I Heart GW Bush

Okay, those are a few words I thought I'd never say! haha

But, I got my $600 economic stimulus check in the mail today, and for that reason only, GW Bush for this one day only has won my heart haha.

I had the day off today (during the summer, I have Mondays off) so I laid out in the sun at the park, and then like a good American, I headed straight downtown and shopped till I dropped! I haven't bought much of anything since I moved here, so this was so exciting for me.

I even got a box of my favorite candy - See's Candies! And I dyed my hair today - not sure why. I just kind of felt like it. haha (just a lighter shade of brown for summer- I think it looks pretty good actually)

Anyway, today was an excellent day. Hopefully an excellent week will follow!

4th of July Road Trip!

For the 4th of July long weekend, my friend and I decided to go on a road trip together. It took us a while to decide where to go, but we finally decided on Yakima and Leavenworth, Washington.

We left for Yakima early Friday afternoon and got there about two and a half hours later. It was a really cool drive: one minute we were driving through dense mountain forests, and the next minute you felt like you were in the Nevada desert! I couldn’t believe that we were still in Washington!

Once we got to Yakima, we checked into our hotel – definitely not the nicest hotel, but Yakima isn’t exactly a 4 star hotel kind of place. We rested for a bit (after changing rooms once) and then drove around the city for a bit. We went to a park by the river and to Starbucks, but aside from that, Yakima doesn’t really have many big tourist sites.

A little bit later, we headed to the Yakima Fair Grounds, where there was a big country fair with rides and music and food. We hung out there for a while and then watched a pretty big fireworks show. I was surprised at how big the show was seeing as how Yakima isn’t really a major city.

All in all, it was a pretty fun day. The only drama had to do with the sleeping arrangements, which somehow left me sleeping on the floor of the room that I had booked and paid for. Nothing makes a guy feel good like the guy you once had a big crush on telling you that he doesn’t want to even sleep in the same bed as you. Sigh…

Anyway, after that ego boost, I woke up the next morning pretty early (and with a slightly sore back) and laid outside by the pool for a while. Then we went to an orchard nearby and got to pick our own cherries. This was really fun!

After that, we drove about an hour and a half to Leavenworth, WA which is a touristy fake German town. We walked around for a bit and it was a pretty nice place. Of course, I had the obligatory German sausage for lunch haha, and then we walked around the riverfront park before heading home.

All in all, it was a pretty fun trip and I had a really good time. I don’t know that either place is worth going to again, but it was nice to get out of the city for a few days. And a road trip with a good friend is always a good time.

Brooklyn Waterfall?

Apparently they will be adding a waterfall to the Brooklyn bridge for a few months as part of a temporary exhibition. Hmmm... so they can turn a bridge into a waterfalll, yet somehow my landlord can't seem to fix my leaky bathtub faucet. Something seems wrong here...

You Don't Mess with the Zohan...

...should be titled "You Don't Want to Waste $10.25 on this Movie" instead!

I should have followed my gut and watched Kung Fu Panda instead. haha

Portland

This weekend was pretty fun. I relaxed a lot on Saturday and had lunch and dinner with some friends. I also tried Bolivian food for the first time and it was pretty good.

On Sunday, Marvin, Sebastian, Cory, and I took a road trip to Portland, Oregon! I've heard that Portland is really cool, so I was pretty excited. Though the day turned out to be a lot of fun, it really was a comedy of errors: We went to the Japanse Garden, and it rained. We went to what we thought was a rose garden, but turned out to be the sports stadium (whose name happens to be the Rose Garden). Then we almost ran out of gas driving up this really windy unpaved road to the this scenic viewpoint, which turned out to be closed due to snow. Then we drove some more to a lake with a cool view of Mt. Hood, but that too was closed due to snow. Finally, we gave up on all outdoor activities and decided to drive to the outlet mall - but when we got there, it had just closed too. haha

Writing it out like that probably makes it sound like an awful day, but it actually was a lot of fun in the kind of way that road trips almost always are. Good friends, good food, good stories, etc... And the Japanese garden and waterfall that we went to were really cool too. And I got to see snow in May! At the end of the night, we went back to downtown Portland and hung out an Irish Bar and had dinner and some drinks before heading home.

I think Portland is definately someplace worth visiting again. (though next time, I think I'll definately make sure everything is open first haha)

Great weekend!

This was a near perfect weekend!

It's been chilly and overcast most days since I've lived in Seattle, but all of a sudden, the sun came out on Thursday, and it's been warm and sunny all weekend! It's as if mother nature just all of a sudden decided that it was time for summer to start! (But in true Seattle fashion, the clouds and rain are back tomorrow haha)

Anyway, I really took advantage of the nice weather and spent a lot of time outside. I even got a little sunburned! I hung out with some friends, got to tour Boeing and Microsoft, went to a really cool street fair near UW, went to the Japanese Garden (sooo awesome), had a few drinks, and went to an international festival to see my friend perform today! I also ate a ton of KFC!! (mmm...finger lickin' good!) It was a busy weekend, but it was a really good one. The only bad part about the whole weekend is that it's over already!

Yay!

I am so excited: I just found out that there is a Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shop francise here in Seattle less than a 15 minute walk from my apartment!!!!!! I am totally going there for dinner tomorrow!

Seattle just keeps getting better!

How you can help

The death toll from the earthquake in central China has already climbed abover 12,000 and there are awful pictures of destruction, make shift hospitals, and people trapped beneath tons of concrete debris such as in the photo above all over the news. As many of you know, the Chengdu area has a very special place in my heart, and this trajedy is one that has affected a large number of my friends and current and former students.

I know that quite a few people keep up with my blog, and I ask that if possible, you do something to help out with this situation. It is difficult to donate money to many of the major Chinese relief organizations such as the Red Cross Society of China because of currency and banking differences. However, Operation Blessing is an international relief agency that does really good work and is actively helping out both in the Chengdu area and in Mynamar. If you would like and are able to help, you can find out more information about OB and make a small donation by visiting the following link: https://secure.ob.org/site/Donation2?idb=180354110&df_id=1320&1320.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr007=yygkgnqcm1.app45b

Up Up Upside Down

Lately it seems that every time I on turn on CNN, there is some major crisis or disaster happening in the world. Strange illnesses killing children in Beijing, devistating cyclones in Myanmar, hundreds of homes destroyed by tornadoes and wild fires in the US, and now major earthquakes in central China: seriously, what is going on with the world lately?

With all the suckiness happening these days, there sure is an awfully lot of good that can be done in the world this week.

One week in...

It's Thursday night, which means that I have officially been living in Seattle for one week. AND IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER!

I know I'm still in the honeymoon phase of moving, and that before long, the newness will wear off and I'll start to miss the friendships and familiarity that I have left behind. But until that point comes, I truly am loving every minute here. I love Seattle. I love the weather. I love my apartment. And my neighborhood. And with each passing day, I love my new job more and more.

I just have this oddly strong feeling that this is the place I was meant to be. The job; the apartment; everything. It's as if everything that has happened thus far in my life has all led me here. And although I'm reluctant to say this out loud for fear of jinxing this uncharacterist run of good luck that I've been having, I can't help but have a similarly strong feeling that Seattle is the place where I am going to meet the person I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

I know this all sounds silly, and it's probably all just a load of crap. But hey, a feeling is a feeling right. And who knows, maybe I'm right. I guess we'll find out!

Sushi Maki = Sushi Heaven!

Seattle has tons (and I mean tons!) of sushi restaurants. And anyone that knows me, knows of me, or has ever read my blog knows that this makes me a very happy man! So, as part of exploring my new neighborhood, I decided today to try at least one new sushi joint each week to find out which restaurant is best.

I started off my quest today with a place called Sushi Maki, which is conveniently just a few blocks away. I read a lot of great reviews on the web about it, so I had pretty high expectations going in.

Well, not only did this place meet my expectations: it was by far the best sushi I have ever had. The place itself is a hole in the wall and couldn't be more than 8ft by 15ft big, including the kitchen area. But from this tiny kitchen sprung forth one hell of a meal! The sushi rolls are huge, and one roll is easily an entire meal. I ordered two rolls (a spicy dragon roll, a 2x4 roll, and a (very) spicy scallop roll appetizer. Normally, I can eat and eat and eat when it comes to sushi. But the portions were so big that I couldn't even finish one whole roll! And the scallop appetizer was easily one of the top 10 things I've ever eaten.

Not only was the food great, but the prices were very reasonable, and the presentation was nice, even for take out. Needless to say, the number for Sushi Maki is now stored in my phone and will be used very very often.

I'M IN LOVE...

...with the city of Seattle!

Seriously, I love this place. My neighborhood, Capitol Hill, is full of coffee shops, restaurants, and brownstones. And it has a great community feel to it. It's only a 3 minute walk to downtown, and I can see the Space Needle from my street!

Everything is so close, and I love how independant I am here even without a car! Today alone, I had coffee at Starbucks, went to the grocery store (even nicer than Whole Foods!), got sushi for lunch, and walked to the Pike Place Market and bought some fresh fruits and vegetables. The fish mongers were tossing fish around to each other just like in the FISH! video!

There are cherry trees in bloom all over the city, and I even got hit on at the T Mobile store! (I somehow lost both of my cell phone chargers in the move, so I had to buy a new one.) And it's such an international city: everywhere I went, I could here people speaking different languages, and there are restaurants of every kind all over. (including a sushi place that is dangerously close to my apartment haha)

I feel like a kid in a candy shop! I only wish I had a few more days to relax and explore before I have to start working.

New Apartment!

I'm officially a Seattle resident!!!

I arrived in Seattle Thursday night and my landlord picked me up from the airport and took me to my new apartment. After traveling all day, I was anxious to see my new place and get some sleep before all the craziness started the next day.

On first impression, I was a little dissapointed. Having lived for the past year and a half rent free in a huge three bedroom apartment, I knew I would be dramatically downsizing. My landlord estimated that the apartment is about 500 sq feet, which is pretty small, but when I actually measured it that night, I found that it is actually only 350 sq feet, which is super small! Other than the size, the apartment seemed pretty nice: there is nice molding, lots of windows (and a view of a courtyard), hardwood floors throughout, and good lighting. I was pretty pleased, and I felt like the apartment definately had a lot of potential. The only other downsides that I saw were that the kitchen countertops were a mauve color, and the shower has a decorative portrait of the Pacific Northwest printed on it:

The next day was a busy one! The cable guy came to hook up my cable, internet, and DVR in the morning. Then, the FedEx guy came and delivered all 23 of my moving boxes. Shortly after that, the UPS guy came and delivered my new TV. And just a few minutes after that, the IKEA delivery guys came and delivered all of my new furniture. Needless to say, there were boxes everywhere and I could barely even walk in my apartment haha.

I spent the rest of the day and Saturday unpacking and putting my new furniture together. And I am spent!!! Since the apartment is so open and there isn't much storage space, I had to put a lot of thought into where to put things (don't look under my bed haha!). But, after two and a half days of hard work, my apartment is finally ready. I'm not allowed to paint, but I still managed to give the apartment the clean, calm, asian/zen, peaceful feel that I like. And if I do say so myself, it's looking pretty darn good!

I need to buy a trash can, and eventually I need to get a kitchen table and chairs, but that can wait. Other than that, I'm all set! I start my new job tomorrow morning and I am very excited. I'm also really nervous, but I'm sure that everything will go well.

Moving tomorrow!!!

Today was my last full day at work, and I have only one thing to say: I HATE GOODBYES!!!!

As excited as I am to be moving and starting my new job, I've made some really great friends here and I can't even begin to describe how much I am going to miss not only them, but my coworkers, my staff, and even my students. Already, I've teared up more times than I can count, and I'm not even leaving until tomorrow!

Through the difficult goodbyes though, I ended the day not with sadness or regret in my heart, but with a smile and the sense that I truly have made a difference here. All day long, and all week for that matter, students and staff have been taking me to lunch/dinner, coming to say their goodbyes, and giving me hugs, cards, and farewell gifts. One of my coworkers even baked a HUGE (and delicious) cake for me today. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it makes me feel good inside to know that so many people care about me and want to wish me well.

So with only a few goodbyes to go, I can honestly say that I have nothing but excitement for my move tomorrow. Not only that, I just can't even begin to put into words how good it feels to have everything completely wrapped up at work and to know that I will never again have to be on-call or woken up in the middle of the night for work! I'm just so happy.

So, wish me luck tomorrow. If all goes according to plan, I'll be able to post again on Friday evening in my new (and furnished) apartment while watching my new tv on my new cable (or my DVR!!!!) while unpacking all of my boxes. Keep your fingers crossed! Seattle, here I come!

Time flies!

I can’t believe how quickly the past few weeks have flown by! It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in my office complaining about how badly my job search was going. Now, I’m sitting in my empty apartment getting ready to leave Worcester forever and move to Seattle on Thursday! Where did all the time go????

Usually I’m such an introspective and thoughtful person; a real processor. But things have just happened so quickly that I haven’t really even had time to do that. I’ve just been too busy to feel sad or anxious or nervous or excited. I’ve just been focused on crossing things off my huge to-do list before I leave.

Now that the list is done though, and the goodbyes have started, I’m definitely starting to feel it. Today was my last day in one of my two offices, and it was really sad leaving and knowing that I’m never going back. As bad as that was, I still have many more goodbyes coming and I’m totally dreading them all. It’s a strange feeling actually: on one hand, I wish I could just get it over with. But on the other hand, I wish that these next two days would last so much longer.

Either way, I’m getting incredibly excited to move into my new place, get settled, and start my new job on Monday.

The Turkey Is Done!

Earlier this week, I somehow found myself engaged in a discussion over whether or not it is possible to cook a turkey by putting it in a clothes dryer. How this came up in conversation, I really couldn't say. But after a quick google search online, it turns out that you can't.

Here's a funny Youtube video of someone who tried though!

New Job!

I haven’t posted a blog in quite a while, but it’s not for lack of interesting things to write about. Let’s see: In the past few months, Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and the Governor of Massachusetts all came to speak at my university, I went to Seattle, discovered a love of blood oranges, and went on a diet and have lost 5 lbs so far. But one thing in particular has dominated my time and interest this winter: my job search.

Up until this week, there wouldn’t be much to write about really. I’ve been applying for jobs since January and had a few phone interviews and one on-campus interview. But weeks passed with no prospects, and few jobs were being posted in my field: sometimes only one or less per week for the entire country. Needless to say, I was getting concerned and started to really doubt my abilities. In fact, I spent several hours last weekend coming up with a backup plan for what I would do if I didn’t get a new job before my current job ends in June.

Well, talk about timing! Just when I was about to give up hope, my supervisors let me know that someone had called them to check my references on Tuesday. Not only that, but by the end of the day, I had a job offer! And it wasn’t just any job offer, it was my top choice at a great school near downtown Seattle!

(And in a stinging dose of irony, once I received that job offer, invitations for phone interviews started streaming in. In fact, I’ve had 5 such offers since Tuesday! I guess that saying “When it rains, it pours” is true!”

Anyway, things since then have moved at light speed! I formally accepted the position on Thursday and will start my new job on April 28: just a few weeks away! Already, I’ve started packing, repainted my apartment (sigh), and found an apartment in Seattle! It’s a great little place right in the heart of the city and just a few blocks from downtown and my office. It’s a large studio in a nice brick building and comes with nice hardwood floors and a separate sleeping area and kitchen/dining area. I was hoping for a 1 bedroom, but this is pretty close and is a lot more affordable.

Even with those things done, I still have a zillion things to do to wrap up my job here, pack, and get ready to move into my new place and start my new job. The hardest thing will definitely be saying goodbye to some really good friends that I’ve made here. But, I’ve got a job, an apartment, and a one way plane ticket to my new home of Seattle, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Into the Wild

A friend of mine showed me the following quotation from "Into the Wild:"

"We like companionship, see, but we can't stand to be around people for very long. So we go get ourselves lost, come back for a while, then get the hell out again."

Seriously - could this be any better of a description of me?!?!

Stupid Jet Lag

I hate jet lag!!!! I was only able to fall asleep for 3 hours last night, and now I have to somehow stay awake through a 2 day work retreat out of town. Sigh...

I see a grande Starbucks soy hazelnut latte in my future. Or two.

Home Sweet Home!

Finally, after 17 days of travelling, I am back in my apartment! As much as I loved my trip, I am so excited to get to sleep in my own bed tonight!!!!!

Tomorrow, I have to go back to work - vacation's over. sigh... :( Speaking of work, as of this past Friday, I've officially been at my job for a full year.

Even though I'm happy to be home, I always feel pretty down when I come home from a big trip like this. It happens every time I go abroad: all the weeks of planning and built up excitement leading up to the trip, then the excitement of the trip itself, suddenly are all over and it's back to life as usual. Watching tv on my couch on a Sunday night and getting ready for a week of work as usual just seems so boring compared to travelling around China, where every day was an adventure. Oh well...it's nothing a pizza or some KFC can't fix haha.

Vacation Video

Here's a video I made displaying some of my best photos from my trip - Enjoy!

Full Circle

So, today was last full day in China. We spent the day mostly just lounging around our hotel room in Xi'an before checking out and having lunch at an Italian restaurant nearby. The food was actually quite good, though we were the only two customers there, so we had about 20 restaurant workers staring at us the whole time haha.

After lunch, we took a taxi to the airport and checked in for our flight on Hainan Airlines. Somehow, the taxi ride was half as much on the way to the airport as it was from the airport to the hotel a few days ago, confirming our suspicion that the first taxi driver was scamming us. Sigh...

Anyway, the flight was uneventful and they even fed us dinner despite it only being a 1 hour and 45 minute flight.

Now, here's the best part: We were able to get a room at the Ritz Carlton again in Beijing!!!! As soon as I got the confirmation email this morning, we were so excited. This is just such a wonderful hotel, and it felt very reassuring driving up to it in the taxi this evening. Not only did the bellman remember us and have a nice conversation with us, but they also sent us a fruit basket and personalized note!!

I just came back from relaxing in the jacuzzi and sauna, and I feel so relaxed now. Coming back for one last night at this hotel was truly the best way to end this trip: it is definately ending on a high note! As the note on the room service cart says: "a good beginning makes a good ending."

Tomorrow, I'm going to get up early to relax in the jacuzzi/sauna one last time, have breakfast at the hotel (sooooo looking forward to this - it was so delicious last time!), and head to the airport for our flight home.

I'm a little bit sad to leave, just as I am whenever a vacation abroad comes to a close. But, I've really had a great experience on this trip and I'm sure that I will remember it always. It's definately rekindled my desire to live abroad a little too. But, it will be nice to be back in my apartment where I can sleep in my own bed and eat out of my fridge whenever I feel like it.

Here's to great adventures and great vacations! And here's to the Ritz Carlton!

Xi'an

Today was our first of two days in Xi'an. We had originally planned to take the bus for a few hours to Luoyang to see the Longman Caves, but we decided last night not to. So, we slept in a little today (and watched Snakes on a Plane on HBO) and then started our day.

First up, we took a taxi to the Xi'an Train Station, where we caught a minibus to the Terra Cotta Warriors about an hour away. The trip was less than pleasant - the scenery was boring and grey, and the road was super bumpy. But, it was only 7 Yuan (1 USD), and compared to the prearranged tours which cost upward of 500 Yuan per person, the ruggedness was worth it.


Once there, we bought our tickets and headed in. The site itself is really large and consists of a museum, gift shop (of course), lots of grounds/gardens, and the three excavated sites. The 2nd site was still be excavated, so we couldn't see it, and the 3rd site was pretty small. But, the 1st site was huge and pretty impressive. There were hundreds (probably thousands) of carefully detailed warriors all lined up and ready for battle.

After we finished up there, we caught a minibus and headed back to the city. From there, we took a taxi to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is Xi'an's biggest highlight. It was pretty cool, and there were some nice views and architectual elements. You could also climb up to the top of the pagoda for an extra 20Y, but neither of us really had any desire to walk up and down all those stairs, so we decided to have dinner instead. Interestingly, despite it's name, we didn't see a single goose there, real or statue - not sure what's up with that. haha

We ate at a pretty touristy restaurant on the pagoda grounds, but we were so cold and hungry that we didn't really care. My food was pretty good. I had a curry chicken set with rice, steamed greens, vegetables, steamed egg custard, and a really horrible smelling/looking soup that I didn't even try. I also had some picked cucumber dish, a few types of dim sum, and 2 plates of egg tarts. I was a very happy man. :) They also had some really delicous jasmine tea, which I couldn't get enough of. Not only was it delicious, but it was also not too hot. I love tea, but I hate when they serve it at such a high temperature at some restaurants that you can barely even hold the glass. This one was just right!

All in all, I am pretty unimpressed with Xi'an. Honestly, I wasn't super excited to come to Xi'an in the first place, and perhaps if I had come here first, I would have liked it more. But there just doesn't seem to be anything special or extra charming about it. It's just a small city. It reminds me sort of of Reno - it's a big tourist destination, and in it's hay day, it used to be super cool, but Vegas is so much better. haha

At any rate, since we didn't go to Luoyang today and there isn't much else to do here in Xi'an that is of interest to us, I think we are just going to relax during the day tomorrow before our flight back to Beijing. It's a little dissapointing, since I would have liked to have ended our trip on a strong note, but relaxation isn't a bad thing. We are also trying to book a room in the Ritz Carlton in Beijing for our last night in China tomorrow since we liked it so much the first time - I hope it works out!!

Karaoke on the Mini Bus

This is the silly music video that the people on the mini bus from Jiajiang to Emei Shan sang along to yesterday!!!

Farewell to Chengdu

Today was our last day in Chengdu, which was unfortunate because Katie and I both woke up with pretty low energy to start the day. All that hiking yesterday at the Thousand Buddha Cliffs really tired us out I guess.

Anyway, we eventually got up, checked out of our hotel, and took a taxi to the Wenshu Temple in Chengdu. The outskirts of the temple are lined with so many alleys and side streets that are full of shops, tea houses, and food stands. It was a really nice walk.

Since today is a national holiday, the temple itself was super crowded with worshipers. Despite that, we managed to walk around the grounds a lot and take some good pictures. Although the temple was really beautiful, it felt a little strange to be walking around as tourists when so many people were there to worship. And to be perfectly honest, we have seen so many temples since we've been here, that we are pretty temple-d out at this point. So, rather than going to see some of the other temples in the area after that, we decided to take a taxi to the People's Park.

Lonely Planet said good things about the park, and it turned out to be quite a nice place. Though, like the temple, it was super crowded. There were some koi fish lakes, some cool buildings, and a garden made entirely out of potted bonzai trees. The definate high point though was the animatronic haunted house that was there. It was like a primitive version of "It's a Small World" at Disney World and was soooo cheesy that it was actually funny. (Katie was scared though haha)

After that, we headed back to the hotel area to have lunch and decided to just go to KFC since we didn't have much time. This was a big mistake though - it was soooo crowded, the lines took forever, and we couldn't even find a table to eat at despite looking and walking around in circles for about 10 minutes! It was really frustrating.

But, food is food, and food makes me happy :) Once we finished eating, we got our bags and headed to the airport for our flight to Xi'an. The flight was really nice, and really short, and with the exception of the super long taxi ride to our hotel, Xi'an seems like a nice place so far. Our hotel is really nice/luxurious, and we just had a nice dinner at a restaurant nearby.

As nice as Xi'an is, Chengdu left a really strong impression with me and I miss it already. Tomorrow, we are headed to Luoyuang to see the Longman Caves. We are planning on taking the bus there, and based on our bus experience yesterday, we are a little nervous. Hopefully it'll be okay!