Yea~~

She's here! My longtime friend in Taiwan arrived safely on Sunday night, and we've been having tons of fun.

After we lugged her stuff into her room-which, by the way, she can live in free of charge thanks to our wonderful landlord--she gave me a really pretty bag she got in Thailand. We also shared a yummy snack she bought when she stopped in Japan. They were round little balls made of sticky rice with some kind of sweet cream inside, and they came with chocolate powder that you mix with water and dip with the treat. It was REALLY good.

Monday, after I got off from work I took her to the post office to help her send off a package for her friend, and then we went to Trader Joe's, Walgreens-to look at Halloween stuff, and Stop and Shop. We had dumplings and mac and cheese, watched "The Bucket List", and crashed.

Yesterday we headed for the Garment District. There were so many people. We tried on different hats, and she tried on two different costumes. She looked so cute in them, but too bad they were so expensive. So while we saw people streaming out the store, each with a pink bag in hand, the two of us came out empty-handed. Then when we passed au bon pain, we bought a cinammon raisin bagel and a chocolate poundcake to share. For lunch we had food that I had made--rice, tofu with tomatoes and broccoli and soy sauce, stir-fired green beans, and stir-fried chicken with green peppers and onions. She liked it and even said I was ready to marry=.=, but then again, she's really easy to satisfy.

Today she's going to Chinatown with me and walk around while I'm at my writer's group and in kungfu class.

I Dreamed...

That Mooncake can sing@@
I was playing some music on my player, and he would sing along--not just humming, but singing the words. He would bob his head and I could see his little mouth moving. And he would only sing to just one particular song.

I think Media is cursed this semester...

Last week, on a quiet morning, there was suddenly a tremendous crash in the hallway outside the office. Everybody rushed out, and there stood one of my coworkers, with a TV facedown on the floor and a cart beside her. Apparently the cart with the TV on it was broken, and when the poor girl maneuvered the cart the TV fell off.

I really think Media is cursed.

Ooops....

So a few weeks back, on a Friday morning, I was instructed to go to Quadside to put away a microphone, and was given a set of keys for the closet. Not being familiar with the residence campus, I thought Quadside was Alumni Hall. I stuck one key in to try to open the hall door, but it got stuck, and I couldn't pull it out no matter how hard I tried.

Just goes to show why I need plenty of sleep to function well.....

At least it got taken out a few days after. Whew.

@@!!!

Somebody just returned a digital camera that was checked out last year, and the fine has accumulated to $11980.00...................................wow.

Wow...

I started babysitting/tutoring a little girl, and her mother was in the same program as I was. She adopted a little girl from China who's 8 years old now. But I just found out that the Robert Sibert award given to nonfiction, was named after her father.

So awesome.

Six Star Hotel

This past Monday our kungfu school got to do a performance for the opening of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. They had very specific requirements as to what they wanted us to do, and I was very glad I only had to play the cymbals.

The day was chilly, and we were led into the "Bejing Room" on the 2nd floor where we could put our stuff and rest. Boy, the carpets were thick and comfy, the bathroom was amazing (the lady's room of course, I'm sure the men's room is equally beautiful)--a lot of mirrors, soft paper towels with their mark (I took one for a souvenier), and besides soas there was lotion too. There were also touch-screen panels on the walls, and the walls themselves were so comfy too. They were kind of soft, and during our break I fell asleep against one. There were refreshments in our room too: orange juice, apple juice (I drank a glass) , grapefruit juice, still water in pretty bottles, sprite, gingerale and diet coke in small glass bottles (I took two), coffee, hot water, white and brown sugar lumps, and in a pretty wooden box there were many vials filled with different types of tea leaves. They also had teapots with an instrument beside it, which we never figured out how to use. The lobby was kind of small, but beautiful as well: marble tiles, glass cabinets with Gucci purses, nice wooden chairs, etc. I love the carpet best though. There were lots of cameras and important people crowded inside when we performed. Our two lions had to present two scrolls to the important people, and they were supposed to take it, but they probably didn't know so my kungfu brothers were waiting and waiting for them to take it. Somebody should have told them beforehand. But even with that it all went really well. After our break we went through the offices with the lions to spread blessings.

It was a non-stop and very tiring weekend. I haven't fully recuperated yet, but fortunately, with Columbus Day I'll be able to get more rest.

Hanging Silently

Last weekend was hectic, mainly because I helped out at the Simmons International Chinese Poetry Festival from Friday thru Sunday. I also got a free book from a poet from Taiwan (YEA!). What was scary though was that I almost lost my umbrella.

On Saturday, I had stuck my umbrella in the side pocket of my backpack and hadn't touched it the whole day. At night when I got home, I realized that it was MISSING.

I was baffled. I didn't take it out, so I supposed it might have fallen out on my way back even though it was tucked in pretty tight. The next morning I looked for it along my trodden path, but sadly, there was no sign of it at all. So I supposed somebody might have picked it up even if it did fall out. I was on my way to surrendering to a new umbrella, but still had the teeny hope it might still be in the conference room...It wasn't there either. I fully succumbed to the fact that I would have to spend money to buy a new one.

Yet, MIRACLES DO HAPPEN.

After the conferece was over I headed for the stairs with a new friend from Taiwan, and there it was, hanging silently on the doorhandle. I was ecstatic. The handle must have fished it from the pocket.

Good joke, doorhandle, good joke.