Thursday, March 31, 2005
Funny How Time Slips Away
"Well hello there. My, it's been a long, long time. And how am I doing? Well, I guess that I'm doing fine. It's been been so long now, but it seems like it was only yesterday. Gee, ain't it funny, how time slips away?"
Yes, it's been awhile since I've posted, but there's a been a dearth of blogworthy material and I've been consumed finishing a freelance piece for USA Today for a business travel section to be published April 27.
This week's Standard column is merely warmed over blogstuff and not worth recycling here again, although I just learned that an "avid fan" in Hong Kong is the 12-year-old daughter of one the paper's (American) top guns.
"Apparently, you're the only thing she reads in her daddy's paper," another editor told me. "Great," I replied. "It's nice to know that I'm huge with 12-year-old Lutheran girls." It's actually a bit ironic, too, given that early on in my Standard stint the honcho's wife had apparently made it clear that she was not especially amused by my work. The man himself seems to appreciate my efforts but we rarely talk, though he's never less than cordial when we do - just a bit squiggy. As someone else observed about him: "He's a good guy, just too tight for his skin."
On another front, it looks like I'll be going back to the States for a short visit to see my dad and sister next month in, er, Syracuse, NY and C will be with me. Amazingly and against all popular odds, she scored a 12-month business visa. Whether it was her charm with the US consulate interviewer in Guangzhou or the somewhat fictitious "invitation letter" her US employer kindly wrote up for her, or both, we'll never know; but she's in possession of what few Chinese these days are able to score.
She's extremely excited about a maiden visit to the States - though I keep trying to give her a reality check by pointing out that Syracuse isn't exactly a prime, coveted travel destination. Nonetheless, C has hopes of perhaps extended layovers in either NYC so she can "shop at Carrie's stores" as seen in Sex and the City or LA. She also mentioned Vegas, but after I showed her a US map she's downsized the expectations.
"Well hello there. My, it's been a long, long time. And how am I doing? Well, I guess that I'm doing fine. It's been been so long now, but it seems like it was only yesterday. Gee, ain't it funny, how time slips away?"
Yes, it's been awhile since I've posted, but there's a been a dearth of blogworthy material and I've been consumed finishing a freelance piece for USA Today for a business travel section to be published April 27.
This week's Standard column is merely warmed over blogstuff and not worth recycling here again, although I just learned that an "avid fan" in Hong Kong is the 12-year-old daughter of one the paper's (American) top guns.
"Apparently, you're the only thing she reads in her daddy's paper," another editor told me. "Great," I replied. "It's nice to know that I'm huge with 12-year-old Lutheran girls." It's actually a bit ironic, too, given that early on in my Standard stint the honcho's wife had apparently made it clear that she was not especially amused by my work. The man himself seems to appreciate my efforts but we rarely talk, though he's never less than cordial when we do - just a bit squiggy. As someone else observed about him: "He's a good guy, just too tight for his skin."
On another front, it looks like I'll be going back to the States for a short visit to see my dad and sister next month in, er, Syracuse, NY and C will be with me. Amazingly and against all popular odds, she scored a 12-month business visa. Whether it was her charm with the US consulate interviewer in Guangzhou or the somewhat fictitious "invitation letter" her US employer kindly wrote up for her, or both, we'll never know; but she's in possession of what few Chinese these days are able to score.
She's extremely excited about a maiden visit to the States - though I keep trying to give her a reality check by pointing out that Syracuse isn't exactly a prime, coveted travel destination. Nonetheless, C has hopes of perhaps extended layovers in either NYC so she can "shop at Carrie's stores" as seen in Sex and the City or LA. She also mentioned Vegas, but after I showed her a US map she's downsized the expectations.
# posted by Justin @ 1:19 AM 
