*more pics*
just a quick one to let y'all know i've added some more pics from my last days on set in shanghai on my imagestation. click on "photo album" in the links.

finally getting back into some of the books i've left on the shelf when i was in shanghai. go figure, just when i should really be busy packing all my junk to move to mother's choice. AIYA!! it's a headache just thinking about it... i'm such a junk collector... well ok not junk, but i like to collect of lot of things which might be considered useless to some.

like postcards. i love collecting cool postcards. i've got stacks of them, and i have a dream of one day plastering my own house with them. but for now, they are mostly sitting in a box, waiting for their day of glory when they can be proudly displayed and admired.

and books. i'm going to need some seriously ripped guys to help me get these to monty (the nickname for the building i'm moving to). boxes of books and books and more books....

oh, and SHOES!! hehe i picked up a few more pairs while i was in shanghai (ha, like 4!!) i'm going to need a big box just for my shoes.... and my bags... man.

i hate packing.

it seems like such a pointless thing, since i'm going to unpack it all within the same day. all that work... i'm still wondering whether my new roommates will be keen to the idea of having a beautiful cute furry hamster. i'm praying they will be, but from what i've heard, they're pretty anal. so i'm praying....

*a bedtime story*
inappropriate hours of the night call for inappropriate stories... hence i will tell you a story about a water jug.

actually, the aforementioned water jug is a fancy shmancy 'brita' water filtering system that my roommate christian bought a few weeks ago. because of it's enourmous size, it does not live in the refridgerator, as all things edible should in a dirty and humid place like hong kong. no, it happily sits on our counter top, proudly housing clean crisp water to quench our thirsty souls.

the other day, as i was fetching a drink for derek, i noticed something... suspicious floating in the fancy shmancy brita water filtering system. a first glance suggested a dead shriveled little spider. closer inspection negated that idea, but failed to come up with an alternative. i stared and stared at this mysterious little brown blob, until it was awakened. awakened it did, and supplied shocking confirmation of its identity: ANTS!! a clump of ants all cuddled up enjoying a relaxing nap in the middle of the tropical island resort of OUR FANCY SHMANCY BRITA WATER FILTERING SYSTEM!!!!!

why is this so shocking?? well for one, i did not know that ants enjoyed swimming as a popular recreational activity. for two, why would they be attracted to an odorless tasteless substance? for three, the jug was perfectly sealed, or so i thought. as soon as i realized what i was faced with, i dumped the water out in the sink, but that only made it worse. they latched onto the sides and proceeded to scatter like some foul viral disease. the jug was teeming with ants...!!!!!! now does this not gross you out?!

my roommate seemed to think that placing it on another countertop solves the problem, but this morning i knew that he was wrong. when i came home tonight, the clump had grown a little bit bigger from this morning, and there were more ants on their way. there was one poor little thing that had made it inside the jug, and was desperately trying to navigate itself to it's clump of friends already sipping on their pina coladas and soaking in the rays... i watched it for a long time, at once disgusted and fascinated. at one point, it even managed to get on it's front legs only, and took a few steps doing the handstand. A HANDSTAND!! an ant was doing a handstand walking on water right here in my kitchen. don't i feel special. you can only hope to witness such a momentous event in your own kitchen.

now, it's time for bed, little ones. sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite.

*firsts*
watched 50 first dates tonight. it was hilarious!! adam sandler is so funny.... so in honor of this movie, here's a list of firsts for me this week: (sorry, nothing too scandalous!)

- watched a full episode of america's next top model
- cut my hair!!! this is a first in 2.5 years, so close enough...
- went to dragon-i (for those not in hk, this is the most exclusive club in hk... the place to see and be seen. i didn't really think it was worth all the hype though...)
- actually SANG at a karaoke bar (don't think i've ever done this in HK)
- used the lovely tea set i got in shanghai and made some green tea
- attended a lecture at the china graduate school of theology
- got my first avatar thanks to ann!

anyone else have any interesting "firsts" this week? please do share!

aight... my pics for shanghai are finally up on imagestation!! hooray! click on the link in the sidebar.... enjoy.

happy saturday everyone!

*home sweet home*
the past week i've been carving my grooves back in life in hk. it's been a blast seeing the norwegian girls again, my friends keith and christine from vancouver, joe lo and ryan and nic and grace chung and the whc cd release show and the sna-ers... and somehow everything feels just slightly different. maybe the five weeks in shanghai have somehow changed me. i feel like i see things differently. i guess this is unavoidable. every new experience adds another layer to my perspective. there are so many dimensions to life i don't think i could ever get enough of it.

i can't imagine staying in the same place my whole life. i was catching up with grace this afternoon and we both marvel at how small some people's horizons are. ever since i can remember, i've always wanted to go "somewhere else." i feel so blessed that i had a complete change in environment when i was eight. it wasn't an easy shift, but it was without a doubt one of the most enriching experiences of my life. i've always felt this yearning to move, to travel, to see what's out there and experience the world. it really is one of the most amazing things to take in the incredible array of people, cultures, languages - simply, LIFE - that the Creator have thought up. He is the most prolific artist i can think of. i don't mean to get all mushy, but life is just so darn good!! :)

alright alright.... it's not all about fun and games. i do have to think about packing at some point, something i'm not particularly looking forward to. hong kong is one of those places where is so easy to accumulate junk. i can't be hauling all that with me to mother's choice. communal living simply cannot allow it. the problem is, i've collected a lot of things which i intended for my own house when i settle... things i don't want to get rid of, but i might not need... *sigh* i'll have to face that mountain soon....

speaking of mountains, i realized yesterday that speaking to mountains is very important. if we want to move it, we gotta confront it and tell it to go. in fact i'm convinced it's the only way. so often we let our fears, insecurities and doubts keep us from standing up to the obstacles in our lives. what little faith we have! if we only had but a wee tiny bit of faith in the God we serve, we can make mountains fall into the sea! when was the last time you did that? the army of light will ALWAYS drive out the army of darkness. ALWAYS. i wish i could write more, but at 2am, i'm afraid i will not make much sense. better to recharge my brain first.... be back soon....

*the dream ends*
my 4 1/2-month trip into the surreal world of hollywood is almost over... and i'd have to say that it's been a pretty wierd trip. the first 3 1/2 months were relatively uneventful. the final month in shanghai was the defining time. i feel like alice in wonderland - living in a world that is not quite right. people in the entertainment business don't really live in reality, and it scares me to think that to them, it is reality. but then, i suppose we can say that about anyone who submerse themselves in any particular aspect of life, whether it's their work, family, or fantasy. it's just a very very... wierd life.

and i'm so glad it's not my reality.

admittedly, i've enjoyed my time in shanghai for the most part. often i do feel entirely useless in the whole making-a-blockbuster-movie scheme of things... most of my "work" days consist of sitting around the set, chatting with anyone who would acknowledge my measly presence, and trying to stay out of the way of people who don't. my actual job takes up very little of my time. but it's given me the opportunity to poke into a world i never imagined i would be a part of, even for a short period of time. and i've gotten to know some pretty cool people.

this production, despite the many problems that surround it, was at least something that brought a lot of people from different places together. there are americans, canadians, aussies, chinese, mexicans, english, eastern european, and a dane.... and it's one of the little joys for me because i love getting to know people. people just fascinate me... and it's just been a blast hanging out in a new city with new people. it helps to remind me that life is much bigger than myself.

but that said, i can't wait to get home to my own life. it's a life which i have renewed appreciation for. i miss my flat and my flatmates, my hamster, my friends who always make me laugh and never give me a dull moment, my church that is full of imperfect people who are not afraid to change, and of course, my darling who has put up with so much since i've been away.

so, this little fantasy world is drawing to an end, and i will soon wake up in 2 days time back in my own beautiful life. see you on the other side.