冬天都是網購天

新春快樂！

雖然芝城春節氣氛欠奉
年廿九還要被30年來最大的暴風雪圍困，挺真夠特別的

清晨6點開門見到的景像，叫我如何上班去？？

（還好我的門是往內拉的，朋友家向外推的連門都開不了！）

































下午暴雪過後，大家都出來拯救愛車，那天就摌了3句鐘＝我2個月的運動量




這幾天纏着奧利花就好
隔著半個地球就靠科技輕易地聯上了，互聯網真好

見奧利花這麼勤力，我要加把勁清清清清貨！

Thanksgiving 聖誕從網上買下來的東東如山堆積
每次去郵局都好大陣象





買翻了。打頭陣入門級neutrogena一箱，朋友訂我又訂的。
Murad的product又入了幾款





左：在Juicy Couture訂的第一箱（後有10多箱，郵局的老伯都要慢罵我了。。）
右：幫USAOutlet的Vincent訂購的，總共訂了7-8箱，這裡只是冰山一角


最狂的一天是一口氣買了6個Marc by Marc Jacobs袋
咭數加起來夠我買部Versa吧？
冬天哩，躲在家裡還是網購嚕。。。

lazy me

been back to chicago for almost 2 weeks...life goes on slowly, staying in cafe becomes part of my daily life. t is right, it's summer, let's get something done. i'm toooooo lazy & slow...and now i should return the iphone and get a macbook.

today is kinda special day for me...coz i got a frd from hk visiting me~! she's the cute spoiled gal who i've known for 20 years~!! (seriously we were neighbors since we're 2-3) how nice she became a filght attendant for the US line...3 days ago i told her on msn it would be great if she could come coz we're having the annual "taste of chicago" here, then next morning got her sms saying she's coming today...wow..so i was really happy to meet my old frd here...alongside she bought me a magazine and some instant curry she took from the cabin, ha

We were in the "bean"...

went to downtown to the millenium park and took pics with "the bean", went to grand park and ate some "taste of portion" (whenever we saw names of food that we dunno, we ordered 'em...bravo)

it was only around 22C but was really hot when u walked under that strong sun...so plz dun say i'm crazy when u know i bought like 10 bottles of sunblock from hk....i really need them..and the ones here are just not as good....ppl wish to be tanned here but i dun..

Part of my sunblock collections-_-"

i miss HK but there's lots of fun here in summer time, esp when i work only parttime. but anyway work work work hard first and then i can play play play hard:)

hanger

米國沒有生果好吃, 什麼新奇士橙多是出口剩了的籮底貨, 最新鮮好吃的要算是香蕉了。自從前陣子買了andy warhol 的banana print tote bag以後就經常吃香蕉, 因為人很累想有點"蕉"氣。翻看手機的照片竟然發現n年前在bed, bath & beyond拍下了本世紀最大發明, 現在跟大家分享一下.....


















兩款不同樣式的banana hanger....

因為試考完了,有點時間無聊一下, 哈
下星期就要回來了,未出發先發夢...

snowboarding

三月份的天氣仍是這麼冷, 趁冬季完結前到了vivien推介在wisconsin的alpine valley resort去, 一嘗t 要snowboard的心願。車行大概3,4小時, resort附近都渺無人煙。
http://www.alpinevalleyresort.com/index2.php?d=0
這個resort的網頁也挺捧的, 冬天時每天都upload現場雪地狀態照片, 山頭slope也分了好了幾級讓滑雪者因為喜好來選擇難度。夏天時resort會搖身一變成為golf場。

到達resort已是近黃昏, 看見各路好手整裝待發, 樣子pro得要緊。我們都是新手, 買了slope ticket及租用裝備後, 決定找私人教練來上一課。
找來的教練叫kevin, 個子小小的, 年紀看來只20出頭, 但已有4年教授經驗。看著kevin在山坡上跑來走去兼顧t和我二人, 少一點體力都不行。結果還是我在半小時來fell down more than 20 times....看見人家學ski的都好瀟灑, 怎麼snowboard的就弄得一塔胡塗...
kevin風趣幽默滔滔不絕沒有悶場, 可是講得最多的一句話是"r you ok?" (每次跌倒的時候都要問候一句)

中場kevin溜走了去休息一下, 著我們用"magic carpret"到slope上去滑下練習一下, 但是我的binding一早就結了冰, 要穿上boot都費了十分鐘了...

到kevin回來全程的高潮就是教我們單腳拖著snowboard搭chair上slope了, 離心力有如海盜船...往下望著白茫茫的一片山頭, 畏高的都有點怯懦。t以前在日本ski時都試過了許多lifting,但今次的chair坐下去後前面沒有bar給扶著防止掉下, 而是名副其實的"chair"而已，當chair突然停下在半空中搖晃著, kevin還手舞足蹈的說dun worry只是有些moron fell down when they jumped down on the slope...仍後又說到達出頂後要不顧一切躍下不然給人家看見你坐chair下山就很idiot...弄得我十分緊張, as u guys know...我的腳很短ma...當然最後都安然無恙啦

雖然皮費很貴,下年還是決定再試, 還有的是要thank you kevin, u're such a funny guy~:)


















陽光給白雪反射再反射, 看我的臉有多紅就知了...

sub-zero

這幾天的氣溫要用變態來形容,這樣的情況還要維持好一個星期
今天早上掉到攝氏-18度,現在冀盼谷底反彈

家裡的水管其實在basement有heat會warm up的,但是最終也戰勝不了低溫,結成的冰柱連接著水龍頭和面盤。恐怕水管已盡破裂,冰融化後便帶來水淹。

* * *
想要找好的bakery並不容易, 到h-mart時售貨員給了一小片coffee bread嚐著
口感鬆軟,甜味適中。可是最後都沒有光顧。
原因是以往試食好吃的,買回家後總覺味道有所欠奉。
當時分給你的一小片,細細咀嚼特別珍惜。
然而一大份給佔有以後,價值驟然下落。
少吃也果然多滋味, 又或許人就是有犯賤的心態, 給你一丁點,就會加倍珍惜, 給你完全擁有,只表現得不太在乎。到了最後最後, 麵包來及吃掉就變壞了, 可惜之餘會否還感到遺憾?

還是..你後悔的是當天沒有買下了麵包?

粗框

t 終於回來了,我的胡思亂想又要暫告段落
今次帶回了comme ca的p coat,是我最迷的白色,愛死了

正值瘋狂減價的時節, t說街上碰到許多的港人, 大肆搜掠
為什麼知道他們是hker?
透過觀察,t 給asian guy訂下了一些stereotype
cap不離頭的是korean, 滿臉鬚根的是日本人
香港仔就有t 所說獨特的hk hair style, 還有是加粗框眼鏡一雙

這裡我唯一認識的hk guy中, j先生戴的是calvin klein
k先生used to戴gucci, 剛從港回來的另一位k先生換了fendi
新相識的n先生戴的是prada

其實因為某種原因上, 我對粗框眼鏡有點情意結
也許今年我也要換一副burberry ne

madcity

早上雪花飄飄,路上好不難行
買了便當,向wisconsin出發,雪愈下愈大, 中午時終於到達madison

















甫下車直插雪裡去, 腳趾結冰

沒有大城市的繁囂,這小鎮躺在雪中,帶點安祥, 淡淡的散發出一種美麗
但是要我選大城市呢, 還是小鄉鎮, 我想還是選擇住在city
雖然我是個頗耐悶的人, 整天待在家裡也不會發瘋
可是那種與世隔絕的感覺真能叫人養出自閉症來
可幸在這樣的天氣下,madcity的downtown area人氣也挺旺

我不愛打交道, 但我喜歡看人

MMoCA by Ceasr Pelli & architect, 週日一早就閉館了

capitol

這樣好易滿足的我又當是去了一次旅行了

winter storm

First winter storm came finally (dunno how it compares to typhoon durian in philippines but it was thundersnow this morning), feel like I shouldn't have gone to school. The temp was not that really low but it was damn wet. Snow crazily whirling in the air and it was not snow but sleet which hit on my face and melted, and if you look at me you'll think I just washed my face but didn't towel-dry it yet. Waited for the bus for 30 minutes snow accumulated and I became kinda snow woman though I stood under the roof.

Under crazy weather there're crazy people. Had a pretty early class section and when I got to the campus I already saw several snowmen, wondering who had the mood getting up early in the freezing morning to make fun of the not-so-fun weather. Not only that I saw more than 4 people wearing short sleeves and two of them actually were playing with snowball (illusion?~_~")

Just saw the weather forecast the temp will fall terribly low to 2F on sat and the highest of sunday's only 19 (what the...)

Hope you had a good time in hometown, good timing to just escape from the strom huh~!

star of siam

到carmax跟了t7年的おくるま說再見
臨別秋波,今天它出奇地聽話
可會憶是起過往一起穿州過省的日子?
他日街上再遇,恐怕都再難相認了

今天天氣異常溫和,就是風大了點點
本來想跟campus一棵棵紅黃啡褐的大樹留影
風先生一下呵欠就叫所有樹木都變得光脫脫
給哈囉喂帶來淒然肅穆的氣氛

晚上回到芝城,到star of siam
泰式風味帶來驚喜
















pad thai +curry +crab rangoon

原來早就在summer 的taste of chicago嘗過 -->




























回歸途中還拍下了興建中的trump tower

下‧雪‧了

唔想郁...

asian mkts

亦敵亦友的懶惰,跟它糾纏久了,日記都變月記
幸虧t沒有幫我subscribe .mac, 買回來的iwed都用不著

上週日的news heading reads “from 80 to snow in 4 days”
哈囉喂還未, 到仍是daylight saving time的時間
整個城市卻要準備步入陰霾孤寂的季節

以往都是thanksgiving前後才下雪,
往年的thanksgiving還跟他第一次到mitsuwa吃拉麵
對那裡的書店asahiya印象大好, 地方整潔舒適, 光線柔和
架上分門別類放上最新出版的各樣書刊雜誌,
服務員穿著整齊的制服, 帶著誠懇有禮的笑容。
日本人在芝城的人口不多, 唐人就隨處可見, 可笑的是chinatown 沒有一家像樣的書店。

掛著”書局”名號的, 賣的是國產玩具雜貨, 不容易就到兩家真正有書出售的
甫進大門就教人失望 – 昏暗燈光照映著亂七八糟堆砌起的書山, 沒有細緻給分類
拿起數年前 “new arrival”的圖書, 還有一些用如草紙印製成的書籍
加上悠閒傲慢的售貨員, 只能說一句no comment

可能唐人都喜歡到圖書館, 或是轉看洋書了吧
還是許多同胞的知識水平不高?
又或者像大紀元時報所講, 中國同胞患了文革後遺症
當年稍有學識之士或舉止有禮的人都被嚴厲批鬥
以致遺留下來的恐慌令人們對文明文化卻步?

月前一家大規模的韓國市場h-mart 進駐芝城, 佔地廣貨品多不在話下
周邊還開了amore專門店, the face shop等等店舖
加上在local channel run了commercial, 人氣直升
其他亞洲食品市場都面臨危機…

週日一到mitsuwa, 赫然發現asahiya要閉店了
t 說書店是那裡的attraction,中止營業後,不知mitsuwa能否站得住脚

中國城賣雜貨的市場衛生差, 買了過期食品也不出奇
老闆不在乎顧客又照樣買
同樣是開門作業, 經營手法卻不大相同, 是我們的 “獨有風格”吧
難怪老外來到唐人街, 就以為就看到了中國的縮影…

bubble cars

上週五去了在Crystal Lake舉行之micro/mini auto meeting
d車勁迷你勁cute~~車展其實係各州車主自己揸/運架車o黎
大部分車生產於50s-60s, 勁可愛,可惜都已停產加絕版了
有兩個佬揸左兩部smart car黎, too modern<

























t's favorate BMW isetta




好想買架beetle~~><

good mornings

總算搞好點了時差,晚上能好好睡一覺

昨天是週日,到了附近的maxwell flea market
(星期天變了flea market day)
maxwell以mexican開的攤檔居多
跟wolff不同,maxwell賣的以雜貨為主
林林總總各式各樣的,有點像女人街
街頭巷尾還有些載歌載舞的,十足嘉年華會

路上還有許多食店,賣相十分吸引

t 說如果在mexican city光顧食店的話,你有100%會肚瀉
so we're lucky we can eat there~

食店的員工都不太會英文,我們又搞不清楚哪個是哪
於是用最原始的手指指方法點菜
要了兩客sandwich (mexcian bread + meat都叫sandwich 架呵?)
還有好勇的試了米白色的sweet rice drink (tastes ok but i dun like the cinnamon)












收穫還算ok吧
愛極早起,逛了3句鐘仍是11點多而已
之後還可以到peets嘆coffee
到blick art store, design within reach












@design within reach,坐住58k * Eames La Chaise $7,330 (USD)

walmart (tissue shopping)
-->sushi station最後到mitsuwa

我想jet lag過後,要我早起該會很難~

今天 t 說要到sport bar去
早上800 Australia vs Japan
到了ESPN zone, WC breakfast 盛惠$14.99
(送$10的game card,還有souvenir,不賴吧)


lunch到downtown super fancy McDoanld's












想像不到m記會用這般佈置,而可惜大部分食客未有好好愛惜+欣賞














panton chair (verner panton) $225





Prince Aha Stool (Philippe Starck)$87, Vitra (Isamu Noguchi) Prismatic Table $455




Pinot Bistro Table - Round $258











dcw (Eames R) $549














Here comes my favorite heart cone chair by Vernor Panton (1959) $3,175 沒看錯吧~!?

食客就是食客,薯條汽水灑到名師作品都懵然不知
我建議m記應在旁介紹一下這些designer furniture
不然都應標個價,or要求弄髒桌椅的人賠償,好等食客"愛惜公物"

最後"飽覽"m記後,到了nordstrom
竟然又碰上了kite chair~! 還要載了幾塊薯片-_-"















Kite chair (Karim Rashid) $498

好了,我的資料搜集到此為止,多謝觀賞~

jpn trip-1

**鑒於篇幅關係,jpn trip搬家到bongo voyage <--click here
回來這麼多天還未能好好去睡,昨夜更頭痛得很
從來坐長途機都沒有jetlag,今回不知搞什麼鬼
stella說因為我不想回來,所以body clock還停留在日本

人家說, 如果去旅行不跟團, 應該會自由輕鬆許多
我這11天的”自由行”,就行得我腳仔都痹
雖然是累,但就玩得超級開心

感謝t~~

back

just got back to chicago from a great trip:)

the next moment, i found out that i left the memory card on the plane~!!
the pics took in disney land, kyoto and nara are gone......
so unhappy
called the lost and found dept of the airline
but i hv no trust in the way american co. do their biz, low efficiency+ accountability
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

later this evening, my mum brought me another bad news
i can't help much even if i get back to hk



suddenly i feel so rootless, i belong to nowhere


outside the window
dandelion flies in the sky, dandelion scatters over the roof
dandelion gets into my house

dandelion goes wherever wind does