Victory...My First Adventure in Beijing!

A few days ago, I decided to go and see the Olympic Stadium (AKA the Birds Nest) and the National Aquatic Center (AKA The Water Cube) from the recent games here in China. Both of these building have been near the top of my list of sites.

My adventurous spirit made me decide that instead of taking a cab, which are very cheap....usually no more than $3-4 bucks to get anywhere, I would brave, and try to master, the subway. This would be a good trip to do it with since, according to the subway map, I would have to change trainlines 4 times.

So I set out, subway map in hand, to get to the destination. According to the local company helping us, this was to be a 30 min subway trip. Of course, they did not take into account that I would misread the signs and go the wrong way on the first train. Or even that I would accidentally exit one of the transfer stations and end up having to buy another ticket to get back in and find the right line.

But an hour and 15 minutes later, I was exiting the subway tunnel of the the Olympic park stop. It was weird, but I was feeling strangely exhilarated! I felt like I was in a competition myself. Me against the Beijing Subway system, and although the game was rough...I was emerging victorious! A huge smile crossed my face as I ascended to the open air, and right smack in front of me was the Birds Nest......

And it was even more spectacular than I remembered it looking on TV.

The funniest part, that coincided with my feeling of accomplishment, was that there were all these speakers in the courtyard, and they were blaring that "One World One Dream" song (that was always playing on NBC during the games) while I walked up to the building. Totally cheesy, but a very moving moment for me. Let me explain....

Since I was a kid, I have been obsessed with the Olympics and all the hoopla. I always buy into the corny inspirational commercials and the heartwarming backstories of the athletes. So I let it slide when a small tear welled up inside of me as I took in these stadiums for the first time.

One other little tidbit about touring around this area....the staring was worse here than it has been anywhere else in Beijing so far. EVERYONE was looking at me! Now, as I have been told, most Beijingers are used to seeing Western people since the Olympics. But the difference here is that a lot of the people walking around the stadiums would be tourists from other parts of China. It was very possible that I was the first non-Asian person they had ever seen. There were even people taking my picture, and a few who wanted to pose with me.

It was hilarious. After this happen a few times, I was then giving them my camera to get a picture of us together also. Very fun!



So here are some pics.......Enjoy.



As you can see, it is very cold here.

One of my new friends who wanted to get a picture of me. By the by, everyone here does a peace sign when they get their picture taken with an American. For some reason, the Chinese think that all Americans give each other peace signs all the time.

Another new friend. Another peace sign.

A close up of the design.


The gratuitous Vanna White picture.

The Water Cube.

Me and the Water Cube.

The watching tower between the two buildings. Apparently this is where the super important people watched the Olympic goings on from.

Stay tuned for more pics of the Olympic stuff. Since I didn't have a chance to tour the inside on this particular day, I will have to go back and do that. Can't wait!

The Economy for Dummies

I saw this today. It's long, but I think it is the best explanation of the credit crisis in the United States. I love the cartoons and simplicity of it. And yes...I realize that the last sentence makes me sound like a typical uninformed American idiot who has to have everything dumbed down for her. Whatever. Watch the video.

Quickie: Day 1 in Beijing

6:00 PM Flight lands in Beijing Airport

7:00 PM Arrive at AWESOME St. Regis Hotel

7:15 PM Private butler shows me around my room

7:30 PM Hotel convention contact treats us to drinks and dinner at cool bar in hotel with live music.

10:00 PM Hotel contact surprises us with complimentary massages in the St. Regis Spa after dinner.

11:30 PM I go to bed drunk and relaxed.

Not a bad first 5 hours.

Divorce

It's been about 3 weeks since I blogged about anything political, so I'm due. And here it is.

A friend sent me this video today. And it did effect me. Probably because this is the first time I realized that since the passage of Prop 8 banning Same Sex marriage in California, the proposed dissolution of all the previously legal marriages in that state can be compared to making people get legally divorced. What kind of country do we live in that would force that?

And the fact that Ken Starr (the jackass who was behind impeaching Clinton...and who I have a theory about how he is responsible for 9/11) is a part of the legal team is sickening to me.

Here's a snippet of the article...followed by the video. It's a tearjerker.

On December 19, 2008, Ken Starr and the Prop 8 Legal Defense Fund filed legal briefs defending the constitutionality of Prop 8 and seeking to nullify the marriages of 18,000 devoted same-sex couples solemnized before Prop 8 passed.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case on March 5, with a decision expected within 90 days. We, the undersigned, ask that the Court enforce the equality promised to each of us by our constitution and invalidate Prop 8. So doing will protect all loving, committed couples in California -– including the 18,000 who said "I do" last year –- and prevent the initiative process from being a tool for stripping vulnerable minorities of precious constitutional rights.



This video may have been cheesy but seriously. These are families. And devoted partners. They deserve for their marriages to remain recognized and legal.

I am caving...25 (or 20) Random Things

This has been all over Facebook. At first I wasn't going to do it, and instead just posted a snide comment on my profile about how everything I do is random.

But I did have a change of heart, probably after reading a lot of other people's 25 Random lists, and decided I would give it a try. I decided to post it here instead of Facebook.
Why? I'm not entirely sure. I think because I don't feel the need for all 300 if my Facebook friends to see it. Just those friends (and I don't think there are really that many) who actually regularly read this blog. And I guess all the strangers who stumble upon this blog. Here goes....

Ohh...and I'm only doing 20 because I think 25 is too many!


20 Random Things about Me

1. My pinky toenails on both feet are triangular. I have been to a few doctors about this throughout my life, and have been told that there is nothing wrong with them. It is actually common. Although I have never seen anyone else who has this. I also have crossover toes. I also have a strange baldspot right at my hairline above my nose.

2. I have been to over 60 countries and 6 continents in my life. But I have never been 3 hours South to the city of Branson, Mo. And it is a personal goal of mine to NEVER go to that city. What makes this funny, is that on many, many occasions in my international travels - when foriegn people have found out that I am from Missouri, they ask me about Branson. I actually get really annoyed about it.

3. My favorite word to say is "dallop". I don't get to use it much in normal conversation, but I think it is so very fun to say. The funniest spoken word, in my opinion is when British people say the word "scrotum". I think it is hilarious! I have been known to ask people with British accents to say that word, and I can't help but giggling and getting very entertained by it. It's not as funny when Americans say it...just Brits.

4. I do not really believe in counseling or psychology as a way to solve personal problems. Which is actually kind of ironic, because my mother is a psychologist. Nor do I buy into 12 step programs, and most self-help philosophies. I think we all have the ability to fix our own problems within. I do however believe in medication, and anti-depression drugs. It's am interesting paradox for me. I don't get people who are suffering and refuse to take medication for stupid reasons.

5. I really am not joking when I say I don't want children. I get very upset at people who try to question this, and convince me that I would be a great mother. My theory is ...why would you ever want to convince someone who states out loud that they are not cut out for parenthood? That they do not have the patience to deal with all the issues parents have to deal with? With all the bad parents, and abusive parents in the world, why would you even consider encourages someone who point blank thinks they would be bad at the job? Makes no sense to me.

6. I really believe that a sunny day, my convertible with the top down, a great CD of songs that I know all the words to, and a 44 oz fountain Caffeine Free Diet Coke from QT can fix all when I am depressed or in a foul mood.

7. I hold grudges. And it takes me a long time to get over things. I am still mad at folks for things that happen 15 years ago. It's not like I go out of my way to hate people or anything, but if I run into, or if someone that made me mad in the past is mentioned, I can't help but still be pissed at them. Not to their face or anything, but in my head. This is a big struggle for me. Because I know it is unreasonable, but the thoughts are always there.

8. I nap in the shower sometimes. Not the bathtub...the shower. I can't do this at my own house, because the hot water runs out too fast. But, when I stay at hotels, I have been known to actually lie or sit (depending on the size) on the floor of the shower with a washcloth over my eyes and dose off for more than 30/45 minutes while the water is hitting down on me. It is incredibly relaxing. I would probably nap in the tub if I wasn't afraid of accidentally drowning, but in the shower that is not possible.

I struggle with how much water I am wasting, but I recently gave up bottled water, and have been trying to be more green in my life to make up for it.

9. My favorite phrases that I use entirely too much, but love....

I got nothing.
I'm picking up what you're putting down.
There is nothing about this that is not awesome.
Word. (as a greeting)
I have no use for that person.
I hate (fill in the blank) with the fire of a thousand suns.
I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers.
Score.

I have also, thanks to Barney on How I Met Your Mother have started to embrace "High Five" in the last few years.

10. I gave up caffeine about 4 years ago. It was a great decision once I was truly able to break the addiction. Now when I drink caffeine (even a little bit) it makes me absolutely crazy. I shake uncontrollably, and I can't stop babbling. It feels like I am drunk. If I drink a lot of it (Like 2 or 3 fountains sodas worth in one day or some red bulls) , I get these crazy heart palpations that have actually landed me in the hospital twice. It's amazing that this happens now considering that I used to drink ridiculous amounts of caffeinated soda with no side effects in high school and college.

11. If I could live anywhere in the world besides the United States, I would live in Dublin, or another city in Ireland. My favorite international city to visit is Buenos Aries, Argentina.

12. I would love to meet and have a conversation with John Hughes. I think he is one of the most insightful and underrated movie writers, directors, and producers of our time. No one has better captured the spirit of the American teenager.

13. My mother is one of the most amazing and real people I know. I don't think we are a lot alike, but we have similar temperaments. We fight all the time, and we both get very frustrated with each other. This is going to sound strange, but I do not agree with a lot of the decisions she has made in her life. However, I really admire her for where she came from, and what she has accomplished. I love her a lot, and know that she would (and does) do anything she can for me. I know as I get older, we will find that very close knit relationship that I wish we had now.

14. I love my name, and always have. I beam when people tell me how much they like it, because I think it is such a great compliment. Vivian is Latin for "Full of Life". I think it suits me, and fits well with my last name. I have many nicknames, and never have an issue with them. The obvious one is Viv. My parents and mom's family call me Vivi (pronounced ViVe). That is mainly because my grandmother has the same name, and they called her Viv. Some people from college call me Vivi (VeVe). And of course, thanks to Pretty Woman, I went through many years of "Yo Viv Babe". But, I always introduce myself with my full name Vivian Costello.

15. I hate mushrooms. Even the sight and smell of them makes me sick. I tell people I am allergic.

16. I have an irrational fear of being poor. I don't know why. I am deathly afraid of credit card debt, and have never had a balance on a credit card. I am terrified of living above my means, and have been really scared to make major purchases in my life, even ones I know I can afford.

17. The only real goal I have in my life is to visit all 50 states and all 7 continents. I have Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, and Maine left in the US, and the continent of Antarctica left.

18. I love to go to the movies. I could go everyday. I have been known to go to more than one movie a day. I have no shame about going to movies by myself, I do it all the time. I am also very interested in the economics and business of movies and movie making. I often track those details like how much money they take in compared to the production costs; how and where movies are marketed; the breakdown and percentages of studios vs. theaters. I think it is a very interesting world, and would possible enjoy a career in the movie production and studio industry someday.

19. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. But I love to sing! I do it all the time....in the car, in the shower, etc. I love to karaoke.

20. I think I have a very wide array of interests. It sometimes surprises people the random subjects I care about. I ask a lot of questions. If something peaks my query, I am the kind of person who has to research and get the back story. This happens in conversations, TV shows, movies, books....anything. Thank God for the Internet. This is also why I seem to know a lot of silly little trivia facts. And piggybacking on this, I am pretty good at faking an interest of things I really don't care about in casual convos and stuff.

A Little Segment I will Call......

In the Pages of Us Weekly.

O.K. Trying something new here. I am going to flip through the February 9th issue of the magazine, and share my thoughts as they come up. This could be weird, but play along.

* When did Makeup at Target get so expensive. $12 for a lip pencil? At Target? Yeah...seems reasonable.

* Poncho sweaters make thin people (like Jenny Mcarthy and Lily Allen) look fat. I shutter to think what fat people would look like in them.

* I like the "Who Wore it Best" page, but I don't always agree with the majority.

* Kelly Osborne is so 2002. And she is entering Rehab again? SHOCKER.

* Kate and Leo should just sleep with eachother and get it over with. The sexual tension is so obvious. And at least they are the same age. No offense to Sam Mendes or Leo's model of the hour.

* They did an article called "Shakira's Inauguration Diary". Seriously? Shakira? And politics? WOW.

* I'm glad that all the oldies (sans Clooney) are coming back for appearances in the last season of ER. I will point out that I haven't watched the show since 1999, but still, its sad that it is ending.

* I want to watch that show United States of Tara sometime. I heard someone recommend it recently, and it was totally written by Diablo Cody of Juno fame.

* Dispite thinking that it is funny that Angelina Jolie wore her SAG Awards dress backwards, I thought she looked really pretty. Its a shame all the fashion commentators dogged her. And that is saying a lot for me, because I really can't stand her. The mag got a nice shot of Brad smiling at her. He really is in love.

* That chick from Slumdog Millionaire is absolutely gorgeous. I want her skin. Its radiant.

* Eva Longoria's SAG dress was a trainwreck stylewise, but I loved the unique color. I don't even know what to call it....maybe orangy pink? Fuchsiaish Red? It was showstopping.

* Josh Brolin and Diane Lane are cute together.

* It creepy to see Alex Balwin with his daughter Ireland. I keep thinking of that voicemail where he called her "a little pig".

* Anne Hathaway looks like a man trying to look like a woman. That may be below the belt, but I call it like I see it.

* I think Clive Owen is sexy ugly.

* Newsflash....Lindsey Lohan looks thin! I am so glad that Us Weekly is reporting on this, because it is just brand new information.

* I am saddened that Prince Harry and his girlfriend broke up. Again. For the third time. She's cute. A little generic, but cute.

* People I was just surprised to find out were younger than me:
Kate Winslet
Molly Ringwald's husband
Angelina Jolie
Alison Sweeney
Drew Barrymore

* Blast from the Past: Ione Skye (of Say Anything fame) and her wedding made the magazine. Random.

* Jen Aniston and John Mayer WILL NEVER MAKE IT!!! They need to just go their separate ways. Its getting old.

* The Obamas really are an adorable family.

* I like both the daytime and evening inauguration outfits on Michelle Obama. If I had to pick something to critique....it would be the green shoes of the daytime gold suit thing. And the fact that during the luncheon, she covered the dress with a cardigan sweater. I thought the white evening dress was beautiful.

* Jessica Simpson is not fat, she just looks really bad in super high waist jeans.

* I love anything that mentions Gossip Girl. Even if it is about Lilly Van Der Woodson's real life divorce. Yeah, I just read the whole 3 page article.

* Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi are vegans. Good to know.

* Please, please, please let the skinny jean trend go away. Soon.

* Ditto for the shoes with stripper heels.

* Blue eyeliner is back! At least according to Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Bynes.

* Apparently there were a lot of hits at the (scaled down due to the economy) Sundance Festival this year. Nine of the films got picked up. I am really looking forward to seeing Adventureland and 500 Days of Summer.

* I heart "Fashion Police". The comments are hilar. They need to shake up the players a little though. Courtney Love and Linda Hogan seem to be in there an awful lot.

And that is the end the magazine. Thanks for reading with me!

Sometimes My Insticts are Correct

So, I was flipping channels today, and I came across the show Jon & Kate plus Eight. Normally I would just have passed right by, considering my true loathing for most reality TV. However, I had already been through the channel lineup once. And also, just last week, a couple of my co-workers were discussing this show and saying it was really funny and entertaining, so I decided to give it a try.

Here's the premise for the uninformed: Jon and Kate are this married couple that have (I think) 5 year old girl twins, and 3 year old sextuplets - 3 are boys and 3 are girls. So in nutshell, they are raising 8 kids under the age of 6. It's a zoo.

Anyway, I should have gone with my first instinct. Let me just tell you what was happening in this particular episode I caught.....

Apparently Jon and Kate are in the middle of potting training the 3 year olds. They have like 6 different little kid plastic toliets in their bathroom, and all the kids are running around and jumping all over the place, while the parents are trying to get them to use said potties.

Then, one of the little girls actually does number 2 in her potty, and THE CRAZY MOM GOES AND GETS A CAMERA AND TAKES A PICTURE OF THE KID STANDING NEXT TO THE CRAP IN THE TOLIET.

Seriously. And it gets better.....

she labels the picture and puts in on the fridge. Apparently next to the picture of another one of the kids with their prize in the toliet also.

Iis this normal? To take a snapshot of your kids feces and hang it on the fridge? I really hope not. I don't think anyone involved thought this was normal, except for Kate.

Afterall, the afrementioned "poop" is fuzzed out on the video like it is a grownup part or something. So, that tells me that even the network thinks this is weird. Even Jon, the husband, started talking to the camera about how this whole picture thing is a bit strange.

So, I am someone who will admit when I am wrong about a show or something, but wow. This is not of those times.

it just points out again, the real reason that I don't like most reality TV. There are just some moments that people should not share with the whole country. I keep thinking that those poor kids are going to be made fun of like crazy at school in a few years.

So a big thumbs down to Jon & Kate Plus Eight.