The Wandering Monkey

Blog 2005-12-14

San Francisco: Complete

It's now near midnight on Wednesday evening.  Tomorrow morning I'm on a plane to Chicago, where my mom will be picking me up from the airport.  (Note to self: Send email to confirm)

I have completed my San Francisco tour.  It began at Greg & Barbara's, and I've just come back to their place again.  A quick rundown of everything I've seen:

First 3 days: Greg & Barbaras.  Most time spent at home.  Met their son, 2-year old Byron.  Interactions were actually reasonably fun, though glad parents were always on hand to take care of him whenever there were any issues.  Would not want a kid myself, I confirmed.

Next: Reached my friend Steve, who did not know I was in town.  Surprised by my call, he welcomed me to visit with him.  Took a ride with Greg to work, and met up with Steve in mid-morning.  Met Steve's wife, who I had not seen before.  Married almost two years, so the ceremony was just after I had left.  Spent some more time adjusting to American life.  Starbucks, Noah's Bagels, Jamba Juice (Orange Dream Machine - extra large - mmm....)  Introduced to online computer game, World of Warcraft.  Pretty cool.  In evening felt a little chest cold and passed out at 7pm, still jet-lagged as well.  Spent day with couple, talked over things.  Late in evening went on...

Next: Met Pam for dinner.  Feeling very tired, we both are.  Have a coffee.  Good to see her.  She gives me a mix CD which she has created.  Finish a quick meal and back to her home.  Meet her new boyfriend.  Want to get a beer?  Yes.  Out to my first American bar in two years.  Look around the scene.  San Jose night life.  It was just like before -- not much.  San Jose is still very male-heavy.  Too many guys per female.  Pam's boyfriend and his friend are heavy into martial arts.  Gives an interesting contrast to the 'gentler' swing dancing crowd.  More beer and back home, to watch Beavis & Butt-head DVD.  Pass out.

Wake.  It's Sunday morning.  Everyone asleep.  Go for a walk.  30 minutes.  Get Mexican dinner plate for breakfast.  Walk back.  Everyone still asleep.  Go back to sleep.  Wake up again. Pam is up.  Want to go for a hike?  Yes.

Out for a hike in Villa Montalvo, a small redwood forest and majestic villa open to the public.  Have a hike and talk about life & the pursuit of happiness.  Nice.

Back home to rest a bit, before heading out to party on peninsula.  Meet up with Eugene & wife, who have just bought a house.  Meet the first random swing dancers.  Talk about doing swing in China, and filming the movie, and how wierd the experience was.  Finish here, and...

Next: Rendesvous with Susan.  She sets up an air mattress and I'm off to sleep at her place.

Wake in morning.  Not much to do, until 1:30pm when Susan gets home.  We go out for coffee, and meet up with Patrick, who is working on a new company which sells virtual items for computer games (explanation: online games are so popular that an entire real-cash market has emerged selling the rare items found on the online game.  Patrick runs such a company).  We talk about expansion of his services into China.  If it's one thing I know, it's where the Chinese play computer games, and which games they play, and how we could have efficient marketing opportunities out there.

Evening back at Susans.  Dinner with random swing dancer + Susan + Pam + surprise guest Pam's B.F.  Talk about promoting martial arts vis a vis swing dancing.  Finish and back to Susans.  Sleep.

Next day.  Watch Empire Strikes Back.  See Ralph Fiennes interview on daytime woman's program, called "The View."  In interview he mentions The White Countess, but clip from movie is a very poor choice and quite unimpressive.  The movie, it is announce, will have a limited release Dec 21.  Hmm...

That evening.  Go to Swing Central in Redwood city, run by Carla (of Kevin & Carla fame).  With permission, put up "China Swings" poster.  Met many swing dancers and old friends I haven't seen since way back.  Have fond recollections and talk about China and the experiences there.  First performance group of the night goes on, but there is a problem with the music CD player.  Event MC keeps talking to amuse people, eventually asks if anyone  has announcements.  I'm wearing my Shanghai Swings T-Shirt, so I say I do have an announcement.  I say I'm Jimbo, and I'm from Shanghai, and we have swing dance groups over there plus in Beijing.  Everyone should come out!  A few people from the crowd yell "Jimbo!"  I finish announcement and two girls run up to me.  They are old friends I'd not yet bumped into.

Three dance performances, then a birthday jam.  Audrey, one of the old friends, drags me to the floor for the jam, since I am a visitor.  It kicks off, and it's a fast one.  I start the dance with Audrey, and soon some new random girl comes up.  I spin off Audrey, but not until after I've dance with both simultaneously for a few moments.  A little while with the new girl, and another one comes up.  I only have 5 seconds with this one, and another comes up (that's considered rude by jam standards to interrupt so quickly).  I'm amazed that all of them are so good at following.  And then I think, Hey, I'm back in San Francisco!  Two or three more, then to my surprise Carla herself comes up, very happy and enthusiastic.  Cool!, I think.  We go on for quite some time, due in part that no girl wants to come up and interrupt Carla while she's at a dance.  Two or three more and the song is over.

It was great fun!  My legs are weak, and my lungs are burning.  Never felt a thing until I stopped, though!  Sign of a good, long jam.  Get some water, say a few goodbyes, then get in with my ride and go back home to Susans.

Next (Today): Wait most of the morning, not doing much.  Supposed to meet with old friend Patty in evening.  Bored, so call Merry and meet her for lunch at Google.  Place has expanded!  From 4 buildings to 10 or so in the last two years.  Stock price from IPO of 50 to 400 right now.  Yes, 400!  Take the Google tour.  I've been here several times before.  Cool campus, interesting architecture.  Great cafeteria, much larger than it used to be.  Many of them, too.  All food is free.  That's why it's a good place to be a guest at lunch.

Eat, walk around with Merry.  Talk about life, and choices.  I wonder for a while if I should have stayed in Silicon Valley two years ago, when Merry was asking if I wanted to join Google.  I think about it.  Then I say, from a personal point of view, it would not have been right for me.  Two years ago I was not in a good state, frustrated with the old job and enduring the lingering pain of a failed engagement.  For me, going to Shanghai was definitely the right decision then.  I do say, however, it would be nice to currently have the BENEFITS of having made the decision to keep working, but I needed that change and I probably would not have been able to apply myself fully and invest all my energies into the job.

Back to Susan's.  It's afternoon.  Wait.  Play Hearts on computer.  Kind of bored.  Susan's home and in a bad mood.  Rare to see.  Wonder if its because of anything I've done, but it seems to be work.  An hour later her boyfriend shows up.  We make popcorn and watch an episode of King of Queens (first I've ever seen) on TiVo (which is a really cool sort of hard-drive method of recording and playing back TV shows.)  Nice.  Fast forward through commercials.

Finally Patty shows up.  Near 8pm.  Where shall we go to dinner?  Ethiopian.  She offers to treat, so I say OK.  Talk about things.  She's married now, too.  Invited me to come to San Fran area wedding, and also the second ceremony in Italy.  I turned down both offers because of the money it would have taken to fly out there.  Too bad.  Would have liked to see Italy.  Have dinner and back to her house.  Meet Edo again, have a chat.  He's really funny.  They both get in car and drive me up to Greg and Barbara's, which is where I am...

NOW: typing info into computer.  Soon I'll get under the covers and sleep.  Tomorrow I'm in Chicago, and I'm facing the family.  I'm glad I did San Fran first.  Gives me a chance to adjust to "American" life again.  Get my feet on the ground.  Family is going to take some energy to face again.  My story's not unique.  Holiday time with family can be trying.  However, there's lot of good this year.  My sister is back in town from Germany, so I will be able to for the first time see my niece, Samantha, who is just over a year old (I think!).  My Uncle Tom is also coming into town, which is an added bonus.  I don't think he planned before to come out, but changed his trip at the last moment. 

 * * *

So, given all that, my mind's on my future.  Don't want to burn any more savings.  Got to get a job.  In my head, I picture moving to San Francisco, where you can live without a car.  Get a short-term contract job inside the city, where I can take public transportation.  Dance at the various local events.  Be a spectator for a while.  Take some lessons from the local champions.  Promote China Swings, and support the scene remotely by working on websites and structure plans.  Make some cash.  Look for jobs which will offer a job-moving plan to go back to Shanghai.  But I think I want to spend a few months in America first.  If I still continue to feel this way for the next week (during which I'll be in Chicago), I will send notice to not renew the apartment in Shanghai.  I won't take the return ticket from Chicago to Shanghai.  I'll look for jobs through headhunters and on DICE (website for technical professionals).

I'm concerned a bit.  Don't know where this diversion will take me.  Not a diversion, really, but a necessary career direction change.  Right now I feel I'll eventually end up back in Shanghai, but I can't say when that will be.  I'll continue to study my Chinese, and if I'm in San Francisco, it will be easy to find a tutor and people to practice with.  I can't seem myself living in Chicago because it's too cold and you need a car to get around.

Sometimes it does feel a bit odd, though.  Going back into corporate work after what I've been doing the past two years.  From the high point of working with a-list Hollywood stars, to the low points of struggling to maintain students and keep up the enthusiasm.  All of which has lead me back in a big circle.  Going back where I came from, doing what I was doing when I left.  I feel funny about that.  I'm itching for something more.  I think I will be happy doing a new full time job, I just want to make sure it's something interesting and fulfilling before I take it on.

All For N0wwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....