Instead of flying out to Shanghai to see my family, I opted spend the holidays here in New York – where I have a blissful week and a half off from work, not to mention the fact that I’ve extricated myself from this semester’s academic obligations as of last Thursday. The social dynamic of the city is in flux, with friends crisscrossing the continent in a slew of staggered departures and homecomings.

Me? I hosted a college friend from DC for a few nights.  We fought through the crowds in SoHo for some last minute shopping, had dinner in Koreatown, and ended up at a party in South Slope where housemates of indeterminate Eastern Europe descent enacted some eyebrow-raising performance art.  This was Christmas Eve.

Now I’m on my own, sleeping 12 hours a day and trying to clear out the clutter in my apartment but finding it ever more difficult to muster the energy. I also have some freelance translation work on my plate, along with other short-term creative objectives.  But damn it, I’m going to have a beer first.