Back from Hong Kong!

I got back from Hong Kong last night, and I've a lot to do this year in an effort to reconnect with my Asianness:

First, I have to rehearse my new repertoire of asian picture poses. I thought that all I had to do was make a V with every picture, and I was officially asian, but nope. I've been told that there's an entire catalog of asian poses, many of which can be found on this website: www.asianposes.com. I better start practicing.

Second, I need to make more asian friends. Apparently, one isn't really asian until they have a whole gaggle of asian friends to karaoke and gamble with. I don't gamble or karaoke, but if I have more asian friends, perhaps I'll start. I'll see you at the Casino.

Third? Well, I have to get back to my life. Everything (job search, networking, etc) has been on hold for the last five weeks while I've been overseas. Now that I'm back, it's back to the grind for me again.

I had a rocky start in Hong Kong, but by the time week five came around, I was sad to leave the island. The first two weeks were overwhelming -- first, I forgot about how my dad can be, and second, I haven't been around that many people since I foolishly decided to watch the 2003 Holloween Parade my first year in NY. By the third week, I finally felt comfortable being out and about in HK. I was reminded of all the outdoor activities, interesting people, diversity and awesome food the city had to offer. I saw friends I hadn't seen in a years. I learned to ignore my curmudgeonly dad. My mom was off on break, so I got to spend lots of time with her. It was really nice. If I didn't have plans to meet people in HK, I'd often take a walk around the lake at my parents' place, do a bit of yoga, pet the animals, watch some TV and do crossword puzzles all day. I was sad to leave my parents and come back to face life again.

What I've been doing the last two weeks

I've spent the last two weeks hiking, camping and attempting to surf on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica with the Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School (CRROBS). I did a similar trip with CRROBS last winter and had a blast, so I decided to take advantage of my current situation and return while I'm still on the east coast.

Unbeknownst to me, I would spend the next two weeks with mostly boys between the ages of 14-18 who, once they believed I wasn't 16, took to calling me Momma because I was "old enough to be their mom."

We hiked Santa Rosa National Park, and camped and surfed at Witches' Rock and Avellanas. While I probably would not choose to re-visit Costa Rica with this particular group again, I had a fun and interesting experience nonetheless. A fun, funny, frustrating, exhilarating, exasperating, disastrous, fortuitous, infuriating, annoying and amusing all at the same time experience. I'm glad I went.

Enjoy the pictures.

Back from Bonaire

and in hibernation. It's gorgeously spring out, but after two weeks on the small sleepy island of Bonaire, I'm a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people outside. And the busyness of the city.

Give me a few days, and I'll be back to my usual self. Until then, these are usually the moments when I feel like I don't belong in this city. That I ought to be living somewhere where my life is more outside and the pace of life leaves room for reflection...