Leisure Sunday Morning
May 22, 2016
These days, I’ve swapped the late nights at the clubs for early tranquil mornings. I found myself totally alone this morning, a rare occasion these days of coupledom. It’s a rather nice spring day, after the non-stop rain the day prior. I relished in the silence of the apartment for a while, then headed to Al’s Diner for a brunch…
Read More
10 Days in Yunnan, China
August 23, 2015
My Frenchie and I took a 10-day trip in June to the Yunnan province, and this itinerary seems to be useful for many friends. We booked this trip because of a flight sale from Shanghai to Kunming. If short on time, I recommend flying directly into Dali and fly out of Shangri-la, but may be more expensive. Day 1 –…
Read More
Shanghai Dating Woes
July 25, 2015
Recently, I’ve finally started watching the TV series, Girls. I know, I am 3 years late to the game. I gave it my first attempt in 2012 when I was finishing grad school in New York, and it was simply too real, and too painful to watch (Lena Dunham and I happen to be the same age!). Now that…
Read More
Post CFA Freedom
June 14, 2015
After 4 months, and 315 hours of studying (yes, I logged it), I sat for the CFA level I exam last Saturday. Freedom has never tasted so good. I arrived at the Shanghai Expo center around 8am, and there were 15,000 anxious test takers, mostly Chinese, frantically flipping through exam notes, attempting to cram in those last few formulas.…
Read More
The Silver Lining of Self-inflicted Torture
May 18, 2015
This morning, I was at the subway during peak hour with a latte in hand. Normally, I am fortunate that I live close enough to the office that I don’t need to subway as my commute. But today, I was heading to a different office, and experienced the joy of Shanghai subway at rush hour. I was in no particular…
Read More
Icy Winter Wonderland in Harbin, China
February 6, 2015
Every winter, I see the famous Harbin Snow and Ice Festival on my social media timeline from friends living in China. I am not one for crowded tourist attractions, and never quite feel the crowd is worth whatever amazing thing one is meant to see. Yet, when my friend Jen asked if I want to check out Harbin for the…
Read More
Om No! The Tiger Mom Yoga Teacher
January 27, 2015
I have been practicing yoga off and on for about a decade now. Try as I might, I haven’t managed to become an advanced yogi (ie, I can’t stand on my head or my arms, STILL). I can’t be consistent with my practice for one reason or another. Nevertheless, I enjoy finding time and getting on the mat. I enjoy…
Read More
Year-end solo reflection trip to Yangshuo, China
January 3, 2015
Last Minute Booking 2014 had been a very busy year. Few weeks ago, when Ctrip had round-trip flights from Shanghai to Guilin for 789 RMB all-inclusive. I booked it. I had booked the trip rather spontaneously, and decided a trip alone to reflect was the best way to end and begin a year. After speaking to a few friends, it…
Read More
2014 Year-in-Review
December 28, 2014
The word for 2014 is balance. I struggled to find it. Last year, I didn’t write my year-in-review until nearing the end of January. To start off 2015 right, I am writing it with 4 more days to spare! January: I ended the year with a trip to the East Coast to reunite with my friends. It was wonderful to catch…
Read More
That Time When NYT Published My Words
December 27, 2014
Earlier this year, NYT printed my words on its website. For an amateur writer like myself, this was a big deal. Sure, my journalists friends are publishing on big name publications all day long like it’s no big deal, but for me, it was rather out of the ordinary. It began during my trip to Ethiopia back in February. I…
Read More