World Cup Karaoke

This is how it gets done.

This pic rocks

Half-candid pic of my grandma and me fixing our hair before having our picture taken. (Sacramento, last month.)

Nat Geo Fix

This photo gallery of bower birds and the photo captions crack me up, especially the second half with its piles of leaves and "carpet of acorns." (Article here.) Also, talk about detachment from objects and others. For the females, the mates, the feats of architecture and the collections of pretty are admired, approved and then abandoned.

I am so sick of lifestyle magazines

I'm so glad I no longer feel it's my professional duty to read Time Out.

Who you looking at?

Noumea, New Caledonia

the voice of authority

"it was on the news. he tried to shake their hands and they turned away. what's wrong with them? what's wrong with the french? they don't care about their reputation. it's really disgusting."

--overheard comments: mom on the french football team

What's for you, won't pass you

(Taken over the stunning, glorious Rockies in May)

I'd call this strawberry and cantaloupe

Looks like I'm still on my streak of moving on average once a year (now going for 14 years). Yup, I am semi searching for an apartment right now. And I want it to look like this - but oh the grandeur of optimism before I turn it into a pile of crap upon crap. This is the first pic I've come across in a long while that actually makes me think, I can do that, and I want to do that.

Inspiration via ohjoy!.

This year's ART HK

I took pics of only five things at this year's art fair. There were quite a number of booths that had "no photography" signs; and I went with friends so I couldn't really take my sweet time. But I love the pics I took of this Damien Hirst formaldehyde piece (the first of his formaldehyde works to ever exhibit in Asia) with the awesome expressions of people checking it out. His butterfly works are in the background. (Butterflies were everywhere this year! It's so totally overdone now. As well as skulls. Does this mean everyone is just following Hirst, as a way of following the money? Don't even get me started on anything that has Mao or Red Guards.)

Boston

Just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm...

So much going on the past month or so... but just feel like blogging about one thing in particular... yup. Lost.

I have watched none of the last season of Lost. So no spoilers ok?

Hahaha. Was reading Time magazine yesterday and came across the article "Preparing for Life After Lost." Didn't read the article because of... you know. Spoilers.

Let's face it, you couldn't wait to find out what was gonna happen in the next episode, even though every episode seemed to just leave you a little bit unsatisfied - which makes one want more more more! Give me more creepy. More melodrama. More nonsense.

Anyway, in the end, I appreciate Lost. Because I appreciate those little things that move the world and give people who are different as can be a common understanding. And it's a little thing that brings us a little bit of joy and anticipation.

I also appreciate the moment in the movie Kick-Ass where the main character, facing imminent death, laments that he will never find out what happened on Lost. So true.

my dream wardrobe

basically, 20 dresses cut like this in different colors and prints would do. (moschino)

the shoes in all their colors would help.

An origami world

art by Bu Hua

Oh man - chat quote of the day

A: doing anything for spring break?
me: not really. u?
A: nope
me: spring break hahahaha
A: i mean easter
hahahaha
me: i reeeeally feel like some of us are stuck in college days - especially me
since i'm going back to school!
A: i see
i'm stuck in college days and not going back to school
maybe that's worse

2009 movies post

OK. I haven't seen every good movie of 2009 (haven't seen the Hurt Locker in particular), but faves are as follows:

-Star Trek
-A Serious Man

Uh, ok. That's it! hahahahaha. Very high-low brow?

Books, Change, Life

I was getting my daily blog fix yesterday when I came across one that posted a list of the 10 books that changed this person's life (or "influenced" said life also works). I thought this would be a fun and easy exercise, until I realized it's really not...

There are books that touched me greatly and altered my thinking for that moment/week/month (some of them academic, as can be expected), but the only thing I came up with that certainly changed my life was Lord of the Flies. It is simply because this is the first book I read for which someone showed me that there is such a thing as symbolism in literature, that it's not just a story. It was like a veil lifted. Like a secret finally whispered. A rite of passage.

Feels different this year

Sometimes, I just feel so incredibly blessed to have such kind, wise and loyal friends, I don't even dare believe it, as if thinking about it too hard will disprove it. They know who they are. But here I quote part of a chat session from yesterday, my birthday, with a colleague who doesn't know about my blog.

V says: ... feel old
not exactly feel old, but feel ill-prepared for my age...
W says: u're 27?
V says: ......... r u serious
W says: ok...u're a few years older than me only, right? (coz i forget how old i am, whaahaha) so u're 29?
V says: yes
W says: i think the actual no. is not important, what important is ur face and ur heart, and u definitely don't look like ur age
V says: wa, u r good at "tum" me
W says: sorry, i'm good at telling the truth that people always forget, hahaa

This made me smile

They can be really lame with words sometimes, but Langham Place - one of my favorite hotels in this city - knows what's up. They get the media. They get what's fun, what's not. They sent me an invitation for the media launch of their "iPod Art Tour." The invite consists of four sentences only. This is one of them:

"Free of speeches but with excellent Champagne, great conversation and fine food from all four-corners of the world – we’d love your company."

Oh yes. I'd love to be there.

Why oh why...

Gianfranco Ferre accessories, always so fugly they hurt my eyes. (At least they are consistent?)

Ugh ugh ugh what on earth are they thinking?

Belated Quote of the Day

March 1, 2010

Someone: "Think I buy on average one H&M item per week... is that a sin?"
--via email

My current reading habits are all over the place, which I think is a very accurate reflection of the direction of my life right now - or lacking thereof. Currently actively reading:

Committed
Land of Desire
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
2 issues of Time magazine
Lucky magazine March issue

I am normally way too anal to be reading all this, especially magazines out of sequence (I go from front cover to back cover, chronologically, strictly, normally). I haven't felt so "caught in the middle" (channeling Lenka) in ages... work, school, people, life, houses, dimensions

People write what they know. That's why novels are often about writers. That's why operas are frequently about artists, musicians, etc. Musicals are often about the singing and dancing professions: Moulin Rouge, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago...

Anyway. Someone should write a tragic opera about a singer who suddenly loses her hearing in one ear. Not so much "loses" hearing but worse. She has her hearing altered in such a way that the world sounds distorted and dissonant. Sort of like the way they make robots sound in movies. It's a fate worse than deafness. She was normally quite the reticent one to begin with, but now her own voice is the most excruciating to listen to because it's closest to her inner ear.

"Diplacusis" I was able to google out yesterday.

This sums it up

Everyone at work is being really high-maintenance.

In response to latest Style Rookie post...

http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/2010/02/blowing-every-time-you-move-your-teeth.html

Although I have not read the articles Tavi is alluding to, I feel for her because 1) she is 13, and it can't be easy to be openly criticized at that age, even if she does dare to stick her neck out by finding success, 2) she isn't a journalist and accepting gifts should be fun and not unethical, 3) anyone who's read her blog will know her sincerity, 4) anyone who's read her blog will know that her head is screwed on tight, 5) she is 13! When Michelle Wie said something silly two years ago that stirred up controversy, I was like, uh she's 19, give her a break. It's easy to forget Tavi is just a kid because she's such a genius. It's just a blog. And it's a great blog that has some great pieces of writing. It's scary that she has to fend for herself against these professional, adult egomaniacal writers (because all writers are egomaniacs).

Some of fave lines in fave movie of the decade

Beatrix Kiddo: You pretty good with that shotgun?

Karen: Not that I have to be at this range, but I'm a fuckin' surgeon with this shotgun.

B: Well, guess what, bitch? I'm better than Annie Oakley. And I got you right in my sight.

K: I could blow your fuckin' head off.

B: Not before I put one right between your eyes, so let's talk.

Shoot. Me. Now.

Frankly, the February issue is quite good, despite January being kind of shitty. But given that January is ancient history and I don't see why anyone should dwell upon that, let's focus on the February issue, which is actually also history. It's somewhere between not bad and good. So f--- the HK T---ism B---d! And people who are all like, "can you not make any mistakes at all ever when it comes to freaking museum opening hours, lone writer/editor/gatekeeper between correct and slightly incorrect information?", fuck you! GRR! F--- museums!

Suddenly it's February (but of course).

I really should be getting work done right now, but I really wanted to make a list of my 10 favorite movies of the decade before it's suddenly July. Which might be thought of as a lame reason for skipping lunch, but that's exactly what I'm doing now. Funny thing is, I quickly wrote down four movies just off the top of my head:

-Kill Bill Vol. 2

-In Bruges

-Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

-The Departed

The phrase "off the top of my head" is rather apt, seeing as how these four movies all feature a lot of gratuitous violence (and rambly dialogue). Well OK, I would describe it as "hilarious violence," but that's because I have a warped mind.

Then with the top off, I decided to dig deeper into my brain's archives of pleasurable movie experiences, as well as take a quick look online to check what movies came out over the decade, just to make sure I didn't forget ones from earlier on. Here's what I have in no particular order (warning: I am lowbrow): M:I:3, X2, Waitress, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Gladiator, Amelie, all three Bourne movies, Lost in Translation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Star Trek, Casino Royale, Atonement, Catch Me If You Can. It surprised me that Amelie only came out in the noughties! And I must note that I haven't seen many movies that would be classified as late 2009. Anyway... by no means definitive and final, but my 10 Favorite Movies of the Decade:

1. Kill Bill Vol. 2

2. Amelie

3. In Bruges

4. Lost in Translation

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

6. The Departed

7. Waitress

8. A Very Long Engagement

9. The Dark Knight

10. Catch Me If You Can

Honorable Mention for most played DVD: Mean Girls (half-kidding... a small half)

something beautiful

normally, images of watch movement parts bore me. (i know, totally weird that there is such a phenomenon as "images of watch movement parts." i mean, who cares?) but this one from gerard-perregaux - i've never seen anything like it.

being a child of the 80s :)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2010/01/previewing-the-baby-sitters-club-prequel-whats-claudia-wearing/1

Omg. Out tomorrow. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0670021652/

My Urban Outfit

How this outfit epitomizes current HK fashion:

-tunic/short dress/skirt

-plaid

-black tights or skinny pants

-dark motorcycle-type boots

-long sweater

I'm the opposite of trendy but this trend is irresistible if one has the right clothes and the will--which I find most challenging with how cold HK apartments are in the morning. You know, like, I just rolled out of my duvet and it's too cold to think about fashion. Dress arrived this week from Urban Outfitters via Tim from LA. Sweater from Uniqlo. Age-old tights. No-name boots from Japan. New bargain Baby-G from Amazon.

took this last night

Ah, Facebook.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/08/the-funniest-facebook-sna_n_383847.html

Heart this

I sort of realized recently that I haven't blogged about books in a while. In the past 6 months or so, everything I've picked up has been put down quickly, never to be opened again. Except Blockbuster. I love this non-fic book and recommend it to anyone with even a drop of interest in the history of blockbusters, the first official one being Jaws, followed by E.T., Star Wars, Alien, Jurassic Park and the like. Tom Shone is a genius with words and I am jealous.

Breaking News

Ugh. Irrational post here. Two HK restaurants now have 3 Michelin stars (up 1 from last year). Both are in the Four Seasons. Ugh the Four Seasons! I have an irrational dislike. The Four Seasons has a prim and proper snootiness I can't stand. While I'm at it, ugh the Hyatt Group! Snore. You guys are boring.

Yay for Langham Hotels!

Can this get me in trouble?

Oddly embarrassing...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/22/new-aol-logo-aolcom-photo_n_367115.html

Behold, AOL's new branding:

A changing logo. Hmm. "Dynamic" or indecisive or undefined or lazy? Well yes, it would be harder to decide on just one good one than come up with a hundred OK ones.

Ooh. A puff of fuchsia smoke. A neon green scribble. Seemingly haphazard swirl of blue paint. Street art. A pretty GOLDFISH. The "love" sign. Ooh. How hip. Or cliche. They think we are dumb.
The quotes in the article about the new "Aol." letters and punctuation are cringe-worthy, because of course everyone's thinking the same thing: AOL still exists? Well, given that it does, why'd it take THIS long to rebrand (from some form of blue triangle! Yeah.)?

OK, a fashion post

Just love the Love Moschino line

Like this pic of Kowloon skyline. Taken from the rooftop of a cool new boutique hotel on a nasty street - Connaught Road near Western district.

East Asian Games

suck. Try writing a 500-word preview. No. Torture. I think it'll have to be 300 words. OK. A real big picture of Dony and Ami will have to do.

Buzzing about...

Coolest invitation ever. To the opening party of Hullett House. Delivered in a old-time metal mailbox. Inside, invitation and stack of vintage postcards of old Marine Police Headquarters. Best invitation ever. That's saying a lot:

Now on my cubicle partition:

"No, I can't go into a movie that's already started, because I'm anal."

There are four movies I rented as a teenager because my mom told me to. OK. It's totally weird. An early teen should not be watching these movies, really. I only understood one of them.

1. Annie Hall

The two things I remembered for years to come about this movie are the lobster scene and her famous outfit.

2. Moonstruck

I was about 15 at the time. Hmm. "Love don’t make things nice – it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren’t here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die. The storybooks are bullshit."

3. Wallstreet

An ominous sign that I was destined have a worse-than-average understanding of finance and business.

4. Broadcast News

The only one I understood. Another sign of destiny, really! Well I also watched this one when I was older, like 19.

Does Love Have a Time Limit

(or I deserve a little procrastination right now)

So. (500) Days of Summer might be my favorite movie of the year so far. But it’s sort of a tie with Star Trek. I think this movie would mean a lot of different things to different people. Probably the most memorable scene for most people, which is my favorite scene, is the split screen of expectation vs. reality – super realistic. Oh and nice shoutout for origami cranes and those craaazy girls who fold them.

Come Rescue Me

Finally! Got Marie's new album Breathing Underwater. But the first one was so much more to my liking.

The first album was a lot of piano and acoustic guitar. She went pop with this one. Which is fine, I love pop. But it doesn't work with her voice, in my opinion. It overwhelms her voice. Most disappointingly, her awesome youtube original songs were excluded. Wish she'd do a cover album though.

That said, my favorite songs (I think) are, in this order: Overboard, Avalanche, Breathing Underwater

Can't seem to get enough of Overboard. It makes me want to sing, scream, laugh, cry, dance... but mostly sing.

There's a story somewhere in here

There's this local journalist/columnist whom I admire. I've met her once. I've seen her more than once. She writes about her love/sex life a lot. The time I was introduced to her, at a midday work-related event, she was on her third champagne because the boyfriend she just split with was seen coming out of a Soho apartment building on a Saturday morning in last night's suit. Dejected, she got on her phone and informed us she just made a booty call. Sometimes I run into her in those types of situations she writes about. It's surreal. One night last week I saw her at this party. I was on my third champagne. I was being very jovial with my colleague, boss, a PR and our freelance proofreader. Odd combo now that I think about it. We were almost the last to leave. We got in the elevator with her and the guy she'd been talking to whom I think she just met. And I felt like a spy. A voyeur. Being John Malkovich. I watched as she cheek kissed him before he got out of the elevator on his floor. Heard her invite him out somewhere. Suggestively. Coolly. Door closed. Then we all went our separate ways.

Love this

TRASH: anycoloryoulike art intervention for urban beautification and environmental awareness

(Saw this at http://ohjoy.blogs.com/)

Huge display case origami cranes at i.t store.

Funny but unfunny

because true of so many:

http://blog.media.asia/davidtiltman/named-and-shamed-discovery-destroying-the-planet/

US$200 vs. US$8 (or yeah for cheap labor)

Have a wedding to go to tomorrow, a family one. I've noticed that I frequently have a problem in wedding pictures, which is that my hair looks like shit. Instead of making a hair appointment, I decided to get a way-over-the-top headband and that'll make up for everything else. Got a headband but then decided I don't have a dress that goes with an over-the-top headband, because the dress needs to be simple/solid color, so got a dress at H&M that I'm in love with. I was totally inspired by this website/store called ban.do.

Theirs, US$200:
Mine, HK$62 (US$8) from Sheung Wan:
Yeah theirs is nicer but imho not 25 times nicer :)

girl crush

Last weekend I was walking down Granville Road as a detour on my way home with my husband and someone tapped me on the arm. I turn and it's the female General Manager of the most historical hotel in HK (enough hints right). Thing is, she's like my idol. She's awesome. I can wax inspirational about her. She started from the bottom by chance in the US and now she's head honcho of what might be considered the most reputable hotel in the world. And SHE recognised ME, the random journalist who interviewed her once and goes to her events sometimes. And lemme tell ya, she was the most honest person I've ever interviewed. Love her.

Fully taken aback and starstruck, I was like "HI" and eyes wide and all fumbly, and she was like, oh these are my sisters, we're just shopping around, k bye!

I am such a dork, that made my day. I was floating for hours.

It's so easy to make fun of Gwyneth Paltrow's website/blog called goop. I contemplated creating a blog purely for that purpose. She doesn't even have that many "newsletters" or blog entries so the "counterblog" wouldn't even be all that time-consuming.

Well anyway. While I find a lot of the things she writes on there awkward, if not questionable, the recipes she posts look and sound seriously good and, best of all, easy. I finally tried the eggplant parmesan recipe for knockout dad's birthday and it was perfection. Yummy, pretty, vegetarian and not too unhealthy.

Movies

Saw Inglourious Basterds. Loved but... can't help but compare it to Kill Bill, and it makes me love Kill Bill Vol. 2 even more.

On the plane to Hokkaido 2 weeks ago, watched Star Trek again, LOVED again... I just love that movie.

Also watched Duplicity on the way back. It was OK. Actually the ending ruined it. It was like they spent time and effort on the film but got tired by the end. Other than the ending, loved the interaction between Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Somehow realistic.

Also watched Push on the plane (though couldn't finish it) starring Dakota Fanning which takes place entirely in Hong Kong and was bad to epic proportions, but the cinematography I found beautiful... imdb-ed it and found out the cinematographer also did Lucky Number Slevin. Makes sense.

LOL

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/blog/busted_racquet/post/OMG-Rafa-Nadal-gets-a-haircut-and-it-looks-a-l?urn=ten,186602

major procrastination blog

Quote of last week...

"i miean technically carnival is mardi gras, halfnaked women, crazy costumes dancing rite? whereas a carnival in hk is like ham tasting in citysuper with a prize of the best ham"

--V.Li via chat

Sigh, ugh, fug

As I had anticipated, the most annoying thing about living near Lan Kwai Fong is totally alive and well... girls in tops-passed-off-as-dresses, so crotch-tastic. I'm so sick of crotches. Sluts in stripper shoes who aren't strippers - fine. Have bad taste. Perpetuate the cheap-ass, stupid, gold-digging, slutty, local HK girl image. I don't care. BUT as the fug girls would say: LOOK INTO PANTS. Ya know why I'm looking at you? It's not cos you're hot and I'm jealous. It's cos you're not wearing pants, in public. It's cos you're fug. Hm a pic should definitely be included in this post. I will look into that.

I really like this week's batch of Post Secrets.

In response to this one:

I say this all the time: the only things I learned from my university education is the answers to a lot of Jeopardy! questions.

I've been waiting...!!!

A year after completely scrapping a 500-page follow-up to “Eat, Pray, Love,” Elizabeth Gilbert’s mega-best-selling spiritual travelogue, she has delivered a new book that Viking will publish in January. Here for NYT article

Brilliant

wtf

Kee Wah Bakery has rolled out an elaborate, captivating ad campaign for its bridal cakes which I am forced to watch in outrage at the MTR station. It features a pretty celebrity (apparently) looking aspirational and pure, since all marriagable females are virgins. She's not-so-subtly wearing white and holding a delicate bouquet no doubt crafted by a disgruntled, punky props person in the dingy backroom. The ad's design is modern and emotional. The man who's in it for a second looks hot.

This is the tagline: "Giving girls a home, that is marriage"

Aw. Sweet. Am I the only one who finds these ads SUPER SEXIST?! Seriously? Where's the uproar? Sigh.

I really hate Nickelback

I'm not above mainstream music. It's what I listen to. But having left the US for well over 1 year now, when listening to radio streaming from Chicago, I still cringe when they play Nickelback. The lyrics, so cliche and horribly unpoetic. Check out this opening line that was just blasted into my ears: "My best friend gave me the best advice / He said each day's a gift and not a given right." Ugh. Deeper thoughts have been uttered in fortune cookies. And the raspy, ANGSTY voice is the same for every song. Like for these opening lines: "Look at this photograph / Every time I do it makes me laugh." Oh readers. The dude actually shouts these lines like he's about to jump off a cliff from the pain. And it pains me to hear it this CRAP NARRATIVE and rhyming of a 13 year old. Why does Nickelback exist? So wrong.

More store display origami. This one is cool. Pearls and Cashmere at New World Centre. Really elaborately set up. It's art. I like.

This is not my best day ever.

On a 2-week free trial at Pure Fitness right now, so been going a lot to get my non-money's worth! Anyways I don't think I'll join but dunno... I thought about joining a pilates studio but I think cost-wise is about the same (meaning, really expensive). Well I love the free trial though. Location-wise it's awesome, exactly halfway btwn my office and home. I love not having to bring anything except shoes, b/c they provide clothes (don't even need shoes if doing yoga/pilates class). I like showering there, in general, can launder my own towels less and not worry about running out of hot water, etc. And steam room, good for detox. Hm I like pilates a lot more but yoga is supposed to be more om, so I guess it depends what I'm going for.

It's no secret that I have a thing for Langham Place Hotel in Mong Kok. It's modern, cool and artsy - and I mean downright dedicated to contemporary Chinese art. It's 5-star. It has a Michelin-starred restaurant. Its spa is fancy schmancy. Its theme colors are baby pink, gray and gold. So cool. It's part of Langham Place, an awesome mall. Langham Place offices have the most interesting and innovative elevator system I've ever seen (yes... elevators are fascinating). Langham Hotels also has an elaborate Press Club that's specifically for buttering up the media with gifts and events, but I am being entirely (somewhat) objective here.

Langham Place's website and press releases are written in their characteristically young and casual style, which I kind of love. And they have also produced my favorite problematic headline in one of their press releases from May touting a new spa treatment for men:
TENSION DESTROYING MASCULINE BLISS AT CHUAN SPA

I was perplexed for about 5 seconds upon reading the above headline. A few thoughts that crossed my mind: There is a problem at Chuan Spa. Sexual tension causing problems? And they are announcing this... why? Destroyed masculinity - sounds dire. Is this about a botched massage? Is this about sexual frustration? This is supposed to be funny, right? Are they addressing a virus that renders men impotent?

Well, a hyphen would make a big difference:
TENSION-DESTROYING MASCULINE BLISS AT CHUAN SPA

(Adding a verb wouldn' t hurt either: Experience Tension-Destroying Masculine Bliss at Chuan Spa)

I'm in love with this... this choir makes me tear. And this is one of my all-time favorite songs. Of course I think the soloist is awesome.

To just simply quote crazysexylife.com: "The P.S. 22 chrous is lead by music teacher Mr. Breinberg, more fondly referred to his students as Mr. B. Mr. B, who arrived at P.S. 22 in 1999, convinced the administration to let him become a full-time music teacher and start a chorus choir at the school in spite of financial cutbacks in the arts. Instead of teaching traditional children’s songs, he had his students singing contemporary adult songs. In addition to “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay, the P.S. 22 chorus have also tackled covers of songs by Tori Amos, Stevie Nicks, Bjork, Journey, and others."

Beyond inspirational.

How I feel about the new apartment

We moved to a new place that's on Glenealy. The only entirely accurate thing I can say about it now is that our apt is a mess of boxed up junk of course and I have no desire to unpack. I had major reservations about moving here because it's right above Lan Kwai Fong and I dunno how I felt about that... you know? Because I can't stand posers and whatnot. And also the apt is smaller. And also no more sea view, just carpark/back alley view. And old building. Well, so far, I'm freaking in love with living here. I walked to work for the first time yesterday and was like, OMG THIS IS SO CLOSE. This morning I walked to work again but cut through LKF, and you know how LKF is so dead quiet in the mornings/daytime? Well, it's just magic. So is Soho, quiet. It's so nice. And today I walked home and cut through Soho and took Wyndham, and it was of course all "happening" with the restaurants and bars all loud and stuff, but I loved it. I felt so part of the darn world. And then I get on Glenealy and it's completely empty again, and in my apt it's totally silent.

9 days

So much to blog about. So what happened was I took a week off and went to Singapore for 2.5 days to Stephen H.'s wedding. Then Viv and I went to Tioman Island, Malaysia, together by boat, ferry and 4WD to do sea turtle conservation for 5 days. Then back to Singapore, then back to HK.

The sea turtle project is not very hardcore conservation. It's definitely half vacation. I can't even properly blog about it because the whole experience was way too rich to sum it up in a few paragraphs. But basically, we got to live on this practically empty, gorgeous beach for cheap, watch the red sunrise every morning right smack in the middle of the ocean, float around, snorkel around scarce small tropical fish, hike this crazy not-easy trail, ride bikes, get eaten alive by an insane variety of bugs, eat the best freaking little village food ever, have blue-ass skies everyday except when it was going all torrential downpour, experience true kitten loyalty, handle a blind 3-year-old turtle, handle a nest's worth of freakin cute baby turtles, meet cool people, learn to use water pumping machinery, overdose on insect repellent via skin absorption, take cold showers, drink mountain water from the tap, and generally be thrown into a totally new, foreign, opposite situation.

This is where the turtle project was, blue skies, palm trees, sand and all:

Luckily, we got to witness the release of baby sea turtles on our last morning:

The cutest kittens alive:

Sunrise:
Thought I'd throw in a pic from Singapore that I love. In this pic, all of us Northwestern peeps (except the table behind us is HKIS) traveled to Singapore for the wedding. I love this pic oh and my new camera (Canon G10!):