Archive for March 27, 2009

Pretty Women Into Thin Air

A few pretty and strong women.

I’ve never heard of Liu Hairu 刘海若 till yesterday when DQ brought her up. Her Baidu profile is bit over kill and petty, but does provide a window into a promising life cut short. I admire her greatly over her will to live – decleared brained dead by the British docs after train accident but came back alive and strong – at the help of hospital in Beijing. An inspiring and remarkable woman and a story.

Lou forwarded this set of photos, a 27-year old Guangxi mountaineer 罗丽莉 Luo Lili who’s making her second attempt at 珠峰 the Mount Everest – not sure the news is recent or 2008. I thought about Sandy Hill Pittman, the socialite who’s part of Jon Krakauer and famed guide Rob Hall group. They assaulted the Mount Everest on May 10, 1996, the deadliest day in the mountain’s history when five climbers died. I remembered reading Krakauer’s account, in which he described the last call Hall made to his pregnant wife in New Zealand. It was just heart breaking. Also on Sandy Hill Pittman getting her glossy magazines and gourmet food to the base camp on the mountain. She was characterized in the media at the time as a spoiled, cappuccino-machine-toting socialite. However Krakauer gave hercredit for raising money.. Sandy who strikes me as totally American and totally unpretentious yet ambitious gave her first interview 12 years later, saying “.. others .. when their life is at a difficult spot, turn to drugs or drink or credit cards,” she told David Breashears. “I go to the mountains. That’s always worked for me.”
Sandy Hill is a survivor too, not just from death, but in life as well. After the failed attempt in May, few months later, she scaled the Mount Everest successfully, becoming handful people in the world who had ascended all Seven Summits. However her social life in New York was doomed. Her friends began to avoid her and her husband Bob Pittman just left without a forwarding address. Too big of target for her own good? Too much of being the Talk of Town? She never blinked. Dated Stephen Koch and then married Tom Ditmer in 2001.
Sandy’s ex Bob Pittman married climber and film-maker (trailer below) David Breashears’s estranged wife Veronique Choa in 1997.

Not sure about Luo who’s still too young, but Liu and Sandy Hill have strong purposes in life, in which I found them particularly beautiful. Their don’t live in their good looks, it’s just a complementary.

This morning I got to play with the girls after the normal battle with the boys – girls doubles. Image that.
Phyllis and I against Allison and Mrs. Chou. The entire morning as I was playing, I tried hard to think of her name but came up empty. It didn’t occur to me till the second set. I haven’t seen her in a long time. She looked the same and played the same. We were up 5:4 when Phyllis had to leave. Btw, I had winning record this AM. Phew.

Ok .. had my Lychee martini and am having apple martini. The hot pot dinner is ready, waiting for my guests. All have great weekend. Cheers !!

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