household work never ends!

What a day of household cleaning!

The first thing I did after breakfast was laundry. Then I started cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. There were some hidden places in the kitchen (e.g. tap) that I tried to clean; then there was the tray for washing powder of the washing machine that I had to clean or it'd keep blocked. There was also the filter for the cooker hood that needs cleaning but I had enough of cleaning today and so will do it next time. I'd never have known about all these sorts of things if I hadn't lived in a flat on my own. The change of new flatmate is good in that way - I have to learn all those things. Being a housewife is not easy and that also means she can be very busy! That's why I told my mum, who always thought I had a lot of free time as I didn't have classes in summer, that I actually got a lot of things to do!

Then there's also job applications, email replies, ebay stuff that I have to do...

It's good to be busy though!

Tomorrow I'll start going to classes for ACCA again...

*****

Lunch: cheese burger with tomatoes & ketchup! 

Plus baked beans & broccoli! Yummy!  

Hmm, was trying to take photos of those bags...  

What a clean (brand new like) tray for the washing machine! 

Another light bulb (for cooker hood) to be replaced!

Being a light bulb lady again! 

Dinner: 梅菜蒸肉餅 (again! I really like it!)

the weekend before classes start

Today was the last weekend for shopping in such a relaxed mood before the new classes start next Monday.

I tried to go to gym early in the morning (hmm, wanted to see whether it worked if I went there very early without having breakfast) - got to gym around 8:45 a.m. (though my original plan was to get there an hour earlier!) and did for half an hour. I felt refreshed indeed. I was thinking of whether to go for McDonalds breakfast. Hmm... at the end I still ate the remaining bread at home and then went out to do a bit of food shopping.

Friend gave me a big bag of stuff for ebay selling! I can learn to be a business assistant! :p It didn't look easy at the beginning, especially when we had to describe the items and decide on the price. But I guess once I start working on a few items, I should be ok. :)

Food shopping in Bolton in the afternoon!! We had lunch at Morrisons - 'free' lunch because we got enough stamps to qualify for an £8 meal! :) Having learnt a lesson last time, we knew what to order this time and were full! No salmon from Bolton Market - only 2 big salmon for £10 was on offer but I didn't want to have 2 big salmon; that'd be too much for me! A big salmon that I bought last time took me at least a month to finish (given that I eat salmon twice a week). I don't want to buy things just because they're cheap. Hopefully next time I can get a big salmon for £6 or cheaper! :p

*****

Lunch: fish & chips!! Why does fish nowadays seem to be smaller? 

I still miss the fish eaten in Glasgow! :p

sausages, egg, beans & chips!

I like sausages! Yummy! :)  

Dinner: chicken in sweetcorn soup + mushroom + broccoli 

Gutsy & Hefty are happy! 

a day with emotional ups and downs

I stayed at home all day but today was still busy & eventful.

I got a phone call from the organization to which I had applied for a job. They asked me to attend an interview! :) I wasn't expecting I'd get the chance. Anyway, the interview will take place next Friday when I have a whole day class. Hopefully the tutor will let me off the morning session. Later in the afternoon I saw Boots & Royal Mail were recruiting for Christmas! So I'm going to apply to them and hope to earn a bit of money.

The electrician called me two days ago about a visit to our flat to check the extractor fan for our bathrooms. I missed his call and today the agent emailed to ask me to contact the electrician. The electrician came in the afternoon. He had to use a ladder to go into the little space on the roof of my room to see the extractor fan. Poor him! He found the 'controller' thing for the fan had been burnt and the filter was so dusty. He said he had to find a quote for the 'controller' and contact our landlord to see if he's willing to pay. =_=' Fingers crossed...

I had a chat on the phone with an ex-colleague. She said her good 'friend' and I seemed to have similar situations - her good 'friend' had had different household problems to sort out before, e.g. tv licence, water meter, broadband, and she had to help him sort them out. Then they found out the current government has changed the rules for social benefits to such an extent that people from EU can't get benefits any more! :( So he's quite worried about his living while at the same time he doesn't want to go back to Macau as he doesn't like the life there and he doesn't want to leave my ex-colleague. Same case with me... :(

*****

Another ex-colleague of mine is getting married in October. Today I asked her if any of my ex-colleagues would be attending. I found only me and my two ex-bosses would be there; there's not many people I know who'd be attending (besides a pair of brothers whom I don't really have much contact with now). :( It's a nightmare - going to a wedding where you know no one but your two ex-bosses who you don't like; I thought someone would go but it's very unlikely that he'd go :( . Anyway...

*****

Lunch: lazy person's meal - burger with baked beans

Dinner: salmon in teriyaki sauce and broccoli 

Yummy Yummy! 

Reflections on August 2011

What did I do in August? Hmm...

1) Volunteered at the Art Gallery for their family summer workshops - I attended 8 days and what I did most of the time was helping prepare materials for different parts of the workshops; I didn't have much interaction with other staff/volunteers nor participants. But at least it helped me get in touch with people/society again and I got a bit of inspiration for ideas. :p Would love continue volunteering at art gallery but at the same time want to find voluntary work at other places as well.

2) Did a weekend trip - very relaxing, enjoyable and memorable. Wish I could do more travel like that in future...

3) Been trying to sort out broadband issue - o2 refunded the money, while I have been trying to get broadband from plusnet but the Mac code issue has delayed the whole process. When will the nightmare with o2 finish?

4) Still kept going to gym - not as hardworking as before, lost a bit of motivation plus been troubled by the back pain problem. :(

5) met up with some friends - though I seemed to have more free time, it wasn't easy to find a time to meet up with friends!

Being jobless doesn't mean one is not busy. He/She can have a lot to do or be busy with.

Looking ahead to September...

Hello san san family! :)

A quiet day. Done reflections. Planned for Sept. Had a good rest.

Not feel like saying much today.

*****

Hiya! I was just born! :)

San San family!  

Koala's happy to have 3 new smurf friends to look after! :) 

(taken with 450d - finally it was out again!) 

Lunch: last night's leftover soup 

Dinner: instant noodles with salmon (without bones!) + baked beans + carrots + broccoli

suddenly felt like having noodles for dinner...  

Feelings of sadness & emptiness?

The day ended with feeling of sadness & emptiness??

Got a busy morning when I had to go back to Kaplan to get them correct the end date of my study for the council tax exemption certificate, followed by a visit to the gym and back home to make soup. Having had a simple lunch, I rushed to meet my ex-colleague for a chat at teatime. She just started the training for her new job this week and she was excited about her new job. As she said, it's a new page of her life. We were joined by her daughter, who had grown up a lot since I last saw her. I felt old when I was with her and my ex-colleague. I became an auntie!? =_=' My ex-colleague seemed to be an interpreter between me and her daughter, who spoke English only while I preferred conversations in Cantonese. =_=' Felt like there was a 'gap' or barrier when someone has to interpret or bridge the 'gap' for you... Anyway, it was nice to see my ex-colleague and her daughter but somehow I just didn't feel like fitting in. Maybe that's why I'm hesitant about my ex-colleague's plan to come to my flat with her daughter this week to do the make-up thing...

Mum said one of my aunts and her daughter (my cousin) would be coming to the UK this December for X'mas. I'm not sure whether I'm happy or stressed or have any other feelings about it.

The funding body has suggested other dates in October for media training. I've checked my course timetable. I don't have classes on those new suggested dates. =_=' Does that mean I have to attend the training? But I really don't feel like attending...

Don't know why. Just felt empty and sad afterward.

*****

oh my laptop got the blue screen again when I turned it on in the morning! >_< 

No idea why.. 

Lunch: a very simple lunch

Not eat a lot as I got to meet my ex-colleague for tea later.. 

Soup soup! 

Dinner: my dear Uncle McDonalds!!  

Another new member of my smurf family! :)  

Happy becoz of fish & chips? or broadband?

It's sometimes good to keep oneself busy, as long as he/she isn't under any stress?!

Still felt a bit tired or lack of energy after waking up. A bit hesitant about going to gym but at the end I did go, as it's said that doing exercises can give one energy! It was a bit hard at the beginning but as I kept doing different machines as warm up, I felt a bit better. I didn't do long, around 30 minutes as usual. :p But that was enough to help me start the day with energy. I'm wondering how I can fit the gym into my schedule when I start my new semester for accounting next Monday. I don't want to carry too many things (e.g. toiletries, clothes for change) on top of the notes I have to carry for the class (as I did last semester, which may contribute to my back pain). Either I go to gym early in the morning and go back home to get changed before going to class, or I do gym only on non-class days? No wonder some working people always find it hard to find time to do exercises outside work..

I was planning to have last night's soup & bread for today's lunch. But suddenly I felt like having fish and chips at a shop that I used to go while I was still working, since I hadn't been there for a while (and I want to enjoy life!) and I was thinking I might not have as many chances to go there once I start the class. So I asked my 'friend' if he could have lunch with me there. :) While I walked (fast) from home to that fish & chips shop, I consumed a lot of energy, which made me feel like I was doing gym! :p Having favourite food like fish & chips (though they may not be healthy becoz of its being too oily!) can make me happy happy! :)

Finally I sort of confirmed with my college about the classes that I will be taking from Sept. It was the same guy who I had talked to last Saturday about my classes and council tax exemption certificate. But he seemed to have forgotten my case! =_=' He asked me to fill in a form to confirm which class I'll be taking - F4 to F6 (though I have struggled a bit about whether to take F6 or F7 after an advice given by a friend of mine) and gave me the council tax exemption certificate. I remember I submitted the same form about my choices and request for council tax exemption certificate three weeks ago but obviously they didn't take it seriously then!? Not the first time they 'ignored' or messed up the forms I have submitted... Anyway, one thing sorted!

I called o2 for the mac code in the afternoon. I can't keep waiting for my ex-flatmate to call o2 for mac code - I'm not sure if she's too busy and has forgotten about it. o2 still said the line was 'clear' now and so I should be able to move to another provider. I called plusnet. The customer service guy helped me to check with BT wholesale and asked them to remove the 'tag' on our phone line so that we can use plusnet. Hopefully tomorrow I'll hear some good news!

Having got my council tax exemption certificate, I also printed out the single person discount form for flatmate to fill in so that I can send them to the council to sort out the council tax!

*****

Lunch: pudding pie with chips & peas!! :)

Lunch: fish & chips & peas! 

(oh I prefer fish & chips in cafes like the one we went today!) 

Dinner: hello kitty pasta with pork, mushroom & broccoli in tomato & potato soup! :)  

Oh, can you recognize it as hello kitty?! :p 

a lazy bank holiday

Very lazy today. Just kept sleeping and eating.

Woke up at about 9:30 a.m. after staying a bit late last night. Just read some news on the internet after breakfast. After lunch, I had a nap for about 2.5 hours! =_=' Had headache after the nap. I guess that's the consequence of sleeping too much - looks like I'm a too hardworking person who can't sleep more than 8 hours a day! That's why I sometimes wonder how flatmate can sleep a lot (still a mystery if she's asleep in her room when there's no sound from her room!).

It seems to be getting a bit cold today (actually since last weekend). Perhaps autumn is coming? No surprise though, as Mid-Autumn Festival will take place in 2 weeks. Had a bowl of soup which helped give me warmth. :)

Oh it seems my back pain is not as serious as before after massage yesterday?! Hmm...

*****

Breakfast: This bread is very soft! One of the bread from the 9p bakery bag! :) 

Lunch: I was lazy even for cooking! Just had leftover mince pork, broccoli & baked beans. 

Dinner: ingredients got ready!  

Dinner: Tomato & potato soup with pork + broccoli + croissant

The croissant was nice! Another good bargain from Morrisons yesterday :) 

Simple life with gym, Morrisons & McDonalds again

Simple life can be a happy one.

Finally I was back to gym. It had been more than a week since I last went to gym. Not sure if that was the reason why I didn't feel energetic when doing gym today. Perhaps I still hadn't recovered from my Scotland trip!? :p Didn't do any intense exercise. Simply did a bit of cycling and running. Wasn't really motivated to go to gym indeed! It does seem to help 'wake' me up and make me feel less tired though.

Popped in at the art gallery in the afternoon to see how things were going on the last day of the workshop. It was quite quiet, compared with weekdays. There were not many volunteers either. I just said 'hello' to some staff there and took a few photos before I left. Thought of taking those of my creative works back home but gave up the idea when it comes to deciding how to deal with them after taking them home (where to store them?).

Back to my favourite Morrisons as well this afternoon. Had last minute bargains. But it was very stressful when I was trying to grasp some bargains in the bakery section with others. Some shoppers were waiting, like I did, for one of the supermarket staff to put on the reduced price tags before they took the items away. The supermarket lady was obviously in bad mood when she had to face such a group of shoppers desperate to get the last minute bargains. It took much longer to wait for the bargains than before. At the end we managed to get two packs of mini cakes and two packs of bread of different varieties. :) All of them cost only 9p each bag! :) If I can choose, I'd prefer evening shopping at Morrisons - with fewer people to compete with us for the last minute bargains while we can enjoy big portions of yummy meal at the cafe! :)

Had tea time at Uncle McDonalds. Got a Scotman smurf again from a Happy Meal. Hmm, would like to get a different smurf but it's also a good idea to get another scotman smurf who can then be twins with the scotman smurf I had got in Edinburgh. :)

A great day finished with a nice nap, massage and home-made dinner. :)

*****

Hand-made flowers corner 

'Nature trail' 

Lunch: still 梅菜蒸肉餅 + broccoli 

Always my favourite and very yummy! :) 

Teatime at McDonalds! 

6 mini muffins for 9p only! 

Hello Kitty pastas! :)  

Dinner: healthy & yummy 

梅菜蒸肉餅 + scrambled eggs with tomato + broccoli

He's the twins with my Scottish smurf! :)  

koala wants to give you a 'flying' kiss! :p 

Household duties + teatime with a couple

A household day.

Did weekly food shopping after going to Kaplan to try to sort out my course for the new semester. It seemed the administration team in Kaplan had been too busy as they hadn't dealt with my request for council tax exemption certificate that I made two weeks ago and the guy who served me did the certificate after I had asked him about it. He wasn't sure about the situation about my course for the new semester and said he'd contact me later to confirm my course. =_='

My happy weekly food shopping. I bought two big bags of food at the end! That didn't include the juice that I didn't manage to buy! I had thought of taking free shuttle bus to go back home but suddenly remembered that there was Manchester Parade today, which would start at 1 p.m. and so no shuttle bus would run after 12 p.m. =_=' So I had to walk back home and my back pain came back then. :(  These days my back pain seemed to be getting worse while my left shoulder muscle is still in pain. :( Next time I'll have to remember when the shuttle buses run!

I managed to do the laundry and cleaned the kitchen (especially the fridge which seemed to be having water leaked) & shower room before meeting my artist couple friends at Deansgate Waterstone for coffee/tea. Had a nice long chat with them, though we mainly talked about how terrible my ex-bosses (whom that friend is now working for) were. :) They're always funny nice couple and heaven match! :) They were happy that I had enjoyed my volunteering at Art Gallery.

I was so careless about the mobile phone that my 'friend' had lent to me. It slipped out of my hands when I was trying to make a phone call to mum on my way to Waterstone to meet my friends. The front screen is 'blank' now, though the phone still functions. :( Very upset and guilty about making a damage to the phone. Woo woo...

*****

Breakfast: this poppy seed bread from Aldi is very soft!! Perfect with cheese!

This freebie toothpaste came at the right time! I was about to buy a toothpaste before it arrived. :)  

Lunch: leftovers - quiche (finally finished all!) + tofu from soup + broccoli 

Lunch: last night's salmon soup 

Dinner: my favourite 梅菜蒸肉餅! Yummy! :)