Heading Home

They're sending me back to Baltimore to start on a new project before I head to Taiwan.

I'm excited to go back home and see my friends before making the final leap, hopefully I get to make the most out of everything this summer before I start my new adventure abroad. More on this later.

ROAD TRIP!

I'm a man on a mission.

Currently operating out of a small town in northern Florida which shall remained unnamed. I'm nothing but an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill.

Driving down to Florida you see some interesting things. Houses draped in confederate flags, more double-wides than you could shake a stick at ... and waffle houses. Lots and lots of waffle houses. But one thing that really stood out to me were the street names. First, we passed Sparkleberry circle. I laughed. Then we passed Mercy Seat drive. I laughed a little harder (the mercy seat was a nickname for old electric chairs). But then ... then we passed Sparkleberry lane. What? Not 5 miles before we had passed Sparkleberry cir. I could accept that. Strange name, but it's a circle, so it should end and I never have to see it again. Now it's back, this time in lane form directly after we go by old electric chair drive.

At first I was a little confused by it all. Why have 2 completely different roads share that name? Then I was just really angry. Just ... an irrational anger.

This put me in a strange frame of mind when I saw a small cat run over by a speeding truck on the street right infront of me as we attempted to turn make our entrance. As best I can tell, the back right tire of the truck ran over the cats neck, and the body flopped up in the air. When it hit the road again it's hind legs began to spasm violently. After that I couldn't really complain about being in the middle of nowhere.

They Promised Me That It Would Be Warm

They promised me it would be warm here.

They did.

They lied.

I just wish I had been better prepared for the weather. My own fault I guess.

It's ok, I actually don't mind Macon at all ... though there isn't a lot to do. On one hand it seems interesting to have so much time to myself, but I really do miss Cecilia. And this cold isn't helping anything. We're supposed to get 1-3 in. of snow here in Macon ... so of course everyone is panicking. All schools have been closed, houses boarded up and the children have been locked away in little rooms with their own portable space heaters. Piggly Wiggly ran out of bread and milk by mid-day.

I always thought it was interesting that everyone buys milk and bread and toilet paper as soon as they hear it's going to snow. I once saw a woman with a shopping containing 5 gallons of milk, atleast 6 loaves of bread and an equal number of toilet paper packs. "What are you doing?" I imagine myself asking her. "As soon as I see snow I a chug milk, eat only bread and shit uncontrollably." her only possible answer.

I've been exploring the Plant (clay processing plant) at work this week, everyday going deeper and deeper into the belly of the great, lurching machine that I call master. Everyday farther underneath the tangle of pipes coming from the darkness and disappearing into it again, visibly pulsing with the clay dust that is like gold to the people of Gordon. Each time I fear we've ventured too far, that this will be the time we don't make it back, and each time we emerge back into the living, breathing world, relief washes over me in an awesome wave. We stumble back to our living boxes every night and prepare to make the journey again. But will the next day be our last?

No, I wouldn't say I've been involved in the more technical aspects of running the Plant. Why do you ask?

Rebirth/Renewal

Well ... it's funny how things happen.

It's been nearly 2 years since I posted on this blog. I had almost totally forgotten about it and definitely never dreamed that I would be writing again. Never crossed my mind.

When I left China in June 2008 it was, in many ways, with my tail between my legs. Looking back, it really could have been a big failure for me. There were a lot of missed opportunities, a lot of things left undone.

I never got a real job.
I never enrolled in language classes (outside of my 1 year university stay in shanghai)
I never owned a mo-ped.
I never really did anything.
the list goes on ...

But I'm going back.

I've got a job. They're sending me to Taipei ... and many other places. I'll be a productive (well ...) member of society. I'll enroll in language classes. I'll own a mo-ped AND a kick ass helmet. I'll do something.

... I'll master the art of karate.

You wait and see.

also, look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw&feature=response_watch

So....

It's been awhile, and I'm sorry.

But I've had some very interesting little adventures that have taken up alot of my time.

For instance, I've started my own company. Yes folks, James Lewis is now the 20% profit sharer/owner of a sourcing company located in Shanghai. The company has just started though so It's up to me to make it work, which is actually pretty fun. I get to crash embassy parties and pretend that I know cool business terms like VAT, for fun and profit!

I've also got a new girlfriend, and she's a dooozy. Her name is Kitty, so chosen because of her love for Hello Kitty, which I'm sure all of you weirdo's are familiar with. Just to give a little introduction she loves hip hop dancing (which i call hip hopping), wearing fake eyelashes, the color pink, and spending money. She is very thin, so unfortunately I cannot wear her underwear, and she does not think my monkey break dancing is cute.

I've also been sampling Shanghai's night life. Well, not sampling, more like guzzling. Shanghai has some fun places to go: Babyface, BonBon, Guan Di. They're silly places, but fun. The other day I was at Guan Di and Jin, who is apparently a famous rapper and "MC" in the states was there. He's a short Chinese man. There was also a large black man by the name of Da Long (Big Dragon), I don't know his English name. He has a TV show in China and also "MC's" at all the crazy clubs in shanghai. I don't know what MC means, but I believe it. Together they ordered thousands of dollars worth of champagne and alcohol and got wasted... So wasted that they were laughing and cavorting with my girlfriend and I and giving us champagne and an ear full of drunk banter. It was fun, I think I had my picture taken with them.

I have to get back to work so I'll post some more later. bye

Clear and Present Danger

I had been so busy preparing myself for an eventual confrontation with Icy, that I didn't keep proper track of my surroundings. I didn't see the warning signs ... and once I did notice it was entirely too late.

A new danger has presented itself, one that eclipses that of Icy, and one that is much much closer to home (home being the Youth Hostel that I'm currently residing in).

Yesterday a bus full of 17-18 year old Hong Kong girls pulled up to the Youth Hostel. All happily wearing short short shorts, and giggling so much that they were frothing at the mouth. Irresistible. So anyway, being the sociable person that I am, I approached the group and said the few lines of Cantonese that I know, augmenting that with my more extensive knowledge of Mandarin, to the delight and wonderment of all present. I found out they are here to plant trees near the top of the mountain, very charitable.

Suitably impressed, we moved the party to the dining area of the youth hostel, which is very nice ... and sizeable. It was there that we cavorted until the wee hours of the morning, exchanging compliments and telling tales of life, love, and all the rest of it. Anyone who knows me now knows exactly where the danger lies. They thought I was handsome and charming and very intelligent ... because I can speak mandarin and some cantonese after all.

They've told me where their rooms are, and tonight is my last night in Hong Kong ... I don't know what will happen now, but I know at the very least eric will be relieved to know I won't be going to see Icy ... or will I? Now that I think about it I probably should ... thanks eric, you convinced me.

Watching a load of short shorted Hong Kong girls disembark from a bus, giggling and laughing and bouncing is the closest I will ever get to heaven by the way, so I'm enjoying it.

Return to Mt. Davis

So I'm in HK.

Firstly I want to tell you that today I recently been told I look like 2 seperate celebrities. The other day a korean girl told me that I look like Boromir from Lord of the Rings. Personally, I don't know how to take this. And then today, I was told by a girl in Hong Kong that I look like Richard Gere ... again, I don't know how to take this. Ok ... on to Hong Kong.

This is a very dangerous place for me to be. The danger can be summed up in one word: Icy. Some of you will know what/who I'm talking about and if you do that kudos, but it's a very emotionally topic for me and one that stirs up alot of emotions. I could feel those emotions even as I got on the train to bring me into Hong Kong from Shenzhen. And it only got worse as I reached the Island, and then eventually the doorstep of Icy. A very dangerous place to be.

Anyway, long story short, she wasn't home. But I left a note. A dangerous note. There's a pattern.

As some strange amalgamation of Boromir and Richard Gere, I don't know how to correctly analyse my feelings towards Icy. When I am away from her, she is the ex girlfriend that I loved, and who tried to kill me with a knife. That's when I'm in the USA ... or anywhere outside of Hong Kong for that matter. When I am in Hong Kong she becomes something very different ...something that when I am on this god forsaken island I can't fucking stay away from.

And I'm not insane.
That's all I have to say.