ziasudra

So my whirlwind weekend trip to LA has come to a close, and now I'm sitting right outside the President's Club, letting my laptop pick up whatever little signal it can through the club's thick doors. Security literally took less than 5 minutes to get through, which was a pleasant surprise.

I met up with

tanechigai today! It's been over a year since she moved, so it's great to see her again. The day was consisted of a lot of eating: lunch, chocolate in the afternoon, and dinner. We also took a walk to a local park, but there wasn't much to see there so it was a quick trip overall.

As for other California folks like

adorkable37 and

luciechan, maybe next trip, when I come visit here for more than just two days.

And now I'm dreading tomorrow, when I'll arrive back to NYC at six-something in the morning and need to more or less go directly to work. I'm tired thinking about that already... *yawns*

Current Location: LAX

Just a quick pop-in to say hi... I'm currently in Puerto Rico with my dad on a conference, and every chance I have on the Internet is precioussss.

So far I've toured (briefly) Old San Juan and did a bunch of nice relaxy stuff at the hotel. Tomorrow I'm going on a sailing tour to see the sunset (was supposed to go snorkeling, but the trip was overbooked :\).

Most importantly, I got sleep! I haven't had such an extended period of rest in so long *g*

*goes off to dinner*

Current Location: Puerto Rico

Thank you for everyone who wished me a save travel. I did have a good flight -- online check-in afforded me the privilege of changing my seat last-minute, which turned out to be the first row window seat of the economy class. There was so much leg room that at some point during the flight, I actually sat on the floor, leaned my back against the side of the plane, and curled up with my journal to write. Pretty cool.

Once I got to Hong Kong, what did I do but visit the ~~first~~ second Starbucks I spotted (the one in the airport didn't count)? It was the one inside the HK University campus, which automatically gives a 30% discount for all staff and students, or, in their case, pretty much to every customer who orders. They have Mango Cheesecakes and Mango Blended Tea Frappucinos there! I ordered a short Vanilla Creme (no whip) and a toasted Mushroom and Cheese pastry, also something different that I don't see in the States.

I still need to make my ritual trip to McDonald's. I wonder if they still have those yummy rice burgers there.

Yesterday I went to the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum (also here, but my first link has a more succint one-glance overview). It was a nice journey into the revolutionary history of China, and how parts of Sun's plight began (as a student) and continued (as a national revolutionary figure) in certain places in Hong Kong. The curators did a really good job with the displays and the signs. I found myself reading the English instead of the Chinese, however ^_^;;

Today is dim sum and a play at night, and tomorrow will be the funeral. Then Monday I'll roam around the city before heading back to glorious New York. Maybe I'll try a Mango Blended Tea Frappucino before I leave.

Current Mood: jet-lagged

Yup, work is done and packing is almost finished and I'll be heading to the airport in about an hour. I'll see you all again when I'm halfway around the world! ~~Because I just can't not obsessively check my flist.~~

Current Location: Will be all over, soon
Current Music: Steven Curtis Chapman -- Dive

Picture time! I still don’t have all the pictures yet, such as my second trip to Disneyland (yes, for the price of one ticket HK residents get to go twice) when I took a picture with Mickey. But here are the bulk of the pictures. Enjoy!

♦ Disneyland HK – taken in 2005 when the park first opened. Courtesy of Dad.

♦ Disneyland HK 2006 – pictures taken from my Disney trip.

♦ While I was in HK, I was temporary neighbor to a cat. Our neighbors upstairs have two cats and a dog. This one, Camilla (Cami), likes to come down to our place to seek some special attention. We gave her a basket and took pictures of her relaxing in her bed – Cami pictures.

♦ Some family pictures my dad dug up, here. View if you’re a friend, I’m friends-locking these for obvious reasons. A few are of my grandma (she’s the one in the middle in the three-people shots), and some of my dad when he was a wee child. Hee!

Had a second interview today. I got to meet some more people at the company as well as a team of current copy editors. It went well, I think. But I'm still holding out until I hear back from others like the UN English Editors exam committee with whom I took a test a long time ago. Still no new assignment from Kaplan yet (aside from the one I turned down because of my trip), and I just picked up my last paycheck from working with the kiddies since I can't work there anymore now that the university's school year is over. So now I'm quite literally unemployed :p

On the bright side, Starbucks is hiring. Part-time employees get medical, dental, and vision plans, 401K, and stock options! You know, for a transition job, that's not too bad. I wonder how competitive it is to get a Starbucks job...?

[ETA 12:06 a.m.: OMG the Heat won!!! Comeback from a 13-point deficit, 98-96!!! aldjksf!!!]

Current Mood: Grrr... Heat can't shoot :p
Current Music: Mavericks @ Heat

Getting myself ready to head back to the East Coast. Another semester. Blech, with barely finishing my Web project and receiving my fall semester grades just days ago, I feel like I haven't had much of a break.

I'll see some of you back East. Can't wait!

On Online Check-in and Seat Hoarding
I'm a total advocate for checking in online the day before my flight leaves. I know it's a smart ploy by airlines to save on their own ink and paper, as well as to give those poor people working the check-in counters a slight break by having less people that would be queuing up just hours before a flight. But it's got real advantages.

First there's the express line that I get to go to in order to drop off my luggage. The line's like a tenth of the size of the regular line, and things go a lot quicker too. Better yet, if I don't have any luggage, I can arrive the airport and head straight toward security check.

Then there's last-minute seat changing—for the airline I'm flying, at least. When I booked the flight, the good seats were blocked out for premium customers. But when I go online to check in, those seats opened up for my taking. Both on my outgoing and return trips, I moved from rows 20-something to aisle seat, first economy row. Yup, both trips, the same spacious, comfortable, easy-to-board, easy-to-deplane seat. Extra leg rooms, here I come!

Online check in = thumbs up.

Now, I wonder what movie will be played on my trip tomorrow... *g*

Current Mood: optimistic
Current Music: FTP... FTP... FTP...

A bit late, but here are some of the pictures my dad and I took while I was visiting him at Stanford. He's going to visit me in NYC in late-September. Yay!

Stanford's Hoover Tower
[1], [2], [3] (carillon inside the top of the tower)

Stanford Buildings
[1], [2]

Totem Pole!
[1], [2]

Inside the Asian Library
[1], [2], [3]

Not Stanford, but it's pretty
[1], [2], [3], [4]
.

Current Mood: organized

Visiting my dad at Standford from August 15-17.

First time here, Stanford campus tour tomorrow. Should be fun :)

[ETA: Choose the day when I'm traveling (and the next three days when I'll barely have online time) for the big news of the Gaza pullout. Here's a CNN article. For anything and everything related to the issue, see Google's constantly updated Gaza Pullout page here.]
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Current Mood: drained

Yesterday I went to Sea World San Diego. Fun!!!!! We spent more than eight hours there, from mid-afternoon all the way until the park closed. Call it nature's fluke that I happened to feel sick pretty much most of the day, but I had fun nonetheless.

A Day of Freebies
(While driving into Sea World)
Parking lot attendant: For the purposes of a survey, may I have your zip code please?
Us: *gives zip code*
Parking lot attendant: Thank you very much. And for participating in the survey, you get free parking today.
Us: *squees*

(dinnertime)
Mom: Hey look! All these people are holding little plastic cups of beer. I think they're giving out samples!
*lines up to get free beer*
Ziasudra: Yum. Draft beer tastes so much better than bottled beer (recalls how it took me, roommies, and

tanechigai all semester to consume one bottle of beer... or is it still there?)
Ziasudra: *dumps some beer into plastic cup meant for water*
Ziasudra: (to Boy Cousin) Here, try some
Boy Cousin: *drinks*
Boy Cousin: It has a weird aftertaste
Boy Cousin: *does not reach out for more* (interpret = didn't like it)
Ziasudra: *guzzles down remaining beer*

Note: Sea World San Diego is owned by Annheuser-Busch beer company
[/free stuff]

See World? Sea World!
All in all, we saw animal shows, fireworks, animals, and more animals. Oh, and there were rides and cable cars and such too. Whee! I'm going to try listing all the animals I saw, so unless you find the uncategorical listing of living organisms especially entertaining, feel free to skip the cut entirely.

( What I saw... )

Completely Unrelated...
Anyone seen the GoF movie sneak peek in which Death Eaters look like the Klu Klux Klan? I was quite disappointed at the depiction. Yes, I see the visual link of trying to tie the DEs to another terrorist group, thus establishing the mental connection. But KKK is American, not British! And since when did Voldemort and his gang resort to copying someone else's wardrobe, and from Muggles?

In honor of the sneak peek,

snapetoy wrote a response, very funny: here.
.

Current Mood: groggy
Current Music: Celtic Music

Greetings from the other side of the U.S.A., more specifically, from West Covina, California!

Got in Wednesday night and took yesterday off. I'm now back and ready to write a little report on my cross-country trip. But before I do that: How is everyone? Any earth-shattering news I've missed (newspaper was quite scarce en route)?

Onto the real point of this post *drumrolls*

( Itinerary, with maps! )

( State-by-state commentary )

( ...A very random thought about bugs )

( The final tally... )

[ETA: 5:53 p.m.: More pictures! Picture #6 added to Wyoming, Pictures #2-5 added to California, and a general group picture here]
.

Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Mercy Me -- Word of God Speak

We made it to California in record time, 4 days! Faster than my traveling buddy's moving company, who's scheduled to deliver her furniture anytime between August 2 and August 13.

While my traveling buddy is now settling into her new home area, I still have one more segment to travel before my journey ends. A quick flight from northern to southern California tomorrow, then I'll be all done. (And yes, a travel report is on its way and should be posted soon after I'm really done with my travel.)
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Current Mood: accomplished

A quickie entry, because I'm in Salt Lake City and it's a huge city, thus roaming WiFi connection :D

We've driven close to 2250 (maybe even over) miles in the past three days. We anticipate getting into Morgan Hill, CA tonight—late tonight—with about 12 hours of driving left to do.

We're making good time!
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Current Mood: awake
Current Music: Traveling buddy's hair dryer

Arrived friend's house at Ann Arbor, Michigan. No problems on the journey once we leave NJ behind. We got in close to midnight, but all's good.
.

Current Mood: sore

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At the airport, waiting for my flight

Taking advantage of teh Intarwebz...

Mid-Trip... already?

14-Hour Plane Ride, Here I Come!

As promised... pictures

Oh, I'm Leeeaving on a Jetplane...

Picture Time!

Trip #2

Under the Sea, Under the Sea...

Return from Hiatus

Arrived

At Salt Lake City

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January 2011

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