no good news yet..

we're still in the process of negotiating. i'm not sure how much longer would it take, and if i would end up happy or sad.. :(

this offer and counter-offer we had made to own that house is maddening. this is all new to us.. we built our first home on a cash basis and the process of owning a home here in canada really scares us. we're so naive, we don't even know the jargons they used prior to negotiating with the real estate agent and the terms they used in getting a mortgage; not to mention our minimal comprehension on how it would work on our favor. funny, huh?

our agent who's supposedly protecting our interest is of course on the side of the seller because that's where he is getting his commission. thanks to the good people who are backing us up, they gave us the reason why we're sticking to the price they advised us to offer.

And here's the news: my real estate agent came to my place of work three times yesterday and twice today. He even called my hubby for a meeting tomorrow. I guess this is an indication that the seller is relenting...

Counter Offer

We just made a counter-offer at 9:30 pm tonight.

I hope tommorow's news would not break my heart..

home away from home

When we first arrived here in China on March 28, 1994, we were provided with a free accommodation as part of the provisions stated in our OFW employment contract. During those times, the company had provided a room in He Fong Hotel for two long years but we found it inconvenient so we decided to revise the condition and started to live in a flat instead. I am still employed by the same company up to now, while my husband expanded his entertainment business. We were lucky to have been able to live based on our preferences. We first lived in a high rise, 16th Floor of the Friendship Mansion located within the City. We found the urban district too crowded so we decided to find a better flat in the suburb.



I fell in love with the place the first time I saw it. It is not new but it offers a lot of convenience to us especially when our children came to live and study here in China after completing their secondary level in the Philippines. And up to now, we are enjoying Dongle Garden we all begun to love since our move. We considered this our home away from home..


Dongle Garden is an old residential area situated in Lo Wu District near the picturesque East Lake Reservoir. Our home is one among the clusters of 7-story building flats strategically built in a highly conducive location. Flats were mostly owned by prominent Hongkies (Chinese from Hong Kong) in the early days and majority of the residents were from the Shenzhen police force and other related departments. We felt safer after knowing that. Although the building are quite old, we found it highly suitable to our needs and just a walking distance to parks, schools, police station, fresh produce markets, grocery stores and few blocks from high-end department stores.



Our flat is overlooking the Garden's recreational facilities. You'll gonna love to come out and join the senior residents before the sun rises in the morning. You will see them wearing their colorful uniforms doing their morning exercises and taichi, while some elderly are busy playing cards with their pals.




Thanks that our flat is in the 3rd floor because all the buildings in Dongle Garden do not have elevators. And if you come inside our home away from home, you will see there some of my photo frame collections and some display items I had accumulated during my stay here. I had shipped most of our thrift finds to our home sweet home in Baras. Our home there is detached and large enough to accommodate all my collections. I used to buy decors and art stuff to all the places and countries we had visited and yes, I love it all...! I'll gonna post down some photos when I get back to our home sweet home later..












Thanks for dropping by,

Strike 2

While safety alert was raised on imported European food products, there are now 12 U.S. imports that are on a 90-day alert list according to SD's report dated 11th of December.

As I had mentioned before, the news on European food safety alert does not identify what harmful chemicals were found unlike the 12 US food products wherein SD even supported the findings with b&w photo of the foods in question and its alleged chemical contents.

The 12 US food products on the alert list includes the following:
1. Lemon Juice (excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide)
2. Bay Leaf Powder (excessive amount of lead)
3. Stacker Sauce (too much sorbic acid and benzoic acid)
4. Cheese Balls (excessive amounts of coloring additives)
5. !
6. Algia & Mussel Capsules, and Oysters & Vegetable Compound Tables (too much arsenic)
7. Cheese (too much coliform bacteria)
8. Whey Powder (insufficient amount of protein)
9. Chocolate (containing the banned quinoline yellow food dye)
10. Almonds (excessive amounts of fat peroxide)
11. Candy (excessive amounts of coloring)
12. Melt Extract Powder (too much aluminum)

Note: The 5th photo only indicated an exclamation sign..


Ironically, the 12 US food products on a 90-day import alert list only specified its organic names but not the labels. It's nearing holiday seasons and we consumers who will apparently require some of the items listed in preparation for the supposed joyful feast during the holidays were placed in such ironic situation.

Am I using the word 'irony' so much, or i'm just having my usual mood swings..? hmmn..

strike back..!

Not so long ago, China was devastated by the melamine contaminated milk and related food products.. As a result, products made in China were highly scrutinized and were banned all over the world..

Today, Shenzhen Daily has reported that safety alert was raised all over China over some imported EUROPEAN FOODS... Foods with safety problems including Belgian Chocolates, Italian Brandy, British Sauce, Eggs from the Netherland and Spanish Milk products.. Such foods were found to contain chemical ingredients that exceeded the national levels.. The report failed to mention what chemicals were found..

China is even banning the import of pork from Ireland after the meat has found contaminated with high level of DIOXINS.. According to SD, dioxins are naturally occuring and can enter the animals system through its food intake or through the environment; accumulated in pig's fat, and if ingested by humas in sufficient volume, might have been linked to an increased risk of cancer.

I hope some country will learn to analyze their actions first before making an input on China's products and capabilities... When there was this bomb threat that loomed China during the 2008 Olympics, the government had acted upon it. And yes, up to now almost all nationalities who are directly or indirectly dealing with the mainland are suffering... All types of China visas are no longer that easy to get... China is a sleeping giant so please don't try to touch it or it will strike back!

Lost

2L3Bs is a subscriber of the only english newspaper in SZ. The Shenzhen Daily (SD) became our major source of news about what’s going on around us. Since the US economic recession, the SD has added new article entitled “Crisis Hits Home”. There’s this daily article about local or foreign-invested companies and people who had been affected. But I agreed in Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng’s views that even though there are at least 682 factories that had shut down prior to the recession, its impact to Shenzhen is limited..

Why?

Infrastructures are everywhere... New high rise has been sprouting like mushrooms almost on a monthly basis. Believe me, my son’s godfather who is staying here in China for a couple of years had travelled to Thailand from August 2008 and when he came back last Sunday he was surprised by the newly erected skycraper looming two blocks away from our home... That area was once a driving range so naturally, it was a flat land in August but now stands a 30-story high-end condo..!

Not only that... on my way to my China office, there’s this newly paved road few months ago, and you know what? They dug it out and replaced it with railroad tracks.. Traffic are everywhere caused by dump trucks and confusing leeways giving pain in the ass to the commuters.. Our office here in China was once a conducive place to work now irritated me because of the noise coming from the new factory buildings being constructed nearby.. One thing that comforts me is the belief that that particular factory buildings shall be finished in a flash anyway...

That’s how China do their thing, it is fast and efficient because they have enough manpower and resources to support.. This is one reason why I entitled this “LOST” because if you come and visit Shenzhen today and you get back after two months to the same place you first visited, there's a big chance that you’ll gonna get LOST...

For simple reason, the hotel you stayed or the road you travelled might no longer there to give way to my-so-called china’s new "Demolish-Build-Demolish Policy" to create more jobs to chinese people...