Ahhhh. Hong Kong public holidays. Sometimes I don't even know why we have a holiday, but a day off is a day off. Got my macbook. A glass of 2001 Australian Shiraz. I'm ready to blog.
Speaking of wine, I was just thinking about the personality of different types of alcohol. Then i started thinking...if i were an alcoholic beverage, what would i be? I would love to be a pinot noir, because it's my favorite wine. But then again, I'm not really quite that refined. Not quite that delicate. Champagne? No. That would fit Teagan better -- bubbly, sweet, suitable for parties or an elegant evening. (And I don't mean Andre!) Hoogaarden? It's one of my preferred beers, but if you really think about it, it's kind of a poser. A beer with a softer side. I've got no problem drinking one, but I don't want to be a poser. Guinness? Not full bodied. Nor Irish. Patron? Not that expensive. Not that big at parties. Merlot? I'm too immature. Cabernet? Not that popular.
So what am i? I can be a bit stuck up and judgemental at times. But in general, I'm pretty laid back. I like to have a good time, but I also need a fair bit of down time. I'm a bit eccentric at times, but usually fairly sweet in nature. maybe if a behave, i can be a sauvignon blanc. or a riesling even.
maybe one day, i'll become a pinor noir.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
pornification
there's been quite a bit of media coverage on the pornification of young women. more and more, young women view "sexy" as a equivalent of "rauchy". the trend started to take form years ago when abercrombie started selling thongs for girls, and when calvin klein and abercrombie used young models in provocative prints. or maybe even earlier.
beauty used to be something more refined, sexiness more muted. it seems that now it's just about showing skin (clueless to blame?) more and more, high school and college girls think dressing and acting like prostitutes is "hot", which is often reinforced by hormone-driven boys egging them on. i mean, i'm really in no position to criticize. i frequently fall victim to those cute skirts too short to be worn in public. and am guilty of dressing up for the "porno party" back in college.
this mentality extends to behavior as well. if you walk into a high school dance or a college party, the way kids dance would give my grandma a heart attack on the spot. pussycat dolls. they're hot right? yet the image is a complete 180 from marilyn monroe, who is also viewed as "sexy." maybe it's for attention. maybe it's liberating to defy society's standards of a "good girl." but then again, is it really liberating if it is actually acceptable?
the effects of pornification goes beyond teenage girls. any popular women's magazine will inevitably include articles about sex. don't get me wrong -- there's nothing wrong with women enjoying sex. but to overemphasize and to obsess about it, it is a bit strange, don't you think? maybe we're all supposed to be a "lady on the street but a freak in the sheets"?
beauty used to be something more refined, sexiness more muted. it seems that now it's just about showing skin (clueless to blame?) more and more, high school and college girls think dressing and acting like prostitutes is "hot", which is often reinforced by hormone-driven boys egging them on. i mean, i'm really in no position to criticize. i frequently fall victim to those cute skirts too short to be worn in public. and am guilty of dressing up for the "porno party" back in college.
this mentality extends to behavior as well. if you walk into a high school dance or a college party, the way kids dance would give my grandma a heart attack on the spot. pussycat dolls. they're hot right? yet the image is a complete 180 from marilyn monroe, who is also viewed as "sexy." maybe it's for attention. maybe it's liberating to defy society's standards of a "good girl." but then again, is it really liberating if it is actually acceptable?
the effects of pornification goes beyond teenage girls. any popular women's magazine will inevitably include articles about sex. don't get me wrong -- there's nothing wrong with women enjoying sex. but to overemphasize and to obsess about it, it is a bit strange, don't you think? maybe we're all supposed to be a "lady on the street but a freak in the sheets"?
Friday, May 4, 2007
all grown up
life as an investment banker in hong kong has been a lot calmer than i expected. aside from the business class flights, five star hotel suites and 21 hour work days when i go on business trips, my life has been pretty structured. wake up. go to work. go to the gym. back to work. come home. call friends/family. go to sleep. rise lather and repeat.
it sounds a bit boring, but im actually kind of enjoying it. it makes the occasional beer or dinner with a friend all that much more special. and i feel better too. after years and years of waking up in the middle of the day, going to sleep in the middle of the night. eating unhealthy crap, and heavy drinking, i quite welcome the change. and if i get bored...there's always Shopping (with a capital S for emphasis) :) hong kong is a heaven for shoppers. and if that's not enough, there's always the internet. like back in the times of 1.00.. and its good knowing that if i ever wanted a crazy night out, the nightlife is there. if hong kong's not enough, there's always bangkok, seoul, tokyo, and all the little touristy asian cities.
maybe this is me getting old, but i really enjoy my time at home. especially cleaning up my place, cooking, doing laundry while sipping on a glass of wine. maybe i'm really meant to be a housewife? maybe one day i'll become a day trader so i can make millions of dollars while sitting at home. not a bad deal if i can pull it off.
it sounds a bit boring, but im actually kind of enjoying it. it makes the occasional beer or dinner with a friend all that much more special. and i feel better too. after years and years of waking up in the middle of the day, going to sleep in the middle of the night. eating unhealthy crap, and heavy drinking, i quite welcome the change. and if i get bored...there's always Shopping (with a capital S for emphasis) :) hong kong is a heaven for shoppers. and if that's not enough, there's always the internet. like back in the times of 1.00.. and its good knowing that if i ever wanted a crazy night out, the nightlife is there. if hong kong's not enough, there's always bangkok, seoul, tokyo, and all the little touristy asian cities.
maybe this is me getting old, but i really enjoy my time at home. especially cleaning up my place, cooking, doing laundry while sipping on a glass of wine. maybe i'm really meant to be a housewife? maybe one day i'll become a day trader so i can make millions of dollars while sitting at home. not a bad deal if i can pull it off.
Monday, April 9, 2007
my almost-hooker experience
a smoke-filled bar on a remote street in wan chai. the smoke is so thick i can barely see. the clientele -- a good mix of australians and filipinos, splattered with a few chinese and americans. a good number of "working ladies" whisper into the ears of the foreign men, alluring them to pay for some cheap fun. i see phil and quickly run towards him for fear of being mistaken as a filipino hooker.
wan chai is a neighborhood in hong kong expanding from central, a cluster of international financial giants, to causeway bay, the tourist destination for value and luxury shops. in the heart of wan chai is victoria harbor, where the british and us navy docked in the post-WWII era. since. the streets by the harbor became the first foreigner hangout spots, but quickly became hong kong's famous red-light district. nowadays, despite the rampant prostitution business, there are still a few down-to-earth bars with live bands (a drastic contrast to Lan Kwai Fung's pretentious and exclusive clubs), still frequented by foreigners, mainly australian and british expats.
on this particular night, a filipino band is performing a series of songs from the 80s and 90s, mainly catering to the british and australian crowd. avril lavigne, green day, blink 182. the bar is packed and the crowd is jumping and dancing to the music. it barely feels like hong kong.
wan chai is a neighborhood in hong kong expanding from central, a cluster of international financial giants, to causeway bay, the tourist destination for value and luxury shops. in the heart of wan chai is victoria harbor, where the british and us navy docked in the post-WWII era. since. the streets by the harbor became the first foreigner hangout spots, but quickly became hong kong's famous red-light district. nowadays, despite the rampant prostitution business, there are still a few down-to-earth bars with live bands (a drastic contrast to Lan Kwai Fung's pretentious and exclusive clubs), still frequented by foreigners, mainly australian and british expats.
on this particular night, a filipino band is performing a series of songs from the 80s and 90s, mainly catering to the british and australian crowd. avril lavigne, green day, blink 182. the bar is packed and the crowd is jumping and dancing to the music. it barely feels like hong kong.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
new beginning. new blog.
Only in this city of juxtapositions can you find a store filled with dried jellyfish and sea urchins next to the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, and a packed noodle shop with greasy tables on the same street as Louis Vuitton. Here in Hong Kong, the unimaginable can become the inevitable. Youd never believe that from a patch of grass the size of my parents front lawn would rise a 100-story skyscraper a month later, yet it seems that new building are squeezing and pushing through the already crowded Hong Kong skyline every day.
After having lived in Beijing, Pittsburgh, San Diego, New York, and Boston, and shortly in Maine, I have made home in Hong Kong. In a way, this strange city -- an eclectic mix of East and West, perfectly reflects my life thus far. I wonder what new excitements this energetic city will bring?
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