Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Passport Office, Dim Sum & New Enrique!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! I'M OFFICIALLY ONE YEAR OLDER!!
This morning I woke up extra early so I could get my passport application done and over with! I have been procrastinating for a while and I thought I better just do it since I'm taking the day off. Before heading over to the Richmond passport office, I should have taken down the address but didn't and assumed it was still in the same place. Guess what, ti wasn't!!! Apparently, the changed offices in July!! Damn, I was looking all around wondering what happened to the office!?!?!? Finally I went up to the building and noticed on the window (half covered by a huge billboard advertising new condos being built behind the building) a small map describing where and how to get to the new location!! Ugh!! It was about 5 or so blocks away!! I couldn't believe it!! Just before arriving to this office, I had gone to the RBC and Starbucks which is only half a block away from the new location!! Once I arrived at the NEW office, the doors had just opened and security was letting small groups of people into the building. Outside, I was in the line up for about 15 minutes and once I reached the office inside, I waited another 15 minutes (screening process) before given a number to submit and pay for my passport. There were at least 50 people waiting to get their passport processed. I couldn't believe how fast mine was!! As soon as I got my number, 3 minutes later my number was called! I am so happy that I decided to fill in the application online because I was def. finished way faster than everyone else. It seems that I was in another line up for processing my application. There were 3 sets of numbers being used for the processing counters. When my number was called, I headed up to the counter and the lady scanned my application (there is a bar code on the top of my application), stamped my photos, paid for my passport application and I was out of there in record time. I had completed the passport process in under an hour!! Wow I couldn't believe it, I was expecting to be in there much longer. From now on, I will always renew my passport online and will def. recommend that everyone if you can, apply for your passport online!! I left with a huge smile on my face and all those people still waiting had a puzzled look on their face when I walked out of there!
After the passport office, I drove over to my dad's place because I had some time before dim sum (still early) and I planned on driving my dad to the restaurant. My dad wasn't sure why we were going for dim sum and I knew he had forgotten it was my birthday. That's ok, my dad has a lot on his mind and since he is now retired, he never really knows what day it is! Within the hour, we decided to headed over to Shanghai Restaurant on Alexandra Road to get a table because if you order your dim sum before 11.00am, you get 25% off your bill. Since I was out of the passport office so quickly, we had decided to wait until 10.00am before waking up my brother for dim sum. After 4 phone calls, he got up and said he'd be out there door within half an hour! Dad and I headed over to the restaurant after the call so we could order dim sum while we were waiting for my brother, Rhoda and Kay to arrive. Rhoda, Kay and Rhoda's mom showed up a little after 11.00am and thank goodness they brought mom coz my dad ordered way too much food!! There were 15 dishes and 3 of them were Hai Gao! (Hai Gao = Shrimp Dumplings). Gosh I am so stuffed!! We chit chatted for a bit and caught up on life, my father is a very friendly and talkative person and after a couple of hours, we were finally ready to leave. Rhoda, mom and Kay left for Rhoda's place in Burnaby, while my brother took dad home and I headed back to Vancouver. Mom wanted me to call her after I was done because she was going to Best Buy to pick up her online order (DVDs) and since she was in my neighborhood, she thought I could come along. I saw my mom last night and she did not mention a birthday wish so basically everyone forgot except for Kay and Rhoda!

My Presents!! My brother gave me a really nice and expensive shampoo and conditioner by Kerastase. Which is perfect coz I am now going back to salon products. Daddy gave me the universal gift, CA$H MONIE$! Rhoda, my very bestest friend, gave me a very cute matching set of stretch sweatpants and jacket coz she thinks I need to dress down more often. She hates it when we hang out on the weekend and I'm in heels and all dressed up. My reason? Coz I haven't found any casual wear that fits nicely and looks good. But now I can't say that I don't have anything coz she picked out something really nice and it fits really well! She's awesome, the size is perfect! I think HonHon will be impressed and happy that now I will not make him look bad coz he's always dressed casually.

Photos on my Psycho Pat Flickr Account. Check'em out! Must get ready for dinner, I finally decided to have dinner at Aqua Riva with a small group of my close friends, can't wait! Very excited, this is going to be THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! :) (PS. I say THAT every year coz every year it most def. is the BEST B'DAY EVER!)

Oh yes, one more thing......

Enrique Iglesias's got a new music video, "Tired of Being Sorry" and it's one of my fave. songs off his album!


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