I just remembered another good one. Apologies for not being consistent but I type as ideas hit my head randomly. This date fail is probably hard to believe, but it really did happen. Probably the best one yet because you think as guys get older, they would get more mature, but not in this case.
So this one date was someone I knew for quite a few years already as friends. We had met through a mutual friend. He was about 30 when this happened. I had to put that in because it's not just high school cheats that happen. We lost touch in between, but I remember a conversation would pop up randomly when it came to cars and what not. And then it would revert back to our lives.
So fast forward a few years. We randomly started talking again as our mutual friend was getting married that year. It was a destination wedding and at first, I thought I could make it so we were discussing plans on where to stay etc. Then I eventually could not make it as it fell on my busy Christmas schedule at work. And during those weeks, it is impossible to take time off.
During those months, we had chatted and tried to catch up on each other's lives. I knew him as a really nice guy from the first time I met him. And he admitted that he had liked me from the very first day but never had the guts to ask me out. I said dude why? Am I really that scary? Nahhh just low confidence. Ah well, it's all good. That takes years to develop. So anyways, the more we hung out, the more I started to like him. He was someone I could get along with, and talk about issues without putting one another down. And of course, our interest in cars and faith was right there.
Right before the Autoshow debuted, he had asked me out. Our first date was, of course, the autoshow. It was cool to check out all those cars and be able to talk about our interest. We spent most of the day at the show, and then went our separate ways after the show was done.
You know that sixth sense you get when something isn't right? Although I knew he was a nice guy and was very sweet to me, having his parents and friends like me, same common interests and beliefs....there was just something not quite right. My mind was telling me, but I couldn't figure it out. But my intuition was telling me something was not right.
About a few days later, we were texting back and forth when he suddenly went all emo. I asked if everything was alright and he said no. At this time, I was sitting at the library studying for my course exam, but the tone of voice via text did not sound good at all. So I suggested I could meet up with him and talk about whatever was on his mind.
I met up with him after his class ended and once again, asked what the heck was wrong. And why was he crying. Yes, he was crying. I couldn't figure out what was wrong or what I did wrong. Anyways, as I approached his house to drop him off, he then tells me something that I would have never imagined anyone telling me.
"You remember that story of that girl I was telling you about a few months ago?"
"Yes I do."
"Well...yeah...how do I say this....umm...we're still seeing each other. Those study sessions that I say I'm going to...well, it's with her...I go to her house after you drop me off..."
".......Dude, she has a boyfriend. WTF are you doing and WTF is wrong with you?!"
Anyways, when I heard that, I really had no emotions. Maybe shock. Not even anger or hate. Or crying. Heck, once that was revealed, he cried. Like, why are you crying man?! I should be the one crying! You're 30 years old for goodness sakes. Man up. But I finally realized, this was the reason why I felt something was not right. Bingo!
All those months of talking and hanging out trying to get to know one another...it was all a huge lie. Deceive. I was basically the quartet interrupting a love triangle, and I didn't even know. I understand she maybe wasn't getting the attention and love from the boyfriend, but it doesn't make it right for you to show her what love is. Having one boyfriend providing emotional support, and then another boyfriend for financial support. But ultimately, having me as the back up girl if the first girl doesn't work out. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Anyways, after the shock had finally passed, I said listen dude (yeah I call everyone that apparently). You gotta figure your crap out. But I ain't getting involved as a girlfriend. Who knows, maybe this girl is still involved with the Chinese Mafia (based on her history) and I don't want to have any part with it. I'm not going to continue dating you until you can figure out your own emotions. And I left it at that.
As a friend though, I was concerned about his well-being. I tried to help steer him into the right path of letting her go, and letting her figure out her crap and not involve him. It was a lot of psychological things. A lot of times when a third party gets involved between a couple, things don't end very well. And I really didn't want him to end up in hot water.
His birthday was coming up and I knew he hadn't seen his friends for a while, so I planned with our mutual friend a surprise party for him. He was shocked to see everyone there but was really happy. He thanked me and his friends for being there for him. In a way, it was like a reminder to him that his friends do care about him, even if he chose a stupid path. The following day was his real birthday, and originally he told me he was having lunch with a friend. Once again, something bugged me that he might have been with the girl. But I didn't ask. Eventually after a few days, he told me he spent his birthday with this girl, took her to lunch, and attended her photoshoot for 5 hours. This was a huge punch in the face for me, because a few days before his birthday, he had asked me for feedback if it was a good idea to attend her photoshoot, after telling me he wants to cut ties with her. I said no, it's inappropriate. You're sending the wrong signal. And obviously he did not take my advice.
At one point I had asked him, if he really wanted to be with me or her. And he couldn't answer that. Well, anyone who struggles to answer a question like that should just leave that person right there and then. I stuck around as a friend to help him let go of her. Eventually as time went on, I saw that it was a real struggle for him to let go. And that's when I slowly drifted away from him. Until one day, he finally decided she wasn't worth the pursuit. And wanted to settle with me. Thanks, I was your back up plan all along.
By that time, it was too late on my part. My emotions were past all that drama, and mentally I had already moved on. No matter how much pushing he did to tell me he's changed for me, and wanted to be with me, I felt no emotion. I felt heartless. So I said no, not a chance. Even with all the begging, and telling me he painfully said no to her, it still never phased me. I knew what I wanted and it wasn't him.
Anyways, after some more begging and crying on his part, I guess he finally gave up. After our final chat and me being a heartless dog, he drove off and I never heard from him again.
At least I don't have to worry about the Chinese Mafia coming after me.
Things to learn:
1) Don't get involved with a guy or girl if they are already dating someone. No matter what age you are.
2) One of the most common ways of cheating is when one partner is not satisfied with the relationship, or is being abused physically or mentally. When someone else walks into their life and sees there are better people out there, they want to escape but can't. As a third party, never try to become that second boyfriend to prove to her what love is. If you want to end up dead, then sure by all means, go ahead and do it.
3) If there is abuse going on in the relationship, the abused partner should seek professional help and treatment, and if you are a friend to them, then help guide them. Not kiss and make out with them. The point is to get them out of the abused relationship, but before doing that, they have to mentally be ready for it and not succumb to manipulative words and false promises by the abuser.
4) Mental and physical abuse are very real. They say mental abuse/manipulation is the worst, as there is no physical evidence to prove it, like bruises or black eyes. Name-calling, constant put downs, lack of acknowledgment, threats, constant making fun of the person...those can really damage a person mentally and emotionally. So the last thing an abused person would want is to be in a love triangle. That will confuse the hell out of them.
5) If you are *knock on wood* ever dragged into a love quartet, just cut ties. It really depends on how well you know the person and whether they mean anything to you. The earlier you cut it, the better.
6) When your intuition tells you something is wrong or doesn't feel right, believe it. Don't doubt yourself.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Prada Top Handle Bag Review
I know, you were probably waiting for more date fail stories. But the rest of the fail stories are not as interesting as the ones that were posted, so now I interrupt myself by...talking about a purse! Yeah!
Shopping Bag:
Companies usually try to keep their shopping bags exclusive, and with Prada's bag, it really screams Prada. In this case, it's a massive white shopping bag.
Display/Storage Box:
If you really want a box for the purse for storage purposes, you will have to ask the sales associate for one. Unless the box is an exclusive one that already comes with a box. When I first purchased the small version in Vegas, they wrapped the bag in the dust bag and then put it in the big white shopping bag. I had to request for a box. Same with the medium. I asked for a box and they were fine with it. The box is heavy (about 5kg?), as it is made out of the same saffiano leather material. So it is a very durable box. Inside, the bag will be wrapped in a blue tissue paper with Prada on it.
Dust Bag:
Prada bags will all come with a cotton-felt material dust bag to protect the purse when it goes into storage. This should not be a request, but it should be included already.
My wallet is here for comparison in width:
Back shot:
Interior:
Shoulder Straps:
Right above is a shot of some of my stuff while I still had the small version of this bag. Length of the small bag measures 25cm. So it is significantly smaller. It is wide enough to carry one large wallet in a compartment and that's about it.
Final Thoughts
Earlier in the year I wrote about my experience with Prada (the whole buying experience and exchanging the product). I had filmed a bag review but realized it was too dark, and then got too busy with life to re-film it in better light. So I wasn't able to upload it to Youtube. I figured I'll do a video later on, but for now here is a written review.
This review is for those who are planning to buy a bag from Prada and want more information about size, material, structure and how reliable it is. Specifically the Promenade Top Handle bag. Some basic information broken down:
Name: Promenade Top Handle
Number: BL0837
Material: Saffiano Lux Leather
Colour: Bluette, or Cornflower Blue
Size: 32cm (Length) x 21cm (Height) x 13cm (Width) --> This is the medium size. This purse comes in 4 different sizes: mini, small, medium, large.
Addition: Comes with a detachable shoulder strap, for both shoulder and cross-body wear.
The Top Handle comes in various colours (about 8) so there is a colour for every girl out there. I chose blue because it matches my car. But mostly because I like blue a lot.
Shopping Bag:
Companies usually try to keep their shopping bags exclusive, and with Prada's bag, it really screams Prada. In this case, it's a massive white shopping bag.
Display/Storage Box:
If you really want a box for the purse for storage purposes, you will have to ask the sales associate for one. Unless the box is an exclusive one that already comes with a box. When I first purchased the small version in Vegas, they wrapped the bag in the dust bag and then put it in the big white shopping bag. I had to request for a box. Same with the medium. I asked for a box and they were fine with it. The box is heavy (about 5kg?), as it is made out of the same saffiano leather material. So it is a very durable box. Inside, the bag will be wrapped in a blue tissue paper with Prada on it.
Dust Bag:
Prada bags will all come with a cotton-felt material dust bag to protect the purse when it goes into storage. This should not be a request, but it should be included already.
Exterior:
As mentioned above, the purse is made out of saffiano leather all around. It's pretty much calfskin leather compressed into something more durable and more scratch resistant than regular calfskin leather. It doesn't mean it won't ever scratch, but it's just a bit more tougher when it comes to being mis-handled. This bag is lined with gold zippers and hardware. I do not think it comes with silver hardware. With any silver hardware, it makes the bag more for casual outings. With gold hardware, it makes it more extravagant if you were to take it out for a dinner or a night out to somewhere nice.
So here are a few exterior shots from front to back.
Bottom's Up:
I like bags with feet. Especially when you are paying a premium price for a bag, you would expect the bags to come with feet to protect the leather. Not all bags will have feet. You spend 6 grand on a Chanel classic flap, and it doesn't come with feet. Then again, the classic flap is a different style. Some bags that are meant for shoulder wear only will not have feet, as it would ruin the look of the bag. Bigger bags would (hopefully) come with feet. Thankfully with this one, it does come with 4 golden feet at the bottom, embossed with Prada.
Keychain/ring decoration thing:
So a lot of bags these days have this keychain ring holder that hang from the handles of bags. The current Top Handle bags have a small slit on the top of the bag where you can hide the keyring if you don't want it dangling. I'm not a fan of the slit; it just looks like someone sliced the bag with a knife. With this bag, thankfully it did not come with a slit on the top. It makes the bag look much cleaner and classier. If I don't want the keyring hanging there, I could just take the entire thing off.
Interior:
The interior is made out of saffiano leather along with fabric and the "Prada" logo as the lining. Depending on the type of bag, Prada sometimes uses different colour variations on the inside than the outside. For example, if the bag was black on the outside, the interior would be lined with red and black. In this case, the lining is blue and black. With high end replicas (or super fakes), companies have found ways to replicate the lining to make it look like the real deal. Just keep watch of the way the stitching is, and whether the letters are crooked or have inadequate spacing in between.
There are two big compartments to fit your wallet, keys, smaller coin purses etc. On one side, there is a zipper pocket where you can keep your more private things like bills or cards. There is also a side pocket right outside the zipped pocket to put more stuff in there. In the middle of the bag is a zipped divider. You can put more bills or papers in there. It's not a huge space so I wouldn't recommend putting anything bulky in the middle. Maybe a cheque book or a small agenda. On the other side, there are two wider pockets that can probably fit a cell phone or small iPod. I usually put lipstick or lip chap, or contact lens case.
Here are some interior shots
Shoulder Straps:
I'm a HUGE fan of removable shoulder strap bags. When I go out, there are times that I would like to have my hands free, especially in a grocery store or when taking the little ones out for a stroll. It's a pain when you have to carry the bag by the handles and then have a bunch of stuff to carry. My goal was to use this as a nice night out bag, but that's what I always say with any bag I initially buy. I have taken the Prada out for casual days, and I find it convenient because of the shoulder straps. But one thing to note: the bag itself is already heavy without anything inside. Once you put your entire life inside the bag, it becomes quite heavy. I took this bag on a trip to Niagara recently and had my wallet, camera, keys, card holder, coin purse and probably a few other little things. After a while, my shoulder started to hurt and ache. So I had to take turns with the opposite shoulder, or carry it by the handle. Also note that the strap is not wide either. It's pretty thin. If only the strap was maybe like 2cm wider, it would probably be a bit better.
The shoulder strap clasp also swivels so you don't have to clasp it only one way. The easiest way is to clasp it with the opening facing OUTWARDS. If it faces inwards, it takes forever to clasp on. The first time I tried putting the shoulder straps on, I tried to clasp it facing inwards and I couldn't get it in. Eventually I tried outwards, and it works like a charm. There are two "D" rings that are hidden behind the handles, on opposite sides.
Hopefully the picture below can show you more of what I'm trying to say.
Authenticity Card:
All Prada bags come with an authenticity card. On the back of the card, it will say the serial number, the type of material, the colour, and also the location of where the purse was purchased and the date of purchase. The store will stamp the location and date.
How much can you fit inside?
A lot. I usually like to carry a lot of crap with me, and this bag can carry all my crap alright. My big wallet, my 3 key holder cases, card holder, glasses holder, camera, contacts, agenda, pens, paper, feminine hygiene products, lip gloss, medicine, hair brush or small make up bag, cell phone. I could go on. Obviously the more I carry, the heavier it is. Thankfully the purse has a very structured shape. It does not sag like some bags do (think LV's Speedy 25 or 30). If you are not the type of person to carry a lot of things, then the small version of this purse would work better for you. The mini is way too mini. It's like a purse for 5 year olds.
As you can tell from the above, I have plenty of space to fill.
Right above is a shot of some of my stuff while I still had the small version of this bag. Length of the small bag measures 25cm. So it is significantly smaller. It is wide enough to carry one large wallet in a compartment and that's about it.
Final Thoughts
It's been about 7 months since the purse was purchased. I don't use it everyday (although it could be used as an everyday bag), but so far the purse has been wonderful. Maybe a few tiny scratches on the leather, but it's easy to rub out. Otherwise it has still maintained its structure, no fading in colour, the hardware is still awesome (maybe tiny scratches here and there), and it still smells like fresh leather. Stitching is still all intact. I've had in the past used a bag from Coach (I still love them!) and the stitching just all came off in less than a year. Not cool. But Prada so far is still holding strong. No loose stitching anywhere, no cracked leather.
The Good:
-Structured purse
-Colour is just amazing
-Material is very durable
-The option of removing shoulder straps
-Lots of compartments to organize and fit according to your needs
-Very roomy
-It has feet!
The Bad:
-Price. You can buy an intercooler, intake, exhaust, a tune for your car, and you will still have leftover cash to spare.
-It's already heavy as is
-Shoulder strap could be a little wider
-Zippers take some time to break in. They are stiff in the beginning
-When you are in a hurry to open your bag to grab something, you can't because of the way the bag is (curves) so you will need two hands to open the bag and close it. It's not like a quick zip open.
A few years ago, I did not care about bags at all. I just saw them as just bags. Why spend the money to get a bag. It's so girly girly. BARF.
Funny how things have changed in 5 years. I never would have imagined that I would own one of these bags. In a way, it's also part of life experience. You get to see that for the price you pay, you get in return a very durable bag. It's one of those "let's just give it a try" moments. And when you live that moment, you will understand what I'm talking about. Work hard, play harder.
I will admit, the price is a bit ridiculous. Don't go broke because of a bag. Manage your finances first before you commit to doing something like this. It's also a better investment than a car. Whereas a car loses a huge chunk of value as soon as you drive it out the lot, a premium purse will retain its value over time. It can be passed to future generations, and that's when resale value would be priceless.
I will admit, the price is a bit ridiculous. Don't go broke because of a bag. Manage your finances first before you commit to doing something like this. It's also a better investment than a car. Whereas a car loses a huge chunk of value as soon as you drive it out the lot, a premium purse will retain its value over time. It can be passed to future generations, and that's when resale value would be priceless.
People have complained about Prada's reliability in the past few years, where buttons have fallen off or the emblem fell off, mediocre stitching, and the terrible customer service. I cannot speak for that, but I can say that when I wanted to upgrade from the small to medium, they still took my bag and exchanged it, even though I bought it from a different country. I have no issues with their service. If anything, Prada has given me exceptional service. If something does come up that requires me to take it in for servicing, I will do an update on that.
So, if you decided to go the Prada route, I applaud you! If you are still debating, I recommend you go to the store and try out the purses. Seeing pictures and videos can help to some degree, but the best bet is to try it on in stores to see if it fits you. Happy shopping!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Date Fail #4
Ha! And you thought that was it. Nope, here's another one.
This happened about 6 years ago during my consolidation year.
While having my placement, I met a doctor who was about 7-8 years older than I was, but at that time he appeared to be in the late 20's. The staff had noticed he seemed to have a thing for me, from the way he joked with me and talked with me. It made me blush, because well, stuff like this don't happen in real life. Only on Grey's Anatomy.
One day after work he suggested we hang out and go for dinner. So I said sure. It's like one of those things you add to your list of things to do before you die: go on a date with a doctor. But really, I thought he was funny and gentle to talk to, and smart. So I figured I'd give him a chance to get to know him better.
We got to the place and settled on the top floor of the restaurant where it looks out into downtown. Couldn't really see much because it was a bit dark. But otherwise we ordered our food. Our conversation however, was...all over the place. He would say something, and I would either acknowledge or look at him with a weird face, like wtf did you just say? Totally did not understand a word. It was like we were having conversations with a wall. There was no feedback or acknowledgement of anything that was said. I really couldn't figure out if something was wrong with me for not understanding our conversations or whether his way of talking was just way too confusing for my brain. P.S it had nothing to do with medicine.
It went on for pretty much most of dinner. The awkward conversations and lack of acknowledgement of what was said when I spoke of something. We could never talk about one thing before moving onto the next thing.
So we walk to the subway stop, where we both had to take the train northbound. But before that, he was talking to me about something and then he stopped walking for a bit, so it made me stop in my tracks. It was silent so I looked at him. And his face was RIGHT THERE. Oh, he was trying to kiss me. I leaned backwards and gave him the longest stare. Awkward.
We continue walking to the subway, got on, and maybe had another random conversation about something. As his stop approached and he got off, he gave me a peck on the cheek.
I believe that was the last time I saw him.
This happened about 6 years ago during my consolidation year.
While having my placement, I met a doctor who was about 7-8 years older than I was, but at that time he appeared to be in the late 20's. The staff had noticed he seemed to have a thing for me, from the way he joked with me and talked with me. It made me blush, because well, stuff like this don't happen in real life. Only on Grey's Anatomy.
One day after work he suggested we hang out and go for dinner. So I said sure. It's like one of those things you add to your list of things to do before you die: go on a date with a doctor. But really, I thought he was funny and gentle to talk to, and smart. So I figured I'd give him a chance to get to know him better.
We got to the place and settled on the top floor of the restaurant where it looks out into downtown. Couldn't really see much because it was a bit dark. But otherwise we ordered our food. Our conversation however, was...all over the place. He would say something, and I would either acknowledge or look at him with a weird face, like wtf did you just say? Totally did not understand a word. It was like we were having conversations with a wall. There was no feedback or acknowledgement of anything that was said. I really couldn't figure out if something was wrong with me for not understanding our conversations or whether his way of talking was just way too confusing for my brain. P.S it had nothing to do with medicine.
It went on for pretty much most of dinner. The awkward conversations and lack of acknowledgement of what was said when I spoke of something. We could never talk about one thing before moving onto the next thing.
So we walk to the subway stop, where we both had to take the train northbound. But before that, he was talking to me about something and then he stopped walking for a bit, so it made me stop in my tracks. It was silent so I looked at him. And his face was RIGHT THERE. Oh, he was trying to kiss me. I leaned backwards and gave him the longest stare. Awkward.
We continue walking to the subway, got on, and maybe had another random conversation about something. As his stop approached and he got off, he gave me a peck on the cheek.
I believe that was the last time I saw him.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Date Fail #3
Third time's a charm! Well maybe. This story happened right before I graduated university. It's crazy how it felt like it was only yesterday.
I was basically minding my own business, prepping for a mini graduation trip to Vegas, when I get a message from a girl friend from high school. We used to hang out a lot back in the day but due to busy student life, we never really got to hang out. She said she has this friend who wanted to meet me.
Uhhhh. Ok how did he even "know about" me? "Oh he found your profile on my Facebook friends list". He was going through her list looking at profiles and somehow he landed on mine. I don't know, maybe something about my face really awed him. I kid.
So after that, he kept bugging her that he wanted to meet me. Okkkk a little bit creepy? Then again, Facebook is for stalking. She tells me oh he's a nice guy. I went to school with him all these years and he's really nice. She suggested we all meet up at a mall to go shopping. It's a funny thing because I actually needed to go shop and buy some stuff for my trip. So I asked one of my trip buddies to come along.
My guy friend picked me up and drove us to the mall to meet up with the 2 girl friends and the potential date. So it was a 5 person trip. We got there and didn't see anyone there, so we chilled for a bit. At last the 3 showed up. First handshakes and introductions went well. Then the next thing you know, the girls grab my guy friend away and walk fast away from me and this new date to go shopping. Awkward much?
So now I'm left to walk with this date, feeling a bit awkward from all this. He was basically shoved into my face. The conversations were normal I guess, nothing significantly weird from what I can recall. We basically followed the group to whatever stores. They decided to do a dress up game. Pick an outfit and go change into it, and we all show off to see how ridiculous it looks on us. It was fun for a while. But it's really weird to be coming out of change rooms to this dude you've only met a couple hours ago and giving him a fashion show.
The last store we hit, I figured now it's time to bail. While I was changing into another outrageous outfit that the girls had picked for me, I texted my guy friend and said LISTEN, WE NEED A PLAN TO GET OUT OF HERE.
So of course we are having this text message conversation while I'm half dressed. Multitasking for the win. At last after my last fashion show, my friend tells them his mom needed the car and he needs to come home asap. I said I'd go as well, but I don't remember what reason I gave. They were fine with it and we said our goodbyes and probably did some number exchanges as well. As we got into the car, I gave my friend a big hug and said THANKS FOR SAVING ME! We both laughed as we went home.
Over the next week or so, we texted back and forth, and he really wanted to go for another date, but I said it won't be a good idea. He kept pushing for just a coffee, something simple. Nothing more. I don't remember specifics about what I said to him, but I probably said something mean that hurt him. Lo and behold I am blocked. And then he moved to the West Coast. The girl friend never asked about it again, nor did she set up another date.
At least I managed to get what I needed for my trip to Vegas!
I was basically minding my own business, prepping for a mini graduation trip to Vegas, when I get a message from a girl friend from high school. We used to hang out a lot back in the day but due to busy student life, we never really got to hang out. She said she has this friend who wanted to meet me.
Uhhhh. Ok how did he even "know about" me? "Oh he found your profile on my Facebook friends list". He was going through her list looking at profiles and somehow he landed on mine. I don't know, maybe something about my face really awed him. I kid.
So after that, he kept bugging her that he wanted to meet me. Okkkk a little bit creepy? Then again, Facebook is for stalking. She tells me oh he's a nice guy. I went to school with him all these years and he's really nice. She suggested we all meet up at a mall to go shopping. It's a funny thing because I actually needed to go shop and buy some stuff for my trip. So I asked one of my trip buddies to come along.
My guy friend picked me up and drove us to the mall to meet up with the 2 girl friends and the potential date. So it was a 5 person trip. We got there and didn't see anyone there, so we chilled for a bit. At last the 3 showed up. First handshakes and introductions went well. Then the next thing you know, the girls grab my guy friend away and walk fast away from me and this new date to go shopping. Awkward much?
So now I'm left to walk with this date, feeling a bit awkward from all this. He was basically shoved into my face. The conversations were normal I guess, nothing significantly weird from what I can recall. We basically followed the group to whatever stores. They decided to do a dress up game. Pick an outfit and go change into it, and we all show off to see how ridiculous it looks on us. It was fun for a while. But it's really weird to be coming out of change rooms to this dude you've only met a couple hours ago and giving him a fashion show.
The last store we hit, I figured now it's time to bail. While I was changing into another outrageous outfit that the girls had picked for me, I texted my guy friend and said LISTEN, WE NEED A PLAN TO GET OUT OF HERE.
So of course we are having this text message conversation while I'm half dressed. Multitasking for the win. At last after my last fashion show, my friend tells them his mom needed the car and he needs to come home asap. I said I'd go as well, but I don't remember what reason I gave. They were fine with it and we said our goodbyes and probably did some number exchanges as well. As we got into the car, I gave my friend a big hug and said THANKS FOR SAVING ME! We both laughed as we went home.
Over the next week or so, we texted back and forth, and he really wanted to go for another date, but I said it won't be a good idea. He kept pushing for just a coffee, something simple. Nothing more. I don't remember specifics about what I said to him, but I probably said something mean that hurt him. Lo and behold I am blocked. And then he moved to the West Coast. The girl friend never asked about it again, nor did she set up another date.
At least I managed to get what I needed for my trip to Vegas!
Date Fail #2
This story happened about 2 years ago as well. Again, names will not be disclosed.
It was beginning of August when a friend of mine tried to set me up with her boyfriend's friend. They both tell me he's a nice guy, he's very shy but he will open up once he gets to know you. That's a pretty normal response in getting to know people.
So, during one sunny weekend, they planned a double date. I drove to my friend's house to meet her and there was where I met the date. We took one car and went to a summer festival in Oakville. They were right. He was pretty shy. I felt like I was doing an interview grilling him with questions. Eventually as the night went along, he was more open to talking and having a good time. At night we all went roller skating. I suck at skating/roller skating so to be skating in that arena in the dark was a nightmare. The date was concerned and literally held my hand the entire night. I still fell and bruised my thigh (and I got the picture to prove it even to this day!) on the rink. That's what happens when you get too confident, skate too fast, and face plant to the ground at lightning speed.
The night ended off with good byes from everyone. Eventually the date asked for my number and that was it.
Over the next few days I would get a text to see how I was doing. Primarily my bruised thigh because it looked like someone really beat me up. It was nice that he was concerned for my well-being. I laughed it off saying it'll be fine. Just takes a few days to heal and I'll be good. Except I won't be roller skating again.
A few days before the first "date" by ourselves, I get a message from my girl friend saying my date really admired me. And was speaking praise, and wanted to marry me and be with me forever.
Wait. What?
I just met you. But that kind of creeped me out. Now I didn't feel too comfortable going out alone with him. But once again, I figured this is my friend's friend so I don't want to disappoint. So let's just do this date for goodness sakes.
The date comes to pick me up from home. As I approached the car, he came out of the car to open the door for me. Aw how nice. Except he really got in my face to give me a peck on the cheek. Something that I'm not used to, and certainly not on a first date for me. So it really threw me off. I think I almost fell backwards from shock.
The ride to the restaurant was scary. I'm not sure if it was the perfume I was wearing or if I was really intimidating but he just seemed so SCARED to drive. Changing lanes into cars, freaking out when a lane merges, cutting people off without knowing. And then the frequent "oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh". Please don't crash, is what I kept saying to myself in my head. I've never met someone who was so scared to drive a girl before. I guess I do give off that vibe.
So now we are approaching a strip of restaurants. I don't remember exactly how the conversation went, but it was basically I didn't really book a restaurant...I just chose three and...I'll leave you to figure out which restaurant to go to! Umm..sure? I guess? So I chose one. We head there to have dinner, and after ordering the food, it was some awkward silence, and some awkward topics. During the meal, it was dead quiet. I remember him apologizing for being so quiet, because he was enjoying his food too much. Yup, great to know.
We walk down the street to get some ice cream. Then after some more chitter chatter I was dropped off at home, and he was already looking forward to a second date. I said....well I don't remember what I said. But the vibe I got was that I wasn't keen on doing a second date.
Fast forward about a week or two. During each day he would text and use a lame pick up line. It really wasn't going anywhere so I told him to stop with the lameness. The message was not received because I still ended up with bombarding pick up lines from him on a daily basis. Eventually he got mad at me for ignoring him and started accusing me of everything (can't remember the specifics anymore). And then I blew up at him after that, for being a douche bag.
Eventually we stopped talking. But when I saw my friend, she would tell me he really admired me. He really hoped things would work out. I was like an angel sent to him. But now he was depressed and wanted to join the army to move on with life.
We did eventually have small chat about a year later, but then lost touch as the years went by. I heard he is doing well, so I wish him the best in his endeavours and also in serving our country.
It was beginning of August when a friend of mine tried to set me up with her boyfriend's friend. They both tell me he's a nice guy, he's very shy but he will open up once he gets to know you. That's a pretty normal response in getting to know people.
So, during one sunny weekend, they planned a double date. I drove to my friend's house to meet her and there was where I met the date. We took one car and went to a summer festival in Oakville. They were right. He was pretty shy. I felt like I was doing an interview grilling him with questions. Eventually as the night went along, he was more open to talking and having a good time. At night we all went roller skating. I suck at skating/roller skating so to be skating in that arena in the dark was a nightmare. The date was concerned and literally held my hand the entire night. I still fell and bruised my thigh (and I got the picture to prove it even to this day!) on the rink. That's what happens when you get too confident, skate too fast, and face plant to the ground at lightning speed.
The night ended off with good byes from everyone. Eventually the date asked for my number and that was it.
Over the next few days I would get a text to see how I was doing. Primarily my bruised thigh because it looked like someone really beat me up. It was nice that he was concerned for my well-being. I laughed it off saying it'll be fine. Just takes a few days to heal and I'll be good. Except I won't be roller skating again.
A few days before the first "date" by ourselves, I get a message from my girl friend saying my date really admired me. And was speaking praise, and wanted to marry me and be with me forever.
Wait. What?
I just met you. But that kind of creeped me out. Now I didn't feel too comfortable going out alone with him. But once again, I figured this is my friend's friend so I don't want to disappoint. So let's just do this date for goodness sakes.
The date comes to pick me up from home. As I approached the car, he came out of the car to open the door for me. Aw how nice. Except he really got in my face to give me a peck on the cheek. Something that I'm not used to, and certainly not on a first date for me. So it really threw me off. I think I almost fell backwards from shock.
The ride to the restaurant was scary. I'm not sure if it was the perfume I was wearing or if I was really intimidating but he just seemed so SCARED to drive. Changing lanes into cars, freaking out when a lane merges, cutting people off without knowing. And then the frequent "oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh". Please don't crash, is what I kept saying to myself in my head. I've never met someone who was so scared to drive a girl before. I guess I do give off that vibe.
So now we are approaching a strip of restaurants. I don't remember exactly how the conversation went, but it was basically I didn't really book a restaurant...I just chose three and...I'll leave you to figure out which restaurant to go to! Umm..sure? I guess? So I chose one. We head there to have dinner, and after ordering the food, it was some awkward silence, and some awkward topics. During the meal, it was dead quiet. I remember him apologizing for being so quiet, because he was enjoying his food too much. Yup, great to know.
We walk down the street to get some ice cream. Then after some more chitter chatter I was dropped off at home, and he was already looking forward to a second date. I said....well I don't remember what I said. But the vibe I got was that I wasn't keen on doing a second date.
Fast forward about a week or two. During each day he would text and use a lame pick up line. It really wasn't going anywhere so I told him to stop with the lameness. The message was not received because I still ended up with bombarding pick up lines from him on a daily basis. Eventually he got mad at me for ignoring him and started accusing me of everything (can't remember the specifics anymore). And then I blew up at him after that, for being a douche bag.
Eventually we stopped talking. But when I saw my friend, she would tell me he really admired me. He really hoped things would work out. I was like an angel sent to him. But now he was depressed and wanted to join the army to move on with life.
We did eventually have small chat about a year later, but then lost touch as the years went by. I heard he is doing well, so I wish him the best in his endeavours and also in serving our country.
Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Date Fail #1
My good friends know all about my crazy date stories and tell me I should write a novel about my experiences. I figured I'll select some of the odd ones and talk about it. Identities will be with-held as I don't want to get my butt sued. Because you know, everyone these days like to sue each other for no apparent reason.
This story happened about 2 years ago. Someone I knew kept telling me she wanted me to meet her nephew. He was a bit older but she figures he needs to get out more, because all he does is game all day. I don't remember how many times I said no, but she kept pushing. Please? He really needs to meet people.
Ok fine, just for you I said. So she gives me his number. By the way, he's expecting your call! Oh great lovely, that makes me feel way better. Talk about stress. After pondering for who knows how long, I finally text the guy and tell him who I am. I get a reply back pretty fast.
So after some texting back and forth, we finally agreed to meet up somewhere. We couldn't decide where because 1) I'm indecisive and 2) He's home so often that he probably doesn't even know where the nearest McD is. He finally decides on a restaurant in a mall, so I said sure let's meet there.
I arrived first to the mall, on time, and went straight to the restaurant. Except something looked odd. The restaurant was closed. And I don't mean it was closed for the day or for the time being. But it was CLOSED DOWN. Like, the place didn't pay their rent fees and got kicked out.
Great. I saw a guy look at the front sign as well, and thought it was my date. I had no idea how the guy looked like, but from his facial expression, he was not expecting a date from anyone. So I gave the date a call and said, look the restaurant you chose is closed down. Shut down. Nada. No more. He freaks, like oh my gosh I'm so sorry. Totally didn't know because the website said it was still open.
Ok now we have to choose another place. I suggest one off the highway so it would be easier for him to find. So we decided to meet there instead. Of course he was already late, and arrived to the back up restaurant before me (since I was still having to drive back down). So finally we meet.
The most awkward handshake ever.
We go into the restaurant and we sort of talk. But it was mostly a meal of silence.
The most awkward dinner ever. Of silence.
I think we both knew that the person responsible for getting us together was trying to set us up, and we both met each other against our wills.
Needless to say, we said our goodbyes and never talked again. Hate to say it but I don't even remember the guy's name.
The next day the friend comes up to me and asks how'd it go?! I said....ok.....awkward....silence. And since then, she has never introduced me to her relatives again.
Some lessons learned:
1) Be on time. Being punctual really plays a huge factor. It's like going in for an interview. If you are late for your job interview, do you think the boss wants to hire you?
2) Be sure the restaurant or event you are going to actually exists.
3) Some periods of silence is fine if you're eating. But if you're staring at each other for 2 hours not talking much, then it's already a disaster.
4) Try to be out-going. Yes you may be shy, but nothing is more of a turn off if you sit there silent most of the night.
5) Silence is not always golden.
This story happened about 2 years ago. Someone I knew kept telling me she wanted me to meet her nephew. He was a bit older but she figures he needs to get out more, because all he does is game all day. I don't remember how many times I said no, but she kept pushing. Please? He really needs to meet people.
Ok fine, just for you I said. So she gives me his number. By the way, he's expecting your call! Oh great lovely, that makes me feel way better. Talk about stress. After pondering for who knows how long, I finally text the guy and tell him who I am. I get a reply back pretty fast.
So after some texting back and forth, we finally agreed to meet up somewhere. We couldn't decide where because 1) I'm indecisive and 2) He's home so often that he probably doesn't even know where the nearest McD is. He finally decides on a restaurant in a mall, so I said sure let's meet there.
I arrived first to the mall, on time, and went straight to the restaurant. Except something looked odd. The restaurant was closed. And I don't mean it was closed for the day or for the time being. But it was CLOSED DOWN. Like, the place didn't pay their rent fees and got kicked out.
Great. I saw a guy look at the front sign as well, and thought it was my date. I had no idea how the guy looked like, but from his facial expression, he was not expecting a date from anyone. So I gave the date a call and said, look the restaurant you chose is closed down. Shut down. Nada. No more. He freaks, like oh my gosh I'm so sorry. Totally didn't know because the website said it was still open.
Ok now we have to choose another place. I suggest one off the highway so it would be easier for him to find. So we decided to meet there instead. Of course he was already late, and arrived to the back up restaurant before me (since I was still having to drive back down). So finally we meet.
The most awkward handshake ever.
We go into the restaurant and we sort of talk. But it was mostly a meal of silence.
The most awkward dinner ever. Of silence.
I think we both knew that the person responsible for getting us together was trying to set us up, and we both met each other against our wills.
Needless to say, we said our goodbyes and never talked again. Hate to say it but I don't even remember the guy's name.
The next day the friend comes up to me and asks how'd it go?! I said....ok.....awkward....silence. And since then, she has never introduced me to her relatives again.
Some lessons learned:
1) Be on time. Being punctual really plays a huge factor. It's like going in for an interview. If you are late for your job interview, do you think the boss wants to hire you?
2) Be sure the restaurant or event you are going to actually exists.
3) Some periods of silence is fine if you're eating. But if you're staring at each other for 2 hours not talking much, then it's already a disaster.
4) Try to be out-going. Yes you may be shy, but nothing is more of a turn off if you sit there silent most of the night.
5) Silence is not always golden.
Beware of Random Scammers
You know, those people who stand in random parking lots and then go up to you asking you for money for gas. You know what I'm saying?
I bring this up because after finishing work today, I was coming out of the staff parking lot. To get out, you have to use your ID to scan out. So right in front of the gates stood this older looking European man. He could really be mistaken for a patient or a family member. This guy is smart. He stands where people would have their windows rolled down already so you don't stand much chance ignoring him. Plus because it's rush hour time, traffic would be heavy, so you'd have no where to go.
Anyways, I had my window rolled down to scan out. Lo and behold, this old man was looking at passing cars but not really doing much. As soon as he saw my car, he waved at me. I thought, well maybe he's lost. The first thing he says? "I need to go to ____ and _____, just a drop off. Not too far away. I really need to get there. You're like my daughter, and I'm like your father. So you be good and drive me?"
Ok first of all, if you really need to go to a place, you take a taxi or TTC. Or get a friend to drop you off. If you really needed to be there, you'd walk there. Either way, you would not be wasting time waiting for some random stranger to pick you up and give you a lift.
Needless to say, I told him I was going the opposite direction, sorry. And drove off. He probably thought because I looked young and drove a "fast" car, that I would be naive enough to fall for his words. Think again old man.
It also reminds me a few years back when I was still in university. I was accompanying a friend near Eaton Centre when she had to go to the bank to do some stuff. So I said I would wait outside. By outside, I mean by the bench IN the mall. So this wasn't outdoors, but it was still in a mall.
I was sitting there minding my business when this middle aged man came up to me and asked if I spoke any Chinese. I replied back in Mandarin. So he started talking to me in Mandarin. He looked pretty lost so I thought well, maybe he's lost and needs direction.
Well, the story he told me was completely off. He has a condo here at Yonge/Dundas and was going to visit a friend in Ottawa the next day, but realized he has almost no gas left in his car, and needs money. And we're not talking $5. But more like $70. He said he would accompany me to the bank and wait for me to get the money. He would also pay me back, so it would require me to give him my cell number.
So many warning bells going off in my head that I decided to just try and run. But wait, gotta wait for my friend. To kill time, I pretended I had no idea what he was talking about. It's kind of fun playing stupid but then again, you never know what's going on in their heads. Best to just leave.
My friend comes back and sits down on the bench with me. She later told me she didn't say anything because she assumed the guy was my friend, when in fact I had no clue who the heck he was. So while I told the dude I don't have any money on me, and I can't help him, he decides to start yelling at me!
Like what? You want money from me and then you start yelling at me? People these days. This is why I don't just randomly give my hard earned cash away to random strangers.
Needless to say as my friend and I were walking away, he started walking behind us and yelling at us. I never forgot about that day, even to this day.
Another one was at the KC parking lot with my mom. Some dude approached our car and asked for money because his car ran out of gas and he needs to be out of town for whatever reason. We just drove off.
Really? You need to be somewhere? Gas up ahead of time idiots. Or call CAA for help. Your stories are pathetic. Not enough money for gas? Maybe you shouldn't own a car.
To anyone out there who has not experienced this yet, this is just a head's up. Especially for the young ladies who have a heart to want to help people. You may want to help them, but in the end their intentions could be something much worse.
Friday, May 29, 2015
I love going to the Dentist.
....Actually, no I don't. I'm pretty sure most people are not excited or happy to be going to the dentist.
This is my experience with the many dentists I had visited in the past. If you would like to skip it all and go down to some recommendations, scroll to the bottom.
I'm not sure how many people have had bad luck with dentists, but I figure I had to visit about 5 or 6 different dentists before I finally found a good one. My teeth were perfectly fine until about grade 7, when people referred me to a dentist that used to go to our church. There was a good amount of people that went to him, so we figured let's go to him from now on. Plus he wasn't too far away from home.
We'll call him Dr. A. The first visit, he says I have perfect teeth. It was mostly assessment and what not. The following week I came back to have cleaning done. Lo and behold, Dr. A says I got 7 cavities. Holy damn what? 7? How the heck did I get 7 cavities in less than a week? I didn't even eat any candy that week. But as a patient, you trust your dentist's judgment right? I had to go multiple times to fix those so called cavities. I later found out this dentist had pretty much lied to us. I didn't have any cavities actually. But instead, he used that excuse so he could buff all my teeth. When I mean buff, he buffed all my enamel out. Basic tooth anatomy 101: Enamel is the white layer on top of every tooth, the outmost protective layer of a tooth. If that thins out, your tooth is more susceptible to cracks, damage, cavities, and that could lead to more problems in the future. This dentist was a freaking crook. Took advantage of our insurance.
Anyways great, now that all my enamel is gone, my teeth became super sensitive to touch. Hot and cold liquids, and chewing food. Sensodyne for life now. I switched dentists to see if I could somehow fix this problem, but every dentist I went to assumed I was grinding my teeth at night. So 2 of them gave me a night guard for use at night. I used it for a while and then got lazy so I stopped using it.
Late 2008 was the beginning of a tooth nightmare. I had gone in complaining of sensitivity and pain in my left molar. The new dentist I went to (we'll call him Dr. B) did a thorough assessment and found a huge cavity hiding in the back. It was hard to tell by xray but it looked like the tooth could be saved. It wasn't touching the pulp, or so we thought. Cavity was taken out and the area was cleaned, then sealed. And off I went. In the next few months, the tooth was way more sensitive than before. Sensitive to everything, even air. I kept telling them something was wrong, but I was told it was normal to feel a bit of sensitivity. Ok, fine I'll just suck it up and deal with it.
About 10 months later, 6 days before I went to write my licensing exam, there was a dull pain in my jaw. It came and went, nothing too significant. I didn't think too much of it but figured I'll keep an eye out. The next day (5 days before the exam), the pain came back and stayed. But it was bearable. On the third day, that's when all hell broke loose. The pain became excruciating that I could not stop crying. This time, the pain went from dull to sharp, and was hitting my entire jaw line, up to my head, giving me the worst headaches. Headaches that went past 24 hours. It would not go away. I knew the origin of pain was from that molar, and I just wanted to rip it out so the pain would go away. It was pain mixed with feeling itchy in that area. I hit up the emergency room, and the nurse gave me a Tylenol regular. I take it but it does nothing at all. We wait about 3 hours before being called in, and then another hour before the doctor actually comes to see me. The MD assesses and says my gums are swollen red, and says it's infected. No sh*t Sherlock.
He says there is no dentist on call at the hospital. The only thing he can do is write a prescription for an antibiotic, and take some Advil for the pain. I said the nurse gave me a Tylenol 500mg. He tells me it's not a NSAID so it wouldn't help. Hello, I know that, your nurse gave it to me. Shouldn't you be prescribing me some Morphine? This isn't some normal tooth pain or arthritic pain. Advil and Tylenol will do no good at this time! So I waited 4 hours to be given an antibiotic prescription. Lovely.
The following morning, we called up dentist #3. We'll call him Dr. C. We told him what happened the previous night, so he pushed all his appointments for the day to accommodate me first thing in the morning, as it was an emergency case. And this was my first root canal. I had no clue what to expect, but I can tell you that it hurt like a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch. It was probably very painful at this point because whatever was going on inside the tooth, it was already infected beyond repairing/saving the pulp. The pulp is the part in the tooth where there is blood supply along with nerves to keep the tooth alive, so to speak. When a cavity becomes deep enough that it touches the pulp, the pulp becomes inflamed. The longer it remains inflamed, the harder it becomes to save the tooth and leads to an abscess. Infection occurs and when it is not treated, it travels into the blood stream, and then you'll have way bigger problems. The last thing you want is for it to hit your brain.
During the procedure, Lidocaine was given, but in my opinion, not enough because I felt everything. I kept signaling to give me more, which I believe I was given 4 needle shots in total. But while he was pulling out the pulp/roots, I could still feel it. It's hard to describe, but it's like when you hit your funny bone very hard. And you get that painful weird sensation for a while. Yeah, it's like that. Except it's in your mouth. To get to the pulp, the dentist or endodontist drills into the tooth from the top, removes the pulp, nerves, and any bacteria or debris and a thorough cleaning is done, before the area is filled. If you feel any pain, ask for more freezing. The most difficult part about root canals on the molars is that molars have more nerve endings than the rest of the teeth. The average is about 3 nerve endings/roots. So it will take quite a bit of Lidocaine to numb everything in that area. I was told for this specific tooth, there were 2 dead nerves and 1 live nerve, hence why I was feeling lots of pain.
Finally after about an hour, it was all done. After a root canal, you get a temporary filling. Eventually you'll have to go back to the dentist after a couple of weeks at least, to get the permanent filling done. And then finally, a crown to be put on top of that tooth, so it won't shatter when you eat. Now that there is no nerves or blood supply going to that tooth, there should not be any sensation left.
I had pushed the permanent filling to be done later on when I received insurance from work. At that time, I just graduated and was no longer under parents' insurance benefits, so I had to pay everything out of pocket. Root canals these days cost about $800-1,000 depending on which tooth. Molars are the most expensive because they take the longest time and contain the most roots, along with bigger pulps. Permanent filling would cost another few hundred. And a crown would cost about $1,000, depending on material. Most common these days are porcelain laced with gold inside.
About 8 months later, I had a part time job but no full time, so there was still no insurance. I still pushed to wait. And that's when problems occurred. At this time, the temporary filling fell out, and the tooth got infected once again. I was put on a course of antibiotics again. This time I was referred to an Endodontist, a specialist dentist. We'll call her Dr. D. She did an xray to see what was going on, and found that there was an extra nerve ending that was not taken out. 4 roots in total?? The initial root canal was not done properly. So here I go, another pulpectomy but it wasn't as bad as the first one. So finally, another temporary filling was done. This time I was warned to not wait so long for a permanent filling. So I said ok, screw it, let's do the permanent filling and get a crown.
I go back to dentist #3 to get the permanent filling and the crown done. Once again, all this was paid out of pocket due to having no insurance. Pricey as faaaaackkkkkkk. This one tooth took about a year and a half to properly fix. Plus a couple grand to fix in total. Could've bought a purse.
Fast forward to 2015. I had a problematic tooth once again on the opposite side, a molar. That tooth had cracked previously and was fixed twice. It had cracked again and part of the tooth fell out. I could tell it was not in good condition so I scheduled to see dentist #3. He cleaned and filled it once again. But it was still super sensitive. He didn't think I needed a root canal because he fixed it. I also had another tooth on the opposite side that was aching for about a year but I didn't really bother to get it checked out because I'm stubborn like that.
A family member had talked about another dentist (dentist #5, Dr. E) and so I was referred there for my second problematic tooth. She did an assessment and said it was a deep cavity but the tooth can be saved. So it was cleaned and filled. Problem is, this tooth became super sensitive than before and it hurt. She told me it would be sensitive for a few days. Well, over a week later it still hurt. So I knew this was not a good sign. That's the thing with dentists. Even if it looks pretty bad, they would still try to fix and save the tooth, and still take a chunk out of your insurance money. Thank God for full time status and benefits.
I remember the Endodontist had told me of a tap test to check for sensitivity and pain. Just knock on your affected tooth/teeth with your nail or with a metal utensil. If there is pain and it lingers, it means the pulp is inflamed. Another test is the cold touch test. Take a Q-tip and put cold water on the tip. Put the tip on your tooth and remove when you feel pain. If the pain lingers, the pulp is inflamed. Not a good sign at all. The pulp cannot be saved. So I knocked on both of my teeth. Lo and behold, they both lingered.
I asked for a referral back to the same Endo that had done my root canal a few years back. The plan was to do one root canal that day on the molar. However, I had told her on the spot about the other tooth that had lingering pain. And she made the decision to do two root canals in one sitting. TWO?! Well, there's always a first for things. But having 2 root canals done in one sitting is not something that anyone would dream of doing.
Once again, the big molar had 3 roots to remove, so lots of Lidocaine was needed. I counted about 5 shots to that area, plus 1 shot to the second tooth (which only had 1 root, so 1 shot of Lidocaine was enough). So in total, 6 doses of Lidocaine. The procedure took about 2 hours. Can you imagine sitting in a dentist's chair for 2 hours straight with your mouth open non stop? Yeah, it's not fun.
2 hours later, the procedure is done, and I look like a swollen chipmunk. It takes about 2 weeks to fully recover and for the sensitivity to go away before permanent fillings are needed, and then crowns being fitted. The cost of having 2 root canals? $2,000. The next bill is for the permanent fillings and two crowns, which is going to cost....I don't even want to know. Paying out of pocket it would be about 3 grand. Thankfully with insurance, at least there would be coverage.
Some lessons to be learned:
1) Any tooth pain is not normal. Get it checked out.
2) Don't skip going to the dentist. No one likes to go, but a check up every 6 months, even for teeth cleaning, is worth it.
3) If you don't like pain, avoid root canals.
4) If you've been told your cavity was deep but it wasn't touching the pulp, pay attention for the next few weeks. If it becomes more sensitive than before, do the tap test. If the pain lingers, it means the pulp is inflamed, and is not a good sign. The longer it lingers, the worst it gets.
5) Regular dentists can do root canals. I would recommend Endodontists because they specialize in those and, in my opinion, do a better job. So get a referral there if you need to do a root canal.
6) Crowns are recommended for molars, as they do the most work in chewing food. You can skip out on it if it's canines (front) or bicuspids (front-side); usually a permanent filling is sufficient. With molars, it's highly recommended that you get a crown to be fitted on top of the affected tooth to protect it for many years to come.
7) Avoid drinks high in sugar. Even if you dilute your drink with water, you will still have 35 grams of sugar in that particular drink. All that sugary stuff is left behind in the small crevasses between your teeth, and over time it will become a cavity.
8) You'll have a higher chance of getting a root canal done if you suffer from the following:
a) No enamel left, leaving your tooth highly sensitive
b) Your tooth had previously cracked
c) Constant work done on the tooth (cavities, cracks)
d) Deep cavities
e) Tooth decay
f) Trauma to the tooth
9) Before brushing teeth, try rinsing out your mouth with salt and warm water. You could actually use coconut oil as well on its own. Take a mouthful of coconut oil and let it simmer between your teeth and gums. In 5-10 minutes, spit out and brush.
10) Brush your teeth and floss regularly. There is no set amount of times you should brush (although most people brush in the morning and at night), but I would recommend brushing after each meal or any time you eat something. Technique is also important as well with brushing. Up and down motion is preferred to get rid of any plaque between the teeth. Scrubbing side to side will not clean much.
11) Marry a dentist. They'll fix your teeth for free.
So there you have it. Take care of your teeth.
This is my experience with the many dentists I had visited in the past. If you would like to skip it all and go down to some recommendations, scroll to the bottom.
I'm not sure how many people have had bad luck with dentists, but I figure I had to visit about 5 or 6 different dentists before I finally found a good one. My teeth were perfectly fine until about grade 7, when people referred me to a dentist that used to go to our church. There was a good amount of people that went to him, so we figured let's go to him from now on. Plus he wasn't too far away from home.
We'll call him Dr. A. The first visit, he says I have perfect teeth. It was mostly assessment and what not. The following week I came back to have cleaning done. Lo and behold, Dr. A says I got 7 cavities. Holy damn what? 7? How the heck did I get 7 cavities in less than a week? I didn't even eat any candy that week. But as a patient, you trust your dentist's judgment right? I had to go multiple times to fix those so called cavities. I later found out this dentist had pretty much lied to us. I didn't have any cavities actually. But instead, he used that excuse so he could buff all my teeth. When I mean buff, he buffed all my enamel out. Basic tooth anatomy 101: Enamel is the white layer on top of every tooth, the outmost protective layer of a tooth. If that thins out, your tooth is more susceptible to cracks, damage, cavities, and that could lead to more problems in the future. This dentist was a freaking crook. Took advantage of our insurance.
Anyways great, now that all my enamel is gone, my teeth became super sensitive to touch. Hot and cold liquids, and chewing food. Sensodyne for life now. I switched dentists to see if I could somehow fix this problem, but every dentist I went to assumed I was grinding my teeth at night. So 2 of them gave me a night guard for use at night. I used it for a while and then got lazy so I stopped using it.
Late 2008 was the beginning of a tooth nightmare. I had gone in complaining of sensitivity and pain in my left molar. The new dentist I went to (we'll call him Dr. B) did a thorough assessment and found a huge cavity hiding in the back. It was hard to tell by xray but it looked like the tooth could be saved. It wasn't touching the pulp, or so we thought. Cavity was taken out and the area was cleaned, then sealed. And off I went. In the next few months, the tooth was way more sensitive than before. Sensitive to everything, even air. I kept telling them something was wrong, but I was told it was normal to feel a bit of sensitivity. Ok, fine I'll just suck it up and deal with it.
About 10 months later, 6 days before I went to write my licensing exam, there was a dull pain in my jaw. It came and went, nothing too significant. I didn't think too much of it but figured I'll keep an eye out. The next day (5 days before the exam), the pain came back and stayed. But it was bearable. On the third day, that's when all hell broke loose. The pain became excruciating that I could not stop crying. This time, the pain went from dull to sharp, and was hitting my entire jaw line, up to my head, giving me the worst headaches. Headaches that went past 24 hours. It would not go away. I knew the origin of pain was from that molar, and I just wanted to rip it out so the pain would go away. It was pain mixed with feeling itchy in that area. I hit up the emergency room, and the nurse gave me a Tylenol regular. I take it but it does nothing at all. We wait about 3 hours before being called in, and then another hour before the doctor actually comes to see me. The MD assesses and says my gums are swollen red, and says it's infected. No sh*t Sherlock.
He says there is no dentist on call at the hospital. The only thing he can do is write a prescription for an antibiotic, and take some Advil for the pain. I said the nurse gave me a Tylenol 500mg. He tells me it's not a NSAID so it wouldn't help. Hello, I know that, your nurse gave it to me. Shouldn't you be prescribing me some Morphine? This isn't some normal tooth pain or arthritic pain. Advil and Tylenol will do no good at this time! So I waited 4 hours to be given an antibiotic prescription. Lovely.
The following morning, we called up dentist #3. We'll call him Dr. C. We told him what happened the previous night, so he pushed all his appointments for the day to accommodate me first thing in the morning, as it was an emergency case. And this was my first root canal. I had no clue what to expect, but I can tell you that it hurt like a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch. It was probably very painful at this point because whatever was going on inside the tooth, it was already infected beyond repairing/saving the pulp. The pulp is the part in the tooth where there is blood supply along with nerves to keep the tooth alive, so to speak. When a cavity becomes deep enough that it touches the pulp, the pulp becomes inflamed. The longer it remains inflamed, the harder it becomes to save the tooth and leads to an abscess. Infection occurs and when it is not treated, it travels into the blood stream, and then you'll have way bigger problems. The last thing you want is for it to hit your brain.
During the procedure, Lidocaine was given, but in my opinion, not enough because I felt everything. I kept signaling to give me more, which I believe I was given 4 needle shots in total. But while he was pulling out the pulp/roots, I could still feel it. It's hard to describe, but it's like when you hit your funny bone very hard. And you get that painful weird sensation for a while. Yeah, it's like that. Except it's in your mouth. To get to the pulp, the dentist or endodontist drills into the tooth from the top, removes the pulp, nerves, and any bacteria or debris and a thorough cleaning is done, before the area is filled. If you feel any pain, ask for more freezing. The most difficult part about root canals on the molars is that molars have more nerve endings than the rest of the teeth. The average is about 3 nerve endings/roots. So it will take quite a bit of Lidocaine to numb everything in that area. I was told for this specific tooth, there were 2 dead nerves and 1 live nerve, hence why I was feeling lots of pain.
Finally after about an hour, it was all done. After a root canal, you get a temporary filling. Eventually you'll have to go back to the dentist after a couple of weeks at least, to get the permanent filling done. And then finally, a crown to be put on top of that tooth, so it won't shatter when you eat. Now that there is no nerves or blood supply going to that tooth, there should not be any sensation left.
I had pushed the permanent filling to be done later on when I received insurance from work. At that time, I just graduated and was no longer under parents' insurance benefits, so I had to pay everything out of pocket. Root canals these days cost about $800-1,000 depending on which tooth. Molars are the most expensive because they take the longest time and contain the most roots, along with bigger pulps. Permanent filling would cost another few hundred. And a crown would cost about $1,000, depending on material. Most common these days are porcelain laced with gold inside.
About 8 months later, I had a part time job but no full time, so there was still no insurance. I still pushed to wait. And that's when problems occurred. At this time, the temporary filling fell out, and the tooth got infected once again. I was put on a course of antibiotics again. This time I was referred to an Endodontist, a specialist dentist. We'll call her Dr. D. She did an xray to see what was going on, and found that there was an extra nerve ending that was not taken out. 4 roots in total?? The initial root canal was not done properly. So here I go, another pulpectomy but it wasn't as bad as the first one. So finally, another temporary filling was done. This time I was warned to not wait so long for a permanent filling. So I said ok, screw it, let's do the permanent filling and get a crown.
I go back to dentist #3 to get the permanent filling and the crown done. Once again, all this was paid out of pocket due to having no insurance. Pricey as faaaaackkkkkkk. This one tooth took about a year and a half to properly fix. Plus a couple grand to fix in total. Could've bought a purse.
Fast forward to 2015. I had a problematic tooth once again on the opposite side, a molar. That tooth had cracked previously and was fixed twice. It had cracked again and part of the tooth fell out. I could tell it was not in good condition so I scheduled to see dentist #3. He cleaned and filled it once again. But it was still super sensitive. He didn't think I needed a root canal because he fixed it. I also had another tooth on the opposite side that was aching for about a year but I didn't really bother to get it checked out because I'm stubborn like that.
A family member had talked about another dentist (dentist #5, Dr. E) and so I was referred there for my second problematic tooth. She did an assessment and said it was a deep cavity but the tooth can be saved. So it was cleaned and filled. Problem is, this tooth became super sensitive than before and it hurt. She told me it would be sensitive for a few days. Well, over a week later it still hurt. So I knew this was not a good sign. That's the thing with dentists. Even if it looks pretty bad, they would still try to fix and save the tooth, and still take a chunk out of your insurance money. Thank God for full time status and benefits.
I remember the Endodontist had told me of a tap test to check for sensitivity and pain. Just knock on your affected tooth/teeth with your nail or with a metal utensil. If there is pain and it lingers, it means the pulp is inflamed. Another test is the cold touch test. Take a Q-tip and put cold water on the tip. Put the tip on your tooth and remove when you feel pain. If the pain lingers, the pulp is inflamed. Not a good sign at all. The pulp cannot be saved. So I knocked on both of my teeth. Lo and behold, they both lingered.
I asked for a referral back to the same Endo that had done my root canal a few years back. The plan was to do one root canal that day on the molar. However, I had told her on the spot about the other tooth that had lingering pain. And she made the decision to do two root canals in one sitting. TWO?! Well, there's always a first for things. But having 2 root canals done in one sitting is not something that anyone would dream of doing.
Once again, the big molar had 3 roots to remove, so lots of Lidocaine was needed. I counted about 5 shots to that area, plus 1 shot to the second tooth (which only had 1 root, so 1 shot of Lidocaine was enough). So in total, 6 doses of Lidocaine. The procedure took about 2 hours. Can you imagine sitting in a dentist's chair for 2 hours straight with your mouth open non stop? Yeah, it's not fun.
2 hours later, the procedure is done, and I look like a swollen chipmunk. It takes about 2 weeks to fully recover and for the sensitivity to go away before permanent fillings are needed, and then crowns being fitted. The cost of having 2 root canals? $2,000. The next bill is for the permanent fillings and two crowns, which is going to cost....I don't even want to know. Paying out of pocket it would be about 3 grand. Thankfully with insurance, at least there would be coverage.
Some lessons to be learned:
1) Any tooth pain is not normal. Get it checked out.
2) Don't skip going to the dentist. No one likes to go, but a check up every 6 months, even for teeth cleaning, is worth it.
3) If you don't like pain, avoid root canals.
4) If you've been told your cavity was deep but it wasn't touching the pulp, pay attention for the next few weeks. If it becomes more sensitive than before, do the tap test. If the pain lingers, it means the pulp is inflamed, and is not a good sign. The longer it lingers, the worst it gets.
5) Regular dentists can do root canals. I would recommend Endodontists because they specialize in those and, in my opinion, do a better job. So get a referral there if you need to do a root canal.
6) Crowns are recommended for molars, as they do the most work in chewing food. You can skip out on it if it's canines (front) or bicuspids (front-side); usually a permanent filling is sufficient. With molars, it's highly recommended that you get a crown to be fitted on top of the affected tooth to protect it for many years to come.
7) Avoid drinks high in sugar. Even if you dilute your drink with water, you will still have 35 grams of sugar in that particular drink. All that sugary stuff is left behind in the small crevasses between your teeth, and over time it will become a cavity.
8) You'll have a higher chance of getting a root canal done if you suffer from the following:
a) No enamel left, leaving your tooth highly sensitive
b) Your tooth had previously cracked
c) Constant work done on the tooth (cavities, cracks)
d) Deep cavities
e) Tooth decay
f) Trauma to the tooth
9) Before brushing teeth, try rinsing out your mouth with salt and warm water. You could actually use coconut oil as well on its own. Take a mouthful of coconut oil and let it simmer between your teeth and gums. In 5-10 minutes, spit out and brush.
10) Brush your teeth and floss regularly. There is no set amount of times you should brush (although most people brush in the morning and at night), but I would recommend brushing after each meal or any time you eat something. Technique is also important as well with brushing. Up and down motion is preferred to get rid of any plaque between the teeth. Scrubbing side to side will not clean much.
11) Marry a dentist. They'll fix your teeth for free.
So there you have it. Take care of your teeth.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Dress Code and Alexi Halket
If you haven't been reading or listening to the news lately, 18 years old Alexi Halket is a high school student in Etobicoke who got into trouble this week with the principal because of what she was wearing to class that day. According to the principal, Alexi violated the school's dress code by wearing a halter-style top that showed her midriff, along with a skirt that an inch or so above her knees. This was a girl that had never gotten into trouble at school for anything, and had never seen the principal's office, until this day.
She decided to take it to Facebook and post about her issue, saying that the teachers were being too judgmental on showing some skin. She has gotten a lot of support from her peers, and there was a rally fighting for the right to wear whatever girls wanted. If boys at school are allowed to go shirtless during gym class, or swimming, then girls can wear tops that show some skin.
TDSB has said her attire was inappropriate for school.
I'll play the devil's advocate. Girl, put some clothes on. Some proper clothes that cover your midriff.
I grew up in the TDSB and in the 18 years (or 14 years if you don't include the first 4 years of life) of attending public school and high school, I can tell you that covering up is important. If a girl had went to school with a tank top that barely fit over her breasts, she would get the strangest stares from peers and teachers. The initial thought is, is she going in for a porno audition? This isn't a fashion show my dear.
You go to school to learn various subjects to prepare you for university, which will lead to your career. You go to school to learn and prepare for the real world. True, people may not care about what you wear to class, but please have some decency to cover yourself up. If you show up with your midriff showing, then might as well go to class naked. What's the point of teasing your peers (or whoever you're trying to show off to) when you can just bare it all and go naked. Oh right, dress code.
These days, it seems like it's all about entitlement. Which is pretty sad. Because I am a woman, I am entitled to do this and that. Because it's my body, I can wear whatever I want. If a guy creeps on me, then he's a creep, I better call the cops. Seriously? What the heck.
If you want to wear a bra looking top because you want to, then you can do it off school grounds. But schools have dress codes and rules for a reason. To sustain some order so chaos does not ensue. It's purely a learning environment that involves everyone from all types of backgrounds. And everyone should be learning in an environment that is not distracting or disturbing to others. I agree with both the principal and the TDSB that her sense of fashion and choice of wardrobe was inappropriate for school grounds.
If you are to raise a generation to prepare them for their future careers and education, it all starts with something as basic as wardrobe. Would you want to lead a generation that "Yes, wearing a bra top with booty shorts" is appropriate to go to your first job interview? Or better yet, go to work in that attire? Maybe in a strip club sure. If you're working in the hospital, government, schools, business buildings etc., then no. Dress according to what the company says. And that's the thing. Companies all have dress codes. If you don't abide by it, you could be penalized or worst, fired. Do we really want to raise a generation to bend the rules and risk their careers? Because they manage to bend the rules at school, then might as well bend the rules when they have a career?
You might think why the hell is this my business? You're right, it isn't. But when we all have kids someday or deal with kids, it will become your business, and mine as well. Might as well start now. We all have an obligation to pass on to the next generation the rights and wrongs. Following the codes and learning about consequences when they aren't followed.
I want to also ask, where were the parents? Do they not see what she wears before she leaves the house? If my mother saw me wear that to school, she would yell until I got changed. And probably skin me alive. Parents also have a huge role. If you don't teach kids what is appropriate or inappropriate to wear to school, they won't know. They will think anything is fine. Or they can play the rebellious game and test parents' patience but as parents, they have also got to stand up and point out that it's inappropriate for school purposes. If I saw my daughter wearing that to school, she would get beaten with a bamboo stick. Then I'd tell her to wear something more appropriate. Really, who is she trying to impress? Why do you need to impress people by wearing half a cloth when you should be concentrating on learning and studying?
I believe part of the problem is also how social media is so involved in our lives these days. You might have seen stories on different levels where one guy complained something happened at work and decided to share it on social media for help. And then get many responses supporting him or vice versa. A girl decides to share her story of being abused online by perpetrators, and drove her to becoming suicidal. Many people poured their support to her and vowed to find out who were the culprits behind the abuse. Now, a girl who gets scolded for not wearing enough clothes at school gets in trouble, she becomes unhappy and then decides to post it all over social media to get attention and pity. Boo frikkin hoo. Sorry girl, but you don't have my vote on this.
My verdict? Follow the dress code. Follow the rules. Focus on finishing school and finding your career. When you are not doing any of those, you can wear whatever you want or not wear anything at all. Whatever suits your boat. There will always be a time and place that you can wear whatever you want, or lack of (eg. going out with your friends, clubbing, partying). But while you're still in school, follow the rules. It will also reflect a lot on your personality. So if you want to succeed in life, you better have some self-discipline.
In the words of Coco Chanel herself: "Be classy. Anything but trashy."
She decided to take it to Facebook and post about her issue, saying that the teachers were being too judgmental on showing some skin. She has gotten a lot of support from her peers, and there was a rally fighting for the right to wear whatever girls wanted. If boys at school are allowed to go shirtless during gym class, or swimming, then girls can wear tops that show some skin.
TDSB has said her attire was inappropriate for school.
I'll play the devil's advocate. Girl, put some clothes on. Some proper clothes that cover your midriff.
I grew up in the TDSB and in the 18 years (or 14 years if you don't include the first 4 years of life) of attending public school and high school, I can tell you that covering up is important. If a girl had went to school with a tank top that barely fit over her breasts, she would get the strangest stares from peers and teachers. The initial thought is, is she going in for a porno audition? This isn't a fashion show my dear.
You go to school to learn various subjects to prepare you for university, which will lead to your career. You go to school to learn and prepare for the real world. True, people may not care about what you wear to class, but please have some decency to cover yourself up. If you show up with your midriff showing, then might as well go to class naked. What's the point of teasing your peers (or whoever you're trying to show off to) when you can just bare it all and go naked. Oh right, dress code.
These days, it seems like it's all about entitlement. Which is pretty sad. Because I am a woman, I am entitled to do this and that. Because it's my body, I can wear whatever I want. If a guy creeps on me, then he's a creep, I better call the cops. Seriously? What the heck.
If you want to wear a bra looking top because you want to, then you can do it off school grounds. But schools have dress codes and rules for a reason. To sustain some order so chaos does not ensue. It's purely a learning environment that involves everyone from all types of backgrounds. And everyone should be learning in an environment that is not distracting or disturbing to others. I agree with both the principal and the TDSB that her sense of fashion and choice of wardrobe was inappropriate for school grounds.
If you are to raise a generation to prepare them for their future careers and education, it all starts with something as basic as wardrobe. Would you want to lead a generation that "Yes, wearing a bra top with booty shorts" is appropriate to go to your first job interview? Or better yet, go to work in that attire? Maybe in a strip club sure. If you're working in the hospital, government, schools, business buildings etc., then no. Dress according to what the company says. And that's the thing. Companies all have dress codes. If you don't abide by it, you could be penalized or worst, fired. Do we really want to raise a generation to bend the rules and risk their careers? Because they manage to bend the rules at school, then might as well bend the rules when they have a career?
You might think why the hell is this my business? You're right, it isn't. But when we all have kids someday or deal with kids, it will become your business, and mine as well. Might as well start now. We all have an obligation to pass on to the next generation the rights and wrongs. Following the codes and learning about consequences when they aren't followed.
I want to also ask, where were the parents? Do they not see what she wears before she leaves the house? If my mother saw me wear that to school, she would yell until I got changed. And probably skin me alive. Parents also have a huge role. If you don't teach kids what is appropriate or inappropriate to wear to school, they won't know. They will think anything is fine. Or they can play the rebellious game and test parents' patience but as parents, they have also got to stand up and point out that it's inappropriate for school purposes. If I saw my daughter wearing that to school, she would get beaten with a bamboo stick. Then I'd tell her to wear something more appropriate. Really, who is she trying to impress? Why do you need to impress people by wearing half a cloth when you should be concentrating on learning and studying?
I believe part of the problem is also how social media is so involved in our lives these days. You might have seen stories on different levels where one guy complained something happened at work and decided to share it on social media for help. And then get many responses supporting him or vice versa. A girl decides to share her story of being abused online by perpetrators, and drove her to becoming suicidal. Many people poured their support to her and vowed to find out who were the culprits behind the abuse. Now, a girl who gets scolded for not wearing enough clothes at school gets in trouble, she becomes unhappy and then decides to post it all over social media to get attention and pity. Boo frikkin hoo. Sorry girl, but you don't have my vote on this.
My verdict? Follow the dress code. Follow the rules. Focus on finishing school and finding your career. When you are not doing any of those, you can wear whatever you want or not wear anything at all. Whatever suits your boat. There will always be a time and place that you can wear whatever you want, or lack of (eg. going out with your friends, clubbing, partying). But while you're still in school, follow the rules. It will also reflect a lot on your personality. So if you want to succeed in life, you better have some self-discipline.
In the words of Coco Chanel herself: "Be classy. Anything but trashy."
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
It's the Random Crap Thread!
Not sure who even reads these but anyways, as the title states, this will be an entry about random things.
First off, Suicide Squad is an upcoming supervillian movie set to be released into theatres in August 2016. They began filming in mid-April in downtown Toronto and have closed off Yonge St. between College and Front Streets in the past couple days to film some car chase scenes. I had the opportunity to check it out and see what the commotion was about. Seeing the stars of the film (Jared Leto, Will Smith etc) were difficult as it was mostly just the stunt team doing the shoot. Last night they filmed the Batmobile chasing the Joker's sweet pink ride, teamed with the brilliant license plate "HAHAHA". Tonight however, there were no exciting chase scenes. At least not at 11:30pm. The crew were nice enough to let people on Yonge St. take pictures of Batmobile while it drove up and down the street. Because of the amount of people crowded on the sidewalks, they had to halt filming just for this one nice gesture, before telling everyone to leave so they can continue filming. Didn't get a chance to see Joker's ride in person, but from pictures it looks pretty sweet. Filming is set to wrap up sometime in August this year.
Second, it's been a crazy week with planning the poster for the national conference that I'll be presenting at. Not only that, but preparing for next week's staff training on the new machine. Lots of things to juggle but it will be a surreal experience in the end. Thankfully the first batch of staff who I've trained have retained their information well on how to operate the new machines at work. I guess it means I'm doing something right.
Thirdly, it's past 3am and I have a feeling the Joker is running away from Batman just a few kilometers away. Very tempting....
What was the most exciting thing that happened this past weekend? It wasn't the BTR Tuning event. It was.....the start of the Gumball 3000 Rally! Starting from Stockholm and ending in Las Vegas by the end of the weekend. Shmee150 has been constantly uploading various clips of his travels, so feel free to check out his YouTube channel if you haven't already. The theme is...well Las Vegas and poker. Hence why all those supercars are stickered with Aces and Spades, and roulettes. I remember when Gumball 3000 first arrived in Toronto in 2010, and it was pretty exciting. It just sucks that there isn't enough interest versus in Europe, hence why after 2012, Toronto was not on the map. But never know, with enough interest they could come back. *Fingers crossed*
By the way, did I mention already that I don't give a crap about people's thoughts? Yeah, I must've said it way too many times that I forgot. Well, here I say it again. I don't give a crap.
4 weddings this year, and one down already. Might I say, that was one kickass wedding. Very well organized, everything went well, minus that one hiccup when the music stopped playing for about 3 seconds. Otherwise I'm very happy for the friends who have taken the next step in life with marriage. It's not an easy thing, and it takes a lot of work and commitment from both sides to make it work. So I wish the 4 couples the very best! You guys are amazing friends and I am honoured to be witnessing the greatest day of your life!
So apparently they made it illegal for teachers to strike in York, Durham and Peel Region. It's about damn time. I feel sorry for the kids who have to deal with having their education halted because of this constant protest on salary and benefits. When I was a kid in school, I don't recall strikes happening. Maybe a couple of times, but maybe I was too busy playing in the playground to notice anything. Our teachers at that time were very good at what they did. We went on many field trips, had a lot of interactions with kids from different classrooms, a lot of school assemblies, hot dog day...I could go on. The days of being in public school were really fun, subjects were bang on, sex education was minimal (they had split both girls and boys up into separate classrooms), but enough to talk about the basic changes in a boy and girl. It wasn't really until high school that they got more into detail about all that. But nowadays, all you hear is teachers strike, teachers strike, teachers strike. No offense to teachers, they actually have one of the hardest jobs dealing with 20 something odd students ranging from kindergarten to 18 and not everyone can deal with a classroom full of kids, but to constantly walk off on the job and strike is just damaging the kids' path to success. As a kid growing up, I wanted to be a teacher because I could just walk off the job when I felt like it and still get paid for it. I thought it was awesome, and have all the summer months off along with the holidays. Sadly that route didn't work for me. But that's the thing I learned as a kid about teacher strikes. When you see it often, you think that it's right. And if you don't want kids to think that while they grow up, then maybe they shouldn't strike so much?
It is illegal for front line health care staff to go on strike (go figure because if we did, our patients would be dead). Everyone complains of being underpaid, and the fact that we have to deal with life and death in a blink of an eye, and be the main support to a grieving family, plus do all the heavy lifting of patients and clean them, no money can buy the emotional and mental status of what we go through to witness all that in a day. Some people have the gift to deal with it and some don't.
So, I was finally able to let go of the upright piano that I've kept for 20 years to the little ones. That upright was my pride and joy growing up. From the time that I began learning piano, to about 2002, there were many memories. The first piano exam, the first time I learned a worship song on it, and well basically...the first piano. As I advanced to the higher grades, it became harder to hit the notes properly as they were more narrow. And being a fan of presto songs, it was not good for me. Eventually I was fortunate enough to upgrade to a baby grand, and it was a lot better. Those presto songs were insane, especially Chopin No. 5. Once I graduated from ARCT, both pianos just sat there. I ended up using the baby grand more frequently but barely touched the upright. Finally, as I found no more use for it, the little ones were taking up piano lessons and needed a piano, so it was given to them with a snap of a finger. I say goodbye to the journey endured, and pass on the legacy to the future generation. Make auntie proud.
Almost 4am. You think the Joker escaped Batman?
So some may wonder what the heck happened to me uploading those die-cast car videos on YT. They are my other pride and joy. I actually have taken all the necessary pictures and features and have put them together on the laptop. They are somewhat ready to go, but I have to find some background music to put it all together. And with the stupid copyright stuff, some get blocked and some get red flagged. Like really YouTube? Anyways it's either music or you'll hear my boring voice doing a narration of the features of the cars. Maybe I'll do a variety of both and see what happens. Nonetheless they will eventually get uploaded. Just that life and work are busy.
I have also completed a review on the Prada bag as well, but I figured the lighting was not that great (filmed at night) so I may have to re-film everything again in the daytime. It would only give me more joy by boxing and unboxing that heavy bag as if it were all brand new. Saffiano leather is great, but I realized after taking that bag with me on a weekend trip, it started to hurt the shoulders. There is something about that shoulder strap....either that or I was carrying way too much crap for it. But really, it's a bag. The point of a bag is to put all of life's crap in it. And what's the point paying for that price range when you can only carry a wallet and a phone? Yeah, I should totally add that to my film.
Alright it's pretty much 4am. Time to catch some sleep and dream about Batman.
First off, Suicide Squad is an upcoming supervillian movie set to be released into theatres in August 2016. They began filming in mid-April in downtown Toronto and have closed off Yonge St. between College and Front Streets in the past couple days to film some car chase scenes. I had the opportunity to check it out and see what the commotion was about. Seeing the stars of the film (Jared Leto, Will Smith etc) were difficult as it was mostly just the stunt team doing the shoot. Last night they filmed the Batmobile chasing the Joker's sweet pink ride, teamed with the brilliant license plate "HAHAHA". Tonight however, there were no exciting chase scenes. At least not at 11:30pm. The crew were nice enough to let people on Yonge St. take pictures of Batmobile while it drove up and down the street. Because of the amount of people crowded on the sidewalks, they had to halt filming just for this one nice gesture, before telling everyone to leave so they can continue filming. Didn't get a chance to see Joker's ride in person, but from pictures it looks pretty sweet. Filming is set to wrap up sometime in August this year.
Second, it's been a crazy week with planning the poster for the national conference that I'll be presenting at. Not only that, but preparing for next week's staff training on the new machine. Lots of things to juggle but it will be a surreal experience in the end. Thankfully the first batch of staff who I've trained have retained their information well on how to operate the new machines at work. I guess it means I'm doing something right.
Thirdly, it's past 3am and I have a feeling the Joker is running away from Batman just a few kilometers away. Very tempting....
What was the most exciting thing that happened this past weekend? It wasn't the BTR Tuning event. It was.....the start of the Gumball 3000 Rally! Starting from Stockholm and ending in Las Vegas by the end of the weekend. Shmee150 has been constantly uploading various clips of his travels, so feel free to check out his YouTube channel if you haven't already. The theme is...well Las Vegas and poker. Hence why all those supercars are stickered with Aces and Spades, and roulettes. I remember when Gumball 3000 first arrived in Toronto in 2010, and it was pretty exciting. It just sucks that there isn't enough interest versus in Europe, hence why after 2012, Toronto was not on the map. But never know, with enough interest they could come back. *Fingers crossed*
By the way, did I mention already that I don't give a crap about people's thoughts? Yeah, I must've said it way too many times that I forgot. Well, here I say it again. I don't give a crap.
4 weddings this year, and one down already. Might I say, that was one kickass wedding. Very well organized, everything went well, minus that one hiccup when the music stopped playing for about 3 seconds. Otherwise I'm very happy for the friends who have taken the next step in life with marriage. It's not an easy thing, and it takes a lot of work and commitment from both sides to make it work. So I wish the 4 couples the very best! You guys are amazing friends and I am honoured to be witnessing the greatest day of your life!
So apparently they made it illegal for teachers to strike in York, Durham and Peel Region. It's about damn time. I feel sorry for the kids who have to deal with having their education halted because of this constant protest on salary and benefits. When I was a kid in school, I don't recall strikes happening. Maybe a couple of times, but maybe I was too busy playing in the playground to notice anything. Our teachers at that time were very good at what they did. We went on many field trips, had a lot of interactions with kids from different classrooms, a lot of school assemblies, hot dog day...I could go on. The days of being in public school were really fun, subjects were bang on, sex education was minimal (they had split both girls and boys up into separate classrooms), but enough to talk about the basic changes in a boy and girl. It wasn't really until high school that they got more into detail about all that. But nowadays, all you hear is teachers strike, teachers strike, teachers strike. No offense to teachers, they actually have one of the hardest jobs dealing with 20 something odd students ranging from kindergarten to 18 and not everyone can deal with a classroom full of kids, but to constantly walk off on the job and strike is just damaging the kids' path to success. As a kid growing up, I wanted to be a teacher because I could just walk off the job when I felt like it and still get paid for it. I thought it was awesome, and have all the summer months off along with the holidays. Sadly that route didn't work for me. But that's the thing I learned as a kid about teacher strikes. When you see it often, you think that it's right. And if you don't want kids to think that while they grow up, then maybe they shouldn't strike so much?
It is illegal for front line health care staff to go on strike (go figure because if we did, our patients would be dead). Everyone complains of being underpaid, and the fact that we have to deal with life and death in a blink of an eye, and be the main support to a grieving family, plus do all the heavy lifting of patients and clean them, no money can buy the emotional and mental status of what we go through to witness all that in a day. Some people have the gift to deal with it and some don't.
So, I was finally able to let go of the upright piano that I've kept for 20 years to the little ones. That upright was my pride and joy growing up. From the time that I began learning piano, to about 2002, there were many memories. The first piano exam, the first time I learned a worship song on it, and well basically...the first piano. As I advanced to the higher grades, it became harder to hit the notes properly as they were more narrow. And being a fan of presto songs, it was not good for me. Eventually I was fortunate enough to upgrade to a baby grand, and it was a lot better. Those presto songs were insane, especially Chopin No. 5. Once I graduated from ARCT, both pianos just sat there. I ended up using the baby grand more frequently but barely touched the upright. Finally, as I found no more use for it, the little ones were taking up piano lessons and needed a piano, so it was given to them with a snap of a finger. I say goodbye to the journey endured, and pass on the legacy to the future generation. Make auntie proud.
Almost 4am. You think the Joker escaped Batman?
So some may wonder what the heck happened to me uploading those die-cast car videos on YT. They are my other pride and joy. I actually have taken all the necessary pictures and features and have put them together on the laptop. They are somewhat ready to go, but I have to find some background music to put it all together. And with the stupid copyright stuff, some get blocked and some get red flagged. Like really YouTube? Anyways it's either music or you'll hear my boring voice doing a narration of the features of the cars. Maybe I'll do a variety of both and see what happens. Nonetheless they will eventually get uploaded. Just that life and work are busy.
I have also completed a review on the Prada bag as well, but I figured the lighting was not that great (filmed at night) so I may have to re-film everything again in the daytime. It would only give me more joy by boxing and unboxing that heavy bag as if it were all brand new. Saffiano leather is great, but I realized after taking that bag with me on a weekend trip, it started to hurt the shoulders. There is something about that shoulder strap....either that or I was carrying way too much crap for it. But really, it's a bag. The point of a bag is to put all of life's crap in it. And what's the point paying for that price range when you can only carry a wallet and a phone? Yeah, I should totally add that to my film.
Alright it's pretty much 4am. Time to catch some sleep and dream about Batman.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
What's it like to own a modified sports car?
A question that comes up but doesn't really come up is: What's it like to own a modified sports car?
Now, the more interesting thing is, as a girl, what is it like owning a modified sports car? This should be interesting. And I'll tell you why. There are different classification of "girl modifiers": one who modify their cars themselves, one who goes to a shop or a friend's shop and they help modify her car, or one who does all that and ENTERS car competitions. Those are the hardcore enthusiasts. Then there are the ones who modify it to some degree, and then just uses it as a daily drive. That's me.
The aftermarket parts for the 2010-2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe has definitely grown over the years. When the GC first came out, there was really nothing. All the parts that came out at first were either a hit or miss. As in, the bumpers or side skirts didn't fit properly so you would have to cut it or trim it down until it fits. Tunes were not available yet, although one of the first tunes that came out was SFR (Seoul For Racing) by Jay. People didn't really know much back then but decided to try out the tune. It was alright at first, but after a while is when the tune started having problems. Then I learned the tuning map was not exactly completed. The map was, you could say..."stolen" from the crew of BTR. Some drama happened and one guy didn't like the other so he took the other guy's tuning map and made it his own. Or that's according to what some people have said. Who knows. Let's just say once again that the car community is full of over dramatic people who you should not waste your time on.
The GC community back then was pretty small and not many meets occurred but when they did, it was nice to meet everyone and remember everyone's names. Sadly over half the people that I've met at that first GC meet back in 2010 either sold their coupes or moved on. Back then, I was not quite interested in modding the coupe. There were lots of unknowns and not enough resources to do it.
Fast forward to 2013. After a terrible break up, I needed something to focus on. And that's where the modifications happened. It all started with a glossy black vinyl roof by ReStyleIt. Something simple. Then someone decided they didn't want their aftermarket tires and rims anymore so I bought it off of him. I saw that the diameter was not quite right. It made a huge gaping hole in the fender. You could literally put your entire fist (or two) in there. So I looked for some springs and got the Eibach Pros. Now it looked better. As for under the engine, a used blow off valve and an AEM intake occurred quick. Then some side skirts that a friend sold to me after his coupe was totaled in an accident. But it couldn't be completed without...a front lip! So got one ordered. Then the 2013 tail lights along with the front headlights that were modified were bought off a friend. This all happened within half a year. Although they were mostly used parts, the bill piled up.
Now for the last batch of modifications, the main focus now was on performance. I had on all the glam, but there was no go. So off I went to get a custom exhaust and intercooler with pipings (which I had already written below on my experience with that particular company). Then the tune to finish it off.
After the tune, I told myself no more mods. It's a waste, and what I've learned too is that once you start messing around with stock parts and putting non stock parts on, your car is not really the same anymore. If there is a problem, you have to fix it. And modified cars have problems alright. The Eibach springs that were on the car destroyed my shocks. So coilovers were ordered and put on. The front lip scraped a curb, damaging the lip, bumper and broke some clips underneath. So the lip has to be sent in for repairs, repainted and new bumper ordered. The side skirts eventually cracked and was hanging by a thread. So new side skirt is on the way. There is never a "I'm completely done!" moment because from now on, it's all about maintenance and fixing the stuff that wasn't done properly in the first place.
So, what is it like from a girl's perspective? It has its moments. I noticed a lot of young guys would try to race or just drive very aggressively around me when I'm just minding my own business. They think I'm some dude that looks for pink slips all night. Neighbours think I own a F-18 Hornet. Every time I start her up, they look and give this weird look. Thankfully the exhaust has quieted down. But it still gives a nice echo in the underground parking. I still get stares. Or the cop that pulled me over that one time. She was probably expecting some young punk but instead saw me and had a triple take. Got a warning and sent me away. I'm thankful for window tints. At least people won't see me picking my nose.
What is it like maintaining a modified coupe? Probably more expensive than a stock one. Not only do you have to worry about regular maintenance for oil, transmission, brakes etc but you also have to worry about your modified parts not falling apart, breaking or worst case: having those mods blow up your engine. The car is capable within its means but if you push it past its limit, of course it will struggle to balance all that out perfectly. Thankfully the coupe is not heavily modified and the only regular maintenance I've had is regular oil changes, but otherwise it's a matter of taking care of the car like it's your house or something. If you neglect it, the result will show. If you work hard to take care of it and maintain it well, it will show positively to those around you as well.
I was dropping off my girl friend from work the other night and taking my time cruising in the neighbourhood when a TSX appeared out of no where and tailgated me. Then zoomed past me at high speed. I was going 40km/hr so it wasn't like I was asking him to race. I caught up to him at the lights, and he motioned for me to roll down my window. And here is our convo:
Him: Are you mad?
Me: Mad? Naaaaaahhh.
Him: I seriously did not know you're a girl. Did not expect that at all.
Me: Yeah, I get that a lot.
Him: You have a nice car!
Me: Thanks! I like yours too. Very reliable.
Him: Nah my car is crap compared to yours. But it'll do for now.
*Light about to turn green*
Him: I guess you are turning left, I'm going straight. I'll see you around!
Me: Yes, you too and drive safe!
What's the point of this? Point is, there are douchebags everywhere in the car community. It's all about how you react to situations. If I was a mad sap and rolled up to him at the lights and started swearing and cussing him out, I'll be damned. I'm not saying what he did by tailgating me was right. People tail gate all the time. Main thing is, how you react to it. Most people think modified coupe owners are drug addicts or are bad people. But if you react the way that a drug addict would when it comes to basic situations like these, then of course people are going to think just that.
Would I modify my cars in the future? Maybe just a tune. And that's about it. Some people say as a true enthusiast, you will always modify your car. But I don't believe that. A true enthusiast is very general. You've got modifiers, tuners, and drivers. If you are a true driving enthusiast, you look for a car that is capable of providing perfect power to weight ratio and you don't even have to modify it. You appreciate the engineering behind it and you enjoy it. If you are more into modifications and tunes to make your car go faster, then you are a tuner enthusiast. But saying "true enthusiast" is bland. It doesn't mean anything.
Do I regret modifying the Genesis? Partially yeah. To turn it all back to stock now would be a lot of work. So I left it as is. And just enjoy the ride as much as I can, before the next car arrives.
Now, the more interesting thing is, as a girl, what is it like owning a modified sports car? This should be interesting. And I'll tell you why. There are different classification of "girl modifiers": one who modify their cars themselves, one who goes to a shop or a friend's shop and they help modify her car, or one who does all that and ENTERS car competitions. Those are the hardcore enthusiasts. Then there are the ones who modify it to some degree, and then just uses it as a daily drive. That's me.
The aftermarket parts for the 2010-2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe has definitely grown over the years. When the GC first came out, there was really nothing. All the parts that came out at first were either a hit or miss. As in, the bumpers or side skirts didn't fit properly so you would have to cut it or trim it down until it fits. Tunes were not available yet, although one of the first tunes that came out was SFR (Seoul For Racing) by Jay. People didn't really know much back then but decided to try out the tune. It was alright at first, but after a while is when the tune started having problems. Then I learned the tuning map was not exactly completed. The map was, you could say..."stolen" from the crew of BTR. Some drama happened and one guy didn't like the other so he took the other guy's tuning map and made it his own. Or that's according to what some people have said. Who knows. Let's just say once again that the car community is full of over dramatic people who you should not waste your time on.
The GC community back then was pretty small and not many meets occurred but when they did, it was nice to meet everyone and remember everyone's names. Sadly over half the people that I've met at that first GC meet back in 2010 either sold their coupes or moved on. Back then, I was not quite interested in modding the coupe. There were lots of unknowns and not enough resources to do it.
Fast forward to 2013. After a terrible break up, I needed something to focus on. And that's where the modifications happened. It all started with a glossy black vinyl roof by ReStyleIt. Something simple. Then someone decided they didn't want their aftermarket tires and rims anymore so I bought it off of him. I saw that the diameter was not quite right. It made a huge gaping hole in the fender. You could literally put your entire fist (or two) in there. So I looked for some springs and got the Eibach Pros. Now it looked better. As for under the engine, a used blow off valve and an AEM intake occurred quick. Then some side skirts that a friend sold to me after his coupe was totaled in an accident. But it couldn't be completed without...a front lip! So got one ordered. Then the 2013 tail lights along with the front headlights that were modified were bought off a friend. This all happened within half a year. Although they were mostly used parts, the bill piled up.
Now for the last batch of modifications, the main focus now was on performance. I had on all the glam, but there was no go. So off I went to get a custom exhaust and intercooler with pipings (which I had already written below on my experience with that particular company). Then the tune to finish it off.
After the tune, I told myself no more mods. It's a waste, and what I've learned too is that once you start messing around with stock parts and putting non stock parts on, your car is not really the same anymore. If there is a problem, you have to fix it. And modified cars have problems alright. The Eibach springs that were on the car destroyed my shocks. So coilovers were ordered and put on. The front lip scraped a curb, damaging the lip, bumper and broke some clips underneath. So the lip has to be sent in for repairs, repainted and new bumper ordered. The side skirts eventually cracked and was hanging by a thread. So new side skirt is on the way. There is never a "I'm completely done!" moment because from now on, it's all about maintenance and fixing the stuff that wasn't done properly in the first place.
So, what is it like from a girl's perspective? It has its moments. I noticed a lot of young guys would try to race or just drive very aggressively around me when I'm just minding my own business. They think I'm some dude that looks for pink slips all night. Neighbours think I own a F-18 Hornet. Every time I start her up, they look and give this weird look. Thankfully the exhaust has quieted down. But it still gives a nice echo in the underground parking. I still get stares. Or the cop that pulled me over that one time. She was probably expecting some young punk but instead saw me and had a triple take. Got a warning and sent me away. I'm thankful for window tints. At least people won't see me picking my nose.
What is it like maintaining a modified coupe? Probably more expensive than a stock one. Not only do you have to worry about regular maintenance for oil, transmission, brakes etc but you also have to worry about your modified parts not falling apart, breaking or worst case: having those mods blow up your engine. The car is capable within its means but if you push it past its limit, of course it will struggle to balance all that out perfectly. Thankfully the coupe is not heavily modified and the only regular maintenance I've had is regular oil changes, but otherwise it's a matter of taking care of the car like it's your house or something. If you neglect it, the result will show. If you work hard to take care of it and maintain it well, it will show positively to those around you as well.
I was dropping off my girl friend from work the other night and taking my time cruising in the neighbourhood when a TSX appeared out of no where and tailgated me. Then zoomed past me at high speed. I was going 40km/hr so it wasn't like I was asking him to race. I caught up to him at the lights, and he motioned for me to roll down my window. And here is our convo:
Him: Are you mad?
Me: Mad? Naaaaaahhh.
Him: I seriously did not know you're a girl. Did not expect that at all.
Me: Yeah, I get that a lot.
Him: You have a nice car!
Me: Thanks! I like yours too. Very reliable.
Him: Nah my car is crap compared to yours. But it'll do for now.
*Light about to turn green*
Him: I guess you are turning left, I'm going straight. I'll see you around!
Me: Yes, you too and drive safe!
What's the point of this? Point is, there are douchebags everywhere in the car community. It's all about how you react to situations. If I was a mad sap and rolled up to him at the lights and started swearing and cussing him out, I'll be damned. I'm not saying what he did by tailgating me was right. People tail gate all the time. Main thing is, how you react to it. Most people think modified coupe owners are drug addicts or are bad people. But if you react the way that a drug addict would when it comes to basic situations like these, then of course people are going to think just that.
Would I modify my cars in the future? Maybe just a tune. And that's about it. Some people say as a true enthusiast, you will always modify your car. But I don't believe that. A true enthusiast is very general. You've got modifiers, tuners, and drivers. If you are a true driving enthusiast, you look for a car that is capable of providing perfect power to weight ratio and you don't even have to modify it. You appreciate the engineering behind it and you enjoy it. If you are more into modifications and tunes to make your car go faster, then you are a tuner enthusiast. But saying "true enthusiast" is bland. It doesn't mean anything.
Do I regret modifying the Genesis? Partially yeah. To turn it all back to stock now would be a lot of work. So I left it as is. And just enjoy the ride as much as I can, before the next car arrives.
Thursday, March 05, 2015
Prada Experience
I was never really into the whole purse thing until I got bored with the car scene. If I had not gotten all those car parts, I could've just started a purse collection. No wait, I still had a purse collection even during my car modding days. Never mind.
A small back story:
It was October 2014 when I saw this real classy purse. It was a blue Prada top handle promenade handbag that reminded me of the PAN AM airlines stewardess' blue handbags back in the 1970's (or was it 80's). There were quite a few sizes: mini, small, medium and large. Very self explanatory. Just like a pen....ok I'll stop there.
One thing that was a drawback was the price. It was just under 2 grand Canadian. There's no way I'd pay that much for a small handbag. I was heading to the States in a few weeks so I decided to check it out there and see what the price was.
I hit up Vegas and found a Prada store there. It looked pretty new (I was there in 2009 and did not see a Prada store on the Strip). So I went into the store with my mom (bad idea) to check it out. I asked to see the small version of the top handle promenade in various colours: fuscia, light pink, blue and black. My mom thought it was cute. As soon as she saw the price, she almost had a heart attack and pulled me out of the store, trying to convince me that I was on drugs. The price difference was a couple hundred but converting it would save...a few bucks. The Canadian dollar was terrible so it wasn't really worth getting it. However, after we were back at the hotel and she went to shower, this is when I headed back out to the store.
And bought the small version. WHAT?
While the lady was packing my bag into a box, they offered water while I waited and commented on the Prada pink bow wallet I had with me. They were very nice and happy (probably because I had bought an item) but nonetheless it was a pretty surreal experience.
I had it shipped from the hotel back home via air express. When I was able to sit at home and start packing stuff into the bag, this is when I ran into a problem. My wallet could barely fit inside, along with my keys, phone, some make up, and some other random stuff I carry. It was still within my 14 day window to exchange or refund it so I went to the Yorkdale location to see if I could upgrade the size. That's right ladies, bigger the better. Har Har...
I took a look at the medium size promenade bag, and tried fitting all the stuff I usually carry with me into their display bag (i.e the wide wallet, a couple of key holding wallets, glasses case, lip gloss, agenda, S4 phone, card holder, camera) and it was perfect. Just what I was looking for.
Winnie the SA was there to help me, and may I say she was very patient with me as I debated between the colours and size, and what other item I should get. It was possible to exchange and upgrade the purse but she would have to convert the difference. No problem! So off she went to find the medium top handle promenade in cornflower blue for me. It took a while, but the one she brought up was brand spanking new. It had all the protection on it. After evaluating it, and being happy with the result, I paid the difference. I was allowed to take pictures without getting kicked out by security. I also asked Winnie to take a picture with me, for memories of my first Prada bag.
Never in my existence did I know I would get something exclusive like this, but it's one of those things that you try if you can. And if you like it that's great. If you don't, then just sell it. But don't buy items from a particular brand name just because you can collect and say you have it.
People ask how the heck are you able to buy these things? Well that's simple. Don't blow all your cash on purses or other exclusive items when you get your first pay cheque. It takes years to build up your net worth. If you can, save up 70-80% of what you make. The rest is for bills. And the remaining is what you can play around with. Work hard, do those overtimes when you are young, because once you hit 30, you won't be able to abuse your body like that anymore. Most importantly, save save save. Don't go on constant shopping sprees and spend more than you make. That will just land you in trouble. Many people are not rich; people can manage money well and save well, but only if you put your mind to it.
Also, it helps to be single and have no kids. Kids will just make you go bankrupt.
That is all for today (or tonight shall I say). I shall do an update a year from now to see how the bag holds up. For now, the bag is used for special occasions but I may say what the heck with it and just use it as an everyday bag. You never know!
Here are some shots of the cornflower blue.
A small back story:
It was October 2014 when I saw this real classy purse. It was a blue Prada top handle promenade handbag that reminded me of the PAN AM airlines stewardess' blue handbags back in the 1970's (or was it 80's). There were quite a few sizes: mini, small, medium and large. Very self explanatory. Just like a pen....ok I'll stop there.
One thing that was a drawback was the price. It was just under 2 grand Canadian. There's no way I'd pay that much for a small handbag. I was heading to the States in a few weeks so I decided to check it out there and see what the price was.
I hit up Vegas and found a Prada store there. It looked pretty new (I was there in 2009 and did not see a Prada store on the Strip). So I went into the store with my mom (bad idea) to check it out. I asked to see the small version of the top handle promenade in various colours: fuscia, light pink, blue and black. My mom thought it was cute. As soon as she saw the price, she almost had a heart attack and pulled me out of the store, trying to convince me that I was on drugs. The price difference was a couple hundred but converting it would save...a few bucks. The Canadian dollar was terrible so it wasn't really worth getting it. However, after we were back at the hotel and she went to shower, this is when I headed back out to the store.
And bought the small version. WHAT?
While the lady was packing my bag into a box, they offered water while I waited and commented on the Prada pink bow wallet I had with me. They were very nice and happy (probably because I had bought an item) but nonetheless it was a pretty surreal experience.
I had it shipped from the hotel back home via air express. When I was able to sit at home and start packing stuff into the bag, this is when I ran into a problem. My wallet could barely fit inside, along with my keys, phone, some make up, and some other random stuff I carry. It was still within my 14 day window to exchange or refund it so I went to the Yorkdale location to see if I could upgrade the size. That's right ladies, bigger the better. Har Har...
I took a look at the medium size promenade bag, and tried fitting all the stuff I usually carry with me into their display bag (i.e the wide wallet, a couple of key holding wallets, glasses case, lip gloss, agenda, S4 phone, card holder, camera) and it was perfect. Just what I was looking for.
Winnie the SA was there to help me, and may I say she was very patient with me as I debated between the colours and size, and what other item I should get. It was possible to exchange and upgrade the purse but she would have to convert the difference. No problem! So off she went to find the medium top handle promenade in cornflower blue for me. It took a while, but the one she brought up was brand spanking new. It had all the protection on it. After evaluating it, and being happy with the result, I paid the difference. I was allowed to take pictures without getting kicked out by security. I also asked Winnie to take a picture with me, for memories of my first Prada bag.
Never in my existence did I know I would get something exclusive like this, but it's one of those things that you try if you can. And if you like it that's great. If you don't, then just sell it. But don't buy items from a particular brand name just because you can collect and say you have it.
People ask how the heck are you able to buy these things? Well that's simple. Don't blow all your cash on purses or other exclusive items when you get your first pay cheque. It takes years to build up your net worth. If you can, save up 70-80% of what you make. The rest is for bills. And the remaining is what you can play around with. Work hard, do those overtimes when you are young, because once you hit 30, you won't be able to abuse your body like that anymore. Most importantly, save save save. Don't go on constant shopping sprees and spend more than you make. That will just land you in trouble. Many people are not rich; people can manage money well and save well, but only if you put your mind to it.
Also, it helps to be single and have no kids. Kids will just make you go bankrupt.
That is all for today (or tonight shall I say). I shall do an update a year from now to see how the bag holds up. For now, the bag is used for special occasions but I may say what the heck with it and just use it as an everyday bag. You never know!
Here are some shots of the cornflower blue.
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