So this new store or shop opened just a little bit down the street from our apartment, and apparently in Shanghai to celebrate that they light fireworks.. right there on the sidewalk. So one morning at 11am they lit fireworks and they went off for about 20 minutes. IT WAS SO LOUD. It sounded like all of Shanghai was just shot basically. After they did it in the morning, they proceeded to do it again at night, woohoooo. We watched them from my one roommates balconies, it was so close you could almost touch them! Also quite dangerous as they were like touching the side of the building and the glass windows of the apartments above the shop! People here are crazy I tell you. Also, the driving is wild! They weave in and out and they go in the lane that drives the opposite direction to pass vehicles and stuff, its crazy! Scary at times as well.. I went to a casting yesterday and saw a "Kim Hortons". It looked exactly the same as Tim's back at home but just with a K! The writing and the logo and everything was the same, it was so funny! I have only seen one though, I should of tested it out and seen if it was as good as Tim's, dangit! Ooh last night we went for Turkey dinner too! Me and two of my roommates, the one girl knew a guy that was having a bunch of people over so we went! They are vegetarians so there was no turkey or chicken, but they made salmon, mashed potatoes, pasta, vegetables, devilled eggs, spaghetti and appetizers too! It was sooo good! Best turkey dinner away from home! One last thing to mention before ending this for the day.. there is a hair salon across the street and in the morning and at night the employees go outside and stand infront of the shop and do this dance thing to music. Its actually quite entertaining, funny as well. I think they are trying to attract customers, but I am not really sure!

Shanghai

Hello from Shanghai! I arrived here on Friday, my flight was delayed, which happens to me just about every time I fly anywhere! But I arrived safely and was picked up by a booker and taken back to the apartment. I live with 4 other girls, 2 are from Toronto, 1 is from Portland and the last is from Russia, but lives in Calgary now. The apartment we live in is much much bigger than the one in HK, lots of room to walk around and such! I also made more friends in the first day I was here than my whole 2 months in Hong Kong, haha. The guys from the agency, there are 3 of them, came over on Friday night, as well as one of the model's boyfriends and another guy who is one of the other models really good friends. So basically I made 9 friends in being here less than a day! Woohoooooo. The girls here are really nice, they actually talk to to eachother and don't just stay in their rooms all day, like some I know... So it's good here, bigger than HK, also colder! I can wear pants, a tank top and a cardigan and not sweat like wild! It's kind of nice though, because then you don't show up to castings all sweaty and gross. We take a van to our castings, so we all go together which is good, our drivers name is Jackie. I wasn't able to use the internet for the first few days of being here, China is still communist so it tries to block the flow of communication, so some sites like Facebook, Youtube, Blogger and other sites were blocked and people here aren't allowed to use. But good thing there are smart people in this world and they created VPN's that can break through The Great Firewall of China (thats what the blocked internet communication flow thinger is). So I bought a VPN so that I can use the internet freely! So far it's been good and my mom comes next Monday! Also, since we're missing turkey dinner, me and one of the girls from Toronto, I also share a room with her, are making chicken and mashed potatoes, having our own little Thanksgiving feast! haha. We don't think you can get turkey here, so the closest thing was chicken, which is fine! Should be just lovely. Blog again soon, Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay, so turns out I didn't get the job I was waiting to hear about, lame! I found out around 8pm on Tuesday. This meant that I would be leaving on Thursday, talk about rushed! I was waiting to hear about a plane ticket and didn't, but found out this morning that I won't be leaving until Friday now, so tomorrow. I basically have everything packed and realized I overpacked just a tad.. haha. I went and finalized everything at the agency yesterday so I'm basically good to go whenever I hear about my ticket! Also, Hong Kong has actually been slightly cold the past couple of days, if you can believe it. I mean, the other day I could of been wearing pants, a t-shirt and maybe even a cardigan! I definitely could of been wearing pants and a t-shirt and walked around and not even broken a sweat! I hear its like that most of the time in Shanghai now, and that it actually gets pretty cold in Shanghai in the winter months, but no snow. I was so excited to hear that, because I can actually wear pants now and I'll be able to walk around and not sweat like crazy! Woohooo! So I am off to Shanghai tomorrow, I'll blog when I get there and am all settled!

Alright so I'm like a week behind on this blog thing, sorry about that to anyone who has been checking to see what I'm up to! Last week was busy, I had 4 jobs in 3 days! I have been waiting to hear about a commercial since last Sunday, still haven't heard yet. The clients haven't made a decision. I was supposed to be leaving on Thursday, but we didn't book my ticket and put the leaving on hold for this job. At first I was supposed to know by Tuesday, then it turned to Wednesday, then it turned to Friday and now it is the following Tuesday and I'm still waiting!! In other words, if I don't get this job, I have to book my plane ticket about 24 hours in advance, fun right? Not! My friend Jordan who I met in Toronto earlier this year when we both went there for test shoots came to stay with me this weekend. She is modelling in Shanghai right now and is staying an extra 30 days, so she needed to leave the country (coming to Hong Kong is technically leaving China, even though its part of China). So she came on Sunday and just left this morning. We had a lovely visit, good to see her again! And I'll be with her in Shanghai for a month too! Woohoooo! I will also know another model there, his name is Joe. He lives in Edmonton and is with Hi-Fi Models there, which I work through a bit as well. He will be going to Shanghai on the 6 or 7 I think and is with the same agency I'm with, so I will have 2 friends when I get there! Yaaaaaayyyy! haha. Tonight I am taking Joe and Judy out for dinner, a thank you for everything they have done for me, we are going for Thai food! Yuuummmm! Then Tomorrow I have 2 jobs, one is a makeup show where basically I just sit there and they do makeup on me, showing their product. Then after that I am doing a makeup shoot for Max Factor, I think it is going in a newspaper here. I am also going to pack most of my stuff up today just in case it happens that I need to leave Thursday, so I won't be scrambling tomorrow night to get it all done! Hopefully I find out today though, fingers crossed!

Just some interesting points about the lifestyle here in HK:

1. Its crazy super hot here, all day, everyday. People are used to it though, their bodies are adapted. Im walking around in a tank top and shorts and sweating like I just ran a flippin marathon, but the locals are wearing jeans and a t-shirt, maybe a scarf for an accessory, but guess what? They haven't even broken a sweat! Not even a drip! I guess thats what you get for living in Canada for 18 years huh?

2. Most people can speak english. Younger people obviously speak it better and more fluently, from school. Older people can speak basic english, but you have to talk in one word form. Example: "Bathroom?" or "Cost?" or something like that.

3. Technology crazy. Thats it. Everyone has a cellphone, psp or nintendo ds or some other kind of handheld gaming thing. You go on the mtr, which is like a metro or a train kind of thing and probably 70-80 percent of the people are playing games on their phone or handheld device or texting. Something to do with technology.

4. Regarding number 3. There are computer shops everywhere! They sell anything and everything having to do with computers or phones, they are crazy busy all the time. Its like a building, with a million different stalls in it, each stall a different "store", selling their product. Most stores are selling the same thing though. Its sort of difficult to explain, but hopefully you half get the picture.

5. The lifestyle is late. Stores open late, people are open/up late. Nothing opens until atleast 10 am. Obviously supermarkets are open at like 8, but basically everything else is open sometime after 10. Everyday, weekdays and maybe later on weekends. That also means that stores are open later, like 11 or midnight. This leads to everyone eating late. People here are having supper, full meals at like 9, 10, 11 or maybe even 12 pm! It's crazy! But its normal here, they do it every single night.

6. Even though people eat late and stuff, soo many of them are so so so skinny! How? Eating late everynight and your still the size of a toothpick? What the heck!

7. You walk everywhere. Which may explain number 6. I walk so much more than I did at home, if I don't have to take public transportation I don't. There is everything I need within walking distance, its great!

8. Eating, shopping, eating shopping. I swear thats all people do here. Everywhere you go there are a million restaurants and inbetween those restaurants and places to eat are places to shop! Stores line the streets, restaurants, bakeries etc line the streets. It's quite convenient though. You know wherever you go you have many options of what to eat and can also buy whatever you need in the area.

9. Everyone walks the pace of a turtle. Thats all I really need to say about that one.

10. Every mode of transportation feels the need to honk 80% of the time. I swear the break is attached to the horn or something. There could be a taxi 20 vehicles back and he's honking. Uhh sir could you just wait a second, give the other 20 vehicles time to actually hit their gas to go! And do you really think its going to help them go any faster by you honking? The rest of the people infront of them have to move in order for them to move. Common sense people!

11. Pedestrians don't have the right of way. Always always always have to look both ways before crossing the road or you could be best friends with the pavement. Even when there is a walk light for pedestrians I still look, vehicles tend to run red lights here.. there aren't any cameras.

12. 7/11 is everywhere. You see one, well walk a few feet and there is probably another one waiting ahead.

13. People wear long sleeves, sweaters or sometimes light jackets when the temperature drops below 30.

14. Wild fashion. Some people here put together the weirdest outfits. Things you would never think to put together. You find every kind of crazy printed tight or legging or sock or whatever here. The fashion is much much different then back home. There isn't really a "normal" look. At home its like oh t-shirt and jeans, you don't really find to much of that here. Here "normal" is whatever you want basically. It's actually pretty cool.

15. They like white skin. Lots of face care products with whitening in them.

16. Not many people drive their own vehicles. Most people will walk, take the bus, the mtr or taxi's. The people that do drive, drive very nice vehicles. Mercedes, Ferrari, Mazda, BMW, you name it. Lots of Toyota here too actually, but none of the same models as Canada, all newer and more advanced. Everyone also keeps their vehicles super super clean. I don't think I've seen one dirty (the outside obviously) vehicle since I've been here. Not including construction trucks or those types.

Thats basically all I can think of right now, but if I think of any other things to add in, I'll letcha know.

I have a busy week starting tomorrow, finally! Tomorrow I have 2 jobs, one is a Sony Ericsson presentation thing and then after that I have a print job for City of Dreams, which is a hotel in Macau, which is a few hour boat ride from here. On Wednesday I have a presentation for Coach, where I will basically just stand there and hold perfume, I think thats all anyway. Then today I found out that I booked a print job for HSBC bank! Wooohooooo! That job will be shot on Thursday! I'm so excited! So basically it should be a good week! 

Interesting thing I saw today...

An albino asian! If you can believe it. I was also shocked as you are probably right now. I was just walking along and BAM there he was. Definitely asian, I could tell by his features..mostly the eyes, you could just tell he was asian. But he had super pale skin, like an albino would obviously and his hair was white as flippin Santa Claus's beard! It was so weird!!

I only have one thing to blog about today:

I witnessed an old man wearing a onesie aka a one piece.. It was yellow in colour with a black stripe down the side. Since I saw this, that means he was walking around in this "outfit" in public. My eyes burn and so does the picture of it in my head. AHHHHHH. One question for this man: "Sir, did you perhaps look into the mirror before exiting your house? Also, why would you purchase such a thing and then continue to wear it out in public after purchasing?" I wish I had a picture, dangit.