12/26/08 through 12/28/08

I'm backtracking. So, partying in Beijing pictures featuring the Lovely Anna, Awesome David, and Fantabulous Ben are soon to come!

The DVD Store Raid (12/26/08)

So, we live next to a fantabulous DVD store where I get all my awesomely cheap movies. The day after X-mas my unsuspecting Pops and I were going to the store, which is tucked at the bottom of a narrow unsuspecting stairwell. We noticed that there were many men in black jackets loading bags into the back of two flatbed trucks. One of the men said something to us in Chinese, but we didn't catch it and kept going. As I was heading down the stairs, I noticed that the bags were full of DVD's and the back of the black jackets said, 'Police.' So, I said, "Ohhhh...Dad, it's the Police. We should go!" I took the two pictures below from behind a fence because I would have gotten in trouble if the Police caught me taking pictures. There are many DVD shops like this all over Beijing, and the Police know about it. But, normally raids like this are avoided by "special payments" made by the vendors so that they won't be bothered. But, I guess they missed their payments. Sad Sophie. R.I.P. Tom's DVD Shop.

Bootlegged DVD's 1

Bootlegged DVD's 2

Chinglish is Awesome!

My Dad's Final Performance of 'A Christmas Carol' (12/28/08)

My Dad's newest passion is acting. He wasn't feeling satisfied with his life that had become so focused on trying to make money, so he decided to go out on a limb and try out for a play - 'Guys and Dolls.' He was cast as Big Jule and ever since has been addicted to acting. He went on to play Stanley in a spoof of 'A Street Car Named Desire,' then was cast in his biggest and best role as Oscar in 'The Odd Couple.' His most recent part is smaller than his other parts, but he loved it nonetheless - he played 'Old Joe' and the 'Schoolmaster' in the holiday production of 'A Christmas Carol.' I was never able to see any of his shows because i've been in Hawaii, but finally the stars alligned and I got to see him perform. It was really great to see him so happy and in his element.

An interesting fact: Beijing has very strong censorship of theater and the arts and often there are plays that get funding and cast and crew, but can't be put on because nowhere will let them perform. i remember 'The Vagina Monologues' was cancelled two nights before they were supposed to perform. Then, they performance came back through town a year later and the same thing happened. This is also the reason that my Dad has to go to Church on X-mas Morning in a super secret place not technically on Chinese soil (i.e. embassy terrirtory). So, they have to find obscure places to put on the show that don't think they are a group of foreigners organizing to upheave the government. This one was in a place that is normally a nightclub and it was a tight squeeze. The last one was at an International High School. Fun facts that get Soph's blog blocked!

Mom, Dad, and Olle ("The Drunken Beggar")

Dad and His Young Cast Mates

Dad's Cast Mates Wandering After the Show

My Pops and I

Beijing-a-ling - A Few Random Images

China has pretty aweful air quality. This smoke stack is literally outside of our living room window. It's extremely normal that these are everywhere. Believe it or not, they save the most hazardous emissions are expended in the countryside by factories and small villages.

This is just a standard shot of a man on a bicycle and the standard taxi and bus hustle and bustle outside my house.

Technological Exile

Great Wall Ruins from last Winter Trip

My blog has been blocked - didn't take too long. So, I can post, but I can't see my posts. It might turn out all funny looking, sorry! If you were able to open my blog, will you post a comment, so I know? I think friends back home should be able to access it.

In other news, last night I went to an open mic at Tun and saw friends perform. The highlights of the night were this beautiful Chinese revolutionary girl's poem and my friend Tavey's singing. There was a line in the girl's poem that I can't get out of my head - she said, "I deny love, I lift my leg on love!" I had the pleasure of walking and talking with the her later in the night. She's working on a podcast and asked me to participate, but I won't be here long enough.

Today is Christmas Eve, and my what an Eve it has been. My parents disdain for each other is coming to a head. My Mom requested that we leave her at the market we were at, so my Dad and I got in a taxi and headed home while she remained looking at pans to cook the turkey in. On the ride, my Dad let out all of his woes regarding my Mom, which was a lot more than I needed to know and enormously inappropriate for me to know also. It was like this when I was growing up too - too much information. Children aren't supposed to know the innerworkings of their parents intimate life with one another. It's between them. I was a keeper of secrets growing up, but the older I get, the more aware I become of the fact that it isn't my job, nor is it fair to me. I don't think i'll be coming home for awhile after this trip.

I hope everyone elses Holidays are going well so far. I'll have more exciting stories and pictures posted soon. I'm going to be spending a lot more time outside of the house after Christmas. Adventures to come! Family stuff sucks, but the rest of the trip doesn't have to.

Updates Shmupdates

It's been awesomely uneventful over here. It's so cold that my drive for adventure is pretty low. Also, it's my first week, which is usually lazy and full of exciting stuff like eating, sleeping, reading, watching movies, drinking coffee with my Dad, and playing Scrabble with the folks (Scrabble is our bonding device).

It's pretty tense in the house. I've decided that its better to spend time with my folks one-on-one. Their frustration with each other is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Twenty-three years...it must be hard.

Just taking it day by day, I suppose. Yesterday my Mom made some unkind comments about my weight, which hurt my feelings. But, that's old news - she has very high standards of beauty and her expectations of my physical appearance have always been a struggle between us. Overall, her good qualities outweigh her bad ones though.

But, that's all boring family stuff. China is cold, but good. It's almost back to normal after the Olympics fiasco. The beggars, "massage parlors", usual amount of cars on the roads, and DVD shops are back. Thank God - China's attempt to sweep them under the carpet was moderately successful during the Olympics, but they couldn't keep them hidden away forever. [Note: My Blog may get blocked, so if it does please e-mail me at or let me know otherwise so I can remove it. Gracias!]

I'm in a coffee shop called 'Sculpting in Time' with my Pops right now. I set up an account on Playlist.com for him so that he and I can share music over the internet while i'm in Hawaii. Sharing music and conversations over coffee are our favorite past-times. Speaking of which, you can check out my playlists at . Check out the "social music experiment" that is Playlist.com!

In the Jing

I've arrived! It's colder than an Eskimo's ass over here - it snowed last night! I landed around 10PM on Friday night and realized the folllowing: (a) I forgot to pack sneakers and a winter coat, (b) ballerina shoes and a cardigan aren't enough to ward off the freezing ass cold, finally leading me to (c) i'm a shitty packer. So much for my attempt at being an organized and prepared traveller. Anywho, the flights were as good as 14 hours in a teeny tiny seat next to a dude hogging the arm rest can be, and minus that fact that I didn't have any warm clothes for the taxi ride home and thought I might freeze to death in the unheated taxi.



I got to my folks palce around 11PM and had some soup and caught up with my Mom for a little bit. She seems...OK. My Dad wasn't home yet because he had a performance that night and was still at a cast party. Around midnite, I headed out to meet Anna, Steph, and David for drinks. I was delusionally tired (I can't sleep on planes), but I had to go because Steph was moving back to Sweden the next day. Anna and Steph were so drunk already when I saw them, so I was greeted by very emotional boozy affectionate kisses and hugs. We had a drink at Richshaw, then headed to a club thingy that we decided not to go into because we couldn't rationalize paying 120RMB (divide by 6.84 for American dollar value) for crappy electronica-type music. So, we went to a crappy (the good kind) cheap pub called Smugglers to meet up with my old friend Tequila and I got home around 4AM.



Yesterday my Poppa and I hung out. We talked over coffee in the morning, watched a movie, and he went with me to buy DVD's and a pair of sneakers before heading out to his performance. My Mom was mostly holed up in her room. As my Dad put it, "she needs a lot of space letely."



Last night I went to a Christmas party with Anna and David followed by bars and shots and yaddah yaddah blah. We kept seeing small clusters of foreigners dressed like Santa because they had come from a Bad Santa-themed gathering at Tianeman Square - awesome. Coming back to my Beijing life is a pretty smooth transition. There's the inital, "I missed you so much, what's been happening in your life recently?" conversation, then things go back the way they were when I lived here. It's pretty comforting actually. I get to just hang out and let loose, not worry about relationships, jobs, room mates, plans, etc. It can't last forever, but it's a nice little reprieve.



Today is hangover/reading and movies day. It's -12 degrees outside, so there's no way i'm going out there!



To be continued.

BEIJING and NEW YORK

Aloha!

I'm off on another adventure soon. I'll be in Beijing, China from December 18 to January 5, then back to Hawaii for a few short weeks before jetting off to New York City from January 29 to February 8.

I'm excited. I need a change of scenery, even if only for a little while. While i'm in New York I plan to check out some schools.

I've been doing some thinking lately and realized that the happiest i've ever been was when I was volunteering at the Art Therapy Program in the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific a few years ago. I really felt like I was making a positive, productive difference in peoples lives. I always left feeling fulfilled and satisfied. My patients instilled a genuine feeling in me that life is alright and regardless of the circumstances, it's what you make of it. Even my patients that were paralyzed below the neck seemed to have the fullest appreciation for life and everything it has to offer. Made all of my petty issues seem so minor. But, now its been a few years and the lessons I learned from my patients are starting to wear off...

So, I'd like to get my Masters in Art Therapy! The programs at NYU and SVA are really good. Also really expensive, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. I'll check things out and if I like it, i'll start plotting my escape. It'll take me a year or two probably.

I'm stoked. Get me out of this circular existence!!!

Update

Howdy Folks,

Some quick but important updates.

* I graduate with my BA in Psychology this Sunday (May 18th, 2008)!
* I have two jobs - working as a paralegal at a law firm downtown and waitressing at a Mexican restaurant.
* I have been dating up a storm, but its all amounted to ... I don't know what.
* I have had a friend living on my floor/couch for 4-plus months.
* I signed the lease for my apartment, so i'll be here at least until April 30th, 2009.
* I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to surf or go to the beach in a long while and I MISS IT!
* I tried to learn to play piano this semester, and it was hard, but rewarding.
* I started screenprinting and I love it. I think i'm going to continue with it.
* I am planning on coming to China end of June to end of July, but haven't done Visa stuff yet.
* I have no idea what i'm doing with my life anymore. So, I guess i'm just going to keep living it and hope it amounts to something.

Love,
Soph