I have always been an incredibly nostalgic person. Growing up, as my friends started moving out of their old homes to newer, fancier, more spacious bungalows/semi-Ds in fenced-in communities, I shuddered at the thought of  ever leaving my home in PJ. Up till now, when my mother gets bored on the phone and wants to amuse herself, she will propose selling our house so that the family can move into a resort-style condo, which most definitely results in me wailing on the other end of the line, "but muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmm!"

I've been using livejournal ever since I was introduced to it by Christin back in 2004. The only time I stopped writing here was when I first moved to Beijing and it was blocked, so I resorted to blogspot. Soon after, blogspot was "harmonized" and livejournal was "liberated". I guess most people's perception of livejournal being a platform for whiny and immature personal diaries might have convinced the authorities that it wasn't going to be a platform used for any credible uprising or disturbance.

So I believe I stayed with livejournal for two main reasons: I'm nostalgic and I'm reluctant to leave my first ever online "journaling" platform for something else -- "what do u mean I can't have my layout here like I've always had on livejournal?", "what do you mean I have to post photos like this and not the way I did on livejournal?", "what do you mean this is not livejournal?" The other reason was probably due to the fact that I have emphasized again and again that this is a personal blog, a space for me to share my personal stories and thoughts on things that happen around me as a channel to stay in touch with my friends and family I am not physically able to see on a daily basis (because I move around so much). I have never attempted to create a blog like those that attract millions of visitors to engage them in public debate about current affairs. This blog is also not an attempt to create an online presence for myself, as students of public relations are taught to do.

In the past, I have toyed with the idea of only having a private blog with invited guests. However, the thought of not being able to do this on livejournal and hence, creating a broken link to entries written in the past 7 years was...not appealing. I might have to consider going through each and every one of my entries and saving them on another platform. To date, I have written 1,220 journal entries here. This is most definitely one of my most consistent pursuits in life, if not THE most consistent one. My family could never imagine me without a television but I became a "poor international student in America" who was so kedekut/stingy that I never came around to investing in one, so I just, kinda stopped watching. But hey, I'm still writing here!

Anyway, the lack of updates in the past month was due to a ridiculous amount of workload and social engagements; I barely had the opportunity to slow down and gather my thoughts. However, I've also been deliberating the idea of a private blog once again.

Therefore, I don't know if this will be permanent or not but here is the announcement:
 

I'm moving!

I'm moving back to my blogspot address but it has been set to only allow 100 invited guests. Over the next several weeks, I will be going through my address book and issuing invitations to those I know, trust, and want to maintain contact. I apologize if this takes some time and if I unintentionally miss you. To ensure that you are on the list, either leave me a comment here or email me.

Who knows, I might still have longings to see entries posted here so I might still make an appearance here from time to time. We'll see.

Also, Most Loyal Reader Award goes to *drum roll* ..... Christin! Literally, she's been here since day 1. There was even a year when I mentioned I might cut down on writing so to counter that, she bought me a 1-year paid account to apply guilt for even considering that!

At the end of last year, I received an email from a current UGA Grady student. She said that the PRSSA advisor, who taught me PR Graphics while her husband taught me PR Writing, recommended that she contact me to contribute to their newsletter's January issue. They were asking alums to write about their experiences post graduation. I was thrilled that they had thought of me even though it's been almost 4 years since graduation.

Here's an online copy of the newsletter:
Prepare yourself for International PR -- Scroll down to Page 3 out of 4 on the PDF document

I know North America has been continuously cloaked by snow in the past few months and even Georgia wasn't spared. As other cities in China, including Shanghai in the South, were plagued by snowfall, we've been experiencing a rather dry winter in Beijing. Well, it snowed after Chinese New Year on February 10 and I finally got a chance to wear my German waterproof hiking boots to work and around town without looking like an absolute nut.

I did not leave the apartment with a camera and only got home after dark so here is someone else's picture, taken from Coal Hill 景山 of the Forbidden City.

Most of you know that I am not a fan of crowds. Since the "Millennium Countdown Scare", I have successfully evaded all New Year's Eve celebrations that involved being squished like sardines by intoxicated, smelly, overtly happy strangers. I also could not fathom the fun in paying high prices for food and beverages, having to stand in ridiculously long lines for everything, inconvenience in using the loo, and standing out in the cold in what often seems to be "a record low temperature for New Year's Eve!" I only relented last year in Taiwan because: 1) I <3 Winnie Wu; 2) I was out of my regular state of mind being overly giddy with my long-awaited trip to Taiwan.

You're probably thinking why on earth am I living in China then? A country of 1.4 billion people with 99% of them having no regards for the concept of personal space?

Evan's fault la.

In my past two years of living in Beijing, I have also witnessed firsthand Beijing's rapid descend with a traffic situation that would soon rival Bangkok's.

Sidenote: Some people talk about the traffic and the weather as conversation fillers -- kinda like "oh gosh, I THINK you are my colleague but I'm not entirely sure so I'll just ask you about the traffic" -- but not me. I enjoy learning about traffic patterns, metro lines, and bus routes. From time to time, my teammates would say things like "oh, but I guess you probably don't know much about this in Beijing because you're not from here." In the past few months however, these local Beijingers have popped their heads over my cubicle, asking, "so if I want to go to XX, which is the best mode of transportation if I want it to be fast with the fewest transfers?"

We used to be able to judge quite accurately what the traffic situation would be like at different times of the day at different parts of the city. In the past year however, traffic flow in Beijing has become more...predictable. My conversations with taxi drivers  used to take variations of -- "I'm so glad there's no jam!" to "this is unbelievable!" to "hm, traffic is heavier on this street compared to if you had taken the other route" to "20 more minutes and this would not be so pretty" -- but now, it's almost always "哇天！都什么时间啦，怎么总是那么堵!" "For goodness' sake! What time is it already? Why is it always congested!" (it's funnier in Chinese, really)

Not only am I almost always found on the streets, shivering in the unforgiving Beijing winter winds waiting for a taxi or bus, I also almost always end up underarm-to-cheek in buses.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised this year when I returned after the official Chinese New Year holiday to find Beijing's traffic flow to be like what is illustrated below on this map: Green for 畅通



From Wednesday till Friday, I was basically bouncing on my feet with a 傻笑 (silly smile) on my face being on streets, at bus stops and in buses with 70% less people than there usually is. As a colleague, who is a Beijing native, adequately put it, "I bet Beijingers' 开心指数 Happiness Index went up by a few points in the past week."

I could leave work at 6.30pm, get on my bus within 10 minutes and even have a seat!

Good things in life, like the Harry Potter series, have to eventually come to an end. The number of cars on the road this morning have  noticeably increased; the number of colleagues still on annual leave have also dwindled from 20 in the last two days to 6 today. Oh well, at least there are 5 more days (China only allows its general public to play with fireworks/firecrackers from the eve till the 15th day of Chinese New Year) for all the kiddies in the neighborhood to welcome me home every night with firecrackers at our entrance.

XXXXX

Coincidentally, a friend of ours, Dan, recently had his article up on The Atlantic's legendary China hand, James Fallows' blog. The article, titled, Is This Beijing's Suburban Future? touched on the recent opening of Beijing's 5 new subway lines last December to explore the capital's massive expansion plans that are constantly plagued with headline grabbing controversies (think self-torching in forced evictions) and the numerous challenges in sustaining such breakneck population growth with diminishing resources.

Dan writes:
"Beijing's growth also raises questions about the provision of basic services and infrastructure.  The growing population of migrant workers -- none of whom have a Beijing hukou, or residence permit -- does not have the same access to schools and healthcare that local Beijingers do.  And most of the best schools and hospitals are still in the city itself.  Garbage disposal is a massive (and smelly) issue. The fastest growing portion of China's energy use is in buildings, according to the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council.  Beijing does not have enough water. Rapid urban expansion into the countryside has even created the danger of a shortage of farmland.  The list goes on."

Dan aptly describes this phenomenon in the following words: "the stakes in this race between planning and growth couldn't be higher."

It's as if my country wants to say to me "see, I told you home is oh so wonderful" by blessing me with the perfect temperature to be in. It rained all day before I arrived, and rained more while I was sleeping so that when I had to actually be outdoors, it was a comfortable 23 to 26C.

KL/Selangor's (healthy) obsession with highways and flyovers meant that during our 40-minute drive from the airport to our home, we only came to a traffic light once -- which was near the entrance to our neighborhood. Before I left home in 2008, I was under the impression that they've maxed out on places to build more flyovers. Apparently not. You know, Chang'An Jie -- Jianguo Menwai Avenue would really benefit from some flyovers.

Since last Chinese New Year, some roads have changed. The lives of some of those closest to me here have taken a dramatic turn in such a remarkably short time that I am struggling to keep up. There are always new mini gadgets around the house. My father has a new gadget for squeezing out toothpaste.

And yet, our family's homecoming tradition remains the same. It began in 2000 when my brother left for Australia and came back for his first visit. Ever since, we begin our every homecoming with breakfast at a kopitiam (coffee shop / restaurant) near my home where we only order from two vendors -- prawn mee and pan mee. It is comforting to be able to order the same amazing food from the same two couples for as long as I can remember. 

And I can still play a decent F# major scale.

Overheard in the restroom...

Woman 1: So are you going home soon?
Woman 2: No, I'm going to Shenzhen this time.
Woman 1: You managed to get tickets?
Woman 2: Yea, I was really lucky!
Woman 1: Train or airplane?
Woman 2: It's a slow train from Beijing to Shenzhen.
Woman 1: Slow train? Seriously? How long will that take?
Woman 2: About 30 hours

Gasps!



I am thankful that I can afford a plane ticket. And I don't have to travel domestically in China. 不然，太恐怖了！

I am 25. One would think that for a girl/woman, my height should have been determined years ago when my bones handed in their resignation, saying "we're done here" and proceeded on their next assignment -- making my bunions worse. Hence, I don't know why my precise height measurement remains a contested subject.

In the past two years, I have had different nurses, squinting at the equipment, and announcing different results. "162!" "162.5!" "162. wait... I think..162.3?" My own official statement, on the other hand, is that I am "162.5" -- Why? Because that was the highest height I was ever given. Secondly, it qualifies me for being 5ft 4. And 5ft 4 has been approved by my Self-Esteem Committee to be "Acceptable".

Most recently, however, I gave my "Best Nurse" badge away to this person at a Beijing hospital for declaring, "looks like you are 163cm tall!"  "Are you sure?" “Excuse me?" "Oh, nothing..."

Though at weaker moments, I also recall her recording my weight 2 kilograms less than what I saw on the scale from the usual recommended angle instead of from the side. Oh well, height is a subjective matter anyway.

Anyway, even with a 5ft 4 frame, I am almost never blessed with the opportunity where I am "the tall one" in the room. I know, right?

Last Sunday, it happened. It happened in the midst of being shoved and elbowed in a crowded subway filled with wide-eyed Chinese tourists and angry-eyed Beijing residents. After easing myself into a comfortable position and making sure that I was not susceptible to potential groping, I lifted my head and realized...   at 5ft 4, I was taller than the 8 - 10 people squeezed around me.

是真的。

I was finally blessed with my brother's eye view (He is a whopping 6ft 2 or 3).

The lesson I learned here, however, is that, you can't have it all. There I was, towering above all others, just to be granted this scene -- head of hair after head of hair, of the nastiest dandruff and grease that everyone's mother should never allow.

Oh well. At least it was short-lived.

My cousin Reese/Wan Yee who grew up in Penang but left after graduation, moved back to the island last year. She calls it her journey of rediscovery. Her and her boyfriend Mark (he was an American exchange student in Penang when they met back in their university days) spent their year volunteering in the local historical preservation, arts & culture community.

Reese has also been been blogging about the wonders of her hometown and I haven't decided if this is a favor/disfavor to all of us who are infatuated with Penang's history, culture, and of course, food. She helps me remember why Penang is undoubtedly a special place for me but she also reminds me that I'm not there. Reading her blog during lunch time when your mediocre box of chicken rice is taking 45 mins to arrive is really, not the smartest thing to do.

If you ask me, I'll tell you that Penang wins, hands down, as the best place for food in Malaysia -- and you know how good Malaysian food already is.

Reese recently created a video to document a few key highlights of Penang's legendary street food. Enjoy.


I swear, I'm gonna gorge myself with at least 15 of those apoms at one go. Come to think of it, I believe I did that last Chinese New Year when I bought a bunch but my aunts rejected my offer. Their excuse was something about how they had already eaten dinner AND supper... and they didn't think a snack after both dinner AND supper was a good idea at midnight.

Anyway, check out her blog here at Captivating Penang

Candidate 1: The Rich Bums Who Can Afford to Live in the Fancy Condo Next to Mine
7 - 8 delivery bicycles from Annie's, Elisa's, Gungho Pizza (all Italian eateries) parked in front of said fancy condo's entrance.

Candidate 2: Me
Solitary hunched figure, battling -4C temperatures and ferocious winds, dodging spit (because that's just how life is in China) and passing by 7 - 8 delivery bicycles in front of fancy condo's entrance, to get to the Jenny Lou's (foreign grocery store). Once inside, removes gloves and hoodie and goes on a rampage -- parmesan, pasta, yogurt, raisins, Irish pork sausage, Cumberland sausage, bread, eggs, shallots, garlic, tomatoes.

Solitary hunched figure, with two huge grocery bags, grumbling under her breath "one day i will be rich and I will eat all the cheese I want", still battling winds, again passing by 7 - 8 delivery bicycles in front of that annoying symbol of wealth (only because it's not mine), and arriving home with red marks on her palms and chapped lips.

Upright figure, comfortable in the warmth of her cozy apartment, breaks out her pots and knife and begins chopping, sauteeing, navigating the flames, stirring, simmering and boiling.

Homecooked dinner on a Thursday night:  Pasta with Creamy Italian Tomato Sausage Sauce


And the Verdict Is:
Candidate 1: Better luck next time!
Candidate 2: Rockstar