Year of the Tiger!

Happy Lunar New Year! This is the first time in the last 5 years that I've been in the US for the Lunar New Year, and I'm really missing the all-night symphony of countless explosions. Quick review of 2009:

1) From January to August I was living in China. I visited Hong Kong for the first time in June, and was amazed at how orderly and clean it is. I also gave up any last illusions of being able to speak Cantonese- Mandarin sounds so much easier and "standard" in comparison (the word for "Mandarin" in Chinese can be roughly translated "standard speech").

2) Spent September between Seoul and Southern California, mostly trying to find a car on Craig's list and planning...

3) ...a USA road trip, which, for those of you not from the States, is a dream of just about every American. My siblings joined me for various legs of the trip, pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34632245@N08/sets/72157622779589670/
and here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79825916@N00/sets/72157622623061158/

4) After the trip, I've been between Virginia Beach, DC, and Costa Rica, sort of looking for a job.

That's it for now!

-MJ