A Trip to Oahu Next Fall, Anyone?

I am going to Oahu next October.

But of course, that is not for sure. What is ever finalised in my life?

A little bit of background: I've been planning to go to Oahu, Hawaii, since spring of this year. I hoped to be there this fall (October). Why? Because LOST films in Oahu and filming for Season 5 began in mid-August! But then, I got laid off and my practical side opted to put it off and go looking for a job.

I started in my new job last month, so I am eligible to take a vacation after 1 October 2009 (assuming, of course, I'm still employed there). I thought, "Hey, perfect. I can be in Oahu while they're filming the final season!"

Then, one of my favourite LOST bloggers and Facebook friend changed her Facebook profile picture to this... (I recommend that you look at the pic first before you scroll down.)

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Yep, the one, the only, Terry O'Quinn.

Now, I am more resolved in vacationing there next fall. I probably won't get to duplicate her experience. (What would I do if I met Foxy or Michael Emerson? Hmmm...) But what have I got to lose? I'll be in one of the most beautiful places on earth, I'll be able to take part in the Kos tour, and I'll be able to relax. Meeting any one of my favourite LOST stars would be the icing on the cake.

I just need someone to go with me.

Dude, I'm serious. I'd take either fellow LOST fans or friends who are supportive of my LOST addiction. Heck, I'd take both.

Will you go with me to Oahu next year?

P.S. I am dead serious. I will send Cerberus/Sayid Jarrah to kill all those who spam me or punk me.

Benjamin Linus: When Bad is Oh, So Good

Benjamin Linus (played by Michael Emerson) made Yahoo!'s list of top ten TV characters we love to hate.

Duh. He should have won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in Drama for that. (Yeah, yeah, I'm still bitter about that.)

He may be a pathological liar and a sociopath without a conscience, but when you're "Lost" on a mysterious island, you'd best stay close to Benjamin Linus because no matter what, he always survives. Ben has managed to keep his hands clean with his uncanny ability to get someone else to do his dirty work. And the genius of his manipulative methods is that he can justify anything, whether it is abduction, murder, torture, or brainwashing. When someone tries to go head-to-head with Ben, you know they'll lose, but just watching Ben play with their minds is a treat.

(Photo of Ben Linus in the final scene of "The Shape of Things to Come" was taken from Lostpedia.com)

Ari (Jeremy Piven) from Entourage, Janice Dickinson, Ugly Betty's Amanda (Becki Newton) and Marc St. James (Michael Urie), and Andrea (Jennifer Esposito) of Samantha Who? also made the cut.

For more of the sneaky, conniving, mean, and cold-blooded TV characters we cannot get enough of, click here.

The Official Countdown Begins...

Mark this date on your calendars: 21 January 2009.

I know I will. I, in fact, have.

On this day, I will not work overtime. I will eat my dinner shortly after I get home. I will do my BrainAge training early. I will be in front of the TV by 19:00, at the latest.

Because at 20:00, the three-hour season premiere event of LOST Season Five will begin!

It's official! DarkUFO reports that LOST will come back on 21 January 2009, at 8/7 central. Apparently, his source was the update on the ABC Inner Circle Twitter account. Who knew ABC had a Twitter account?

So, this is what's gonna happen in those three hours...

1. A one-hour recap special - Too many things have happened. I wonder how they can fit all that in one hour...

2. Episode 5.01 - The much-awaited "Because You Left". Who would be the centre - or centres - of the premiere?

3. Episode 5.02 - "The Lie." Wow. Who could be the central character(s) in this episode? Rumour has it that Hurley takes this one.

Another awesome news: for Season 5, LOST's regular timeslot is 21:00 on Wednesdays! Hmm... Will ABC move Private Practice to a new time/night? But, still. Yay, LOST is back on its old timeslot!

*Sigh* It totally made my day. I was so busy at work that I didn't know about this until I saw Doc Jeff Jensen's status on Facebook.

See y'all on 21 January 2009!!!

It's Already November???

Wow. It's already the 1st of November. I have to start Christmas shopping now.

So, it's been a month since I started my new job. It's great so far. It's overwhelming, because there are so many things to do in so little time. But I need to survive the probie period. It's not easy to look for jobs when the economy sucks.

I will survive the probie period. I will!

Ciao for now...

Official LOST Season 5 Promo Released

It's about freaking time.

The first official promo for LOST's season five has been released online. And it looks like The Swan and the Nigerian drug smuggler plane are back.

Or are they?

I think the theory that the Island moved to a different time (DHARMA Initiative's heyday?) may actually be proven right (or at least partially) in the end.

Enjoy the following clip, courtesy of DarkUFO. Thanks Dark for the code and the pic below!

I want to flash-forward to 2009 NOW.

I Want A BlackBerry Storm

I love my BlackBerry Pearl. Sure, it's not as good as the Apple iPhone. It's good enough for me and my needs, though. My Pearl works well by itself, as is my iPod Nano. And then I read this review by a working mom. Now, I'm just a working girl, but her review convinced me that having an iPhone is not an absolute requirement for living.

So, when I chanced upon this Yahoo! Tech article, I was really excited. I mean, a touchscreen smartphone with the things that I love about the BlackBerry (and more) and without the need to get rid of my iPod Nano? Fantastic!

Enter the BlackBerry Storm.




Of course, it's not yet released in the US, as per Verizon Wireless's page, let alone in Canada. I checked the Rogers Wireless website - nothing.

Hopefully it'll be released anytime after 27 December; I'll be eligible for an upgrade by then.

Oohhh... I seriously want a BlackBerry Storm!!!

Freaking Out For Tomorrow!

I am starting on a new job tomorrow, 1 October.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I'm excited, nervous, happy, and just plain freaking out. Can you tell?

Anyway, I'll be doing more of the same things, but the new company is in the manufacturing industry, so many things are gonna be new to me. And none of the messiest joint venture ever created to boot! (Y'all in [insert name of my former employer here] know what I'm talking about. *Wink wink*) I think I'll be more involved and busier here too.

The best parts? It's about half an hour away by bus - probably less if I get a ride from my bro-in-law since he works a block away. What's more? I'll have earlier hours, so I can get home much earlier! When I get home from work, I can focus on my writing/blogging. Yay! Also, there's a Subway, Wendy's, and Tim Hortons nearby.

The worst part? I can't be a night owl anymore. I have to get up every morning at five, and be at the bus stop by 6:40.

Why did I leave my previous employer? Well, it's laying me (and practically the entire finance department in the Burnaby regional office) off in the new calendar year, and I didn't want to wait until then. I know how much it sucks to go job-hunting in the middle of winter. That's the main reason anyway. (Harhar)

My last day was actually kinda sad. Even if I swore not to cry, I still did. I was so emotional that night. Thank God for the white wine that one of the district managers gave me last Christmas.

But in the end, I was glad. About a week after I got the news (a day later than the rest because I was sick on the day TPTB broke the news), I felt... kinda relieved. After the shock of getting laid off, I began to feel free. I had been unhappy since the beginning of this year (don't ask me why; it's too painful to remember), and I was itching to get the heck out of there. The news of the layoffs gave me a very good reason to go job-searching.

It was pretty quick too. Two weeks after I got the news - early morning of 27 August, to be exact - I sent out resumes for three postings (those posted by recruiting agencies on behalf of the companies) I saw on Monster.ca. By afternoon of 27 August, I've gotten a response from two of them: one was a more senior position that I didn't get, and the other one was a junior position that's similar to what I've been doing in the past two years. I spoke with the recruiter two days after. Ten days after, the recruiter e-mailed me to say that the controller wanted to interview me. On 11 September, I spoke with the controller. The interview went great, with a bit of bloopers (that never runs out in my life). The recruiter e-mailed me four days after the interview to tell me that the company was offering me the job. I had some reservations about the proposed start date, because I wanted to finish my major obligations to my previous employer. I accepted the job offer later that day - 15 September - and gave notice to my former boss. I got the official offer letter three days later.

It only took 22 days, from sending the resume to faxing the signed offer letter back to the recruiter. Wow.

Anyway, I hope this new job works out for me, and that I'll stay in this company until my retirement.

Pray for me, y'all!

When Life Starts to Overwhelm You...

... Sometimes, writing/blogging has to take a back seat.

I've had to sort out some things in my life ("career," finances, et cetera). I will start writing again soon. Hopefully over this weekend.

Ciao for now.