Cheesy humor aside… Happy Women’s Day folks! 女人节快乐！

1/2 a bottle of Xanadu white wine from The Wine Republic
a whole bag of Pepperidge Farm orange Milano cookies
fantastic piano riffs blasting away on my stereo
and working on a new play script for 3 hours in a row…

… had to film it, worried the muse would be gone by morning.

Its a beautiful day in Beijing, and I’m happy to announce that the Virtual Playbill from the ShiFen Theater Festival’s February 2010 performance is now up online: http://www.cheekymonkeytheater.com/shifen/shifen2010/shifen.html
北京的气温已经逐渐变暖，十分戏剧节2010年2月份的所有演出信息和电子节目单也已经发布在我们的网站，大家想了解更多的信息，请登录：http://www.cheekymonkeytheater.com/shifen/shifen2010/shifen.html

Thanks to a couple of folks who had cameras on hand at the event, we’ve got some great photos to share with you as well.
Another big thank you goes out to the volunteers and performers who made the night such a success.
非常感谢一直全程跟踪拍摄的媒体，拍摄了非常多的照片与大家分享，也非常感谢现场的表演者和志愿者，成功的演出谢幕与每一个参与者都密不可分

And of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of the community (that means you!) and the local businesses who donated the wonderful raffle prizes.
I’d like to give another shoutout to Penghao Theater, The Wine Republic, Fubar, Cando360.com, Plastered 8 T-Shirts, Greening the Beige, Capital M, Maison Boulud, China Travel 2.0, Kocoon Spa, Beijing Postcards and The Global Times.
当然，没有北京的各大媒体宣传支持以及赞助我们抽奖活动的很多团体公司的支持，我们不可能取得如此成功，在此我们也要非常感谢蓬蒿剧场、宽度网、云门酒业、创可贴、北京明信片、中国旅游2.0、福吧、废成绿、环球时报等媒体、团体、网站的大力支持

If you are interested in volunteering, performing, sponsoring or being involved in next year’s festival, please email me
如果你有兴趣参加明年的十分戏剧节，志愿者、表演、赞助以及媒体宣传，请发给我们电子邮件

Cheeky Monkey’s got some great shows in the works for the next six months, so I hope to see you there!
顽皮猴子在以后的6个月内有更多更好的演出节目信息。希望在那时可以看到你

~ Elyse Ribbons 柳素英
Cheeky Monkey Theater Productions

http://www.cheekymonkeytheater.com/shifen/shifen2010/shifen.html

Yes, its a beautiful thing indeed to see that stereotypes can transcend cultures in such a colorful way… these delightfully tasty fried noodle snacks are flavored with real Mexicans (or so the packaging would have you believe). Either way, cutesy sombrero and dancing cactus aside, this is thus far one of the few Wacky Chinese Products that I’ve really enjoyed trying.

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and in other news: it looks like I’m not the only one with this weird desire to try things wacky-flavored. Thanks to Boingboing.net for introducing me to the wonderful world of Kit Kat Flavors.

I knew that there were wacky Kit Kat flavors (its common to see milk, melon and strawberry variations here in Beijing) but to know that I’m not the only one that suffers from this disease for actually wanting to try them *all* well, thanks guys!

~ Elyse

Wacky Chinese Products: Lay’s Kiwi Flavor (chips)
Wacky Chinese Products: Maple’s Love (beverage)

This month, ChocoJing is very happy to bring in the Year of the Tiger with an evening of chocolate-making that will leave you giddy (from both the truffles and the chocolate liquors, hehe). And, as per usual, there is a limit to the number of participants, 20 at the most, so please RSVP to reserve a space!

Lin Zhong of The Fig Tree has kindly invited ChocoJing to have a private class and learn how to make chocolate truffles from scratch!

Weds March 10th @ 7:30pm
. 3月10日 @ 7:30
ChaoWai SOHO Bldg A Unit 702 #6B
朝外SOHO A座 7F 702室
Please RSVP to confirm!
chocojing@iheartbeijing.com

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本月巧克京欣喜地带来虎年令人眼花缭乱的巧克力制作之夜(从truffles*面饼和巧克力酒, 呵呵). 同以往一样, 参加人数有限, 为20人, 请回复以便预定位置!

The Fig Tree的Lin Zhong诚邀巧克京参加一项私人课程, 从开始阶段学习制作巧克力面饼! 课程成本为100元, 此举无异于”窃”! (这个价钱你根本无法从别处尝到新鲜的面饼!) : )

~ Elyse 柳素英

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and in other news, Oprah (obviously a ChocoJinger at heart) had her entire set recreated in chocolate a couple weeks ago… evidently Godiva sponsored this undertaking… I wonder if maybe they’d be interested in sponsoring a ChocoJing some day…? Either way, just thought I’d share that I’m not the only chocolate-fiend out there, hehe.

… because its in a Louis Vuitton shop in Singapore

Due to all the solo travel I tend to do, I’ve become an expert with self-photography. I’m staying at the Mandarin Orchard, and so spent most of the day today wandering around on Orchard Road. I’m loving Singapore thus far, especially the beautiful tree-lined roads. And of course the pleasant blending of Asian cultures and languages. Will explore the city more after the Community Chest fundraiser tomorrow night (which is the reason I’ve had the chance to visit S’pore). I love it, I get to be part of doing something good (charity fundraising) while having fun (being in a spotlight and talking on stage, ha) and getting to visit Singapore for the first time. What a great deal!

Speaking of which… I should get back to the hotel and do some more prep work. Wish me luck/broken legs!

~ Elyse ( 柳素英 )

Back in lovely New York City for a painfully short duration (as per usual). In the last six months I’ve been in NYC no less than 8 times, though never for even two days in a row. Which of course most of the time means I’m getting over travel fatigue and not really able to go out and enjoy the city (or spend much quality times with the fab friends who happen to live there). The most amusing fact is that I’ve spent every visit, though short and sweet, and a wild variety of different hotels, couches and hostels.

This time, however, I’ve been particularly lucky in that my friend Alec offered to let me use his Chelsea apartment for the night.

Met with one of our mutual friends, Winter, for dinner at the most wonderful little nuevo-italiano joints called Extra Virgin (for the tasty olive oil?). Both of them are some of the interesting folks that I met in Beijing years and years ago.

One thing that NYC offers in spades: a pleasant mix of friends from NCSSM and Beijing. Makes the city feel very home-like. That, and all the Chinese people (its crazy how much Mandarin I hear being spoken in America nowadays!)

At some point would like to spend more than just 24 hours at a time in the Big Apple. May need to come up with an excuse of some sort… perhaps I should produce a play here? During my short stay thus far, I’ve already been inspired with two new ideas, one for a short play, another a full-length one that I’m actually going to change to take place in Beijing. Which reminds me, I have an early flight in the morning… I should probably try to get some sleep… wan an everyone!

~ Elyse ( 柳素英 )