Random Thoughts: The Next Mutation

[PureElegance]

LOL it's in the Red Moon? Did you go to the Chinese food place in there?
... Because I have, and let me tell you, it was garbage XD

No, it's in a hotel and it looks exactly like in the pictures. The hotel had the same theme going on, with purples and whites.

https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 5279_n.jpg
LOOK AT THOSE FACES.
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 3094_n.jpg
https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 5300_n.jpg
WO DE PENGYOUS.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 2499_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 1164_n.jpg

Before my dad left for Peru, he picked up a DVD of my elementary school's graduation ceremony. There's a group picture of all of us on it. He said, "You wish that people would always stay the way they are in pictures, right?"

Wow, that's right.

This is why I'm glad I asked Kevin to take pictures of us at the hotel, so I can remember that things actually happened! When I see pictures though, it all seems so far away. Not in terms of time, but the distance, the lifestyle, the mindset, the people, everything. I still find it hard to believe that was my life since it's almost completely different now. I'm not even sure what would happen when I return to China. Would I feel just as excited? Would I be overcome by nostalgia? Would it be great even without wonderful people as my constant companions? I don't know. It'll never be the same and China is always changing, so I have to get that expectation out of my head.

We were talking about China constantly changing, and someone said they don't have any attachment to the new buildings. That's not my opinion, haha! The World Financial Center, which the Park Hyatt is in, I'm definitely attached to it. Although it's not even that "new." Anyway, we would call it the "bottle opener" because of its shape. Then we were allowed to explore the hotel after the brunch and we were let loose to do whatever we want. So I took pictures of everything, served myself some milk, spoke to Strickland, walked around, explored the bathrooms with Laura and Ting Ting, walked around, etc. We were so excited!

I sat down on a bench with Laura and we talked. She said she loved my outfit, and I said thanks, my dad bought me the jacket and the shoes, and I got the dress with my mom. The necklace and bag I bought myself. Laura said that's interesting, people don't usually shop with their dads. I remembered stressing out right before I left, skyping my mom, "MOM, which necklace goes with my outfit?!" I had no idea how great that day would be.

Actually, I'm attached to a lot of the new buildings, now that I think of it. The hotels, malls, bars, etc. It's not even that I've been inside of all of them, but because of their proximity to where things happened, being part of the backdrop.

I wish I had a dance partner at Jessica's party though, haha. I was like, "Eep, everyone gets tired easily!" At the same time, I'm sort of glad Jessica didn't invite Strickland. I never thought of anyone as genuinely sexy before him though, ahem. I rarely describe people that way since I don't think of that stuff. One time we were karaoke-ing, and he got up to sing, and then started dancing in a sexy way for me, and I died. I'm glad I recorded 10 seconds of it and me going, "Oh my God!"

One of those times I rolled my eyes at Rachel, we were sitting on the third floor lounge. I was sitting with Kevin on the couch. Rachel said something nerdy, so I called her a nerd, rolling my eyes. She said, "Did you just roll your eyes at me, Adela? " and Strickland looked up and went Christian Grey on me. I kind of died and thought, "OK, did anyone else hear that??" All I could do was blush and say, "Strickland!!"

My love's a revolver, my sex is a killer, do you want to die happy, do you want to die happy *dances*. TOTALLY addicted to this song.

Jessica said it was her first really good time in a while, and I think the same! She said the semester has been "blah," stressful, crashing. I know, it's been weird, but her party was really great. We all have our ways of coping.

Meanwhile, my mom was partying and dancing the night away (she's just like me) here:
http://www.tajhotels.com/Luxury/Grand-P ... rview.html

Majorly procrastinating on this paper. 3/6 pages. 5 hours left. AH FANG YAAAAAN. WHYYYY ARE YOU SO WEIIIIRDDDDD. Seriously, I want to rant about Fang Yan in a non-scholarly way

I do think it's sad that Fang Yan can't remember the type of person he used to be though. Isn't that sad, to not be able to remember? I think it is. OK, back to work.

 

[flowersofnight]

No, it's in a hotel and it looks exactly like in the pictures.

No, that's what I was saying, in that hotel there's also a restaurant, and it was bad XD
Turns out "Red Moon" was the name of the restaurant itself, not the hotel. Anyway, looks like you managed to escape without eating any painfully mediocre chicken XD

 

[faith]

I have a feeling most chinese restaurants in the US are bad.

I was talking to a Japanese colleague who informed me that, in Japanese, burgundy is "azukiiro" (read bean colored). Which is the current unfortunate color of my hair dye ill-chosen.

So I'm "beanhead" now, for the time being XD
Then we joked about how I'll be "茶頭" (chatou (chateau?) = teahead) when it wears off　and I'm left with my natural mousy color.


The kera Street Mana looks good but completely not street.

EDIT: And I made the ugliest cookies I have seen in my life. I dunno what happened. They look like puddles of bleah.
Usually my cookies are so pretty! But ah well, sugar is sugar.

 

[PureElegance]

Anyway, looks like you managed to escape without eating any painfully mediocre chicken XD

Ooooh, well we didn't eat at all so!

I have a feeling most chinese restaurants in the US are bad.

I don't know about "most," but I have a few favorites! There's one near the NY Public Library, maybe on 38th street, and the waiters know me by now. This always happens. But I loved sitting there, having no one bother me, and hearing people speak Chinese.

It depends on what you mean by "Chinese" too. There aren't many "Chinese" restaurants if you're talking about real Chinese food. Speaking of which, where the HELL are my STEAMED BUNS.

I ran into a pengyou, we didn't hang out much, but it didn't matter. She asked how's the withdrawal and I said it's OK. She missed it and mentioned steamed buns. On their last day, she and other pengyous, after partying, went to get their last steamed buns and slept at 7AM on the store's front step. She was surprised that no one stole their phones or purses. But one lady came to them and asked if they wanted their picture taken. She replied half-asleep, OK, and here it is:
Baozi devotion

"This scenic video spanning Shanghai might make you emotional"
http://shanghaiist.com/2013/12/15/shang ... elapse.php
It didn't make me emotional, but it was nice to see the signs. Especially the sign that says "W <-- NANJING RD --> E". I also liked the shots of the ships on the river in front of the Bund, I went on a ship too down that river.

I had my last Thursday meeting with Shannen and I'm really going to miss her! I said, "Is it bad that I haven't completely gotten over Strickland? I'm getting there, but yeah, it's weird." She said, "No it's okay, that was all pretty deep, what happened."

"You guys spent a lot of time together in Shanghai. And your farewell was like a novel!! You were running into his open arms and holding each other and crying and everything. It should've just ended there, with none of this stuff now happening. It would've been the perfect ending to your memoir."
"MY MEMOIR? XD The title, 'We Met in Shanghai'. XD"

My dad and I were talking about Xiao Hong when he said, "Maybe these happy memories wouldn't be so great if her life hadn't changed so much."

That's true. I noticed that I hardly wrote down many little things I experienced, with my friends or with Strickland, because that was daily life. I had no reason to believe things would end up this way, and if you had told me this would be how it all turned out I wouldn't have believed you. Now little memories are coming back because everything's gone, and I see how good they were. The present isn't even bad, I'm having lots of fun and I've improved, but in Shanghai I knew I was over the moon each day. Maybe if things had stayed the same, I wouldn't have remembered little things.

I remember sitting with him until dawn, looking at the sky. Him saying good night. Him asking how dance practice went. Me walking around, smiling at everything. I told Laura I felt like a little girl, as if I was experiencing this for the first time. I felt excited, full of hopes, and confident, and after Banco Santander, I couldn't believe all the good things people said about me! Like, "Wow, people really see me doing so much!" That day was simply wonderful along with the rest.

I remember sitting, worried. Strickland came over and softly said, "What are you freaking out about?" I thought he was telepathic. I was walking behind him when I fell against a gate, but I quickly picked myself so that when he turned around it was as if nothing happened. He asked, "Are you okay?" I made the mistake of saying, "I think so!"

"You *think* you're okay? Let me see your hand."
"I'm totally fine! It's no big deal! *has a tiny scrape on hand*"
"I don't believe you. "

After getting home I walked into Natalya's room. I told her I had the most wonderful night, but I had a battle wound on my pinky finger. So she helped me clean it, held my hand as I cringed from the sting. Then we lay on her bed laughing, talking about life.

I joked with a friend, "Haha, I don't know when I'll be this happy again, really! But people say that when they have their first child it's supposed to be really happy thing, right? So maybe then!" I'd later tell my dad, "Dad, I think it's possible to be traumatized by so much happiness!" XD

Us at the arcade
Us at Yanghzou

*totally procrastinating on another paper omg* I DONT WANT TO DO THIS ESSAYYYYY. 9 hours left.

 

[faith]

Everyone needs to take this and someone needs to get a younger age than I did.

http://yourmentalage.com/

 

[Cerceaux]

I got 31.

 

[Madmoiselle_Silk]

I got 28, not that bad ._.

 

[faith]

Hanachan didn't post but he got 25.

I got...22. That's not cool because 22 year old me was an ass

Also, RIP Idylle. I never got to pet her because she was afraid of humans and always in the courtyard when I came to the association, but we would look at each other through the window. Then I would tilt my chin up and blink slowly, and she would return the blink and go lie down. She was my little buddy and I'll miss her.

 

[voixdinferno]

I got 25 in the test xD and... ehmmm I got 25 in the test, that only 1 year difference of my new age, because... TODAY DEC.18 I TURN 26!!!!! IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

but I'll spend all my day doing databases backups xDDD

 

[PureElegance]

I got...22. That's not cool because 22 year old me was an ass

I got 13 LOL.

Although I don't think my personality has changed much since then. I've gotten more mature probably, but nothing deep has changed. People always say that about me, how I haven't changed. At thirteen I was nerding out over Three Kingdoms, being bubbly, singing Disney songs, getting the best grades, writing stories based on my dreams, making Zhugey my role model, being a diehard Catholic and Spongebob fan, getting lost in thought, and wondering how I could take over the world. My advice was at the time, "First get the money, then the power, then THE MAN" and people said I'd rule China. I like 13 year old me.

A few weeks ago I was annoyed, and I went to the East Asian Studies department. In the library donated by the Chinese consulate I found "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai." I hadn't read it since elementary school! It was like seeing an old friend; I used to read classical Chinese love stories when I was little ^^~

The first question about what you're going to do next weekend... I don't drink (I'M TRAUMATIZED), but the other choices, getting some sleep (as if I don't do that every day) and doing chores (as if I don't do that every day) are boring so I had to choose the "go to the club and get drunk!"

I chose "I am having an amazing party for 50 people," I like Borat, of course I'd go to a fancy dress party, and yes, let's go to Paris!

Corinne graduated early and I'm going to miss seeing her often. She's been a really great friend. We've had our ups and downs, haha, but in the end it was all great. Photography, shopping, Changfeng Park, our talks, field trips, fan dance, pottery class, etc. Us at the beginning of the semester

As we rode the subway in Shanghai we'd mimic the voice announcing our stops. It was always a Chinese man with a British accent saying, "We are now at East Nanjing Road. Please get ready to exit from the left-eh side." Left-eh. She asked, "What was the voice in NYC like?" I said, "I don't remember the New York subways!" I had forgotten the voice even though I've heard it for years XD

As we rode the subway here we noticed the NYC subway has a woman's voice. In Shanghai there are gates, which open and close when a train comes, to separate you from the subway tracks. So people don't fall and DIE as easily as they do here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jp0xoREko
Aw, the noise of the train starting up! Sometimes air comes through, and once it gave me a little Marilyn Monroe moment in my blue dress, but thank goodness only Strickland, Bo, Rachel, and Kevin were there XD

Kevin sent me a Spongebob video, and asked me how life is for us. He said it seems as if everyone's split off and I said yes, there's less of that group feeling, it's harder for us to see each other, and we're more stressed out. He feels as if he's out of the loop, and he is.

Eva Peron has her own song, "Evita Capitana," with four different versions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC7-wJ_TtFM
She's officially moved onto the big leagues. I saw videos of her funeral, and I've never seen anything like it. Here's a description of what I saw:

Evita's death and the subsequent preparations were as dramatic and grandiose as her life had been. A period of national mourning was decreed for one month. Flags were at half-mast and draped in black as were lamp-posts in every city. Business virtually shut down for three days in all of Argentina; Buenos Aires, the capital city, closed down completely. Only florists remained open.

The military acted as honor guards as hysteria gripped the entire country. For thirteen days, during which time the rain never ceased, Evita's body lay on view. Three million Argentines waited in line to file past her casket, at a rate of nearly 65,000 a day, for one last look at "La Senora", as she was reverently referred. Some stopped to kiss the glass cover, many would faint and many more would weep uncontrollably. Nurses stood by to attend the 3,900 who required medical attention, still sixteen died in the crush of people, several from heart attacks. Thousands of torches burned throughout the land, extinguished each night at 8:25. The smell from the thousands of flowers, piled 20 feet high up the walls of the ministry of labour building permeated the streets.

Eva's casket was placed atop a special gun carriage, and taken to the Congress building for an additional day of public viewing. The next day, Sunday, after a funeral Mass and many eulogies, the flag-draped casket was again placed on the gun carriage. A military band played Chopin's funeral march as 39 white-shirted, trade-union officials led the vehicle down Rivadavia Street between an honor guard and the two million Argentine's who lined the streets. President Juan Peron, his Cabinet and Eva's family followed. As the cortege passed street after street, flowers were thrown from balconies and windows, while squadrons of Air Force planes flew overhead.

The government suspended all official activities for two days and ordered all flags flown at half-staff for ten days. It soon became apparent, however, that these measures fell short of reflecting popular grief. The crowd outside of the presidential residence grew dense, congesting the streets for ten blocks in each direction.
The streets of Buenos Aires overflowed with huge piles of flowers stacked. Within a day of Evita's death, all flower shops in Buenos Aires had run out of stock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr4ui8203EE
People standing out in the rain with newspapers on their heads until night! Jeez.

I like that since she was born "illegitimate" and suffered as a result of that stigma, she had the law changed so that word wouldn't appear on birth certificates/papers anymore. Then she voted for the first and last time on her death bed, and that was the first time women were able to vote.

When asked about the apparent contradiction in Evita's public personality, specifically, the contrast between her glamorous image and her professed sympathies towards the under-classes, Ms. Lagorio responded that it was this mix of ostentatious style and social conscience that captured the admiration and loyalty of her followers.

Omg. They wondered what would've happened if she had lived. They said she'd be president, but they're not sure how that would've turned out. 500,000 sewing machines.

Sorry, I wrote a paper about traumatic experiences depicted in literature during politically chaotic times in Peru and China and this lightened things up

 

[Madmoiselle_Silk]

I got 25 in the test xD and... ehmmm I got 25 in the test, that only 1 year difference of my new age, because... TODAY DEC.18 I TURN 26!!!!! IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

but I'll spend all my day doing databases backups xDDD

Happy birthday

 

[flowersofnight]

Eva Peron has her own song, "Evita Capitana," with four different versions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC7-wJ_TtFM

That's not "her own song", that's just a pink-ified version of her husband's song XD Nice try.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to voixdinferno!

 

[MissUMana]

I got 25 in the test xD and... ehmmm I got 25 in the test, that only 1 year difference of my new age, because... TODAY DEC.18 I TURN 26!!!!! IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

but I'll spend all my day doing databases backups xDDD

It's my sister's birthday too!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, voixdinferno!!!

 

[faith]

Happy Merry Birthday!

Work locked me in the building today because they decided to deactivate all badges after 9pm. I had to call security. This is a decidedly French thing. You don't lock people out of places (except their apartments, which have self-locking doors). Rather, you lock them in them.
At least I didn't worry about being fired because it's really hard to fire people. That's probably why half of them still have jobs.

Also, I received chocolates on my desk this week too. I asked around again with no luck. At first I thought my friend was playing a trick on me, but then I realized that if he had chocolate, he would eat it XD
I dunno. But I'm convinced someone is trying to make me think I have a secret admirer.
Not working though because, come on. I'm ME XD

 

[voixdinferno]

Thanks you all! Today I will celebrate my birthday finally xD

 

[PureElegance]

Happy birthday!

That's not "her own song", that's just a pink-ified version of her husband's song XD

Don't "nice try" me. You're jealous you don't have 4 pink-ified versions and it's still hers!

I dunno. But I'm convinced someone is trying to make me think I have a secret admirer.

You'll be on NYU Crushes. XD No one would know who you are except me "Omg Faith look!!"

My friend showed me again the guy she's sleeping with who she said was beautiful. I felt bad since I said, "What the hell!" when I first saw him because of the octopus arms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y474XMDTIJk
I'll call him Octopus Man. She showed me another picture and he has a beard now. Sometimes I wish I could be like her and sleep with people I sort of like and not care XD But I have a nerdy heart.

Cerceaux is jealous of my Sleeping Beauty musical ornament that I'll be getting for Christmas. A "new" version of "Once Upon A Dream" was made and it's kind of cute. It's not awful at least!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEfBtPODoc4
They changed some of the lyrics:

I know you
I danced with you once upon a night
There we were
Wishing this dance would last forever all time
I hope its true
This vision is more than what it seems
Cause if dreams come true
I know what we'll do
We'll dance once again
They way we did then
Upon a dream

Argh, it hurts To think the first time I saw "The Making of Sleeping Beauty" I was sitting late at night with Strickland *sigh* I'm still adjusting.

I was sitting, staring out the window, in Chipotle a couple of days ago. I thought about how I can still see myself in my room at ECNU. I remember the texture of the floor, the walls, the bed, the phone on the nightstand. I miss my room. Sometimes, especially when I feel down lately, I close my eyes and pretend I'm there. I can also remember the textures of the cabinets, the kitchen counter, the doorknobs, the tiles, of my old apartment in Miami Beach. One thing I always remember too is in elementary school, running my hand against the walls overlooking the gardens while I'm walking alone to the bathroom.

Public access TV cracks me up. XD My mom and I are thinking of submitting our own pilot show and it'll be us reading Japanese poetry in Japanese. I want to speak like an old Japanese man.

My friend who has a boyfriend said this guy who she hasn't spoken to since freshman year and who's weird messaged her, flirty, asking her out to dinner. She said she's "been out of the game too long" so she responded with a "bitchy comment" and a wink, and he responded flirty. He's "super" into her and is showing off his four businesses. Her friend told her not to encourage him and so she told me about it.

I said, "Since you're married why even respond to something like that (after the first message)," and she thinks it's so rude and mean to ignore someone. She also said responding has gotten her in trouble before. She's afraid to open her inbox to see what he's said next. I'm sure she likes the attention, but c'mon!

I'm not sure why people tell me these things My other friend asked me, since I'm a law/sex discrimination nerd, what would happen if "her friend" happened to meet a professor at a bar, they hit it off, but she didn't know he was a professor, he's in a totally different department from hers, is there any law against that.

I only said, "Don't do it!" XD

Anyway, Gloria on Modern Family had this guy hitting on her, trying to touch her, she jumps to the side and yells one thing, "Do I look like the kind of woman who would cheat on her husband?!" Just now her friend's daughter said about her dad, "He's so weird sometimes." Gloria said, "No, he is not weird, he is a saint! You will miss him when he's gone one day!" ... She's so Latina, I love it XD

I'm told I look good in this picture:
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 3915_n.jpg
It's funny because it wasn't my favorite picture XD I've never worn a red dress before, ever! I've always wanted one so I thought why not. I'll try getting more red things!

 

[faith]

That is not a good looking man, but it is an ok song.
Plus I'm immune to octopus tenticles....
I don't get how people sleep with random people either, but then I don't really get how anyone sleeps with anyone.
Ah well. Sucks that they changed the Disney lyrics.

So more candy this morning. I found out today the candyman is a man, is not my current manager, is not on the development team, and does have an A somewhere in his name.
I'm thinking maybe my former manager. He loves games like this.
Or it could just be someone who wants to fatten me up and then laugh at me for being a fat american

It actually is a pretty cute game.

 

[flowersofnight]

I'm thinking maybe my former manager. He loves games like this.

I still say whoever it is is going to turn out to be a huge tsundere XD

Just spent the past forever ordering a new laptop at great expense, having it repaired, etc, but I'm giving up and returning it because it's still unreliable I just don't like it. What a huge waste of time and... well, I'll get the money back, so just time I guess ::kisaki::

 

[PureElegance]

@Faith: I liked those lyrics because they hit close to home, in good ways and bad Overall the lyrics are the same, they just added that part in. It would've been redundant if they hadn't. She'd be repeating the first part since she's the only singer without a male to sing that second part.

Ugh, stressed out because I think I finally screwed myself over and messed up my chances to get something. x____x ugh ugh ugh
>_< I think I've FINALLY done it to myself. >__<

Anyway, I finally talked to Odera. Long story short, she was hospitalized for some time because of stress and anxiety had really taken a toll on her. She said she's never been hospitalized for anything before, so it was really strange to be there. I can't even imagine her in that state, you know? >_<

She didn't tell me the details (yet), but she's feeling a lot better now. So she said, "So how's it going with Strickland" and I said "Bleh asdifjsdifoj."

She said that she only realized it once it was over that we actually had a cool group of people in Shanghai. We were all humble, genuine, smart, and fun, and she could tell we cared for each other since we're still trying to hang out now, still making each other feel good. She said we had no rules or roles to play, we did whatever wanted every single day with no distractions.

She said we didn't have anyone from the past with us, so it was like starting out new. She said, "All we had was each other."

I said, "OMG I said that like two weeks ago!"

Odera said that now that we're back we're more exposed to those students at NYU who have "sticks up their ass," and I know what she meant. I think I would call them more "jaded" and "cynical" though.

She said Strickland's hanging out with people who have those sticks up their asses and he's becoming like that too. I knew what she meant. After a show he had introduced me to some new guy friends, and they were that aloof, "cool" type. I felt strange. She said he's too cocky now, trying too hard to be someone he's not, he's lost sense of reality, and I know. It kind of reminded me of when Shannen said a while ago, "I feel like everything's a game to him now."

Things were great at the beginning of the semester, he was still like in Shanghai, gentlemanly, sweet, nice, but then it gradually crumbled. I told her how at that small party he was really rude, she said it was a sign and I knew it at the time. At the same time, it's hard to admit it because you hope things will be okay, but you already have a feeling things are not right. I knew it all died, but it's so sad to admit that. I never would've liked him at all if he was like that in Shanghai. It's hard to reconcile the images you have and the beautiful memories, I guess. That's what makes me sad the most.

Anyway, I told her I talked to Kevin the other day. I had wished he was there at the miserable party, or anyone like him, because it would'nt have been as bad. Instead people egged Strickland on. Or at least Kevin would've comforted me in a way. He was always so nice!

Rachel posted this picture I had taken of Kevin, Bo, Rachel, Strickland, and an unidentified Chinese dude who joined in, at East Nanjing Road:
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 3846_n.jpg
It made me sad to see it because look at who we were! It was the night we went dancing on East Nanjing Road, right before we had lost each other, they asked me to take pictures of them making silly poses. So there's one.


ok back to dying x_x

 

[Madmoiselle_Silk]

So more candy this morning. I found out today the candyman is a man, is not my current manager, is not on the development team, and does have an A somewhere in his name.
I'm thinking maybe my former manager. He loves games like this.
Or it could just be someone who wants to fatten me up and then laugh at me for being a fat american

It actually is a pretty cute game.

If it's always chocolateboxes...it's GREAT, in case you need a small gift for someone you can just pass it on