synaesthetik

So…there rest of the recently occuring events. Basically the most interesting thing that has happened (I guess you could call it interesting) was going out to eat Sunday night. I had been talking to T (that’s what I’m calling him) back and forth via text message and email for a couple of days, I had requested to stay with his family, however, as he is the one that mainly does the hosting, if he’s not there, there’s really no staying with the family. He works for his Dad’s jewelry manufacturing company, so he’s constantly traveling for business. Anywho, we were going to go to the Peak with his little sister and grab ice cream on Sunday, once he got back from his trip to China. Needless to say, the Peak was crowded because of the MidAutumn Festival. So he suggests we go to some club he belongs to and I’m like okay, because I have no idea what that is, I’m just wondering how expensive its going to be. Well, we drive up…to the yacht club. I don’t know if they have a yacht but I know that when I asked his sister how often she tends to go there, she said about once a week. Food was great, conversation good, sister super cute! He paid for the meal. Now this isn’t huge for me because I tend to like to go dutch with friends or whoever, I want to pay my way but I’ve been reading and revising my mindset and learning to receive. So I received. So then the driver comes to pick her up and take her home and we head out to Wan Chai to have a drink.

So here’s where things get, well I can’t say bad because I had a good time and I can’t really say mixed, some stuff happened but I’m definitely not judging (well I am a little bit and you’ll see why) but, well, you tell me.  We hang out, that no drinking hard alcohol has gone waaay out the window by now, go around to all the bars he knows, where he knows actual people in there or people that work there or whatever. So this part of town we are in - granted I have never felt as safe going out and getting drunk with someone I didn’t really know as I had that night, HK is mad safe - well, there were, as T put is, a lot of hoes. And you could see how some of these women walked that they were not undercover hoes - noooo, they were full-on out there hoes. Apparently certain bars stocked these women because they catered to white guys. Yeah I said it. Looking at how those dudes were looking and interacting with those women almost made me as physically sick as I was the next day. Hungover. Anyway, we sit, have some drinks, shots, etc, he tells me about his life - very interesting cat - I say almost nothing about mine, really didn’t occur to me given our lines of conversation. Hmmm. Met some of his friends - all girls by the way (at least at that point, probably a good sign). Hung out more as we moved to different bars. Heard 2 cover bands playing Pop and Rock from like last year (which was two too many). I left the last bar and went outside to wait because the music was too loud.

As I go back in, he’s coming out and we’re walking to the car and see one of his friends from earlier. She supposedly had gone home. There was some ruckus outside, blah blah, then this white dude is talking to his friend, she gets upset, he pulls her away and tells her to go home. She finally leaves. Not sure where she went though. And then we started talking to the white guy because he was apologizing for upsetting the friend (forgive me but I don’t remember anyone’s name except for T’s - is that wrong?) He mentioned that he had spent time in Iran looking to make money, so T grabs chairs for us because he wants to hear this - did I happen to mention that T is also about 23/24 years old (which will explain what happens next - I think). About a minute into the white guy’s spiel - he hasn’t even gotten to tell his story - T gets up and tells him, you’re wasting my time. He says he’s going to get the car. Did I mention that my bag and cellphone are in the car. The bag I always carry around with my laptop and info in so that no one takes it from the hostel, etc? Yeah… So T leaves and the guy is telling his story, I’m listening, interjecting, asking questions, watching him as he toys with the NUH (that’s Non-Undercover Hoes) that passby and watching traffic, waiting for T to come back. Then I wait some more. And I wait some more. And listen. And watch. White dude finishes story and leaves. Still no T. Can I call him? Noooo.

Now T I believe that had previously mentioned that should we stay out that I would have to take a cab back and it should cost around $30HK. That’s what I think he said. Probably did. So I go to take a cab - and the nice cabbie quotes $100HK. Did I remember the previous mentioning at THAT point. OF COURSE I DIDN’T!!! And I was pretty sober at that point. But definitely tripping out that T straight up left a sister. But again, I have never felt safer alone in a city at dawn. Yes, dawn. So I was tripping, but I wasn’t TRIPPING. Tried to bargain down to $90, got to $95 - and might I also say fleeced. But it’s cool, because apparently the cabbie likes black people. His words not mine. Whatever. I get back to the hostel, pass out for 3 hours - at 6am. Know that T is leaving to go on more business to the Philippines either the next day or later that day.

Have his number, proceed to call every couple of hours until I get him. He can’t remember how he got home and thinks he might have the flu (apparently not alcohol poisoning with the consistently vomitting - I know what my vomitting {btw I am too lazy to check if vomitting is spelled right, if anyone sees that it is incorrect - email me at aptfiveonesix@gmail.com, let a sister know} was from and it definitely wasn’t the flu) but will make sure that I get my things that day before he flew out. Was with a client, so I had to call back later when he thought he might be done. Long story not so short but wrapping this hoe up (unlike the ones I saw that night, seriously it was horrible, T suggested I do a Michael Moore doc about those bars man, ugh): I finally get my stuff around 8 pm that night. Who brought it to me you ask? The driver.

T apparently gets back in to town on Saturday. More adventures to come? I’ll let you know.

Haven’t posted for a while - where to begin? Not sure. What I have is this - host family: I stayed with Marco and his Dad in the New Territories (think going to the country in the US, only the country has apartments and government housing where each building holds about a thousand plus people and the buildings are everywhere but it’s peaceful and quiet nonetheless), his Mom is in Vancouver babysitting a relative’s child. First night I stayed there, Dad cooked, tried to stuff me - which I enjoyed, made me think of being with my Grandmother Ruth (God rest her soul). While getting to know one another - I drank that frog juice (post below) and found out that Host Pops thinks Tyra Banks is sexy (or rather segxy). Then Host Pops, who owns about a third of an electronics store went on vacation sponsored by Samsung in Shenzhen because he sold so many Samsung products. So Marco had to fill in for his Dad and we hung out at the store most of the day. I could say it was boring but believe me, after walking around here so much, it was very relaxing.

Then Dad gets back in time for MidAutumn Festival, he cooks a big meal - again - delicious, Pops is bomb. Duck, duck egg, prawns, some type of fish, rice of course, pork, a sweet soup that he had to let cook for five hours (how do I know this, because he reminded us about 3 - 4 times, FIVE HOUR - in cute older Chinese man voice, lol). Oh, and Chinese Mooncakes! (Also in cute older Chinese man voice). Marco came late so Pops and I had to try to communicate with one another, me not knowing a damn bit of Cantonese except how to say thank you and him knowing very little English. Marco came home and they taught me quite a few words of Cantonese - however, because MidAutumn is apparently a good time to get drunk, Pops and I drank whiskey (I did shots of course and I had a Heineken) and thus went out my rule about not drinking hard liquor (which technically disappeared the first night I was there) and my language lesson. Marco said that I am the best guest they’ve ever had and Pops said I had the qualities of a Chinese hero. He also gave me a doll set with traditional Chinese dress and they said I could come back to stay again later this month. I say that they are some of the finest people I have ever met. Pops wants to go to America and work in a Chinese restaurant, he believes its more free there and he regrets not having learned English. However true that may be, I say stay in Hong Kong (where it’s pretty friggin free) and learn English. Seriously. HK is a pretty cool place when you’re not boiling in the heat.

More misadventures later today with pics.

JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS Star Jones Reynolds responds to Bill O'Reilly/Fox News about Michelle 
Obama! Worth reading...Below is Star Jones' informed and provocative response to Bill O'Reilly's comment 
about 'having a lynching party for Michelle Obama if he finds out that she truly has no pride in her country. ' 

Bill O'Reilly said: ......'I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, 
hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels.  If that's how she really feels - that is a bad country or 
a flawed nation, whatever - then that's legit.  We'll track it down.' Star said: .......'I'm sick to death of people 
like Fox News, host, Bill O'Reilly, and his ilk ,thinking that he can use a racial slur against a black woman who 
could be the next First Lady of the United States , give a half-assed apology and not be taken to task and 
called on his crap.  What the hell?  If it's 'legit,' you're going to 'track it down?' And then what do you plan to 
do? 

How dare this white man with a microphone and the trust of the public think that in 2008, he can still put the 
words 'lynch and party' together in the same sentence with reference to a black woman; in this case, Michelle
Obama?  I don't care how you 'spin it' in the 'no spin zone,' that statement in and of itself is racist, 
unacceptable and inappropriate on every level.  O'Reilly claims his comments were taken out of context.  
Please don't insult my intelligence while you're insulting me.  I've read the comments and heard them 
delivered in O'Reilly's own voice; and there is no right context that exists.  So, his insincere apology and 
'out-of-context' excuse is not going to cut it with me.

And just so we're clear, this has nothing to do with the 2008 presidential election, me being a Democrat, him 
claiming to be Independent while talking Republican, the liberal media or a conservative point of view.  To
the contrary, this is about crossing a line in the sand that needs to be drawn based on history, dignity, taste 
and truth. Bill, I'm not sure of where you come from, but let me  tell you what the phrase 'lynching party' 
conjures up to me, a black woman born in North Carolina...Those words depict the image of a group of white 
men who are angry with the state of their own lives getting together, drinking more than they
need to drink, lamenting how some black person has moved forward (usually ahead of them in stature or 
dignity), and had the audacity to think that they are equal. These same men for years, instead of looking at 
what changes they should and could make in their own lives that might remove that bitterness born of 
perceived privilege, these white men take all of that resentment and anger and decide to get together and 
drag the closest black person near them to their death by hanging them from a tree - usually after violent
beating, torturing and violating their human dignity.  Check your history books, because you don't need a 
masters or a law degree from Harvard to know that is what constitutes a 'lynching party.' 

Imagine, Michelle and Barack Obama having the audacity to think that they have the right to the American 
dream, hopes, and ideals.  O'Reilly must think to himself: 'How dare they have the arrogance to think they 
can stand in front of this nation, challenge the status quo and express the frustration of millions?

When this happens, the first thing that comes to mind for O'Reilly and people like him is: 'it's time for a party.' 
Not so fast...don't order the rope just yet. Would O'Reilly ever in a million years use this phrase with reference 
to Elizabeth Edwards, Cindy McCain or Judi Nathan?  I mean, in all of the statements and criticisms that were 
made about Judi Nathan, the one-time mistress turned missus, of former presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, 
I never heard any talk of forming a lynch party because of something she said or did. So why is it that when 
you're referring to someone who's African-American you must dig to a historical place of pain, agony and death 
to  symbolize your feelings?  Lynching is not a joke to off-handedly throw around and it is not a metaphor that 
has a place in political commentary; provocative or otherwise. 

I admit that I come from a place of personal outrage here having buried my 90 year-old grandfather last year. 
This proud, amazing African-American man raised his family and lived through the time when he had to use 
separate water fountains, ride in the back of a bus, take his wife on a date to the 'colored section' of a movie 
theater, and avert his eyes when a white woman walked down the street for fear of what a white man and 
his cronies might feel as if they felt the urge to 'party'; don't tell me that the phrase you chose, Mr. O'Reilly, 
was taken out of context.

To add insult to injury, O'Reilly tried to 'clarify' his statements, by using the excuse that his comments were 
reminiscent of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' use of the term 'high-tech lynching' during his 
confirmation hearing.  I reject that analogy.  You see Justice Thomas did mean to bring up the image of 
lynching in its racist context.  He was saying that politics and the media were using a new technology to do to 
him what had been done to black men for many years -- hang him.  Regardless of if you agreed with Justice 
Thomas' premise or not, if in fact Bill O'Reilly was referencing it the context becomes even clearer.  What 
annoys me more than anything is that I get the feeling that one of the reasons Bill O'Reilly made this 
statement, thinking he could get away with it in the first place, and then followed it up with a lame apology in
a half-hearted attempt to smooth any ruffled feathers, is because he doesn't think that black women will come
out and go after him when he goes after us. Well, he's dead wrong.  Be clear Bill O'Reilly: there will be no
lynch party for that black woman. And this black woman assures you that if you come for her, you come for all 
of us.'

-- Star Jones Reynolds

The website I’ve been working for has been down so I haven’t been able to work on it since Friday. Boooo to that because it would’ve been nice to have that money this weekend. Oh well, should get it tomorrow. So did a homestay the past two nights, on the way over to the residential area where my host lives, in Kwai Fong, I saw an Indian or Pakistani dude who’s 2nd and 3rd toes were fused together. Interesting.

Been doing a lot of thinking lately, about living big - or rather, living life big. My recent reading list has helped to cement my commitment to that need even moreso than just the crying out and yearning my being gives for it. It seems much easier to allow it to fall on deaf ears while letting fear shout over it. Walking around and exploring your environment alone often lends itself to complation.

I kept noticing these little bumps appearing on my hands, wrists, ankles, arms, neck, and then more, and then more, and starting wondering if I was allergic to something. In consulting my sister, it appears that I have been viciously attacked by bed bugs. Ugh. See post below. More to come later.