What birthday party?

How do you celebrate a birthday in Shanghai? 1. Invite ten friends. 2. Relax on Moroccan pillows on a rooftop lounge. 3. Smoke a hookah pipe. 4. Drink a couple (or five) glasses of champagne. 5. Wear a cowboy hat. 6. Feel fabulous at 29.

Cool / Not Cool near HK

Cool: SAS decides to send me to a professional conference in Shekou last weekend- a city near Hong Kong. School buys me a ticket and pays for everything.
Not Cool: I need to get to the airport on the opposite side of the river in Pudong. With no traffic the trip to Pudong airport should take 45 minutes. Taxi ride to Pudong airport took 2hours.
Cool: The flight to Shekou took 1hr45 minutes. When I arrive, I discover my hotel is actually an old cruise ship, cemented to the dock. Portside has a marvelous view of the hillside. Starboard has a fabulous view of... a golf course!
Cool: Professional conference was amazing: a discussion and strategy session on how to help ESL kids in the classroom. The school is situated on a hill with a breathtaking view of Hong Kong island (surprisingly mountainous and green). They are currently building a lengthy bridge to connect HK to the mainland.
Not Cool: Conference spanned 8am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. No time to hike or explore.
Cool: Getting a slice of culture wherever I can- an authentic noodle soup bowl meal in the airport.

Tito Desnudo

Tito has two favorite places: the porch railing and OUTSIDE. I let him out when I go to the gym in the morning for an hour. I walk home, whistle, and he appears from under a bush and we jaunt back upstairs. Wednesday morning I called him and I didn't hear his tinker tinker collar bell announcing his return. Yet he was weaving in and out of my legs, anxious to get up to his shrimp and Chinese noodle wet food. Face covered in dirt and grass, Tito has lost his collar. He must have lost it while digging tunnels to China (oh no, wait! We are already in China!) No collar, no id, no bell, NO MORE outside. He is sad.