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Monday, October 24, 2011

From another lifetime ago

I seem to have misplaced my card reader, so I can't show you photos of our failed backpacking trip to Hutlinana Hot Springs. We had a grand time, although we lost the trail, bush-whacked a lot, I got over a dozen bruises, we never found the hot spring, etc, etc. But I will share photos as soon as I can!

In the meantime, I thought I'd amuse you with this. An old former colleague of mine from Sili Valley days sent me an email today to say hello. I (I am ashamed to admit) drew a blank on how to respond. I remembered him, but not precisely what he did or what he was like. I searched my email history for former emails from him, and came across this gem:

To: Arvay
From: Redacted
Subject: Hello,Glad to share the group photo with you

Dear All,

How are you?

This is [redacted] of [company name] and I send this email via my private email account. [He goes by three different names--his legal Chinese name, his professional name, which is pronounceable to Americans, and his personal Americanized name.]

Glad to enjoy mountain climbing last weekend with you on Feb.10.07. and had a wonderful weekend.
Enclosed is the group photo we captured at the mounting entrance. Please enjoy it.

Cheers!
Thank you all and looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Thanks and best regards!
[Professional Name]




And that is me, second from the right, in my khaki pants in Sili Valley days, on a trip to China to audit the manufacturing line.

12 comments:

Melissa Bond Davis said...

AAAHHH! I know everyone in that picture! That makes me all kinds of happy. FUN! Thanks for posting it!

b said...

Why is that "a lifetime ago" Seems like you're still the same person - engineer in your khaki pants?

Arvay said...

No, I threw out all of my khaki pants. :)

Arvay said...

I detest "nice pants" and have decided that as a creature of self-determination, I will never wear them again! If I need to look nice, I will wear a skirt or a dress, and if I have to wear wool tights, so be it!

From here on, pants=jeans or Carhartts, or ski pants or running pants or hiking pants. :)

Now Debs will laugh when she reads this because she can't believe that we goofy Americans call trousers pants! :)

Vanessa said...

Oh boy, blast from the past. I have a vague memory of that day. Wonder what happened to my purple T. Can't beat the sandals with socks! =P

b said...

Aren't khaki pants just tan colored casual pants? Same as hiking pants to me.

Are you just trying to say you won't wear pants for professional occasions anymore? Even in the middle of butt freezing Fairbanks?! Suggestion: you can get dressier pants. Like any black pants just look dressier by virtue of their color. Black jeans are great for this.

b said...

Hahaha. Re-thinking this, you totally remind me of a certain guy-heem. He'd get these ideas (not bad ideas necessarily, like veganism), and go way out there with them.

Arvay said...

I don't think refusing to wear khakis is "way out there".

Hiking pants are synthetic, khakis are cotton.

Debs said...

And I thought this was going to be another picture of your underwear!

b said...

You wear synthetic pants to hike? I guess you have to in Alaska where it's wet. Here and even in Seattle, cotton is much better for hiking pants. It's so much softer and cooler. I hate how REI only makes nylon zip-off khakis for women, but they do make cotton for men! Columbia makes cotton zip-off khakis, which are so much more comfy.
Ok, enough ranting about zip-off pants (I had this same whole rant session with some women hiking friends of mine about khaki hiking pants) - ooops I guess I shouldn't call them khaki pants.

Arvay said...

The more you use the word "pants", the more I hear Debs chortling in my head. :)

Yes, there is a saying among runners and other sports enthusiasts that tend to get sweaty (that'd include yours truly): "Cotton is rotten."

Cotton is GREAT for daily wear (love my jeans and Carhartts!), but it doesn't wick sweat, and all of that moisture trapped against you prevents cooling in warm weather, and can make you hypothermic in cold weather.

Debs said...

LOL

Completely unprovoked, my four year old came out with a good one the other day...

"Some people call their trousers pants. They're silly. It's because they haven't looked at what they're wearing!"