Sugar low

Recently (the last 2 days) I have been experiencing the concept of sugar low. I have eaten sugary snacks (ordinarily kept to a minimum on school days) and have subsequently passed out shortly thereafter. For my own health I am going to minimize my sugar lows, although these same sugary substances evidently provide Matt energy. He is a metabolic anomaly.

Ang Lee

I think Ang Lee is my hero. Certainly not a very obvious or ostentatious choice. He is not flashy - he has a wife and 2 sons and lives his dream. I was reading an article about him in SCMP - certainly he has the buzz to win an Oscar. I think the part that resonates the most with me was that he broke away to study film in the US at Illinois, much to the chagrin of his prominent Taiwanese father. I ache for that, I suppose - the ability to knowingly disappoint my parents to assume who I am. He has 7 years on me yet. He also mentions how the Asian culture is where you are judged for being good to your elders and being a good student. There are no other dimensions. That is so true. I always felt bad for my counterparts who may not have done as well at school - probably hell to pay at home or even worse - sheer apathy. It was always so quantifiable - the feeling of worth via grades. I recall a point in life where I thought that was it - I had lived because I did well academically. I am constantly amazed at schools of Western thought - how children are little people with minds and imaginations and able to contribute meaningful conversation at a dinner table. The last idea is so counter-Confucian.

Magnolia dining room

Friday I invited Joe and Pu and Matt to Magnolia, a place I have read about and was dying to try. It is a private kitchen (no restaurant license?) in a nowhere street in Sheung Wan. There were 8 people total (including Matt) and the other 4 were so OBNOXIOUS. They were totally snobby expatriates - with multiple helpers for their 'little princess'. They were dissing our hotels - so cheap - and grateful that they were staying in the suite on the Disney Cruise, because (I am letting you in on a secret) we are high-end travellers. And generally hateable assholes, apparently.

The food was the best despite our lame company. Cajun and creole food. Of note was the cornbread, the salad with a killer mustard dressing, the sweet potatoes - my lord, these potatoes were divine. And the dessert. PeCAN pie. My stomach ached when I got home 2 hours later. Matt had to convince me to get ready to bed, because I was near explosion, Monty Python style. At least if that happened, I would have died happy and larded.

No go Sogo

I just went to run a quick errand....that took 45 minutes. God I hate service in HK sometimes. It is so much process, much paper, so many company chops. I went to return and even exchange and argyle sweater. Well the new sweater (same pattern but different color and smaller size) was actually 32 dollars cheaper (HK money). Brilliant. So after taking 20 minutes to locate a supervisor (and having lost my patience to the poor part-time sales lady) they return my money (which I even question, the good samaritan I sometimes am). As I walk attempt to walk out of the store, the ladies stop me as they realize that they need to refund my credit card instead of giving me cash. For 4 US dollars! This takes another 25 minutes and I am so irritated at this point I just wanted to forget the whole thing. Sogo is a Japanese department store that incidentally no longer exists in Japan. Sadly it is one of the better 'service' stores here in return-unfriendly HK.

Matty

Matt is here. I am all warm and fuzzy and tired. He makes me tired- not like a rat in a cage - but because I am so comfortable around him. I almost fell asleep on the ride home from the airport today. He just arrived tonight from Las Vegas. He is crashing in HK tonight.

I am trying to study up on my Korean, and frankly I am so not into it. I forget how much I have a distaste for school or school like elements. I am trying, calling on Kwang for help, I am not convinced that he knows all the differences between the participles either.

Daily Exercise

So I am trying to exercise everyday... and it is working! I always forget how good it FEELS to be active. I always get derailed somehow and forget the euphoria of just moving. I ran for 6+ miles this morning and I do feel like a million bucks. I wanted to write it down because I keep forgetting that this is the feeling to live for.