opheliaswims

My mother started her business in China in 1976. When she finally retired, she had built the first foreign hotel in Beijing, a science center and the first commercial office building. It was a long hard road for her, and for me as a child. I would see her a week or so every month; this lasted 15 years. In my small world it only affected me, I didn’t see my father’s anger or my younger sister’s struggles. Now years later, I have come to appreciate what she has done and the determination she had to meet her goals.

As always, in hindsight…Our family has a long history in China. My sister lives in Beijing, an expat. She has been there for 19 years now. She is what you call a trailing spouse, her husband is the China head of a large US corporation that has interests in China and India.

( in the background you can see the traditional “Mao” suits. Back then that was all there was. The little kids now run China)

My world is bound in by a fence. The guards are four rescue dogs with home security and food on their minds. There is no moat, though there are 3 fountain pots filled with water. It’s a nice place to be. I don’t have to go far to start working and I can fall right into bed right after work. Not bad. This is the view of the house from the bottom of the yard. Trixie and Jezebel show the way up.

This is my office; I cleaned it for the picture. Normally it’s covered in paper, pens and half drunk cups of coffee. I can sit here for hours on end, and I do. I make faces, and ponder lunch. My world is run from that spot. For some calls I will go outside and sit here. My wi-fi reaches out there, and when its cooler I will sit there and work.
To set the mood, I would light up one of these candles. These are from a flea market in Louisville, KY. I was out there for a press check and had a bit of time to linger at the local hangouts. These candles burn fast and they smell like car freshners. I gagged the first time I lit one. Now I just gag a little bit. That’s my world, it smells like Sex on the Beach with a hint of Blueberry Cobbler.

My internet is up and down. Either it’s the heat or just Time Warner having fun at my expense. This image is from my trip to Milan, I was there for the Milan Furniture Fair.
I can steep myself into that city. Every period novel I ever read comes to mind when I walk through any European city. The perfume of chocolate, espresso, bread and heavy cologne fall over me like a velvet cloak. My favorite time to walk in any city is night. The sound of people drinking in bars, laughing, busy sidewalk bistros, the excitement of late night shopping, all of it is a favorite drug.The temperature outside is 90ËšF. In the shade on the side patio it’s not much better. I look forward to the fall, such as it is in Los Angeles. I will be in NY this September, I am hoping for some fall color. And a chance to wear my favorite jackets…

Images: ©Ophelia Chong/ Milan / Los Angeles

Today I took my friends out to High Tea to the Huntington Gardens. E has stage 5 Liver Cancer. I send him small packets of invisible love. I can’t heal him. I just can give him love and care.

After Spin Class, I went out to Pasadena to watch friends spar at the boxing club. On my way back to the car, I spotted the same street kids I saw the evening before. Jenna ( we introduced ourselves) asked me for money. I said no, but is there something else that I can give her? She asked for socks, “because we walk so much that our socks are worn out.”

I drove over to Target and bought socks, underwear, food, shampoo, toothpaste, everything you would need if you lived under a bridge. I can’t rescue them, but I can make life a bit more comfortable.

I can’t tie everything up in neat little packages, and I have learned that it’s not what I want. All I can give is small bits of invisible love.

Image: © Ophelia Chong / Beijing

I have been going at 100 mph on a few projects. And taking myself off a few others. I have found that I am not able to do any Pro Bono work, I don’t have time. What little I do have is devoted to sleep.

This photograph is how I feel. I am on a bike riding through Shunyi, just outside Beijing. It’s a small village. The image is blurry. That is how my life is at this point. It’s moving so fast, that I can barely control the direction. It’s all very exciting. Yet there are moments of stillness that bring me back to earth. I need more of those.

Image: © Ophelia Chong / Shunyi Village, Beijing

Mister Pooh wakes up at the Happy Gables Home, his mouth feels like sawdust and peanut shells…how did he get here…?
His mind goes back to last night…
After playing a set at Le SharPei, Pooh felt a cool hand tap him on the shoulder. He turned slowly in his seat. She was a vision of white blond hair and giant fluttery pink false eyelashes. Her lips were the color of Pink Bubblegum, her breath held the scent of Double Bubble. She was swathed head to toe in fuschia taffeta. “My name is Madge. Can I buy you a drink?”

Pooh took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew a slow whisp of pine scented smoke her way. “Sure Madge, you can buy me a drink…only if I get to buy the nuts.”

Madge’s brain told her that the nuts at the bar were free, but her hormones told her to ignore Pooh’s thriftiness.

The night before Pooh was tickling the ivories at his favorite hang out, Le SharPei. He charmed the crowd with Moonriver, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden… and his favorite Tiny Bubbles.

Mister Pooh goes on a long self-denied vacation. His breaking point was the sudden spontaneous combustion of his Delfuego Laptop after installing Vista for the fourth time. His co-worker Yee Ha said “third time lucky!”, unfortunately it was fourth time ka-boom.

Packing his inner tube and “inner road rebel”, he drives down the famous Route 66. After a few hours he is finally clear of downtown Pasadena and on the open road.
With bags of teriyaki tofurky and cans of diet Mountain Dew, he is prepared for anything. Guiding his Prius through the heavy traffic, he hums his favorite tune…
I Got a Black Magic Woman

I Got a Black Magic Woman

Yes, I Got a Black Magic Woman

She’s got me so blind I can’t see

But she’s a Black Magic Woman

She’s tryin to make a devil out of me

It started to get dark and stormy outside…he spotted a motel. He couldn’t read the full name because the neon was half burnt out…B_tes M_tel.

“Any port in a storm” thought Mister Pooh.

To Be Continued

I remember the first time I purposely threw up; I was nineteen years old. It was either the meal of Buffalo Hot Wings or my boyfriend that caused that first upchuck. It was easy to throw it up, except for the bits of hot’n’spicy caught in my teeth. Altogether not an unpleasant experience. “Gee, this is easy, and I can eat anything I want and not gain weight!” That was the first false statement. Over the years, it was one excuse or another that caused me to expunge a perfectly good meal. If only I had all the money spent on those meals now. I could buy a Porsche for everyday of the week. Pink for Sundays (because it would match my hat).

What made me stop? Not my therapists. I was unstoppable. I mean, no one knew, and heck it was so easy. It’s amazing what you can get away with, when no one knows what to look for.

October 2004. I finally decided to stop. What made me give up the joys of barfing?
I was with a friend who declared that they wanted to stop smoking. So I decided to give up something of equal or lower value. “Shopping! I will give up Shopping!” I racked my mind for something that was equally as bad as shoving coal into one’s lungs. Then that magical light that hits one on the head burst into the room. Fortunately it hit me instead of him. It hit me, my addiction was Bulimia nervosa .I had to give up being bulimic. It took me two decades to realize it was a problem.

I haven’t since, and I am almost at the critical three year anniversary.

Question: Did you suffer any ill effects?
Answer: No, I have all my teeth, no gum erosion, my voice is squeaky (but that’s just being a Chinese Woman). I am lucky. And I plan on staying lucky by taking care of myself.

Question: Is your friend still smoking?
Answer: Yes, and because of it, they are not “smokin’ hot”.

Image: August 16th, 2007 / just before going out to ACCD for the grad show

There are doosies and there are whoppers. Then there is the ultimate mind blowing, dry mouth inducing, skin crawling, hair on edge Pick Up Line.

The one that got my skin crawling towards the door is this TRUE exchange at the gym in a two character one act play.

The Pick Up and Let Down

Me (sweaty and I just want to go home)
Him (not sweaty)

FADE IN:
INT. Gym stairway – morning

Me: (puff puff puff)

Him: Oh excuse me…

Me: yes? (quizzical look on inscrutable chinese face)

Him: I have been watching you and…

Me: (look of inscrutable panic on face)

Him:…you have a nice aura about you. Do you believe in auras? I can see peoples’ auras. Did you know that there are Aliens in our gym?

Me: (thinking….illegal aliens? the knuckle dragger guys in the weight area?) ah no, i didn’t know that…(edging towards next step down)

Him: Well, you know when they crash landed 50 years ago in Lot 51, the US government traded human bodies for their technology.

Me: (so that’s why there are black holes on my Verizon cell areas…) oh really….

Him:…so there are a few half human half aliens in our gym. THEY WALK AMONGST US…I can show you how to spot them. And by the way, do you practice Tantric Yoga? Would you like to do the Kama Sutra? I am pretty good at it!

Me: (oh lordy, please open up that transportal door and let me escape) oh really. and no i practice kundalini yoga AND I was an alien until I got my citizenship, I came from Canada. SO! gotta…..go….now!

Him: See you tomorrow!

The photo is of my dog Frankie, the only alien that has shown he’s true self to me.