when mcdonald's hits the spot

i rarely eat fast-food. the nyc restaurant scene is amazing; i'd be a fool to waste any possible meal with the likes of a big mac. but i really dig the mcdonald's vanilla cone or the caramel sundae. i don't eat either often, but i like them.

i've never eaten mcdonald's in china. i only spend a few weeks per year here, and the local food is delicious. however, on our way to the factory, our driver had to make a mcdonald's pitstop to feed a british customer.

strangely, in this small town of xuchang, there are 2 mcdonald's in the main areas of downtown, not far from each other. and i understand why: this one was overflowing and utter chaos: kids running around unsupervised; employees trying to sweep the floors and clear the tables; ordering "lines" were a shouting match. and while trying to position myself in the most out-of-the-way spot, i eyed the delicious vanilla cone.

although the weather is frigid, the tasty treat looked quite mouth-watering. i decided to request the sundae when the driver had maneuvered his way to the head of the line. it came out immediately.

i've never had the strawberry sundae (i didn't specify which kind, so this is what i got), and i won't have it again. mcdonald's china's strawberry sauce is more like gelatin - gross. and although the dessert hit the spot (i haven't had dessert since before i arrived in china), the vanilla ice cream was oddly-flavored. it had a strange coffee undertone and a not-creamy texture.

just another reason not to eat mcdonald's while in china.

dreaming of warmth & workouts

i've been in china for almost a week now to oversee the last stages of our (Keep) Spring 2009 production. this somewhat rural area of china - xuchang - is much colder than i expected. i was last here in september, and the weather was still quite warm - t-shirts during the day and a hoodie in the evening - so i couldn't imagine that just four months later, i'd be wearing 3 layers, plus my arcteryx puffy, and still be shivering. the workers here amaze me, with no gloves, they're toiling away, for probably close to nothing. you see, the factory is not heated. i'm in a private office, with 2 heaters, and it's still freezing. i don't try to imagine what working beyond these doors would be like.

instead, i sit at my desk dreaming of warmth and workouts. last week, my girlfriends and i booked a long-weekend to the fairmont mayakoba in mexico in march. one of the primary reasons we chose this hotel was that i required a nice fitness center.

since march 2008, i've been obsessed with the gym. originally my doctor recommended it as a solution to my sleep issues. i joined the gym at the union league club; it's small, and there's rarely anyone there - perfect for a novice. and as i started to go, it became a sanctuary. my S.O. and i would get into a fight; i fled to the gym. i was stressed from work; i immediately escaped to my sanctuary. when i had to go to china for the first time in april, i was panicked at the thought of being away from it so long. it was a drug. but after a visit to my friend in DC in june (and working out at the sports club/LA - an amazing place - every day that weekend), i realized it wasn't just my gym that made me so happy; it was the actual workout! (note: i'm not skinny from my addiction - my indulgent eating has made sure of that.)

i'm not so insane now. in china, i've accepted the fact that i won't see a gym for days. i bring pilates videos; i walk up the hotel stairs, bottom to top, until i feel exhausted; i listen to my workout playlist on my iPod... sometimes just hearing these songs lifts my spirits or cures my boredom. it's all i can do. however, at the factory office, i sit. i email, review samples and production shoes and shiver. so in my downtime, i plan my workout schedule for when i'm home. it's insane, i know, but the thought of slipping out before my S.O. wakes and getting in a quick weights/cardio session makes me giddy. calculating how much time i'll have to workout between work and getting ready for an evening event might seem crazy, but every minute i think i can squeeze in excites me.

i've even created a microsoft word calendar that begins the day after i get home until MEXICO. yes, i'm a fanatic. but in this frigid cold, i have to go to extremes to keep my mind off of the chill that keeps running through my body.

2009 new year's resolutions

i'm posting my 2009 new year's resolutions here so i can laugh when three weeks down the road, they're all broken already. my schedule (work, play, travel, life) doesn't allow me a lot of structure and routine, but i'm going to try to stick with it for 2009.

1) spoil the S.O. less. i do a lot for my S.O., and it's not reciprocated, and i think he's taking me for granted. don't get me wrong - he works very hard. i just want him to bring flowers home one day for no reason. or to make me dinner. just once! or plan a night out for just the two of us, because he wants to. or even talk to me when he comes home from work... before he asks where dinner is.

2) eat healthier. i don't eat healthy... at all. i want to add more soy, low/non-fat dairy, fruits & veggies to my diet. less pork product (i'm talking spam, bacon/pancetta/pork belly, and sausage/prosciutto/anything from dipalo's). less deep-frying the fat that comes off prime rib roast and eating it as a snack. less macaroni & cheese, made with half & half. less moist beef brisket from hill country.

3) go out less. this may end up being less interesting for my not-well-attended blog, but it'll be much better for my liver. i'd like to limit drinking to three nights per week (less than five drinks per night). right now i'm at about five nights per week (about eight drinks per night... i know it sounds like a lot, but i start at 8pm and end at 4am. that's only 1 drink per hour really. so maybe it's more than 8 drinks per night...). and no more shots. i'm too old.

4) visit my good friends who aren't in NYC (and for that matter, who are in NYC) more often. i only hang out with friends that party. so boston, LA, sao paulo and atlanta... watch out!

5) sleep more. i only sleep about 3-4 hours a night. i hope this goes hand-in-hand with resolutions #2 & #3. i think this means i need to set a better sleep routine. this is the hardest one of my resolutions.

6) blog more! this was supposed to be my place to share, but between work, play, travel and life, it's hard. and even though i don't sleep, being tired makes me less efficient. this might be a good way for me to facebook less too.

i think 2009's going to be a good year, but with the entire world going nuts (recession - which has brought increased burglary/violence; international violence - everyone's getting smarter including the bad guys; the obsession with pop culture - i'm not that into it, but when did TMZ get a 1/2 hour show?; etc.), who knows what it'll really bring.