On hiding and packing

I took the week off an told everyone that I would be in Singapore settling cat stuff. Wait a minute, what's that you said , " But I just saw you today". Yup. I did a bad thing. I lied.

The deception was necessary. Despite me leaving work in about 3 weeks or so, I'm expected to develop and work on new projects that I won't be able to see through. Oh. and my boss seems under the delusion that I will work till the day my flight leaves Beijing for good.

I have tried to set him and the many bosses right - I leave work on 14 Jan and that's as far as it goes. There is no chance of me saying, "oh, maybe I'll stay another week.". I've given over 2 months notice. That's ample time to find my replacement and to give me "me-time", a luxury that I can't afford if I work there longer.

I need plenty of "me-time" before we leave on 27Jan. I have 5 years to pack away - and I'm packing for 4 ( Dan, 2 cats and me) - we have a lot of stuff. 5 years of stuff don't magically pack themselves and frankly, I don't want to take junk home. If it needs to go into the bin, that's where I'm putting it.

So I had to "lie" to be left in peace this week. Some of my team members know I'm here and I try to look through proposals and respond to emails. Rest of the time, I go to supermarkets or hide out in places I'm pretty sure my colleagues and clients wouldn't be. All I want on my week off is to pack and purchase items that I intend to bring home ( e.g. a new set of chairs for my dining table) .

Limited success so far - I only managed to pack some towels and bedsheets and identified those sheets, pillow and blankets that will be left behind; sent all our wool coats to the dry cleaners; got a new laundry basket (yay) and ordered more cat litter to bring home ( that stuff is expensive in SG)

Tomorrow, I'll have to take a conference call (ugh. client called - no respect of personal time). After which I hope to be more productive at Ikea. Fingers crossed that I don't run into anyone familiar and that I get more stuff done tomorrow.

haven't been blogging

Got to get back to it,, so many wonderful things I've eaten in the past few months! Ah well... I'll have time after my last day at work.

I love autumn

and winter... I actually don't mind the cold too much with proper wear.

Before coming to China, I dreaded the cold. Singapore's super powerful air conditioning used to be able to blow me over ( not literally lah) .. It was just so cold, I'd be shivering in the office, in the cinema, at the mall... I felt cold all the time!

The cold no longer bothers me much. These days, I go home and feel pretty comfortable in tank top and shorts in the mall... Amazing...I don't even get goosebumps!

Back to Autumn - I love it because the air's clean, the weather's balmy, the sun is up and its time to take out the quilt... I love using the quilt because the cats love it. The floor gets too cold for them so they love to huddle on the quilt next to our feet. It's quite nice having a foot/ butt warmer sleeping on the bed with you on a cold winter's day!

I want birthday cake like that!!

This is the Sesame Street cake that my friend's son got back home in Singapore...

I want a cake like that too!! It's be perfect if they could make grouchy Oscar and wormy.. Oh oh! and The Count! I *heart* Sesame Street!!

my 2nd other job: tour guide

Yup.. that was essentially what I did during a media trip to Shangri-la county. Made sure everyone had enough oxygen bottles, water, kleenex, meals...

What I enjoyed most about this media trip:

1. Getting to know some journalists & my client better.

I really seldom do media work. This was a great chance to talk to the top beauty editorial directors and get to know them on a more personal level. Ditto with the client. Take them out of the office and they're different people. I think the natural beauty and high altitude played a part!

2. Staying at Banyan Tree Ringha

Room can get creepy cos it's so very very BIG. But the place is really so beautiful and peaceful. Staff were also very warm and friendly.

3. Hanging out with my fantastic team

We've gone to 3 different cities in 2 months - dalian, qingdao and now Shangri-la. Each time, we work super hard, then play super hard. In Shangri-la, thanks to the "experiential journey" that we'd designed for media, our team members also got to enjoy the spectacular scenery and some of the best food Shangri-la's old town had to offer. It was nice to be able to have fun as a team for once!

4. Retracing my steps to the places I visited 2 years ago.

It's different seeing this place in summer.. It was already gorgeous when I last saw it in winter. Summer dished up lush greenery interspersed with wild highland flowers in vibrant hues, a dazzling blue sky with clouds handing so low you could imagine touching them..I loved going back up Shika mountain and feeling as if I'm in the clouds.

my other job: adult-sitter

First it was a team of makeup artists, next it's a busload of journalists and colleagues who are convinced they'll faint from the "thin" air in Shangri la, need to be reminded to board buses, need this, need that... I wonder if I'm working in PR or adult kindergarten.

my new way of dealing with extra work

Ignoring it and leaving. After all, a lot of it was not my responsibility. Juz because I sat in a brainstorm does not make it my job to write the proposal.

With new haircut comes new bad attitude.

Impressions of New York

1. There's so many things going on! It's kinda like Tokyo but with more diversity and everything's in English ( or Spanish) .

2. Stunning architecture. All you have to do is look up. The buildings are amazing! You wonder how people managed to build such skyscrapers in the 20s and 30s! Some are older of course. I loved how each building seems to combine old European influences into the ultra modern ( at the time it's built), to create a unique yet timeless look. It's also very funny how all the buildings seem to flow seamlessly into each other, though they are all different styles, different era, different heights. It's a harmonious blend. Not quite like Beijing where you get a mish mash of buildings and the contrast between old and new stands out very clearly.

3. The city moves so fast! ( except for the traffic) I think I now understand the term "A New York Minute". I loved how things keep moving and changing. Nothing stays the same for long but somehow there's that sense of timelessness. I had this image of a city that feels as if never changes, despite the frenetic energy of change. Hmm... I'm not great with putting it in words but if you've been to New York oor ever go there, you'd maybe understand better.

4. I loved loved loved the shops :) . You don't get huge shopping centres like in Singapore. Even Bloomingdales felt small. I didn't go into Saks since I seldom buy luxury items. Nor did I go to Macy's ( I already shopped in one in Buffalo and was disappointed). But there were plenty of shops along every single avenue to keep you entertained as you walk. I was very willing to walk 20-30 blocks because there was a mix of sight seeing and shopping to do along the way. I think Dan and I walked over 5km each day. Back to the shops - Sephora is a joy to browse. So many interesting skincare brands and products to pore over. Barnes and Nobles - the simple fact that there's no english bookshop in Beijing or library for me to go to makes Barnes and Noble a veritable literary wonderland! Of course, there's the usual suspects of Forever 21 ( there was a huge one on Times Square opening that I didn't manage to get into), Banana Republic, Gap etc etc. I hardly got any clothes after being disappointed at Banana Republic - the XS dresses were too big. But everything comes in nice small sizes. ooo...I got Rock & republic Jeans - gorgeous! Dan's are from 7 for all Mankind

5. The musuems - I only went to the American Museum of Natural History to see dino bones and space centre. At the Met, the massive Egyptian displays got a bit tedious to go through . It was SO huge! We browsed through and it still took us 1.5hrs just to see that section. The armour and weaponry section was pretty cool and easier to "digest". MOMA was super crowded. I didn't quite appreciate the new art pieces such as one weird piece that featured multiple audio recordings of people saying Monday to Sunday. The modern design pieces were great! My favourite of the lot since you get to see uniquely designed home items - chairs, cupboards, keyboards, plates. Oh and of course, you get to see works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol.

Starry night by Vincent Van Gogh

Campbell Soup by Andy Warhol

Other small things I bought in NYC

Erm.. like coach bags and shoes from Woodbury Common.

Before you judge and say "Wah!! Spend so much ??", each bag costs only slightly over US$100. A steal for a leather bag. The big green one costs slightly more given its size. It's big enough to fit my laptop, my huge wallet, a wrap, mobile phone, ipod, mints, keys ...

The shoes at Nine West were on sale and these 2 pairs each cost less than a pair of Charles and Keith shoes.

I also got facial moisturizers, hand creams etc etc from shops in the city - basically stuff that Dan & I use everyday - at great prices.

How to get to Woodbury Common:

- Take subway to Port Authority Bus Terminal ( it should be the red line)

- Go to the Bus Terminal and look for the Shortline Bus ticketing booth

- Bus ticket costs US$42 and takes you to the door step. It also comes with several additional discount coupons and a redemption coupon at Woodbury Common for a booklet of discount coupons to use at almost all stores.

- Bus trip takes 1 hr each way

- Best to catch the 9.30am bus which really really leaves on time!

One thing I did not buy on sale

Everything in the US is on sale!! And everything at Woodbury Common Outlet mall is ridiculously cheap... all 220 stores!! I'll post about Woodbury later.

First, the one thing I did not buy on sale is....

See that grin?

Viola! Tiffany... and american tradition :P

To be fair, Danny said he'll get it for me but since I wanted it, I'm going to pay for it myself!

I *heart* eating in New York

There was such a buzz to the city! People on the streets at all times of day, the most amazing architecture, fantastic shopping, great dining and the brightest lights along broadway. I loved every moment of it! Daniel and I walked 10 to 20 blocks a day till our feet hurt then we'd go for a fab dinner.

We had typical american food i.e burgers and fries at a place called 5 Napkin Burgers, located around Hell's Kitchen. We chanced upon it and saw that it had a good vibe.. little did we know it's one of THE latest burger joints to dine at. The burgers were great but because I was still jet lagged, I could barely finish my food! See how thick the patty is?

On our last day, we had burgers at the renowned Shake Shack. I guess it's famous cos you're getting fairly cheap burgers with patties made of real beef unlike most patties at fast food joints.

We also had Pizza at a famous place in Brooklyn called Grimaldis. We weren't planning to eat there but we walked by it and thought, "why not". It was 11am and there was a queue outside. The restaurant opened at 11.30 sharp and they packed people in very efficiently. It was so fun watching the pizzas being made. A tad salty because of the salami we added, but generally tasty. We c0uld barely finish a 16inch pizza ( the smallest) between 2 of us and watched other people eating the 18 inch. That was scary.

We also had 3 swish meals on this trip - all memorable either for the food, service or company

1. Daniel ( this is the original restaurant by Daniel Boulud. Same chef behind Beijing's Maison Boulud)

The service was impeccable as was the food. We had the 3 course prix-fix ( fixed price menu)I had Duo of Beef for my main course. It was was so tender it melts in your mouth. The staff were very professional, appearing right by your elbow if you so much as frown at the menu. They explained each dish and recommended corresponding wines. When Daniel couldn't decide between desserts, they brought us an extra dessert at no charge! That was so delish. I suspect we got extra dessert also because we mentioned that we were tourists who had to come eat at Daniel after trying out Maison Boulud in Beijing

2. Bistro Moderne

We met with my US colleagues, Madeline, Ivette and Kathryn for dinner at Bistro Modern was also happens to be owned by Daniel Boulud. The restaurant's most famous dish - Burger with Foie Gras. That's a US$32 burger! I had the pork special which was nice but not as exciting at the burger which my colleague had...

3. BLT Steak

Danny was insistent on eating steak on our last night in NYC. My colleague Madeline recommended BLT.. Man. They serve BIG steaks. Danny and I shared a Porterhouse Steak that's US$82...that piece of steak could feed 4 people! Madeline had a salad while Danny and I slowly polished off the beef and one dessert.

this is the giant steak

so many things so little time

So. I've had a brief think about the things I want to see in NYC

1. Dinosaur bones a the Museum of Natural history

2. Egyptian temple at the Met Museum

3. A broadway show

4. 30 Rockefeller Centre ( simply cos I love Liz Lemon)

5. The inside of the statue of liverty ( so the the scene from X-men seem more real... the one with wolverine hanging off the side)

6. Queens ( cos I love Ugly Betty)

7. 5th Avenue ( cos when I was a kid, my mum has this Elizabeth Arden Fragrance - Red Door on 5th Avenue and I used to wonder what was the big deal about this street)

8. Woodbury Common - simply because it's got 220 outlet stores!!!! Talk about shop till you drop..

Things i want to eat:

1. Hotdog

2.Hotdog

3. Something at Jean George, Nobu, Daniel or a Mario Batali Restuarant...

7 more days to NYC

7 more days. I just have to live past working this weekend.

Sometimes I think I should just not work

Because:

1. I always end up on jobs that require long hours

2. I want to do a job well and I will pure my energies into it at the expense of health & hearth

So there's no in between for a balanced life. It's one or the other. Yup. That's what I think.

Acclimatizing to Slurpee, Sneezy and Smelly

I don't love living in Beijing. I just don't mind it as much anymore. But there are still things that annoy me... it always starts from the moment I board a plane back for Beijing. Oh. remind me not to fly Air China to and from Singapore. And if you think I'm whining/ complaining, I'll unabashed declare that I am!

Let's start with the flight back. The man who sat beside me was a slurper. I'm no fan of slurping. I understand slurping in some cultures is a sign of appreciation for the food and the food items "slurped" are usually noodles and soup. The Chinese passenger beside me slurped his salad, bread and rice. I really have no idea how he slurped coleslaw but he did. Lunch was served at 10.30am. At that hour, listening to someone slurp is really a nauseating experience. Made me NOT want to eat my lunch. And honestly, lunch at 10.30pm?? And nothing else between? The flight landed at 3.40pm and I was raving hungry by then. There were no snacks, nothing.

At immigration, the cacophony of returning Chinese tourists made me more irritable. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Or maybe it was their volume. It just made my eye start to twitch.

I had to wait a couple of hours at the airport for my dad who was arriving on a different flight. His flight was delayed by an hour. Great. I went to Burger King for a meal ( there's really nothing much to eat at the airport!). As I pushed my trolley along, I had to push pass people who just really had to block the exit. The airport is huge. Did you have to park yourself smack in front of the exit? Not my fault if I have to use the trolley to ram you when you don't move after several "excuse me".

After my snack, I went back to the arrival hall and found spot to watch for my dad... whoever designed the airport didn't seem to consider chairs a necessity for people waiting for delayed flights. I stood for a good hour or so. During this period, I was jostled innumerous times. Mind you, the spot where I was rooted to had empty space stretching several metres to my left, right and back. But people had to walk right into me. There was one who elbowed me too.

The eye twitched a couple more times. And more violently when someone sneezed without covering his mouth, at my brand new luggage. GROSS! Thank god I moved fast enough to push my trolley aside when I saw him working up a sneeze.

And finally... before my dad arrived and we hurried off to the sanctuary of home, 4 people who smelled like they haven't taken a bath or washed their clothes since yesterday , decided to station themselves near me. By then, the area around me was full and I was trapped between Sneezy and the Smellies. These were people that were dressed quite well but smelled awful!

By then, I was amazed I wasn't a twitching mass of nerves. Everything just rubbed me the wrong way. This always happens the first couple of days I get back to Beijing...

The fine art of ta-baoing ba chor mee for a long distance flight

I queued 40mins today to buy Dan's favourite Ba Chor Mee ( noodles with minced meat).

$5 /pack, no liver and I would like 4 packs please.

Immediately upon collecting my order, I ran for a cab. Got home, and threw it all into the freezer.

That's step 1 - freezing the noodles as quickly as possible!

Step 2. Wait for it to freeze into the shape of the container, then transfer into a ziplock bag.

Step 3. Place frozen, repackaged noodles back into freezer

Step 4. remove from freezer, just few mins before leaving the house for the airport, and transfer it into a cooler bag.

Step 5. Place it within your luggage and GO!

Upon arriving at destination, quickly find a freezer and dump everything back in. To eat, defrost and warm in a pot. Add a little water to hasten the process.

cute new rings

Got these rings as Far East Plaza Singapore, from a little shop that sells the most interesting rings. One of the rings had a mini carousel on top!

Check out the detail of this ring. It looks like I have a cat wrapped around my finger.

Just cos it was a 2 finger ring... Rebel I am not...

The sea

I've never been a fan of sitting by the beach. Bores me stupid. There was only one place in the world where I actually enjoyed the sea view and that was in Greece. Then again, Greece was incredibly beautiful and it's hard not to love watching the sun set over the sea while you indulge in greek food and wine...

I was in Dalian last Thurs- Sat for work. My colleagues and I managed to sneak in 2 hrs before our flight back to BJ to drive around the city and see the sea. It was then that I realized how calming the see can be. It's not really about watching the waves crash on the rocks. It's about listening to the rhythmic sound of the ocean, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face and breathing in the salty tang of the air.

It didn't change my mind about being trapped on a beach with nothing to do but watch the waves. But it made me appreciate the sea that much more. I guess its got to do with the work stress and being in land-locked Beijing where the air's bad and you hardly see blue sky. Whatever it was, I enjoyed the experience. Looking out at the vast ocean, I could imagine for one second, being someplace other than work, being at peace with the world.

Tired...

So. I come home from Dalian and realised that hey, i can't take a break. I have to finish drafting a quotation, a ppt presentation, a workplan, an outline for a product launch, revise an annual plan, have a lunch discussion... all by end of day monday.

Come tuesday, it's a 10-3pm meeting, handover on 4 accounts, catch a flight at 11.30pm . Arrive at 5.30pm, queue outside the CHina embassy then head straight into the office for a concall.Oh. Did I fail to mention, I also need to finish writing something on the plan? There is no time to rest!!!

And my entire vacation back home is spent working. WTF??

ticket to NYC bought

yay. no turning back. bought and paid. now to check what's the corp rate at W

It's a beautiful day...

...for the park.. the day I can actually walk around without a coat and in slippers

alamak...

Have to fly coach to New York... no budget. Dammit.

Fatburger - new burger joint in town

This is an american chain - somewhat like carl's junior. Fatburger opened its first shop in Beijing near the US embassy at Liangmaqiao. Quite a yummy alternative to McD. Looks every inch like a burger joint with no pretensions of being an "up market" dining space.

Sets ( with fat fries and a drink) range from 40-100RMB. The 100RMB burger is a triple patty delight for carnivores :)

Fatburger is located at 北京市朝阳区东方东路19号亮马桥外交公寓1号楼会所内

hmm.. my wii fit tells me I've lost weight

I wonder if its accurate.. I have a lower BMI than 4 mths ago when I bought it. Very soon, if i continue to work like how i do now, I will look anorexic. Not a good thought. I've seen a skinnier me and it was not a healthy sight. Must make effort to eat lunch.

NYC here I come!!!!!

Woohoo! Meeting in Pennsylvania confirmed. Gonna make sure I fly through NYC and hang out with colleagues and friends there. Um.. and of course, get some training done in between (that is, if I can pay attention) muahahahaha

weekend in Huairou

At a place called Shan Ba 山吧. There was basketball, table tennis, badminton, horse riding and even an artificial rock wall to climb. I rather liked it. Thank goodness weather was good and thank goodness there were enough beds for 19 of us!

super big common area in the house with mahjong and pool table

Indigestion? Ate something wrong?

Man... I can't tell... tummy not feel good. Can' tell if I'm hungry until I want to puke or is it just air.. not a nice feeling.

Brunch at Maison Boulud

Had brunch with the boss and colleagues today at Maison Boulud. Also got to meet a couple of interesting people from Taiwan - a really fun and down to earth stylist who owns 2 cats ( in my mind, any cat owner's got to be a great person - a cool beauty editor who's just relocated to Beijing and a business woman who's apparently well known in Taiwan because she brings in the biggest names in luxury.. this lady is checking out locations to set up shop in Beijing I think... I obviously don't know who this lady was but I perked up my ears when my lunch companions mentioned she brought in Balenciaga, Camper and several other familiar brands into Taiwan. I was intrigued...

Back to the most yummy brunch ... I ordered Eggs Benedict ( my fav). The egg was done to perfection - the white was a firm film holding in the gooey yellow goodness of the viscous-y yolk. It sat upon a bed of boiled spinach, a slice of ham and muffin and was discreetly drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. It was awesome! We also had a selection of appetizers - the escargots and beef tartare are dishes I'm sure to go back for. After lunch, we had complimentary dessert ( thanks to our boss who goes there so often). I totally enjoyed the trio of sorbet, especially the tart passionfruit flavor. Also loved the decadent chocolate tart!

You can bet I'll be back for another brunch

the event that kept me up for days...

Only got to sleep ONE hour on Thurs and the night before, 4 hrs... So darn tired. And this entire week, including the weekend, some dumb asses were doing construction work downstairs. I complained on Monday,Tues, Wed when they started at 8am. Complained on Sat when they began at 9am and this morning, I went ballistics and screamed at the stupid estate management for not being proactive. I didn't want to be woken at 9am on Sunday and have to complain before they stopped the knocking. Already in a foul mood. How to go back to sleep????? So I'm still tired today and I foresee being even more so this coming week. Great. Just great.

Harbin-ger of Cold

Went again to Harbin. Took my siblings there. Boy was it cold. But not as bad as I remembered it to be. Maybe this time I've acclimatized... but -17 deg is still pretty darn painful for the face and fingers! That's Dan in the H1N1 mask if you're wondering...claims it keeps the face warmer than the scarf. That white creature is an Arctic Fox that some tout was pushing for photos. I felt real bad for the poor cub who must have been taken from it's mum. And i know it's not right to encourage the tout by paying him for the photo but the cub was really so adorable!

Doing my fav thing each year... running away from misfired fireworks

Second time in 2 years.. this time was scarier because my back was facing the firecracker which toppled over and was shooting all around the road. I could see one shoot by my right and another by my left and straight ahead I heard my cousin yelling.. "RUN!!"

A reminder to live life

A uni classmate posted on facebook that another of our classmates passed away. It was rather shocking news... you never expect someone your age to pass away... At 20, you think you're immortal. At 30, you feel age creeping up on you and you begin to live healthier but Death still seems distant.

Well, a death among people the same age as you and especially among people you know and grew up with is especially shocking and tragic. The person who has passed on was the same age as I am. Apparently he passed away in the night after going to bed. Possible cardiac arrest. He leaves behind a wife and child. Though I haven't seen this classmate in 9 years, it's still extremely sad to hear this sudden news.

It's also reminded me that life is transient and very very short. I have to remember to spend more time with my family and to live every moment of my life.

Accent confusion

So yesterday at 6am I had a concall with 2 Americans with 2 distinctly different accents, an Aussie and an English lady.. I had a meeting in the afternoon with the same combination + one local Chinese.

Man! It was confusing... I don't have an issue understanding them but it takes a bit of brain work to figure out the slang and keep switching from American mode to British mode to Aussie mode to Chinglish mode. One word can sound different when these 4 people say it! e.g MALL sounds like Mal, Mole, More... Sheesh.

It's tiring enough trying to keep out the Singlish but's worse when you spend half the time figuring out what they're saying!!!!

Meet Weber Shandwick Beijing's 2010 Best Dressed Pair

That's yours truly and the boss who really knew how to tickle everyone's funny bone with Lady Gaga- inspired- hello kitty dress. Some people tried to steal kitty off the dress... Had a great laugh!

today's solar eclipse

Today mark's the millenium's longest solar eclipse, lasting a good 4 hrs. This is when the sun, moon, earth are aligned in that order. Got a glimpse from our office window. It was quite amazing. The sun looked as if cookie monster got a bite of it. Despite the mountain of work and looming deadlines, i took 5 mins to go peer at the half eaten sun ( my miu miu sunglasses rock!)

That I got to witness this amazing phenomenon really lifted my mood. Who know's when the next one will be !

10 min phone encounter with Sienna Miller

I had to serve as an English translator for a phone interview today.. basically to ask some questions for a Chinese journalist. The interviewee was Sienna Miller... that's why I got to talk to her. well.. not really talk. Just ask questions. She seems like a really nice down-to-earth star :)

The boss shows some "skin"

That's the boss in a tee that one colleague bought for another as a gag X'mas gift. The recipient was away when the tee was draped across her PC. The boss came around, saw it and found it decidedly cheeky and funny. He decided to give it a try and borrow it for an X'mas party.

Judging from the peels of hysterical laughter that travelled across the office when the boss did his rounds in this outfit, the tee was a hit. I'm not so sure the original recipient wants it back anymore...

Beijing's coldest weather in 30 years

It snowed in the wee hours of 2 Jan and started again at night all the way till Now ( 3 Jan, 4.35pm). I don't think I've ever seen so much snow in Beijing. Even the man-made snow fall on early Nov was nothing compared to the flurries outside today. I'm sure there's more than 20cm of snow on the ground. my boots just sunk in and disappeared in the powdery snow. Thank goodness for the uggs.. fake or not, they work wonders in keeping my feet warm and dry

I read in the weather report that come 5 Jan, Beijing will likely see the coldest temperatures ever in the last 30 years. It's going to be a high of -9 deg and low of -16 Deg. That's excluding windchill. I guess it's time to take out the thermal wear... i hate thermal pants... the last time I wore them was in Harbin!