Time to come clean.
Kung hei fat choi! We are now officially into the year of the rat. The Chinese say that this is the year fr new beginnings, and of course, it looks to be a very auspicious year according to the people who know those kinds of things. I do wonder what they would do if it was supposed to be a really shitty year, would they tell us? Regardless, I have to admit in the limits of my human brain, I would much rather hear that it is supposed to be a good year than the alternative, so I am okay with their prognosis.
I am in a pretty acceptable place for now, someone I used to know really well just told me I seem content, which I would not go so far as to say, but for the time being I am at least not filled with angst, regret, despair, or general unpleasantness.
I am just home from Cambodia where I went to see Angkor Wat and it was amazing. I do feel compelled to share it in blogs, but because I do so much old-fashioned writing when I travel, by the time I get home, blogging seems a little redundant. I create very colorful and textured travel journals though, and you are welcome to see them anytime you would like… I just realized that those journals are a habit I picked up from a Nevada teacher named Lanette Bowen as part of the Geographic Alliance In Nevada when I went to Alaska in the summer of ’98… weird flashback.
While I was in Siem Reap, the first night actually, I had an incredibly lucid dream that I was dead. In fact I was getting so upset about it that I woke myself up to remind myself that it was only a dream, but then when I went back to sleep I went right to where I had left off. I had killed myself, apparently to show someone [I know who, you can guess] up. Like, oh I will show you, I’ll kill myself. Hmm. Not the most intuitive solution. I was walking around and kept running into people who were really upset, I also remember specifically two of them, and I tried to tell them it was fine I was right there… but they could not hear me. Then this woman approached me and asked me what I was doing and I was so glad she could see/hear me, I thought that it must be the people I was talking to and not me that was creating the impossibility of communication. But she was dead too. So, it was me.
A crisis at the Louis Vuitton… or Politics in Hong Kong.
Well, in Hong Kong no one cares about voting at all. They don’t really have anything to vote for anyhow. The local government lets the people vote for Legislative Council members, but they are really a rather inept group of lackeys who don’t do much because, well, because it doesn’t make any difference. Hong Kong is considered a Special Administrative Region of China. That means they have more autonomy than places like Tibet, wich Beijing calls (ironically) the “Tibet Autonomous Region” but less than places like Taiwan, which Beijing calls Taiwan Province of the People’s Republic of China (but Taiwan routinely tells them to fuck off, so it is sort of a tenuous relationship, which China leaves alone because they have not yet formulated a reason to invade and Taiwan ignores while they prepare to be invaded.)
Basically, Hong Kong is one of Beijing’s most lucrative cash cows and so they leave it to it’s own devices. As long as they are making money I imagine. Who knows what would happen if Hong Kong people actually got all crazy and started wanting to be politically active, it could be a crisis at the Louis Vuitton.
Distractions
I need to write a new blog… and I have a lot to say. My mind has been doing amazing things. I actually think I am working shit out in my dreams. Is that possible? I am having truly mind-blowing mental movies.
Until I have time to write something more meaningful I think you allshould know about these… (more…)
Interesting craziness… oh come on, crazy is crazy- deal with it.
I spoke with a friend the other day as I was riding the bus to my office. It was bedtime for him in his small, dissatisfying town in Northern California and midday for me in sweltering Hong Kong. I still love the variations in the space time continuum that exist simply because of longitudinal difference. I had not talked with this person in a long time outside of email, and I missed him. He is probably one of my truest friends. He said he was fucked up and broken and crazy because he had broken up with his girlfriend, “a perfect person.” I don’t know perfect, but maybe she was a perfect girlfriend… I mean, I liked her if that counts for much.
He said: “You know, I only started dating her because I didn’t like her.”
I said: “What?”
He said: “Seriously. I heard Dr. (I-can’t-remember-who) say that if you have messed up relationships you should date someone that you are not attracted to because you are obviously attracted to the wrong people.”
I said: “Oh.”
He said: “It seemed like a really reasonable idea at the time.”
I said: “Yeah?”
He said: “Yeah, and then after three years I realized that the thing is you are supposed to be attracted to the people you are with. Crazy, huh?”
I said: “I don’t know. I am crazy.”
I date the wrong people. Always have.
Potential
As in, “this blog has… potential.”
“That girl has so much… potential.”
There is so much potential here, there, everywhere.
Do you have potential?
Can you live on, off potential?
American Guilt: You say you want a revolution?
I was out at a local bar a few weeks back and had a funny thing happen. Funny because it made me laugh, not so much because it was unusual.
“Hey Amanda! Big Jim just called you a Canadian!” Stuart called out with a laugh.
With feigned terror I went up to give Big Jim a bad time… “Canadian? Are you joking? Me? A Canadian? How could you? The horrors!”
Big Jim laughed back and said, “Yeah, my mistake you are far too loud to be a Canadian! I just thought, well, you know, because you are, you know, living here and whatever…” It was kind of funny watching him sqirm a little, (Big Jim is really quite large, like nearly 300 lbs – and no, I do not know how many kg that is.)
Ok, yeah… so, like, I had my big opening? And yeah, well, it was all that.
Well, I guess we are all artists, right?
I have been having such a total laugh about this because there are so many people around that are always going on (and on and on and on and on…) about how they are “just doing — to pay the rent, but really, I am a photographer…” Hmmmmm… I am not sure what to say to this. *click*
Photo – grapher. *click*click*
I am pretty sure this means you have a camera and you take some photos. *click*
Good on you. *click*click*
I am one of those too. *click*
Anyhow, I happen to be a lucky camera owner who has a friend who has a bar that likes to put different things on her walls and so… *click*
I got to put my photos up on her walls. *click*click*
It was on New Year’s Eve and it was disgustingly fun. We had a little reception, some Veuve Cliquot, some nice cheese (yeah, even in Asia) and some good music. *click*
Oh yes, and the photos. *click*click*click*
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Hong Kong
The holidays have settled in Hong Kong… I am FINALLY getting some time off work (yippee!!! – three days!!!) and I just caught the holiday spirit… something about knowing you have some free time does that I think…
Anyhow, Christmas parties and New Year’s parties abound… It should be a really fun one… the only downside of course is missing friends at home…
But… the majority of my Hong Kong friends are around and we will be happily busy, baking (double yippee!) eating, drinking, carolling (gack – I am going to sing…) and generally being Merry…
I am thinking of you guys and hoping you are all having fun… I miss you and hope to see more of you in the New Year…
xxx
a
Mental Musings About Life and Lamma
So… I have been needing to do another blog…
Like a real one since, well, you know Christmas is coming, the year is ending and all that kind of thing…
I want to post photos of my new home, still on Lamma but not the Tai Peng Villa of last spring, now the coastal farm of Pak Kok Kau Tsuen. [I just finally leaned why is always says Tsuen at the end of Lamma addresses... it means 'village'... duh.] So, as you can see, things like that need to be shared with the wider audience that is my now-privatized myspace world. [Side note: I have been teaching the concept of oxymorons to some of my English students and I am wondering... is 'private myspace profile' an example of an oxymoron?]
Yet, I digress.
Life on Lamma Island is still good. The people I met here last year are still good. The bugs are still big. The bars are still open. But there have been some changes. I think mostly now because this is a home by choice rather than circumstance. Also it is no longer a temporary stop-over, but a residence for the foreseeable future. [I have been criticized for my ultimate desire to return to the States - by someone who has been here less time than me - but in the end it is so nice to know that I have a place to call home on either side of the Pacific... the choice is lovely.]
I have faced some pretty big challenges recently, but in the end I feel…. victorious? I am not sure that is the right word, but I had my reality rocked and then stabilized by a group of people who I trust, admire, and respect. So I can honestly say now… it is all good and good people know what is up.
And so here we have a year in review… and up for analysis… (more…)
Say it isn’t so…. Or perhaps… ONLY in America?
Alright, alright… I know… you may not care about Area 51… but I do. It was the area of study for my graduate thesis and I find it generally interesting on all accounts.
So, forgive my absolute bewilderment… (and maybe disgust?) but definitely general dismay over the latest alien drama out there in the Nevada desert…
“KFC today [14 Nov] became the world’s first brand visible from outer space by unveiling a record-breaking 87,500 square feet, updated Colonel Sanders logo in the Area 51 desert.”
This is a new blog.
I need to up date my blog-uation.
I do not have time to do this right now.
I am in Hong Kong.
I have a job.
I like this job, where I am paid too much to do too little.
I ride a boat and a train to get to work.
I miss Thailand.
I miss San Diego.
I miss Super Big Gulps.
I just bought a 7-11 umbrella.
I have a view of Times Square from my office in Hong Kong.
I have been experiencing relative humidity between 80% and 93% all week.
I had drinks at the Four Seasons Lounge with my friend Rob on Wednesday, and the beers cost US$10 each, and I was wearing khakis and carrying a raggedy daypack.
I do not know how long I will stay in Hong Kong.
I do not know what I will have for dinner tonight.
I know which shoes I will wear to work tomorrow.
I love hearing from all of you however/whenever.
Over and Out.
Who really is cut out for life on the road? You’d be surprised.
So… Here I find myself in July of 2006. In America. I keep telling myself that I never thought I would be back here at this point, but if I am being totally honest, I have to re-examine that statement, since I never changed my airline ticket to adjust my return date even though I kept talking about it and talking about it and talking about it.
Do I look like an American?
I am hiding in rural North Idaho, up where survivalists and Aryan Nation types live (though they are not in my immediate bubble) along with more normal types, (as well as my family), and trying to figure out how I got lost along the way… or if I really am lost at all. My brain is mush from culture shock, identity shock, and what one of my Canadian friends (no, that is not a typo Canadian Friend) calls travel hangover. I am sick of reading spiritual guides telling me how to get over myself but at the same time wondering if there is a reason for all of this. I am struggling with being a quitter for not just staying out there in spite of some real tangible needs to return to the States, and some clear problems with Life on the Road. Lloyd Christmas said it perfectly Some people just arent cut out for life on the road. I am not sure if I am or not but right now I am back in America wondering. The Ben & Amanda Show took a mid-season hiatus in Lao, but I had no idea it was going to be such a cliff hanger of an ending for this season. Ben is in Vietnam right now. I am supposed to be there too my visa is good for the month of July. Am I a quitter? I guess you will have to be the judge since I can barely decide if I should wear shoes or not let alone what my personal identifier should be.
One month, give or take, in Thailand
Well, it has been a while since I was in touch with everyone and for that I apologize as much as is necessary. Though it sounds strange and cliché, I find that I think of so many of you on such a regular basis that it seems like I have been in better touch. I guess that speaks to the significance of all of you in my life. I am presently on Koh Tao (Turtle Island) in the Gulf of Thailand and anticipate being here for a while longer. I am not sure what constitutes a while, but I will work that out eventually.
I really like it here… I find that a mix of different experiences is best for me and unlike so many of my travels before; I am not so inclined to simply do the party tour. I guess that means I am more mature. Ha. Not there have not been great times and good excuses to party, it is just that there is soooooo much else to see and do. It is funny the life of a traveler. There are so many different types of travelers, and I find that for the most part since I do not robustly share my tall tales of mis/adventure and experience with the general public I am regarded as an ignorant novice. Oh well, at least it keeps the expectations low and my self satisfaction high as I listen to the same damn stories from everyone over and over, each one a little louder, trying to outdo the other and not even realizing that they are telling the same freaking tale.
So Thailand…
La la la Lamma life…
As a brief aside before I start this thing, I would just like to say how hilarious I find it that myspace offers categories for your blog, but not quite as hilarious as the choice that we are given to categorize compartmentalize everything in our lives. Anyhow, I have already used Pets and Animals for my Lunar New Year stuff… which would still be appropos here because of the friends I have made, and the gecko that is STILL living under this computer I am using… but I went with something more… ridiculous. And so on with the show…
Lamma Island, viewed from Victoria Peak across the East Lamma Channel and through the pristine Hong Kong air.
Games people play….
In honor of March Madness… for which I couldn’t be less interested this year I thought I would post a blog about games. It is not really about games either, I just wanted to say that.
Have fun.
I was once out strolling one very hot summer’s day
When I thought I’d lay myself down to rest
in a big field of tall grass
I lay there in the sun and felt it caressing my face
Walking along the Lamma Family Trail from Tai Peng Village (where I live) down past the fire station and Granny Chan’s on the way to the Hung Shing Yeh Beach on Snake Path offers some really great views, sights, sounds, and smells. I spend a lot of time on this path because it takes me to Maria’s house, Cath and Daz’s place and down to Cable Cove where Kate lives. The path is actually a mini road for the VVs (those would be village vehicles….) so you can look around without too much fear of hitting a gravity pocket and eating shit as you stroll along day or night… except for when Cath got herself into such a state but that is for later in the story…
I went to see Maria a week or so ago, she is trying to teach me to meditate… I find this to be a really difficult exercise, but I think it may be helpful for me in the bigger picture… It was a beautiful day and I was noticing that the honeysuckle and the azaleas and bouganvilla are all out now.
And I fell asleep and dreamed
I dreamed I was in a Hollywood movie
And that I was the star of the movie
This really blew my mind, the fact that me,
an overfed, long-haired leaping gnome
should be the star of a Hollywood movie
I was really enjoying the walk, and going really slow since it is only like five minutes to get down to Maria’s place and I was a little early. I checked out some of the graves, there are lots and lots of them scattered around the island like little private shrines… they are also the source of most of the fires on the island from unattended joss sticks, but whatever. I sat on a bench and was looking out across the path just kind of, well, actually, just doing nothing. Maybe it was my pregame activity for meditation. But something in one of the trees caught my eye.
(more…)
Happy New Year… Really, I am not late, my new year starts April 13.
Happy New Year… Really, I am not late, my new year starts April 13.
[Ummm, yeah. So a while back I decided I couldn't cope with Christmas cards anymore and so I decided to do a New Year's Letter sort of thing that I put on the back of a collage, kind of like my year in pictures or something. And it was pretty kick ass. I did it again this year, only I decided I did not have the fortitude to send it all over the world, and there are some people I wanted to see it of whom I do not have addresses, so I am putting it here. I did the collage too, but I haven't scanned it yet so it will be up shortly. And for anyone who thinks this is late since it is March and I am calling it HappY NeW YeaR... well, 2005 was a big year for me, and it is taking a lot of work to get out of it... so I am not late... just dealing with a big transition period... Anyhow, happy transition into 2006 to all of you.]
Ahhh, and so here it is another year has come to a close and the time has come to sum up the highs and lows, the proverbial assessment of all things relevant for 2005. And so I find myself in Hong Kong; who would have thought it? And though it is approaching the ides of March and I am just now finally posting this, let me say that I have one more New Year celebration to get to in April and so I am not late with my New Year ruminations, I am just on Thai Time. I celebrated the Western New Year at Tha Phai gate in Chiang Mai Thailand, the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong, Little China, and will be a part of the Thai New Year (Songkran Festival) in Chiang Mai on April 13 I think that is the one I am going to really appreciate. And why? Well, I suppose in the simplest terms it comes to this: Once in a great while we are faced with a crossroads in our life, and here it was in 2005 for me.
An American Co-Conspirator, Two Crazy Mexicans, Pole(Poll) Dancing, Soul Saving and a little Peace and Kabob because Hong Kong IS Asia’s World City after all
Kung Hei Fat Choy means Happy New Year and this was the mantra in Hong Kong for the past week (more actually, but if you are going to sweat the details at this point you should not read any further…) The Lunar New Year came to town with a vengeance. Or wait, that was my friend Amy that came with the vengeance… the New Year came with pomp and circumstance. Now I am watching Amy pack a ridiculous amount of shit into bags that are not equipped to deal with the fallout of her first foray into a quasi-western environment since she arrived in Taiwan (actually Beyond-wan, as she says, on the tiny island of Penghu.) And while I sit here drinking Grenache Shiraz and watching her, I am thinking about the fact that I am about to pack up again. Pack up everything that I will keep. And get rid of the rest of it. The Chinese would be proud. The New Year is the time to clean out everything. Clean your house. Your body. Your conscious. Your life.
This city never fails to impress with lights, drama, crowds, sales, traffic, pyrotechnics, colors… But this past week was different. The vibe leading up to the actual Lunar New Year break was totally unique. The city was busier than ever. In my neighborhood walking the streets became a test of personal fortitude and dedication (especially difficult for me since I was not so interested in actually getting anywhere.) It seemed like everyone was out shopping for food and flowers. The flowers were the absolute best part of the week. They were everywhere en masse. I love flowers, as I have told more than one person, for their beauty and their temporal nature. It was impossible to walk outside and not see someone walking towards you with huge stalks of lilies, gladiolas, cherry blossoms, mums, daisies… red and gold and green…
(more…)
Are YOU a member of The Vehicle?
Live at the Underground… Hmmm… I think they could use a better name. Let me know what you come up with.
So, I had the chance to meet one of my favorite individuals out in Lan Kwai Fong the other night and it was with perfect timing that we found each other outside of Stormies with big smiles, if a slight deficit in the energy department on behalf of us both. This is my official “WOO WOO” to Rob… “Fun Bobby” as it were, my ABSOLUTE favorite pilot who flies for Cathay, and definitely one of my top two favorite pilots of all time.
Every time I meet Rob in HKG cool things happen. I don’t always know what that might entail… maybe extra pitchers of Top Shelf margaritas… maybe gyros and eighties cover bands in Wan Chai… maybe, as in this case, some SE Asian food in Rat Alley and then some live, ummm… music.
On Thai Time: Drinking Tigers, Hunting Temples and Deciphering Tattoos
Thailand is nicknamed The Land of Smiles. There is a reason for this. Simply put, it is a place that greets you with a smile [whether the intent is a sweet or swindle] and leaves you with a smile. The food, the people, the sunshine, the scenery, the beer, the silliness, the awe, the visitors, the idiosyncrasies, the smells, the tuk-tuks, the monks, the shopping, the vibe will put a smile on even the most bitter face [and I would know since I was with her, or at least I think she was bitter, it was hard to tell after the botox.]
My trip to Thailand was in flux up to the last minute. First, it was to be Koh Samui. Then Samet. Then Bangkok. Then Chiang Mai. Then the flights were full, or hotels were booked out, or in some cases not finished being built. But the thing about Thailand is, there always seems to be a way to make it work; you can’t really be concerned about the details, and time, well, no one cares about the time… and even when they say there is no room at the Inn, there always seems to be a special deal “just for you.”
WTO: Vedi, Vini, Not-so-Vici
The WTO came to Hong Kong last week. I can’t decide if it this was politics, entertainment, prophetic, pathetic, important, or futile (for everyone concerned.) Maybe it is just a way to fill the papers when there are no good stories on Bird Flu.
Regardless of the long term effects, or even the short term hysteria, the events have left a mark on Hong Kong, and after spending a day on the streets with nearly 5,000 demonstrators, a mark on me.
The World Trade Organization calls its meetings ‘Ministerial Conferences.’ I think this may be the first sign that they are taking themselves a little too seriously. And the nature of their club is sort of NATO-esque in that they have basically let everyone in and UN-esque in that no one listens to anyone except the guy most likely to get a sound bite.
I am unsure how I feel about globalization.
The protestors who flooded Hong Kong are not.
Red Sweater
On Friday I bought a red sweater. This may not seem entirely consequential to the casual observer, but I have never owned a red article of clothing. And then I wore the red sweater all day long, even when it was no longer required. I was thinking it was some symbolic thing about embracing change, but more likely it means I was just so glad to have a new item in my wardrobe that I refused to take it off.
I had to attend the Christmas Pageant at my kindergarten on Saturday and all teachers were instructed to wear red tops. Anything as long as it was red. When I told one of my co-workers that I never wear red, she said, “Well, now you will.” Following the rules is a very big thing in Chinese schools. I said, “But I look terrible in red. I have never owned anything red.” This is a slight exaggeration, because I remember two distinct articles of clothing from my childhood that were red. And if memory serves I loved them both; a pair of red bell bottomed jeans and a red and white satin jacket, roller derby style. “Maybe it is time to change my attitude…” I suggested with a laugh, to which my colleague replied straight-faced, “Maybe.”
So, after work on Friday I picked out every red top in the whole ladies section of the local, low-end department store. I tried on more than ten different tops. And while I was doing this, along with working up a sweat in the dressing room, I realized that red might not be so bad. In my pile of red almost every item was a different variety of red. I tried them all. I settled on a cowl neck sweater “with” cashmere (I did say low end, right?) It is totally red, red, red.
I got up early enough to try to make a go at looking nice for this function. I was informed that a buffet lunch would follow with the entire staff… I was already thinking of ways to get out of that. I showered. I put on make-up. I pulled my hair back. I got dressed. I wore red.
My parents are coming! My parents are coming!!
Well, it is actually Thanksgiving Day here in Hong Kong… Not that it matters for shit since it is not a holiday here. Actually, it is not a holiday I have ever really LOVED anyhow, [though any day where you can knock off several of the Seven Deadly Sins simultaneously should probably be more revered] but suddenly, I care about Thanksgiving. A lot.
Anyhow, I have decided to celebrate by not eating anything remotely Asian all day long. Yes, that’s right. No soup. No —choy. No RICE.
But, when it is all said and done, none of this matters because in a few short days MY PARENTS WILL BE IN HONG KONG!!! And I am so excited I can barely focus on anything.
I pick them up at the airport at 7:00 am on my Sunday… that would be 4:00 pm on your Saturday for all my West Coasties. I mean, that is like no time at ALL!! So, I am thrilled about this and looking forward to their visit sooooo much. [Note to all other friends: You too could have your very own blog dedicated to you and your visit if you made one. Anna.Neil.Steve.Driss.Ben.Etc.]
For my own Thanksgiving… I am going to try to give pre-emptive thanks for the following:
Long Time Coming.
Well, I am not sure why no blog in so long… I thought maybe it was that there was nothing to say, or maybe too much to say, or maybe it just means that I am starting to get a life and have less of a myspace dependancy… or that myspace is always so damn messed up it is becoming silly.
For whatever reason… it has been a while. So, news:
1. I got a digital camera… I bought a super compact one because I am not foregoing my film camera, the medium I absolutely prefer with no apologies. But this new purchase should facilitate more photos on the website, blogs, etc.
2. I got sick again. And I was even eating the damn soup. Had to go to the doctor which was crazy. You pay HK$45 (around US$5.75) and then you wait to see the doctor. I waited about 5 minutes. He told me I have the flu. I hope it is not the freaking Bird Flu. [There is a special section in the newspaper here now entirely dedicated to the Bird Flu... We have the Front Page, Lifestyles, Sports, Business, Bird Flu, Classifieds...] He said it is not the bird flu. Then he told me to go and fill the prescriptions he was writing for me. I said I didn’t think I needed medicine, just rest and he said, no worries, get them filled just in case. I asked how much it would cost and he told me I had already paid for them with my registration fee. [Interesting in light of the drama with drug coverage at home at the moment.] So, I walked over to the pharmacy and handed them my paper. They immediately started handing me little baggies of pink pills, white pills, yellow pills, lozenges, a bottle of some pink stuff, and some red pills. I walked out with my personal pharmacy and felt like I was leaving a methodone clinic or something. I mean… baggies!! They did have labels, but they just said things like, “For pain,” “For congestion,” “For coughing.” I took a yellow one that night and didn’t wake up for 18 hours. I still have all the rest of them if anyone is interested in a cheap score.
Fusion-istc Events
I saw Chinese bagpipers perform at the Aberdeen University Association of Hong Kong’s Scottish Evening. I fought the urge to yell out “There’s a piper down! We’ve a piper down!!” (For which my companions were more grateful than they even realize I imagine.) Actually, they were very good pipers. There was even ceidilh dancing. This is a strange Scottish folk dancing that is basically square dancing without the Yee Ha. Here it was performed by Asian alumni of Aberdeen University in kilts.
Earlier on this same day, I attended the wedding of a co-worker and was so excited to see a Chinese wedding that I didn’t realize it was in a Christian church. I sat through an hour and a half, fundamental Christian wedding ceremony, in which the only English words spoken were the lyrics to “Walk with Me” performed (twice – ouch!) by the groom. The bride even wore white. *sigh* So much for traditional Chinese wedding.
I guess globalization is the goal and fusion is the tagline.
**LATE BREAKING ADDITION**
Just back from a dinner theater event in Lan Kwai Fong at Post 97 called “A New York Attitude”. I am afraid it might have been more like a New Jersey attitude, but either way it was hilarious to see a foreign perspective on the NYC attitude. Of course, it would have been more authentic if they had tried to cover their Aussie, British, Indian, and Cantonese accents…
Fusion or just B-Theater? The food was good though…
Amanda
