Early Retirement

Lately, all that's been going through my mind is when am I going to be able to retire? This working all day and then going home thing is really a pain...it takes up most of your day and then by the time I get home, I'm kinda tired and have little time to do stuff that I like or to just relax. What is the "Ideal" age to retire?

I remember one of my friends, long time ago, said that he wanted to retire at the age of 32...needless to say, he's 38 and still working in the Bay Area...but he is coasting at his job.

We go to school for 16+ years of our lives and then work after that...I've been working now about 12 years...and it seems like a long time...yet my parents managed to work at practically the same place for most of their career and still work till they are 60 or so...where I've only been working 12 years at 3 different jobs and I'm already talking about needing to retire.

I think we just all need to brainstorm on how to get us to that income level that will enable us to retire now rather than another 10-30 years. If anyone figures it out, please let me know!

Adventures in HK

Wow, what a trip! Am I beat...Had an awesome time there.

Landed there at 2pm on Friday and went to drop my stuff off at my friend's place and then went with Tim to Grant Thornton to see some others that I used to work with in the Bay Area...caught up with them and then met up with Sabrina. Sabrina had to drop by a bar to talk to the manager so we had a couple of drinks there. We then headed to a Pole Dancing class that Sabrina had signed us up for...boy was that hard...I applaud the dancers! After the class with snacks and drinks, we went to Lan Kwai Fong to hang with my high school friend, Ron and Sabrina and Tim...wow, what a first impression of HK...been there a night and felt like I wasn't really there since most weren't Chinese. Couldn't sleep from jetlag and excitement so slept maybe 3 hours.

Saturday - went for a western breakfast with Tim and Sabrina...yummy and then hung out at a wine tasting with Sabrina...boy was it pouring rain! Crazy. After went back to get ready for dinner...went for hot pot with everyone and Alyson and Johnny (my brother) came in for dinner...we finish a yummy dinner and then go to play pool downstairs...after a while, we decide to find a bar...first bar we find, we are going to! Bar San Francisco!!! Too funny...it's a strip bar...it's empty and the girls are not even dancing...and now Sabrina is asking to show some Pole Dancing moves but the owner doesn't go for it. haha. We leave to go to a Whiskey Bar...the whiskey bar was a little weird...felt like a sports bar to me...very casual but relaxing...we hang there for a while and have some whiskey. We decide to head back to Sabrina's to play Mah Jong. How fun! We get back around 2:30 and Tim and I head to McDonalds for a snack...when we get back, Sabrina has given away their room to Johnny and Alyson cause they were tired...Tim tired too leaves to go to a hotel to sleep...terrible!!! We continue with Mah Jong and finish around 4:30. What a night.

Sunday - get up around 7 and wait for Sabrina to get up so we can go to Macau. We meet up with Ron at 12 to take the Ferry over...boy was it a rough ride...didn't think I'd get seasick but I did...terrible wind and rain! We head for Portugese food...yum. We walk around Macau and explore the churches and square...it was nice...they are building some new hotels there too which should be done by next year. Next thing you know it's like 6:30 and we should go to dinner...we head to Wynn - Okada. Sabrina has the hook ups as she used to work in Las Vegas at Okada and knows the Executive Chef. Great Food! We realize our ferry is leaving soon and have to run out and we make it just within a minute...running to make sure we dont' miss it. Get home around 11:30.

Monday - wake up at 6 to go meet my Goo Poh at 7:30 at the train station to head to ShenZhen to meet Alyson and then head to GuangZhou. We get to GuangZhou and head to the small village that my mom grew up in. We stop at a friends place to have lunch and for them to open up the house for us...since it has not been occupied since 1963! It's crazy...no light, no water, just stone. We bow to my Great Grandfather and check out the room that my mom was born in and my Grandma's pillow. We head back to GuangZhou on a bus since now it's pouring rain and we can't find a cab...it takes an hour to get back and now we head to Yuexiu Gongyuan where we hike up stairs to see the 5 Rams Statue and a tower...we leave the park and see the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. All the time, Alyson and I are wondering how these 70 year olds are so fit and can do all this and not be exhausted like we were. We head back to Say Sook Goung's Place and have dinner...another yummy meal. Then we head back to the train station and head back to Hong Kong and get back around 1.

Tuesday - Alyson and I get up around 7 but leave around 10 to go explore Central area (near Sabrina's) up until Causeway Bay. Nice walk and did some shopping and eating on the way...cheap food! We meet Goo Poh around 4 and we walk around for wonton noodle soup and then head towards Sha Tin where she lives. We go to have dinner and then head to the Night Market on Temple Street to check it out...not worth the hype...we hang out for 1/2 hour and then leave for Mong Kok to meet up with my friend, Howard for dessert and just to walk around the area. We head back around 1:30. Kristi has arrived and we catch up with her.

Wednesday - Kristi, Alyson and I leave around 10 and head to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha...what a hike! We check it out and eat lunch up there and then head back to Sabrina's to rest...get back around 5:30 and have to meet Sabrina at 7. We meet up to have dinner with her co-workers - outdoor bbq. We then head to a Gay Bar with her boss (Paolo) and a co-worker (Louisa). We get a bottle of vodka and polish it off in 1/2 hour. Louisa is waiting for a guy to come meet her but Sabrina is drunk and needs to go home...so Sabrina and Kristi leave and Alyson and I wait with Louisa. An hour later, we leave to go home (around 1:30) but when we get there, with Mc Donalds in hand, we are locked out with a double lock...oh no! We end up trying to find a hotel and almost check in and then get a bright idea to go to a 24 hour foot massage place...we call Louisa to find out where it's located and meet up with her...she gets us to go into a club and then we felt bad to leave after...we finally get out of there at 4 all tired and ready to sleep since 3. We get in a cab (Louisa's own private cab driver) and head to Louisa's (we didn't know it was like 1/2 hour away). We crash and then get up at 9 and head back to Sabrina's.

Thursday - We have breakfast with Sabrina and Kristi at this Congee place...it was good Congee! Then they leave for Penang and Alyson and I head towards ShenZhen. We get to ShenZhen around 3...but the immigration line is long!!! Takes us like 30-45 min to get through...cause they are testing everyone for the Swine Flu! We finally get across and meet Johnny...we go to the mall and I go up to the Tailor section cause Sabrina recommended someone. I go in planning on buying one suit...I walk out 1 1/2 hours later with 5 suits, 2 dresses and 1 dress shirt later...probably got ripped off but still cheaper than getting it here. We then walk aroudn the mall a little more and then head to Queen's Spa around 7...thinking we'll get 1 1/2 hour treatment and go home and have dinner. Little did we know...non of us have been there before...we get in, hang out and have some free fruit and drinks and then decide to get our massage...we get out and then decide to order some food, then decide to go to the rest areas to get a la carte services (head, neck, foot and hand massages). We finally decide it's time to go to dinner...since it's probably around 11 or 12. We shower up and head to the check out...oh wow, it's 4am!!! how did that happen...9 hours later. Was so nice but time sure flies. The cost ended up being a little over $300 for the 3 of us!!! Johnny decides to get a member card so he will return every week. We head back home and get to bed around 7.

Friday - We head to lunch and walk around ShenZhen...buy some Lychee for less than $1! After we head back to pack up and head back to HK so that we can meet up with our friends. We end up back in HK around 5:30...meet up with Ron for drinks and then meet up with Candy, Ben, Robyn and Shervin for dinner at 8:30. After dinner, we hang out in Lan Kwai Fong and are drinking...Johnny is all red...Ben conviinces us all to go to a club...waste of money cause we only stay for 1/2 hour...we then go eat at the chinese denny's and head home...think we got home around 4.

Saturday - We get up and go to meet my Goo Poh for Dim Sum at 11:30...it was really good....we walk around a little more and then go back to get my luggage and back to the Airport Express station where I am sent off to the Airport! Hang at the airport for last minute shopping and then get on the plane home.

Boy am I exhausted just reading what we did! Not enough time...definitely need to go back soon!