My Life – Page 10 – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

I Know What You Did Last Summer – Fact or Fiction

Published on September 3, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle19 Comments

I would like to thank Emily and Melody for allowing me to relieve a painful and bitter sweet summer memory.

This particular memory occurred quite a few years ago, but it still makes me cringe every time I think about it.

My best friend and I had earned some extra money working in my dad’s warehouse. We did this a couple times per summer and it paid a lot; 10 whole dollars a day. That was a lot for a couple of 12 years. We decided to put our money together to revive my friend’s old fish tank. But, we were way to mature for fish. This time we were going to construct an terrarium with frogs, snakes and lizards.

Her mother had stored her old aquarium in the attic and we decided to go look for it. The attic was on the second floor or her house. It wasn’t a finished attic, but it looked safe enough. It had exposed beams that criss-crossed to make a floor and exposed insulation. I knew not to walk on the insulation. Plywood covered half the floor and several boxes were stacked along the walls on the plywood. It was August in Houston, Texas, hot and sticky. We wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

“You look over there in the corner,” I looked in the direction my friend said and spotted it. Way in the back.

Only a couple of boxes were in my path. I stepped on a beam and moved the boxes blocking my way. I took another step and then another and then

CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fell through the floor.

Now, I don’t remember falling and I don’t remember landing. I remember hearing the crash, but the next thing I saw was my friends face looking down at me through the hole in the ceiling. Her head looked so small and at that point we were both kind of confused. Then it registered to us at the same time what had happened. She started screaming, I started crying and then the pain hit.

My best friends mom came out to see what all the noise was and she sees me lying on the concrete floor. She starts screams. But, not at me. No, she is screaming at her daughter whose’s head is still sticking out the hole in the ceiling. “What the hell are you doing up there?” her mom said.

Thankfully she had the phone in her hand. She called 911 while now yelling at us both. “I told you I would get the damn thing?” “Why don’t you ever listen?” “You could have killed yourself.”

She was right. I had fallen between a patio table with a glass top and a bar b que pitt. If I had been off just 6 inches either way, I would have been hurt even more or worse. So, I guess you can say I was lucky.

I ended up breaking my back bone in three pieces. My doctor said I fell perfectly. I liked that. I felt pretty blessed.

Now the bitter sweet part, I had to spend the rest of the summer in bed. But, I watched movies, read books, and annoyed my mother to entertain me when I was bored. Oh yeah, and I got to keep the terrarium in my room for the summer.

Now, did this really happen? Come back on Wednesday and read another summer memory and let me know which one you think is true.

Current Move is Long Over Due

Published on August 25, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle17 Comments

Before the age of 5, I moved 4 times. Georgia, Chicago, Denver & Houston. Then, I moved to Dallas when I was 12 and. Dallas is my home town and my parents still live there. But, since leaving for college, I have not had the same address for more then 3 years at a time. Is that strange? My friend who is into astrology says that is a trait of my sign; sagitarius get bored easily. I lived in New Orleans, back to Dallas, Tallahassee (Go Noles!), back to Dallas, Washington DC, Silver Spring, Maryland, back to Dallas, Jacksonville and China.

Living in Shenzhen China for over 5 years for me is a long time. It is weird to live in the foreignnest (not a word, but I like the way it sounds) of foreign countries for longer then I have stayed anywhere in a long time. But, based on my history, the move to Shanghai is long over due.

Every move has its difficulties, but moving to Shanghai has been especially unique. Dealing with movers who don’t speak english, highway restrictions and regulations (You can’t drive commercial trucks on city street except during a specific time), moving company employees quitting in route. One of the guys that works for us who was supervising the move said he had not been as upset in the 6 years he had worked for us combined then he was on that single day of the move.

Moving from southern China to Shanghai is like a native to Alabama moving to New York City. It is very different. 25 years ago, Shenzhen was rice fields. Now it is one of the fastest growing urban areas in China. But, it has a very young population. For most of the people in Shenzhen, they have come to the city from farms and villagepuff the farm. They work all year long and take 10 – 20 hour train rides home once per year to visit their family and take money home.

Shanghai, on the other hand is one of the oldest cities in China, but it is the most westernized city in China,as well. There are a lot of foreigners. Just below my apartment there is a Starbucks, Subway and McDonald’s all in the same block. And, it has a metro system that takes you all over the city. After being stuck on the outskirts of Shenzhen with no quick access to public transportation, this is going to me mean freedom for me.

I have been doing some research and they have an expat learning center with writing courses, a fitness center from Australia that offer boot camps all over the city. There are movies theaters with recently released movies and stadium seating. It has all the comforts of modern living and I am excited to take advantage of it all. Plus it is China, so even more opportunities to explore this countries culture in history from a new perspective.

I am happy to be moving to Shanghai, it will be a welcome change of pace from the isolated place I have been in for the last 5 years.

My goal is to take advantage of all Shanghai has to over, until I move again.

Have you moved around like me or have you lived in the same place all your life? How many different places have you moved?

Shanghai is Going to be Good.

Published on August 18, 2012August 18, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments

Two days into the move to Shanghai and I am happy to report the following:

Spent the first day observing this for work.

Then I was free to locate my favorite store

Because I am a Mac addict and I need to make sure I know exactly where to get my product.

I had to make sure I find a good place for this and this

I needed to make sure my favorite writing spot was close by

And a necessary back up since the former doesn’t open until 9:00 am on the weekends.

And, found these other essentials.

All in all, I think this move to Shanghai is going to be good. And, if I need any other inspiration, all I need to do is look out my window.

When you move to a new city, what do you scope out first?

Dog Days of Summer Blog Fest – Ultimate Vacation

Published on August 10, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle32 Comments

When I heard about this Blog Fest I had to join. Thanks so much Jeremy Bates. Great idea. Since I haven’t had much of a summer and no hint of a summer holiday, I would like to at least hear about others enjoying their summer. Click on the badge to read other summer inspired posts.

Along with living vicariously though my fellow blog hoppers, I wanted to share with you my Ultimate Vacation.

I have a long bucket list of places I would like to visit all over the world, but my Ultimate Vacation might surprise you. I would like to drive across the United States. I know it doesn’t have the history of Europe or the cultural diversity of of Asia, but I think it would be so much fun to visit different parts of America and see first hand the american culture in all it’s forms. I have it mapped out already.

I would start in Maine in the springtime. I picture a harbor in Maine with a lighthouse as the perfect place to start my cross country adventure. Next stop would be New Hampshire to visit Dover established in 1623 (a long, long time ago) and Vermont to the Ben & Jerry’s factory. All the ice cream I can eat.

Then, I would spend a few days in Boston (great city), then New York (greater city) and New Jersey (I have to get to Pennsylvania some how) and then proceed west.

Next, I would stop in Philadelphia. Walnut Street is one of my favorite places to shop and I haven’t spent nearly enough time there. After shopping, it would be nice to drop in on family and friends in Maryland, DC and Virginia.

I would make a quick drive through Kentucky to get to Chicago. Chicago would be my food stop. From the pizza to 3 restaurants that are on my bucket list, I would leave Chicago full.

I would head over to Wisconsin (cheese and white water rafting), then Minnesota (Mall of the Americas). While the weather is still good, I would spend some time in South Dakota. I really want to see Mount Rushmore. Montana would be fun, too. It it’s not to cold, camping in Glacier National Park would be amazing.

I would drive straight through Wyoming to go skiing in Colorado, spend a week at a writer’s retreat in Taos, New Mexico, and then relax in a spa retreat up in the red mountains of Sedona, Arizona before driving to Vegas for some serious indulgence; food, shows and gambling.

I would proceed north, to Lake Tahoe for some golf and then proceed to Oregon to explore some of the ghost towns and then wind up in Seattle, Washington for what else, but coffee.

All in all this trip would take about a year. But, just think of the things I would see, adventures I would have and the stories I would write.

That is my Ultimate Vacation. What is yours?

I am in a Quandary

Published on July 27, 2012 by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle6 Comments

I just love that word, but I don’t love this situation. Let me tell you about my quandary.

You see, in My Weekly Update, I promised you a blog post today. The issue is that I don’t have a post ready.

Now, this isn’t the usual, ‘I don’t have anything to say’ post. I have a lot to say. In fact, I have 6 pre-written post for exactly these type of situations. But, unfortunately, I don’t have access to them at all day. They are on another computer in another city.

I could probably remember a few words of some, but they are already perfect and I would hate to waste a post by giving it to you half assed.

I could talk about what is coming up next week, but then that would spoil My Weekly Update for this Sunday.

I could go into a dissertation about something in my writing that I need help with, but that is what Insecure Writer’s Support Group is for, which is coming up next Wednesday.

I could create a list or pose a question for all of us to debate, but I am not in the mood.

I could post some random photos from my trip to Tokyo two years ago, but that is actually a great idea for another post for another day. How cute is this lady on her wedding day?

I could not post anything and then apologize for it later, but that would bother me for years to come. Plus, I really don’t like those post that apologize for not posting. Truth is, I would rather you come back with a great post about something I can get behind instead of the ‘sorry, I haven’t posted in a while’ post.

I knew this was going to happen some time in my blogging career. I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Neither did you, I bet. Your probably saying to yourself right now, “She was so young,” while shaking your head with bemused pity.

But, no worries. It did it once. But, I will never do it again. This month anyway.

Ok, talk amongst yourself.