Just reached home at 8.31pm and I think I have to write this down so as to remind myself to stop being so absent-minded because not everytime I can get away with it.
I left the office around 6pm today and took a free ride home as usual, thanks to T-san. So he wanted to go to a Korean supermarket at Fort Lee and so I left the office in a hurry because the stoopid laptop wouldn't shut down fast enough and he was already waiting for me.
Didn't really have time to check if I got all the things with me (like wallet, staff card, watches, etc.). By the time the shopping was done, reached back Edgewater and happily saying goodbye to T-san, I opened my bag to search for my apartment keys. To my horror, I realised I cannot find my keys at all! After flipping through the messy bag and finally confirmed that I must have left it in the office jacket pocket this morning and forgot to put it back into the bag...
I immediately called my boss and check if he is still in the office, which luckily he was and said that he will pass the keys to N-san who stays in the same place and who drives me to work every morning. At the same time, T-san saw me still outside and turned back asking if I need help. I explained to him with embarrassment that I have absentmindedly left the keys in the office and he kindly offered me a ride back to the office. He then drove back to drop his grocery stuff and said that he will picked me up later.
After he left, I called N-san to just make sure that he is in the office so that T-san does not need to send me back office again. Luckily he was about to leave the office and has received the keys from my boss.
So I phoned back T-san, telling him that there was no need for him to send me back to office because N-san will be coming back with my keys in a while. He then offered me to come up to his home to sit down and watched TV as it was really cold outside. Not wanting to trouble him, I rejected his offer and told him that N-san will be coming back very fast.
Left in the cold outside alone in the carpark, I started reflecting to myself why I am just absent-minded and cannot be more careful and more mindful with important things like the keys since I am living alone now and obviously nobody will have the spare keys nor will there be anyone at home to open the door for me. I am really grateful that people here are more than willing to help me and I just didn't want to trouble them further. I now feel sorry that I have turned down T-san's offer to go his house and wait alone outside for N-san because by doing this, I am being too 见外. In fact, I have been scolded once before by friend here that if they offered help when I really needed it, I just have to accept it with gratitude and not try to be too 见外. Since, there will be some day that I can repay them by giving them a treat of in-turn helping them back.
So, here I am writing this episode for all to see my forgetfulness and also the fact that I have turned down a chance to become friend with someone who is really kind and helpful to me. Sorry for everything.... =_=~
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fire Prevention Day
Last weekend on my way back from grocery shopping at Target, there was a big event in the carpark just in front. Part of the carpark was blocked with a lot of big cars, big lights and tons of people surround that area. With the red and blue lights dancing away, I thought some major crime or accident has happened to have cause such a scene.
Walking towards a fireman uncle and asking what's going on, I realised that it was not anything bad as I have assumed. It was the Fire Prevention Day, when all the nearby towns (probably the Bergen County towns) local fire station gather at a place and promote the awareness of fire prevention and also to showcase their tools.
It really looked like a typical town fanfare that I've always imagined or seen from TV. Where kids are running and jumping about, going in and out of the fire trucks, playing with the safety equipments and fire rescue tools, with free balloons and even Ronald MacDonald was there for some reason, probably because MacDonald's is just around the area.
Parents are going all bout, taking photos of their kids with MacDonald and some doggy fireman mascots, taking photos of the fire rescue trucks, talking to the firemen and firewomen (I admire these ladies, really).
Staying for about 20 minutes in that area, I took a few shots of the different fire trucks, with the town names printed out and all different designs. There was even a showcase of a few firemen hanging on to the rope tied to the fire truck ladder some 30 meters high and going down in a few seconds. All-in-all, it was really impressive, although I did not see any brochures nor much demonstration on fire prevention or awareness.
Cliffside Park fire rescue truck.
Fairview fire rescue truck.
Fort Lee, just up north of Edgewater.
Leonia fire rescue truck, with a fireman in the driver's seat looking very bored.
Ridgefield fire rescue truck, showcase all the equipments to people
Firewoman cleaning up the stuff
Ladder that went very high up.
Impressive performance of fireman coming down, applause.
Free balloons and fireman helmets were given out to kids and adults.
Kids in the truck
Ronald MacDonald, proud sponsor of the event?
Doggy in car, moves around automated. Kid was trying to post a shot with the doggy.
Walking towards a fireman uncle and asking what's going on, I realised that it was not anything bad as I have assumed. It was the Fire Prevention Day, when all the nearby towns (probably the Bergen County towns) local fire station gather at a place and promote the awareness of fire prevention and also to showcase their tools.
It really looked like a typical town fanfare that I've always imagined or seen from TV. Where kids are running and jumping about, going in and out of the fire trucks, playing with the safety equipments and fire rescue tools, with free balloons and even Ronald MacDonald was there for some reason, probably because MacDonald's is just around the area.
Parents are going all bout, taking photos of their kids with MacDonald and some doggy fireman mascots, taking photos of the fire rescue trucks, talking to the firemen and firewomen (I admire these ladies, really).
Staying for about 20 minutes in that area, I took a few shots of the different fire trucks, with the town names printed out and all different designs. There was even a showcase of a few firemen hanging on to the rope tied to the fire truck ladder some 30 meters high and going down in a few seconds. All-in-all, it was really impressive, although I did not see any brochures nor much demonstration on fire prevention or awareness.
Cliffside Park fire rescue truck.
Fairview fire rescue truck.
Fort Lee, just up north of Edgewater.
Leonia fire rescue truck, with a fireman in the driver's seat looking very bored.
Ridgefield fire rescue truck, showcase all the equipments to people
Firewoman cleaning up the stuff
Ladder that went very high up.
Impressive performance of fireman coming down, applause.
Free balloons and fireman helmets were given out to kids and adults.
Kids in the truck
Ronald MacDonald, proud sponsor of the event?
Doggy in car, moves around automated. Kid was trying to post a shot with the doggy.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Online Shopping
Recently I have been into a spate of online shopping. From carpet cleaning services to buying vacuum cleaners and laptop even to online 'window shopping'. The problem is that this place is just too wide and a lot of things that are available at the branches nearby really requires at least an hour's drive, and I do not have a car.
So after settling here for a while, I got into the trend of the Americans to do online shopping for my needs. Started out with buying a vacuum cleaner, I shopped for a few evenings doing my research and looking at a few reviews before I decided to go for the Eureka. Placed my order at allbrands.com, made payment and one week later, the whole package was delivered right at my door front.
Excited with the new toy, I opened up the package and went straight to assemble... in a minute, all was done and the new toy is ready to start! I tried vacuuming the tile floor and works really well, except the sound of the cleaner is unbelievable loud in the ears, I assumed this is really due to the small apartment and I am not used to loud noise alone. The next target was the carpet that I was dying to get it cleaned... The moment it reached the corner of the carpet, I suddenly see smoke fuming out of the carpet as I moved the cleaner along! Flabbergasted, I immediately switched off the cleaner and examine what was the problem.
What was the scene of the steam cleaner at work was but the sheer amount of dust that has accumulated in the carpet, probably which hasn't been cleaned since the last tenant left. Obviously, this cleaner stirs more dust than it sucks more dust. Taking a closer look, I realised that the dust has settled all over the exterior of the tool (which is black thus more obvious), definitely disgusted by the fact that the vacuum cleaner did not work, and that the landlord did not clean the carpet as promised... : (
So in the end, the cleaner is really good for bare floor, suction power is satisfactory, but works bad for carpet... probably because my carpet was too dirty. And, never trust all the reviews written, unless there are more than 1000 of them and all said good. Because the review did mention that this vacuum is good for cleaning carpet as well, but it did not work for me.
I will probably write another review for my next online purchase, a gateway laptop from eBay. The M-6862 model.
So after settling here for a while, I got into the trend of the Americans to do online shopping for my needs. Started out with buying a vacuum cleaner, I shopped for a few evenings doing my research and looking at a few reviews before I decided to go for the Eureka. Placed my order at allbrands.com, made payment and one week later, the whole package was delivered right at my door front.
Excited with the new toy, I opened up the package and went straight to assemble... in a minute, all was done and the new toy is ready to start! I tried vacuuming the tile floor and works really well, except the sound of the cleaner is unbelievable loud in the ears, I assumed this is really due to the small apartment and I am not used to loud noise alone. The next target was the carpet that I was dying to get it cleaned... The moment it reached the corner of the carpet, I suddenly see smoke fuming out of the carpet as I moved the cleaner along! Flabbergasted, I immediately switched off the cleaner and examine what was the problem.
What was the scene of the steam cleaner at work was but the sheer amount of dust that has accumulated in the carpet, probably which hasn't been cleaned since the last tenant left. Obviously, this cleaner stirs more dust than it sucks more dust. Taking a closer look, I realised that the dust has settled all over the exterior of the tool (which is black thus more obvious), definitely disgusted by the fact that the vacuum cleaner did not work, and that the landlord did not clean the carpet as promised... : (
So in the end, the cleaner is really good for bare floor, suction power is satisfactory, but works bad for carpet... probably because my carpet was too dirty. And, never trust all the reviews written, unless there are more than 1000 of them and all said good. Because the review did mention that this vacuum is good for cleaning carpet as well, but it did not work for me.
I will probably write another review for my next online purchase, a gateway laptop from eBay. The M-6862 model.
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