A busy hiatus

This is my first chance to catch up on my blog in over a week! It's been such a whirlwind....

My trip to Las Vegas went quite well. I had a chance to meet the other professionals in my organization and they are from all over the country, most located in the midwest since the parent company is located in Louisiana. One of the interesting facts I discovered is that I'm the only woman and I'm one of the youngest (and I'm not young anymore!)

Our meeting was held at Caesar's Palace and I was surprised and pleased to find a HUGE Thai spirit house on the premesis. It was covered in silver mirrors with a golden Lord Bramha with his four faces seated in the center. It was beautiful and I found myself sitting there quite often as it was on the way to the pedestrian walk-over to the other side of the street. Anyone familiar with Thai culture knows they love to gamble and they love to appease the spirits to keep them happy. Obviously a well-to-do Thai family wanted lotsa luck gambling at Caesar's Palace. I loved watching the passers-by noticing the "exotic little temple". :)

I also noticed in some of the other casinos that the main entrance was flanked by two huge Chinese lions, also a symbol of luck. The casino owners know a thing or two about their Asian customers! There was one thing that struck me as offensive (something offensive in Las Vegas? How could that be?) and that was a nightclub at the Venetian called The Tao. This video shows it - it is GORGEOUS inside, but it's a NIGHTCLUB for chrissake. Buddha statues inside and statues of monks behind the bar... I mean STUNNING statues and images that look like they belong in a museum and during the evenings have drunken writhing mating rituals before them. OK rant is over, but it's highly insensitive and ignorant, IMHO.

Right after my trip to Vegas I had to substitute teach all this week, my networking meeting was on Wednesday, my investment club meeting was Wednesday night and my Toastmaster's meeting was last night. I did win as best speaker last night, though! I did an organizational speech on the repurcussions of China's gender imbalance. In 15 years time, it is expected that there will be 30 million more men than women in China and what's going to happen to Chinese society with all those wild and sex-starved bachelors roaming around?!?!? I find it to be fascinating and important, a result of the one child policy implemented back in 1980.

So I'm thrilled that it's now Friday. I haven't been this happy for an upcoming weekend since I taught regularly in Bangkok since being at home with Aidan most the time one day feels just like the next, weekend or not.

Anyway, more to come later!