Hi.  I haven't blogged on this thing in awhile.  I guess anyone who's in cyberspace knows xanga is dying.  I have a friend who actually worked at xanga for awhile and he informed me of all the complications they've been going through in the last year or so.  Needless to say, he bounced from the company and my best guess is, don't be surprised if one day soon, xanga is telling its users: sorry, but goodbye.

Anyway, this isn't the reason I'm finally writing for the first time in forever.  I'm not even really expecting anyone to read this.  I just had to put some thoughts down on "paper."  A diary entry, if you will.

At the end of my run on Sunday, I ran into a pot of gold.  I took one of my usual routes, but what made it sweet today is that I hit the end of it right as the sun was finishing setting.  It was a sight to behold.  I took a seat and did some thinking.

The sunset spoke to me.  It told me that my time in New York is really coming to a close.  Like the sun setting on this day, so too is my time here.  It was a beautiful sunset and it made me think for a moment - why would I ever want to leave this great place behind? - but I know that I have pretty much exhausted all there is to see, be, and do here in the last near 10 years that I've lived here.

A couple of years ago, I did this little pet thing that I called Project 33 whereby I went around NYC snapping photos right before I turned 34 because I felt there was a good chance my time here was ending then.  And while I started traveling that year and then have spent the better part of my 35th year of life not in New York, traveling primarily in Asia, I have maintained my residence here.  I've been lucky: I've actually had sublettors stay in my place so as to alleviate the burden of my having to pay for the place even when I'm not here.  One way or another, it's just worked out.  I've come and gone a couple of times to stay in New York for stretches, and I've been able to stay in my place as one sublettor or another moved out and made way for me to return.  Perfect.

Well, another b-day has passed recently and after a rather miserable birthday week and party (I'll spare the details), a lot of things have dawned on me.  Sometimes it's hard to stomach, but such is life I guess.  People I used to call friends are no longer now, people I thought I knew well once are basically enemies now, people who are friends now are all moving on with their lives, which is to be expected.  I can feel it.  Personally and professionally I think there is progressively less for me here and on Sunday, it's something I peacefully accepted as I stared into the sunset before I turned around to run home.

Interestingly, as I set out to head back, I looked up and the moon was beaming down on the city from the other way.  So, one way, I'm looking at the sun set and the other way, I'm looking at the moon beam.  I thought it was apropos.  The sun represents light and that's what we're always chasing.  The moon represents dark, something we want to run from.  I was running into the dark and away from the sun this time, but that's, hopefully, soon about to change once I exit this town.

It's hard to put into words, but it all made sense to me crystal loud and clear and while there is a tinge of sadness, I am always always excited about the prospects ahead.  2010, bring it on.

I'm PSYCHED for this coming Thursday's free Hall & Oates romp at Coney Island.  Never been to the Cone either so it'll be 2 birds with one stone.  I plan on getting there extra early to be right 'neath their nostrils.

I still don't know how it happened, but in the last couple years, there has been this fierce comeback from them.  More like popular culture reclaiming them.  I'm like --- they never went nowhere, folks!  But, admittedly, it's nice to see all the attention they're gettin' now.  Well deserved.  And, I seem to be hearing from more of my friends whether it be through a text, an email, a phone call, or a Facebook posting - whenever one of my friends hears/sees something H&O related, I'm the first thing in their head.  I've become synonmous with H&O.  I can die happy now.

Recent awesomeness:

The latest from LFDH.  D jams with the Plain White T's.  You know that Hey There Delilah song and you know you love it:



The launch of J-Stache.  I've been reading about this for awhile and it's finally come out!  Someone gone and done it and created a cartoon based on Oatsie's moustache as a superhero.  It's so strange and yet so good.  I love it!  I mean, why didn't I think of this???

And the summer hit rom-com 500 Days of Summer becomes the latest flick that uses You Make My Dreams on their soundtrack, only in this film (as opposed to seemingly every Adam Sandler movie where it's just a song played over a scene), Gordon-Levitt actually rocks out to it.  I'm told it'll make me stand up in my seat and start dancing in the theatre.  Outstanding.  I can't wait.

i think it's complete and utter b.s. that Laura Ling and Euna Lee are being held captive in North Korea right now.  they go on trial this Thursday in N. Korea and they face up to 10 years in prison if determined guilty for basically doing nothing wrong even if they did accidentally cross into the n. korean zone.  yell at them, slap them on the wrist.  make them sit in jail for 10 years???  my wish is the world would unite on this, make their voice heard, go to a vigil in their hometown, and channel positive thoughts till these girls come home.  their families miss them like crazy.

i think it's sad that yesterday, on the same day, when one really good ole friend of mine told me that she got engaged, another really ole good friend of mine told me she was going to get divorced.  i don't know what to make of it all.

i think i could make both new york (or LA, still plan on moving there) and shanghai my homes.  in fact, i think i'm going to try to do that for awhile to see how it goes.  just got back from SH and i am enjoying my time in NYC but gotta get back to SH for work and i'm looking forward to that as well.  and then already i'm looking forward to coming back and going back the next time...today, i just applied to get my taiwan passport which will hopefully make my ability to travel to/from and within greater china a lot easier.  never in a zillion years did i ever think i'd be trying to get a taiwan passport.

i think everything came full circle this past weekend.  you never know what life will give you and what it gave me recently is something so random and so unexpected that yet it makes perfect and total sense.  sometimes it's just that way.  i've given up on trying to predict or understand everything life offers.

i think that music really affects the soul.  there was this random guy on the street in shanghai selling CDs of this woman singing really sad love songs.  a chinese woman doing english covers.  her name is yao si ting and her songs are so powerful they put me in the saddest mood.  i immediately bought the CD from he guy.  look her music up and you'll know what i mean.  sad...but you can't help but listen and let yourself fall into this melancholy state.

i think kobe bryant is a totally arrogant prick.  i'm glad lebron didn't get to the finals so he can learn a lesson in humility.

i think i just saw the movie of the year for me.  actually it was the oscar winning foreign film earlier this year so really it came out last year.  but i finally just saw it.  what took me so long?  do yourself a favor and check it out.  tear jerking stuff:  DEPARTURES.

i think i've been eating out way too much.  since i got back to the states, all i've done is gone out to meet friends for lunches and dinners.  it's a little excessive and scary.  gotta up the running miles.

i think i did a running version of the hat trick the other week - in a 7-day stretch, i ran in shanghai, honolulu, and then new york.   i think the hawaii run up to diamond head was the best, but running at the reservoir in central park after not having been there in a loooong time was pretty darn cool too.

i think this past sunday's episode of shanghai rush was the best/funniest so far.  my mom called me as soon as she watched it to tell me she was on the edge of her seat at the end to see who was going to get the boot.  i gotta admit, even i was on edge.  and i knew what happened!

i think the pollen count is really high this year in nyc.  i bought claritin today and i've never ever done that.

i think sometimes the best people aren't meant to stay in your life and i think that's really sad.

i think edison chen is crazy to be resurfacing in hong kong now.

i think the new restaraunt Jo's in soho on elizabeth between prince and houston streets is great.  just had dinner there tonight.  new american awesomeness at great prices.  it's a keeper.

i think zee avi is great!

i think this is an amazing story and it just happened to my sister:

my sister is in town here in nyc (both are actually)...steph is here visiting a guy she just met, not even of 2 weeks, but someone she has toppled head over heels for it seems.  and here's the dish...like 2 months ago, she stopped by the set of a guitar hero metallica commerical shoot her friend bret ratner was directing up in the bay area.  he rang her up since he was in town and told her to pop by.  she did and after meeting everyone and hanging out for a bit, went home happy having had the opportunity to get a sneak peak on a fun thing...well a month or so later, while at work - she works at myspace in SF - the receptionist calls her and tells her that she has a visitor at the door for her.  who?  a gentleman who had met her on the guitar hero metallica shoot.  who???  it couldn't be bret.  so upon going down to greet this mystery man...she was shocked to see the creative director of the ad agency standing in her lobby!  what the?  who the?  apparently, mr. creative director didn't even know my sister's name, but he remembered where she said she worked and he told himself the next time he was in SF (he's based in colorado), he was going to stop there to find her.  he had pestered bret for her info but rat refused.  (that's called cock blocking folks).  somehow through major research, he found her and well, right now, they are spending his birthday week out here in nyc together as he has to be here for work.  needless to say, steph dug this guy from the outset.  she just didn't think anything would or could happen.  at the site of him in her lobby and then his story, she melted, lived a real life it-only-happens-in-the-movie experience and appears to have fallen madly in like with him (love's a strong word dear readers).  okay, since i'm a cynic, i'm skeptical.  but since i have a tender ronny ( i ain't a roni) side, it floors me too.  i gotta hand it to the guy - that took more than guts.  he got what he wanted.  now, i may just have to take a page out of his book one day...

i think, i think, i think...