Lego Foosball!

Ping pong aside, something I really miss from my old work place in Shanghai, is the foosball table. I loved it so much and played it even more. I even had a foosball table shirt at the office (pretty fockin hot there in Shanghai during the summer) and every chance I could grab you could find me behind that darn, unpredictable table, trying to beat the shit out of the Chinese. 

Have to admit, I usually failed. It's not like ping pong where I'm pretty much immediately superior. No this is different. Their quick little hands used to kill me. Sometimes humiliate me. And then there was Rob. My nemesis. Arch enemy. I don't think I ever beat him. A damn good reason to go back.

This is borrowed from here.

Tres amore

Wish it said Shanghai actually, but it don't And I love Hong Kong, too, so it's fine. Many good memories from there from a lot of lovely people.

New outfitting

A year ago I was in Shanghai working. Easily one of the best times of my life. I used to visit their fake markets as frequently I could and I tailored made shirt after shirt, bought one fake polo shirt after the other all while I just neglected and shrug my shoulders at the tees hanging on the walls with a simple, “nah”.

Recently I’ve only bought tees. Dark ones (I must wear dark clothes – I do sweat awfully easy) and it just stroke me as odd. From my approx 60 shirts I purchased in Shanghai I brought about five with me to New York. Yes. That’s five. Think I’ve worn shirts three times perhaps. Four if you count the wedding I attended a few weeks ago in Sweden. I also find this odd. From raging shirt-wearer to tee-wearer without a moment of reflection* and hesitation. Can also declare that this is the first time I have more visitors from the US than Sweden. Probably cause I live hear and the damn Analytics keep counting my visits manifold times.


*Actually I’m doing that now.

Six months in one week

Took me about a good five-six months in Shanghai to accomplish a full-nighter. And now, within my first week in New York I’ve already pulled my first. Very questionable and mellow hurrah! Or hurrah. perhaps.

First time live, now live for everyone

This has of course nothing to do with Tokyo, but on my last day in Shanghai, I went to Nike for a presentation, and our film was showing on a big screen in the lobby.
Which was cool to see it on something larger than a 12” laptop.
And today when I visited Nike.com.cn, it sure was there, along with the rest of our stuff.
A proud moment. Lydia, Weiling and Veronica almost shed tears. And proudest of them all, the main guy, Dean Wei:Too bad I miss the whole thing live in Shanghai.

Tokyo vs Shanghai, 1-0

But what’s so easy in the evening, by the morning is such a drag.

Yes, I went out again.
And today is the last day in China… So yes, we will go out again. Karaoke is on the menu and I will perform this song.
I’m also 100% certain I’m gonna miss my plane tomorrow morning and with an expired visa I’ll be double fucked.
Jail-time.
What’s so simple in the moonlight, by the morning is so complicated.

…there it was!

Been on a scavenge through whole (not) Shanghai after English magazines. Reading the same Time doesn’t keep you regularly updated so to speak.
And when I finally found a stand it’s two feet outside our office and two days left in Shanghai.
Doh!

Paying the prize

Although it was insanely fun at yesterday’s good-bye dinner in our honor, and maybe because of the fact we went to the lovely sushi-place on Xinle Lu (all you can eat AND all you can drink, including beer AND sake) I feel absolutely sheit today.
I might not make it.

Shanghai 12:14, 22:33, 22:41 and 15:08

Two days

From frizzling hot, so hot you could see the desert like feverish-layer of distortion above ground where you reluctantly mapped out your own sweat where you walked, to something we can call, pretty nice actually.
I walked to work in slicked jeans (newly washed; jisus fucking Christ they’re like glue!), and can honestly say I give temperature three-decent fingers out of five today.
Haven't even used my fan today.
And all this in two days. Might have been shorter, like one day, but that almost sounds "a bit too much, a bit too grand of a story there, Mr. Complaining guy in Shanghai about the weather, here in Sweden it's blistering cold and snowstorm - everyday, enjoy the damn heat we'll never experience", you might say back home.
And I agree. I do feel sorry for you sorry sods back home. Moahahaha!

More people and a small beer

Her friends arrived after our dinner yesterday and we had some beers together. It was, what I guess you in mature relationships would call, “really nice”.
But all I could think of was the lack of ice cream I had planned to devour together with a film that night, and then I swallowed my grief with another beer.
A small beer.
Yesterday’s bravado had put my guilty conscience in motion and I didn’t want to upset it too much.
“Don’t drink too much, you’ll be too tired tomorrow morning for your ridiculous stair running, and you wanna look fucking splendid, right?” I whispered to my mind and ordered the “warm brownie with chocolate sauce”, that of course was a tragedy; deserts seem to be a mismatch of readymade food here, and particularly chocolate cakes. They have the same savor as dirt.
I’m what we can call, yet to be pleasantly surprised about deserts here.
We talked during the evening (you have to, It’s “polite”) and I found out two things about the two new settlers here in China.
Petter didn’t like Chinese food and asked for every western cuisine we knew. Pauline didn’t like Chinese so much either and also wanted to know the whereabouts about these places.
They are going to stay here for “at least a year”.

This is my, for the Wednesday in honor, second pizza-meal of the day.

Lunch restaurant, Shanghai, 14:12

iPod RiP

My iPod decided to go really nuts one me during the race.
Kept prompting in my earphones that the race was over, although I - clearly - could assess it wasn’t.
Then after thirty minutes my brand new Nike+ just gave up one me. Quit. Ended. Finito. Lombardo.
And as I’ve tried to revitalize the little fucker via USB plug-in, it’s not responding.
Damn you technology, I damn you!

Office third…

…means someone else won.
Nick’s fucking insane 36'' is nothing to mull over, but finish after Rob*…
Big fuck. Huge disappointment. Suicide reflection.
Now I have to beat him at drunk-pool again, my only activity of triumph between us, thus far.

*I kept my plan/tactic/grand scheme during the whole race, kept everyone from the office behind me. But obviously never considered someone started ahead of me.

Noticed during the race:

Running + big race + jeans = wtf #3

“10 people talk – about anything!”

Rob has the commendable ability to sound so excited that the world relies on his enthusiasm.
Which is great of course, I’m a big devotee of optimism, but sometimes I feel that he stretches it.
Like tonight he tries to persuade me to join him in this park and listen to ten Chinese guys (no particular reason - I just presume they’re all men), that all speak of a certain topic.
“But I really hope it’s not architecture, that gets sooo boring” he says and I kind of agree.

Chit chat at Jamaica

Bought my usual Chai Latte and felt that life was pretty good. Paid the amount and watched him hesitate before putting the bills in the cash register.
Now before this, for anyone who reads this blog or knows me just a little, knows I have a…'problem' isn’t the right word, but maybe 'concern', exemplifies it best.
When it’s hot, or I’m warm – I sweat. A lot. Some people try to make me happy and say, “well-trained people usually do”, but knowing how I look in the mirror, I’d fool no sport coach.
So back to Jamaican Coffee where the cashier’s smiled ate me, waving my bills and said, “wet”.

This is my sneak-shot of the place but the flash went off when I took it, so I badly tried to recover with a request of him in the next one, “because I really LOVE this place so much”. He smiled even more and gracefully posed.
Please notice his thumb-appraisal of this situation.

The storms are keeping their irregular schedule

It’s amusing how Chinese gotten keen for more now; they can’t even throw a storm here without making it huge.
An absolute ridiculously deafening cry instantly followed by a flash so bright it sparks illusions in mad scientist’s minds, "this could nurture the entire planet with energy for decades", they say and dream of capture one for future projects and flinch their lean fingers.

A Saturday filled with anxiety and expectation *

Friday, Christopher called and informed he and Sebastian was in town.
We went for Italian cuisine and then to always exquisite Lounge 18, where beautiful crowds meet rich blended with your everyday luxury pay-ladies.
Woke up at two-three on Saturday and realized there was no way I could work. Went to office anyway, failed miserably but know that the growing stress about Monday morning presentation will be shattered by tonight’s happy news that Mats is back in town and our impending night on town.
We agreed to eat with dinner surprise, Mats makes reservation and I show up, and we might, just might go back to Lounge 18 after that.
I’ll work tomorrow, Sunday, promise.

*This should have been posted on Saturday but failed due to lack of internet.