freelance work possible?

I can't remember since when I like having a reflection. Yesterday I was trying to find out how I spent my summer holiday and found that during this summer break I mainly went to gym, did food shopping, meeting friends/ex-colleagues, dealt with flat-related issues and surfed the internet. I also found that I seemed to know more about my body, my health this year (but also found how ignorant I have been about my own health & body!), when so many health problems came up - stomachache, dizziness, headache, back pain, blood in stool, hives, skin allergy, red spots on skin, etc. My views & mental state have also got challenged - how the society shapes us with those 'traditional' views/ethnics and what's right and wrong.

*****

Got a strange dream last night. I dreamt that a BA plane crashed into a school! and then people got evacuated and it was like some ET attacking the earth! =_=' Maybe I've read too many news about those things?

*****

After meeting that lecturer from Man U about her research last week, I was asked for help by a friend of mine, who's now an assistant Professor at City U in HK, with her research. It happened that I had done the questionnaire for her research before, but I didn't know then that it was her research. Anyway, I did feel a bit 'excited' when it comes to research, even just helping others. Or, am I just excited about having 'something' to do while I'm unemployed?

*****

The 5th day of my volunteering at Art Gallery this afternoon. Less volunteers and participants than on Tuesday. I hid myself in the store room where I tried to cut shapes of flowers, music icons, leaves, apples, glasses, etc. for baskets which children could collect while they were looking at those pictures at the gallery. My team leader asked me to come out rather than cutting shapes which may be boring. But I didn't find it boring. Hmm, maybe I enjoyed being on my own finishing a task?!

Got to talk to one of the volunteers while we were cutting shapes. She just got her A-level results yesterday and she'd be going to the University of Edinburgh to study History & Art. I told her I'd be going to Edinburgh soon, trying to be friends with her; she did answer my questions but she seemed a bit cool. Hmm... The volunteer whom I had worked with a few times before didn't turn up today; I was wondering if her A-Level results were ok, since last time she said she'd come to Art Gallery today...

*****

Just found out I needed to submit the MAC code to plusnet. That means I have to ask my ex-flatmate to get it for me from o2. o2 AGAIN!! =_=' It's like a nightmare to me... 

*****

Oh, BTopenzone connection was on and off many times today; my mobile phone clashed quite a few times today, and its battery didn't last as long as before. What's wrong with it? Is it time for it to 'retire'? Or, has it got virus? :S 

*****

 My hard work today  :) 

Lunch: crumpets with peanut butter! 

Dinner: cheese & bacon quiche with chicken & green beans & potatoes!

Chiropractor or not?

Being lazy today. =_=' Placed an order for broadband and home phone at Plusnet at the end. The procedure was so smooth. Fingers crossed, it'll be ok! I don't want to spend more time and efforts on getting broadband...


Day off from gym, though I still had to go to the gym for meeting a chiropractor for free! The chiropractor measured both my left and right side of my body and said it was imbalanced, with more weight on my left side. Also my head was too much forward, which may give a lot of pressure on the neck and back! =_=' My upper right back pain might probably be due to a trigger point around the muscles, which were so tense. He suggested me making an appointment with his clinic for a full consultation including the first treatment! It does sound tempting, as I do want the pain to go away, but the first session would cost £40 (though he said there was already £20 off) and the follow up would cost £30. It's expensive for a poor student like me. :( Sighing...

Why do I always have health problems? Not sure if I have twisted my right hand before as the wrist seemed a bit painful today. :(

*****

Had a face to face chat with a friend of mine at casino where we could get free drinks. We both seem to face the stress from other people who have traditional views and ethics. My friend has had pain around his stomach and bloated tummy before, the same symptoms I had before. We concluded that those were symptoms when we had stress!

*****

Lunch: some chicken & pork with spring green and potatoes, a very plain dish

Dinner: pasta in miso soup with chicken, spring green & potatoes

too lazy to think of making a dish, plus not having many ingredients in the fridge...  

Is broadband issue going to be sorted out soon?

Busy morning sorting out things:

 1) Made a call to the o2 to ask for the free dongle, which ended up me spending more than £5 on o2 sim card for that call (0845 number)!
2) Contacted the maintenance department of the agent about the hoover; the lady said she'd ask the landlord if they could get a new one for us.
3) Chatted online with a plusnet specialist about their home broadband & phone. She said they wouldn't do credit check! =_=' Maybe I made a wrong decision previously trying to get o2 broadband; I should have got plusnet instead!?
4) Went to the post office to post the o2 router in the prepaid envelope that I had received this morning. The post office was so busy at lunchtime that I got a ticket that had 24 customers before me! So I thought I might have some time to get almonds from Holland & Barrett shop which is not far away. But I couldn't believe I missed the call after going to the shop for 15 minutes and I had to queue again (just for getting a proof of posting!). =_='

*****

The third consecutive day of this week to go to gym. My body signalled to me that it can't afford more exercises as I started feeling a bit tired with my legs when I did a machine! Hmm, I didn't sweat much today...

*****

Got a bit lazy in the afternoon after going home. Had a nap. Thought I'd meet a friend of mine for tea but later she texted to say she couldn't make it as she felt so tired after shopping for food and presents for her daughter's birthday party tomorrow. Maybe I should start working on the anthology for my ex-employer...

*****

Have been trying to download the episodes of a TVB drama 'the Other Truth' http://b.tvb.com/tvbi/2011/07/19/new-drama-the-other-truth/. It seems I quite like those TV about legal cases (previously been watching 'My Good Wife')?! :p

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The mini cakes bought from Morrisons yesterday :)

2 bags of 100g almonds from Holland & Barrett for £1.80! :) 

Lunch: smoked salmon with mushroom & spring green 

Dinner: pasta in leftover soup with pork, fish maw, spring green & green beans 

busy and refreshing day

A busy day.

Finished two references for that friend of mine after breakfast. Then I rushed to gym and went back home for a quick snack before heading to the Manchester Art Gallery for volunteering. There were many more participants today than before - we were so busy that I didn't feel time flew so fast! A lot of families and children. I still worked in the 'costume' tent with another volunteer for the team leader whom I had worked with last Friday. Today I mainly helped with cutting shapes of apples, flowers, leaves, music icons, etc. and making sure the tent had enough materials (scissors, sellotapes, paper, etc.). While there were so many participants making artwork, there was also a lot of rubbish that we had to clear up later! I got to know the volunteer I worked with today was a primary school teacher! No wonder she worked well with kids!

I think I need to open up myself and talk a bit more with others during volunteering!

*****

Oh my back pain seems to get worse. I guess my posture is the main cause. :(

*****

Had hair cut after volunteering. It was mainly the forehead hair that I asked the stylist to cut. And got the hair at the back layered. I asked him about how different it was to cut hair for westerners and Chinese; then he asked me if I'd like to learn hair cutting. After I had said I'd like to learn to cut hair myself, he asked me to hold a scissor and a comb at the same time; he said I failed to have the correct way of holding them, not to mention cutting hair myself! :p

*****

Dinner: the fish was bigger than the one I had at Bolton Morrisons! And chunky fries! 

Not including the garden peas, I'd give it 9/10 marks! :)  

yummy cheese & bacon omelette - 9/10 marks! :)  

oh, see the clouds behind!  

quite pretty sunset! 

Where's my time gone?

Where's my time gone? Where's my summer? It seems to go unnoticed?! hmm...
gym? naps? food shopping? tea or lunch/dinner with friends? sorting out broadband things? laundry/cleaning? Check & reply emails? Facebook?

Mum asked me how my job search was going. To be honest, I haven't done much job search these days. Even I myself have no idea how I have spent my time! :S Every time when mum asks about my job search, I feel stressed, probably because I can foresee her next question will be what's your plan - coming back to HK if you can't find a job. =_='

*****

Oh finally o2 replied to me about my complaint! :) The guy said they'd feedback to the sales team about the procedures of placing an order and he could refund me £25 for the router and sim card we had bought! :) He also offered me a free pay as you go mobile broadband dongle if I wanted, though he couldn't offer me home broadband as I wished due to the credit check issue. But at least they did take my complaint seriously. So I'm happy with it. That's what a customer service should be like! But it's been a month since I started applying for o2 broadband. Time & efforts spent in the past month for this o2 broadband issue may only reward me with a mobile broandband dongle! *sigh*

*****

Had a quick chat on msn in the afternoon with a friend who had gone back to Malaysia for good, as I wanted to ask her a question about 'social legislation' on behalf of another friend of mine (oh, actually I don't know what is the difference between 'common law' and 'social law'!). It seems we both haven't got anything special in our life - she's been doing her job for half a year, while I'm still jobless and doing my acca course. We both miss the life of being 'por por', when we went window shopping at stores like M&S and Debenhams... 

*****

Recently a friend/ex-colleague of mine has asked me to be her referee for her job applications. I've already done about 2 references for her before and today I got another two requests for her job application and application for the post of a trustee at a charity. It's actually an honour to be a referee! :p   That's also the only time when I'm addressed by other people in another title... I can practise how to write a reference (though previously when I was a volunteering project coordinator, I already wrote references for volunteers; but those references were easy to write with a template ready!). At the same time, that reminds me to work hard on my job search...

*****

Do all these things just 'train' me to be a better person before I take on any new challenges?

***** 

 Lunch: pork with mushroom, green beans & spring green 

Dinner: GBK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favourite chunky chips!! 

(but they seemed to be 'overcooked'!) 

GBK - Avocado Bacon 

GBK - Cheese & Bacon - The cheese was so great!!

GBK: See the burger and bacon!

Melting cheese!! 

Routine anti-social Sunday

A routine Sunday. An anti-social day.

Did laundry. Cleaned the kitchen and shower room. Cleared some of the 'unread' email in my email accounts. Replied to some email.  Did cooking. Not bothered to give a call to o2 yet about their request for me to make a payment. Not feel like making a call to mum today yet.

Basically a totally unproductive day... =_='

Though people would think that it makes no difference to an unemployed person/student whether it's a Sunday or weekday, for me it still makes a difference - I seem to be more productive on weekdays than on weekends! Or, it's just another excuse for me being lazy?

*****

Lunch: egg fried rice with salmon + spring green + sausage roll!

Dinner: pork with green beans & spring green

No more salmon for the moment! :p  

A big salmon from Bolton Market

Shopping day in Bolton again. :)

Compared with last week, there seemed to be fewer shoppers in Bolton. Don't know if it's because some people have gone travelling with kids or because of the riots. I like those retail parks where you can find different big stores and get the things you want. It's also more relaxing doing shopping in Bolton than at Manchester city centre, though there may not be those famous brand names or chain stores. Same as before, had lunch at Morrisons - regretted afterward because the portions of the food seemed to be not as big as expected and no stamp could be collected for the meals because the lunch cost less than £8. =_=' Anyway, next time we know we should go to another Morrisons in the evening where we might have bigger portions of the food! :)

After lunch, our target was Bolton Market! Happy to get a big salmon for £6 which was cut into 12 salmon steaks plus its head! Wow! I guess I'll have a lot of salmon in the next two weeks! :p

*****

Lunch at Morrisons: fish & chips - ok, but seemed not big enough! :p

Lunch at Morrisons: Chunky steak pie  

a bit disappointed at the size of the pie - not as chunky as expected! 

Dinner: two kinds of salmon - salmon steak from Bolton Market which I fried 

salmon from Waitrose the other day

Yummy & nutritious :)  

3rd day of volunteering at MAG

Not done much today, besides going to the Manchester Art Gallery for volunteering again in the afternoon.

Having had experience for two days of volunteering, I knew what I had to prepare - get myself to eat 'enough' and wear enough clothes, especially long slevees, since the hall where the workshop takes place seems to get some sort of air-conditoning. A few acnes that 'suddenly' came out this morning didn't help much though. :( My hair on the forehead got so long now that I needed to have a hair clip on. I look like a 'si lai' (師奶) or a little girl?! :p

Today's workshop was okay, though I'm not sure if there were fewer people than before. The staff in charge said this week was a bit quiet at the workshop. Maybe something to do with the riots?! There were not as many volunteers as before either. I worked with the same volunteer (whom I got to know on day 1) in the costume tent. But neither of us got anything to do there. It was our 'leader' who introduced the kids and their parents to the tent; that volunteer and I worked on our own creative works - she was trying to make a paper horse, while I was making a robe with a magic wane! Actually when our 'leader' asked us to try making something, I had no idea what I could make. I still don't feel like I have much connection with the workshop and its theme - making a story, since I still haven't got much interaction with the participants so far. But at least I got to know something about how a team works - actually I've seen a lot in terms of volunteer management! :) There's only two more weeks to go (five sessions).

The city centre was still full of police cars. It was as busy as always, though I can still see some shops being boarded up, including the entrance of the building where the old office of my previous employer was!

I seem to have been very unproductive this week...

*****

My creative works to day - a dress/garment with a magic wane at the front! :p 

(It looks like a bag though!) 

Its back 

One of the tents 

Dinner: fried pasta with salmon, mushroom and green beans :)  

Is Manchester really ok?

The 2nd day after the Tuesday's riot.

I wasn't very eager to go out because of rainy weather but thought I better go out and refresh myself; also was thinking that if I didn't go to gym today, it was unlikely I might go in the weekend.

Everything seems to get back to normal at the city centre. After going to gym, I walked past the city centre. Only some shops still got boarded up (and were closed). I saw a van of a glass window company on the street trying to put on a new window for a shop! The 'damage' at the city centre was not as serious as I had thought. There weren't many policemen on the streets. I only saw two then. Occasionally I heard the sirens. Maybe the police still keep an eye and standby at the city centre? A friend of mine texted a message saying a group of armed thieves were targeting asian homes - don't know if it's true or not but I guess we have to be careful these days when there're so many problems in this country. Though things seem to have got a bit quiet now, I still wonder if it's safe to go out in the evening though.

Been lazy since the afternoon. Got headache again. And a bit tired after gym and so had a nap...

BT openzone is still unstable at times. I guess I may need to return that worthless o2 router sometime this week for £15 credit into the useless sim card and then start asking about broadband of another company...

*****

Received a £15 cheque as cashback from 'shopper discounts and reweards' for my train ticket bookings

A good offer. But I'm gonna cancel my account with it after the first 'free' month! :p

 Lunch: same as yesterday - pasta in tomato & potato soup with meatballs again

Dinner: a vegetabe roll from last night + fried chicken breast with mushroom & green beans



the day after riot

Went to bed late at 2 a.m. last night. Sleep ok, though amid fear...! Woke up at 10 a.m., but still felt a bit tired. Didn't go out all day. Not sure if it was 'safe' to go out. Kept myself updated with what was going on at city centre though. Things seem to get a bit quiet today. Was expecting those people would come out again but touchwood, so far it's said that the city centre is quiet. Good that there's a lot of police officers around, which makes me feel 'safer'. Also flatmate came back home after work. Feel better in a situation like this when there's someone in the flat.

Will those riots happen again? Can our life be back to normal?

Fingers crossed...

Things always have both positive and negative sides - while it's sad to have these riots happening by irresponsible people without moral values and senses, people showed their care for the city by helping clean up the mess this morning. I don't know if the riots would help or destroy the UK further as far as its economic and social problems are concerned. Something needs to be addressed though...

I could have gone to gym, had a drink with a friend and dinner with someone (I miss GBK burgers and chunky chips!) if the riot had not happened...

*****

Lunch: pasta in tomato & potato soup with turkey meatballs! :)

the tomato & potato soup with meatballs

I thought I might share it with someone...

Dinner: the vegetable rolls bought from Waitrose yesterday

After they had got steamed...

Dinner: vegetable rolls & broccoli with rice & soup

A closer look at the vegetable rolls (with miso sauce!)



Never felt so scared/insecure living in this country

A day started with happiness but ended with fear.

Had a busy morning - went to kaplan to enrol for the new semester, went to gym, had a quick lunch back home, then headed to the Art Gallery for volunteering. Today I was asked to work in the 'costume' tent/meadow area. Another girl, whom I had met in the first volunteer meeting, and I were helping a team 'leader' and worked together on the meadow by cutting out some paper flowers and grasses for the meadow. The task was not boring; I was ok with it coz I didn't need to have much interaction with others. :p but I did have a chat with that girl and another volunteer who took an initiative to start the conversation. After the workshop had finished, we all volunteers had a short feedback/evaluation meeting with the staff in charge. During the meeting, one of the volunteers suddenly burst into tears and said a friend of hers had passed away. :S None of us had any idea of what was going on with her as the staff in charge took her to the neighbouring room for a chat. We were not sure if her friend's incident had anything to do with the London riot. Anyway, during the meeting, some volunteers talked about the riots and they were busy communicating with their friends/families through texts.

I was so hungry after the voluntary work that I went to a Chinese bakery to buy 3 mini buns. Yummy. Walked past the city centre. Could feel the atomsphere was different from usual - fewer shoppers and some shops had closed early or already wrapped up some expensive items. On my way home, I could see a lot of people trying to get back home by bus or by car. Traffic jams got much serious. My friend and I wanted to get updated with the news but my laptop failed to get access to the internet. Friend tried to go home early by bus but there seemed to be no bus at 7 p.m. already. but 'luckily' he got a lift by a man who was also waiting for bus at the bus stop and who got his wife to come out to pick him up. It was more dangerous to be on the street! Flatmate called to say she was not coming home tonight. Probably she was scared by the riots at the city centre! I was scared too!

Being home alone all night was really scary. I had a chat on the phone with two of my good friends; I kept an eye out of the window all the time. The only 'comforting' thing was I lived in a flat surrounded by many other residents. I heard the sirens from the police cars frequently. Felt like being in a war or something. =_=' Why has this country become like this?

*****

Dinner: pasta in miso soup with chicken & broccoli

Not have much appetite tonight though! :p 

How do we measure one's creditability/trustworthiness?

Another 'busy for nothing' day.

Just checking and replying email took me some time this morning. =_= Didn't feel like going to gym when it was raining. Went to the Chinatown to buy rice & soya sauce and Aldi for vegetables to cheer myself up. Tidying up my room, having a chat with mum and writing diary can cost me another afternoon.

Finally the o2 Credit File Referrals Team replied to my 'appeal'. They can't accept my application because I haven't got any credit agreement before and thanks to HSBC who didn't have the correct postcode of my flat, they supposed I had never been at my current address! (Plus I'm not on that electoral register - what's the point of registering when I don't have voting rights?) Stupid HSBC, Stupid o2... Looks like I'm gonna give up o2 but I just want to get my money back...

I met an ex-colleague whose project has been related to mine before. He asked me where I was working at the moment. =_= Also met an elderly por por at the Chinatown, who asked me why I had time to buy foodstuff today; shouldn't I have gone to work? =_= Before I graduated, people kept asking me when I would finish my thesis and graduate. Now that I have graduated from my previous study, people who I knew at my previous workplace keep asking me where I am working now. In some people's eyes, is life just about work and study only?

*****

Lunch: last night's leftover - minced pork with 梅菜 + mushroom & spring green!

Dinner: fried Japanese ramen with minced pork, egg, mushroom & broccoli! Yummy!

My laptop had a problem starting up when I turned it on in the late afternoon. 

It was ok earlier today... :( 

Learning to deal with things myself :)

Though I stayed at home all day today, I seemed to have been busier than going out!

Finally decided to do a three-day trip. :) It may be a bit late to make bookings for things at such a peak season of the year. Train tickets, hotels, coach tickets, all booked last night. But this morning when I woke up and checked email, one of the guesthouse booked last night said they no longer had the room available! :( So I had to search again and can't believe hotels & guesthouses had been booked so quickly! =_=' At the end, I had to book travelodge... again. Location, prices, convenience, quality - we can't get all anyway. Also last night there was a mistake when the coach tickets were booked (because I wanted to save as much money as possible!). So I had to make a call to amend one of the tickets and pay £4 more.

Maybe that's what I've learnt from organizing the trip - sometimes when you want to save some money, at the end you may lose more! Also, the most important thing is not how much we save in bookings (though it'd be a bonus if we don't need to spend too much money on travelling!), but the fact that you can enjoy your trip with people you go with.

*****

I had never thought of making a complaint to o2 about how they have dealt with my application for broadband, till today. A friend of mine was thinking of getting o2 broadband and home phone and called to ask if I had got my o2 problem sorted out. That made me think again about how inappropriate the way they dealt with my application. So I decided to write a complaint email to o2. It's not only about money, but also about putting things right. o2 is no different from many other shops/companies - all they want is to get you to become their customers and take your money, without considering fully the rights of the customers. Hopefully I won't be disappointed again....

A lesson learnt.

Next time shouldn't trust too much the big companies... and I should have been more outspoken!

*****

Done laundry, kitchen & shower room cleaned. Did a bit of search for my trip as well. :) 

*****

Headache & dizziness still didn't go away. Frustrated. Worried. Sighing... 

***** 

A friend of mine who I had worked with for a research project at HKU more than 10 years ago talked to me  on msn this afternoon. She went back to HK from the US with her 'boyfriend' for good early this year. She said she's still trying to adapt to the life in HK. Extra long working hours. Bad people. She kept asking me when I'd go back to HK and my plan - what jobs was I looking for? Was UK economy very bad? It's nice to talk to her, but I find it difficult to explain to people what I'm doing here.

*****

Lunch: burger!! with ketchup from Morrisons!

Plus sausage & spring green. 

Dinner: Oh I love this one! 

steamed minced pork with 梅菜! :) 

Hello, Bolton here I am again!

A relaxing day in Bolton.

So many people in Bolton today! Carpark, shops, supermarkets, market... The weather was rainy at the beginning but getting better later! My legs had been feeling sore - not sure if it was due to doing too much walking yesterday (at gym and to and from Art Gallery)?! Sometimes shopping is really a good exercise; you don't have to go to gym to practise your legs! We went to Bolton market for fish this afternoon - having had experience before, I didn't hesitate that much when it came to deciding whether to buy fish or not. I liked the salmon that I had bought last time for £5. This time I got salmon for £5 again but they seem not as good as last time - and maybe the 'bad' salmon I had got from Arndale Market has made me a bit worried about the salmon I got from Bolton Market too. THey look ok but they seem to smell a bit strange?! :S

Anyway, I managed to get some fruit from Bolton Market as well. :) Shopping in Morrisons was a must! No last minute bargains though. I miss the Morrisons in Eccles a bit. I miss their cheese & omelette and their fish and chips seem to be a bit better as well. :p

*****

Breakfast: had the egg & watercress sandwiches I got from Morrisons yesterday.

Tasted ok but the eggs were a bit too much...

Lunch: got 'free' sauces from Morrisons cafe. 

So I don't need to buy ketchup... 

Lunch: fish & chips + traditional breakfast

Tasted Ok but would have been better if there were sausages! :)

The combination of bacon or fish & chips with toast was really good

Dinner: salmon in 'teriyaki sauce' :)