Japan and Plan C

It has (again) been a while since I've updated. Apologies to family members that have been waiting breathlessly for the latest news!
First off, Japan. Bringing skis is good in theory, but slightly annoying when having to carry three other bags. I was unlucky with the snow in Niseko, somehow getting the only 4 days of sunshine for Feb. Tokyo was a blast, eating, drinking, partying. I totally recommend going to Shibuya 109, the all female department store just to check out the cutey chicks! My new favourite look, the short shorts, off shoulder top and heels. Hot!
Hoping to get to Korea at the start of April, there's so much hype for that place!

On a completely different topic, I think I understand what being a "Plan C" for someone feels like. They enjoy your company, have fun conversations over chat, willing to say yes to dates, but they NEVER initiate. You never feel like it is quite right. In essence, you are not their "Plan A", and if they are your "Plan A", then it kind of sucks.
The question then becomes, can one move from being a "Plan C" to "Plan A"? From my experience, I think the answer is no. The only real method is to make them a "Plan C", through mental and emotional discipline, and pace oneself. Don't "give all your cookies away", as a friend once told me. (As an aside, telling them that you like them may not be that bad. At least everyone is clear on where they stand).
Such is life. To all the people that suffer this syndrome, you have my sympathies!

Shanghai

It's been 7 years since I went to Shanghai. The place has undergone a dramatic change, from all accounts. What made it good before still applies...the food (sheng jian bao, yum!), the view from the Bund, the French Concession. I remember vigorously partying the first time I was here. On that front, it seems like nothing has changed! Can't believe they opened up a Prive there. Fun to meet new friends, more places to visit around Asia.

Di and I went to an "art battle" event, where random artists are making artworks in front of you and you vote for the one your liked best. It's this kind of stuff that I don't think is available in Singapore, although perhaps I'm not looking hard enough.

Finally made it to the expo, on the second last week it was showing. I'm so glad I had connections to get into the Australia pavilion (our company built it) and the Taiwan pavilion (friend was VIP). Not sure if I would have lined up 4 hours to see these things, although if I had lined up for 4 hours for anything I'm sure I would have raved on about it just to validate that it wasn't a complete waste of time!

Spent time at the office as well. It always seems that hospitality is wonderful in these regional offices. I'm sure they get sick of random staff members coming in to visit, but they are so gracious about it. It's good to get some face time with these guys though, makes work easier when communicating or convincing them of a certain process.

Speaking of hospitality, thanks Di for taking me around! Hope you get your visa sorted out so you can visit me in Singapore!

Farewell and Hello

Pic from Boston / Cape Cod trip here. Thoroughly recommended.

As I count out my last days here in NYC, a friend asked me what I will miss most about the city.
I remember telling another friend ages ago that the one thing New York has above all other cities is the opportunity to do what I want at whenever I wanted. Through sheer numbers of people in this city (and especially Manhattan) there is always something going on.

So I will miss that feeling of opportunity. The feeling that "hey, something random and special will happen tonight!". Most likely it involves alcohol.

Of course, I will miss the friends, both new and old. From Aussie mates, to friends from work, volleyball, Company of Heroes and clubbing, everyone has been so welcoming. I would like to think that it's more than just the fact that my American friends like to hear my accent that they hang out with me, but who knows? My Aussie friends are like family now. I will miss them the most.

I have a few New Yorkers that have lived in this city and cannot think of moving anywhere else. Whilst I feel that I have made New York home, I was fairly sure that I would not settle down here. With the significant distance to family, if was always going to be a "time-constrained" experience. Experiences like acting, MOMA, Broadway shows, and Circle all add up to a lifetime of memories,

It's special to live in NYC, it's even more special to live in the city both as part of a couple and as a single guy. There is definitely enough things to do to satisfy either lifestyle, but if I was to pick one, I would say that New York is THE place to be a single guy :)

I have learned a lot about myself in the last 3 years and for that I am thankful. New York has forced me to try new things, see different perspectives and perhaps reinvent myself. New York has made me believe in me. Really, that is all anyone can ask for.

I believe that the transition to Singapore life will be smooth. Having good friends that already makes it much easier to fit in. Of course there will be challenges (one of which is the new role) but I am looking forward to it.

So farewell New York, hello Singapore!

San Fran / Yosemite / Vegas / Grand Canyon

Top ten things about San Fran / Yosemite / Vegas / Grand Canyon:
1. I got some new hiking shoes. Now whenever people invite me to hikes or places with ankle deep water trails, I'm all over it. Oh and a headlamp, those things rock.
2. I saw a bear! It ddin't look massive, so assuming young bear. Glad that the momma bear wasn't around to chase us.
3. It's infinitely more rewarding to have hiked a trail in order to get to some nice lookouts. Probably due to the fact that I slaved 6 hours with a massive backpack on to get there.
4. Camping overnight, seeing stars, cooking around a campfire. Not sure if I would do it again, but glad that I did it this time.
5. Winning at the craps table. I was up from the start and never looked back. Lesson for next time: when the hot roll finishes, immediately leave.
6. Setting up shots inspired by Sydney Dance Company pictures. Way less classy, but way more hilarious. With double SLRs, tons of happy snaps (check the pictures here)
7. Partying in Vegas is 100% dependent on the crew that you go with. This time, everyone was committed, which made for two great nights (see pictures here)
8. My first spa facial! I now know what extractions mean. I never knew that there existed a thing to cleanse your face using ultrasonic sound waves...
9. Cruising the highways from Vegas to Grand Canyon in a convertible Mustang. Even other tourists took photos of us!
10. Catching up with Waz. Good friends will always be good friends.

Bonus: Hearing that I might be going to Vegas again in June :)

Acceptance

I've been reading a book recently called "Mojo: Hot to Get It, How To Keep It, How to Get It Back". It's (yes) another self help book, recommended to me by a person I met on the plane. Whilst it has the usually "how to achieve happiness and meaning in your life" stuff, there was some good advice on being aware of reputation and how it affects the choices you get in life.

What was more interesting was the concept of acceptance, and that if you can or are not willing to change either the circumstance or yourself, to "move onwards and upwards".
I like to think of myself as a fairly pragmatic guy, and so this resonated with me quite a lot. One of the pieces of advice from the book was the concept of a "lifetime pass". The question to always ask is: "is my life better off or worse off because this person is in it?"

Friends have asked me recently why I would still hang out with my exes. I struggled to answer the question, but now I know. I shared a very significant part of my life with them, and I know that my life would be worse off if she wasn't in it. And though I may wonder "why?" once in a while, whatever happened before is water under the bridge. She continues to make my life better, so I hope we stay friends.

Who is on your "lifetime pass"?

Photos: Uploaded photos from Aives and Pete's wedding. Love Opera Bar!
Photos: General Sydney trip. Good to see family again.

Vail 2010

What I like about Vail is the vastness of the place, especially when it's a weekday and there's a lot less crowds. This was the one and only "west" ski trip this year (with new skis!) so had to make the most of it.

Weather was beautiful, but unfortunately Fay got himself injured on the first day. Jumps never work out well...


So I ended up skiing mostly by myself. I did take a "mountain tour" where some advanced ski instructor took me and another person around the mountain. In essence it was a quasi-ski lesson, at around 1/5th of the cost! I thought I was decent, but there are some people that are just awesome at this sport.

Of course, by the last day, I had to attempt some jumps. For some reason there is always the urge, but the fear factor is so high. I think the thing is that as a kid I never got to do this and so my body has never actually gotten comfortable with the whole concept of "air-with-skis-on".

After some initial success....




...came some failures.



I blame the poor camerawork by Fay! What could have be gloriously Warren Miller-style films turned out to be only just youtube worthy.

I'll miss Vail, I hope to come again sometime.


Might have to go to Japan again...

Portraits

I just started using the Face recognition feature on the new version of Picasa, it's a ton of fun.

Besides the fact that I seem to take photos of the same people over and over again, it's worth noting some of the following points:

1. I look quite unique (yes!) as Picasa does not suggest other people in my album. Perhaps this is because there is a greater sample space and hence the algorithm is better.

2. Boges matches up with anyone that has thick rimmed black glasses. That includes both men and women (sorry mate!).

3. My ex apparently can be confused with a whole set of other asian girls! Yes, they're all good looking :)

4. All babies look alike, Picasa cannot tell any of my nephews and nieces apart for the younger photos.

5. Mum, whilst incorrectly associated my aunties (her sisters), makes sense from a hereditary perspective.

6. Even the condom hat on Des' head cannot fool the system!

Hours of fun, this feature :)

Squatter

I've had a squatter at my place for the last 3 weeks. Kev's on his 4 week medical rotation, working at Beth Israel hospital.

There is a "pay it forward" feel about this arrangement, as I had similarly squatted at Bjee's place for 3 weeks!

Whilst my place is a bit squeezy for two people to cohabit for any stretch of time, it's been awesome having him here. Good to catch up, recall old memories, share in new ones.

Old friends are such that there is an immediate comfort when meeting up, anywhere in the world. We've all grown a little bit older and hopefully a little bit wiser but the old jokes are still funny.

Kev and I share the same relationship status :) It's fun to live vicariously off someone else for a change! Too many late nights, but if one is in NYC for a short period of time, one has to make the most of it. Random pics will appear on Facebook for sure.

I've enjoyed the time, Kev. Thanks for coming to visit me in NYC. Hopefully you got the experiences your were looking for here! Circle will miss you :)

Hong Kong #2

It was wonderful to see the extended family again, I can't believe how many folks made it over. I've been relegated to the "younger" kids table, not mature enough to hang with my older cousins (all of whom have kids). I did chaperon my younger cousins for New Years Eve, felt very responsible there :)

Had a fantastic seafood dinner, near Kwun Tong. There is a specific "seafood market" next to the restaurants where you get to choose the specific food that you want for that night. Yum.

Got to hang with Jay and Glorya, and see their business in action. I'm inspired! It's fun to talk to friends that have taken a different path, and the trials and tribulations that come with that path. I wish them all the best in the new year.

Of course there was some additional partying. Billion, Play, Vola, random other names of places I can't remember. For the first time my "don't talk, just dance" approach landed some success!
I have come to the conclusion that I need to be more of a baller. It's expensive to party in HK, possibly even worse than NYC. If only I was hot enough for other people to buy me drinks...

More photos uploaded of people and landscapes.

I miss the (relatively) warm weather already!

Hong Kong

A friend of mine once said that every time she goes back to Hong Kong it's like going home.

I never used to feel that way about this place, even though I share the same ancestry and migration patterns as her. However, having stayed here for nearly two weeks now, I understand a bit more of what she meant.

I am starting to understand the jumble of streets in Central, the smells of curry chicken rice everywhere I go, the crowds of Causeway Bay, the random big nights in Lan Kwai Fong. I have also come to appreciate the serenity of the Outer Islands, the (relative) quietness of mid-Levels and that just wandering around Hong Kong is a great way to take in the city.

Yes, I could live here.

The trip has been fun because of all the different activities:
Trish and Roy's Wedding - lovely and heartfelt, and the first time I have seen one of those "chairman's suites" in a 5-star hotel;
Mary-Ann's birthday bash, seeing all my relatives, catching up with old friends, making new ones.
I still have a week to go, to see my immediate family and Por Por's 91st (!!) birthday.

It's been good to be able to do some thinking as to where and what I want to do next year. There seems to be a few options on the table, need to see what is best.

Thanks Bjee for letting me have the run of your apartment. It's an awesome place. And no, I swears I haven't had any parties here!

Cambodia, Thailand, Wedding

In one word, fantastic. Let's break it down in more detail:

Cambodia
Angkor Wat and the temples around Siem Reap are definitely worth seeing. It's great that we are able to walk through the temples. Yes there are lots of tourists there, but not overwhelming and there is a serenity to the place that no amount of people can detract from. Angkor Ta Prohm (otherwise known as the "Lara Croft" temple) has melted back into the forest, with all the vines that grow through the stones. Banteay Srei Temple (otherwise known as the "Women's Temple") has some of the most intricate carvings in stone that I have seen.

Of course Angkor Wat is very impressive. I would recommend going to the National Museum before going to the temples, it provides a much needed background on why certain things were carved on the stones. I have a much better understanding of Hinduism and Buddhism now, although all those names of entities gets pretty confusing!

We also managed to get out and about in the touristy town part of Siem Reap. Women are aggressive there, probably because they are of the "working" type. Couldn't look at anyone in case they came up to say "what's up"!

Got to do a Cambodian cooking class, that was a ton of fun. My aim is to make some coconut sticky rice soon!

Pictures here.


Thailand (excl wedding)
I have been told that Thailand is much better outside of Bangkok. From a pollution perspective, they are probably right. However, some good things to see there: the Grand Palace is bling! It's as good as the palaces in Europe. It's impressive that Thailand still has a constitutional monarchy, that's probably why those palaces are so well maintained. Wat Pho (with a massive gold-plated reclining Buddha) is worth a visit too.

I rate the outdoor bar on the top of State Tower. Only in Asia, where safety concerns are much less of an issue than they are in western countries!

Of course there was the bucks, good bunch of guys that went out. Yes, I went to a "Thai show" and yes, I saw things that I don't think I ever want to see again. I wonder what makes people decide to train to shoot darts from there?? Apparently the show that the hens went to was even more fascinating to watch!
We even hit the town, Bed Supper Club was swanky. There's a rule in Bangkok that all clubs close at 2am, except for the dodgy police controlled ones!

Pictures here.

Tax & Dex's Wedding
After a massive Friday night out, on to the bus to go to Hua Hin, a beach resort town 2 hours south of Bangkok. The wedding was wonderful. There was a slight comical hiccup when the celebrant couldn't pronounce Dexter's name ("Doctor Liu"), but everything else was flawlessly executed. Outdoor dinners are always risky (due to weather etc), but it was starry, balmy night. With the beach, fireworks and great food, everyone was happy and celebrating, and that's the main thing.

Congrats Tax and Dex, see you in Feb hopefully!

Pictures here.

Friends
Finally, the best thing was catching up with everyone. From UK, HK, Aust and everywhere else, it was a grand gathering. Partying and reconnecting with old friends (until sunrise) is just plain fun. Even made some new friends! Those animated GIFs are coming. Here's a preview



Until the next wedding :)

Halloween

A brief synopsis on getting a costume for Halloween

1. Don't think too hard about the costume until the day before the party.
2. Decide to change the outfit on the day of the party from normal pimp to Eastern European pimp
3. Proceed to wander around Chinatown looking for "fake Adidas" gear. Get blank stares from Chinese shipowners when asking for "sweatpants".
4. Receive inspired advice from a friend to go to Century 21 to buy discount sportswear.
5. Buy sports gear (only had Nike), move on accessories.
6. See the ridiculous lines outside Ricky's and other Halloween costume stores where everyone else is in the same boat, getting last minute stuff.
7. Inspired thinking on my own part to go to St Marks Place to look for fake bling.
8. For the first time in 2 years living in NYC, actually go into one of those St Marks Place "variety" stores that sell random crap.
9. Acquire fake gold peace sign necklace. Even bargained the guy down!
10. Get wig and sunnies off mate.
11. Also get wife beater singlet off mate.
12. After dinner, miraculously grow sideburns from black cosmetic outliner.
13. Decide that if I ever take off the jacket, I'll just have a singlet on. Proceed to desperately bulk up with a few push ups and pull ups.
14. Put the outfit together, drink and have a great time.


It's funny, being out in NYC during Halloween, you almost feel out of place WITHOUT a costume on. Some people go all out (I heard reports of a 12 foot tall Optimus Prime) so it's fun just to be costume wandering around. Good times, and more photos here.

New York - Jun and Vegas

Catching up on pictures.

New York - Jun 09



Good to get some flower shots in again!

Las Vegas - Jul 09



Go the hungies!

Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong

Photos are up.

Sydney

Ben & Syl's Wedding

Singas & HK

La-La Land

I think weekend trips are brutal, leaving Friday, taking the red-eye back on Monday and straight back to work.

That being said, Los Angeles was great fun. It had all the makings of a good trip:

1. Key events ie NBA finals game 2 (go Lakers in OT!)
   
2. Stoopid photo opportunities at every turn
   
3. Travelling companion willing to go out, hitting random Korean clubs. Perhaps 2 people attempting to share one bottle of vodka was a bit too ambitious.
   

I think LA is too much car travelling. The pavements are empty, everything feels far away, it's not something I'm used to. Of course, if I did live there I would get some awesome car to cruise around in! It has this ecclectic mix of architecture, from spanish to modern to old school chateaus. This actually makes the neigbourhoods such as Beverly Hills quite fun to drive around.

Definitely need locals or friends of locals that can tell you where to go out at night, but that "close at 2pm, no more alcohol" rule is ridiculous. Remember, unlike New York, start early!

Would I live there? Nah, not my thing. Good to visit though.

Hiatus

It's been about a month since the last entry. Many things have happened, some sadder than others. To everyone who has sent a "how you doing" email or call, much appreciated. Onwards and upwards is the motto.

So some enjoyable things that have happened over the last few weeks:
1. Attended my first Comic Convention (ComicCon) in New York. Surprisingly dominated by a lot of video game displays, although there were a substantial "Artist's Alley" where people were doing their sketching thing. Got to meet the authors of Penny Arcade, which was cool.

How awesome is this Yoda?



2. Skiing at Mont Tremblant. 8 hour drive across the US border through to Quebec. Unfortunately super cold temperatures (-20 celsius!) and a lack of snow meant that skiing was not that enjoyable, with multiple injuries to our party. Yes, I attempted another 180. No, it did not go very well. Yes, it was under a chairlift.

A panoramic of the place we stayed at.



3. Moving to the new place. East Village is where I'm now located, so no more walking to work, but I'm close to the train station so it's all good. I have made multiple trips to Ikea (the food there is great) and I'm getting much better at using a powerdrill. I'm quite happy with it, although my boss (visiting from Sydney) was shocked at what I was paying for rent, as all people who do not live in New York are! It's my place and it's good to settle in.

I've attached a view from the window out to the street. Probably the last of the snow for this year. Note: we had a "Snow Day" in NYC first time in 5 years, which means kids can stay home. It was only 9 inches.



Other things worth mentioning:
1. Boston vs Knicks game at Madison Square Garden (obviously Knicks lost)
2. Lovely roast beef made by Janey at Janey and Stephen's place
3. Yet another round of Benjamin Steakhouse. I think they recognise me now!

Full set of photos here.

Brick Fun

The good thing about living in the Northeast is the accessibility of the snows. A $73 ticket gets you a bus ride and all day mountain pass to some decent places. Add another $35 for the gear, and you're all set.

Unfortunately the gear was a bit rubbish this time (no edge on the skis) leading to a lack of ability to go down the slopes as quickly as I would like. Still, it was a sunny day, wasn't too cold, couldn't ask for more.

So not being able to hit the steep slopes (and it was a bit icy), the natural next choice is to go to the terrain park. My 180s are doing ok, but these brick walls were a new obstacle.

When one cannot visualise what the outcome of the trick should be, bad things happen.

The back of my skis actually caught into the snow at the bottom where the brick wall meets the snow and I landed on my ass. Man that hurt.

Of course, that didn't stop me from trying to go backwards into the brick wall. Lesson #101: Need speed.

December Photos

Are up, click here:

Yes they are quality.

Fixing Up The Archives

I was following the "Getting Things Done" method of archiving everything into one folder, and attempting to do that with my pictures proved slightly difficult, having about 6,000 photos. It was actually stuffing up my ability to backup that folder!

So now it's all fixed up, with specific years and actual dates to each event.
Tip of the day #1: I split the photos into years first.
Tip of the day #2: I write "05 - NYC" for all the pictures that I take that aren't part of a specific event for the month of May, "06 - NYC" for June etc. For events, I would write "06 26 to 06 29 - San Francisco", hence the folders will all show up in chronological order.

Going through old photos is always a very entertaining process. When did this idiotic thing with the ties at weddings start?

South Africa

So I'm back from South Africa, straight to the chills of New York. It was a magnificent trip. South Africa top ten:

1. As the picture above shows (you can click through to the Flickr photos), there were a ton of animals to see. For those that care, I saw four of the big five, missed out on the leopard (apparently they are quite rare in the area I was staying at).
2. Things only in the wild, including baby hyenas and dead elephants.
   
3. The lodge was fantastic, and there were days when I was the only guest at the lodge. Plenty of time to relax and think things through on what I want for next year and beyond.
4. Catching up with Chester and Ka in Cape Town, who were wonderful hosts. Thanks to Chester for lending me a pair of pants (that actually fit me better than him :)) and t-shirts when my luggage got misplaced for two days.
5. Realising I had 30 min to spend US$200 of "delayed luggage allowance" before the luggage arrived! Only got time to buy one t-shirt. Unfortunately Ka was not able to find some sandals.
   
6. Table Mountain and Camps Bay are pretty spectacular, and Cape Town in general. Check out the pics here.
7. The lack of Crackberry access in the safari lodge made it very difficult to think about work, which was a blessing.
8. Interesting converstations about how the country is trying to address the inequality of the past by pushing for "positive" discrimination in all areas (business and government). However, the lack of education of those lower classes makes it quite difficult for blacks to fill certain technical roles, even though they have to allocate it to them. Hopefully continued education will address this issue.
9. Strangely enough, Asians get to benefit from this "black empowerment" policy (as we are considered a minority), so if I needed a job, I should go to South Africa!
10. Yes, I did see lions having sex.