Why don't you say so?

Trying to get back into the blogging state of mind for the summer by captioning random memory lane photo essays. After a year of writing in legalese, it's so hard for me to find the right adjectives/phrases to describe things. I feel stilted. Legal writing tried to ruin me.


Courtyard view of the Former Legation Quarter from Fez, a Moroccan-themed bar atop the Hex/Agua complex. Sadly, Fez is no more. I wonder what's going to take its place? This was a favorite place of mine for late night drinks in Beijing.
Memories of fun summer nights and light summer breezes.

One of the corner bars at Fez. Those stained glass Moroccan lamps and the flowing tents and bountiful cushions really made people feel as if they were transported away from the city center of Beijing and to the middle of some Middle Eastern desert camp.

The bar area at Ruby Khi, a Thai-themed bar overlooking the lake at Chaoyang Park. Home of the massive fishbowl cocktails... Gorgeous decoration, sexy color scheme, would LOVE to open up something similar at Duke.

Lazy Sunday Brunches. One of my favorite traditions that I think started when I was at Harvard. I ate breakfast only once in four years when I was in Cambridge. Not a morning person. I would fall asleep around 3am every night. So the next morning, if I didn't sleep in, I was running off to class...not sitting there eating breakfast. Thus, Sundays were the perfect time to drag myself out of bed at 11am or so and still enjoy breakfast foods. Brunch, one of God's gifts to non-morning people. Sunday brunch became a perfect time to catch up with friends every weekend. This tradition thrived during my time in NYC, one of the brunch capitals of the world...where brunch for many was a noun, verb, and state of mind (haha).

The brunch tradition continued in Beijing at places such as Maison Boulud, the Vineyard, Bridge Cafe in Wudaokou, etc. Nothing is better than sleeping in, throwing on something comfortable, and sitting down to break bread with friends. Staples? Coffee, tomato juice, eggs of some kind, tabasco, potatoes.

I was lucky this past academic year at Duke to find others who valued the brunch tradition as much as I did. No matter how hectic classwork became, we'd always set aside time on Sunday afternoons to just enjoy life.

Hex, home to Jackie Ho, one of the best bartenders in the world. True to Chinese culture, he refused to let me pay every single time I went because we were friends. I felt so bad that I'd go and slip money under the cash register when leaving. The cocktails here....heavenly. All natural ingredients, each incredibly individualistic.

Favorite: Casablanca (white chocolate and rum)

The master in action. I can't remember the name of this one, but the rim of the glass is coated with crushed rose petals and the cocktail itself had essence of rose in it. Amazing.

My first concert in Beijing was at this epic venue called Mao Livehouse. I actually passed by it once in a taxi and it looked so cool. No windows. Rusted over metal walls. Simple words: Mao Livehouse. Little did I know it hosts many of the big international acts that come through Beijing. Although it is a death trap just waiting to happen...imagine a sardine can room of people, no windows, little ventilation, bright lights, people smoking, deafening speakers, one exit...haha. Terrifying actually...

I never pass up the chance to have shopping mall security guards ask me to leave the premises....

What's a summer in China without a trip down south to Suzhou and Shanghai? Suzhou is the only town that I'll wake up before 7am for. The most serene time for walking around and just watching the senior citizens do their tai chi.

Shanghai's Nanjinglu. Sister of Beijing's Wangfujing Street. Shopping galore. People. Billions of them. Oldest department stores in China. Best kept secret for jewelry shopping in Shanghai is the 3rd floor of the pearl market building here.

Fireworks. I realized after uploading this photo that this isn't Shanghai. Thanks iPhoto. Who can guess where this is? You win a prize.