June 19, June 20, June 21

June 19th!!!
When I woke up, it was raining -- it was in between drizzle and regular rain. So I changed and went to Mass because it was the Feast of the Sacred Heart (of Jesus) with Mom and my brother. We went on the tram ("Ding Ding") to get to the place. We got off and walked to an apartment complex, which I thought odd. But then we got to the first floor, and we took our shoes off (because there were a few shoe racks right there) before walking to the right where a doorway sat. And we walked in.
Lo and behold, there was a huge L-shaped room with an altar in the vertex. So I was like, "Oh. Neat. A kinda homey feel?" (Don't worry, there was a priest and everything -- nothing blasphemous or weirdy/cult-like. It just felt kind of like ancient Roman Churching with all of those underground/secret Mass celebrations.)
Anyways, we left soon afterwards because I didn't feel well. So we rushed home, and there was a bit of an episode soon. Long story short, I ended up just sleeping most of the afternoon away because I felt so terrible. But I did wake up at about 4 to finish a Chinese opera (on VCD) which we had bought (because I was very interested in Chinese opera). They have very ornate costumes and makeup, and their singing is very unique. They also move very gracefully albeit dramatically. It was pretty good... except for the fact that I got really confused towards the end. And I also kinda fell asleep while being confused, so that definitely didn't help me.
But then we had dinner afterwards. We had a mango-jam loaf, raisin and walnut bread, and a hot dog pastry (okay. "We" means "my little brother" here because he loves any type of baked good which involves a hot dog wrapped in dough. But this one wasn't like the regular hot dog bun he has; it was flakier and kind of croissant-looking). Then my dad also bought some food from downstairs. I've mentioned this a few times, so I'll explain a bit more. It's called a "fan hap" (飯箱; "rice box"), and it's basically a ready-to-go meal. Rice is placed into a small styrofoam box while a dish of your choosing is placed into another box (they will usually put lettuce or some other greens in the bottom before putting the food into the box). The food is usually steamed, and you can also order soup and other assortments of food. It's certainly very convenient.
And then my parents went to Happy Valley to clean up the apartment (mop, dust, clean windows) so that they can put it on the market.
So I stayed at home, typing some more for my writing thing with Wiki.
Anyways, I was checking the weather forecast, and I must say. Pheee-ewwwwwwww, it's going to get bad. See, we're entering monsoon season. And the first typhoon's coming, so it's been really hot and humid. Like, especially hot and humid, which is kinda not fun. But I guess it's okay. It's a price I must pay!

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Okay, June 20.
I went to the Tik Dah doctor again. We used the lunch-to-pass-time method again, which seems fail-proof at this point because it worked yet again. But anyways! He said that there was a bit of improvement, and I agree! My finger's ligament has become a bit softer, which means that I can sraighten it a bit more. Also, I can actually bend it independently; it might only be a little (and honestly almost inconsequential in distance), but it's certainly an improvement!
This time, he used a more potent herbal liquid (it was usually deep-yellow in color, but it was brown this time. Plus, there was herbal debris(?) everywhere. It was odd. But, hey. If it helps, I'm not complaining). And it seemed hotter than normal this time. I couldn't keep my hand in it for more than two seconds at first. It took about eight minutes (def. not five, but not quite ten) to get used to it. Then he massaged it gently and wrapped it in more herbal paste to keep making the ligaments tender.
But afterwards, we came home. I checked the temperature, and it says that it was 91 degrees but felt like 104 degrees. (Current Temperature: 91 F. Feels Like: 104F.) WTG, man? Eh... monsoon season is probs. the worst thing ever. You walk out of your apartment doorway and into the hall. Before you know it, you're already sweating a little. But you think to yourself, "This is fine. I can bear it." And then you get out of the elevator, and you're like, "Wow. Humid. I might've lied." Thankfully, I've learned how to properly keep a brisk pace while not breaking out into a heavy sweat (a sheen of sweat is unavoidable at times like these -- even for natives whom you'd expect to have adapted accordingly). So I can walk quickly enough to get to my destination (and enjoy air conditioning while waiting for others to catch up) without passing out on the street. Thank the heavens.
Anyways, I got home, and then we went out for a walk after dinner. I toured the Causeway Bay library, which is huge. And really magnificent. And high -- I was scared after looking down from the seventh level (which isn't even the top floor). Eep. But it's a nice place, and I'd like to spend some time there... but I might not because I should probably be spending time experiencing Hong Kong, right? :/ Decisions, decisions...
Anyways, we then went to the nearby IKEA. And it was fun, especially since I'd never been to an IKEA store before. Nifty, etc. But it made me kinda long for my US friends because I knew that it'd be really fun if I had gone with them... I was a bit wistful...
After IKEA, we went to the "Bistro" that was co-joined to the store. My parents and brother ordered ice cream (other people were buying hot dogs and popcorn in addition to ice cream... even though it was 9:45). It was anything but expensive, but I was like, "Nope. It's too late for eating, really." Afterwards, we hit up the 24-hour Wellcome store and did some shopping. It was funny when I saw the bakery area. There were a lot of different things labeled "Western bread" -- donuts, buns, rolls, more. It was really funny because anything that didn't fit into the category of traditional Chinese baking was called "Western bread".
When I got back, I did some more writing on the computer. Which got in the way of Facebook and blogging. And I also fell asleep while typing, so that didn't help the whole updating-people-on-what-I'm-doing business. Gack, I'm such a failure sometimes. :(

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So, June 21! Happy was-Father's Day.
Yesterday morning, my parents woke me up at 9:15. Which is kind of ridiculous because I like to have an hour before the step-out-of-the-doorway time; that way, I can finish my morning rituals at a slow and comfortable pace. (Wake. Sit in bed for 15 minutes, waiting for my body to accustom itself to being active. Get up. Head towards the bathroom. Change clothes. Head to the kitchen. Eat breakfast. Place plates in the sink. Return to the bathroom. Brush my teeth. Wash my hair. Wash my face. Use facial products. Blow-dry my hair. Grab my gear and/or jacket. Put my shoes on. Leave the house.) But I had half an hour to accomplish my daily routine, which is ridiculous. (Plus, I was to take off the bandage with the herbal paste this morning, so that was extra time because I have to take it off and then let the skin dry. See, the paste leaves your hand pruned, yellow, and caked with herbal debris. So you have to let it dry before you can clean your hand of the yellowness.)
Anyways, I finished in 31 minutes, which I find admirable. (I might've been one minute past my deadline, but I still wasn't late for Mass! Mwaha, victory.) Somehow, I couldn't focus at all during Mass. Like, I had some major ADD going on, blagh! But it was nice.
And afterwards, we bought some conditioner (we ran out?) and foods at a nearby shop. Then my dad and brother headed back while my mom and I got some Indonesian food for lunch. (Shoot. I forgot to take pictures of this. Oh well... Don't feel too bad -- it wasn't particularly good this time because they don't have much selection on Sundays... or any other day that's not Monday.) We ordered some beef balls (again, note that it's just a ball of beef meat) in rice-vermicelli noodles ("mai fun"; 米粉). Then we also had some spicy fish and vegetables on rice. And they nicely gave us some some other fried, assorted food (spring roll, stuffed tofu, and a carrot hash brown). I have a suspicion that it's because my mom and I always say "Good morning" to her and converse with her when we pass. I found it very kind of her to do such a thing, and I was like, "Aw... Thank you!" It was very nice, indeed. I like her very much -- even more than I had before.
Anyways. We ate. And it was not particularly good, in all honesty (but certainly not bad. Just not... WOW). But it was different, so I'll call it an "experience." We also had some leftover bread from the morning -- (raisin) braided bread, Western bread (haha. It was more like garlic bread... except for the fact that the garlic was on the top crust instead of the inside), and some bread made with whole grains.
Then I got a call from my cousin Vivian asking me to meet her to do some shopping for the afternoon's BBQ (she lives on the highest living floor of her apartment. And above her (the roof) sits an area with a grill for outdoor barbeques). It was REALLY HOT, but I still went. So we bought some drinks the local Wellcome and brought it to her place, where her fiancé (this cousin's the one I mentioned in my post of June 14th) was already preparing. And we sat around to cool off and waited for some others to come and help with groceries. During this time, she played some music from a rather old (as in "back in the day") singer called "Vivian". I apparently used to love her songs, but I couldn't really remember her music as I listened to it (though I admit to finding one of them familiar). But then my cousin Hei Hei (Vivian's step-sister. She's younger than I am by one year) and my cousin-in-law Stanley (husband of Vivian's older sister, Ada) came. (And Stanley brought his nearly-one-year-old son Marcus.)
So Hei Hei, Vivian, and I headed out to meet Ada (Vivian's older sister; Hei-Hei's older step-sister), who was waiting downstairs. And so we headed to the 24-hour Wellcome (the one I went to the previous night. It's a bit far... like, 15/20 minutes away from where I live) to do some shopping of the food (like, meat and stuff). So we bought stuff, and all was well. Then Aunt Kuen called and said that she'd be at the Cuaseway Bay station (MTR) soon. So we waited for her at the exit at Times Square. (Causeway Bay station has many exits. So you have to know where you're going or you'll end up exiting from the wrong side. Thankfully, there are signs in Chinese and English that tell you of the landmarks near each exit. So it's hard to lose your way.)
And so we all walked to Vivian's place. And it was good. My mom and brother came at around 3, and my dad came at around 7 (he had a two-hour massage to help his muscles). And joining us was also Ada's hired maid, who cared for Marcus all night. (Because Marcus won't let anyone but Ada or her maid come near him. He cried when he had neither of them, the naughty boy.)
Anyways, all was fun. :)
Yay to life and family. And now I'm REALLY tired. And I haven't showered yet. So I'm going to go now. I need to shower, brush my teeth, wash my face, etc. And sleep.
So tired. I love you all.

12:34 AM
June 22

BTW. I forgot to mention. My cousin Vivian is marrying a Canadian, so I was talking to him in English (it's still easier to speak English, even though he's been in HK for so long). And I realized that I've been talking in Chinese for too(?) long. It became apparent to me because it felt odd to speak English. Like... slimy and foreign in my mouth. Maybe I just wasn't used to hearing my mouth speak in flat-out English after so long... Eh. Anyways, my typing is fine (I think). It was just odd, I guess... mainly because I found myself being self-conscious about accent and proper pronunciation (which usually comes naturally to me) as I spoke. How weird, indeed.

12:56 AM
June 22