I woke up at 8 AM this morning (or, okay, at 8:30), cheery, content and unable to sleep any longer. And then I started studying. Out of character?

I’ve never been a morning person, I won’t even deny it, even though I have my days. Today, I got up, got some tea and breakfast, and started studying my Chinese characters for the chapter 1~30 test (a whole book) without a complaint. Except talking a tiny bit to my flatmate, I was more or less studying the entire morning, just writing strokes and remembering different characters. And I actually felt quite good about it. Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that?

I feel much better in general – I guess all bad moods come to an end (and then return later, but hey). Had a long talk with my mum yesterday, and she provided a quite good solution to my school-tiredness problems. So, since I obviously aren’t going back home, I’ll go travelling instead. Sure, I’ll “waste” a whole lot of school money on not being there, but I think seeing both culture and other parts of China will be a good experience. It’s not like I’ll have another chance to see it any time soon. =3

Travelling plans are still being created, and there’s some plans about maaaybe going on a trip to Japan, but we’ll see. That, and I need to get my ass into gear and post pictures.. Maybe next week.

Completely Unrelated;

- Making Latex Clothing. I want to try this sometime!

So it seems like Shanghai is going into a rainy season. Luckily not an incredibly rainy season.

It’s been raining on and off for the last two weeks, with just a bit of sunshine in between. Not that I’ve been outside that much this week, but I’m hoping to get a bit more active since it’s I’ve only got three months left here, even though I’m still hoping to shorten it down to one.

I’m a bit annoyed today actually. I’m getting crossed information from my school. The EF section in Norway tells me I can’t get any money refunded for quitting my course to months prior to the actual end, the school itself told Monique that it’s possible to get money refunded if we decide to go travelling for a month – as long as we have a regular (and not intensive) course, which I do, and students with previous experience say it’s supposed to be possible to get money refunded. So what’s the difference between taking long, non-paying break, from going home a while before? I’m confused.

Kinda reminds me of exactly how clever my previous school was with giving information too.

Njeh. I’m having a good time right now though. Me & Monique, one of my flatmates, are currently eating an early dinner at Abbey’s Road, my favourite place after Boonna Café and before Café Gino. Gordon Bleu. <3

And now, completely unrelated to the post;

• Pay the writer! A comical, and logical, video rant by Harlan Ellison. From the feature documentary, “DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH”.

Just a link, since I can’t get into youtube.com at all at the moment. :)

I’ve been in Shanghai about four and a half month now, and I’m actually loosing track of the time.

I came around the 25th of September, left China again during December for 3 weeks, and now we’re already at the end of February.

It’s a bit weird, really, but I’ve almost not written anything at all about the things I’ve seen and experienced. It’s been so much! People don’t behave like back in Norway in general, both in a good and in a bad way.

Good stuff; The Chinese are so hospitable! (One of my previous room mates definitely didn’t agree to this one, but still.) They’re kind, helpful, and eager to strike conversations whereas my fellow Norwegian people in most cases would never strike up a conversation about nothing in particular while standing in the check-out queue in a grocery store. I’ve also had some people follow me around for quite a while to help me find places whenever I’ve gotten lost.

Bad stuff; Too much curiosity (seriously, getting stalked while shopping clothing or groceries is not fun, and trying to “discreetly” peek from behind shelves is extremely creepy), incredibly impatient people (compared to the South-American and South-European people, Northern-Europeans are incredibly impatient, but seriously – the Chinese in the subway are unfortunately way worse), street sellers (Bag? Watch? Dvd? Plada? lookie lookie! You want sexy massage?) and beggars – I’ve had beggar children HANGING on to my leg to get money, even though I clearly stated I didn’t have any change to give (and my chuckling Canadian-Chinese friend definitely had, but they didn’t bother him).

I guess my reason for summering things up so soon is that I might go back home two months before planned, for reason I won’t share. I love Shanghai though, the mood, the way warmer temperatures, the culture, the ooold culture, the food, the club scene, and so much more. I’ll definitely come back, I just don’t know when yet.

I haven’t written much during January, mostly because I haven’t had as many things to write about as usual.

First I had a jet lag, then I got ill – and then I got ill again. I believe I’ve spent most of the month sleeping in my spare time. I also think my internet connection has sunken into hibernation or something, since it’s too slow for me to even upload pictures to my blog. There are so many pictures I’d like to post, and I at least want to have pictures on my posts.

I’m looking forward to the Chinese New Year and such, since it starts tonight, and I’m hoping to see the dragon dance. The celebration seems to already have started with fireworks two days ago. It sounds like there’s a war going on outside my window. It’s already incredibly noisy compared to New Years Eve in Norway, so I’m hoping for lots of firework shows this week!

And of course I seriously hope it’ll start getting warmer soon – it’s going to be cold walking around in cocktail dresses when going to the different clubs. Which, by the way, is the only thing I’ll probably do during the holiday. Party, I mean. I’m looking forward to it in one way, but it’s too bad most of my friends won’t be in SH.

I haven’t even posted the pictures from my December TFP – or rather Flickr Photo Meet up. It was incredibly fun and I also got some new Chinese friends. The pictures are of course out on Flickr (just not on my profile), my SHStuff profile and on facebook, but I’d love to put them out here too.

I’ve also done a TFP (also a meet up of sorts) in Thames Town, an hour or so outside Shanghai. The place is quite charming, and it’s too bad there are so few people living there. I wish I’d remembered too take some pictures around me. I haven’t seen too many of the pictures from this session though, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing the rest.

I’m also searching for new TFPs. I only have two TFPs coming up during February, and the dates are not set yet, so I’m looking for new people to work with. Feel like working with me?

I need more dresses though. Seriously. I should get shopping, but it’s no fun when it’s so cold outside. I’ve also managed to get myself a job – as a hostess. No, not the Japanese kind. The job is to distribute product samples and to welcome, pose and take pictures with guests. Agency name is French Touch, anyone have experience with them? I haven’t gotten an assignment though.. And no assignment = no money. I’m looking forward to it at least.

And on to the curiosity – if you’re staying in SH, are you planning on clubbing? And which club are you in that case going to? I’m not 100 % sure yet, but I think I want to go to Muse tonight!

Another random link post. I’m still living on my read-it-later list, but I’ve also found some new, thrillingly, lovely stuff. At least in my eyes

• Poladroid project. I’ve always had a thing for polaroid pictures, even though I never had a camera of my own. Not having a polaroid camera or money to buy film is not a problem any more though – now everyone can create 70′s looking pictures on their computer! It’s so fun!

• Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Incredible perfume and oil mixes with enthralling themes. They have so much, and I want to smell everything. ANNE BONNY, BELLE ÉPOQUE, BEWITCHED, GRAND GUIGNOL, JACK, POISONED APPLE, LUST, BLACK DAHLIA, VICE, NEFERTITI, VIXEN – I’d like to buy most of the perfumes I read about! I also adore the stories and poems they give most of their perfumes. They even have perfumes inspired by some of Neil Gaiman’s stories; American Gods, Anansi Boys, and Stardust.

  Example; LAMPADES
  The Lampades are the darkly beautiful nymphs of the underworld, also called the Lethe Nymphae Avernales. They are the daughters of the Gods that govern the many rivers of Hades. The Lampades are Hecate’s torch-bearers and accompany the Goddess on her hunts, quests and revels. Their scent is the crisp, inviting bittersweet tang of cranberry with smoky dark lilies, heady, sensual musk, a tingle of ginger and a brush of Mediterranean spices.

• Hopefully helping article about preventing jet lag! I’ll definitely try this next time.

• Zombie Fashion Models Show Off More Than Skin. Le love.

• foto_decadent. My favourite fashion community. Unfortunately, I can’t get into their page when I’m in Shanghai.

Don’t you sometimes just feel good? For no reason, even. Today is the first time in a long while I’ve felt beautiful, but it makes me nervous for some reason I can’t quite define.

There are times I feel so shallow that it’s almost sickening. Like every IQ-point I had disappeared the day I realized I could look good. As if every book I’ve read, every article I’ve analysed, studied and written means nothing and that all my, even though sometimes random, knowledge is either gone or good for nothing. Like all my education and good grades were wasted beyond comparison, since I still have no clue of what to become. There was a time, quite a long ago, when I wanted to study psychology, forensic anthropology, sociology or even, at times, literature. Every topic could interest me, every detail was important, and my education – state of mind – mattered. Now I’m blank. I felt challenged by studying Chinese for a while, but I realize now more than ever that, as I’ve always been saying, I have the attention span of a gold fish. I can’t stay focused for more than a few months at the time, I never have and probably never will. Maybe I do have a will of fire when it comes to starting something new, but I almost never finish what I start. How am I supposed to finish a university degree like this? What could I possibly work as when I don’t want to stay in one place for more than a few months?

I think that if I first manage to start school again after this year with Chinese, I’ll probably study “something within art”. I do have more thoughts on the matter, but chances are I’ll change my mind once more. Art history? Literature? Clothing design, photography, mixed-media paintings or seamstress studies? I already love all of them. I’d love to make my own clothes, fire off my mind with paintings, or live off my stories and “rants”, the last one because it’s something I’ve done since I was somewhere around 12 and never have gotten tired of. Photography would be amazing too, but taking pictures because other people would want me to and pay me for it removes all the love I have for it, and all the passion to continue with it.

Should I be honest and seem even more shallow while feeling even better?

I would like to do nothing. Nothing. All I really, truly, want is to travel the world while writing and taking pictures of it.

I’m jetlagging. Maybe that’s with one G. I have a 7-hours-behind-local-time jetlag, and I’m almost not doing anything but sleeping.

Because of this sad, and hopefully not long-lasting, fact, I haven’t had as much time as usually to search up topics. Luckily however, I have the Read-It-Later function for firefox. After all, it’s crucial to have that when one has a habit of “reading” more than 20 things at once. The links below are all taken from my read-it-later list, which seriously needs to be slimmed down. I currently have 107 pages, each with four links. 428 unread things.

• Shoe Lacing Methods. Not sure why I like this. But, y’know, 36 different ways to lace your boots might come in handy some day! And my gawd, after some picture research, I must say it looks pretty!

• Tiny, Affordable Houses. Fascinating, but I think I’d rather want a big, affordable house.

• More on tiny houses. Because I thought it was funny some time in August. xD

• How To Turn an iPhone into a Moleskine Book. I wanna do this sometime, just with something else than an iPhone. Suggestions?

• proof of purchase. Woah, blog experiment.

• Eye Heart Glasses. I do too. Just not my own.

• To Aristophanes & Back. An article about Marilyn Monroe from May. 14, 1956.

• How To Be Creative. Lovely article with illustrating cartoons drawn on the back of business cards.

I’m not going to say I’ve been too busy to post over the weekend, because I truly haven’t. More like the opposite, since I’m suffering from the exact kind of jetlag as I did when I arrived in Norway.

And I’m so sleepy during day time I have problems staying awake. Not agaaain. Oh well. I’ll have to turn it around during the weekdays because of school – I can’t afford to loose more days than I already have. Tomorrow’s Monday so I only have one class. Shouldn’t be to hard to attend. I just need to put on multiple alarm clocks to make sure I actually wake up on time.

The plane trip, though way too long, was actually rather pleasant this time. Except for 15 minutes on the last flight when a kiddo started screaming. My first plane ride from Norway to Amsterdam, 2 hours, was with KLM. We boarded around 45 minutes after the actual boarding time because of delays, but KLM’s service is impeccable – even with a stuffed air plane. Besides, the dessert was apple pie. Need I say more?

The two hours I was supposed to spend at Amsterdam was more like an hour because of the delay, and I literally had to run through the airport because I needed to recieve a second boarding pass from Korea Air’s service desk. There was some kind of trouble with the seating charts (or something) while I was still in Norway, so I couldn’t get all of them at once. I’ll say it was “just my luck” that service desk 8, which I needed to go to, and my gate was completely on the opposite end of the gate I arrived at. And the lady behind the desk obviously was not at all in a rush. Stressing. Getting on board the plane afterwards was great though. Especially when I found out that the plane was almost empty. There must have been one, maybe two at most, people at each row – and some of the rows had five seats. I got a two-seat row completely to myself. Korea Air even provided a small bag with warm socks, sleeping mask, tooth brush and paste. That’s one thing you definitely don’t get on economy class on KLM’s flights. Korea Air’s the new favourite. 10 hours flying felt like nothing at all.

The air port in Korea (no clue which side) was pretty much like every other air port, except that I needed to take a metro train from one side to another. I went directly to the gate and then spent the two waiting hours (or, the remaining one and a half hour) watching Gossip Girl and eating candy. Because everyone needs a break from travelling. xD

I was quite tired when I got on the very last plane, which by the way also was almost empty because a lot of the other passengers’ flights had been delayed. I don’t remember much of the flight though, except that the food was horrible and that I slept during take off. I didn’t realize we were in the air before we were already an hour into the two hour flight. The air looked, to me, as if it was standing still. The customs didn’t take an hour like last time I entered China either – there was only me and and one other person in the “foreigner” cue. They didn’t insist on scanning the luggage either, it must have taken me less than 15 minutes to exit the airport.

I might have forgotten a whole lot of my Chinese during the last three weeks, but even in my half-asleep state I managed to get on the maglev train and then communicate where I was going to the taxi driver. And I got a good, non-crazy taxi driver too.

Oh and I’ve got a new flatmate again! ^^

I was supposed to leave for Shanghai today, but that didn’t quite work out as planned. Don’t you just love getting up at 1 AM before a long distance flight, only for it to be cancelled? Irony, if course.

I got up at 1 AM, left home around 2:30, was at the airport at around 4:30 and then went through those long, silly before-flight routines, aka everything from passport controls to luggage checks (I was the “lucky” winner of an extra thoroughly check) only to get to know around 6:30 that my flight was cancelled. Tiresome, to say the least. There wasn’t enough air in the front wheel of the plane, and since they hadn’t yet figured out what had happened we couldn’t leave. That part was okay though. Better safe than sorry.

Then came the “get-your-luggage-back” dance. Usually you can pick up your stuff almost right after landing – this time it took almost a half hour before they even started the band. Do I sound whiny yet? Oh you have just no idea. I just had one hell if a morning. Night. Yeah.

After that, we had to get our tickets refunded or rebooked by KLM. Which is easier said than done. The queue consisted of around 100 way-too-tired Norwegians, and we were just standing there for hours on an end. During two hours, we had moved three meters further into the insanely long line – and I was standing in the last part of it. They did set up some buses so people could travel to Oslo’s main airport to take a different flight, but I wasn’t even in the front part of the queue when the last bus left at 9 AM.

Waiting for so long “kind of” ruined my usually good flight mood, so I didn’t have any patience to wait for the next plane to Amsterdam (and then China) because of the at least 6 hours of waiting before it. Instead, I rebooked for Wednesday since tomorrow didn’t have any afternoon flights, and I’m way done with early morning flights. So the day after tomorrow, darlings, I’m going back to Shanghai. I honestly can’t wait! There’s nothing to do but wait for my plane while I’m still in Norway.

Oh, and next time I might have two in-between landings, but one of them is in Seoul! It might just be the airport in Korea, but I’m still looking forward to seeing a tiny bit.. Maybe they have cheaper food there. Yum.

The continued thread. Or post, more suitable with post. What did I read on the first day of the new year? Oh hon, I read quite a lot.

^{Photo; Wikipedia article on Wagashi.}

• “Wagashi”. Aka beautiful, traditional Japanese tea candy.

• Tokyo Hostess Interview Series Part 1. Part-2, Part-3, Part-4, Part-5, Part-6, Part-7. A seven part article about the lives of Japanese hostesses and how the clubs work. I got incredibly caught up in reading this article – it’s fascinating!

• Hosts Set Hearts Beating in Kabukicho Part 1, -2. Basically an article like the one above, just with a male twist (and lots more pictures).

• Geisha. An interesting introduction to the geisha. Not that I haven’t read a lot about them before. Hm, it just hit me – there’s an awful lot of Japanese-related links today!