➸ ᴊᴀᴇɢᴇʀ ʙᴏᴍʙs: journal posts.

Dios mio, I am so glad that I have such an incredible immune system. I'm sorry for all you poor things that haven't been so lucky. If I can help pick up any slack caused by all these sniffles, just say the word.

My biggest complaint lately is that I'm getting bored with double clicking my own mouse...

Hello. I am Nikolai, otherwise known as a Russian who speaks Japanese who was, until quite recently, lost in China. I originally planned to use that as the title of my autobiography, but it is a bit long so I may need to shorten it.

Oh, I am also under orders to apologize for the "ghost" you have all been seeing. It was an experiment gone wrong.

I finally got to talk to my niece on the phone today, for the first time since I got here. These time zones are hell for trying to get ahold of family on the other side of the planet. If I want to catch her awake, I have to be up at 3 am.

It was worth it. There is nothing like a 2 year old's squeals of joy when she realizes who's talking to her. I made her promise to draw us a picture. More good news, my middle sister is pregnant again. I told her to name it after me if it's a boy.

She laughed.

Is it entirely too much to ask for a cup of coffee in this place that doesn't taste like it came out of a kaiju arse?

I'm already forced to share quarters with far too many of what only barely qualifies as human males, all of whom apparently subscribe to the mistaken notion that bathing would somehow ruin their record.

It might be the end of the world as we know it, but for the love of GOD, if we're going out, I'm not going out living in a place that smells worse than a Thai prison. And don't ask how I know what that smells like.


...it was the 80s.

I'm settled enough here now that I more or less have the professional domain in hand, at least to the point that I know what to do, who to report to, and what the rules are. Now I can focus more on the personal domain, so I have questions.

Do you have a boat? (Or are you willing to help appropriate one?)

Do you scuba dive? Do you surf? Do you snorkel?

Have you been in Hong Kong long enough that you know any relevant information about any of the following topics:

(i) interesting, little-known dive locations;
(ii) interesting, little-known surf locations; or
(iii) particularly knowledgeable surf supply or rental shops (I couldn't bring everything; scuba gear trumped surf gear).

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, hola! I'm Riel. I want to go to Tai Long Wan once I get my hands on a surf board. It's supposedly the best surfing in southern China.

If you answered no to all of the above questions, hola anyway! I'm Riel.

And here I thought Louisiana was hot. Louisiana ain't got a damn thing on Hong Kong.

I've only been here near a month now, but it feels like I was leaving the States just yesterday. It's hard to believe I'm here. Been to a lot of big cities, but nothing like this. It's enough to make a man feel like a kid again. The first time Ma took me to Baton Rouge, I thought that was the biggest city in the world. Now I write to them from halfway across the world, and none of us can hardly believe it.

Wait, was a shoe actually thrown at the J-TECH meeting? That's fucking hilarious.

GUYS

guysguysguysgusyguysguys

I realize you've probably heard this one before, but just hear me out.

THERE HAS BEEN AN ELVIS SIGHTING IN THE SHATTERDOME!!!!!!!!

I REPEAT: ELVIS IS IN THE BUILDING

I don't remember getting drunk last night, but I swear to fucking god I saw someone walk through a wall.

Am I crazy?

I'm probably crazy...