December 22, I went to a friend's home, where I ate pizza and assorted junk food before heading out to, in order, Haze Nightclub, Gold Lounge, and Brand Steakhouse.

December 27, I went to bachi burger for the first time.

December 30, I dined at Yellowtail and attended a soft opening of Hyde at Bellagio.

Mostly, I have been watching NBA basketball on TV and frequenting the fast-food joints within walking distance of here.

Latest film seen:  Of Gods and Men (2000); The Curious Case of Curt Flood (2011).

My 2011 travel:

Latest book read: Tender Is the Night (1934) by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Friday afternoon, I returned to Las Vegas.  The first things I wanted to do upon entering my temporary residence at Andrew's penthouse were to brush my teeth and to take a shower, but these sanitary actions were delayed by several hours.  I was whisked away to hang out with Tabatabai, Antonio, Alec, Trotman, Mike, Dunst, among others.  Later that night, I went to Estiatorio Milos, although I abstained from actually eating because I was not hungry, and I wanted to save money.

Since then, I have not ventured off of CityCenter, watching television and reading.


Latest TV seen:  Sons of Anarchy: Season Four (2011); Homeland: Season One (2011).
Latest films seen:  Incendies (2010); Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011).

Miles flown year-to-date: 85,645.
Baggage fees year-to-date: $518.

I spent three nights at Fairmont Singapore November 29-December 2, meeting a friend.  I can now say I have traveled literally halfway around the world to see a girl I had not previously met.  I mentally prepared myself for the oppressive humidity, but it was severe enough to elicit vocal complaints from me.  My inclination to dress in light garments was also at odds with my desire to protect myself from UV radiation that often reached 9+.

I spent the next six nights in Bangkok, gaining experiences that I missed on my previous Bangkok trip in June 1998.  Amid the endless debauchery, my friend and I managed to fit in normal tourist temples and Jim Thompson's House.

Then, we jetted to Seoul, where we met up with my parents and sister.  I have been camped at Lotte Hotel Seoul near City Hall.  I have gone out a few nights at nightclubs named Octagon and Mass, along with my first experience at a Korean booking club, Boss.  Partying with my underage sister was a memorable experience.  I have wanted to develop Korean as a secondary language, but not having regular speaking partners makes this endeavor difficult.  At the beginning of the year, I could not have foreseen two separate trips each to Singapore and Seoul.


Miles flown year-to-date: 79,612.
Baggage fees year-to-date: $453.

List of tourist things I did en South America:

Lima, Perú
Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología, e Historia del Perú

Chiclayo, Perú
Lambayeque
Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipán

Trujillo, Perú
Chan Chan Archaeological Zone (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Huaca de la Luna & Huaca del Sol

Cuzco, Perú (UNESCO World Heritage Site) y el Valle Sagrado
Catedral
Tipón
Ollantaytambo
Machu Pikchu (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cementerio de la Recoleta
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Plaza de Mayo

Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

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Last Sunday night, I attended service at Saddleback Church (Southern Baptist Convention) in Lake Forest, California with Alec.  I had only ever attended Korean Christian services, the last time being more than 15 years ago.  It may be another 15 years before I attend church.  I follow Pascal's Wager, so I have the God problem solved with game theory.


Latest films seens:  Margin Call (2011); Hugo (2011); The Descendants (2011).
Latest book read:  Crime and Punishment (1866) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

This is my internet speed in Orange County, California:

Latest film seen: Animal Kingdom (2010).
Miles flown year-to-date: 67,627.

In the past year, I have been extremely fortunate in recovering lost items.  I wonder what the national averages are for material and financial attrition due to obsolescence, theft, misuse, carelessness, etc.  These numbers may also vary significantly according to financial brackets.

Immediately after attending last month's Taylor Swift concert, I realized that I left my iPod Touch at SAN airport.  In an effort to assuage my frustration, Alec claimed to lose a few hundred dollars' worth of goods each month, but I found that rate preposterous.  I also thought of Andrew regularly losing his iPhone and sunglasses.  Still, I pride myself on not losing things.

I logged onto the iCloud website to remotely lock my device and to send a message to anyone who may have retrieved it.  The device's location can be tracked upon its connection to the internet.  The next day, when I realized its location had still not been made available, it occurred to me that maybe it had been returned to the airport's lost-and-found department.

After a series of calls, a coincidentally named Officer Taylor FedEx'd my device to me.  In the past year, I have had four things returned to me, totaling $4k in value.

1)  A hotel in NYC FedEx'd my iPod to my home.
2)  A bellhop hurries to return my jeans, as I am waiting outside at a Bahamas resort for a taxi to the airport.
3)  A security officer at SFO finds and returns my leather jacket.
4)  SAN airport ships me my iPod Touch.

I run good.


Latest film seen:  Rabbit Hole (2010).