Boston Blond

new blog

2009-08-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

New blog. Check it:

bostonblond.com

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

sorting this out

2009-07-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

In life, there is a list of things that are easy. Unfortunately, "setting up a blog" is not on that list.

lazy Sunday

2009-07-19T12:35:00.001-07:00

So I (finally) signed up for domain hosting. You can check me out here. Once I install Wordpress on my computer and my website, that is.

Until then... you can find me reading fashion blogs, reading more fashion blogs, strolling down Newbury Street, and biking down the Esplanade.

In addition to the requisite burgers and beers, C's 21st featured a moonbounce. Pictured below: S, J, and myself. Bouncing.

the best sweet and sour chicken recipe ever

2009-07-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to the first segment of Cooking Like a F.O.B.

Maybe you're a study abroad student looking to relive your PRC glory days. Maybe you're a Chinese American seeking to recapture the taste of your youth. Or maybe you're just some creepy white guy with an Asian fetish. Whatever your situation... it most likely comes down to this. You miss Chinese food. You need some of that 中国菜, stat. Being the money-saving college student that you probably are, you may try to cook it for yourself. You could try Googling a recipe. But chances are it will suck. Big time.

Look at that. It served with pasta! PASTA!!?!1 Bitch, please. "The best sweet and sour chicken ever?" Only if you're idea of "the best" is the frozen food section of Trader Joe's.

But enough with the bullshit. Let me present you...

"The Best Sweet and Sour Chicken You Have Ever Tasted"

Ingredients:
250 grams of chicken
1/4 pineapple
1 green pepper
1 egg
100 grams of ketchup
salt
pepper
sugar
white vinegar
cornstarch

1. Dice the chicken, and flatten them with the back of knife. Put some salt and a half of whipped egg into the chicken, and knead the chicken follow one direction. Then coat them with starch and shape into balls.
2. Fry the chicken balls in the oil 80-100 centigrade and then take them out after the surface become hard. Put the chicken balls into the oil again when the oil become hotter, and pick out after the surface is gold.
3. Dice the pineapple, and Slicing the green pepper. Spread the used oil on them.
4. Heat up the pot, and put a little oil and the ketchup into to stir. Then add water, salt, sugar, pepper, and white vinegar according to one's own preferences. After is is boiled put 2 and 3 into, and then stir and add starch mixed with cold water. Spread a little oil before finish.

I thought about neutralizing the recipe's Chinglish, but that's what gives it its character. Like most other Chinese dishes, it's a single-pan extravaganza. In China, we used a wok, but a large flat-bottomed skillet or pan is probably fine. 100 centigrade? I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit, but probably really hot. Once the oil gets bubbly, and then stops-- then you know it's hot enough. Fry the chicken, take it out, and then fry it again. Take it out, drain most of the oil (save what looks like 1/4 cup worth). Add seasonings to that oil, thicken with cornstarch dissolved in cold water to thicken. As far as specific measurements on the seasonings, I believe we used something like 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and two or three tbsp ketchup. I'll try something like this the next time I make it, and if the seasoning is off, I'll try again. How you go about it is really up to you. Use the recipe as a guideline, and make it up as you go along. That's what I did (for God's sake, NO FUCKING FLOUR!). The last time I made this, I had a Chinese man shouting the directions at me. In Chinese. You'll be fine.

allston christmas

2009-07-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

The scene: Room next door. Baystate Rd, Boston, MA.

Days (weeks?) ago, unnamed neighbor moves out. Let's call her... Rachel. Wherever Rachel left for, it must be somewhere with they didn't need textbooks. Or lamps. Or laundry detergent. Or awesome chairs that look like the Nest, but are in fact much, much better. Whatever. In addition to an assortment of abandoned housewares and a sizable amount of pita crumbs, J and I discovered...

7 (count it) books on Uighur China
conversation American English
Small Island (?)
2 books of poetry
How the Internet Works
a Thai cookbook
Best of Eastern Europe 2007

Not quite Christmas, but still pretty cool.

love that [dirty] water

2009-07-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Update on that Boston life:

1.) It is still raining.
2.) See number 1.

A couple of days ago, L and I made promises to ourselves. "We will stop talking about the rain, Simmons, and our jobs." Needless to say, I haven't kept up my end of the deal. Unfortunately, summer is proving to be a lot like the spring weather I hoped to avoid by being in Shanghai. Le sigh.

In other news... summer is picking up, slowly. No more clubbing at M2, back-gate culinary madness, and chilling with generally ridiculous NYU kids. Into it's place has stepped salsa lessons (pun-HA!), 3 buck chuck, and laid-back weekends with the Simmons crowd. In my spare time, I have been exploring Boston, writing, freaking out about grad school, cooking my own food, meeting new people, and having a generally good time. Oh, and trying to convince people to visit me. Any takers? :) :) :)

not ok

2009-06-25T03:51:00.000-07:00

My resolution to stop talking about the weather (in addition to work and Simmons) is proving really, really difficult. Today is many things. Sunny and 80 degrees isn't one of them.

Today
Jun 25

Cloudy

75°
63°

20%

75°F

Fri
Jun 26

T-Showers

81°
63°

60%

quotes from my roommate

2009-06-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

"...the house is a trash mess."

Me complaining about not being able to make PB&J because we have to bread.
"Try making it on a rice cake."

More J quotes to come.

sushi

2009-06-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

I love sushi. Sushi for breakfast, sushi for lunch, sushi for dinner. Every way, every day. Nothing, in my mind, makes a better meal than sushi. Meal, snack, dietary staple, cleaning product, new best friend --hell, I'm not sure what you couldn't do with sushi.

However, until I've got $ in the bank, no sushi for me.

[Note to self: check this place out, when you are not broke as a joke]

and so it begins

2009-06-14T07:24:00.001-07:00

After a 6 month absence, I have once again returned to Boston. Interestingly, I find that I love it a little more than usual. Blue skies? Brick buildings? Lack of trash in the streets? Traffic laws? It's beautiful.

View of the Citgo sign from my roofdeck:

Kenmore Square... (wtf. When did this happen?)

And, of course, Fenway.

I have been embarrassing my friends going around taking pictures like a tourist, routinely asking the price of a beer (not 50 cents? damn, I miss China), and exclaiming "Boston is so beautiful!" I'm like those tourists everyone loves to hate. It's great.

unexpected

2009-06-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

What is better than buying a new pair of jeans? An old pair of jeans (that used to fit your 16 year-old self before you, for example, gained the ibanking 15).

In the process of cleaning out my closet and preparing to move back up to Boston, I discovered 4 pairs of these bad boys. It is like today is Christmas. And my birthday. All in one.

jet lag

2009-06-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

Jet lag is still kicking my ass on a daily basis. Since I have to try and stay up for at least another hour...

Pictures from my travels.

Boarder crossing (by boat) into Myanmar (Burma).

Wish you were here... Ko Tao, Thailand

General Motors factory, Shanghai, China

Jing'An Temple, Shanghai, China

I've got to look through the rest, and possibly post them on Facebook some time before... well, we'll see when they get posted.

still home...

2009-06-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

It feels like I've been home for at least a week. I should be spending this time watching movies or swimming in the lake, but my room looks like a bomb (or my suitcase?) exploded and the lake is still pretty cold. Now that everyone is 21, my friends and I are going out later. I'm not sure what "going out" in upstate New York involves, but I guess I am about to find out.

[aHAHAHAHAHA. yeah. I just remember S's fat stuffed Totoro. May have to watch that later.]

home

2009-06-08T00:34:00.001-07:00

Posting a blog entry at 3:34 am? Jet lag, you're one tricky fool. Playing the Sims 3, eating hummus, and doing whatever I can to stay awake so I can fall back asleep. Maybe I'll start teaching myself French... (because Chinese isn't enough?)

Boston in a few...

Helpful French website:http://www.ranska.org/

take me home, country roads

2009-06-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

It feels weird to suddenly be literate.

The internet is so fast it feels like it's on fire.

I went to a convenience store on the way home, and they weren't selling packaged chicken feet.

It's good to be back.

fml

2009-06-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Attempting to liberate myself from the grasp of a marketing paper. Not a particularly difficult task, but made more difficult by distracting thoughts of breakfast. Yes, I will be eating biscuits, home fries, and bacon from Georges Place in exactly 5 days, and I can't wait.

people, places, ideas

2009-05-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Most recent China thoughts:

-China and the Latin American resource endowment (my final economics paper, and a topic I intend to research further. It's really, really interesting.)
-Germany vs. China soccer game (and how I will be there in a couple of hours. Go China!)
-Chinese food (Super 88 = how I intend to feed myself this summer)

Also, I took a couple more pictures for the "Shanghai Nights" album. Maybe I will post them... when I get back to the States :P

As for this summer...8 days and counting. It will be good to be home for awhile (after being stranded, alone, in the desolate wasteland of Carmel, NY this winter, 4 days is long enough). It will give me a chance to spend quality time with my family, chill with my brother, get to know the new dog (and go swimming with the old one), do laundry, have meals prepared for me, and see some people that have been missing from my life.

After 4 days at home, the real fun begins. I'm looking forward to: moving into my summer place in Boston, reuniting with some of my favorite Simmons women (the non-jetset <3 Hope all you girls are having a fabulous on study abroad. Come back to me in one piece!), going to Nantucket for a couple of days, celebrating a friend's 21st, starting my internship, and generally re-acclimating myself to life in the United States.

MLIA

2009-05-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

"I didn't have sex today. But I'm 14, so it's ok. MLIA"

My friend showed me this new website yesterday. It's called "My Life is Average." Pretty much FML, but not. Because it's funnier.

In other news:
I am still posting through a proxy server, so no pictures just yet
I collected some data today through primary research. In Chinese
Finally got a tentacle skewer (pro)
Walked to the far corners of Shanghai and back again, seeking a plain black portfolio for my final photo project. Plain black portfolios were nowhere to be found, so I had to use plastic (poor)
Almost finished with Middlemarch
Thought about how I'm going to be back in the States in 14 days.

The first thing I will eat when I get home is breakfast. Or Wendys. I haven't decided.

blocked in China

2009-05-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

For reasons unknown, Blogger is now blocked in China. How have I circumvented the Great (fire)Wall of China? That's a secret I'll never tell.

On my way to my friend's place, I busted into this gated demoltion site. Due to rather unfortunate circumstances, my great firewall of China circumvention system does not allow the addition of pictures to this post. Perhaps I will add them when I get home. 21 days...

In addition to trespassing, I spent some quality at Ikea. Took some pictures for my photography project, and chowed down on some cheap Western food. 6 yuan coffee, 3 yuan hot dogs, and 1 yuan ice cream cones make for a great time. I was pretty pressed for time, as I had to

podcast

2009-05-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

Until recently, I did not really know what a "podcast" was, or why people would want to listen to this nonsense. Yes, I had heard of them (lazy person instructions: click this, press CTRL+F, type podcast, press enter), but I felt no particular need to check them out. Until now.

What I have discovered...

1. Podcast are basically just compiled lists of audio files that do not usually include:
a.) Commercials
b.) Britney Spears*

2. Podcasts are like getting music recommendations from your friends, but better.

3. Podcasts + Baidu = Gold

*Select BS does appear in my music collection, but only in the form of power hour and "I Love the 90's" playlists.

preparations

2009-04-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Class now. Packing later. 1 more day...

none

2009-04-28T03:35:00.002-07:00

Interesting.

Talked about marketing communications in my marketing class today. It was unexpectedly interesting. Shower now, and then studying my life away for Thursday's Chinese test. Not much else to say.

Recent discovery: ice cream at the ECNU back gate.

personal limitations

2009-04-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Contemplating different ways of distracting myself from a night of Chinese grammer, I decided to check out www.wsj.com. After perusing the front page (no news regarding political unrest in Thailand, this is good), I happened upon an article entitled "Raising Bill Gates."

I cannot tell you that the article was riveting; however, one idea particularly struck me. "...no sense of personal limitations whatsoever." (This line was actually a reference to a mentor and friend of Bill Gates Sr. If you want to see how this is relevant, read the article yourself.) When Mother and Father Gates embraced this quality in their son, Bill Gates thrived.

Let's be real, most of us are a bit more of an Average Joe than a Bill Gates, but let's take a step back and imagine how a momentary lowering of our personal barriers would turn out. Let's start with me. For college, instead of asking myself "New York or Boston," I should have been thinking "the United States or Europe?"

For jobs, middle-class, politically liberal WASP children (I cannot speak for other racial or ethnical groups, although I suppose it is the same) grow up asking themselves if they want to become doctors, or nurses, or lawyers, or teachers. When confused, we ask for advice, and are often told to "do what you love." This sounds 3 parts cliche and 1 part completely impractical. I love watching Gossip Girl and shopping for dresses, but how is that going to pay the bills. Instead of thinking along the lines of personal limitations, I should be thinking "how can I couple my undying love of economics and inescapable urge to dress-shop into a future as a generally successful person?"

I am still figuring this one out. However, 3 months in Shanghai has helped me along the way. It has given me time to observe, learn, and think. If only the tinest crack, China has opened the world to me.

7 weeks and counting

2009-04-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

6 weeks and I fly into New York
7 weeks and I'm Boston
(with the possibility of some Carmel and Nantucket in between)

Where did the time go? Wasn't it just yesterday that I touched down in Pudong, eager to begin my new Shanghai life? Damn, my life feels like that Anna Nalick song...can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable, and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table. You know which one I'm talking about.

After 10 weeks, it feels like I'm just beginning to break ground on the Mandarin front. I have explored only 1 Chinese province outside of Shanghai. I have only gone to about 5 or 6 different clubs. I feel like I have explored about 1/1000th of what Shanghai has to offer. I'd better get on it.

great things

2009-04-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

The Weather:
Sunny with a high of 75. Springtime? Love.

The Employment Situation:
Just accepted an intern position at a firm which researches opportunities for socially responsible investment. Pending a trip to Nantucket, I will arrive in Boston sometime between the 10th and the 15th. Housing is to be determined.

Ladies' Night:
New party night: Wednesday. Often billed as "the new Thursday," Wednesday night in Shanghai is entirely it's own game. It goes something like this: every establishment in town opens its doors to ladies, who enjoy the free drinks, and men, who enjoy ladies enjoying free drinks.
New bar: Mural. ~~Like Zapatas, but subtract the sketchy men, the crowds, add actual Mexican architecture...~~Not similar to Zapatas at all. Mural is a basement-level bar that feels like a cross between Mexican adobe architecture, and Asian zen. If that is even possible. The result? A beautiful, well-lit, cave-like space peopled with a younger expat crowd sipping cocktails and enjoying live music.
New drink: Vodka Sour.

Chinese class:
For some reason, our program changed our Chinese teacher mid-semester. As a result, class has transformed into something like running my brain through a papershredder. However, my spoken and written Chinese has gotten much, much better. Tough, but that's why I'm here... right? (Aside: On the flip side, I think my English skills may be getting worse. My only exposure to English in the last few weeks has been Facebook/Facebookchat, party advertisments on SmartShanghai, and George Elliot's Middlemarch).

no subject

2009-04-22T02:07:00.000-07:00

Sitting in The Changing Nature of the Chinese Economy with everyone's absolute favorite professor ever, and I feel my brains slowly leaking out of my ears. This is a subject of great interest to me. However, the only thing my professor seems to be interested in is telling us about "this one time at McKinsey." As I seem to have nothing else better to do... Unfortunately, the wireless is too poor for pictures. Will have to try again after class. Later, I'm meeting up with X (yes, that's her intitial) and possibly S later to hit up the Shanghai ladies' nights. We'll see how that goes. In the mean time...
www.mariogame.info

love and happiness

2009-04-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

So tonight I attended another yoga class at the gym. How do you know this? Well, if you happened to be at the Weider-Terra Club of awesome, and happened to spot a girl in the ~~fugliest~~ sexiest, brightest orange shirt on the planet. Yes, I am talking about the NYU in Shanghai shirt. A marvel of fashion, it's perfect for ~~wearing to a party, impressing significant others, and~~ getting my sweat on at the gym.

On the way home, feeling a little 饿了, I decided to forgo my usual back-gate bus-stop-to-dorm routine and check out the food stalls at the front gate. Instead of food, however, I found a grocery store. Less crowded than Carrefour, less frustrating than Trustmart, it stocked all the essentials (Source of Good Mood Tea? 35 cent, 24 oz. beers? Apples? Yes, yes, and yes). As I browsed the well-organized, well-lit store, I found myself in the beverages aisle. And there, sitting innocently on the self, sandwiched between grape juice and green tea, I found it. The source of true love and happiness. Amazing, usually unavailable in China, pH of 3.5, orange-as-an-NYU-shirt ...orange juice. Joni Mitchell used to tell us that "we don't know what we've got 'til it's gone." Bitch was absolutely right.

Yoga, and orange juice. A great way to start my week.

back

2009-04-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Back from Guilin. Full report at a later time (read: tomorrow).

love

2009-03-26T09:28:00.001-07:00

Unlimited, quality* sake and sushi for about $19 US dollars. Just housed about a dozen eel sashami, a couple of sake bombs, and unknown quantities of grilled salmon (how has my life existed until this point without grilled salmon?) I love life.

*quality defined as follows: probably not as good as what you'd find in Japan, but better than Boston/NY and definitely, definitely better than upstate NY.

today

2009-03-26T00:33:00.001-07:00

Today:

Took Chinese test.
Long-jumped.
Ate at the Muslim place.
Did laundry (necessary).
Thought about stuff (also necessary).
Prepared for TA session.

Later today:
Dinner. Street food, perhaps?
Out with the girls.

Things I'm excited for:
Trip to Guilin on Friday (southern China)
Having a job this summer.
Dress weather.

Things I miss:
$2 chuck
Skanks
Dominating spit games against Brian Kang/Theodora
Ladies

thoughts on life

2009-03-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

(**Warning. I am about to bombard you with deep thought and insight. It's about as deep as the kiddie pool at Splashdown. Prepare yourselves.)

(a photo I took on the Great Wall, 3/8 or so, just outside Beijing)

NYU in Shanghai is a good time. I've met all sorts of crazy kids. We've done all sorts of crazy things. All around, a great introduction to China.

However, knowing what I know now, I may have done it differently. First, I would have spent a year in China. 1 semester may be enough to become fluent in a language I already know; for an Asian language, it's a whole other ballgame. I would still have stayed with NYU for a semester, as it's easied me into the idea of life in China. However, I would have studied with NYU in the fall and then followed it with a direct enrollment in East China Normal University's Center for Studying Chinese as a Foreign Language in the spring. Benefits: cheaper, easier to focus solely on studying Chinese.

Knowing next to nothing about international travel/living somewhere other than the US, I developed a list of questions to ask myself before future trips abroad.

Note to self:

1.)How will I get there?

(Trans-Siberian Railroad)

The fastest, most direct route is not necessarily the best. Some of the other kids in my groups stopped over in Europe on their way to China. They had a bomb time. Or maybe I could have gone though Russia. Trans-Siberian Railroad? Things to keep in mind: stopover, explore.

(a late-January stopover in Paris would have meant nationally-sanctioned sales season. If I had only known...)

2.)What will I need to get there?
Generally, you will need a visa. Apply for one, get necessary heath checks, etc. It's not that difficult. Remember: multiple entries.

3.)How will I get around (once I'm there)?
Subways? Buses? Get a map, get a transportation card (like Shanghai public transit card). Also, think about purchasing a bicycle or a mo-ped. Mo-peds are actually kind of awesome.

4.)How will I communicate?
A lot of countries outside the US use phones with seperate SIM cards. Don't listen to your parents when they insist you buy your phone before you leave the US. Buy one in the country. Find out how to call internationally (on your cellphone). Use skype. Not much else to say here.

5.)Where will I live?
Share an apartment with friends. It's generally cheap. Also, try looking for an apartment/living situation once you're in the country. Cheaper, and easier. I've heard that the residencias in Spain are decent pads. Unclear at this time.

6.)Appliances?
Buy in-country. Almost setting fire to your apartment trying to plug in American hot-rollers without a converter...poor life choices.

7.)How will I travel around?
Trains, buses, sleeper buses, and planes. If I had a an extra week, and the proper visa, I could travel from Beijing to Hanoi, Vietnam for $155 by train. Bummer.

I love The Superficial

2009-03-22T17:36:00.001-07:00

"because the word "blog" isn't retarded enough for some people"

Bonus points for proper use of the word "assclownery" in a sentence.

(ilovethesuperficial)

Thames Town

2009-03-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

Outside of Shanghai there is a suburb modeled after England. Other than repeating the fact that it looks like Disneyland, and is completely deserted, I don't really know what to say. The pictures do the talking:

back-due posts part II: cereal

2009-03-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why I said I would post about cereal. Here goes. Once I ate a bowl of Captain Crunch with orange juice instead of milk. I didn't realize until about half way though breakfast. Whatever. It didn't taste too bad.

street food: a classic example

2009-03-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

This is dinner on a typical night. Pictured here: 炒饭 (fried rice)

Spandex

2009-03-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Love them, hate them... you can do anything but avoid them. They are spandex, and they are back. Who deserves the blame for resurrecting spandex from their glittery, teased-hair, Like a Virgin grave? (...Liberals? Soccer moms?) Unclear at this time.

Regardless of the culprits, Spandex crimes persist. Protect yourself with these simple steps:

1). Spandex with Uggs... just say no.
2.) Ditto with North Face jackets. Unacceptable anywhere other than the gym.
3.) With flashy tops. Spandex + flashy = trashy. You don't live on Statan Island. Avoid dressing as such.
4.) Spandex under skirts. I know, it's New England, your business gets chilly. But think about it this way. Remember "mall bangs?" History judged the teens of the 90's, and it will judge us too.

That being said, I love spandex. If skillfully incorporated, they can be a tasteful addition to any wardrobe. Wear with long sweaters. Wear with shirt dresses. Wear to the gym.

(**But, apparently, do not wear in China. Chinese women are tiny. Like, really tiny. I will sport spans in Boston any day of the week, but these Chinese make my size 4 self feel like Kirstie Allie. Note to self...)

(My favorite Kim Kardashian, seen here sporting the latest model of spans)

the next week or so: a preview

2009-03-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Beijing
Spandex
Cereal
Chinese Geography
Bubble tea

busy week

2009-03-01T04:48:00.000-08:00

This week I:

Met with coordinator for my internship with italki.com
Kicked off planning phase for an April event at the Shelter
Cut my face on a beer can
Had my first bacon, egg, and cheese
Did other stuff I can't remember
Did not write on this blog

Nothing much to report.

fatass

2009-02-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

Never have I felt worse than when I ate American food in Shanghai. Even though my portions of cream of mushroom soup and fries were small, the food was very rich. That will be the last bit of Western food I have for awhile. My stomach hates me.

smart shanghai

2009-02-23T00:18:00.000-08:00

let's play spot the NYU kids

we're all over it

rain

2009-02-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

Donde esta el sol en China? No se. When will it stop raining in this city? Let's weather.com this shit:

Sunday - Rain, cold

Monday - More rain, still cold.

Tuesday - Slightly less rain, cold.

Wednesday - Possibly sunny, still not that warm.

Good weather for studying Chinese, I guess.

people under the stairs

2009-02-21T01:50:00.000-08:00

By some stroke of luck or good fortune, I once again have internet access in my room. I know the internet in China is bad, but my computer's lack of ethernet port and resulting reliance on other people's wireless connections is worse. Buying a computer that lacks essential features... poor life choice.

Last night, a bunch of us headed to the Shelter to catch People Under the Stairs. It was an excellent show. Highlights of the night: when L's boyfriend was dj'ing and played Jurassic 5 - Red Hot, dancing and general craziness, abandoned building adventures with J and S, and meeting J's random Danish friends. What sucked: getting busted for bringing outside alcohol. All in all, a great night.

Went out to breakfast with M to Element Fresh this morning. Element Fresh is an American/expat restaurant in Shanghai center (collection of upscale stores/restaurants/apartments/bakeries/etc) that serves non-Chinese food that is basic, healthy, and delicious. By virture of timing (morning after partying), it was possibly the best french toast I have ever had.

Which reminds me... I'm hungry. It's street food time.

more pictures

2009-02-19T02:04:00.000-08:00

ancient Chinese water town

Pearl Tower, Shanghai (Pudong)

Shanghai World Financial Center

View from SWFC

I take classy pictures

Jin Mao tower

Streets of Shanghai

one of the few old parts of Shanghai that I've seen

Eventually I'll get pictures of things like street food, clubs, all the crazy NYU kids I'm kicking it with, pictures of old neighborhoods, and maybe one of me on a mo-ped in Shanghai traffic.

What else? Let's see... class started Tuesday. After 2 months, I've almost forgotten what it's like to do work. My new obsession is "Milk Coffee" (more on this later). Unless I decide to stay in because I'm sick/lazy, I will be going to Muse 2/Shelter/De La Coast tonight. It should be a good time.

jinxed

2009-02-15T18:54:00.000-08:00

It's currently 50 degrees and raining. Serves me right for bragging about the weather. Valentine's Day ended up being pretty chill. I forgot what we did during the day (probably went out to eat somewhere), but at night we ended up going to another club (Muse something, not the same as the first one). The place looked amazing, but there was way too many people for it to be manageable. Still a good night though.

Yesterday was also a good time. G, S times 2, and I checked out this sweet restaurant behind the back gate of our school. It was a Western Chinese Muslim restaurant. As the menu did not have pictures, and none of us spoke Chinese, we ended up just pointing at 4 random dishes. I think we got some tomato noodles with vegetables, a beef tomato and rice dish, eggplant vegetables and rice, and beef eggs rice in a brown sauce. They all ended up being excellent. It was $5 for the four of us.

black tambourine - beck

2009-02-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Why? Because this song is excellent. So was the other night. A bunch of us ended up going out to this club, Muse II. I told myself "no way will I be dancing on those tables. Fools." One guess as to what I ended up doing...

A bunch of us ladies should be going out tonight (we're leaving the guys behind this time). Maybe the Shelter? Maybe somewhere else. As long as there is no cover. I'm cheap. I realize. I'll be spending the $15 I will be saving on a massage. Happy Valentine's Day to me <3

Update on the tooth situation: September's filling was too close to the nerve, so I will be getting root canal in the next week. Dental surgery in China.. excellent!

But yeah, that's my life at the moment. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you back in the states <3

first week in Shanghai

2009-02-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

While you've all been busy doing your homework/freezing your pants off, I have...

-caught a cab in Shanghai rush hour

-feasted on duck skin (Beijing kaoya!)

-crossed major intersections without being hit by a mass of bicycles/mo-peds/trucks/old chinese ladies

-kept it real/kicked it up with the rest of NYU Shanghai at Muse

-ate the most amazing sichuan food, and paid $1 for it

-fell in love with broccoli (?)

-took a cooking lesson from a master chef

Don't get jealous of my life just yet... I do have to the dentist in a bit. I just have to change into my t-shirt first.

China

2009-02-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

I'm here. I am finally in China. It's absolutely nothing like I expected, in both the good way and the bad way. No way to say it, except... This shit is ridiculous.

I will try this again later when I gather my thoughts.

8 hours

2009-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

...and I will be on a plane to China. Crazy. I will keep you updated on the status of this epic adventure.

As for last week's trip... Boston was, as usual, amazing. (For those of you still in the bean, check out this place and this place. Not as good as Umi, I know, but nice places to check out while our favorite sushi house is being rebuilt.)

I will be sad to leave my city (and all my ladies <3) behind, but duty calls. And by that... I mean my duty to make as much trouble on the Asian continent as possible. You know, when I'm not studying Chinese.

I think I'll go to Boston...

2009-01-27T06:03:00.000-08:00

I'm heading up to Boston today. I'll probably be staying at my friend C's house in Jamaica Plains tonight, Simmons tomorrow, and Cambridge for the weekend. It should be a good time. It should at least cure me from endless boredom.

...How many days until China?

Boston Blond

2009-01-23T18:46:00.000-08:00

After a week of looking for jobs, watching Grey's Anatomy re-runs, and generally doing nothing*, I have decided to move this blog from Wordpress to Blogger. (I like the look/feel of Wordpress much better, but seeing as it's blocked in China, I don't really have a choice.) One less thing to do before I head off to the other side of the world.

14 days!