Michael Carreon

As friends since 1983, Mike and I went to Kent State University, Ohio, USA. Mike is now living in Houston, Texas while I am here in Shanghai, China. We are now exactly 13 zone hours apart at this Greenwich Mean Time of the year. The following is downloaded from Mike's email today. At this decisive moment, noting an event about our long lasting friendship is particularly meaningful.


Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:58:41 -0700 (PDT)

"Michael Carreon" mikey281379@yahoo.com

"Jeremy Tew" jeremywet@yahoo.com.cn

August is approaching and that means back to work for me. As far as I know I will be teaching science for Pre-K to 2nd grade students this coming school year. I can't assume anything because I have been moved three times in two years. I have started out the year as 4th grade teacher, but was moved into the science position. One good thing about the science position is that I don't have to do grades since I don't have a homeroom class.

As for me I am fine physically although this past year I was ill from the flu that went around in February and then a virus hit our staff again in May. Since then I have been fine. My immediate family is fine, Marty and his family moved to Amherst, Ohio which is directly south of Lorain. They bought a bigger house because their 3 kids are getting bigger. Also, Mandy bought a house with more land, her previous house was nice, but she wanted a larger yard. She and her husband also adopted a young girl who was originally from Colombia I believe. The girl had been previously adopted by other people, but they gave her up.

Sadly, a cousin of mine just passed away from a stroke. He was 53 years old and wheelchair bound. I grew up with him and his brothers often watched us. He was paralyzed in his twenties when he and his brother got into a bar fight and the guy ran him over. I last saw him when I went back for my mother's funeral. Seeing him at mother's funeral was important to me because my parents were more like a father and mother to him than his own parents who were alcoholics. May Jesse rest in peace.

For the last three years I have dwelled on the thought of writing a book with the hope that it will be published. I have started writing it this summer and hope to finish it by next summer. It's titled "Aaron's Shadow "and is about two preteen boys growing up in Lorain, Ohio. Aaron's character is a composite of myself and people I have known. In the story he confronts the loss of his father in the Vietnam War and his loss of faith. His friendship with Mark helps him to restore his faith through an act of courage by saving Mark's life. If you have any tips on how to get this published let me know. I have questions like what to do before I send copies to publishers.


Jeremy
Shanghai upon the Sea
July 28th 2008

Dusk

at Small Pebble Road

Out of several instantaneous but almost all disfiguring shots, only two selected better shots above shown were captured out of the window when seeing dusk setting in at the distant sky at around 17:15p.m. a short while ago.


Lights up as night falls. Soon, silhouette of the skyline would form as summer sky twilights on this Sunday evening of July 27th 2008. It's amazing how camera retains temporal moments of 3-dimensional into 2-dimensional form, from moving into frozen state, from momentary acoustics into eternal silence, and only as still shots from the camera's POV. Such is life.


Jeremy
Shanghai upon the Sea
July 27th 2008

Wendy Lee
a cheeky lady...

...meeting Wendy Lee Hooi-Hoon & Jaxston Lee at Superbrand Mall, Pudong

on July 26th 2008

An alien comin' in not from the cold but when temperature soars...


Although humidity level is considered not high at all, the heat really gets into my skin, hot and uncomfortable.

Returning home daily for lunch during break, since the last week or so, I would have to take another shower just to cool down. The heat literally smothers me all over when walking home. Water running out of the tap is now warm water versus water icy cold to the bone during winter.

Now daily, I hide myself inside the air-cooled interior other than when I am all geared up for outdoor activities and when intended to sweat profusely.

Ah, yes. This early morning right before work, I thought someone was trying to break into msn to chat with me. Haha...it turned out not an alien but a long lost soul I personally knew many years back.

Gosh, they are finally here in the Middle Kingdom, invading and replacing themselves into the bodies snatched...Run! Chicken, run!

I had not a single trace of memories about this alien at this point of time; however, it was a lady student by the name Wendy Lee Hooi Hoon who is now working in Shanghai.

I tried to recall while Wendy gave me a simple clue to put me squarely back in time. However, I would have to ask for a photo to prove that she was not really an alien but Wendy. Yes, Wendy Lee.

We chatted briefly and we would meet this weekend.

Welcome on board, Wendy. I am really glad to hear from you again...after nearly 8 years.

Such is the greatest real life story ever told during this hot summer...


Jeremy
Shanghai
July 25th, 2008

Air-conditioning on hot summer day

The air-conditioner has been down for sometime, spewing warm air that is good only for winter. With occasional use of the other room to watch TV and on this hot summer day, the room can be a cooking oven even if the windows are wide open and the temperature out is equally hot.

The air-conditioner needed repair or maintenance. The landlord checked out air-conditioner the first occasion several days ago, thinking only new coolant would suffice to restore for the piping but later all drained dry and not able to generate cooling air at all.

Today, two repairmen were deployed to check it out again. This time it was found that a piping or a conduit was dislocated due to the degenerative bolt causing leakage of coolant - appeared more like some con job from before. Requiring replacement of a new bolt, they went out to search for a fitting one but only one alike was found as one of them explained. Soldering was needed; the burning fire actually made a shallow dent on a part of the wall behind the conduits. They had to touch up with cement finish on that particular spot. During the repair, I took a few shots as shown below. One of them spoke in his native dialect that I was taking photographic evidences of the repair. The repairmen took nearly three hours to get it all set; the repair cost me RMB150.00.

The air-conditioner is working now and hopefully for a long time.


Jeremy
Shanghai
July 20th 2008

Tropical Storm Kalmaegi

Typhoon Kalmaegi struck Taiwan as a tropical storm at about 00:00 GMT on 18 July...quote from a website. On another, the tropical storm Kalmaegi made its landfall on the southern coastal area at Fujian Province yesterday on 18th.

Out there, it was windy when on the way home after work at 5:30p.m. yesterday.

Other than the usual weekend chore of grocery shopping nearby my neighborhood, and having to cancel all major weekend plans due to the weather, I have opted to stay home and do housework.

The storm did not arrive at Shanghai as I first saw over the weather report on website. This morning, on 19th, the meteorological map showed a new image indicating the storm would only cross the southern Zhejiang area by this 3p.m.

Seeing the sky turning heavy overcast with dark consuming gloom at 11a.m. just now, I took off from home and walked as fast to send the dried clothes, collected over these two weeks, to be ironed at a laundry mat nearby, and along the way home picking up a little vegetables for lunch or dinner later.

It was the term Kalmaegi that keeps me curious all day. Browsing websites to check...

Tropical Storm Kalmaegi was at first a strong tropical storm escalated to typhoon, later changing to strong tropical storm and into just a tropical storm. In Philippines, Kalmaegi is called Helen locally. In Taiwan, the storm traumatized the island with powerful wind and torrential rain, of course flooding all over, and claimed several lives and some missing. With China acted up to take the hit and even Korea and Japan issued alerts with the impending natural storm. Kalmaegi in China is called sea gull, 海鸥 or hai-ou.

Got it...here it is per link at:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/tropics/tc_meanings.htm.
The Meaning of Northwest Pacific Tropical Cyclone Names

In North Korea, Kalmaegi is a sea bird or sea gull, found wherever in the sea. It is an emblem of the sea.

Jeremy
Shanghai
July 19th 2008

May all in love a joyous Eve of Seventh Day Festival.


祝 天下有情人 七夕快乐 ！

Jeremy
Shanghai

August 7th 2008

Cindy and her daughter, Ariel Marisse Chan

It's marvelous to have heard from Cindy eventually, surely through a lot of help from Ziyan to link our friendship again. Thanks, Z. True frienship connects. It's so good to hear from her and that she is now married with a daughter, Ariel Marisse Chan. Ariel is a very well selected lady name for her daughter. With Cindy's permission, I post her daughter's photo (as shown) onto my blog, signifying our newly rediscovered friendship.

Cindy was a very efficient student during her student days at MIA. I saw her working smartly on her batik design. With wonderful results, she could timely complete her batik design in shorter time than her average peers working for many days.

This afternoon, after chatting online to catch up on each other and proposing to boost her strong will anticipation, I thought she could have her own line of boutique, possibly with a fashion brand called Cindy & Ariel or simply C&A. That would be her best bet in her future endeavor.

To me, Cindy has always been a very polite lady; she addressed me with her great sense of respect. In turn, I immensely enjoyed her very warm friendship then; and now likewise. I wish Cindy well. I wish her and her family the best of future undertaking. Thanks, Cindy. Thanks for your kindness and dear friendship.

Jeremy
Shanghai
July 15th 2008

Work Office on 19th Floor

Working at UDG for over three years now, the company is experiencing rapid increment of staffs, in turn absorbing more floor areas. Not too long ago, nearly everyone in the company underwent re-allocation and relocation of work space. I first went to 12th floor and recently back to 19th floor but at the new floor space as shown in the pictures below. This time, I have the panoramic view to the interior courtyard enclosed by several tall buildings outside; hereby, opening in between the buildings allows for direct but narrow view into the River Pu or Pujiang where small ships, curise ships, barge boats and other river vehicle travel.

Jeremy

Shanghai

July 14th 2008

An exhibition entitled 2008.06.21 by Gu Dexin

Shanghai Art Gallery at Three on the Bund

Jeremy

July 13th 2008

An easy and lazy, hazy and rainy Saturday

Plum Rain season is considered gone with the sound of cicada ringing enlessly, piercing through the window but unlike white noise.

Thrilled to hear, thunder boomed from the distant sky, signifying the forecast impending thundershower on weekend. Supposing this was planned for a short trip elsewhere but nature really melted all the prolonged anticipation.

Holed up at home but resting leisurely. Never up until 1p.m., lunch was prepared mixed from leftover: broccoli green, coarsely shredded smoked ham, several cloves of garlic and in a small pot of congee to taste with dashes of salt and drops of sesame oil. Easy.

Today as another Saturday on this hot summer, it is an easy and lazy way to go in life. And it is raining now.

Jeremy
July 12th 2008

Semi-X'mas

Over for now, the Semi-X'mas was on June 25th.

Not much but the Plum Rain is also seeing its tail end with genuine hot summer ensuing sooner. This intensely hot summer in the city shall last for three long months until the cool October sets in.
Plum Rain has started since June 7th and usually it lasts for about 3 weeks with daily showers or thouderstorms abound according to weather report. Things and objects get infectiously moldy during this time of the year and efffective interior ventilation is sorely needed in this case.

Today is July the First and there are 183 days remaining until the end of the year.

Time zips by. Whoa!

Jeremy
July 1st, 2008