, I'm the class leader, don't listen to just one or two students opinions...I will deal with that, don't panic....blah......."

Steak house called: "Um...our boss is still thinking about weather or not he'd like to put an ad in your magazine....sorry...we will call if we want to do that."

Mr Chang called (once more): "Yes, this is the class leader......blah...blah blahing.................don't worry......"

Yoko: "Thanks teacher, I'm so glad to meet you. Um...I gave you wrong email address, you know i'm all and very dumb now. Could you get a pen I'll read you the right one here...."

Yeah...that's about 2/3 of what happened last week for me. All these calls and classes and the editing work, not to mention the calls I had to make. All done, all cool...for now. Just happy that my week ended with this sweet old lady student Yoko instead of Mr. Chang...who did call, by the way. And now, I'm off to Liyu Lake for some cover shots for the magazine.

I know I'm guilty for not posting. Forgive me, pretty please... ( ;

3.04.2006

It was probablely about 9 am. I heard my phone rang.

"Oh shit! Nooo" I covered the blanket and decided I'm not gonna bother to wake up...yet.

Ring went off.

Three minutes later, it rang again.

Ok, ok...I got up and tried to reach the damn phone and answer it. I walked down to our living room blind and picked up the phone.

"Um...hello?!"

"@#^...um...teacher Iris? Um...Hi~" Wow, she has high pitch tones.

"Oh, Hi ! Um..Dr. K?" You sounded like Dr. K.

"How are you? " My eyes were barely open, hack, it's freackin' Saturday morning.

"Fine, fine...You are fired!"

"WHAT? I'm what?? Fired??" I opened my eyes, shocked actually.

"No, no...I mean..." She went on blahing something else, which all sounded like dreaming to me.

"..um...father died. No class....sorry father died... this morning!"

"........ ..........huh......?!"

I paused for about half a minute, still trying to figure out where was I, in dreams?

"Huh?? My father died this morning??" I shouted, finally woke up.

"No no no...I mean my father in law died this morning, so I have to cancel the class for next week. Sorry!"

Oh,....oh. Now I see, I'm in the reality and that is Dr. K speaking to me and the day light is tooo bright.

"Oh! Um...really. I am so sorry Dr. K." "Don't worry about the class, I am really sorry to hear this."

"It's ok, he's pretty old and been sick for a long time. So, I'll call you again for the class."

"No worries, take care, bye Dr K!"

"Bye!"

That was how I woke up this morning. If you had known me just a little bit, you'd know that i'm the dumbest person in the world to deal with. So how can I be "ok" and smart enough even to talk when I still feel like I'm dreaming for the first half hour of my everyday waking ups.

I hope I didn't say something stupid to her over the phone...hell, if I did, I'd never find out anyway! Who knows, maybe I really did get fired...over phone.

3.03.2006

Woke up this morning, it was already 11am. Guilty! Needed coffee right away. We got a super nicely fresh roasted coffee sitting in our kitchen. But, no grinder. Needing it so badly, we had to use our mortar and pestel to make our morning a little bit constructive.

Thanks to Cafe Living Room!

Anyways, while I was struggling waking up, Ryan told me a riot of Canadian that's about to begin in the blogsphere. What Ryan's been giving me the updates and what people have been fighting back to his idea sounded all very...."intresting" to me. But hey, if you had a little time to kill: Check what this is about! Have fun and enjoy!

Remember it's freakin' Friday, so relax and enjoy a plate of fresh strawberries! Have a nice one! ( :

It's late again. A pretty boring but ok night, just like usual when Rye goes to poker games.

I fiddled my "new" laptop, which just got fixed and boosted up! Read some blogs, got to know how people around the world think about life. Very interesting. Sometimes, I really wonder if I truly like to know how this or that person (blogger) looks like in the real world. Why not, I'm always curious (I often think), but I have such a great time reading such people's life or even some stupid point of views, why ruin it? Dunno.

I don't often agree with the people I read day to day, yet tons of times, I laugh my ass off and can't agree more than these people's silly comments on things.

I am a quieter person in that way, I guess if I really want my voice being heard, I'd have to start one to three new blogs a day. Ha! That really came across my mind though.

I miss blogging, and I don't seem to blog that much as usual, I choose to be silent(?!)Or I simply don't have enough energy and time. "Duei Bu Chi!" Ok, I am a lazy ass.

I'd love to try more and maybe even more honest. Thanks for reading my "blah". ;P