流水账之第八天

I am waken up by skiff. He jumps up to the bed, biting my hand at 4am. Raining heavy this morning. So I close all the windows and lie down in the bed, sleeping. Skiff feels lonely, he plays with himself and goes to sleep again.
Having western food as lunch, price and taste are quite ok.
The price to change the toilet window is $380. I feel a bit expensive and am hesitate to do it. Leave it to Sigma.

Hacking work is finished

When I arrive our flat, the main gate is open. I find it is the designer who is on site to wait for me.
Sand is full of half of the living room and tiles are in common room. Every un-need thing has been hacked away. The floors and walls are made up by cement. Electrical wire on kitchen and toilet wall is removed and hung here and there. Toilet bowls and basins are demolished. Em, above is the list of what reno work has been down till now.
The designer shows me the tiles, especially the changed tile for kitchen wall. The difference between the tiles of kitchen wall and toilet wall is: the tile for toilet wall has some decorative design in yellow but the tile for kitchen wall looks all white.
The designer asks whether we want to change the wooden window frame of toilet, since wood is easy to go rotten. Need decide it after discuss with Sigma. For my opinion, I feel it is ok now and will be ok for recent following years. So no need spend money on it. What need do is just to paint the frame and clean the window glass. Any way, leave it to Sigma to decide.
We decide to move the basin from kitchen into the narrow common toilet and put the toilet bowl, basin and instant heater in a line. Our wash machine and refrigerator will be put side by side at the place where the basin is. So that the corner between refrigerator and the store room wall will be our small dining area. It is big enough for 2 to 5 persons. Our 10 feet kitchen cabinet will be a straight line shape, sink and hob side by side. The huge pipe beside kitchen cabinet will be covered.
We need buy some new lights. The designer does us a favor, he will change the lights for free. Nice guy! Maybe I will ask him go with us to select the lights so that he could give us some professional advice. Haha : )

流水账之第七天

Hearing the ring of my watch, I struggle to get up on 7:20am. Skiff is very happy to have a walk. When he sees a Huskey with it's owner walked ahead, he keeps on barking. I have to take him back so that he could stop making noise.
During lunch, I order "yun tun he fen". The coffee shop does not have many choices. I select it because there is a whole prawn in each yun tun and the price is ok $3. Can not give any recommendation, the "he fen" is very spicy even I only order a bit a bit spice. I can not finish it. Maybe I will order no spice next time. Haha :)
I leave office about 6:10. To catch the bus 6:25, my colleague and I rush to the bus stop. It is very lucky that our buses come at the time we arrive the bus stop. So that I arrive Serangoon at 7pm. From the window, the light of our flat is on. I walk up and find the designer. After some discussion with the designer, I am back home by MRT.
On the way home, I go the supermarket to buy some ice-cream: yam and coffee flavor.
I go to sleep at 11pm.
See you tomorrow.

Photos third time

Banquet today

Today, get up 8 o'clock. In the morning there is a talk about scheduling for real-life applications. Join several talks on scheduling and CP (count the solutions). In the afternoon join a talk where a friend presents. Later join a very interesting talk on SAT solving. 7:00 pm join the banquet, the food is not bad. Drinking some red wine. A couple from zhongshan univ. give me a moon cake, today is mid-autumn. Happy mid-autumn shi tzu and skiff.

流水账之第六天

Think it is better for me to exercise English more. Haha.
Get up around 7:40 as usual this morning. Skiff jumps onto the bed and bites my hand, wanna playing with me. But he still gets throat problem. He is so smart that go to toilet poo poo when I eat apple in living room. Share some apple with him, since Sigma told me to feed him some vegetable and fruits. He likes eatting apple very much. When I plan to leave and try to catch him, he runs fast to hide himself under the bed. No matter how I call him, he just hides under the bed, unwilling to come out. I have to drag his fore-leg, pull him out and put him into the cage. When he finds there is no way to come out, he changes his mind and starts to drink his milk. Saying "stay home, be a good boy", I leave home.
I eat chicken rice for lunch again. It is not the same shop as yesterday and the price is much more expensive, $4. Think because it is chicken leg and the shop provide some vegetable and soup for free. At least the taste is not bad. Of course dissert is following the lunch. I order melon and saga puting, $1.8. The taste is just so so. Think I will not try again next time.
I feel some upset the whole day since Sigma does not appear. Finally, he comes out around 3pm. He is sleeping due to the bio-oclock problem. Haha. I tell him to give me some msgs so that I know where he is going to.
Today is Mid-autumn Festival. Call parents and cook a dish myself at home. When I cook in kitchen, Skiff is lying near main door, facing outside. Maybe he is missing Sigma. I feel Skiff need rest and decide not bring him out tonight. Go to sleep around 10:30PM. Hope I can get up early tomorrow morning so that I can take Skiff out for a walk.

Photos again

Conferece, presentation

Today I did a short presentation 5 mins. Since I could not sleep last night, quite sleepy. Anyway the presentation went well. Meet some chinese friends here, we have lunch together. I lead them to the mall, where I ate the 20 pc prawn chinese food (5.5$). Quite sleepy during afternoo€n. After I listen Prof. Roland's speech, eat some beef rice (6$), and go back to hotel to sleep to 4 am.

流水账之第五天

又是周一，总感觉周末还没有休息够，哈哈。中午又是鸡饭，本来还想喝凤梨水的，谁知道店没开。就选了绿豆汤。晚上早早就下班了。路上买了两个凤梨，削好的，原本2块一个，但就剩两个了，摊主就要我3块两个都买了。带skiff出门，这家伙到处pee pee，可就是不poo poo，转了20分钟左右就带他回家了。吃了昨天剩的辣椒土豆，还有山芋。饭后还吃了半个凤梨，嘴巴都麻了。
skiff最近喉咙里面还是有痰，不怎么kekeka了，但是总是在“清嗓子”，呼吸的时候也有“呼噜呼噜”的声音。咬手的时候，觉得他嘴巴里面温度挺高的，不知道是不是发烧了呢？找了药出来，有咳嗽的，发烧的和抗菌的。
- rimadyl 1/2 tab twice daily for fever
- dextromethorphan 1/2 tab twice daily for cough
- baytril 1 tab once daily
上网查了下，貌似有的还有副作用，没敢给他吃。
skiff吃饭到还好，不过对牛奶也不是那么热情了，我走之前他都没喝呢。但是我回来的时候，牛奶和给的狗粮都吃完了。希望一切都好。
另外，下午没有接到装修商的电话，后来收到他的短信，约在周三晚上看材料。看到有人家的电线都是埋在墙里面的，不知道我们那个厨房的他会给我们埋在墙里面么？还是要另外加钱才给做的？

Photos

Conference, Second day

今天去听了两个讲座，mainly on planning, first one is the planning with uncertainty, talking about MDP. Second one is applying learning on planning. 以前没怎么学过 planning, 感觉和 scheduling 差不多， 中午在subway 吃了个6 英寸的三明治，花了5.4 $ , 料还很多，有，牛肉，西红柿，bear chilli,..etc.， 味道还不错。
晚上是reception, 大家在一起吃，不过是buffet那种，没什么吃的，酒随便喝，哈哈，不会喝，只好喝可乐了，碰到两个中国学生，在多大读书，聊得不错，吃完了一起出去遛达了一会，就回来了。

开工后的第一次视察

Which one is our flat?

View of Main Door

Main Door
All decoration things will be removed and will paint main door and main gate. Do not change main gate to rough iron main gate due to budget restriction. :) Hope will have a new look after paint.

Reno License

Living Room - view from main door
I shocked by the color of the wall and the sun-flower stickers on it. The first idea is to hack them all away. But I decide to tolerate the color and remove all the stickers later so that we can save money from hacking work. Thanks to my husband! At the last moment, he makes the decision to hack the tile so that we will have a "new" wall in our color. It will cost us additional $150 to have it done. I told him "I feel heart hurt if do not do renovation while 'meat' hurt if spend much money". He said "heart hurt is much more important than 'meat' hurt". Haha, totally agree with him. Money can be earned back, but we will have happy time during this period.

Living Room - view window in living room
The floor of living room has been hacked. Like the work they have done, keeping everything order and clean. Thumb up!

Main Bedroom - view from living room
Main bedroom becomes cement warehouse.

Common Bedroom - view from living room
Here is tiles warehouse.

Kitchen - view from living room
Hacking work in kitchen is half done. Think they will need two days more to finish it. At that time, the ugly pink pink sink and stove support will disappear. Have not decided which type and color cabinet will replace it. The window and grill will be changed also.

Kitchen - view in kitchen
Last memory of PINK PINK, happy to say goodbye to it.

Kitchen - view from kitchen window
Behind the left wall is our store-room, which will be kept to hide our great amount of mess.

流水账之第四天

今天上午是在雨声中醒来，下了很大的雨，赶紧关窗。早上带skiff出门的计划泡汤了。9点多，起来了就不想睡觉了，而且不知道sigma有没有在网上，哈哈。开电脑，没人在，想起借的书要还了，上网查了一下，昨天就到期了，还好没有被罚钱，今天一定要出门了。可是外面还在下雨，就躺在床上看没有看完的小说，饿了就去冰箱找点吃的。到了12点多，收拾东西出门。乘12路车去图书馆还书，然后走去多美歌，先去买了skiff的吃的，然后搭地铁去serangoon。先吃饭，西洋菜排骨汤，然后去看看装修进度。今天是周日，没有人开工。拍了些照片。

Conference, First day

今天是Conference 第一天，早上8点多起床，去餐厅吃了点面包，面包虽然有点硬，味道还不错。9点左右到了CIT (Center for Information Technology) of Brown, 注册了一下，就去边上的一栋楼听讲座了。我选的组是作(scheduling and scheduling competetion 讨论的). The purpose is to hold a scheduling competetion like the robot cup, to attract more young students in research of scheduling. Many great people are there. Having lunch together with professor Oddi. He is very interested in seeing that we have applied some of techniques from his paper to real-life application. Indian Food for lunch (8$ include tips). The conference only provide one or two dinner, think I have to save some money now, haha:D. Sleepy all the day time, for the coffee break, I happen to pour the coffee on my pants. 现在两条裤子都洗掉了，只能待在旅馆里，不能出去了， 哈哈。 回到旅馆就睡了一觉，一直到晚上1点，出去拿了点面包吃，Brown 半夜也很热闹。上网找shitzu 没找到，过会打电话。

流水账之第三天

早上9点多，被负责装修的id电话吵醒，原来是原先选好的厨房墙砖不够货，要给我们换别的，让我去看。反正都是白色换白色，我就让他决定好了。挂了电话，也睡不着了。就看电视，边收拾东西，把一大堆的报纸都整理出来扔了。清理了三层小柜。下午6点的时候，带着skiff出门，一路上都很乖，只是有两个跑步的人远远看见skiff，就改道了，呵呵。狗粮没有了，于是做完青椒土豆后，给skiff煮了羊肉。skiff应该是想念sigma了，在我做饭的时候，他一直都趴在门口，鼻子对着门缝。应该是很喜欢吃羊肉的，半盒羊肉2分钟内就吃完了，吃完之后舌头还不忘舔嘴巴。我乘skiff咬纸盒子的时候，给他剪了很多屁股上结起来的毛，剪了很多。肥屁股不见了，但愿不要看着很秃就好，以后要经常给他梳毛了。对了，我们出门回来的时候，刚出电梯，门口一帮人在等电梯，他们看见skiff先是吓了一跳，然后几个女孩子就称赞skiff长得很漂亮，帅狗狗。哈哈，心里很是得意，表面上去还做出没听见的样子。快1点了，去睡觉了。skiff早就去周公那边转了一圈了，现在是第二轮呢，呵呵。88

Providence 游记

早上8:40 左右起的床, 睡得挺爽。去厨房弄吃的。发现没有热水, 有位auntie 告诉我，这边的热水都是用微波炉弄得。auntie 又借了个碗给我，就把面放在碗一起扔微波炉里了。填饱了肚子，就带着瓶水，出去遛达了。先想弄个转接口，问了好几个店没找到。到一个店，就会问售货员，"do you have transfer socket?", They always ask "what ?", 琢磨着，难道售货员英语不好?,后来想想，他们是"Native speak". 看来还是高估了自己的口语，哈哈，"socket" 发音不是很准确。后来才知道， 那东西叫，"international converter"。 时间已经是10:20分，有几个可能有的店还没开门，心想还是早点去动物园，回来再找。于是出发去Kennedy plaza 坐车。去 Roger Williams zoo, 做20路，车费1.5，本来身上没有1.5,只好给了2$, 本以为，亏了0.5$. 谁知，司机找了一个0.5$ 卡给我. 坐了10 站左右，到了。进了 Roger Williams Park, 又走了十五分钟才到动物园，票价12$. btw, 在外面溜达的路上，看到很多松鼠，尾巴比新加坡的松鼠好看一些。原来是尾巴的毛多些。看来，热的地方，不紧头发会变少，连松鼠的尾巴毛也变少了。动物园，整体来说，没有新加坡的动物园好。不过，有些动物还是第一次看到，如，非洲的大型食蚁兽，马达加斯加的三角乌龟，etc. 很多老外带着小孩来看动物（其实我现在是老外）。 中午先吃了个hotdog(本以为hotdog 挺大, 实际上就是给skiff吃的香肠), 觉得没吃饱，又去吃了个三明治，加上果汁，总共花了9$. 动物园出来，就在Roger Williams Park 里逛，没带shitzu,所以，东幢，西幢，也不知道走到哪了，看看表，都快四点了。心想，要是出不去了，今天晚上就睡这了。Park 里大雁挺多，第一次看到很多大雁一起飞的情景。想想古代的中国这种情景因该是很常见的。可惜，以后的中国孩子们连野生的松鼠都不一定看到了。人类欠自然的债，总还是要还的。 经过一番brute force, 终于回到了出口，等了二十分钟车，回到了 kennedy plaza. 问了几个人，找到了 Rhode Island Convention Center. Nearby 有个很大的Mall, 就去逛了。好不容易在二楼看到了Converter,最便宜的要二十。心想这也太贵了，家里那个就1S$买的，只是我带错了而已。不死心，又去别的店找，总于找到了9.99$ 的 （和我那个一块的是一样的），虽然是10$,总算便宜了不少，还很高兴得买了。后来又去买了些其他东西，看时间不早了，就去Food court 吃饭了。很高兴看到了我最爱的中餐，虾子蔬菜饭+雪碧,7.5$ (看来我在吃上省钱还是挺难的）。数了数，一共二十个虾子，还有很多蘑菇，还算物有所值 （在美国钓鱼应该很无聊，随便捞一捞就可捞一堆鱼,而且我还没看到，no fishing 的 poster,看来确实是个freedom 至上的国家），吃完饭，回到旅馆已近快七点了，这边还算安全，不像网上说的5点后最好不要出门那种。总的来说，玩得还不错，拍了不少照片，等回家给shitzu看。 也深深感觉到，美国是个资源丰富，物价很高的国家。

流水账之第二天

今天是周五，中午的时候，同事们商量，开两辆车十个人去东海岸food court吃饭。中午很多店都没有开门，只有两家门口排了长龙，一家是鸭饭鸭粥，一家是肉骨茶、猪脚。我要了红烧猪脚，好大一块，加上饭一共5块钱。轮到我们的时候，我们才发觉为什么会排长龙，因为店主动作很慢，哈哈。吃起来味道很好，肉煮的烂烂的，可就是看着很大，没什么肉，剩下好大一块骨头。然后买了一杯柠檬水，眼睁睁的看着老板在空杯子里面加冰，然后半杯白水，然后才是真正的柠檬水，就这样明目张胆掺假的“柠檬水”还要1块钱。自从公司搬家之后，伙食费就明显上扬，可也没发现什么特别好吃的啊。哦，忽然想起来了，有一个，就是那个爆贵的很好吃的冰淇淋，一个筒2块8，吃过一支榴莲味的，还可以吃出来有榴莲肉。而且那个冰淇淋是他们自己做的，可以看见制作过程，在锅里面“炒”。
晚上本来准备早早回家的，谁知道临走之前被客户在msn上抓住问问题，结果又错过了6点20多的车，等了20多分钟，才上了车。之后在OG逛了逛，去超市买了鸡蛋、牛奶、土豆、辣椒、青菜和蘑菇一堆东西。回到家都快8点了。然后打电话回家。看电视，睡觉。

流水账之第一天

中午吃了便宜的鸡饭，还买了一大杯黄梨水，很好喝，还有半杯黄梨在里面，不过应该是罐头黄梨，三块三。因为昨天错过一班车，等了20多分钟，所以今天6点10分就出公司了。心情是不错的，因为做了很久的东西终于可以跑了，整个流程可以成功了，呵呵。回家路上，打包双拼饭--烧鸭+烧肉，老板今天心情好，还给我免费加了菜，四块，赚到啦。顺路绕到超市，要了三个纸箱子，现在要开始做搬家的准备了。到了家，放下包，就带skiff小朋友出门。一路上到处干坏事。在山坡上远远看见有人过来，于是叫住skiff，抱住他。那个人从身边过的时候，因为音乐在放，skiff挣扎着要过去，那个人可能开始没在意，给吓了一跳，哈哈。skiff很乖乖的poo poo。然后我们就回家啦。洗头洗澡，然后吃饭，我吃烧鸭，skiff在边上要吃的，就给他烧肉吃。边吃饭边看电视，然后吃冰淇淋。skiff小朋友自己在一边玩，睡觉。11点多我也睡觉啦。不过没有把skiff小朋友圈禁起来，懒得弄栅栏，搬来搬去的。好在他也蛮乖的，可能看我睡得比较死，也没来骚扰我，一觉好眠到天亮。
原先的计划收拾东西可一点没做，偷懒。明天开始吧。

Second Appointment

请了半天假，本来说是3点半的，可是要我们的律师、HDB的律师和屋主的律师都到齐才可以。一直等到快5点，呵呵，终于啊终于，拿到钥匙了。从此我们成了有房一族，从此我们成了负资产者。拿了钥匙，就跑去看房子。很喜欢啊，那个地点。周围超市、吃饭的地方、活动中心、游泳池什么都有，生活很方便。而且正在造环线，还有新的购物商场，会越来越好的。就是房子本身，可能是因为并不是屋主住的，保养得不是很好，可能要装修一下才好。因为现在的租约是到10月8号，希望可以很顺利的搬家。接下来的任务就是找装修商。