sushi in shanghai
Before I attempt to tell you about all the blessings that have come in the past two months while I have been here in Shanghai, I’d like to tell you the blessings of the day. I woke up missing two things: Georgia and sushi.
This morning I helped with a promotional event for The Coca-Cola Company and the Shanghai World Expo on the campus of Jiao Tong University (one of the most prestigious in Shanghai). Back at the office this afternoon, we had the first speech of a speaker series on Global Marketing Trends. Guess where the professor was from? Georgia State University. It was good to chat about a few news items and just talk to someone ‘from home’. Later after a good run (my first in quite a while), I came upon a great sushi place and treated myself to dinner. The ‘ butterfly roll ‘ was beautiful in presentation and tasted even better 🙂 . The fruit dessert completed the meal nicely. Just as the musicians playing live music in an area right outside the restaurant stopped, I was finishing with the bill. As I walked out, I couldn’t help but take a seat on the piano bench and play a song. As I hit the last note and let it linger, I heard clapping from behind me. I was a little startled to notice that a few of the employees in the restaurant apparently had peeked out to listen to the final notes. It was a mixture of embarrassment and flattery that followed. I thanked them and continued on my way out to the streets of downtown.
The temperature tonight was great and the almost full moon so clear. The lights of the city buildings created a nice atmosphere–one I hope I will not soon forget. Thank you, Lord for nights like tonight. How wonderful the feeling of a soul refreshed.
puppy love
Dear Mom & Dad,
If I fight my brother Cooper over our dog food – it is because it tastes better than berries and sticks.
If you tell me to do something and I give you a confused look, it could be because A) I first heard a Southern accent from my aunt or B) I thought my name was “Peppino/Peppions”
Love, Cali
The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. –Andy Rooney
A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. –Josh Billings
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. -Ben Williams
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. -Anonymous
I read these quotes, saw this video, and it is confirmed: yup, I already miss being licked in the face 🙂
talked with india this morning-slumdog flashbacks
I called a 1-800 number to order some more pages for my planning calendar today. Anthony’s strong accent on the phone made me ask where he was located. “Ma’am, we have many locations but today you have reached our location here in India”.
I am glad I had seen Slumdog Millionaire prior to this call, because I had so much animation coming to mind with flashbacks from the call center in the movie. That led me to this clip. Maybe you guys with TV knew this, but I didn’t realize the lead has a British accent in real life : http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3710845721/
reunited
While traveling I tend to plan. Something about being on a plane makes me think of the future or come up with ideas I would like to see happen. During my recent travels, I decided that around Thanksgiving friends from high school would be coming back in town to celebrate with their families and that this would be a good time to plan a mini High school reunion as we have not had an official one yet.
After football games in High School, we would invite everyone over to our house to eat chicken and hang out. It was a really great idea, because it gave us a safe and fun place to be together and dance/build a fire in the fire pit/play basketball/swim/throw the cheerleaders (often still in their uniforms) into the pool. It was always a great time and I am thankful to my parents that they allowed us to have everyone over.
So in honor of these times and in order to catch up with each other, we got together last week in the basement, just like old times!
i reached back to my cfa west coast marketing team balloon arch days (notice the colors dont start turning until the right side)
It was great to reconnect with CDW – a dedicated student in PT school and hear about her work in Central America – so inspiring!
our senior banner that we all had signed in high school (used to hang in the cafeteria) added to the atmosphere. It was great to have some teachers come! Jamal and I gave short talk and handed out roses to the female teachers and a book for Mr. Trucks. What a great time to see and catch up with friends.
tongue thai-ed
a good friend of mine since middle school, Petra, is working at a resort on Koh Samui Island in Thailand (how cool is that??). TODAY is her birthday (this picture was taken last year). Soooo, even if you don’t know her, you should go leave her a comment wishing her a happy birthday!! why? #1- she is a really cool gal, #2- its always fun to get birthday wishes, especially from the other side of the world! 🙂
Get to her blog here: Tongue Thai-ed.
lost and found
there is a policy at our house regarding anything left behind by guests.
If you were to visit our home and leave something that was yours, you have two weeks to reclaim it before we either 1) claim it as our own or 2) get rid of it.
Apparently our friends were a bit forgetful growing up, so this is how this policy came about: Mom would ask us to clean up after our guests were over. Of course if something wasn’t mine, I assumed it was another siblings and would leave it for them to clean up- and they would do the same. Mom would go through the line to see which child the item belonged to:
#1 – It’s not mine!
#2- Nope!
#3- No ma’m (I was polite, of course)
#4- uh-uh
#5-not mine
#6- no
Then the item/items would go on the porch for two weeks – if it wasn’t claimed by one of our friends in two weeks – we put dibs up for it if it was an item we deemed useful – or out it went!
Fast forward to the present, these are the most recent findings:
beach towel iGo charger
Two weeks from now I will put dibs up for these items unless of course they are claimed 🙂
happy birthday baby brother
then and now. Yesterday was his big day. Can’t believe he is 14!
both of these are old ones. *Notice the birthday candle in the chicken. *The beach picture is a sandman with earmuffs!
Brother- making sandman castles then to making friendship bread sand castles and throwing football now – you make me smile. Happy Birthday (yesterday)!
Thanksgiving: Looking back.
24. November. 2004 : American traditions in a Chinese town!
I remember cooking my grandmothers macaroni and cheese casserole (wow that looks funny-did I spell that right?) for everyone- and the dish being licked clean! Grandmother had sent me a box in the mail with the ingredients that I couldn’t get in China.
This wasn’t thanksgiving but the date was November 2006:
Thanksgiving 2007, on Emory’s campus:
This year (more family members were here, this was just my only shot from the trip):
Go check out my cousin’s post for more 🙂
i.am.third 
