2012 Resolutions

2012 is nearly upon us and it's the time of the year for responsible human beings to collectively turn into pensive, optimistic, and benevolent overachievers (which will quickly fade away in T+60 days). Well, I think that I've been a pensive, optimistic, and benevolent overachiever for the ENTIRE year.... so contemplative that it makes me want to puke all over your head!!! [Haha pretty extreme.] I am so sick of being the perfect model citizen and performing rational decisions all the damn time that instead I shall make New Years Resolutions that are simply superficial and will benefit no one but myself. Eat poop, Tiny Tim!

1) Learn Italian, to an advanced-beginner stage. What is an advanced beginner? No one knows, that's the beauty of it.
2) Set up an aquarium at home, because I like companionship in all shapes and sizes. Or smuggle Oscar into China when my dad isn't guarding him. Or pick up a stray calico and pretend he is Oscar.
3) Tennis lessons, so I can strengthen my noodle arms for that inevitable day when I have to punch a Shanghai taxi driver in the face when he cheats me out of that extra 10 RMB.
4) Learn to cook well and nutritiously, because if I continue to eat out in China then my kidneys will surely fail and my mother will say "I told you so". That would be annoying.
5) Go see some sharks open water. Try big game fishing. Better yet, catch some sharks, pet them, and release!
6) Learn how to apply red lipstick like a classy woman without deteriorating into The Joker by the end of the night. But I guess that's also an effective way to never get date-raped.
7) Do yoga consistently and eventually be able to touch my toes easily. God, I'm such a noob... damn these long long legs!
8) Look like a hot tamale for the N weddings I have to go to this year. Because I'm not married and don't need to be modest. And maybe I'll even dodge that bouquet.
9) Oh yea, and save money so I can even afford to fly to all those N destination weddings. I cringe. :[
10) Continue Adventures of Cap'n Miffy, in real life and in this online capsule!!!

2011, you've been a bitch and I wanted to cap you countless numbers of times. But I learned a lot and appreciate all that I went through nonetheless. I really don't feel the need to rehash what happened to me since last January right now, especially since I've already written down all the important things here on this blog. Really, contemplation at the end of each year is for those who haven't had the time or the mindset to properly digest what's in front of them. I didn't have that problem this year, and all I want to do is to live in the present and continue to wave in wonderful things for the future. I love life so much, and I'm really happy to be here.

Happy New Year, All. ^_^

Fatty Daddy (Christmas Edition!)

Dad Eating Stuff.

[Clockwise from upperleft corner] 

• Our first meal after getting picked up at Songshan Airport, pork rib vermicelli 猪排米粉 at a local hole in the wall with simply boiled veggies. Very 台灣 and very soothing. Tastes even better with a spoonful of black vinegar!
• A MUST HAVE dessert at Ximen Ding (西門町), baked mochi on a stick slathered with brown sugar, condensed milk, sesame paste (take your pick!). No trip to Taiwan without baked mochi, yet not many people know about this treat. I dream of this even before boarding the plane, and by the time I hit the ground I'm ready to run towards this stall with my arms wide open. I'm shameless, but once you have a taste you'll understand why! It's literally my favorite dessert in the world because it's sticky yet crunchy and sweet yet not cloying so... and I have no idea how to give you directions on getting there. BOO I SUCK.
• All-you-can-eat spicy hotpot (麻辣火鍋), all the meat all the veggies all the drinks all the Haagen Daz included. Again, another required stop on the food train which will add a couple inches to your waist, so bring your stretchy pants! Call me a heathen, but my main reason for insisting on going to spicy hotpots is for the 鴨血. I'm not going to translate that for you. O_O
• A legendary breakfast joint in Taitung (台東) called Breakfast King (早點大王) with the richest soymilk ever. My dad is making a calorific fried dough (燒餅+油條) sandwich... 

No you can't eat these train tickets to Taitung enroute to Green Island (綠島), but that didn't stop us from trying...!

Next update -- Green Island!

Tale of Two Cities

Pyongyang, North Korea

New York City, United States

New World Trade Cemter

Just wanted to shelve these cityscapes away in my archive. The photographs are so damn beautiful. One feels like a labyrinth beneath an ant farm, and the other feels like an aerie. 

H

Karissa commented today that I sound very happy in my blog posts recently.
Yes, I am happy. Truly happy, I am so blessed.

I really can't think of any other period over the last few years when I've felt more at ease. I have a job that pays enough to live comfortably in China. I have a career that puts me in the driver's seat. I have a lovely apartment that I was allowed to paint a beautiful shade of grey. I have a growing group of friends in Shanghai who are kind and interesting. I have a solid group of friends back home that I am looking forward to seeing in January. I have my grandparents still. I have my mother. I have my father. I have my brother. I have love. I have health. I have happiness.

Now I was going to continue this train of thought and say that I was satisfied. Am I satisfied?
The answer is No.

I'm hungry for so much more. Hungry to open doors, hungry to absorb information, hungry to become comfortably self-sustainable, hungry to prove myself, hungry to start a family one day, hungry to travel the world, hungry to take care of my loved ones the way that they deserve.

Happy but hungry. It's a good place to be. :)

85 Cents

Cabbage

Carrot

Tomato

Lotus Root

What you can get for 85 cents (5.5 RMB) from a roadside vegetable vendor. Amazing.

All I have to do is find a butcher and I'm going to make a hearty stew this weekend. :)

Let's Get Physical

I joined a local gym in my neighborhood for ~4200 RMB/2 years, which is approximately $320 USD per year,  $27/month. Not a bad deal, right? Well as everything in life, it ain't worth shit if you don't use it right! :p It's a good thing that my work is less demanding these days because I usually get out before 6pm, so scheduling workouts in my daily routine is now a breeze (and hopefully a given). I'd like to hit the gym 3x a week, and then when the weather gets warmer I'll hire a tennis coach too. :)

I remember how difficult it was working in finance to squeeze in even a light 30 minute workout... back then all of the gyms in New York would close at 9 or 10pm, and of course I'd surely still be adjusting the margins on some unimportant document at work. So I shelled out $80 USD a month to use the tiny Lehman gym just so I could slow down the inevitable advancement of a matronly pear-like figure. You know that you're getting fat when you start tucking in your waist when sitting, or better yet your pants can barely contain your butt and you give yourself a nice wedgie. :p Even still I could only go to the gym maybe once a week, and after running a mile I'd have to go back to my cubicle all covered in glittery sweat, waiting until I was finally dismissed for the day. The good life, I'm telling ya.

Anyway, because I was a new member of this gym, I was assigned to a physical trainer for an assessment. I thought that perhaps they would measure my blood pressure, heart rate, lung capacity... but no, all I did was take off my shoes and socks and stand on a machine for 5 seconds. Turns out this machine zaps you with electricity and measures the different frequencies that resonate back or something. The machine ended up spitting out this customized report for me:

Damn you, evil robot!

Ok let me decipher the important parts -- nothing to be ashamed of here. 169 cm, 59.2 kg. The guy said that I was normal, but that I had more fat than ideal... meaning that I should lose another 2.2kg of fat. 2.2kg = 5 POUNDS. Excuse me mister, but I already have a few extra rows of clavicles that I'm trying very hard to cover up... so tell me, where can I drop 5lbs of fat without regressing back into prepubescence?! That kind of pissed me off, not because I think my body is perfect already, but because I genuinely believe that being strong and healthy is the most important thing. He actually said that I shouldn't gain more muscle, but frankly speaking I look like a Tyrannosaurus Rex (spindly arms and robust running legs) and I could really use some upper body balance. I was annoyed and confused. I don't even know if I could recreate the expression on my face from being annonfused, it must have been very special.

After I got home I did some research and found out that he calculated my BMI wrong -- I was told that my BMI was 23 and on the higher-side of normal. But according to the US Department of Health I'm 20.7. Homeboy can't divide. And I'm in MIDDLE of normal. A wonderful boring healthy normal. What now, biatches?

So the overall score that the stupid machine rated my body was a 75. Is that a B-, or is that a C? And apparently if you are lower than 70 then you're in "danger". I'm sure you can imagine the absolute horror that this news would inflict on someone who has been educationally trained for 16 years to accept nothing but perfection. I'm such a tool! Sigh, maybe I should have agreed to go in for this stupid physical assessment, because the logical confident me is completely outraged and the meeker "listens to professionals" side is kind of like "Eep, so I should really NOT have that cupcake?"

What is a girl to do then? 
Run 6 miles, then angrily devour a tapioca dessert, bag of Lays, and an orange afterwards.
FTW!

Oh sweet child of mine...

It's Getting Hot In Here

The Captain has bought herself an early Christmas present!

Yes, that's right -- Mama's getting a KINDLE FIRE.

I've been wanting this for quite some time already, in fact I was just about to cave in to buy an iPad2 when I read about the Kindle Fire. With my iPhone, the only reason why I wanted an iPad was to read magazines. Prior to the Kindle Fire, all that Kindle eInk black-and-whitedom is was as exciting to me as a fat man wearing a kilt paired with Uggs. Now, I am so freaking turned on.

I learned that living abroad means that you have a dearth of magazine publications at your perusal. Back in New York I had subscriptions (real paper ones, not that online crap) to New York Magazine, Elle, Travel + Leisure, The Economist. Lazing around at home lying sedentary on my couch was actually a productive knowledge-filled time (as was going to the ladies room, ahem). But here in Asia a single magazine costs around $10 USD. At least. It's absolutely ridiculous. But what's MORE ridiculous is that they're always a few weeks late. What's the point of reading a magazine when all of the information is outdated? I'm not paying Nobu money to eat your Sushi Express leftovers.

So that's why I'm eagerly awaiting to cradle the Kindle Fire in my arms. Oh Kindle Fire, you will be my savior. Through you I will crawl my way back into civilization and Trivia Night superstardom. ;) I just can't wait!

Reward: Travel Unicorn

Yep, I have the worst timing ever...

... but overcompensated through Photoshop filtering. FTW!!!

A few weeks ago I went to Thailand and it was the most amazing trip. You must be wondering how brave I am for going there with all the flooding still. It's called geography, guys. Even 5th graders know that Phuket and Ko Phi Phi isn't remotely located near Bangkok! Well, 5th graders competing on Carmen Sandiego that is, haha. I did want to stop at Bangkok though but there's always next time. Or Chiang Mai... that's on my bucket list.

I hate traveling alone. Okay maybe that's not a fair statement because I've been on vacation alone before, but I have absolutely zero inclination to go somewhere foreign without having a companion in tow. Day trips are more than okay (done a ton), but overnighters? No thanks. It's like watching movies... I can do it alone in my home, but ask me to go to the movie theater alone? No thanks. Sure, it's not like you NEED to interact with someone to watch a movie. In fact, you really shouldn't be that annoying person prodding the guy next to you asking if they "just saw that?!". Similarly, you don't really need a buddy system to travel unless you're going to Afghanistan. But I like the idea that someone's experiencing the same thing at the same time as me. Otherwise I'd feel too lonely. MIFFY NEEDS HER PIRATE CREW!!! >:O

Kayaking at Maya Beach after our overnight camping trip. Sleeping on the beach under the stars sounds very romantic, but I just want to warn everyone that you WILL get sand everywhere. Like, in all your nooks and crannies. O_O

I was flipping shit the whole time that we'd capsize and my camera would die. Like, TOTALLY FLIPPING SHIT. Being such a PPP [see last picture].

So actually travel companions are quite important to me, and given the N amount of personalities out there in the world, how many people can deal with stressful conditions (language barriers, getting jipped by cabs, horribly lost, eaten alive by mosquitos, bad poo)? How many can you mesh with (control freak, frugal to a fault, procrastinator, thoughtless, PMS-y, megalomania)? Well, it's a bell curve, which luckily means we will only attempt to kill a slight fraction of our travel buddies. It also means that if you're lucky then one day you'll be able to observe and then hopefully capture a rare animal called... the Travel Unicorn (TU). 

Ok I just made that term up, but it made me laugh out loud. And it's the perfect description, but the acronym sounds kind of like a STD, haha.

So anyway, I had the honor of going to Thailand with TU Chris. Honestly, Phuket and Ko Phi Phi were nice, but the places weren't mindblowing. Phuket is overdeveloped and a far cultural cry from Bali. Ko Phi Phi got wiped out by the 2004 tsunami and is overrun with grungy Euro/Aussie hippies (who honestly look lice infested). I still recommend Ko Phi Phi if you're doing a round through SE Asia though, it's charming and inexpensive. I know I sound like such a brat, but take it from me... at the end of the day it doesn't matter where you go, every place will seem magical if you have a TU in tow. :)

This is definitely not a Travel Unicorn.

My advice -- avoid Party Pooper Pandas (PPPs) at all costs.

Where's Franca?

No need for elaboration.

If you know who this person is, great. :)

If not, just know I worked my ass off. :p

Smack That!

As my friends know, I'm not really a concert kind of gal. It's not like I don't appreciate music + crowds, it's just never been at the forefront of my consciousness. Now that I'm in Shanghai though, I'm constantly on the prowl to do new things at every spare moment. Cityweekend/Time Out are my Bible/Koran. Thus, I just had to go see Akon when he came out to Shanghai. And I brought my itty bitty clubhead cousin with me too. :) Paid 580 RMB for our 2nd level center tickets, the view was decent and I was happy. No need to sit close enough to smell Akon's armpits.

SO. Akon, I'm assuming there's a reason why you put like ZERO effort into your concert's production. Is it because you can't simulate sex with underage girls anymore? Is it because you can get away with it in China? The only prop that we saw all night was this unfunny bongo/DJ assistant who wore a silly kilt all night. The only costume change you slowly peeling away layers from your sweat-soaked all-white suit, eventually making it down to half-nakedness [I expected a meat dress at the very minimum.]. And your only dance move was a half-hearted fist-pumping routine in your attempt to rouse the Chinese zombie crowd, peppered with "Yea yea yea!"s. And your declaration of "I LOVE YOU BEIJING!!!" may have been a wee bit inappropriate in Shangers. -_-;;; Just sayin.

But I'm a concert noob, which means that I should either have absurdly high or low expectations. [Low] All I wanted was to shake what my momma gave me to Akon's 43829473 hits, which he delivered faithfully. Of course there was some autotune involved, but he's actually quite a good singer, and he sounded exactly like he does in his tracks. Perhaps too exactly..... O_O I had fun anyway!!! 

One of the best things about a concert is the people watching.

- Man sitting down, you look like a government official's son or a 富二代. Stop acting bougie and pull that stick out of your heiney-hole!!!

- Bro wearing plaid pants, you go girl.

- 12 year old girl in the front, didn't your parents tell you that it's dangerous to sit so close to Akon when he's performing? Or maybe you're actually 32, it's hard to tell in China.

- White dude with the spider monkey arms, I would hate to sit behind you.

Partner in crime.

Best shot I could get of the night.

Bask in Akon's sweaty glory, everyone.

You Like Me, You Really Do

I got cheerfully accused by a reader for turning my blog into a lazy photo dump. I may be verbally anemic these days, but at least it's a pretty photo dump, right right right? :) Well if its words you want, it's words you'll get.

There is a delicate balance between saying too little and saying too much on a public space like a blog. In high school, I made the grave mistake of letting loose some unsavory sentiments, which cost me a seat in the more popular clique (complete tween death sentence). Livejournal = Pandora's Box! :p Never one to submit to social leprosy, I bravely marched forward to explore other forms of digital public expression by initiating a succession of blogs ("You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too", "El Sueno de Miffy", "Nihao, Sunshine"), each mercilessly retired/put down due to either waning interest or a healthy dose of paranoia. The decision to discard a blog was often followed by a general resolution to "do better next time". I guess I just wasn't proud of their contents anymore, which often disintegrated into an extreme of emo-ville or boring-land. Unlike physical diaries, however, you can't bury blogs into very bottom of a corrugated box at Manhattan Storage. Blogs carry on like zombies... not breathing, but lurking silently to bite your head off, i.e. when your potential employer cleverly decides to Google your sorry ass. (Um, does the State Department do this? Because that would explain a lot, ha.) For some reason we just can't help being shameless exhibitionists online, like liverspotted geriatrics obliviously airing out saggy private parts at your neighborhood YMCA locker room.  I think a lot of blogging awkwardness stems from self-fascination, a crime that I am guilty of as well. If I like me, then I believe that somehow, somewhere, you MUST find me interesting as well. Yes, I will do the world a favor and spread the gospel. After all, I've always been a charitable person! :)

I was soaking in a piping hot bath (THE best place to ponder) when I came to a realization about my most recent approach to blogging with The Adventures of Cap'n Miffy. With my new full-time job, I could very easily fill my blog with content that is work-related. I could update my blog a few times a week. I'm working in the fashion industry now, which should be rather fascinating to most of my readers. I could post information on the events I was last involved with, pictures of interesting people and beautiful clothes. I could throw out European names that no one could pronounce without sounding douchey, images of outfits that America's 99% could never dream to afford. But I'm not going to. Because that would condemn The Adventures of Cap'n Miffy to a slow and painful death.

And I'm not a douchebag, at least I don't think?

Blogging is a form of personal escape, where I either enter some sort of happy trance in organizing pleasant memories or thoroughly attempt to explain the confusion/pain incurred in Growing Up. It's supposed to be a straightforward communication from me to you, with no hidden agenda, insinuations, or hypocrisy. I write about things that will never hurt anyone's feelings or dispense unnecessary judgment. Likewise, I don't want to accidentally give off the impression that I'm showing off, or that I'm self-absorbed. Plus if I sound like that then it's probably half-way true. It's just too easy to fall into that trap, which is why I write about things that I love the most -- my friends, family, and adventure.

Well then, that leaves me with less content these days since almost of my time is consumed by never-ending workdays... perhaps I will slip in some stuff here and there, but I don't want to make work into a recurring topic here. Some people may be defined by their profession, like "Peter the Finance Guy", "Paul the Lawyer", "Mary the Air Stewardess", but don't ever put me into a box like that, please. Of course, you're free call me "Miffy the Conqueror of the Seven Seas" but that embodies the character that I'd be proud to represent... it's the spirit that I hope The Adventures of Cap'n Miffy continues to advocate for a very a long time. :)

Mama's Back!

Maya Beach - Phi Phi Leh, Thailand

Excellent eye, calico.

Just got back from a mindblowing adventure to Thailand with Chris. Definitely ranked as Top 3 vacations of all time, largely due to the best [travel] companion in the world. Never felt more happy after a trip. :) More details to come. 

Sorry Chunky, you'll have to deal another series of BS photo updates until I feel the urge to be pensive again. ;)

Halloween Madness (HK Part 2)

[This post was written 2 weeks ago but was never published b/c of my crazy work schedule, which didn't give me any breathing room up to the very moment I rushed my sorry ass to the airport... things are a little slower now so I'll take the next few weeks to catch up. HI MOM!!! :D]

OKAY SERIOUSLY GUYS. O_O I really appreciate that you read my blog and find it to be excellent office downtime fodder, but I'm sad to report that can't keep up with your daily trolling anymore with this thing called a Job. :( Sigh, I do miss my former hobo days, but lately I've had barely enough time to sleep, eat, or even bathe (Ew! Maybe I'm still a hobo.). There is a backlog of stuff collecting on my Canon G11. And I'm going to Thailand this Friday. So rest assured my fellow sea ninjas, Cap'n Miffy's got you covered... it's just a matter of time!

All right, onward to Part Two of Jess in Wonderland. :) So before I flew down to HK I bought a set of fairytale costumes on Taobao for me, Jess, and Gloria. I was set on being the villain, so that left Jess and Gloria to sexy pudding-fight amongst themselves between Alice and the Mad Hatter. Party night we met up with Elissa and Jeff at Din Tai Fung super late (鼎泰豐, the famous Taiwanese soup dumpling place), so we had to change into our costumes before dinner... giving the patrons an eyeful as we proudly marched straight through the restaurant to our table, hahaha. Okay, it was kind of embarrassing when sketchy old men ogle you at a respectable dining locale, but that's the spirit of Halloween! A little stocking and heels never hurt anyone. ;) Jeff then proceeded to order practically every single item on the menu, so we stuffed ourselves silly and padded our stomachs with enough food to keep us sober even after literally 7-8 shots. :p Wasn't a cheap date that night, that's all I can say!

Mad Hatter's tea party!

With the lovely pilot couple, but Jeff got shafted into becoming the commercial airline pilot and Elissa was Maverick. Guess who went out to buy the costumes there? Hahaha.

Then we headed over to Lan Kuai Fong, party central of HK for all you noobies. Boy, it did NOT disappoint!!! Seriously, I think I might have to come here every Halloween weekend. Far better than NYC by miles, thanks to the usual silly expat crowd and pleasant weather (suitable for mini skirts, stockings, garters, all the proper slutty costumewear).

See, it's nuts. LOVE IT. Nuts, that is. :p

You didn't even have to go into any of the clubs/bars to enjoy yourself. People watching mecca.

We ended up at Prive because you know, girls like to back that ass up. Woot woot!

The happy couple, thanks for being such freaking awesome hosts!

If a man is willing to be your Goose to your Maverick, that's true love. :)

Hey, those don't look like teacups...

Oh how I love this excuse to snarl and not have it look weird for once.

Tranny granny conga line.

Oh girls, just wanna have fun....!

See you next year, home slices~

Lamma Mamas (HK Part 1)

I've received several complaints about my blog's lack of new material! 對不起!!! Would you believe it if I were to say that I'm actually too busy to update? I didn't think so. No? I thought not... so here's a bone. :)

Last weekend I made a trip to HK to see my girls (and for Halloween, next post!). I can't believe it's been two years since I last saw my Meksavan, it felt like no time had passed since she last saw me in Taipei (!!!). Gloria very graciously hosted the both of us in her home and we had the most splendid time. There's a couple of things that I can't mention here publicly in this blog, but if you ask me in person I'll most definitely share, haha. :p

We made day-trip to HK's Lamma Island (南丫岛), where we "hiked" on a well-maintained concrete path through a very nice respite from the crowded city center. Most people come to Lamma to dine on a wide array of uber fresh seafood, where you can personally pick which creatures should meets their doom (BAD KARMA, GUYS!!!!). I personally always try to avoid this type of meal, preferring to imagine Lamma as a gastronomically inclined petting zoo. A little delusion never hurt anyone. :p

A typical scene in front of Lamma's many beachside restaurants.

Surprisingly all their sea creatures looked very healthy (and thus edible) in the tanks.

Tofu pudding (豆花).

Gloria said that this place was famous. I'm not usually a fan but it was actually quite good as Jess will attest. :D

"Hiking" in flipflops. Always a winning strategy.

I think these are fisheries? Either that or a floating slum. :p

Night scene from the ferry back to HK Island.

HK has the best nightscape in the world, hands down.

Next post -- HALLOWEENIES.

Like a Breeze

My goal is to live unburdened in heart, body, and soul.

Pure and detached.

用一顆乾淨的心存自己的小天堂。

Life is a Highway

Ikea, who is probably my most loyal reader (second to my Mom), publicly accused me of abandoning my blog recently. I have to admit that Miffy's Adventures has suffered a bit in content since I left New York. >_< Here are my lame excuses:

1. The Great Firewall of China. It makes it slower to blog, although I've now shelled out for a better VPN (used to be Witopia aka craptopia, now I use VyprVPN... expensive at $20/month).
2. Busy with work and settling in.... there's not much for me to take pictures of without being one of those people who talk about work all the time. BORING!
3. I've left my Canon at home because my new iPhone's camera is good enough for everyday use, whereas my G11 is pretty damn heavy to haul around. I've realized that I still greatly prefer my real digital camera for blogging purposes though. 
4. Because of Reason #3, most of my picture-taking have been stored on Instagram. :)
5. I have very little friends/family here. So less occasions to write about. God that sounds so damn sad!

My professional life has been hectic -- it's essentially a start-up company so efficiency is low but the learning curve is high. Recently we've made some major headway in our projects, which is great news... otherwise I'd be on the next flight back to New York! Roles and responsibilities are still vague, but it'll all materialize soon with time. I can't speak too much about it right now since the planning is quite sensitive, but I'll leak more details once the terms are set! Generally I've been lackadaisical about interacting with Shanghai since I've gotten here... I usually pore over Cityweekend/Timeout for my next adventure. These days I'm just not in the mood. I'm still crashing at boss lady's apartment even though I found a small studio already, but it'll 2 weeks to repaint the place, buy furniture, install the internet, etc... I promise to give you a tour once it's all done. :D

Yan An Highway.

On the ground during night and in the air during day. Yes, Instagram!!!

So far I have no regrets about coming to Shanghai, except for leaving people behind. But I know that those who love you will always be there (and importantly WANT to be there) regardless of time and location. And if you can't meet that standard, then you'll eventually be culled. It's not cold but it is calculated. More than ever I only have a limited amount of resources at hand, and I want to give my best to those who deserve it most. :)

I feel like I'm back on track and that everything that I've worked on since early 2009 is finally converging on this point. This year when I went with my dad to the temple during Chinese New Year, I had prayed to the god[s] above to show me the way. It wasn't like throwing a penny into a fountain and making a wish, I was begging, with tears streaming down my face. It was quite embarrassing since I think my dad saw, but he was nice enough to not say a thing. Life didn't give me an answer right away, but with continual experimentation and help from above I'm hugely hopeful that I'm sitting at the cusp of something awesome. It's amazing how quickly things can change, which is why life can certainly feel like a highway.

GAH I can't help writing introspective shit when I'm sedentary!!! I am so boring. Blah.

Chinese Zodiac

@ Tian zi fang (田子坊)

I wonder how Rats fare next year?

Apartment Hunting...

... is kind of like treasure hunting. Cap'n Miffy's favorite pastime! [Not.]

The view from a rundown apartment.

Damn I made this place look way too good, haha.

Today I spent the entire afternoon with a real estate agent walking around Xuhui (徐匯區, Concession areas). He managed to show me 5 places, ranging from 3,600 to 5,600 RMB, from 30 to 70 sq. meters, from shitty to shittier kitchens/bathrooms. I haven't fallen in love yet, but it's okay since I'm not desperate to move in yet. Either the place is too small (and thus too expensive for its size) or the furniture looks like it belongs to my grandma. Actually no, my grandma has better taste than most of the wtf that I've seen so far. 

Unfortunately all the awesome places that have a nice outdoor sitting area and tasteful furnishings are well over $1,000 USD, which sounds really cheap to New Yorkers... but you have to remember that this is China and I'm being paid a China salary now while having student loans. An extra $500+ USD a month adds up to an additional $6,000 USD/year! Imagine all the a-yis [ 阿姨, maids ] I could hire!!! I could seriously buy an indentured servant with that extra dough. And a few round trip tickets back home. :) 

Anyways, I'll need to check out more places to get a better gauge of the market. I may decide to shell out for a nice place, but I would like to make sure I get my money's worth. More hunting tomorrow!

Instagram Rookie

I LOVE INSTAGRAM!!!!!!!!! I downloaded the app on my iPhone yesterday and I can't stop playing with it. I think I'll start substituting my Canon with my iPhone for everyday occasions. Traditional camera still rules, but it adds like 5lbs to my purse and gives me a backache by the end of the day. I'm impressed with the quality of photos that come out here, enough to capture most moments. :)

I really do love my cappuccinos. Yum.

Holiday brunch @ Isola // Shanghai IFC with boss lady & friends.

They have the best antipasto buffets... can't get enough of  beets, artichokes, and prosciutto!

Do(e): a Female Deer

I attended a Republic of China concert at NYU celebrating its centennial the Sunday before I left New York. Mom was part of a 100-member chorus and sang Alto. The whole affair was pretty good (they had incredible instrumental and opera performances too). I guess I'm obliged to say that, but my mom's 100-member chorus was actually quite impressive. They sang a very moving rendition of 龍的傳人 "Descendants of the Dragon", an old melody that I was familiar with. This time I was able to follow its lyrics and realized that it was about a deep yearning and pride for a home that you've never been able to come back to (because of the war, see below). It was very moving.

History tidbit -- The Republic of China (ROC) = Taiwan. People's Republic of China (PRC) = China. The centennial refers to the Xinhai Revolution that kicked off on October 10th 1911 when Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Kuomintang Party overthrew the imperial Qing Dynasty and remained in power in China until the Chinese Civil War, when the Kuomintang was defeated by the Communist Party and retreated to the island of Taiwan. So technically this centennial refers to the amount of time since the last emperor was in power, and only the Taiwanese really celebrate it. China celebrates the anniversary of the PEOPLE'S Republic of China every October 1st. 

Now you know where I get my tendency to throw out the peace sign. :D

You were great, Mom!!! [She reads my blog, ha.]

So proud of you. 想妳！

You are what you eat

Flavors of Pringles that are out there in the world -- amazing!!! Which of these have you tried?

From the very cool Food & Drink NYTimes Magazine special.

Reminder to self -- buy Kindle Fire.

Socratic Method

I've become less and less of a skeptic as I've gotten older. Sometimes I think that God really does have a plan for us that appears in this weird Socratic method. Life throws you situations where you are forced to address a long series of questions, until finally, you reach The Answer. And this conclusion ends up being so pure and indisputable because of this deliberate filtering process, and thus is freeing. Today I made such decision -- it was so obvious and I'm never looking back.

If this post doesn't make sense to you, it shouldn't. :) Because life teaches us all different things customized to each of our flaws and needs.

[end philosophical musing]

Reshuffle

It's very strange to be back in Shanghai. The only way I can describe it is like if you're running on a treadmill for an hour and then you suddenly stop and take a walk on solid ground. That sensation where your senses are all dislocated. I got so used to New York that Shanghai feels like a weird dreamland... I wonder when I'll snap back into reality and stop mentally processing all this in 3rd person.

I arrived Wednesday evening SHA time with two 50 lb luggages (maxed out on economy class), my 18.4" laptop, and a carry-on bag busting at the seams. Girls have way too much shit!!!!!!!! :) Right now I'm crashing with my boss in her super posh apartment (with several live-in maids), where the single room that I'm staying in will probably far exceed size/comfort of the entire studio that I will end up renting. I need to figure out where I'm going to live, but that will depend on proximity to office/gym/public transportation. Also, if I decide to rent a bigger apartment then I can bring 小虎 over from the US, otherwise my dad wants to keep him. My dad doesn't have the confidence that I'll stay in China, so he doesn't want me to bring the cat over and stress him (小虎) out. I told him that I had all the intention to making it big here, but lately I've been wondering myself whether it needs to be do or die. At the end of the day, I tell myself, all these musings are rather pointless. The main thing is to accomplish the task at hand while maintaining a level of flexibility and ambition.

Perched in the Shanghainese version of a NYC "black car", ideal during rush hours if you don't mind speeding at 40mph without a helmet (or seatbelt).

Work has ramped up quickly. There are so many things that I need take a role in, from relationship management, legal work, financial projections, top-level business strategy... a lot of these are long-term projects that will surely take on different dimensions as time passes, so sometimes I have to remind myself not to waste time on theoretics. The work is not brainbustingly difficult, but it is trying on your patience. Whoever coined "patience is a virtue" is so on the money.

Recently there has also been some personal developments that has lifted up my spirits tremendously, as if I really needed more of that during my NY vacation! It's incredibly exciting and has renewed my faith in relationships. :) I don't know what direction it will ultimately take, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds. The way I see it -- there's only upside from here!

I guess the whole theme of this post is that I'm taking things one step at a time, but these steps can also be leaps and bounds... it's time to make something of myself. :p

Happy.

You always find when you're not looking. How very true! :) I think as you get older, you learn that these seemingly trite sayings really can work some magic.

Riverside Park, Manhattan.

Way better than a romantic stroll on the beach. ;)

I leave for Shanghai on Tuesday (if all goes according to plan) -- this New York holiday has been the best experience ever, not even an exaggeration. I learned so much about myself and what (and who) makes me happy. The bar has been raised! I'll carry this with me no matter where I go and where I end up.