Thankful

I spent a lot of time by myself both yesterday and today. Other than myself, there were Dave and Jose, whom I am truly thankful for everyday. They came to help me set up a computer, fix my bathroom heater, keep me company, and of course, have great food. Yesterday we had Lu's Garden, which just changed their name to House of Fragrant. The porridge was just what we needed in colder days like this, and it was comforting to share it with dear friends. Today they visited again to fix my heater and also had dinner. We also replaced my toilet seat - FUN! Later we went to Nguyen Hoang for Vietnamese food. Their spring rolls were disappointingly thin and dried. The noodle dishes tasted the best. We really liked their vegetarian selections, however, I could do without the MSG. My tongue felt funny afterwards.

The big holiday weekend had come and left. I can't say I did much except for cleaning my place a bit. I still feel relaxed for the most part. Let's wait and see how things develop the next few weeks. Wow the year is almost over.

Unproductive

Another day had passed and I was thankfully unproductive still. There weren't new jobs posted today. Of course, I looked at Black Friday sales here and there too. Being unemployed I had no place in the mall. Online window shopping was fine though. I hope there were enough shoppers out there this weekend who would help bring the economy back. Until then, I will enjoy my time off and take it easy. Man do I sound lazy or what.

Thanksgiving night

This year's Thanksgiving we went to Miwa's apartment for the festivities. Dave made squash soup, endive salad with walnut pear & blue cheese, and an apple pie. Jose's pumpkin cheesecake looked stunning. We arrived at her place at 3 and started eating half an hour after. The food we brought was a hit, especially the cheesecake. We ate and ate. After finishing our meal, Dave played music with Miwa and later played ma-jong with Jose PK Yutaro. I started to get sleepy around 9 and we left before 10. Tonight's party was less hectic than last year's. I hope I will always get to share Thanksgiving with close friends.

Pre-Thanksgiving

Today went by like a light breeze. I woke up before 6 and stayed up 'til 12 something. Went back to take a nap and got up again around 4:30. Spent the evening at Dave's. He made chicken fried steak, mustard greens and mashed potato (YUM!) while Jose worked on the pumpkin cheesecake for the feast tomorrow. I did laundry. TC tonight was good, Rosie Live... not so much. I came back around 11:30 and am feeling very sleepy. I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow and 2008 is almost over.

Day goes by

I spent so much time on the computer today. I don't think I did anything productive. Yes I applied for one job, but that was about it. I just went to this site, then to the next, then to the next. I did manage to get out of the apartment and hit the gym. The rest of the day was sitting in front of the computer and TV. Wow did I get an eyeful tonight. New episodes of The Real Housewives of ATL and OC were both on and oh dear, can these ladies bring drama to Bravo. 

So that's my day. I did spend time talking to Jen about her planning her wedding. It's so expensive and time consuming. Oh I remember now. I also wrote Syl this long and awesome letter, explaining the reason why I was upset. I guess this day wasn't completely wasted, haha.

Referral

It's good to have friends. Two of my new friends referred me to their companies. I will need to update my resume though. Of course, because these are new friends, they don't always know my previous experiences and specific skillset now. We'll see. I can't say I feel confident these job leads will get me places. I am going to try and wait. Still - these new friends - They are very kind.

Spicy and Sweet

I had a relaxing day today. I went to the gym in the morning, came back and had lunch. The afternoon was spent mostly online and in bed. Then I had dinner at Hunan Chilli King with Dave Jose Cameron and his friends. It was a lot of spicy food, but I made sure we had a couple of dishes that weren't so mouth-burning. The fish-head was a hit, so was the eggplant with string beans. We also had sweets at Fosselman's. The taro + rocky road + pumpkin ice cream sundae was a perfect dessert to end this first week back in town.

I am feeling sleepy now but Dexter is on - This jetlag thing is good in a way. I rarely felt like I could go to bed before 11 and this week the sleepy bug kept hitting me around 8, 9, and 10. Should I accept this and perhaps make it my new routine? It's possible.

Flake

I finally told Syl I was annoyed at her frequently flaking on me. It was heart-pounding and palm-sweating, but when I was texting her I felt this sense of liberation. I finally had the opportunity to tell her that it was an issue for me and I was annoyed. Sometimes a friend needs to take the necessary step to point and shoot. Be blunt and watch what happens. Especially if one is feeling frequently irritated and is reaching his boiling point.

I applied for more jobs today. What's one to do when his friend flaking out on him one hour before lunch, for the hundredth time? With all this free time, hunting for jobs is just one of many important and boring things he gets to do. I spent some time online, texting PK and Nicole back and forth, calling Megan about a luggage deal I saw, and surfing channels. I got banh mi for dinner. Around 8 I fell asleep, and woke up at 11:30 to do more random things. Tomorrow's another day. 

So it began

Yesterday I started job search again. I applied for one yesterday and a few more today. I don't know why, but I'm feeling the effort will go nowhere. I mean, look at the news, how many people are looking for jobs now? And who is hiring? Exactly. I wonder how long I can remain unemployed and still feel hopeful. I can only live by the day, think positively, and keep pushing myself upward and forward. We'll see where this will lead.

I saw Mark yesterday. He got hired recently and will start next week. Perhaps there are companies hiring. Will I hit one of them? Will I be what they are looking for? Will I be ready?

Good to be home

I am finally back from China! The last day I spent in Shanghai was calm and collected. We had da jia xie (hairy crab) again - mom and uncle's favorite. It was too much work for me. My stomach wasn't feeling well, so I only ate a little. We packed and packed. There was a lot of stuff. I ended up with all my baggage full. I rested for a few minutes then we were on our way to the bus stop. The ride to the airport was quiet too. Mom and I didn't say much, we were both tired. I checked in, mom walked me to the departure entrance, we hugged, and said our goodbyes.

The flight coming back was comfortable, unfortunately I couldn't fall into sleep comfortably. I drifted in and out of sleep. It was never more than 30 minutes of peaceful rest. When I arrived in Atlanta it was Monday night 5:30 PM. I texted my friends and hoped I could catch the 9:15 PM plane home. The custom officer was a very serious lady. She asked me where I went, what I did, and if I had relatives in China - No smiles whatsoever. I thought she was very cold. When I went through the baggage examination my apples were confiscated. I was pissed - I should've had them on the plane. There were very good apples too :( I passed the gate and let go of my luggage again. I went up to the gate where my next flight would take off and started to wait for its dispatch time.

I didn't get on the flight. The standby list was way long and the flight was completely overbooked. I had to wait 'til the next morning, 7:30 AM to be exact, to see if I might get on that one. I had a couple of choices, I could either leave the airport and find myself a motel room, then come back the next morning to check on the flight. Or I could just stay at the airport. I chose the latter. It was going to be a LONG night. I had never stayed overnight in an airport before and I was about to do it. There were a few other people like me, and we found ourselves in this new gate trying to get some rest. I was exhausted from the flight coming in from China, and I really could use some sleep. The chairs in the airport weren't the best type for laying down. I changed positions, moved around, shifted up and down + left and right, it took me a couple of hours of trying to finally settle into an acceptable combination of utilizing my bag, a very specific laying angle and posture to allow myself a short nap. Around 3:40 AM I was unable to lay there anymore, so I got up and found myself suddenly alone in the area. I thought the people who were also staying there went to have breakfast. I was wrong. The gate had moved to a different concourse and all of them went to that one when I was trying to sleep. Those bastards!

I was tired. So tired. I got lost a little and found my way again to the new gate. My stomach was ill. It was not a happy time. I saw the same people who were at the old gate and took in another breath - It's time to sit and wait again. I was hungry and so tired. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I called Sophya, who fortunately had time to chat with me. We talked for about half an hour, and I felt less weary. After a muffin from Starbucks I was back on, it was just after 6 AM, and the standby list had begun again. I didn't find my name on the list, and went to the counter to not just "relist" myself, but to "activate" my listing. Here we go - another round of chance and possibility.

I got on the 7:30 AM flight! I was so relieved. Too bad I still couldn't sleep on the plane. I couldn't even count how much time I had stayed up or tried to sleep but couldn't. I was worried about my luggage also. They had gone with the plane previous evening and I was just on my way to catch up. Luckily when I got in at 9 AM in LA, they were by the baggage claim room. Dave had a meeting in the morning so he suggested that I took a shuttle bus to Union Station where he could pick me up afterwards. I had no problem with that. Of course, he couldn't get out of his meeting when I got into the station, and he asked me to get on the Metro Gold so he could pick me up at the location by his place. I was, well I was annoyed. I understood he had committments but I was exhausted. I wanted to go home. I didn't want to travel anymore. But what choice did I have?

I carried my luggage and myself to the Gold line and rode it to his station. I was tired. TIRED. When Dave found me I was both annoyed and happy. He didn't get it - I told him I knew he was right, still I had the right to be pissed. After I said what I had to say I was fine. Dave cooked some soup because I told him my stomach was not well. I came home before 2 PM, took a shower, and slept. I didn't think it would, but I slept through 5 hours straight. It was truly what I needed.

Today I went to the gym. Talked to friends. Saw TC with Dave and Jose. Things are slowly back to normal. It's good to be home.

Last day to shop

This is my last night in Shanghai. It's been an amazing experience in China. Yesterday mom and I went to the Oriental Pearl site and looked at the night views. It was a very busy and glamorous area where even more tourists and stores gathered and collided. There were many restaurants and bars occupied the bay, and it was a challenge to find a way to get by them without paying. Fortunately we found a path onto the sidewalk through Fuga Bar, and we got to enjoy the views with many visiting families and couples. I had to admit, even though I enjoyed the scenery, it could get overwhelming. Perhaps I will only bring friends here next time I am in Shanghai.

Today's goal is simple: Finish up all the shopping. Mom and I went to Carrefour inside another shopping mall. This market's like the Wal-Mart of China, but originally it came from France. I think this was my favorite store in Shanghai by far. We didn't have to bargain and prices were usually cheap. I bought many things in the store and I knew I wasn't being ripped off. That felt quite good. There was another Shanghai store that had mostly fair prices and required no negotiation skills to shop... HOLA. It's like Bed Bath & Beyond in the US, but smaller and cuter. Sigh. I am now realizing my sweet vacation is coming to an end.

The shopping continued after lunch. We went to Cheng Huang Miao to browse and shop some more. This was another madhouse happening. So many shops and so many manic shoppers came together to do business. Fortunately we were in no rush and we actually found some decent deals. Yes mom had to bargain, but it wasn't as bad as our Gubei mall experience where everything there was marked up 4 - 5 times over. We walked out happily, that was until we saw the traffic and the people on the streets. It was crazy. Where did all these cars and people come from? We had to escape this area and walk about 15 minutes to get on the touring bus which would take us home.

By the way, I haven't mentioned that if you decided to visit China, remember to buy little packets of tissue papers so you'd have them with you at all times. Most public restrooms here were not equipped to have them or people just took them after they did their business, so it was to your benefit to keep some on you always. You never know when the nature will call.

Wow - Tomorrow I'm on another flight going back to the US. I don't know what to think.

Bargaining

Today mom took me to Gubei section of Shanghai to do some shopping. But before spending we had to eat. We dined on this small street next to a big parking structure, and all of the restaurants were frequented by foreigners, i.e. Westerners. It reminded me of the casualness of Pasadena Old Town. Godmother decided to have some tapas at this Spanish restaurant (that was owned by a Filipino), and the set meal we ordered was both affordable and delicious.

Inside the shopping plaza there were many designer knock-off brands and American mall standards. I was both impressed and embarrassed by some of the very good and very awful knock-offs. My godmother was excellent at bargaining, she got 2 shirts for me that cost originally 75 RMB each to 90 RMB for both. I know, wasn't that something? Well, it turned out, she was just an OK negotiator. I saw one European lady who spoke good Chinese and she bargained down one bathrobe from 300 RMB to 100 RMB. I was both surprised by her language + negotiation skills and how much the stores there could mark up for a profit.

We came back to rest a bit and later went to my godmother's apartment for dinner. She cooked lots so I ate lots, more than I should. She commented on how much weight I'd gained. Well, eating like a pig everyday and getting no exercise whatsoever would make anyone bigger. Time to hit the gym again when I get back next week. 

Wow. Just 3 more days, and I'm back on the La La Land.

Ripped off

We took a trip to Hangzhou today. It was my first time taking the train leaving from Shanghai and it was fantastic. The ride was clean, quiet and comfortable. I was very impressed. Once we arrived in Hangzhou, we found a taxi to take us to Xihu. He was a loud and seemingly friendly guy who offered to be our tour guide. We first started at the outskirt of the lake then we drove into the hillside to visit tea farms and a Longjing Tea tasting house. We tried and bought some of this very expensive tea - supposedly it was the No. 1 tea in China. I thought it was good, but I wouldn't know if it was truly the best tea I had ever tasted. Whatever. This was the time we figured out our taxi driver was working with the local business to get commissions if we made a purchase. Next stop our driver took us to the silk house to see if we would spend more, but we walked out without buying anything. He  literally did a 180 on us, turned silent, and said he must leave us at some intersection. He wouldn't even take us to where we wished to be dropped off. He made up some excuse to just take off - I thought what he did was extremely inconsiderate and rude. 

We had lunch at this cutesy Taiwanese + Chinese fusion restaurant by the lake. It was trendy and the food was pretty tasty. We visited my uncle's sister's antique jewelry store and browsed the antique shops on a this long street next to the lake. Finally, around 4 we went back to the main Xihu area to get on a boat and go on one of the most beautiful cruise I'd ever experienced. It was serene, beautiful and emotional. I loved it. Of course, the boat handler ripped us off too. We didn't even get a full 1 hour cruise and we had to pay more than the usual rate. I am beginning to believe that except for dining out in a restaurant, each time we go out and purchase anything while traveling in China, we can expect to get ripped off for sure. It's just HOW much we get ripped off. Sometimes the experience makes up for it, sometimes it just ruins it.

We came back around 10 riding on the train again. It was another wonderful trip :)

Selling myself

I feel funny today after coming back from a job interview my mom set up for me. It was an excellent company with great room to learn. However, the job's pay is one fifth's of what I was getting, and the position I was offered wasn't one with actual future prospects. It was a silent, pausing "hmm" experience. Mom was visibly disappointed and later turned upset. I could see she really wanted me to stay and work in Shanghai. I would like to as well, but this job wasn't the right fit at all.

I start to think about my entry yesterday, where I wrote about that pay wasn't important. Then again, it IS something to consider if I am going to move half across the world for. Also, this was going to be another designer job, I mean, seriously? If I wasn't good enough for the Director position, perhaps the Supervisor? 7 - 8 years in the business meant nothing? Perhaps I didn't sell myself well to Chinese hiring managers. Whatever. Because I spoke to them today, I learned a few things about the marketing industry in China, and that was something I got to keep for myself.

Shanghai Surprise

I woke up early this morning, started thinking about the job situation, and was unable to fall back to sleep. 2 weeks have passed and many fleeting thoughts after, I have gained a clearer - or perhaps I should say - less clouded perspective on where I will stand once my vacation is over. Certainly I will continue to search for jobs when I return. That part won't change. What changes is that I am open to work in a different state, maybe even in a different country. 

Right now I am thinking about this year's premiere episode of Ugly Betty, where Betty comes back from her trip and decides she is relocating to a bigger city. That daring move caused her lots of headache and losing of a close friend. I don't want to say that my life suddenly mirrors the show, but it does come pretty close. 

During one of the rides in Hubei a strange, unexpected sadness ran through me. I eerily sensed that I will leave Dave... soon. Tears started to form around my eyes and I had to wipe them off quickly. I have been so very close to Dave and the thought of losing that closeness and support scares and saddens me. Is this merely a ghost of my imagination or some kind of a foreshadowing of what is to come? I can't say. 

I have grown more and more intrigued, even fascinated by China - particularly Shanghai -each day I get to spend here. This wasn't exactly what I expected when I planned my trip. The city, the people, the opportunities, and the possibilities excite and ignite my tired and weary spirit. When I walk on the street or look outside the apartment window, I see a side of life and energy that I haven't experienced in a long time. Yes, some fragments of this excitement are the new surroundings, things that I have never felt, touched, smelled, or seen before. I can't deny the fact that simply being in the newness enthralls me.

Then again, the job opportunities and career potentials in China indeed seem healthier, for me anyways. Mom's right, for my desired industry and paths forward, my specific qualifications and skillset in LA might have been fine, but in Shanghai they are almost excellent. If I can find a better job in a different city across the globe or country - and I don't mean a job with a better pay - but with a better career outlook and more rewarding work experience, this might just be the real goal and push that I have been looking for since the day I received my green card.

Thinking about the future, especially one that shines brightly, keeps my eyes wide open. I have to admit, I had anticipated this to happen AFTER the trip, certainly not DURING it! Today I am awaken gradually. I will accept and embrace the new, even if it means that I will face heartaches and tears. I tell myself, if I find the right job and relocation must take place, the leave will be temporary. I don't want to and can't be away from Dave too far and too long. However, I need and crave a better career. And I will take on any necessary fight to get there.

Back in Shanghai

I am back. Shanghai is colder than I remember - Lots of big clouds and chilling breezes have replaced light, misty rain and cool, delicate temperature.

Wuhan was a pleasant and rapidly developed city, much like Shanghai, but with a slightly slower, perhaps easier pace. My grand uncle took us on several remarkable trips across Hubei province / region. One of the most impressive city we visited was Shiyan, which was where the spectacular and amazing Wudang Mountain located. The sight was truly stoic and magnificent. First I was amazed by the stairs that led us up to the temples, not only were they stretched far in distance, they were also built both steep and narrow. It turned out to be quite a workout physically, and for me mentally as well... Because I had a fear for heights - so it was challenge to stay focused just on the stairs nothing else. The temples and sights alone were nothing to write home about, but considering that these were constructed all the way up in this freakishly tall and immense mountain hundreds and hundreds of years ago, they were nothing less than incredible. Those Taoists still practiced and worked in one of the main temples today. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit that specific temple. I'm saving that trip for the next time.

Another major trip we took was to Xiangfan. We visited the famed Zhuge-Liang site where some of very popular stories about him originated and perhaps re-imagined just for tourists. I didn't study Chinese histories very well and I knew very little of him, so this part of our journey was kind of "oh-really" for me. Luckily our tour guide was super fun and lively, she joked about each distinctive site and gave us a tongue-in-cheek story as well as a perfect reference to current newsmakers and events, that helped keep me interested throughout the entire visit.

When we were staying at my grand uncle's big apartment dad corrected on one of the trips we took. I thought the trip to Jingzhou was to visit Zhuge-Liang and the fortress, I was only half right. Besides the fortress, it was mostly for the kind of creepy Xiongjiazhong tomb. We first saw the silk work ancient Chinese people created and the fashion designs. We then saw the famed corps / mummy... Yes, Chinese people did have real mummies, and they were much much much more exciting than ones in the craptacular sequel starring Jet Li.

A couple of things I noticed while dining out like a true pig on my trips: 1. A lot more people smoked here than in LA, and I meant A LOT. It was refreshing to see Chinese guys just lit one up before and after a meal. Inside or outside the restaurant made no difference. It was sort of a national men sport. No I didn't like second-hand smoke, but smoking was accepted almost everywhere and by everyone. It was freeing. 2. In a big, multi-plate meal extravaganza, rice came last, always. I was used to having rice come with the first dish, but here, if you were participating a 20+ dishes lunch or dinner, rice came second to last or very last on the schedule. Yep... a bit strange, but hey low carb diet rules right? So after eating all that meat and fish and veges, having very little room for rice or skipping rice altogether doesn't sound that bad.

I didn't get to sleep very much when I was in Wuhan and going on different trips. So I am going to try to catch some tonight.

Wuhan

I'm writing in from a public PC in my Wuhan hotel today. How I miss internet access LOL. I found out Obama was elected, but Prop 8 got passed too. You just can't have everything worked out in your favor, sigh.

When I arrived on Sunday I didn't know what to expect. Back in 1993, everything was moving forward, but I couldn't remember much other than having to wait for hot water at my grand uncle's house. Today the city was busy and crowded, cars and people everywhere, it was like Shanghai, but with about 1/2 less high rise buildings and designer stores.

First day here I visited my aunt's house. The apartment was roomy but I really disliked how much those energy light bulbs got used here. The entire room looked pale and lifeless. That deadnes-like glow was felt in my hotel bathroom, and almost everywhere in my aunt's apartment building, from her lobby to her living room. I thought they invented one that was more warmer in tone? I really don't like this grey everywhere most of the time when I'm indoors.

Another thing I didn't think I would see again was the on the ground lavatory unit. I don't know how to call it properly. Unlike a toilet where you get to sit and do your business, this type you are required to squat down and... you know. Perhaps I'm just not used to this, it's feels so bare. When I saw it in my aunt's restroom I was stunned. I remember using it when I was in elementary school growing up in Taiwan and back in 1993 when I last visited. Now it was back in my face I had to re-orient myself to get stuff done LOL. It's more smelly too. There's no cover to hide anything. That's another aspect I don't like about this on the ground open-wide "toilet."

Ever since I got to Wuhan, every meal except for one has been a 20+ course extravaganza. My grand uncle used to be a government official and he still has lots of newer and up-and-comers who respect him. When we go out to eat, there's this group who wanted to take care of the lunch and that company that wanted to pay for the dinner. When the plates started, they never really ended until the table ran out of space for them. 24 dishes were typical. I am not even counting the drinks and soups. Yes soups, there were always more than 3 soups to each meal. How could that be? I felt so indulgent, and yes, wasteful to eat that much and still not being able to finish. I knew and know I'm very fortunate to enjoy such overwhelming Chinese food each time we dine out, but I can't help but feel disappointed to see a lot of food goes to waste. My dad said the restaurants just feed them to the pigs. I hope so.

One of the major trips we took so far was to see the 3 Gorges Dam in Yichang. It was a stunning sight. The project was ambitious and the result was overwhelming. I knew it was a controversial task to take on, but I thought the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. We also went to the Jingzhou fortress where many of the great Chinese battles held. Speaking of historical buildings, we also visited the famed Yellow Crane Tower the day before I left for the dam trip. How the ancient people figured out how to build something that magnificent and intricate was awe-inspiring to me. Later this afternoon we will be leaving for Wudang mountain for a couple of days. When I come back I will write more :)

Halloween

I didn't get on the flight to Wuhan today. I got to the airport 20 minutes too late and the only option I had was to delay my schedule another day. I looked at it as my practice run. This was also my first time on the bus on my own to and back from the airport. When I came back to the apartment my uncle was watching the TV show Supernatural and mom was trying to nap. Yay! Another day in Shanghai! And I better get my act together tomorrow and get on that plane :)

Yesterday was Halloween. I didn't think there would be any kind of festivities here. I was half wrong. We were at Xintiandi last night, which was an equivalent to a unique combination of Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade and Pasadena Old Town and Universal City Walk and The Grove with a dash of historical Chinese landmark buildings and structures. Even though there weren't trick-or-treating kids or candies being given or exchanged, there were many staffs who worked at the bars and restaurants dressing up to be taken pictures with the crowds. And speaking of crowds, wow, they just kept on coming. Hundreds and hundreds of people. After having a big meal at Ding Tai Fung (yes it's that very popular Taiwanese dumpling house franchise), we went people watching and latte-ing at Coffee Beans & Tea Leaf (yes another big franchise). The street lamps were decorated with Halloween theme shades, the windows and trees had corps and props hanging over and spiderwebs spreading over as well. There were foreigners taking pictures, and of course regular Chinese folks doing the same. My godmother's daughter was sort of dressed to the night, wearing a red cape with a free witch hat from the stores. People took pictures of her too. It was a festive evening, but I wondered if anyone there knew what Halloween was about. I mean, even I don't know the story exactly.