Notes of a Desolate Libra

At 1AM on November 26 (Thanksgiving), I had the pleasure of watching Hins’ concert at Atlantic City. Last year I also went to Hins’ concert at Atlantic City, but the venue at Taj Mahal was much bigger and we also had very good seats so it was an amazing experience.

I think the trip itself was amusing. Since the concert (as wont with these Chinese concerts) is so freakin early (late?), we had to figure out how we would be getting there. Finally, I decided to drive down to AC, watch the concert, then drive back.

I booked a zipcar for the day. I’m not sure if it was because of the holidays, but it was extremely hard to reserve a car and the latest I could book up to was 12PM on the 26th. Regardless, we got the car and drove down to have dinner at Shogun Legends. It was an AMAZING dinner. We had some crazy fresh sashimi (the uni and paradise shrimp was out of this world!) and great cooked food. We were even fortunate enough to talk a little to the owner, who was extremely nice and gave us some insights on how they get their fresh food and their standards for the food. Yup, you get what you pay for.

It was misty and rainy and foggy that night, so the roads were a bit slippery. I only had about 6 hours of sleep the night before and it was the first time I had to drive this far in the dark on NY/NJ roads so it was a bit scary. Fortunately, the time spent in the city was very short and most of the time was on the highways… which, thanks to my training in Cali, I was ok with. On the way back, I was able to catch a nap at my friend’s house before driving back to the city (we made it there 13 mins before the car was due – whew). By the time I got there, I was so out of it that when the guy at the parking lot told me to park on the right side of the ramp, I promptly drove the car to the left side of the ramp, with the 2 girls in the car staring at me and me staring back clueless. Then I got out and let the guy at the parking lot finish the job. Yep, it was bad (in a funny way). But WORTH it.

The concert was amazing. Simply amazing. Hins is one of my favorite singers, and I’m very extremely stupidly picky. There are very few singers I would pay money to see, and he is definitely one them. It’s not just that I’m paying to see HIM live… it’s also to show him support. I always think that if you truly love someone’s music, it should be worth paying for because it’s one of the few ways they know that they have fans out there. And clap for them when you’re there. Hins has a beautiful voice that he has learned more and more to control and manipulate. I would say right now it’s the best balance. He should not go even further with hitting those crazy high notes because albeit I like Mariah Carey, she does get my nerve with her showing off of those high notes. Moderation is the best. There are still some songs for which he cannot completely capture the feeling (perhaps from lack of personal relation), but I think that’s a good thing. We always hope that we can go even further, and for him, who is superior even now, going even further would be an amazing feat.

Showing us his heart.

Vocal talent aside, I also love his personality. Now, I know that it’s very easy to hide the true self and put up a good front, but he’s doing a mighty good job of it if this is not his true face. His little habitual gestures, such as touching his ears and extending his arms (a bit stiff, but adorable), his half embarrassed laugh and smile after he said something that even he thought was a little too playful or silly, and the way he ran for his life back on stage after he was mobbed off stage while trying to shake hands, or his genuine surprise that everyone would wait and call for a second encore. Especially the way he knelt down on stage to thank his fans. Everything is so innocent and lovable, not just from the point of view of a fan who loves his music, but from someone who appreciates a person who can keep his true heart even after so many years in an industry that is known to be rather unkind to those who are in it. It’s so very precious. It’s only possible in someone who knows what he truly loves and is determined to pursue it his way. Yes, perhaps it’s luck (And family background? Though I highly doubt it had much to do with it) that he was well protected and able to keep his true personality while pursuing his dream, but it’s also to be able to not get distracted by everything that comes his way. He is confident enough to make fun of himself, which is a real sign of maturity, and can even brush aside comments that may have caused awkward moments. There’s quite a soul and mind in there.

My friends and I stood up and danced for part of the time. Ok, Hins is not known for his fast paced songs or dancing ability (coordination-challenged? lol), but I think standing up shows him that he is loved and supported. Some of his songs that I like the most are ones that he wrote himself, including 無能爲力 and 斷點. It makes me wonder sometimes what kind of mind and heart there is in that petite body of his, that he is able to harbor such intense feelings and talent. He is truly blessed. And I’m grateful that he is still here to support music, and to crate beautiful music for us. The only thing I would ask of him is that he would write more music. I know he loves creating music as much as he loves conveying it. And I will always support him.

Hins, always my Prince.

One interesting note, I realize that a lot of stars do a great job at doing covers of other artists’ songs, perhaps even better than their own. I think it’s because whichever song you choose to sing (that’s not yours), there must be something that makes you feel connected to that song, whether it be that you love the song itself or you can related to the feelings, and you spend time thinking about it. It’s a good thing. Different renditions of songs by different artists really help to make the song and its hidden layers shine and sometimes remind us that this wonderful song is out there… I’m all about sharing good things. :)

VoCaL Atlantic City, Concerts, Hins Cheung, Music, Shogun Legends, Taj Mahal, Zipcar, 張敬軒

Now that the end to this  horrible month is drawing near, I can do a brief summary of the end result of the crazy events that took place earlier in the month. There were other insane events that happened this month, including close relatives of very good friends passing away, one of my best friends’ father having gotten into an accident and she herself was rushed to the ER and found out she was loaded with bacteria and viruses… it’s not been pleasant. But there’s no point looking back or moping, we can only gather our thoughts around what we have to be thankful for, and love those that are important to us even more…

Seeking serenity.

My dad’s car has been examined by the other car owner’s insurance company. Well, at least that’s done for now. The rest of it is out of our hands. We no longer have a car, but I’d like to think that it’s for a reason.

My mom was finally released from the hospital the day before Thanksgiving after spending almost a month in there. I can’t even imagine how much pain and suffering she went through. For these weeks, the only time the family was able to be together was if my dad and I happened to be at the hospital at the same time. We tried to stagger our visits so she can have company for more times during the day. Her hospital experience warrants another post, but I’ll write that one if I have the energy.

My low blood pressure issue is finally under control so I don’t feel like I’m about to fall over anymore. However, a few times this month I totally lost the peace and calm that I felt earlier. I always that you couldn’t lose it once you had it, like learning to ride a bicycle or swim… but I was wrong. The stress, lack of sleep, and overload of life just took over and I had a few flip outs. But it was a good lesson for me. I know I have much to learn… and to always be vigilant… because no, I am not immune to everything.

Let’s all look forward to a better end of the year and a new year with new blessings.

New York City, VoCaL Family, Friendship, Zen

Since my status updates have been sort of morbid, I decided to write something to sort out what’s happening to me (to avoid questions and more melodramatics):

My grandfather passed away two weeks ago. Even at that time, my mom had been sick for a while, so she was not able to return to China to attend the funeral.

After an unpleasant episode with some friends on Halloween, I woke up on marathon day to get news that my mom might need to go to the hospital. After sending a message to my friend letting her know that I would not be present to congratulate her on completing the marathon, my mom decided to go on a different medication  to avoid the hospital and then kicked me out the door.

Less than an hour or so after meeting up with friends at the marathon, I got a call from mom that my dad was in a car accident. Fortunately, everyone in both vehicles was ok (the other car ran a stop sign and my dad, not being able to break in time, ran into them. Mind you, this was a 90+ year old couple, and the granny was driving. Then they claimed they were too old to wait, then drove off. Yeesh. These old grannies are scary. So now the car is officially undrivable.

The next day, my mom finally checked herself into the hospital to avoid having to call an ambulance when symptoms got worse because our local zoned hospital is… er… a hell hole. Yes, for those of you who didn’t know, our hospital are actually in pretty bad shape. The same day, I somehow lost my planner, which lets me sort out my stupidly cramped schedule, and that put me into another frenzy.

During this whole period, I’ve been having some (more than usual) low blood pressure issues. Either I wake up in the morning very dizzy and seeing stars and the world spinning, or like this morning, with limbs all tingly and unable to move. But then two hectic phone calls came from aunts who called the hospital while my mom was having severe chills (bordering on seizure), were freaked out, and told me to get there asap. So I dragged myself out of bed, got to the hospital without falling into the subway tracks, and after helping my dad “ice down” my mom’s temperature (interesting how you go back to the good old “ice in rubber gloves” method despite being  in a modern hospital), persuaded him to go home to get some rest and food, chatted up the nurses (and left my info all around), peeled an apple (I had been told that if I ever became jobless I can be a professional apple peeler… lol), called aunts to calm them down and tell them not to go to the hospital lest they catch something and pass it to their families… and left.

Within an hour after I left I get more calls from mom complaining about the hospital and that she wants to switch hospitals (because, of course, she spoke to “knowledgeable people”, i.e. her hospital roommate’s kids) despite being happy with this particular one the day before (b/c they had good food and Chinese speaking doctors). So I called and spoke with her PCP and her physician in charge at the hospital, then persuaded her to stay for at least for one more day for the specialists to come in and check her condition.

Then it was time to wrestle with the police station bureaucracy for the report for my dad’s car accident, which was finally ready and we’ll pick up tomorrow. This was when my coworker suggested maybe I should go see a therapist. ^^; But… I’m trying to hold on to my zen… so that I don’t actually have to end up going to a therapist.

November has proven to be rather the testing month for me. Last year I had surgery and had my heart broken and almost went insane. This year… well… yea…. The most important lesson I’ve learned this past year is that when there seems to be no end to shit in sight, just “toughen up” and take it one thing at a time. There’s no point to thinking about it all or mulling over things.  *Overthinking* is usually what’s damaging to one’s spirit. However, checking with yourself emotionally is good from time to time too. And at least I have more tools this time around to deal. It’s important to remember to not chase yourself into a chasm of depression.

Life will always throw you these curve balls. It’s really about how good your skills are at handling them. I see this as a test for putting everything I’ve learned, especially in the past year, to use. Car not drivable? Well, it was a crappy car and I don’t want my dad driving anyway. Lost planner? Maybe it’s time to migrate to online one (it was a bit ridiculous to have 2 planners and 2 to-do lists anyway). And mom’s condition? Well thank goodness I’m here…

And I also appreciate all the support from friends. Thank you all. So far, I’m ok.

VoCaL Family, Friendship, Zen

Thanks to the ATA conference being held in NYC this year, I had the most wonderful pleasure of meeting with the lovely gentleman Alejandro Moreno-Ramos, the author of the Mox comics, and his beautiful wife.

I’ve heard many people say that translators are often anti-social (or socially awkward) people because they are always home alone doing their work. There’s very little outside contact. That is very true (the home alone part), but some of us like going out to meet new people and have varied interests too.

We had come into contact when I linked his online comic on this website. He tracked the link back to me and then we made plans to meet and feast when he’s in NYC for the ATA conference. I am truly thankful for all the wonderful people that I’ve met because of my profession.

I took them to Minca for ramen (gave them a list of foods to choose from), then to (of course) Cha-an for desserts. They seemed to really like both places and agree with me that the black sesame creme brulee was probably one of the best desserts that they’d ever had. It was a true pleasure to see others enjoy food that I love! Alejandro was also kind enough to draw me a little mini-comic at Cha-An. WHOO! I can’t express how excited I am! My own cameo in the famous Mox comics!!!

Souvenir!

Thought bubbles:
Alex:I want an amazing toilet too! (referring to the wonderful women’s bathroom at Cha-An)
H (name hidden for privacy reasons): Finally, I met someone “foodier” than I am!
Aka: They’re very nice but they’re awful with chopsticks!

So… this post is mainly to let people know that – YES! We translators have lives! And we like to be social too!

And of course… that friendships can come very easily if you’re willing to make yourself available to receive them.

Translations, VoCaL ATA, Cha-an, Mox, New York City, Translation

Everyone, please meet my MBTs. They’re produced with Masai Barefoot Technology. They are orange, a bit quirky, and endlessly amazingly wonderfully comfortable… except when you need to jump/hike/walk on mountain paths (but that can easily be overlooked). I find that because they are more rigid than your typical shoes, flat surfaces work best for them. But once I got used to them… I just wore them everywhere.

They go with me everywhere!

The reason I got these was because my Sifu said: if you are really serious about learning WingTsun then you should get a pair of these. So… after much mental struggle (these shoes usually go for over 200!), I finally kicked myself into getting a pair.

I got my pair back in May and started wearing them almost every day since my move to SF (June). My legs were extremely tired when I first started wearing them but now they are the most comfortable shoes in the world. I get called out randomly in the middle of the street/store/greyhound station (?!) by people who are interested in getting a pair or just thought I looked really funny (kidding). I seriously think they should hire me as their spokesperson and pay me commission.

Amusingly enough, after I started showing them to the people at Studio WingTsun (SJ), two of them each got a pair and another one has a pair on the way. I basically said that if this trend continues, we’re going to become the MBTWT school! Which… I don’t mind at all. I’m definitely getting another pair once this pair wears out (which I hope will not be any time soon). But if you are planning to get a pair, I suggest you get them at a online shoe retailer (like Zappos or Footwear etc.) on sale. Generally they run a bit small so get your size or half a size bigger. I do recommend trying them on at a store first (if you can) because the fit is slightly different than your normal shoes.

But if you’re interested in some nice cool shoes that “rock”, these would be IT!

VoCaL MBT, WingTsun 詠春