How Chinese People Do It – Thanksgiving Recap

a solid mix of chinese and american..

thankful, thankful for you

a few people to be thankful for this 2009…

in particular,

sister – thank you for always being there. though we’ve been thousands of miles apart these past two years, you’ve always remained a phone call, txt, msn or e-mail away. while the rest of us may seem to hold friends before family, you’ve always made evident where we stand in your life. you are by far the best older sister a younger sibling could ever wish for, a parent can ever hope for.

ed – you’ve always been a punk, but underneath it all there’s no doubt that you are and have always been a good and sincere kid. being expressive may be one of your weaknesses, but despite being the youngest, your ideas and opinions are always highly regarded.  i know that no matter what happens, you will always be at the front lines to support.

cheryl – aside from my diary, you are probably the one person i can tell anything and everything to and not feel that i’m being judged.  you’re my go-to person for pretty much anything that happens in life.  i’m grateful and thankful for your being and can not ask for anyone better to fill the position.

j.j.e – we all know we’ve had our fair share of problems, but at the root of it all, you are to me the definition of what one would consider true friends and together, what we have, true friendship.  know that despite all our past shortcomings, our present faults and whatever our future issues may bring us, I am utterly grateful to have you in my life, hold each one of you dear to me, and will never let anything or anyone come in the way of our friendship.

116 – as andrea wrote on the picture frame she gave me – “pbs for a quarter, roommates for 2 years, friends forever.”  couldn’t have stated it better myself.  you girls helped define my college experience and contributed to creating wonderful memories that i value and will cherish in my lifetime. i couldn’t have met a better group of girls to live with.  i can probably say that i clique better with you guys in the short period of time we’ve met than anyone i’ve met in the years of friendships i’ve had with people throughout childhood.  i miss you girls every day and can’t wait to see you all again.

there is so much more to be thankful for that i’m leaving out, but just because it’s not expressed, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. to all who know me well, i am not a very expressive person myself..aside from birthday cards, this is probably the cheesiest and most sincere words you’ll ever get out of me.

cheers to family, friends and good food. happy thanksgiving everyone.

Putting It In Words

Recently I’ve been fluctuating between two different types of moods. I feel myself convoluted between two states of being – either feeling very motivated, ambitious and confident in my abilities (of achieving nothing short of conquering the world, singlehandedly.. end ridiculous digression) or feeling like I’m being bought into the worldly definitions of success, happiness, purpose…life.  Or to sum up the latter  simply – fuck it.

These feelings are by no means driven by random thoughts.  Work and my plans and hopes for the future help drive my motivation, ambition, and confidence.  Outside influences through media, movies, shows, stories, and maybe even just taking a step back to breath and ponder makes me stop for a minute and think… why?

Maybe I still haven’t fully adjusted to work life, or maybe I just miss the freedom of college life, who knows. But ever since I started working (which hasn’t been that long, which in turn kind of scares me that I already feel all these things from being in the workforce for a period amounting to <.01% of the average work life of the average joe) I have days where work is great and I feel great, and days where literally I feel like fuck this man I wanna go home, snuggle in my blanket, watch sex and the city, and eat sour patch kids.

Of course society pushes us towards achieving, it’s really only the laziness within each of us that makes us question and think twice about our actions and our ambitions..

And it seems that by writing this post I have cleared the smog on my windshield…thank you, wordpress.

Colorsplash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A World Without Expectations

[image courtesy of google images]

One of the single most difficult aspects about life is the constant need to meet or exceed expectations.  One of the single most upsetting aspects about life is the disappointment precipitated by expectations unmet. From that, I deduce that in a perfect world, expectations do not exist – expectations both externally, imparted from society, and internally, from what individuals themselves expect of others.  It is only without expectations are we truly free to wander, think, and act as we so wish.  It is only without expectations are we truly constantly content with our friends, our family, ourselves.  How much of who you are is actually driven by who you want to be and not what is expected of you?  Do we even know how to be, independent of what is expected of us, to simply just be?  How often is your anger/frustration/disappointment met by expectations unmet?

This all sounds very confusing, but it’s really not.  And to this, I conclude that to live happily is to live without expectations.

Take me there

I always thought I was more of the city life-type- enjoying the fast pace, on the go lifestyle with tall buildings, flashy lights and trendy people while being constantly updated on the newest juicy gossip.  But it seems that now more than ever all I really want is to get away from it all.  Currently, my vision of bliss, comfort and relaxation finds me on a vast green field, with nothing around for miles on end – being able to  just lie there, feel the light breeze, forget the world, and stare out into the sun.

Food in Shanghai

It’s 5AM right now.. I thought I was over my jet lag but I guess not.  Worst part of this is that my first day of work starts today! I hope I don’t crash after lunch.. but that’s pretty normal too I suppose.  Since I’m up and have nothing to do for the next hour until I have to get ready and try to look sharp for my first day, I will update about Shanghai..

There was more to my trip than almost being stolen from.. mainly eating.  Instead of taking pictures of the city itself, I took pictures of the food I ate.  And that’s what made my time in Shanghai truly a vacation.. relaxing in my sister’s small yet quaint, victorian-decorated apartment, and of course fine dining.   Of course fine dining in Shanghai, being the huge port for commerce and and foreigners it’s become, has it’s price.  But that’s what sisters are for.

1.) Jean Gorges for brunch

I NEVER eat my eggs with the yellow oozing out, but this was an exception. It was beyond delicious!  The french toast on the bottom right was like none I’ve ever tried.  The taste was very rich!  The smoked salmon on top of fried potatoes on the bottom left were amazing as well.  To sum it all up, probably the best brunch I’ve ever had.

2.) Hot Pot City

I love hot pot in China.  The best part is the sauce! (right).  They have a sauce bar where you go and but together in a little bowl what you’d like to dip your food into! For every 100RMB (~$15USD) you spend on dinner there, they give you a voucher for the option of either taking a photo at their sticker photo booth, or for one person to get a free manicure.  We opted for the picture-taking, but with our time crunch that night, we didn’t get a chance to get it done.. in fact I still have the voucher with me.  First thing I’ll do next time I go to Shanghai!

3.) At some Japanese Restaurant, Xintiandi

For some reason, I’m always craving sashimi.  My sister can vouch for that.  Pretty much before every meal, she asked me what I wanted to eat, and it would always be sashimi.  She took me to this place where she normally orders her eel fish (which she claims to be uber delicious, and it was).  I also ordered some type of cucumber drink.  It looks just as it tasted.  The appetizers were some salads, random salty items, and an egg thing with mushrooms in it that was really good as well.  The taro ice cream was the best taro ice cream I’d ever had..

4.) Whisk for dessert

After dinner one day, my sister took me to whisk for some dessert.  We got it to go, hence the plastic boxes.  I ordered the chocolate cake on top, my sister the souffle on bottom.  The cake was super rich and thick.  The best part of it was the cookie-type thing it had on the bottom of the cake! These cakes were not cheap, about $6USD each! But they were worth it of course.

5.) Lawry’s, Xintiandi

I met up with my sister for lunch one day during her lunch break.  Lawry’s is having a buy one entree get one free deal during lunch hours.  This was my first time ever eating at Lawry’s.  I ordered chicken over risotto rice and my sister ordered a pasta with ham and mushrooms.  They were both really good! It was a super good deal too! It came out to about $20USD for the both of us.  You won’t be able to find this type of deal at a Lawry’s in LA! My sister couldn’t finish her pasta, so we got the leftovers to go.  They literally just wrapped the left over pasta in some tin foil and threw it in a Lawry’s bag.  I guess it’s China after all.

6.)  Wagas

Wagas is almost like a Starbucks in Shanghai.  They have them everywhere.  Free wifi too! I got a smoked salmon panini, except they ran out of panini so I got it with ciabatta.  Even in their attempt to forge American/Italian food, it tasted very… chinese.  I was trying to figure out what it was that made it have an Asian taste to it.. I think it was the strips of cucumbers they put in it.  Nonetheless, I liked this place! Went there twice.

7.) Bakery

One of the best things about China are their bakeries.  You can’t find bread like these at their prices in bakeries in California.  These four totaled $12RMB.. which is about ~$1.76USD.  And yes, I ate all of them in one sitting.

8.)  Some place in new tallest building

My sister kept wanting to take me to this place.  Sorry, don’t know the name of it right now, but she claimed that they had the BEST pizza she’s ever had.  Yes, the pizza WAS really good.  So was the pasta, and the cosmopolitan.

9.) Some Hong Kong style place

Tried some Hong Kong style food in Shanghai.  It was pretty good! One set meal came with the above picture and a drink – I chose lemon ice tea of course! For some reason, this was one of the meals i felt most full after in Shanghai.  And I barely touched the noodles.

After all the pictures, you’re probably thinking I gained 10lbs in Shanghai.  Surprisingly I lost weight while I was in Asia.. maybe it had to do with all the walking.  And let me tell you… I did a LOTTTTT of walking.. probably because I always wanted to walk wherever I went because I had a lot of time to kill and I wanted to explore, but I got LOST everywhere i tried to go.. and I would end up walking around for hours, literally, trying to find my way..at which point I curse myself for not having just taken a cab.. and tell myself that I will next time.. but then next time it happens again -_-.

I went to some other places worth noting besides these, but those pictures are on my iphone and I don’t have time to upload at the moment.  There were also some foods I had that I didn’t take pictures of, which I’m now regretting.  I have to get ready for work now, but all I have to say is that I’m STARVING!! Oh, and thanks sister for making all this possible! Don’t expect the same treatment when you come back home! haha, just kidding.

the day I almost got jacked in Shanghai..

..by a freakin KID!

Preface: During my 1.5 weeks here so far, I’ve been constantly reminded to caution against roaming thieves and slick pick-pocketers, especially in crowded subway stations and busy streets.  I’ve been told how to hold my bag, when not to have my iphone out, when not to speak too much English, etc.  Though touched and grateful by those looking out for my well-being (and the well-being of my possessions), I took all comments by a grain of salt.  I don’t flaunt my belongings, nor do I walk around with my purse unzipped and wide open, but I just don’t care to be cautious, because I don’t feel the need to be… little did I know…

I got off the Shaanxi Metro Station off line 1 today and was making my way down Xieli Rd.  I decided to wear my backpack today.  Usually when I wear my backpack (in China) I put all things valuable in the large compartment.  As I was walking down the street, I was paying close attention to the stores, trying to locate #142 – Sakura Do Cafe.  It was about 12:20PM, in broad daylight, on a decently sized street with scant amounts of people.  From the reflection in the glass windows of the stores I was walking passed, I noticed a little girl following closely behind me.  And behind her, a mother holding a baby.  It was a little awkward that she was walking so closely behind me for so long, but considering that she was a little girl (probably around 12) who looked like a foreigner, I perceived it as all of us walking on a cramped sidewalk with a harmless girl behind me eager to get to her destination.  Just as all kids are eager little beavers.  If I’ve learned anything seeing Esther from The Orphan, (though I’ve never actually seen the movie, the ads are enough to send off this message), little girls are anything BUT harmless!!

An elderly local walks up to me and asks if I know the people behind me, because they’re trying to open my bag.  I swing my backpack around as I’m still trying to make out what he’s trying to tell me (I thought he was trying to sell me something)… the halfway opened compartments of my backpack said it all.

I was COMPLETELY shocked at the sight of my widely unzipped backpack.  Even more shocked that I noticed them walking behind me, but didn’t think anything of it.  And even MORE shocked that I didn’t feel ANY of it.  Good thing nothing was taken from my backpack though.  Thank God for North Face and it’s large/deep compartments!

When the local Chinese man approached me to warn me of the situation, I noticed that the girl and her mom instantly turned around and started walking the other way.  I asked the local chinese man what nationality they were, since they looked like foreigners.  I couldn’t make out what he said, but he said they were some kind of local.  I told my sister later on, and she says they’re “xin jiang” locals… whoever those are..

My view of China has forever been tainted!! You never really believe what other people say until it happens to you.  It’s always a friend, friend’s friend, cousin’s friend, random person on the news that blah blah happened to, never the victim.  I was the victim this time!!  I’m just glad nothing got stolen.

If you fit the profile of a clueless foreigner strolling around the streets of Shanghai alone wearing a backpack, beware, you’re targeted!!!!

Taiwan Trip

as promised..

here is a recap of my 4 day trip to Taiwan! be patient while it loads

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=861418223836&subj=2523616

disclaimer: turn on your sound and pop in a dramamine! sorry in advance for any slight dizziness this may cause!

Norcal Trip

I went to norcal right after my internship ended for four days.  Despite having done things there that I could have done back home, it was mainly hanging out with the people there that made it a very enjoyable trip.  It’s not so much what I’m doing, but WHO I’m doing things with that makes or breaks my day!  On top of that, I love the weather there! I went from having to wear a jacket everyday, to baking in 100+ degree weather right when I flew back home. yuck.

Anyway parts of my trip are captured in the video below.  I put it together during my down time in Taiwan, so sorry it’s not very well made..I’ll try to make my future ones better! Stay tuned for updates from my trip in Taiwan.. :]

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=858048606576&ref=mf