So, I had a somewhat creepy and ‘whatthefuck’ experience at work today. 

Around 8.30pm, the restaurant I work at was relatively quiet with the odd customer coming and going here and there. While walking from one end of the place to the other doing miscellaneous cleaning up, taking orders, serving food, etc, I noticed a man in his late 30’s staring at my direction every so often. I normally don’t pay attention to customers unless they call me up or I go up to them personally, especially not older, unattractive, bum looking ones. So for me to notice him staring must have meant he was, well, staring. Or maybe he just happened to like leaning and looking in that direction (or that was what I was hoping for). I went behind the counter to wash some cups, and he was sitting right at the corner of my eye… okay, he was definitely being a creeper. After I finish washing my stuff, he calls me over and asks for my name. We talk for a little bit (albeit awkwardly), and I make up some excuse before going back to work. 

I try to make myself busy by repeatedly doing the same tasks, wiping already clean tables, redundantly pushing chairs in closer, heading over to the cash register to check if there were any orders to be put into the computer system… before he called me over again for another chat. And this happened throughout the night, and by around 9.50pm before my shift was ending, I went back to the counter to wash more cups. Then, the most creepy comment I have ever received at work (or possibly just the most creepy comment ever), he asked if he could take me home (followed by disturbing compliments I wasn’t exactly pleased to receive).

Um, wtf? I was so stunned I literally didn’t know what to say except laugh and turn around before pulling a disturbed face. He’s at least 10 years older than I am, if not more, and he said I looked like I was about 18 so… pedophile much? Plus, I work at a restaurant as a waitress, not at a night club or anything. I’m not there to relieve your sexual tension, ugh :/

In an attempt to run away from him as fast a possible, I went to the cash register to charge the Japanese customer that was leaving. We talked for a bit while he was paying (genuinely, unlike the forced conversations I had with the creepy dude), and I noticed the aforementioned man was getting out of his seat and heading over. While I was glad that he was leaving, I wasn’t keen to talk to him anymore. He casually walked past where I was (still serving the Japanese customer) and he walked over to the glass door, looking outside as if he was expecting someone. Then, he opened the door, and —

Ran.

Dashed out of the restaurant, without paying, nothing. Both the customer I was serving and I were shocked, and as soon as I realised what happened, I chased after him. I didn’t catch him of course - by the time I was out there he had already disappeared. I explained to my manager what happened and apologised for letting him out of my sight, but honestly, if he had intended on doing this in the first place, there’s nothing I could’ve done to stop him. But I do feel very bummed though, I felt like I was being harassed, and on top of that, he doesn’t pay for his meal? It made me rather unhappy, and it annoyed me even more that I had to clean up after him >< (I actually broke a cup accidentally while washing up after lol, it was the cup he used but that was unintentional xD)

I often hear my workmate complain about creepy customers at work asking her out during lunchtimes, and apparently it happens a lot more during lunch than dinner, which is why I never experienced this until now. Better be more careful next time…

While talking to a friend through text today, he suddenly said something very interesting which I never pondered upon until now. 

“Sometimes, I wonder how you and I ended up with people that are so different in someways. As in, how your boyfriend and my girlfriend are both party all night people whereas you and I probably aren’t so much. Life is a mystery sometimes I swear.”

Which is so very much true. My friend would most likely prefer to stay in on a Friday night and read a good book, whereas I’d like to catch up on sleep after a week full of uni and work. His girlfriend, in particular, goes drinking almost every weekend (if not more), and he laughs every time she says she’ll stop going out, because it will never happen (at least not for now). It just makes me wonder how we’re able to keep up with their busy lifestyle, and how they manage to do things with us without getting bored. For most part, my boyfriend doesn’t mind me not going out all the time, but he does often ask me to come out with him when he does. And sometimes I wonder how many times I have to say yes, out of obligation. Of course, I will never do anything I’m uncomfortable with, or anything I don’t want to, but even when I wouldn’t mind going out, sometimes, instead of spending so much effort putting on makeup and deciding what to wear before heading to a club or a bar, I’d rather just laze around in my room and do something low-key and quiet.

And then it made me wonder how much trouble it can cause. Personally for me, I don’t worry so much when my boy is out - he’s a guy, he can drive, and he knows what he’s doing. The worst thing for me would be when he hangs out with his attractive female friends, and I get jealous :x But regardless of what my case is like, isn’t it so much harder for my friend? Constantly worrying about whether she got home safely, whether she’s even at home or still out, wondering what she’s up to and who’s she with…

Which is how we got onto this topic in the first place - I was with her last night at a friend’s 22nd birthday dinner, when a few of them went off to club while I headed home. My friend texted me this morning asking if I knew where she was - she was supposed to be dropped off at his place, since she parked her car there, and then go home. Apparently this happens often so he’s not surprised, but no matter how many times it does happen, its not going to make him worry any less, is it? 

Sometimes, I do wonder how people end up with others so different to them in specific ways. Yet, regardless of those differences, we can’t seem to let them go. Life is a mystery, indeed.

Remember how in one of my previous posts, I mentioned I managed to find the Urban Decay Naked palette at a relatively low price? Turns out it’s a fake ): I didn’t notice until well over a month later, and now it might be too late to return it… >< well, I guess I can take this as a lesson - always do my research first when I find cheap, apparently “authentic” high end brands on eBay :x 

And I guess I can still use the eyeshadows as normal even if they aren’t as pigmented, or the same as the original palette. So I am slightly gutted ):

On a happier note - I have a workmate’s birthday dinner tomorrow night and another friend’s birthday dinner on Saturday to attend! My workmate was quite easy to shop for - I got her a nice 3 piece hand cream set from The Body Shop :) As for my friend, she’s a lot harder to find presents for - I went shopping four times before picking something out for her >< Regardless, I do hope she likes it! 

I’ve also finally decided on the smartphone I want to get after thinking over it for a few months. I was set on getting the Sony Xperia S because it looked so attractive in photos, and it was only released just recently. But after checking it out at the shops, it’s not as nice as I expected, which made me consider the iPhone 4s for a bit, but I’m not ready to shell out over $1k for a phone >< In the end, I decided upon the white Samsung Galaxy S2, which my cousin will hopefully be getting it for me in HK and having my mum bring it back to me in July, since it is a lot cheaper overseas :) 

Aaaaaand, that’s all from me tonight!

Hey guys,

As the internet at my apartment with a mere 7GBs of bandwidth has capped, I’m typing this out on Microsoft Word and hoping Tumblr will let me post this later tonight. I haven’t been doing much in my second week of break, but today was a bit more productive than usual. I hit the uni gym at 12pm after waking up just before 11am, (which has been one of the earlier mornings for me during this break – I like to take the term “sleeping in” to the extreme), and attended a class for an hour, and went to the actual gym for another hour for the first time. When there are classes, it’s usually very crowded and a little intimidating, but it’s a lot less so when you have someone else with you :)

After that, I got ready for work then headed off for a supposed-4.5-hour-turned-5-hour-shift. It was a lot busier than my last few shifts, and my boss came in near the end to eat. I had to serve him a couple of times, which was definitely very nerve wrecking! What if, I screw up my formal Japanese, or do something stupid like spill food on him? Oh the possible retarded things I might have done are endless… Luckily I don’t think I did too badly, though my Japanese definitely needs brushing up!

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Wrote that a few nights ago, but never finished it :P So now I’m back home where the internet is nice and fast :) Oh, and I also hit the gym on Friday, to one of the pump sessions. Such a good work out! My triceps still hurt from it xD

Today, I went yum cha with my dad and brother for the first time in ages! Haven’t been since some time last year before I left for Japan… if even. My dad is leaving New Zealand again next month after having just returned from a one month cruise this month (he’s going to Canada this time), so it was a nice little get together, despite half the family not being there xD My older brother wasn’t home this weekend, and my mum and sister are overseas. While my family and I generally don’t have much to talk about, I’m glad that we still enjoy each other’s company and genuinely like to make time for each other. I guess I’m rather traditional Chinese in that sense – I value family as something really important to me, especially those in the generations above me. While I don’t particularly want to start working yet, I’m looking forward to the part when I’m the one which sends my parents off to nice dinners and holidays instead of the other way ‘round :)

Also, I bought a few skincare/makeup items online recently and they’ve all arrived! So excited to put them to use~ I bought:

• Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
• Four essential oils: lavender, ylang ylang, tea tree, and lemon
• Naked palette by Urban Decay (the original one)
• ZA’s True White Two-Way Foundation
• ZA’s cleansing oil

Can’t wait to test out my Naked palette! I never bought it until now because it was so expensive that I couldn’t bring myself to do it despite the hype ): Managed to catch it on eBay for $40 including shipping, which is amazing! It retails in the US for $50, and on TradeMe people are listening it at around $100~ I like the ZA products so far, and I think the clay mask cleared up some of my acne :)

On a completely different note, on Friday night I went with my boyfriend to his friend’s 21st, and I talked to a friend of mine there about art, in particular drawing. I used to love drawing as a kid, and even in high school I enjoyed it a lot. I don’t know what made me stop, but I honestly don’t remember the last time I picked up a pencil and just, dropped down everything to leisurely draw. What made me stop? Why did I lose interest? Why… did I give up so easily? I’ve given up a lot of things in my life, but most of all I regret not trying hard enough when it comes to this. I actually enjoyed it, and if, for these past three years I had practiced a few times a week, I would be a lot better than I actually am. I liked it to the point where I wanted to become a manga artist. What happened? What changed?

I don’t know. But I do know that it’s not too late for me to pick up a pencil and start drawing again. And this time, I’ll try not to give up so easily.