shopaholic

there is something positively uplifting about shopping.  ANY kind of shopping...even if it's only grocery shopping.  i feel so happy to see the multiple displays of items, the choices and making the choice, swiping that credit card or handing over hard cold cash. ok, the last one sounds a bit neurotic.  maybe i need to control my need for retail therapy...

on paying last respects...

It is done.  I have bought my tickets to hong kong for less than 24 hours. Almost 14 months has gone past since I last set foot on the land which I had more than 3 years of memories of.  But why less than 24 hours? Alas, a lot of things have indeed happened and changed.  Not all bad, but not all good either.

I have decided to go to pay my last respects to the person who was pretty much part of my life for more than 3 years.  She took me shopping, showed me how to cook her famous dishes, included me in the family vacations.  In one shape or form, like it or not, she had a hand in making me what I am today.

Still not sure whether it's the best idea as yet.  But I think of the alternative, and for now, I don't think I can choose not to go.

Manus

Manus is the smallest province in Papua New Guinea and made up of many small islands.  It is reputedly beautiful with colorful marine life and clear waters.  Unfortunately, it is facing serious threats of coastal flooding and/or sinking islands from rising sea levels.

Off to Manus for the next 6 days for work...wish me luck!

alotau, milne bay

Gorgeous breakfast view from Ulumani Treetop Lodge overlooking the top of the trees

Lonesome church on top of the hill on Kwato Island

Kids fishing on the old pier of the once glorious capital -- Samarai Island

Smiling kids playing near a shipwreck at Waga Waga

Blue shallow waters and an abandoned pier on Kwato Island

Massive raintree (read: Avatar-like!) next to makeshift rugby field in Waga Waga

around the world...

I left in the middle of July for 4 weeks of travel with the full honest intention to blog everyday and to fossilize the different experiences and observations.  Well, someone should have told me that blogger (and facebook!) does not work in China =S.  Internet was harder to come by then I had expected, and I had completely underestimated how tired I would be at the end of each day.  I didn't get too far after Day 10 or so.  After 30 days across Hangzhou-Shanghai-Nanjing-Beijing-Milan-Portofino-Rome-Phuket-Seoul-Singapore, it is extremely painful to go back to work!

Guess where I am now?

Day 8 - Beijing

What was expected to be another dry speech or forum turned out to be an amazing morning of discussions on what it is like to return to China and how our career paths may or may not fit into the grand scheme of China's rapid development. Great guest speakers who brought a lot of personal stories and insights to the discussion. Back to the People's Great Hall, with memories of excitement and awe from four years ago, to meet XXX and have an official photo taken with him. Rows of purple jackets lined up in small platforms, dangerously high and safety hazard for the high-heeled, all awaiting his arrival. Photo taken, speech given and after many rounds of applause, we were free to take as many pictures as we want inside. The great China food adventure starts tonight with the grand search for...dog meat! Ended up in a Korean restaurant which serves dog meat...cooked in kimchi soup =p. Some disappointment in the group (not me!) for not being able to choose the unfortunate dog that would be served on our table. Let's just say that if you love mutton, you would probably love dog meat. But for me, for the same reasons why I don't like mutton, dog meat has this strong gamely taste. I hereby declare that I will never eat dog meat ever again!!

Day 7 - Beijing

Train chugs along; deep slumber under warm covers; morning light shines through the windows. Annoying blasting music; shouting food cart-pushers; piercing smell of cigarette smoke. Hearty breakfast of four slices of bread, ham sliced, fried egg and hot soy milk =). Very different from my experience four years ago with a weird-colored egg yolk in my hard-boiled egg. Train arrived. Stepping out of the train carriage, a car appears right in front of me, on the freaking platform! Craziness!! Penguin walk, shuffling our way out of the sardine-packed station. Beijing University, reunited with people from the Suzhou/Wuxi and Hangzhou trips, as well as people who only came for the Grand Reunion.  Discussion forum, segregated by regions, together with the new kids from CSP10. A lot of talk about how far China has come and how much further China can go in terms of economic and social development. Line-up practice for the photo session tomorrow; as always standing with the boys because of height. Drinks at 1949; very hard to get a taxi and very hard to find the place but a very nice place with art galleries. Dancing at Mix; very far to walk and very hard to find the people but really fun place with good music. Tomorrow is another day!