Jessica Lee .ca

Saying Good Bye to Grandma

婆婆的告別式是十月二日。那天也剛好是媽咪的農曆生日。媽咪說，她決定從今不會再過生日了。我不明白。

我認為…「生、老、病、死」是人生的必經過程。對於婆婆的尊敬和懷念又不是只有那一天。為什麼要好像永遠難過的要命？ 婆婆生前喜歡打麻將，喜歡熱鬧。我無法想像她會想看著媽咪一直哭，且像一下老了十幾歲。

每個人對死亡有不同的反應。我想我如果可以在自己的告別式上發言，我會希望說什麼話？ 我想…重要的是我這一生是否過得有意義，是否努力認真的做自己，而在走到人生終點時，我是否能毫無遺憾，留下精彩的人生，而非混混噩噩的過一輩子。

我希望大家會慶祝我的成就而不是光是難過我不在世間了。我希望大家記得我對生命的熱情及我生活的目的是快樂！

My New Snaptote

One side features Harry's happy face and the other side shows my pretty puppies sitting nicely side by side. I love this bag!

Puppy-sitting Jag

Jag and I had a relaxing day today. :-)

Calgary Weather - June 6, 2009

This morning, we woke up to see snow covered the trees and deck - of course, it's because we had an appointment to change the snow tires to all-season ones.

The photos I took throughout the day is like a "H2O" show: snow, sleet, hail, rain and steam.  :-)
At the end of the day, it got sunny and you couldn't tell if it ever snowed.

Stars On Ice 2009 @ Pengrowth Saddledome

Tiffany, Roy, Chris and I went to see Stars On Ice on Friday night.

We had east side floor seats (centre ice)!  They allowed compact camera without flash, so Roy and I took some photos with his Canon G10.

The whole show was awesome!  All skaters were great!  Shawn Sawyer did back flip a few times!

My favourite skaters are still Jamie Salé & David Pelletier!  Jamie was hanging on to David only by her ankles around his neck while they were spinning - no hands!!!

Happy Mother's Day! 母親節快樂！

母親節是一個感謝母親的節日! 媽媽最偉大了! 非常感謝媽媽,對我及家庭的照顧與付出, 謝謝妳! 

媽媽,我愛你! :-) 

祝母親節快樂, 天天都快樂! 

Donating Blood

I donated blood today.  It's my second time.  I'm so proud of myself!  I'm a little needle-phobic so it isn't easy for me.  I kept reminding myself that it's for a great cause.  But, still... I had to get Michelle to go with me for the spirit support.  :-)  Tiffany said she'll go with me the next time.  She said she used to donate every two months when she was in Taiwan.  She wants to start doing that again. 

The whole experience was not bad at all.  If you don't have needle-phobia then the experience may even be great because the people there (Red Cross Society at 737 13th Ave. SW, Calgary) were so friendly!  They also offer good juice, Starbucks coffee, milk, yummy cookies, muffins and even Crave cupcakes!  I had a huge Crave chocolate cupcake with peppermint icing & apple juice. 

Donating blood could potentially save someone's life and I also found sources indicating that the side benefit is that my body will generate fresh blood and it's a form of detox.  Blood-letting was originally done via leeches or a doctor will bleed you.  Now, you can just go to any local Red Cross and donate your blood - it accomplishes the same purpose.

Needle Felting

I learned something new this long weekend - needle felting.  I needle feted a bunny.  

I was first inspired by Sonia's felted mushroom last Oct. and then I found this totally amazing felting artist's blog.  I also searched for "Needle Felting" on YouTube and then finally bought a kit on Etsy since I can't find any material in Calgary.

It takes a lot of time, observation for the forming and shaping, like sculpting, and focus (so you don't jab yourself with the needle.) I think I'll make some more when I have time.

My New Dogs!

"Harry and CoCo Playing"
Originally uploaded by malteserus

I got new puppies!  They are not with me yet.  They will be here in a week or two!  I'm excited about my new dogs!  Gerry sent me some photos of them.

Okay... They are not real dogs. :-)  These are 3" needle felted Maltese dogs that look like Harry and CoCo! GOURMET FELTED created sculptures of my dogs. Gerry is a very talented needle felting artist!

Chris's First Sewing Project - Tablecloth

This is Chris's first sewing project since I got him this sewing machine last Christmas. :-) He did a wonderful job - better than what I may have done! He's very patient and detail oriented. He used Internet to teach himself. Then, he washed, dried and ironed it before sewing to make it perfect.

祝媽咪生日快樂

媽咪都是過農曆年的生日。今年六十大壽踫巧和我生日同一天。

柏慶，Tiffany, Chris, 和我在Calgary祝妳生日快樂!

iPhone 3G

iPhone 3G
Originally uploaded by malteserus

Back - customized
Originally uploaded by malteserus

My new toy has arrived! :-D

I got the white 16GB version of iPhone 3G.  I even customized it a little.

Back in Calgary

We are back!  Chris, Harry and I were in Vancouver for a week - visiting family and friends. We drove. Correction: Chris drove us there and back. :-) I offered my help but he turned it down.

We had a great time with Harry.  We spend most of the time with Harry when we were in Vancouver. He got to go to so many different places with us. He met many people and dogs.  He even went to see Stephie's softball game. He was the lucky charm for her softball team - they started winning when we arrived and they ended up winning the tournament at the end of the day!

On the way home, we saw lots of animals near Highway 1 - a few black bears, 1 wolf, a moose, a couple of deer, a couple of mountain goats.

Harry & Jasper

Harry & Jasper
Originally uploaded by malteserus

We were in Vancouver when Harry met Jasper for the first time! They were playing nicely together.

Jasper and Harry chased each other - Jasper was crawling pretty fast! Harry even didn't mind sharing his toy with Jasper (we didn't like Jasper put it in his mouth - of course). They had lots of fun together!

Chloe Goes Home for Christmas

Her name is Chloe! She was born on June 20, 1997.

She is the shop cat at Country Hills Golf Club. She usually wanders around the maintenance yard only. She must have hopped onto a delivery truck and got into my neighbourhood. Everyone missed her very much since she went missing on the 18th.

The owner found our Lost & Found posting on http://www.petlynx.net/ and contacted me this morning. After confirming the description and her tattoo's registered owner's name, I told him where to pick her up. Without PetLynx, she might not have found her way home, because the owner information in the tattoo registry was out of date.

Pussy Cat Doll Came for A Visit

This morning, a cat came into our garage around 6:30 AM, just as we were loading up the car to go to work. She greeted us with meows. I picked her up and brought her into the laundry room. She was super friendly and played with me. I took a couple of photos using my cell phone. I thought the cat was lost. Chris said some dumb people let their cats wander around outside. Today's temperature was not bad (the high was 5 C and no snow). I called Michelle for advice. After 20 minutes, we decided to let the cat leave on her own wish. She went across the street toward our neighbour's backyard. Maybe she lives there, we thought. So, we went to work (20 minutes later than usual).

When we got home around 7 PM, I was joking and calling for kitty. :-) I went into the house and Chris was going back and forth to unload the groceries. When he opened the laundry room door, that cat was at the stairs! We were VERY surprised!!! I stood at the door and asked if she wanted to come into the laundry room. She came in like she owned the place. :-) She was very friendly and greeted us again. I picked her up and took her to the den. Chris went online to the Lost & Found (PetLynx.net) and posted a message saying we found her. Meanwhile, I carried her around my neighbourhood and knocked on people's doors. No luck, but one gave us some cat food. We then called the Humane Society, but the office was closed already. Chris found that there are two 24-hour vet hospitals that will take stray animals overnight. So, we contacted Calgary North Veterinary Hospital and they confirmed that they would take her in. We don't have a litterbox or any other cat stuff, so it seemed like the best idea. We used a Sherpa bag to transport her. She was perfect. She liked the Meow Foundation bed. It belongs to CoCo, but we never told him it was a cat bed! When we got there, she came out to meet the vet technicians and then she wanted to go back to the bag. Her tattoo was registered in the clinic's book. How lucky, we thought. However, the phone number was not current. So, the owner moved but didn't update the contact info. They said they'll try to find the owner and if not, they'll have Humane Society come to pick her up tomorrow. I left my contact info and a note that I would adopt her if they couldn't find her owner. I will check with them tomorrow and get an update. I hope she goes to her loving home for the holidays. If not, I'd take her home.... well, I hope CoCo will take her home. He's very giving, so I'm sure he'll be okay.

CoCo was staying in our bedroom upstairs the whole time. We were not sure how they would react to each other and where she came from... we didn't want to cause any potential issues so CoCo didn't meet her.

I posted some photos of her. Take a look at her. I think she looks like "Puss in Boots" (as in Shrek). :-)

Back from Taipei

We are back to Calgary tonight.

My Dad's 60th birthday was on Nov. 20th, 2007. Chris and I flew back to join the celebration. On the way to Taipei, we stopped by Tokyo for 3 days.

Here's a short version of the story:

In Tokyo:
We stayed at the HYATT REGENCY TOKYO, which is a 5-star hotel in the Shinjuku area - a gift from my Dad. Chris finally got to visit Shibuya 109. We had lots of great Japanese food, including the famous Fugu sashimi (as seen on The Simpsons "poison, poison, tasty fish").

We didn't carry the big camera around busy Tokyo. But, I bought a pink Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33 in Tokyo and used it instead.

In Taipei:
We stayed at home with my parents and grandma. We had a grand dinner on Monday night (Nov. 19) and then Chris got sick the next day. He stayed in bed for two days after that. He couldn't even join us for my Dad's b-day dinner. We didn't have a big party for my Dad's 60th birthday. My grandma was just out of the hospital that day (Nov. 20). She has been in and out of the hospital for several years now. She is a fighter.

I didn't plan to meet any friends since the purpose of the trip is to spend time with my parents and my grandma. However, when I was in Taipei, I found (via MSN) many of my junior high school friends were also there (from other places). We had an unplanned reunion. It was great to see everyone!

It was like a gourmet trip. Our stomachs were full 110% the whole time! Almost all the photos I took were food. :-) I'll post them later.

Back from France!

We were travelling in France from Oct. 4 to 14!

5 days in Paris, 3 days in Eze and 2 days in Nice.

Photos are to be sorted and posted later.

A Very Early Birthday Present from Sonia!

This is a total surprise!

Sonia bought me Guitar Bible! So COOL!

Happy Anniversary! Umm... Cookies!

Chris and I met 13 years ago!

Around 10:45am, I got a very happy surprise - a pot of yummy cookie "blooms" from Chris!

I gave Chris a custom T-shirt as a gift: the front says "Property of Jessie" and the back says "Lucky 13"

Roses are red

I got a very happy surprise today at work - Chris sent me roses!

Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics Concert

We went to see Christina Aguilera's show at Pengrowth Saddledome tonight. It was a sold-out show. The Pussycat Dolls were the opening act. We got there around 7 pm and the PCD performed from 7:40 pm to 8:30 pm. Christina started around 9 pm and finished around 10:30 pm.

It's Year of the Pig

I went to T&T today to buy a bottle of sesame oil for cooking 3-cup chicken. T&T hired a "Dancing Dragon" team to perform there. The "dragon" had to jump high to grab the cabbages hung high in front of each storefront. There were lots of people there watching the performance. That was the only time I felt the "Chinese New Year" in Calgary.

Chris, Roy, Tiffany and I all went to Cher's for a Chinese New Year pot luck party. We finally met Kai. Glen and Cher bought Kai from a home breeder in BC. Kai flew in by WestJet and they went to pick him up. He is a pretty calm puppy for a big dog - Labradoddle. He has curly hair from his Poodle side, but mostly a yellow Lab look. He is a very gentle puppy. Chris and I bought him a Puppy-Kong and some liver flavour Kong stuffing and cookies. He really liked it.

Taking Chinese New Year photos

We went and bought a Chinese looking fabric last night after work. I gave CoCo a bath and dressed him up for the Chinese New Year photo today. He thinks the "dancing lion" is funny. He also loves to pose for cheese!

This is the Year of the Pig. If you were born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995 - you were born under the sign of the pig. Famous people born in the Year Of The Pig include my Dad, Humphrey Bogart, Thomas Jefferson, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, David Letterman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Photography playground

I set up the light box with the new light I got for Xmas to take some photos of Chris's family stuff.

I also took some photos of the "Flowering Tea" - this one is called "Double Happiness" - the finest green tea leaves are hand rolled around the Lilly and Jasmine flowers into a tight ball. When it's in the hot water, it blooms.

What's EQ to do with it?

Chris and I went to a PMI breakfast seminar last week - about Emotional Intelligence awareness and "what's EQ to do with it (in projects)?" We really enjoyed it. I contacted Steve Brewster (the co-speaker), who's an EQ development coach, for an assessment on my EQ and to develop a plan for further enhancement.

The results were very interesting. It helps me in understanding why and how I function. I'd recommend it for personal development.

I tried something new today...

1. I painted my nails nearly black! It's OPI The Chicago Collection: Lincoln Park After Dark (W42). When Chris saw me, he said, "... umm.... interesting."

2. I baked "Tangy Thai Salmon" for dinner; served with shrimp flavoured rice.

A quick review of 2006

Angie and my grandpa passed away in 2006. I miss them.

Haven't seen Mom, Dad and Sam for more than a year now - I miss you guys. Chris and I will see you in 2007.

2006 was a good year for my personal goals: I got my master's degree in project management. Chris and I went to Greece, and I made a photo book of our trip. I've got to do more at work, using the knowledge I gained from school, and learned much more at work.

CoCo is 13 and in good health. LOVE you, pup!

I am very thankful for having great friends, supportive family and a pretty good health. Without them, I wouldn't be able to have done what I've achieved this year. Now, I need to plan for 2007!

Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays

I've been good this year. Santa brought me lots of presents:

Manfrotto 055PROB tripod and 488RC2 ballhead
Cameron 10-LB102W Light Stand + lamp
Lowelego digital imaging light
Annie Leibovitz's book (A Photographer's Life)
National Geographic - The Ultimate Field Guide to Photography
The Devil wears Prada movie DVD
Swarovski Goldfish crystal - very cute!
Crystal blue butterfly necklace
Cute silver bracelet with little silver bells on it
Swarovski orange crystal earrings
"Gourmet Goddess" apron
body mist
massage therapy kit
and "The Newlywed Game - DVD Edition" - LOL! Never seen this TV show... but I can see how it will go. Ha.

I'm SO HAPPY!

iGallop - "mechanical horse/core exerciser"

Just got iGallop. Now, I can watch TV and do some core strengthening "workout" at the same time. It provides a horseback riding-like movement. The gentle exercise should help my back in the long run. It's not cheap, but it's cheaper than a real horse. The Wall Street Journal had an article about this fitness trend on Sep 14, 2006.

Relaxing Saturday - Thanks to Sonia!

Sonia gave me a wonderful birthday gift - Aveda Essential Back Treatment at Diva. I had the first appointment available on Saturday morning at 9am. Yes, I like to start my day early even on the weekend.

I got to pick 1 massage oil and 2 essential oil for the back treatment. The whole treatment was super relaxing. My mood was extremely lifted afterwards. SO HAPPY - like it was Christmas day!

Thanks, Sonia! LOVE YA!

Moody Day

Today was a sad day:
First, I had to return the new lense I bought on Saturday (Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM) and then I got an email notification saying the Japanese class got cancelled due to lack of participants.

Crazy weather!

It's only September and we've got snow! How crazy is that?!

Since we got back from Ellen's, I've got a cold, a very bad cold. I think I got it from the guy who sat beside me on the plane. He was coughing and sneezing. I spent the past two days in bed with continuous NyQuil medication. My coworkers were making fun of me because they bought me a black forest cake on Wed afternoon for my birthday and then I didn't show up the next day. They thought it was "death by chocolate!"

For my birthday dinner, we bought a bucket of KFC because I was too sick to go out for a nice dinner. After dinner, Roy went out and bought all of us some Mango "Pearl Tea" and some yummy cake from Yamato's (see below). But, I was too sick to eat any of them.

I'm feeling a little better today. I hope the weather will get slightly better too! I need to go out and take some photos of Calgary Tower for this week's assignment. I don't want to do that in the rain or snow, especially when I have a bad cold!

Article Sharing - No, Really: People Like to Come to Work

I am one of those who enjoy going to work and like the interaction. Read the article below:
When people work from home, they miss face time with their bosses, as well as the social interaction with their coworkers, one professor in the study surmised.
http://ct.enews.eweek.com/rd/cts?d=186-3997-2-79-440207-469542-0-0-0-1

It's official! Jessica Lee, MPM

It is official now! I'm Jessica Lee, MPM! Convocation took place this afternoon at University of Calgary.

By the way, my degree, MPM, stands for Master of Project Management. Chris just discovered that there are other degrees also using MPM: Master of Public Management, Master of Policy Management and from Simon Fraser University in BC, Master of Pest Management.

:-)

MPM Written Exam - DONE!

:-D
I just completed the written exam!
One more exam to go (24th) and then I will be Jessica Lee, MPM!

好懷念爺爺...

回憶裡爺爺很疼我們. 我只見他發過一次脾氣！ 印象中,他很愛整潔 - 做事都有條有理的. :-]

Life List

AOL's vice chair posted his 101 life list on his blog site:
http://ted.aol.com/index.php?id=4

It's amazing! It reminded me to dream BIG! I'm going to start my life list!

Goodbye, Angie

My friend, Angie, passed away two days ago. She was only 29. She found that she had leukemia last fall. The last time I talked to her was on Nov. 8th, 2005. That was just a day before she went back to the hospital. She was feeling fine at that time! We were talking about my trip to Japan in Nov. Angie told me that I should read Memoirs of a Geisha before I visit Kyoto. So, I did. The trip was extra special because of it.

I'm still in shock. Health is so important, yet, we often take it for granted. How would you feel and can you imagine if you are told that you have leukemia?! I don't know what I would do if I were her. At that point, she didn't even have time to do anything because she had to move into the hospital right away. I think we should all live life to the fullest everyday, and keep a healthy life style. Also, tell your loved ones that you love them everyday and take nothing for granted.

Good bye, Angie. We'll miss you.

My New Toy - Spud Trooper

Every Christmas, one of the gifts would be a toy. This Christmas, I got a Star Wars edition Mr. Potato Head. I really like my new toy - Spud Trooper. CoCo and all the couch potatoes, watch out for that laser potato masher!

Just a thought...

Why does creativity feel like play? I often wonder...

I like to approach things with a playful spirit, so I enjoy what I do. I think I am more productive when I am having fun.

Merry Christmas

Greetings! It's almost Christmas and I haven't yet uploaded my Nov. trip's snapshots. Well... sorry to all of you who want to see what we saw in Kyoto and Tokyo... I'll try to upload them this weekend.

BTW, here's a link to an interesting article about "Happiness":
http://www.dimaggio.org/Eye-Openers/happiness.htm