Shenzhen

The 19th of October was a holiday here in Hong Kong, and a few of my coworkers were gracious enough to spend the day with AC and I as we ventured into Mainland China. Although it's physically quite close to Hong Kong (less than one hour by train), you can immediately recognize a difference -- namely all the English signage is gone. We were very lucky that we had Chinese speakers with us, although even they struggled with the Mandarin dialect versus the Cantonese they are more accustomed to.

Our first stop was a traditional dim sum lunch. I will say that dim sum is finally growing on me. We were slightly more adventurous this time and I actually tried squab (domestic pigeon). Tastes like chicken! *groan* After a huge lunch and a failed attempt to get a lane at a local bowling alley, we headed over to a spa for a massage. Let's just say this is where things started to get interesting.

First, we were separated from our guides (as they were both ladies, they used the ladies dressing room). As AC and I were quickly ushered into the men's room, we were also separated to different lockers that corresponded with magnetic wrist band keys we were pre-assigned. My little helper boy tried desperately to communicate with me but could only manage, "USA? NBA?" while making basketball dribbling motions in the air. I'm sure I did look like a basketball player as I stood at least two feet taller than anyone there. I looked around for some visual queues that would help me understand what the heck I was supposed to do. I only saw ... well ... a bunch of naked Chinese people running around. So ... I joined them.

I eventually was reunited with AC -- now only donning a towel and his glasses -- and we were escorted into the showers. Apparently bathing was mandatory, as a man dressed in all back paced up and down the line of open stalls ensuring all the nude bodies reached an acceptable level of cleanliness. What a fun job that must be! The last stop was a changing area where we dried off and got into loose-fitting shorts and a smock.

Still reeling from my bout of public nudity anxiety, I surveyed the room. The main room seemed familiar, yet like nothing we'd ever seen before. Imagine going to a casino that has a large Keno room -- lots of comfortable chairs all facing a large screen in front. Or maybe a big IMAX movie theater? Now picture everyone sitting there getting foot massages. I'm re-reading my description and it just doesn't do it justice as to how weird this place felt. In addition to this sea of foot massages, you could also order food, smoke cigarettes, run on a tread mill and just generally laze around -- with hardly any clothes on.

When reunited with the ladies, they decided that we should all get a private room for our full-body massages. Our leader decided that Cantonese style would be best (and was also the most affordable at $12 US dollars for two hours). While I was excited at getting a cheap deal, let's just say sometimes you get what you pay for.

Initially I started to panic that I was going to have to get naked, yet again, only this time in front of my coworkers. It quickly became clear that they intended to massage us through our clothes. While this alleviated my fear of more public nudity, I began to realize these clothes had a scratchy feel to them. In no time, it felt like we had sunburns as they rubbed the rough cloth all over our skin. I guess Cantonese style massage is a deep-tissue massage, because suddenly my masseur was digging her elbow into my shoulders, wrapping my arm behind my back all "cuff 'em and stuff 'em" style, and generally causing me large amounts of physical pain. Now I'm no massage expert, but the ones I'd have previously all felt good. This was not the case. After two hours of torture, we limped back to the cafeteria and ate (again) to gain our strength for some shopping.

AC quickly found himself in his element, shopping for bargain-basement priced CDs. I was mostly bored, but got enjoyment from hearing such exclamations from AC as "Oh my gosh, George Michael for only a dollar!" and "How do they have Harry Potter on DVD already?" from the various stacks of what must have been bootleg media.

Our final stop was a Mongolian BBQ restaurant for dinner. I wasn't even the slightest bit hungry, given we'd already eaten several times that afternoon, but they quickly ordered eight family-style dishes (because it's good luck to order eight!). The food was actually really really good. The most memorable dish was the leg of lamb. It was served 'caveman style' meaning leg of lamb was actually a leg. As the beer buzz took effect, we pretended to bash each other over the head like our ancient ancestors.

In the end, we spent less than $40 US per person for the entire day. Next time however, I think we'll skip the spa.

Here are the pictures!

Paris Days 4 & 5

With the amount of free time I have on my hands right now, you'd think that I would have written about our final days in Paris with excruciating detail, right? Ah, procrastination -- how I love thee!

Our fourth day in Paris actually wasn't -- in Paris that is. We decided to take a guided tour up to Giverny and check out Claude Monet's house. It was amazing to see the Japanese gardens and iconic bridge that served as the inspiration for his famous waterlily series of paintings. If you're a nature lover, his home would be heaven with countless rows of different types of flowers and plants. The inside of his house was painted in crazy pastels -- we only got one picture snapped before we got in trouble, but his love for pastels didn't stop at the canvas.

After having lunch in what can only be described as the most picture-perfect little restaurant that epitomized the French countryside (above), we headed south to the Palace of Versailles. I had been there before, but it was neat to see AC trip out over the lavish furnishings. They explained that most of the good stuff got melted down to fund the French Revolutionary War, so you have to imagine things with more hardware. They had also just finished a major renovation, so everything was in pristine condition. You could almost picture Louis the XIV and Marie Antoinette at their lavish parties, before they were kindly parted from their heads of course.

Our final day in Paris was bittersweet on so many levels. Knowing that it was our last day in France, and also finding out I was losing my job made for a somewhat somber mood. AC continued his surprisingly laid-back approach to our trip and we decided to leisurely wander around the streets of the Montmartre district, making pit stops and The Moulin Rouge, the workplace of Amélie, the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur and other places of note (such as where Picasso lived for a short time).

A non-scientific survey conducted by myself (n=2), revealed that this was the best vacation we ever had. Europe was such an interesting change after being in Asia for such a long time. We can't wait to go back. As always, here are the pictures!

Paris Day 3

Ah how quickly my zen state from Paris was lost (getting fired on your last day of vacation will do that to you). While my mind has been mostly consumed with poisonous thoughts toward my employer, perhaps writing about our third day of vacation will help bring me back to my happy place.

*deep breath -- and we're back*

Day three was probably the most action-packed as we tried to hit most of the major touristy places all in one day.

Our feet were slightly sore from the full-day at the Louvre the previous day, so we had a leisurely breakfast then headed over to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is such an amazing work of architecture, and the near-pitch black conditions inside are amazingly lit from the huge stained glass windows that line every wall. That and the digital displays of all the cash registers hocking everything but Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame plush toys. It was the oddest combination of quiet religious reverence and shameless tourist consumerism. We of course picked up a souvenir 'message to God' candle for Adam's grandmother -- only 5 Euros!

Next stop - Eiffel Tower! After a very brief discussion about the alternatives of taking the stairs (cheaper) or the elevator (sane), we got in the very long line for the elevators. Security was quite tight. As our backpack was being searched, AC though it would be a prudent time to tell me all about the role of the Eiffel Tower in Superman II. Let's just say after using the words "terrorists," "bomb," and "secret plot to blow up the tower", we started getting some very suspicious looks from our linemates. I quickly asked him a random question about Madonna (a sure-fire way to change the topic) to avoid our imminent arrest.

As you'd expect, the view was beautiful (unfortunately the top level was closed, so we had to settle for the middle). It was also cold. Looking back at the pictures, we oddly never posed together. Not just at the Eiffel Tower, but in Paris at all! We'll have to remember that for next time.

After lunch, AC suggested we check out The d'Orsay Museum. I was actually quite surprised he suggested this given that I am more of the art-freak and thought I'd already gotten more than my fair share after spending all day at The Louvre. It's an amazing museum that was converted from a railway station (think art gallery in Grand Central Station). The layout and lighting were simply amazing and it was nice to see some art I was more familiar with. Not to be a total nerd, but you get the most indescribable feeling when you're right next to a famous painting you've only seen in books ... you could touch it if you wanted to (get arrested). I wondered out out -- what would prevent someone from coming in here and vandalizing one of the paintings? Interestingly, right after we left -- someone did just that by punching a hole in a painting I'd gazed at just days before. Anyway, to make up for making AC do so much grown-up stuff, I posed for a picture that looks a rhino is about to crap on me. See how we give-and-take?

After this, the Arc de Triomphe! It's a little tricky to figure out how to get to it, as it's encircled by a multiple lane circular road. After AC's reference to our trusty guidebook, we found the subway entrance and made it over. The most memorable thing about this monument was the spiral staircase the led up to the top. For me, it wasn't the staircase itself but the pile of nearly-dead bodies panting desperately for breath at the top. AC and I are no fitness freaks, but nearly everyone who braved the staircase seemed to be on the verge of a myocardial infarction. We felt pretty good about ourselves! We also had a little run-in with the law here, but if AC ever gets back to blogging, I'll let him write about it.

To end our day, we took a leisurely walk back down the Champs-Élysées back to our hotel. We made a quick pit-stop to ride a huge Ferris Wheel and then watched leisurely as a fist fight almost broke out somehow. Don't ask me -- we were confused too.

Stay tuned for Paris Day 4 -- Claude Monet's house and the palace of Versailles. Oh, and here are the pictures.

Paris Day 2

AC was a gracious travel buddy on day two and allowed me to hang out at The Louvre ... all day! Rumor has it that the Campbell Clan's approach to this museum is to rush in right when it opens, see the Mona Lisa, then the Venus de Milo then leave -- twenty minutes max!

I, however, have started to get really interested in art as I grow older. Although I'd already been to The Louvre in my youth, I had a totally new perspective in adulthood. Realistically, by the end I though I might puke if I saw another marble statue or painting of Jesus, but I'm glad I got to spend so much time there.

As promised, here are the pictures from day two!

Distracted

While I had planned a glorious day-by-day expose of our Paris trip, I find myself extremely distracted. Explanation below ...

Fast-forward to the final day of our Paris vacation. I got an email from my boss saying that she needed to talk with me urgently and asked if she could call me over the weekend. This is not her usual MO -- she really isn't one to bug me over a weekend, much less while I'm on vacation.

So to make a long story short, she was calling me to let me know that my job in Hong Kong was eliminated. I must admit this didn't come as a huge surprise to me. The hiring forecast for next year was reduced to 1/3 of the original plan. Combined with the fact that it's quite expensive to keep me living in Hong Kong, this outcome became inevitable.

(For this next part, picture two mini-AJs sitting on each of my shoulders. One with a halo, one with horns and a pitchfork.)

So herein lies my psychosis -- I'm 50% okay and 50% disgruntled employee doing web research on arson (just kidding!).

Angel AJ -- this whole experience was truly a blessing. Considering a mere 10 years ago I was a mere Wal-Mart cronie, this was an opportunity that very few would ever get. It was an amazing mixture of excitement, culture shock, loneliness, joy, heartbreak ... so much personal growth and learning packed into 12 short months. While I'm sad it ended early, I am a much better person for having done this.

Devil AJ - F*CK YOU you piece of sh*t company! How could you not see this coming? Why in God's name would you wait to fire my ass until RIGHT AFTER I rented out my condo , sold my car, had my partner quit his job and move to China, gave my poor dog so many pre-move shots he almost died from the allergic reaction *pant pant pant*. I can't tell if I'm more mad about being d*cked over by corporate America, or simply lashing out for losing a job that I love so dearly ...

They are trying to make the best of the situation by trying to find me a new job. I have a firm role lined up in the US ... basically my old job back. Not too excited about that. Another option might be moving to Singapore. Interesting ... only how do I say this delicately ... they throw "my kind of people" in prison for expressing our love to each other. *ahem*

I'm not a praying person, but we'd sure appreciate some kind thoughts from you all while we figure out where life is taking us next. Thanks to those who have sent well-wishes thus far. Let's hope this all results in something even more exciting!

Paris Day One

As I mentioned, day one in Paris was really just about getting our bearings and trying to shake off the jet lag. Here are some random pictures from our first day.

Paris Relived - Day One

All of last week, AC and I had the pleasure of spending time in Paris. I had hoped to jot down some updates while I was gone, but it was a semi-working vacation so between work and fun, there was no time to write. I'll try and recreate our activities (and upload pictures soon too!).

I worked late on Monday night and got home about 8:30 pm. AC had thankfully done all the packing, and I did my usual grousing about how he packed too many bags. To illustrate my point, we found ourselves sweaty and exhausted after lugging them through the subway network to the Airport Express station. I think we had gotten in at least four arguments before we made it to the airport. We can never be on The Amazing Race, that is for certain.

After a medium length layover in the Heathrow airport, we found ourselves in gay Paris! It was too early to check into our hotel, so we checked our bags at the hotel and went exploring. It was quite chilly, much to AC's delight (he's been hating the hot muggy weather in Hong Kong). We arrived during the lunch hour and all the locals were out-and-about ... and let me tell you they are one good-looking group of people. Well-dressed, well-groomed, speaking their sexy French accents. By contrast, AC and I were jet lagged, unshaven, with blood-shot eyes and bad breath. We clearly didn't fit it.

We still tried our best to avoid looking like tourists. After getting a little lost we were forced to reference the Lonely Planet guidebook for a map. As I tried to block AC from street view, I noticed that his sweatshirt gave us away "AMERICAN Eagle" in huge white letters ... there was no hiding it. We were tourists.

On our first evening we didn't do much in the way of organized activities. We quickly discovered we were walking distance from The Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and could easily see the Eiffel Tower. After a quick dinner (Japanese, oddly) we totally crashed early and slept like logs.