Saturday!

One of the rare instances in which I post from Manhattan – at Alma Mater Undergrad for Dean’s Day – great lectures, and the wonderful easy access to the Internet that only higher institutions offer. Aah.

Watched Ang Lee’s “The Wedding Banquet” on DVD last night – his gay movie w/o the cowboys (I may not watch “Brokeback Mountain” more because it’s a Western than anything else; I’m not as conservative as my folks, and… well, I aim to be open-minded, that’s all good, right?). Anyway, an Asian American NYC story – with the World Trade Center skyline and lower Manhattan outlook (so pre-2001); Taiwanese culture; about family and love and friendship, even the pre-Brokeback era (the special features on the DVD has Ang Lee and co-writer/co-producer James Shamus talking so freely and relating to how the Ang Lee movies are really about universal stuff than anything else, if not also touching on Lee’s being inspired from his own life).

Yesterday: reading the NY Times articles by Jim Dwyer or watching the news on the release of the audiotapes of the 911 calls on 9/11. The historian in me understands the importance of such materials and how we cannot forget the past (and we better learn something from it). But, the human being in me feels such heartbreak – recalling that horrible morning and remembering that fellow human beings – there for work or what – were there in the towers and fate or other came in. I felt no less pained for the emergency operators – the helplessness, and the sadness they must have felt in wondering and fearing what was going on the other end of that telephone line. I wonder if it feels worse because it was here in the hometown. I wonder how, after almost five years later, it suddenly didn’t feel that long ago.

Airport living

No, it’s not that bad.  But it seems that I’ll be maintaining the 50% flight time over the next couple of months.  My KL trip is concluding with this little blog from the KLIA Plaza Premier Lounge, courtesy of EVA.

It’s been a good trip: managed to get a lot of work, socializing, meeting new colleagues, reacquainting with old friends/colleagues, and enjoying all that KL has to offer.  A few comments from new colleagues have been amazingly supportive and complimentary.  I dunno, when people are this positive, I always wonder when the other shoe is gonna drop.  Meanwhile, I take it one day at a time and enjoy it as much as I can.

Going back to Taipei then flying out again to HK for two days then we’ll see what happens.  Next month, back to HK and KL again for sure.  Moving to a new apartment in early June.  About the same size, slightly more $ but it’s fully furnished and has new fixtures.  A huge upgrade over my current conditions due to the major leak damage from upstairs pretty much ruined the apartment I’m staying at. 

I think my goal is to get 100,000 miles on Asia Miles and Evergreen (EVA) this year.  I’m just about half way there on both and I still need to follow up on the AA Gold/Plat Challenge to see that they awarded my AsiaMiles to OneWorld/AA.

Luckily this afternoon the weather is clear, but typically at this time and next month, lots of rains come right after lunch hour.  Get on the ground, meet up with my friend Steve from Maine for dinner when I touch down.

You go get them FC.