From Lincang!

I've just traveled from Kunming to Lincang... a rather large city to a generally much smaller and more conservative one. So small in fact that we've just been issued a curfew and cannot stay out past 11 pm, which is probably for the best since yesterday, I spent 8 hours on a bus where I was alternately heaving and weaving on a bus going throught the mountains because I had stayed out until 4 am the night/day previously.

 

Things that I've discovered since arriving in China:

 

Finding a McDonald's at 2:30 in the morning is always worth it, especially when that option is imminently going to be taken from you.

 

Crocs feel amazing.

 

I can't believe that I'm doing this for two years. Yikes.

 

I don't think that this is a complete blog but I'm going to post it anyway.

 

Cell phone stolen!

My first night in Yunnan and my cell phone was stolen while I was dancing on stage at the disco. WHAT A MESS.

Because I can't post on Facebook and it's only two pictures!

I love that I'm back in Beijing and already I've seen two of my friends from studying abroad, THREE YEARS AGO. Rawr! (1) Mike and I at First Floor, (2) Keiko and I in the lobby of the Raffles Hotel! I hope these post in order!

AHHH

It's DAYLIGHT in Beijing and FINALLY SPAIN HAS SCORED!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THE WORLD CUP. Who cuts Fernando Torres's hair? I would like to be that woman. ... and is Iker Casillas crying? LOVE WORLD CUP.

The end is near!

A cab driver told me that the progressively hot burning heat that Beijing is experiencing is inevitably going to lead to the end of the world. I didn't understand about 15% of what he was saying but he seemed pretty rational. He commented that the end of the world wasn't going to come in one fell swoop, it's a gradual process. One much like the conditions that we're experiencing. It's a 104 degrees right now. I encounter heat exhaustion every time I return from outside. When I'm outside, it feels like I'm being roasted alive inside of a Dutch oven. FFFFFFFFF this heat!

The end is near!

A cab driver told me that the progressively hot burning heat that Beijing is experiencing is inevitably going to lead to the end of the world. I didn't understand about 15% of what he was saying but he seemed pretty rational. He commented that the end of the world wasn't going to come in one fell swoop, it's a gradual process. One much like the conditions that we're experiencing. It's a 104 degrees right now. I encounter heat exhaustion every time I return from outside. When I'm outside, it feels like I'm being roasted alive inside of a Dutch oven. FFFFFFFFF this heat!

Back to Beijing!

I figured out a way to post and see my own blog, but I can't post pictures. AH!!!! Either I brush up on my HTML or cry cry cry all the way to eccentriciqi.onsugar.com. Boo!

The flights back to Beijing were eventful. I sat next to an extremely obese man in 4F who loved the fact that I was an American that he could talk to. Too bad he lacked a little of what I like to call volume control and tact. I know, we should talk about the most controversial things in American politics and bad mouth the President with no regard of the opinions of the other person that you're talking to.

That makes a TON of sense. Needless to say, he drove me to drink and promptly pass out. Then, after exiting the flight, I promptly began my run to customs. My policy is always to get from the plane to customs as quickly as possible since you have no idea if you're the only flight to get in at that time.. or one of 10, as was the case tonight.

I ran into the line right after a couple that had sat 2 seats away from me. Surrounding me were people from Kazantzakis and Indians. Guess which group didn't respect the idea of queuing? About 5 minutes after I waited in line, this guy rolled up in his suitcase and just stood next to me. No words, no response. He wasn't with the people behind me, he just stood there. I looked at him and said, if you cut me in line, I will trip you.. and smiled. He didn't understand. About 30 mins later, I exited past customs after multiple people including a woman with a baby in arms cut in front of me. Seriously, I understand that you have a baby but at have the decency to fill out those damn immigration forms BEFORE YOU CUT 100 people in line.

Lines make me insane. I get into a cab where I have no idea what the cab driver is saying because he has a classic case of muffin-in-mouth Beijing accent. He asks me where I'm from (of course he does) and I ask him to guess, agree with his guess and commend him on his brilliance.. OOOOOOO and then the car halts in the middle of the highway where Chinese drivers have gotten out of their cars and are just standing in the streets to see what the commotion is. Only in China people. It was obvi a gov't thing because we sat there for 10 mins before I asked him to find another way, which was also blocked. By the time I got to my cousin's, it was 12.30 and my body was throbbing.

RAWR. I hope you had a great America Day! A/C, Cold beer, grills, and gingham.. nothing's better.

Scary huge contacts

I just read this article in the NYtimes on contacts that enlarge the eyes and colored contacts being not only the rage in Asia but it's now coming to the States. How true.

Before on bottom. YIKES. But remarkable!

The girl who washed my hair these past two weeks had these huge anime eyes that made me stare at her more than 10x the first time I saw her. I kept doing this eye flick, back and forth from my eyes to her eyes. The articles talks about how risky it is to wear contacts not prescribed by a doctor. I know that the article is right. In Asia, the emphasis is all about physical looks and mainly the eyes. I have one cousin who has had the surgery done and as a result looks rather strange to me. The other girl cousin has green contacts. I don't know what it is, but I just don't like them. Love yourself, love your brown eyes?

I've tried the blue contacts on myself. I thought I looked good, at 13. Not ten years later ya'll. There are two types, one is the kind that you're probably most familiar with, they're simply colored, but the other type, apparently were inspired by Gaga's Bad Romance video - which I actually don't think is true. They're newer but not that new...they creepily enlarge the radius of your eyes.

They look huge and fleshy and gross! You can purchase them here: www.tokioshine.com.

Seeing this girl makes me think I'm in the middle of a disco underground rave, maybe some sort of strange anime live action movie...yuck!

Whose ear?

Oh right, the Jew's ear sweet soup! Isn't that right next to the ...

It's amazing what gets printed for public consumption in Asia. Thanks for the treat, Taiwan.

Hello Kitty SWEETS

First of all, let me preface, I don't even like to eat sweets and yet all I've been taking pictures of are sweets. They are cuter. No one likes to look at a curry. But the culminating sweets experience that I've been meaning to have is the Hello Kitty Sweets experience. It's an authorized Hello Kitty resto!

AH! I've been fantasizing about this moment for a long time.. and yet, I couldn't. First of all, all the Shin Yeh buffet eating prohibited me from stuffing my face with sweets and when you're not in the mood, there's no use trying to force it. Fortunately, as my aunt was distracting the hostess, I managed to snip snap a ton of pics.

the exterior.

the sumptious interior.

Hello Kitty prints on marble? CLASS.

.. You've seen the HK bit, now the Sweets.

 I love my college roommate Whitney for humoring my love for HK and baking me all those Hello Kitty cakes two years ago. Now that I've seen the authorized cakes, I love my homemade ones even more! It's scary how delighted I was to see these cakes! SO freaking cute!

 It's off of the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT exit, in case you were wondering.

Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki

There are only 7 Aoki Patisseries in the world, one of them is in Taiwan. It's open in the newest most decadent shopping center in Taipei, Bellavita. Everyone has a different story and who has opened it and how it came to be, basically it's down the street from Taipei 101 and inside, all the most expensive stores that you would expect on 5th reside here!

I heard about Aoki through the blog, hungryintaipei.blogspot.com, one girl's amazing blog, eating through all of Taipei. If you're there, I highly recommend giving it a read through.

After I saw some of her pics, I knew I had to go. I was salivating in anticipation and shamelessly took as many pictures as I could.

macarons. drool.

zooooooom. looking at them makes me starvingggggggg

not hungry for macarons, fine. get one of these babies in your mouth, stat!

splendid! they look like works of art. it's amazing how beautiful food reduces me to only complimentary phrases.

Bonbon? Oui!

Choco covered macaron? Seriously, do you get the idea?

I wanted to sample so badly!

I recommend that you should go and drool for yourself.

I just love all the colors and the attention to detail. If you're in Tokyo, Paris, or Taipei, you should stop by Sadaharu Aoki!

Obvi click to enlarge, .....this blog had no point except me showcasing how awesome food is.  :)

Somebody to Love... Justin Bieber

FACK. I don't know why. I can't explain it. I LOVE THIS SONG.




I'm trash. Love me?

Thinking thoughts and Listing lists

Sorry guys for not posting more often. For a while, I was on a roll, but now, since I'm not sure which blog I want to continue on - based mostly on the accessibility in China thing - I've been testing out all my options over at the other blog:


eccentriciqi.onsugar.com


The truth is, I don't like it as much, it seems sterile, this one is more homey. It feels more mine. But... it won't feel as mine after I no longer have editing capacity for months at a time. The idea of having a word misspelling and not being able to correct it gnaws at my soul..


I'm leaving Taipei on the 4th and once I land in Beijing. I will make my final decision. For a while, I may just send links from the other blog to this one. 


Trust me, it's for the best. More pictures, polls, links, and possibly videos of me. I've been uber busy in Taiwan and I've bought very many things. I probably shouldn't equate the two, but if you know me... you'd know it's related.


Today, I cut my hair off.... and I did while video chatting multiple people - Greg, Flora, Grace. Hey! I also went to the Hello Kitty Sweets Sanrio authorized cafe here in Taipei. I don't know what I was thinking, thinking that I wouldn't buy anything in Taiwan while I was here. Sure I've overpacked by a ton, but now I have even more stuff!!


I miss hanging out with people my own age. Seeing Nick last week was a breath of fresh air and I might have acted like a complete insane person because I have not spoken much English to someone that I can see in a long time. I MISS YOU, AMERICAN FRIENDS.


NEW THINGS ACQUIRED IN TAIWAN
3 pairs of shoes
2 new necklaces
8 pairs of socks
1 origami craft book
1 Muji notebook...maybe 2, not positive
7 Muji pens
2 Muji markers
2 kirigami craft books
1 book on drawing with ball point pens. 
2 HK folders
10 sheets of stickers
1 new umbrella
1 set of chopsticks and spoon in a soft pouch
1 HK bag in the design of Marc Jacobs - tre cute!
1 USB powered fan in the shape of a tiger
1 pitcher with two cups
1 mug designed by my cousin who is not book smart but kind of good at drawing stuff
3 sets of clips to hang my wet laundry
4 delicate clothes holders
1 yellow beard papa bag


THINGS I LEARNED IN TAIPEI
portable washing machines exist and hello, I will be buying one.


you can swing on a swing in a restaurant at your table, and i have. 


you can chat while having your hair cut, online.


Hello Kitty is everywhere. and i loves it.


arguing with the woman at fujifilm is infuriating. leaving my face for her to stare at as i am planning on never picking up my picture, WIN.


humidity = life in taiwan. can you say, sweatfest? my clothes are continuously drenched in m-f sweat