What's the worth of your face?

It was Tuesday afternoon, while Terry and I stood near the window and tried to see what the traffic warden Sue gonna do about the cars that parked on the street, a fine gentleman walked in, he came in and ordered a fruit salad and a cup of tea. Then after he paid, he gave me a pound and said to me "I'll tell you what to do, you take half of it because you are pretty." I said thanks and smiled.

But what I thought was "What? Is my prettiness only worh of 50p? You gotta be kidding, mate! " Haha.. what a day!!

星期二下午，我跟泰瑞站在窗邊看熱鬧，看看交警Ｓｕｅ會不會開罰單給違規亂停的人．一個西裝筆挺的老紳士走了進來．點了健康的水果莎拉跟一杯茶，結帳後他又拿了一鎊給我，叫我拿一半當小費．我笑著說謝謝你．

不過，我心裡想的是，我咧．．阿貝，你開啥玩笑，我的美色難道只值５０ｐ嗎？我咧．．你也幫幫忙，真是的！

有沒有一個人．．．

我喜歡陳昇．我記得小時候聽他唱把悲傷留給自己，那時候不知道他是誰，也搞不清楚什麼是悲傷，但是那首歌卻一直留在我的腦海裡．　

長大了，國中的時候喜歡過鄭之化，我想大概很多人不知道他是誰．不過，他是波爾茶那支廣告的創意人，波爸波媽波姊波哥，波爾茶．．．呵呵．．．Anyway，這不重要了！

大學那年，重新認識了陳昇．我愛上他了，也愛上喜歡他的人．但是那還是不重要．重要的是，我想我這輩子都不會忘記他，這是一個令我牽腸掛肚但是又不願承認的人．我不知道愛上陳昇是一種什麼樣的感覺，我想，如果，我跟他生活一天，可能會一直處在一種手足無措的狀況之下．哈哈．．如果真是這樣，就中計了！應該要忽視他，忽視他，你就會得到一種很安全的感覺．呵呵．．你一定不懂，我也不懂！

不知道，你懂那種感覺嗎？記得看過陳昇跟劉若英一起上節目，他每講一句話都令人不由自主地掉淚，或許你會說我感情太豐富，但是，不知道爲什麼，他總是有這樣的本事．聽他的歌，說實在的，他唱歌好聽嗎？我沒仔細想過這個問題，可是他總能給我一種非常真實的感覺．每一首歌，我都能感覺到我的心情．

陳昇是個臭男人，或許還有些大男人主義，他很真實．是一種近乎殘酷的真實．不知道爲什麼，我卻愛上這樣殘酷的真實．

有些人，不需要記住．但有些人想忘卻忘不了，或許就像陳昇一樣，是一個不會忘記的人．

現在的我，耳邊最常響起的旋律還是他的歌，子夜二時，你做什麼？　

My 30th Birthday Cards.

The big one is from Terry and Brian, my bosses at the Cafe Bar.

The middle with lovely figure is from Winston, my nephew.

The black one is from Pat, my land lady.

The flowr one is from Julie, Sally, Jill Nad Annet, my colleagues in Orchard Tea rooms.

Me, 30 and my Birthday cake.

It's my 30th birthday. I wasn't expecting anything but thought of a dinner with myself. However, I got the first Birthday Surprise when I woke up to find a card and a little box on the dinning table. It was a necklace and a card from Pat, my landlady. She's so sweet!!

The second surprise was at work. My boss bought me this noisy Birthday card, when I opened the card, it sings "Happy Birthday to you". It's not the normal one we sang, it's a special one done by a pop singer. Haha.. I'm so sourprised!

The third surpris was my boss Terry let me go off an hour early so I can organise my dinner. He's nice. Very sweet!!

So I went home earlier and called my friend. We went to an Italian restaurant. We had big fatty dinner together. It was nice. I had good time dinning out. I took a photo tonight to commemerate my 30th Birthday. Happy Birthday, Genie. You've turned out gracefully!

可能是發瘋的前兆

吉妮今天的心情很愉快!! 因為那家公司有打電話跟我說，爲什麼沒有錄用我？他說最後就是選到我跟另外一個人，但是沒用我的原因有兩點．

第一點： 這份工作比較算是行政職，我的經驗是比較偏向翻譯跟教學．(這點是騙人的啦!! 大小姐我，好歹也當過兩年總經理秘書．行政誰不會!!只有程度不高的英國人才不會!! )

第二點：工作簽證，這個要花公司不少錢，還要跟英國內政部打交道． (這點就是最重要的！ 雖然他否認喔，但是整通電話除了第一句是講第一點之外，其他都在講第二點．)

你說英國人是不是真的笨笨的! 講錢的事情就直接說嘛...我這個人，什麼都很囉唆，猶豫不決．錢的事最爽快了..買東西從來不殺價的!! 直接跟我說，小姐我就會大聲地說"錢跟申請流程本小姐搞定!! 你負責蓋章簽名就行" 哈哈．．這樣不是很好嗎？

真是笨啦!! 這些笨笨的英國人． 真的是笨啦......公司開越大越笨!! 連我咖啡店老闆都知道要好好珍惜我這得來不易的優秀員工，真不知道那家公司在想什麼？語言訓練公司，有雙語的人不好嗎？我咧．．原來不是我不夠好，而是敗給懶散的英國人．

我不知道自己在爽什麼！但今天接完他們公司的電話之後，就一直覺得很好笑！覺得好笑，心情就莫名其妙的．．也笑了起來！哈哈．．

隱形的限制

在英國這一陣子以來，心裡最常想起的就是這幾個字．找工作的過程中，我深深的體會到處處受限的感覺！倒不是說我一定要在這裡留下來，只是覺得如果我能在這裡有正式的工作，表示對自己能力的另一種肯定．然而，跟大多數在英國的外國人一樣，我有一種尚未參賽就被判出局或資格不符的感覺．

這次好不容易能有面試機會，還被邀請參加第二次面試．兩次面試過程都相當順利，公司的老闆也很親切，雖然老闆娘不怎麼親切，但是我以為應該沒啥問題才是．沒想到，還是卡在工作簽證的問題．覺得很不甘心啦！原本以為，這家公司是語言訓練公司，經常跟外國人合作，應該心胸比較開闊．但是，一樣逃不出＂怕麻煩＂的心態．外國人之所以難找工作，在於簽證問題．工作簽證只能由公司幫你申請，個人不能辦理．因此，變成一個惡性循環．因為沒工作簽證，所以不好找工作．因為公司怕麻煩，所以不願意幫外國人申請簽證．那麼，要到什麼時候，才能解決這個問題呢？　

不過，我從此之後更加奠定要爲台灣人爭口氣的想法．我很喜歡當台灣人，台灣人有一種土氣．很可愛．我覺得我們台灣人真的是比外國人優秀多了．英國人大部分的人都很無知，對英國以外的事情都不關心．以為台灣很窮．．以為台灣人沒看過蛋糕．．以為台灣是泰國！我哩．．我好想讓外國人認識台灣喔！可是我沒錢，不然就租個場地把台灣近期拍的紀錄片跟很棒的影片，放給外國人欣賞．

台灣人真的是心胸開闊！看我們對外國人多好．．．

I am so upset.. what the hell is this?

I applied to a job at a Language training company as a Translation coordinator. I passed the first interview and then they invited me back for a day in their office as a second interview. I thought my experience and ability is what they are looking for and I am likely to get this job. However, when in the second interview, they brought up the concern of applying and paying for my work permit. My heart sank....
Then today I got this e-mail, I really wanted to say "Wale Fucking la di da!"

I've told them I need the company to apply work permit for me at the first interview, if they do mind, why ask me to go again? If they think I am not up to the par, why kept telling me I've been great at the tasks they set me to do?! Just tell me what I can improve but not pretending that my performance is impressive.

Can somebody told me how to think Positively in this situation. Fuck... this is the worst 30 Birthday present I got.

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Dear Genie,

Many thanks for taking the time to come in and work with us this week. We all enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you better.I am writing to say that, while you clearly some extremely valuable experience and a lot to offer us, we have decided to offer the job to one of the other applicants. We wish you all the best in your search for a new job and think you have a huge amount to offer future employer. If you would like to speak to me further about any of this, please do give me a call.

Kind regards

Cathy

我老爸跟外甥還有我送的花!! 嘿嘿....謝謝大家!!!

老爸生日快樂!!!

Tabloid and Life.

It's life!! Whenever we think to ourselves, what is the purpose of my life, we often get stuck and might even feel depressed or should I say "a bit down". But it was last Sunday, the weather wasn't too bad so I went out to get a paper and milk. Oh.. and to my surprise, the Indian or Paki corner shop has Instant noodles like ours in Taiwan but not in a small cup like the British ones. So I bought them. The things you see in the picture cost me 3 pounds (180 NT). Oh.. I lost my point, my point is Life is only about daily indulgence and chores.

I started thinking the meaning of my life when I was 13 and stopped searching when I was 15. Because I knew this is life. It's about How to be good to the world and How to be good to yourself and How to lead a decent life. And often I feel surprised how easy it is to feel satisfied and happy. After a tiring day at work, get home, get changed, get a good meal and that's it. How trivil those things are but that's life.

Good weather, some milk for coffee, a tabloid and a pack of instant noodles for lunch. That's a damn decent life!! Haha..

人生不過就這樣!! 星期天的早晨..看看小報..喝杯咖啡... 中午煮碗泡麵...不過就這樣..哈哈...