expat show-and more

Finally. A moment to sit down!

This is day six of my seven day work week. October holiday has creeped up on us, and we are required to work the weekend, to get 7 days off. Mandarin lessons, planning, apple pie baking, cell group, and family phone calls have kept me out n about every evening this week. So tonight I rest! I hope to finish The tipping point by Malcom Gladwell, respond to emails and of course update my blog here.

So last weekend was the expat show. It was a wide variety of vendors, from wine sampling to pre-schools, the million tree project and buying fruit online. A few friends had booths there, including Taisley Red interiors where I took a rest on a sweet sofa, Shokay, "luxury with a story, style with a touch of humanity" where i sampled yak cheese:

So between it all, we managed to find ourselves in the fruit online booth. I have a bad habit of getting sick from fruit here, so I was interested in the imported fruit, if it wasn't too expensive. Actually what really caught my eye was the avocados(aka alligator pears) they were selling. which reminds me of a logo i designed for an xP iron chef event:
3 for 39 rmb(75 cents) So of course they had a show deal, if you sign up you get x amount free, so we signed up for granny smith apples and avocados! And they came this week, and so we made an apple galette. (Actually my mom sent me her recipe, but she didn't tell me the oven temp, so I had look it up.) I made my own pie crust for the first time as well.

And I realized how I miss normal flavored chips. The chips here are chicken flavored, itailian redmeat, blueberry, and cucumber even! What ever happened to sour cream and onion?? The only cheetos they've got are both meat flavored. And not even anything close to chili cheese fritos. Well, I guess thats kinda ironic!

We also hit a birthday party at JWOW, and I had my hair curled at a local salon. . . and then in the humid wind filled cab ride there they all came out : ( The most inspiring part of the night was these two girls who came decked out in huge fluffy dresses (the theme was "glam") and you get closer to them and...their dresses were made of plastic bags!! like the big black ones, and white ones. It was pretty slick and majorly impressive. Wish Ida photo of it!

What else interesting things have I been up to?

Firsts

Had my first mandarin lesson today! It was great, a struggle, but good. My tongue is tied.

Had my first shrimp flavored waffle. It was a gross accident. I was ordering the plain egg puff... and it was spicy and shrimpy tasting...ick.

currently

Currently a little bit groggy, and drinking carrot juice for a pick-me-up. It's a grey morning here.


currently listening to... Yael Naim, israeli french singer made famous by benig featured in apple's commercial.

"accounting for change"

In any fast-paced workplace you are constantly confronted with change, from the whims of a client, new realizations, or sudden urgent deadline. And you have two choices: run with it or get left behind. So in the effort to account for change in during the 5k we run each day at work, we have our hands drawing from many resources to make sure we're on target, and to be able to flip the switch for hyper power when neccessary. So mostly when there's huge changes and no matter how dumbfounded or shocked I am, my only choice is to go, "Oh, ok. So what shall we do now to go forward with X plan?"

So about 3pm, my manager comes to tell me I'm leaving on the first flight out the next day to HK, to renew my visa (or ship back to the states...) and all I could say was, "Oh. oooooohhhhh. TOMARROW??"

My visa was expiring saturday, and we had planned to leave the country one day prior, so I was taking my time packing all my things. There was an extremely unexpected chance of obtaining a visa b/c of the Olympics and paraolympics. So we decided it best to just pack everything in case we couldn't get back into the country.

So now I'm freaking out because not only do I have to pack everything I own, but I also have to pack n bring over big heavy company stuff, and make sure I have the proper arrangements legally and itenerary for travel. AND it's with my colleague, who was out of the office that evening, which meant the whole trip basically was my responsibility.

The COO took good care and made sure to book us hotel and flight, and the proper stuff. and he also yelled, "DO YOU HAVE ANY SNACKS??" across the office because he needs to eat at 7:30pm everyday otherwise his body get mad, he says. And he's on the phone with our marketing agent, "Me and kristina here are eating these yummy pink snacks. She's coming to Hong Kong to help you out....."

After that shocker, and insanity and hauling giant rolls of stickers into cabs, it was about 8pm and I was starving and so like any hunger driven human I went to the corner store for juice and chips. They gave me an amount of money in cash for the trip, which i had in a clear plastic envelop with my travel docs, and I said to myself, "Don't put this down. It has lots of money in it." But I needed my wallet, and had my purse on my elbow and my goods in my other elbow. So I had to put it down. I mean, I put it right in front of me in my constant eye sight. So how could I forget it?

Well I walked to my apt eating my chips and when I get there the courier is there, right on time with my plane tickets. And the papers and cash are where? at the corner store. of course, kristina. I dropped my chips and ran.

That evening was a whirlwind, Karen who i had a dinner date with brought me crab she made, and Timon got me pink flowers, and my roomate stayed up with us eating chocolate and ice cream and trying not to worry.

fast forward through the joint office in Tsim sha Tsui, making new friends, and how its actually a showroom, so when there were clients we had to sit outside, one the chairs being behind the receptionist's desk (there was none) I sat there with my laptop, and forever people came in speaking to me in cantonese and i was like, "I dont' work here, sorry"

Met up with a classmate from CCA, ken, ate thai and walked around Mon kok. Ken was wearing purple, and his hair was growing out so it had a curl, like Elvis. But I didn't tell him that. it was pretty cool! we were amazed at the cluttering of stuff, lights, and stuff, and slept well.

There was much complication over flying dates times, tickets that were not changable, and hotels. I will not explain it. I stayed in 4 different places in 4 nights, and literally dragged my suitcase all over hong kong with me. and now my arm is stronger.

Then we hit disneyland!!!!! We took millions of pictures, rode only the best rides, and had fun! We're doing some disney products, if you must know.... I really love the costumes during the parade!!!! The jellyfish man had these tall extended hats on and tons of tentacles, and they were jump spinning and the tenctacles were going everywhere, and it was awesome and goofy. It was a pretty crazy parade. And i'm from san francisco. J/K. Hot pink bejewled T-shirts, and sunflowers on stilts; a cross eyed woody, and people with smiles plastered on their faces.



Later we visited Tarzan's treehouse, where we got in a argument whether the elephants were real or not. "Of course their real!!!!" I exclaimed. Well, they hadn't moved after 2 hours. I was wrong.


That night I met up with my cousin's cousin, Chris and we had mexican and frozen yogurt in the long escalator area. That was pretty rad. It gets a 9 outta 10 for cool places to be. Casual, social, colorful, and inspiring type of environment.



And on saturday, went biking from tai wai to shim ta about 3-4 hours with chris' friendy friends. met a lot of nice people, and saw a quieter more undeveloped beautiful side of Hong Kong. Thanks chris!

"I hella <3 oakland" photo

o l y m p i c s

Here's my olympics post.

I flew out thursday night to meet a cowboy in an American flag at the airport. j/k I met up with Timon, his sister from oregon, and our friends we had met on an earlier retreat and got all rallied up for the games. The next morning, we planning out our day strategically: Sell tickets that were conflicting times, and hopefully trade up to an event for that afternoon, then finish off our costumes for track finals later that night at the bird's nest.

It went something like this:

Ok. I can't even type it out becuase it was more charades than anything. "Synchronized swimming? wo men yao tickets?" and then we'd start paddling with our hands through the air, and pointing at the bubble cube building. And the guy would point at himself and his friend and make like they were swimming together. We didn't get tickets, but it was aiite, and we walked on.




Yes. That's it! Me and Jennica are sporting red tights, white shorts and all three of us have matching blue jerseys and headbands, and Timon got the blue tights with more manly white shorts(which later made us look french)




Then we were photographed endlessly by chinese olympic goers. So we had to keep moving. Over and over again. One little girl literally crossed our path as we were walking, and said sternly, "We are family. We must take photo!" adamantly turned around where her father was poised to snap a photo. (We were trying to get away from the people!!!) we wandered for a long time around the place, it was amazing. There was giant empty spaces around the bird's nest just filled with people. The bird's nest itself was a wonder. luxury and lots of red, and these cute cartoony symbols for the bathroom and such. It was fantasmic.

We watched the 4 x 100 world record get smashed by Jamaica, we saw Clay win and receive his medal for the men's decathalon for America(and sung the anthem) And the australian guy try over and over at the pole vault to finally meet the olympic record.

It was amazing.

After all that, we went out to Pyro's pizza parlor/bar and were watching tv, and this american guy comes up, and ask us where we're from. Oregon and Cali. And he starts laughing. "We've been having a debate for a while whether you guys were french or American." and we're like WHAT! FRENCH??? and it was because of the stripes on Timon's shorts!!! hahaahaha and then we started an 80s dance party. There was a guy with a flag painted on his face. It was hard to look at him with out laughing.



Saturday morning at 9am was the bronze medal match, US vs. Japan. And we were def. outnum,bered by Japanese fans, but luckily the Chinese were with us. "Mei guo ji-o!" we chanted with someother americans we met. The other half of the stands were chanting continuously 80% of the time. And you know baseball games are long. whew it was amazing! The game was pretty good, I hadn't been to a ball game in ages, and it was def more laid back than watching track, where there's 4 events going on at once.

There were no backs on the seats at the baseball stadium either! We ate cookies for breakfast, and then took naps before heading to ho hai for dinner. OH wait. Before going to ho hai, we went to the olympic village to see if we could catch atheltes for photos or autographs. And guess who we saw.... Bolt!!!!!!!!!!!!

facebook album

Credits: first two photos are jennica's i think

It was def an event of a lifetime- there was enormous energy in the stadium and not a single person who wasn't estatic to be there. Flashes went off like sparkles. And there was def pride in the air. It was the feeling you expect to get when you walk into the Roman coliseum- but this was times 10, at least. You don't even realize how big the bird's nest is until your inside and the crowd across from you is just a mere blur. Smaller than ants. Its just un fathomable. It hurts my brains to try to concieve a space that huge.

Takes my breath away.

The days are packed!

Hangzhou, Fabric market, and more!


Last weekend, warren planned a trip for 4 of us to hangzhou, 1 hr outside shanghai. We rose at 5 am to catch our 6:30 standing tickets, luckily were granted seats as the foreigners we are, got breakfast and hit Westlake, hiking, and laying the green grass and dozing under the fluffy cloud sky. It was magnificent! So magnificent that you couldn't open your eyes it was so bright and overwhelming.

Caught dinner with his teacher pals from Eng. first, in a an outdoor alleyway restaurant, and then slept. The next day I left early at 7am to get back to the city for a phone call and pick up things from the fabric market. (jeans and a dress) The jeans are AWEsome!!!! I brought in an old pair, and they measured me, and I had "510" stitched on the back pocket to rep the east bay, of course. The dress.... well, you'll see, I suppose! I'm not totally in love with it, but it looks decent on me. Decent meaning, not super flattering, but nice enough to be seen in public and not be totally ashamed of myself.

This week from then on was packed! Top ten list:

1. Shopping [and visualizing] for our "USA outfits" to wear to the olympics, with Jennica and Timon (hint: think 80's)
2. Dinner at Kathleen's 5 in people's square. [salad dressing]
3. The lighting/thunder storm, and being indoors
4. Adventures with claudia
5. Magnum bars + balconies. nuff said
6. Zero computer problems!
7. The olympics. Phelps last race, and the women's 400 IM
8. lunch for 6 rmb
9. Those taiwanese cold noodles we had by zhongshan park
10. strong friends.


woo. I'm pooped.

The last week of july has passed.

It's 10am on a wednesday, and my screen is already covered in stripes. The misaligned pixels stretch vertically across my layout, and as I zoom in and zoom out, they stretch and spread like a virus over my entire document, only revealing half-inch slices of my layout- not near enough for me to actually work on anything. It's going to be a long day. Maximize screen. Minimize screen. Quit. Restart. Typically my computer doesn't start this dance until after 3pm everyday, after I've eaten a full lunch and gotten into the groove of work.

H. from the customer service dept is testing out assembly instructions on the other side of the room, turning round and round a 80 x 80 cm wooden panel to see how it can become a play house. A cell phone goes off and is unanswered for about 2-3 minutes, sounding like a fake bird call. An engineer is filing down a joint on one product as his desk, a labored grinding noise, as clacking ladies heels walk away from the water cooler bearing a cup of hot tea. This is the office I work in.

Overview:

M: Video chatted with family
T: Dinner with a friend, got totally drenched in the rain
W: Dinner with a group to celebrate a couple getting married. Rained less.
R: Order-in dinner and Timon brought his laptop over to play battleship. j/k, we just worked. I'm designing a cover for a friend's book!
F: Cell group, Hagen daz ice cream, and half of "a series of unfortunate events". It was a beautiful california day!!!

This week shanghai was just getting over a typhoon. (K: what's a typhoon?) Think florida, water wars, and becoming a kite. Or at least that how I interpreted it! My umbrella was nothing but a nuisance! BUt hey, once your soaked, your soaked. I stood in the street 10pm at night and its just pouring- like the pressured stream on the massage setting on your showerhead. And you just watch the liquid floor be decimated by torrential bebes[gun] of water. wow. What power!

Another wonderous moment this week was when I was spray mounting some paper outside. I bent down and put my stack of papers, and my spray of spray mount, and proceeded to lay them out so there would be a large surface area to spray all at once. But alas, the wind had other plans, and great gust came and lifted my papers and blew away! Which ones should I be chasing?? ah. they fluttered away, semi-sticky never to be seen again.

The posted photo is an empty lot behind our office complex(which is land owned by a university). That heap of green and debris was once covered in snow. There has been some movement, but its still kinda of a trashed area. And in the distance you see more buildings popping up. This is our area, developing.

I have run out of oatmeal! bye