I tried to make dinner yesterday.
I was too irritated about it to actually post it. I had frozen/packaged food from the store yesterday, but didn't have much else to do and kinda wanted to cook. So I decided I'd stroll into "the village" (which sounds like an African or Vietnamese cluster of thatched roof homes, when in reality, it's something like fifty 40-story buildings that make up the community, so it has its own mall and schools and playgrounds and parks and squares and a market.
This place is like a maze. I can get to it and into it fine, but I get so turned around so easily. I navigate my way through Hong Kong no problem, but this maze of identical looking buildings with sidewalks every which way and children running and playing and old Cantonese men smoking, and hacking and playing Mah Johng gets me every time. I asked one lady in Cantonese where the market was, and apparently said it wrong, because she pointed me off in some direction where I had to ask another guy who pointed me in an entirely different direction and gave me three or four commands, and after following the first two (all I could catch), I started heading in the direction from which the people with bags of produce were coming. I made it to the market.
I bought the following: some Thai chili paste, onions, ginger, garlic, carrots, (had something in mind with all of this) oranges, a few nice (looking) filets of freshly cleaned fish and a big one liter (or something) bottle of Tsingdao beer (for lack of white wine or chicken broth). The idea was this: sweat the veggies a bit, let them soften some. Add the beer, chili paste, ginger and orange zest and the fish, cover, let simmer for a bit and I'd have a decent thickish brothy substance with yummy veggies . I had some rice going too, to which I added some orange zest as the water was boiling. Gave it a nice... orangeyness.
It just didn't work. The fish was absolutely full of pinbones, and any attempts to remove them proved futile. I even found some needle nosed pliers and washed them clean and tried to pull 'em out like they do in restaurants... nope. The beer didn't work, the veggies were kinda icky from the start. I didn't have a lot of the extra stuff I really would have needed to make it work. it was an improv. But I ate it and it sufficed.
I did my first load of laundry tonight. It didn't take that long. There is a washing machine here, and it sings like one of those rice cookers when it starts and stops (cuz it's Asian). What I lack (and I knew I would) is a dryer... My clothes came out of the washing machine wrinked. I let them sit no more than five minutes and it looked like I'd braided them all together and bungee jumped from a bridge with them. They're hanging dry now, and we'll see how stiff and crunchy (and still wrinkled) they are tomorrow.
Oh, yeah, I hung them inside. It's not that I don't trust the neighbors, who have all hung their clothes outside, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving my clothes outside two stories up on the top floor of this building to dry. I don't know why we don't actually have a rack on our own balcony... anywho, I was told adding a cup or so of vinegar to the rinse water in the machine would soften them a bit, so I'll try that next time. Any other suggestions?
3.03.2009
3.02.2009
monday
Woke up this morning rather early. I went to bed rather early last night. The brother I'm staying with left for France this morning, so I'll be here by myself for three weeks. I didn't know what I was going to do, but decided to go for a run. It was nice today. Only about 62 or so, and threatening to rain. I ran a few miles and went into the grocery store/market for breakfast, which was only going to be bottled water and some buns or something, but I ended up getting real groceries. Fruit, soymilk, cereal, Coke, bread, etc. I think I spent around HK$350, or about US$45. Came home and had a shower and now I'm having lunch and heading out to go do something or other. Might try to meet a few people about jobs, but I don't have any appointments. Service today isn't until 6:45 and I'm unclear as to exactly where they're meeting, but I'm going out tomorrow I believe. Service arrangements have been a little hit-or-miss, as I guess they are when you don't actually belong to a congregation yet. I'm visiting the other two Mandarin congregations this week, in Shau Kei Wan (a newly formed one) and Tai Po. The one I went to last weekend is in Aberdeen. Over.
2.28.2009
Life
Sitting on the train on my way back home. It's only 930 pm (at the time of beginning this), but it feels like midnight. I actually got up early and was going to head to the Kingdom Hall in Shau Kei Wan for service in Mandarin, but didn't know if I'd get there only to find they met somewhere else. Long story short, I made some calls, and those people made some calls, etc until I finally cought up with someone in Aberdeen Mandarin and decided to meet them around 130ish. I was out in English with the French brother in Tung Chung and we met a guy from Salt Lake whose great aunt was in the truth. He said his family was always very mean to her because of it, so he always makes a donation when he meets the witnesses. He did, and took a Bible Teach book and the Truth tract.
After that, we caught up with some folks in the English congregation for lunch. About 4 Filipino sisters, and then I had to meet in HK with Mandarin. Their preaching work is at a ferry station where many of the mainland Chinese come to when they arrive at HK. I spoke to a man and placed a number of brochures and mags. He was very very nice. Afterward, we closed up our little booth and took the bus to Aberdeen. Dropped our things off at the hall and went to grab a bowl of soup before the meeting at 5 pm. Public Talk, Watchtower, and had a chance to meet most everyone in the group. Wonderful congregation. I loved it, but it's almost as inconvenient to where I'm living as anywhere in HK, but I got the word out that I'm looking for work and a flat, and people talked ab things they've heard ab that are available. So we'll see. I thought a bunch of them were going to go to hospitality w me and a few others (including the brother I spoke with at Bethel yesterday. He attends that congregation). As it turns out, they had to leave, but I ended up meeting a lot of people, and at a few points I forgot what language we were speaking. I'm understanding a bit of Cantonese, and fool myself into thinking I inderstand other parts of it, but one sister today insisted on speaking in Cantonese. Dunno if she wasn't aware she was switching languages, but I did as best I could to keep up, and hardly spoke any English today. It made me very tired. I'm still like 30 mins or more from being home. I have quite a walk from the MTR and am really hoping this job works out next week. It'd be awesome.
Some awesome shirts I've seen:
-"somnambulate"
-"naughty a flavor it is lovely"
- "one... Five... Two... GO!!!"
-"I am despicable"
Wish I could remember more.
After that, we caught up with some folks in the English congregation for lunch. About 4 Filipino sisters, and then I had to meet in HK with Mandarin. Their preaching work is at a ferry station where many of the mainland Chinese come to when they arrive at HK. I spoke to a man and placed a number of brochures and mags. He was very very nice. Afterward, we closed up our little booth and took the bus to Aberdeen. Dropped our things off at the hall and went to grab a bowl of soup before the meeting at 5 pm. Public Talk, Watchtower, and had a chance to meet most everyone in the group. Wonderful congregation. I loved it, but it's almost as inconvenient to where I'm living as anywhere in HK, but I got the word out that I'm looking for work and a flat, and people talked ab things they've heard ab that are available. So we'll see. I thought a bunch of them were going to go to hospitality w me and a few others (including the brother I spoke with at Bethel yesterday. He attends that congregation). As it turns out, they had to leave, but I ended up meeting a lot of people, and at a few points I forgot what language we were speaking. I'm understanding a bit of Cantonese, and fool myself into thinking I inderstand other parts of it, but one sister today insisted on speaking in Cantonese. Dunno if she wasn't aware she was switching languages, but I did as best I could to keep up, and hardly spoke any English today. It made me very tired. I'm still like 30 mins or more from being home. I have quite a walk from the MTR and am really hoping this job works out next week. It'd be awesome.
Some awesome shirts I've seen:
-"somnambulate"
-"naughty a flavor it is lovely"
- "one... Five... Two... GO!!!"
-"I am despicable"
Wish I could remember more.
2.26.2009
I live in Hong Kong
... my first legitimate post, seeing as I live in Hong Kong now... I am actually here. More to come later. There are language barriers everywhere, even with the brother I'm staying with, who is French. From what I gather (from speaking in person a number of times about it) we're having people over for dinner, so I won't be able to discuss a ton at length, but I certainly will tonight. We went to the market near the house and bought all kinds of fish and fruit and vegetables and I got to barter in Cantonese with the people. It was nice.
Maybe I will... my flight got in this morning at 7:30 am HK time (thursday) and it's now going on 1900 thursday evening. Upon arriving in HK, I had just finished about 25 hours worth of travel after being up and packing frantically all day Tuesday (my blood still runs cold at the panic that ensued despite my preparation).
However, after schlepping probably 180 pounds of luggage thru the airport, to the bus stop, onto and off of the bus and then a twenty minute walk to his apartment, then up three flights of stairs. After that, I washed my hair and face and was given a one-hour run down of basically everything, but in about five minutes: "Here's your key. Here are the air conditioners; these doors stay open to keep the wine cool, these stay closed; you head down this way and then left for a while, pass the whatever and that gets you to the bus station to get to the Subway, where you'll get off here and take..." and so on thru everything from banking to cell phones to wifi to unpacking. And then roommate was gone for work. I unpacked a bit, arranged things and decided to head into HK and do stuff. Got everything together into a small backpack I brought (satchel, perhaps), filled with Cantonese phrasebook, pad of paper, my address, American and HK cell phone, etc etc and headed to the bank. I had walked probably ten minutes before realizing I forgot my passport, which I obviously needed at the bank. Long story short, I eventually got into town with the help of a few very nice people with whom I was able to speak about directions in Cantonese (!), and when I decided to get off the subway a few stops early to walk the rest of the way, one of them said "No! No! This isn't your stop." I almost wanted to sit back down, but told her I wanted to stop here. Checked out a market I would later return to and finally found HSBC. Took a half hour; filled out some forms, they made copies of my passport and got some other info and I made a deposit and got a debit card! Sha-zam. Oh, and roomie got me a prepaid SIM card, so I put it in the spare phone I got today and was ready to go. I also have a subway card. I covered A LOT of ground today and just walked around and took the metro places.
Company has arrived and I'm sipping on an aperitif. The advantages of a French roommate.... more later.
Maybe I will... my flight got in this morning at 7:30 am HK time (thursday) and it's now going on 1900 thursday evening. Upon arriving in HK, I had just finished about 25 hours worth of travel after being up and packing frantically all day Tuesday (my blood still runs cold at the panic that ensued despite my preparation).
However, after schlepping probably 180 pounds of luggage thru the airport, to the bus stop, onto and off of the bus and then a twenty minute walk to his apartment, then up three flights of stairs. After that, I washed my hair and face and was given a one-hour run down of basically everything, but in about five minutes: "Here's your key. Here are the air conditioners; these doors stay open to keep the wine cool, these stay closed; you head down this way and then left for a while, pass the whatever and that gets you to the bus station to get to the Subway, where you'll get off here and take..." and so on thru everything from banking to cell phones to wifi to unpacking. And then roommate was gone for work. I unpacked a bit, arranged things and decided to head into HK and do stuff. Got everything together into a small backpack I brought (satchel, perhaps), filled with Cantonese phrasebook, pad of paper, my address, American and HK cell phone, etc etc and headed to the bank. I had walked probably ten minutes before realizing I forgot my passport, which I obviously needed at the bank. Long story short, I eventually got into town with the help of a few very nice people with whom I was able to speak about directions in Cantonese (!), and when I decided to get off the subway a few stops early to walk the rest of the way, one of them said "No! No! This isn't your stop." I almost wanted to sit back down, but told her I wanted to stop here. Checked out a market I would later return to and finally found HSBC. Took a half hour; filled out some forms, they made copies of my passport and got some other info and I made a deposit and got a debit card! Sha-zam. Oh, and roomie got me a prepaid SIM card, so I put it in the spare phone I got today and was ready to go. I also have a subway card. I covered A LOT of ground today and just walked around and took the metro places.
Company has arrived and I'm sipping on an aperitif. The advantages of a French roommate.... more later.
2.23.2009
It's almost time
I've been so ridiculously busy the past... two or three weeks. Almost every single night for like... the past month I've been doing things with people before I leave. I'd been in the same congregation for almost 18 years and in my current one for about two, and making plans to catch up and say goodbye in the same evening, not to mention visiting family out of town and making preparations and arrangements for leaving has left me with an elusive cough (that rears its ugly head in the middle of certain paragraphs at the WT reading) and an almost nonexistent voice.
I've got congestion issues and some here-and-there coughing and stuff that's only really bad in the mornings after I've been horizontal for hours. It'd be nice to say I'm taking it easy these next few days before I leave, but tomorrow's going to be another busy day. Service with the family and then errands before I finally come home to chill. Not much of anything constructive (as far as errands, per se) will be happening Tuesday before my departure, but I NEED TO REST. I suppose the 21 hours I'll be spending on a plane could be used for that....
I've got congestion issues and some here-and-there coughing and stuff that's only really bad in the mornings after I've been horizontal for hours. It'd be nice to say I'm taking it easy these next few days before I leave, but tomorrow's going to be another busy day. Service with the family and then errands before I finally come home to chill. Not much of anything constructive (as far as errands, per se) will be happening Tuesday before my departure, but I NEED TO REST. I suppose the 21 hours I'll be spending on a plane could be used for that....
2.21.2009
Four days
I'm leaving in four days. I have two bags to check, one to carry-on, and then my backpack (for my computer, HDD, etc). The next four days are going to blow by because I've already got almost every minute of all of them planned out. Leaving to go see extended family tomorrow a few hours outside Atlanta, spend the night there, drive home Sunday just in time for my (last) meeting where I'm reading the WT, then to a couple's house for dinner with my family. Monday Dad wants to do service with us as a family and stuff with them all day. Tuesday I finish everything up and leave for the airport sometime mid afternoon. That's it.
That being said, I pretty much know what I will and will not be wearing over the next four days, and am hence able to start packing. Of the two large backs (to be checked) one is quite a bit smaller than the other, but neither can exceed 50 lbs. SOO I started packing up the heavier things in the small one today: books, shoes, extra toiletries, jackets, etc. I weighed it once (it felt SO heavy), but I still had around 13 more pounds free in it, so I stuffed some more in there. That bag can take more (heavier) stuff since the bag itself weighs less. The larger bag can't take as much weight because it weighs more, so I saved all the T-shirts, sweaters, socks, and lighter wear for it. We'll see what I can pack in there, and everything else (changes of clothes, reading material, COMPUTER, will go in my carry on and backpack.
It's really coming down to it. Four days. I'm starting to realize this is the last of everything (at least for a long time): last time to see this person, last time I'll go here or drive by there or do this... even things like going to the gas station and filling up... probably won't do that again. Going to the bank, walmart, it's all winding down and finishing up...
That being said, I pretty much know what I will and will not be wearing over the next four days, and am hence able to start packing. Of the two large backs (to be checked) one is quite a bit smaller than the other, but neither can exceed 50 lbs. SOO I started packing up the heavier things in the small one today: books, shoes, extra toiletries, jackets, etc. I weighed it once (it felt SO heavy), but I still had around 13 more pounds free in it, so I stuffed some more in there. That bag can take more (heavier) stuff since the bag itself weighs less. The larger bag can't take as much weight because it weighs more, so I saved all the T-shirts, sweaters, socks, and lighter wear for it. We'll see what I can pack in there, and everything else (changes of clothes, reading material, COMPUTER, will go in my carry on and backpack.
It's really coming down to it. Four days. I'm starting to realize this is the last of everything (at least for a long time): last time to see this person, last time I'll go here or drive by there or do this... even things like going to the gas station and filling up... probably won't do that again. Going to the bank, walmart, it's all winding down and finishing up...
2.14.2009
I can't pack yet!!!
I want to pack. I want to have everything squared away and done.
However, as close as my departure is, I still have eleven days. That's eleven days of service clothes, suits for the meeting, casual clothes, bum-around-the-house clothes, sleep clothes, jackets, etc etc.
I'm cleaning at this point, I suppose. I've got a lot more books that I want to bring than I thought (old notebooks, notes, Chinese books, etc) and I've decided to bring a larger carry-on in addition to my backpack (which will then be masquerading as only my "computer bag"), so I'll be able to distribute the weight a lot easier.
I have a lot of errands to run lately, and I feel like for every one or two items I mark off of my to-do list, I add two or three more. And some of them are just stupidly small things I need to do. I need to go get my watchband fixed today. And get a haircut. But then I also need to clean my entire room from top to bottom, reorganize the office and clear out my car before I sell it.
We accumulate a lot of stuff... and, in a similar vein with a conversation I was having with someone last night, it just gets moved around. Even thrown away, it's just moved from one place to another. I've moved many of my things out of my room to another part of the house, given them to my brother (clothes) or to someone else, and the rest of my stuff I'm just setting aside neatly in my closet. Much of it I have thrown away, but that really was just crap, stuff I'd held onto for ages, and it was the right time to get rid of it, but I have ~hundreds~ of books in stacks and shelves and cases in my room, and I'm bringing precious few with me, and with some small exception, they aren't things I'll give away (or even lend) and certainly not throw away. So they're staying. It's nice that up till this point I've still lived with my parents and everything I'm not taking with me can still live here.
That being said, my laundry is almost dry, which means it's time to leave the house and go run errands. I think. There's a few books I've been wanting to read, and if I were a terrible person I'd check them out at the library and abscond with them, but I suppose I will go get pillaged at B&N or somesuch... we'll see.
However, as close as my departure is, I still have eleven days. That's eleven days of service clothes, suits for the meeting, casual clothes, bum-around-the-house clothes, sleep clothes, jackets, etc etc.
I'm cleaning at this point, I suppose. I've got a lot more books that I want to bring than I thought (old notebooks, notes, Chinese books, etc) and I've decided to bring a larger carry-on in addition to my backpack (which will then be masquerading as only my "computer bag"), so I'll be able to distribute the weight a lot easier.
I have a lot of errands to run lately, and I feel like for every one or two items I mark off of my to-do list, I add two or three more. And some of them are just stupidly small things I need to do. I need to go get my watchband fixed today. And get a haircut. But then I also need to clean my entire room from top to bottom, reorganize the office and clear out my car before I sell it.
We accumulate a lot of stuff... and, in a similar vein with a conversation I was having with someone last night, it just gets moved around. Even thrown away, it's just moved from one place to another. I've moved many of my things out of my room to another part of the house, given them to my brother (clothes) or to someone else, and the rest of my stuff I'm just setting aside neatly in my closet. Much of it I have thrown away, but that really was just crap, stuff I'd held onto for ages, and it was the right time to get rid of it, but I have ~hundreds~ of books in stacks and shelves and cases in my room, and I'm bringing precious few with me, and with some small exception, they aren't things I'll give away (or even lend) and certainly not throw away. So they're staying. It's nice that up till this point I've still lived with my parents and everything I'm not taking with me can still live here.
That being said, my laundry is almost dry, which means it's time to leave the house and go run errands. I think. There's a few books I've been wanting to read, and if I were a terrible person I'd check them out at the library and abscond with them, but I suppose I will go get pillaged at B&N or somesuch... we'll see.
2.07.2009
My luggage needs to go on a diet
In the interest of preserving my own dignity, I shall not disclose the extent to which I prepared to pack today. Suffice it to say I wrote down every item of clothing I own and now know such things as the weight of my entire wardrobe (divided by category), the average weights of bundles of specific garments, and that it takes about twenty wire hangers to weigh a pound.
I shan't blather on about details, but without toiletries, books and other knick-knacky-non-clothing items accounted for yet, my luggage needs to lose about ten pounds...
I shan't blather on about details, but without toiletries, books and other knick-knacky-non-clothing items accounted for yet, my luggage needs to lose about ten pounds...
2.05.2009
Trial Pack 2009
It has begun.
A friend of mine told me that I always call her during my trial pack ritual, and the three phone calls go something like this
1. I'm going somewhere and am very excited and can bring all sorts of everything I own
2. HOOOOLLLLYY COOOWWWW I can fit NOTHING!!!
3. I made it fit.
Trial pack has been an annual event, as I've taken significant trips for the past two years. This is my third.
TP'09: For each of the trips I've taken, I've wanted to get an idea of how much I can bring with me. I'm not a great packer, and if i pack in a hurry, even just for a three or four day trip, I find myself having arrived with nothing more than a t shirt and a pair of socks OR six pairs of pants, 8 pairs of shoes, a jacket, three ties, 80 shirts and no socks or wallet. It's one or the other.
SO, especially seeing as I won't be coming BACK within a few weeks' time, I want to get an idea of what I can feasibly bring. The clothes are going into stacks next to my suitcase on the floor (who am I kidding, they're folded up in the suitcase like i'm not leaving for three more weeks), and rather like an episode of American Idol, I decide whether or not they qualify to make it in. After the first round of eliminations, only some clothes I didn't realize were in line got the cut... this process will go on until my departure, at which point I will weigh the bags and hope they're not fifty pounds over my fifty pound limit. So, my wardrobe (and everything else I own) is now campaigning to be taken with me to the new land, to have a shot at the big time...
and ugly huge red long sleeve shirt that has holes in it cuz it was really thin to begin with... I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to turn you down...
A friend of mine told me that I always call her during my trial pack ritual, and the three phone calls go something like this
1. I'm going somewhere and am very excited and can bring all sorts of everything I own
2. HOOOOLLLLYY COOOWWWW I can fit NOTHING!!!
3. I made it fit.
Trial pack has been an annual event, as I've taken significant trips for the past two years. This is my third.
TP'09: For each of the trips I've taken, I've wanted to get an idea of how much I can bring with me. I'm not a great packer, and if i pack in a hurry, even just for a three or four day trip, I find myself having arrived with nothing more than a t shirt and a pair of socks OR six pairs of pants, 8 pairs of shoes, a jacket, three ties, 80 shirts and no socks or wallet. It's one or the other.
SO, especially seeing as I won't be coming BACK within a few weeks' time, I want to get an idea of what I can feasibly bring. The clothes are going into stacks next to my suitcase on the floor (who am I kidding, they're folded up in the suitcase like i'm not leaving for three more weeks), and rather like an episode of American Idol, I decide whether or not they qualify to make it in. After the first round of eliminations, only some clothes I didn't realize were in line got the cut... this process will go on until my departure, at which point I will weigh the bags and hope they're not fifty pounds over my fifty pound limit. So, my wardrobe (and everything else I own) is now campaigning to be taken with me to the new land, to have a shot at the big time...
and ugly huge red long sleeve shirt that has holes in it cuz it was really thin to begin with... I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to turn you down...
2.01.2009
I need a new name
My blog needs a new name... I don't know.
I also made pizza (three pizzas) last night for seven people. It was a last minute thing at my house and I got to cooking around 6. I roasted some garlic until it was all soft and buttery and spread it on ciabbata bread. Then I made a typical margherita pizza (ricotta, basil and tomatoes), a pepperoni (for the carnivores) and a third with roasted onions and peppers, feta and spinach. I had roasted the veggies ahead of time and was worried it would all be a little soggy on the dough, but it came out really well. I took some cool pictures of the pre-pizza work, but completely forgot to snap the finished products... A friend brought a Hefeweizen and some Guinness, and we watched Psycho.
Dinner/Movie nights are awesome.
I also made pizza (three pizzas) last night for seven people. It was a last minute thing at my house and I got to cooking around 6. I roasted some garlic until it was all soft and buttery and spread it on ciabbata bread. Then I made a typical margherita pizza (ricotta, basil and tomatoes), a pepperoni (for the carnivores) and a third with roasted onions and peppers, feta and spinach. I had roasted the veggies ahead of time and was worried it would all be a little soggy on the dough, but it came out really well. I took some cool pictures of the pre-pizza work, but completely forgot to snap the finished products... A friend brought a Hefeweizen and some Guinness, and we watched Psycho.
Dinner/Movie nights are awesome.
1.29.2009
on with it already!
Today I feel mentally and emotionally prepared, stable and ready to move. However, I have 26 more days left and there is no "biting the bullet," as it were. I have yet almost four more weeks. I also as of yet do NOT have any luggage. I am going to leave service early today to check out any kinda luggage they have at Costco and maybe Marshall's. I need to try a few trial packs to see what I can feasibly take with me. I think I'm allowed two bags at something like 70 lbs each! Huzzah. That's in addition to a carry on item, etc. so my computer will definitely be with me. 'Tis a long flight. Hopefully I can check my luggage through to HK since I'm only on a codeshare with Singapore airlines on the way to San Francisco... I'm not sure how that'll work, but it'd be great not to have to schlep my life through there at midnight...
1.27.2009
on 5.10.06 i posted a list of my language bottom ten: the ten languages I have no interest in learning, for whatever reason. In the post, i talked about the languages I was currently interested in and that I was (proudly) able to hold tiny (very negligibly) meaningful conversations in a smattering of different languages (might I add now that I cannot recall most of what it was i was using then). The list is as follows:
It's just funny to look back and see how our opinions of things change. At the time, I had no interest in learning Chinese (or any Asian language) and now I'm moving there....
Funny ol' world, isn't it?
- Laotian
- Yiddish
- Cambodian
- Thai
- Esperanto
- Turkish
- Anything Creole/Pidgin
- Welsh
- Basque
It's just funny to look back and see how our opinions of things change. At the time, I had no interest in learning Chinese (or any Asian language) and now I'm moving there....
Funny ol' world, isn't it?
I steal...
(but not really cuz I've done this before)
Get your own Visited Countries Map from Travel Blog
So I leave in four weeks... four weeks from today. About 680 hours from right now. That scares me. Many of the things I feared and stressed about (I feel) have been taken care of, at least to the extent that I can take care of them here. Chinese New Year has inhibited my most recent job inquiries from getting responses, but I leave in four weeks (did i say that already?) and feel pretty settled about all those things, really.
What it's mostly come down to is the last few things I'm going to do for the four weeks I'm here. I tend to overcomplicate, analyze, overthink and overplan, BUT I feel that with only 28 days left in America, I need to make wise use of my weekends and free evenings and enjoy every single little thing that's left to enjoy here before I go. I was very glad to go see my family in Charleston over New Year's, as it turned out that most of the cousins on that side of the family showed up and we had a few days together. I can mark that off the list (that I've decided not to make in efforts not to be dramatic and draw finality to my departure).
All that being said, I am very excited to go, but the most difficult part of leaving (as much as I am so excited and thrilled to go and want to move abroad) will be... well, leaving. I do not (as of yet) know anyone in HK (like I do here). I've met people and spoken with them on occasion, but my friends and family and the past 22 years of my life are here. I am looking forward to establishing myself there and know there will be friends and family there that I simply haven't met yet. That's great.
But it plays more like one of those situations where you really want to get to sleep and try to get to sleep so hard that you can't sleep... I'm going to enjoy my last four weeks in America.
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So I leave in four weeks... four weeks from today. About 680 hours from right now. That scares me. Many of the things I feared and stressed about (I feel) have been taken care of, at least to the extent that I can take care of them here. Chinese New Year has inhibited my most recent job inquiries from getting responses, but I leave in four weeks (did i say that already?) and feel pretty settled about all those things, really.
What it's mostly come down to is the last few things I'm going to do for the four weeks I'm here. I tend to overcomplicate, analyze, overthink and overplan, BUT I feel that with only 28 days left in America, I need to make wise use of my weekends and free evenings and enjoy every single little thing that's left to enjoy here before I go. I was very glad to go see my family in Charleston over New Year's, as it turned out that most of the cousins on that side of the family showed up and we had a few days together. I can mark that off the list (that I've decided not to make in efforts not to be dramatic and draw finality to my departure).
All that being said, I am very excited to go, but the most difficult part of leaving (as much as I am so excited and thrilled to go and want to move abroad) will be... well, leaving. I do not (as of yet) know anyone in HK (like I do here). I've met people and spoken with them on occasion, but my friends and family and the past 22 years of my life are here. I am looking forward to establishing myself there and know there will be friends and family there that I simply haven't met yet. That's great.
But it plays more like one of those situations where you really want to get to sleep and try to get to sleep so hard that you can't sleep... I'm going to enjoy my last four weeks in America.
1.25.2009
Writing about Thinking about Leaving
I'm leaving soon. 30 days from today.
I'll keep this blog, I suppose, as I'd rather not create a new one (mostly it was that I couldn't come up with a creative name, and this is the same as my email, blah blah). I'm not much for the mass emails and sending things to mailing lists, so this is where my travels and such will be documented. That's all for now. I have a 守望台 to prepare.
Pictures will be on my Flickr unless they're so mind-blowing they deserve a double post here. I'll have to be vigilant about getting the two to work in conjunction with one another.
I'll keep this blog, I suppose, as I'd rather not create a new one (mostly it was that I couldn't come up with a creative name, and this is the same as my email, blah blah). I'm not much for the mass emails and sending things to mailing lists, so this is where my travels and such will be documented. That's all for now. I have a 守望台 to prepare.
Pictures will be on my Flickr unless they're so mind-blowing they deserve a double post here. I'll have to be vigilant about getting the two to work in conjunction with one another.
11.03.2008
To the best of my memory...
The VGT Omnivore's Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile- most recently, at least at The Blue Elephant in London. Ostensibly one of the best Thai restaurants in the world, and easily some of the best food I've ever eaten.
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush- shout out to Hal!
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns- great place off Buford Hwy called Chef Liu.
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas- Trader Joe's…
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar- does a half count?
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail- I remember being jipped on this. It was some kind of like, $7 buffet, except the oxtail, which was an additional $13. I was not amused.
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal- sounds delicious
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu- would like to try
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel YUM
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine- this sounds delicious
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads- would love to try
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian- Tried, but the smell made me throw up a little before I could get it within mouthreach. I'm counting it as "A for effort."
66. Frogs' legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake- most recently in Belfast, of all places. Some international food exhibition had wonderful churros and crepés. Delicioius!
68. Haggis- are you KIDDING ME?
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill- I think… there are a few very likely family members responsible for this. I'm counting it.
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum－ I also make this very well, I might add...
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant¬- I almost cried…. Il Ristorante Pinocchio in Borgomanero, IT and La Capuccina in Cureggio, IT, both about an hour outside Milan.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish not impressed AT ALL
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox- just about the only breakfast item I can have at J Christopher's if I avoid the cream cheese…
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Total: 64
I love these kinds of things.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile- most recently, at least at The Blue Elephant in London. Ostensibly one of the best Thai restaurants in the world, and easily some of the best food I've ever eaten.
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush- shout out to Hal!
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns- great place off Buford Hwy called Chef Liu.
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas- Trader Joe's…
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar- does a half count?
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail- I remember being jipped on this. It was some kind of like, $7 buffet, except the oxtail, which was an additional $13. I was not amused.
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal- sounds delicious
44. Goat's milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu- would like to try
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel YUM
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine- this sounds delicious
60. Carob chips
61. S'mores
62. Sweetbreads- would love to try
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian- Tried, but the smell made me throw up a little before I could get it within mouthreach. I'm counting it as "A for effort."
66. Frogs' legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake- most recently in Belfast, of all places. Some international food exhibition had wonderful churros and crepés. Delicioius!
68. Haggis- are you KIDDING ME?
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill- I think… there are a few very likely family members responsible for this. I'm counting it.
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum－ I also make this very well, I might add...
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant¬- I almost cried…. Il Ristorante Pinocchio in Borgomanero, IT and La Capuccina in Cureggio, IT, both about an hour outside Milan.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish not impressed AT ALL
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox- just about the only breakfast item I can have at J Christopher's if I avoid the cream cheese…
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Total: 64
I love these kinds of things.
1.13.2008
This paragraph absolutely thrills me!
I've been studying Inuktitut. I love it, and it's awesome. I'll never learn to speak it, or probably ever meet anyone else that does, but I've been taking notes like a madman. It thrills me to understand/comprehend the following (from Wikipedia):
Ergativity in Inuktitut
Inuktitut marks the subject of a non-specific verb and the object of a specific verb in the same way - the absence of a specific morphological marker - and marks the subject of a specific verb and the object of a non-specific verb with particular morphological elements. This kind of morphosyntactic structure is often called an ergative structure. However, ergativity in its most clearly defined instances is primarily about transitive and intransitive verbs, This dichotomy is not identical to the specific/non-specific verb distinction in Inuktitut, since Inuktitut usage is also concerned with the definiteness of the objects of verb.
Consequently, the application of the notion of ergativty to Inuktitut, and to many other languages, is somewhat controversial. Regardless, by analogy with more conventionally ergative languages, the -up, -k, -it endings described above are often called ergative suffixes which are taken to be indicative of the ergative case, while the -mik, -rnik, -nik endings (see Non-specific verbs - Objects) are called accusative. This usage is often seen in linguistics literature describing Inuktitut, and sometimes in pedagogic literature and dictionaries, but remains a quite foreign vocabulary to most Inuit.
Sweet.
Ergativity in Inuktitut
Inuktitut marks the subject of a non-specific verb and the object of a specific verb in the same way - the absence of a specific morphological marker - and marks the subject of a specific verb and the object of a non-specific verb with particular morphological elements. This kind of morphosyntactic structure is often called an ergative structure. However, ergativity in its most clearly defined instances is primarily about transitive and intransitive verbs, This dichotomy is not identical to the specific/non-specific verb distinction in Inuktitut, since Inuktitut usage is also concerned with the definiteness of the objects of verb.
Consequently, the application of the notion of ergativty to Inuktitut, and to many other languages, is somewhat controversial. Regardless, by analogy with more conventionally ergative languages, the -up, -k, -it endings described above are often called ergative suffixes which are taken to be indicative of the ergative case, while the -mik, -rnik, -nik endings (see Non-specific verbs - Objects) are called accusative. This usage is often seen in linguistics literature describing Inuktitut, and sometimes in pedagogic literature and dictionaries, but remains a quite foreign vocabulary to most Inuit.
Sweet.
1.10.2008
Tagaq!!!
This whole throat-singing thing is fascinating to me. It first started with some feature stuff that Tagaq did for Björk's album Medulla, but she's got her own stuff (an album called Sinaa, for one), and this thing with the Cello is awesome. Look into katajjaq for more info. Really cool stuff.
12.13.2007
«Футболисты тоже люди»
Footballers are People, too! Or so says Oleg Luzhny (I don't know who he is, or if that's how you spell his name in English). Anywho, I've been trying to brush up on Russian lately, and I came across this today. Yeah, it's in Russian, but it's basically Oleg bellyaching about people having expectations of him, and how his team's having a really bad losing streak is just 'bad coincidence,' неприятная случайность. 'Footballers are people too! We all make mistakes, blah blah.' I don't know what those guys are making, but it seems most people with cleats that play for a league that's televised in Europe are considered veritable gods. I don't think he needs to grovel too much. So, just win your games, Oleg. это не слишком трудно...
12.10.2007
5 Months, 2 Days, 16 Hours, 3 Mins
... at least when I started writing this. We'll see how many subscribers (a.k.a. none) I had, since they'll be the only ones prompted to check and see if this thing is still being updated. Because it hasn't.
Chinese is the best. I love it. Great people, love the language, busy as I've ever been, but that really won't ever change, will it?
I've been um, nostalgaic (?) lately, with stuff. Stuff I haven't done in a long time: I'm listening to super old music (like, recently super old, e.g. from Junior High) and reading old books and stuff. It's funny to look back and read your blog (maybe not so much funny as embarassing, not unlike old photo albums).
I spent tons of time with languages I haven't touched since. At one point, I could introduce myself and chat casually in Swahili. Gone. Almost in Romanian. Gone. Hungarian. Never could. German. Was going well. I am now embarrased. Russian? Here's the best news: A good friend of mine is learning Russian, and wants to practice and use it and stuff. That's AWESOME! I never really used Russian with anyone when I was seriously studying it. Shame. But anyway, I've been working on my Pimsleur again, and am 6-8 lessons into the second 'course' or whatever. It's fun.
So, for old times' sake, let's share some exciting linguistic facts:
Lithuanian is, ostensibly, the closet [living] language to Indo-European. Lithuanian. Not Persian, not Albanian or Armenian or Greek or any of that. Weird.
While we're in the Baltics, Latvian is Tonal.
The Zulu word (I feel like I've shared this already) for 'tomorrow' is mañana (not necessarily spelled that way). Strange, no? Well, not as much as you may think. The Spanish settled in [what is now South Africa] in (some year I don't know, but it seemed before the Dutch did. At any rate, they were there a long time ago), and at the time, Zulu speaking people were farmers or whatever, and didn't run businesses and weren't trying to take over the world, i.e. they had no word for 'tomorrow,' because the concept was unnecessary. The Spanish came and introduced the concept because they were so stuff-driven, and needed that structure. Whatever.
Nothing else exciting for the moment, and there's no guarantee I'll ever be back here.
Chinese is the best. I love it. Great people, love the language, busy as I've ever been, but that really won't ever change, will it?
I've been um, nostalgaic (?) lately, with stuff. Stuff I haven't done in a long time: I'm listening to super old music (like, recently super old, e.g. from Junior High) and reading old books and stuff. It's funny to look back and read your blog (maybe not so much funny as embarassing, not unlike old photo albums).
I spent tons of time with languages I haven't touched since. At one point, I could introduce myself and chat casually in Swahili. Gone. Almost in Romanian. Gone. Hungarian. Never could. German. Was going well. I am now embarrased. Russian? Here's the best news: A good friend of mine is learning Russian, and wants to practice and use it and stuff. That's AWESOME! I never really used Russian with anyone when I was seriously studying it. Shame. But anyway, I've been working on my Pimsleur again, and am 6-8 lessons into the second 'course' or whatever. It's fun.
So, for old times' sake, let's share some exciting linguistic facts:
Lithuanian is, ostensibly, the closet [living] language to Indo-European. Lithuanian. Not Persian, not Albanian or Armenian or Greek or any of that. Weird.
While we're in the Baltics, Latvian is Tonal.
The Zulu word (I feel like I've shared this already) for 'tomorrow' is mañana (not necessarily spelled that way). Strange, no? Well, not as much as you may think. The Spanish settled in [what is now South Africa] in (some year I don't know, but it seemed before the Dutch did. At any rate, they were there a long time ago), and at the time, Zulu speaking people were farmers or whatever, and didn't run businesses and weren't trying to take over the world, i.e. they had no word for 'tomorrow,' because the concept was unnecessary. The Spanish came and introduced the concept because they were so stuff-driven, and needed that structure. Whatever.
Nothing else exciting for the moment, and there's no guarantee I'll ever be back here.
7.07.2007
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