Watch what?

I have become a movie junkie. In little over a month, I've watched THREE movies in the theater. (quite 'EPIC' for me)

A movie that everyone and their mom has watched. No need explaining.
Quite a interesting movie, Anne Hathaway plays a character named Kym, who is recovering from substance abuse and struggles to forget the death of her little brother. All this is happening when she returns home from rehab to be a bride's maid for her sister, Rachel's wedding. This movie really highlights Hathaway acting range from a ditzy/glamorous princess in Princess Diaries to a grungy/emo AA attendee in Rachel Getting Married.

Academy Winner for Best Foreign Film. This is a GREAT movie, a must watch! From the movie poster, it seems to be quite 'boring'. However, it's the totally opposite a drama/comedy film with deep meaning behind death. You must wonder how death can be considered funny, you have watch it to see why. A fascinating topic that really brings laughter and tears. (I'm just a sap.. I cry in almost every movie.)

I jumped onto the Twilight craze, if you don't know.. I've always had a weird fetish for vampires. My interest grew when Underworld came out. Something about vampires..their elegance and pale white skin with hypnotizing eyes ignites this strange fascination. Anyways, I finally watched the movie after finishing the novel in 2 days. THE MOVIE WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! I was planning to purchase the limited edition at Borders.com, but thank goodness I didn't waste money on it..and watched it on the internet. Stick with the book, movie was a waste of time. Watch only if you want to see some eye candy Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen.

My trip to China

It seems like FOREVER, I am truly sorry for the lack of updates. I will make this post worth your while with pictures and a update on what I've been up to.

//5:21 AM in HK rite now. I will continue tomorrow.

Last Saturday (3/21): I took a bus from Hong Kong to Shen Zhen airport to catch a plane for Shanghai. Upon arriving to Shanghai, it was literally raining cats and dogs. Lighting and thundering with bicyclist still peddling a way like it's nothing. I stayed in Shanghai for 1 night, the hotel also known as 'service apartment' was quite decent. The shocker was what the extra gift included with my key card.





This photo doesn't capture the sound of THUNDER





In Asia, there are 'special girls' that give certain services.. what some call deeds with a"happy endings"and it's shocking for me to find a picture of a not so attractive woman in my key card sleeve. These girls call random rooms pretending to be requesting for a Mister so and so then they will strike a conversation when you tell her you've called the wrong number. Lonely business men traveling overseas... that need escorts or services.



McDonalds in Shen Zhen Airport



MalaCrispyBurger = Fail





Red Bean Pie (the Chinese Character is the tone Pie)



Goodness (All McDonald's pies in Asia are FRIED not baked)

My day in Shanghai consisted of exploring and eating.
The outskirts of Shanghai not the metropolitan skyscrapers.



Apartments with history



Fruit Stand



Their version of CHEETOS





Wheat Congee with perserved vegetable (you mix them together)



Translated word by word in Chinese is Raw Fried Buns (as you can see it's not raw)



Crab meat in the inside (traditionally it's pork and cabbage..they ran out)



This area is where you can purchase clothing wholesale price



Taxi with a screen that plays music video and advertisements

Happy White Day

What is White Day?
WIKI says:
In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by females who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to a male, as an expression of love. The handmade chocolate is usually preferred by the receiver, because it is a sign that the receiving male is the girl's "only one". On White Day, the converse happens: males who received a "honmei-choco" [chocolate of love] or "giri-choco" [courtesy chocolate] on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts, usually more expensive. Traditionally, popular White Day gifts are cookies, jewellery, white chocolate, and marshmallows. Sometimes the term sanbai gaeshi (literally, "thrice the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine's gift.

Well, there is also a day called BLACK DAY on April 14th which you celebrate singleness. A day were single ladies wear BLACK (in mourning) and celebrate by getting together and eating Jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce), sometimes a white sauce is mixed for those who did not celebrate White Day.

I've already got a friend to celebrate BLACK DAY with... Eating Jajangmyeon + black clothes = a win win situation for me.

You gain some and MORE

Recently, I went to Flower Street (bargain shopping area where all the locals buy their clothes) with Merian and Rachel. Finally I made a purchase! I bought a dress from a vintage shop for around $4 (I even asked for a discount, since it was a little dirty.. a little soap and water will do the trick) I will post a picture of the dress later.. anyways. Who wouldv'e thought that going to Hong Kong will make you GAIN weight. A city with its main source of transportation being public transportation..you would think people walk a lot and lose weight fast. I haven't been losing anything.. It seems like I've gained 10 lbs once I landed in Hong Kong. The wide selection of food and restaurants opening late.. doesn't help. Plus, the side food vendors! (drooling)

Here are the pictures...yet again. ONLY FOOD

Shanghinese glutinous noodle

Stir fried beef

Hot & Sour soup
Fried Red Bean Cake

Green tea that came in a cool cup

Fried tofu dish at a restaurant that cooks RAMEN in different ways

Beef tendon noodle with seaweed

Shake Shake Fries are back in McDonald

Say WHAT?

There is a 'hidden' Artzia in Hong Kong, I can't wait till I get a glimpse of their products. My friend says their prices range from 40-200HKD! (around $7-$30) I will keep everyone posted.

As for everything else, it has been going great. Quite a roller coaster ride, but I am blessed to have some friends in HK. I'm in the mist of meeting new ones! YESH! While in college, its so easy to meet people, but when you are out of that atmosphere..meeting new people is hard to come by. I would feel weird approaching some on the MTR (underground subway)...I just people watch, listen to my ipod, and eavesdrop when my ipod runs out of batteries. The last post wasn't so entertaining, so here is an entry with pictures!

Shanghainese (shao long bao -small steamed basket bun)

Spicy broth noodle

Mango flavored Tic Tac

Japanese restaurant- a Dinner Special

My uncle gave me his old school Polaroid camera! He didn't know it's the hype since the discontinuation and he was planning to throw it a way. (still in original box and mint condition)

Amber, Red, and Black

These colors are Hong Kong's rainstorm warning system.
It's raining here just like it has been in the Bay Area. Sigh. Thinking I was able to dodge the rain, it comes finding me. There is TYPHOONS here! Whoppee. I can't wait for those.



A video taken by me. You can't hear the thunder, but you can surely see the lightning.

AMBER RAINSTORM SIGNAL

Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

ACTION

• Members of the public should take necessary precautions to reduce their exposure to risk posed by heavy rain, such as flooding.
• Parents, students, school authorities and school-bus drivers should listen to radio or television announcements on the weather, road and traffic conditions.
• Candidates for public examinations should attend the examination as normal, but should listen to radio or watch television in case the weather deteriorates suddenly.
• Farmers and fish pond owners, particularly those in low lying or flood frequented areas, should take the necessary precautions to minimise losses, which include checking and clearing the drainage system within and around the farm/fish ponds to ensure that all the drains are not blocked. Where possible, fish pond operators should reduce the water level of ponds which are likely to be flooded.

RED RAINSTORM SIGNAL

Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 50 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

ACTION

• Employees working outdoors in areas exposed to rain should suspend outdoor duties if weather conditions in those areas so warrant.
• People who have to travel should carefully consider weather and road conditions.
• If the RED signal is issued before working hours, employees should report for duty as usual, provided that transport services are available. Supervisors are encouraged to adopt a flexible attitude in case their staff have genuine difficulties in arriving at work on time.
• If the RED signal is issued during office hours, employees working indoors should remain on duty as usual unless it is dangerous to do so. Employees in areas where transport services are about to be suspended can be exceptionally released at the discretion of the supervisor. In exercising their discretion, supervisors should take into account the weather and road conditions.

BLACK RAINSTORM SIGNAL

Very heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 70 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

ACTION

• Stay indoors or take shelter in a safe place until the heavy rain has passed.
• Employees working outdoors in exposed areas should stop work and take shelter.
• People having no safe place to go may take temporary refuge in any of the special temporary shelters opened by the Home Affairs Department.
• Employers are advised not to require their employees to go to work unless prior agreement on work arrangements during rainstorms has been made.
• People who are already at work should stay where they are unless it is dangerous to do so.

RIP Racecar

Not quite Lost in Translation

Taking pictures of window display is prohibited. A lady came out of the store and told me to stop. Some new trend in Hong Kong. I presume. What's up with NO PICTURE TAKING IN ASIA!

I have a 2 in 1 IRON and HAIR DRYER!!! I've used the hair dryer, I have yet to use the iron. This just blows my mind. Props the man/woman that created this.

I am learning how to read chinese. Speaking is quite easy. I can get around with what I know, but reading a menu with all chinese.. I fail. I have to master the language.