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Skimming through the classified, I stumbled upon this little gem. It's a one bedroom house located walking distance to my current apartment, tucked within traditional Chinese courtyards. Not included, for some reason, was a picture of the living room. The price is a bit too steep at 7000RMB (around $1000) a month, considering it's much smaller than my current place.

Hmmm...

Anyway, maybe it's time for a move?

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Gulou street, which is right by my house, is a very popular walking street with lots of clothing shops, a rock club, Chinese style barbecue joints, and traditional courtyards converted into businesses. Walking further into the hutong, you'll reach nanluoguxiang, another shopping street with fashionable clothes and vintage toy shops. (My father called it "cute street.")

These two notable shopfronts were spotted walking from my house to the drum tower. "Let Love Be Your Energy" is a clothing boutique and the white sign on the second picture says "不营业," which means "not a business." (It must be unfortunate to live right on a popular shopping street.)

untitled

20x20cm
oil on canvas
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I made this before leaving to America. The image is from a small plastic mirror I've had for a while now. The naiveity and odd sadness of it appealed to me.

～＊＊ Last day in San Francisco ＊＊～

Our final day in America was spent walking around San Francisco with Silvia and her friend, Chelsea. We had pastry at Tartin, window shopped, ate tacos for dinner and visited Harris. There was a particularly upbeat, summery feeling in the air, like we were kids on our day off looking for diversions. It was such a syrupy sweet ending to a wonderful reunion. Good bye for now, America.

Please remember to bring several over-sized, geometrically patterned track jackets to every occasion.

- America part two Miami & Hollywood -

Visiting family is just the best feeling on earth. Everyone wants to cook for you and give you hugs and you simply have to lay around and coast through the days.

Florida is pretty special. Highlights include drinking beer on the Jaramillo-Harris' porch, pansy tennis, chatting with Alesh at Hollywood Art and Culture, being spoiled by Illiana's generosity, Harumi and Ariel's birthday, biking through Hollywood with Chad, party favors, BBQs, gossiping with gram, homemade cocktails, meeting the wonderful Jennifer, lunch at a cool diner with Misael, late night chats with Catalina, hunting for cool stuff at mom's, cake with coffee, last minute hang-out with Isabel, beach trips... I miss everyone already.

Yard time.

The Hollywood-Miami commute.

Harumi and Tommy in front of the awesome World Market.

Pretend pouting.

It really looks like this.

Chad's proud garden.

Possibly the best pizza ever.

Catalina's gohonzon

Ariel's birthday strawberry cheesecake.

Makin' faces.

- America part one San Francisco -

Ariel and I visited Silvia for about a week, which was basically packed with shockingly great food and coffee, expensively cute shops, thrift stores, art on the streets, scanning through books, hours of walking, painted ladies and the unique feeling of being in a living, breathing city of like-minded people. Quite amazing.

Ariel's first meal in America. (Seriously!)

The aforementioned "painted ladies." They are as desirable as a box of chocolates on Valentine's.

Harris (with his obligatory cappuccino) and Silvy.

TACOS!

SilvySilvySilvy

Ariel being handsome in the rain

冬天已经过去了，所以天气越来越暖。拜拜了毛巾。

Winter is officially over, so onto warmer weather and blue skies. Scarves will be placed in retirement.

My favorite ladies.
(Miss you)
<3

TERRI

SILVIA

CATALINA

NANCY

回国了

I'm in America now and have been for several weeks. It's been wonderful being home; overeating, visiting family and seeing that my blog isn't actually blocked here.

It's wonderful to be home. You reevaluate everything and want to improve; all good things to feel. Ariel and I are even talking about buying a small house in Hollywood, Florida, so we'll be close to family and friends. Settling down?

我在这里等等。快要回中国。