Lack of Sleep

As I write this blog I have just worked 3 overnight shifts at my store in Hong Kong. These aren't just any normal overnight 8 hour shifts, but ridiculously long 6pm-7,8,10am shifts. Meaning, I have put in over 40 hours in just 3 days. Don't misunderstand me, I am not complaining about these shifts, but more wanted to make observations about how your mind functions and how your body feels when sleep is deprived from it.

I have done these overnight shifts a lot since I have arrived in Hong Kong. 2-4 every week to be exact. My brain starts to really go into alternative zoned out mode once I reach day 3. I am right now definitely feeling the side affects of no sleep. Reason why I know this is not because I am tired.. which I am... and not because my body feels funny... which it does.

No, the reason why I know I have reached this point is because at this stage I seriously start to hallucinate. These hallucinations aren't what you see in the movies/tv shows. Where your main character has vivid life life scenes played where at the end of it he realizes its not real but some how his subconscious has managed to tell him some hidden truth that he must learn to either... win the love of his life back.... defeat the villain... or just simply come to some sort of realization.

No... my hallucinations are freaky... I seriously see people out of the corners of my eye... not ghosts... or demons... or anything really dark... but people that may be currently in the same area as me but for some reason my mind is playing a type of rerun scene and i see them walk behind me... or move next to me.

To you, reader, you probably think I am just being oddly paranoid, but I can guarantee you that my mind does see these things which aren't there. I go to see where that person may be going but come to a corner where no one is at only to walk around and find that worker in a room on the other side of the store.

Truth be told this is really disturbing and I honestly hate it. Its like having my own personal haunted house but definitely not make me jump scary.. just kind of freak me out.

I would go to sleep now and get my 8 hours in... but I have to be at my manager meeting in 1 hour, so I will take a shower clean up and head back in.

Diversity is not a small wooden ship

When I saw this Chinese guy dressed in an Irish Kilt playing bagpipes it made me think...

I am 27 years old... I have a Jewish first name, Irish middle name, and a Jewish last name. I am not jewish nor irish. I am Korean born American who was raised in Texas currently living in Hong Kong. My second language is spanish, and I love italian food. I grew up in a Mexican neighborhood where I went to a predominately caucasian private school.

If you were to ask me a year ago if I knew what diversity meant I would have said yes. From my mini-biography I have just written I think you would have to agree I am very experienced with diversity, that was until March of 2011 when I flew away to Asia to become an expat for Abercrombie & Fitch.

Living in Hong Kong, I have grown deeper as a person to understanding what diversity really means. Hong Kong is the epic version of diversity. Chinese, Indian, French, Swiss, English, Hispanic... take your pick and you can easily find them in Hong Kong. Yes, Hong Kong has many Chinese who speak Cantonese; and yes, Hong Kong is now a Chinese territory. But to limit your thoughts to just that would be ignorant. In Hong Kong you can find any type of food you want, and meet practically any race you wish.

To me diversity is, yes, difference amongst people from color of skin to educational backgrounds , but being diverse means opening up your mind to these differences and realizing no matter how much you think you may know... you really have only touched the tip of the iceberg and that to really experience diversity means to travel and see it for yourself.

Life so far..

Ever feel like your life has become predictable... Mundane... Boring... ???

If you answered yes to any of these then you should become an expat. If you really want a challenge become an expat for A&F... I can't even begin to describe to you how every day is a new challenge and every day is a different challenge.

For myself I'm a manager at Hollister in Hong Kong. I can't even describe to you how strenuous every day seems to be. I feel like I am met with new challenges and new and larger steps to take on.

It's amazing to me how crazy it is. Somedays I am completely wiped out and burnt out.. But just when I feel like I have gotten my feet underneath me, another new challenge steps up. I can't wait for my next vacation. Ha!