2009-10-03
I'm going to have to put this blog to rest
It's pretty obvious to anyone who looks here, that I don't post on this blog too often.
Why?
Well, the primary reason is that I can't. Blogspot is blocked in China. And trying to circumvent the restrictions is sometimes more work that it's worth.
Everytime I find a solution that allows me see blocked sites, the Great Firewall of China seems to get updated, and I can't see the site again.
This is also why I ...
---
I'm in the US right now, so while I'm here, I guess I'll add some pictures to end with....
Why?
Well, the primary reason is that I can't. Blogspot is blocked in China. And trying to circumvent the restrictions is sometimes more work that it's worth.
Everytime I find a solution that allows me see blocked sites, the Great Firewall of China seems to get updated, and I can't see the site again.
This is also why I ...
- haven't joined facebook
- don't look at youtube
- etc.
---
I'm in the US right now, so while I'm here, I guess I'll add some pictures to end with....
2008-08-09
2008 Beijing Olympics - Boxing Preliminaries
A few pictures from the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Boxing, 2008.08.09, 1:30 - 5:00pm, China Standard Time
Yes, this means I got to go to this event :)
Boxing, 2008.08.09, 1:30 - 5:00pm, China Standard Time
Yes, this means I got to go to this event :)
This is the guy from NBC. Don't know his name.
2008-05-29
Surreal Applause
Very odd thing happened last night.
The two bosses had invited the GF and I to have dinner with them.
They had met the GF two times previously. Once, over dinner. And the other time while she waited for me to finish a class. Many of the other teachers saw her briefly at that time.
The bosses said they wanted a chance to get to know her better. Okay. Fair enough. So, last night was the night for us to go eat.
Due to a convoluted reason, all of the teachers were in one room. And, I went into the room to tell the bosses to "get a move on". So, I asked the GF if she wanted to meet everyone.
(I figured it was only fair to ask her first. Probably a little disconcerting to walk into a room and have 10 pairs of eyes look at you. And not just "look", but look and judge/rate/size up.)
She said, "Sure". So, we walked in. I said, "GF this is everyone. Everyone, this is everyone."
And, then, all of the sudden, all of the teachers started to applaud.
WTF? What in the hell were they applauding?
The GF is cute and everything, but its not like she just finished reciting Shakespeare or something.
It was very surreal. Hence the title of this post.
The two bosses had invited the GF and I to have dinner with them.
They had met the GF two times previously. Once, over dinner. And the other time while she waited for me to finish a class. Many of the other teachers saw her briefly at that time.
The bosses said they wanted a chance to get to know her better. Okay. Fair enough. So, last night was the night for us to go eat.
Due to a convoluted reason, all of the teachers were in one room. And, I went into the room to tell the bosses to "get a move on". So, I asked the GF if she wanted to meet everyone.
(I figured it was only fair to ask her first. Probably a little disconcerting to walk into a room and have 10 pairs of eyes look at you. And not just "look", but look and judge/rate/size up.)
She said, "Sure". So, we walked in. I said, "GF this is everyone. Everyone, this is everyone."
And, then, all of the sudden, all of the teachers started to applaud.
WTF? What in the hell were they applauding?
The GF is cute and everything, but its not like she just finished reciting Shakespeare or something.
It was very surreal. Hence the title of this post.
2008-05-20
In Beijing: Shoplifters will be hog-tied to the fullest extent of the law.
About a month or so ago, I walked into my closest Carrefour Shopping Mall. (The French version of Walmart. Fairly commonplace in Beijing.)
This is what I saw when I walked in.
I grabbed my phone as quick as I could and took this picture.
Guy was hog-tied with this plastic string stuff that people use here. I was going to take more pictures, but the security guys yelled at me. So, I beat a hasty retreat.
This is what I saw when I walked in.
I grabbed my phone as quick as I could and took this picture.
Guy was hog-tied with this plastic string stuff that people use here. I was going to take more pictures, but the security guys yelled at me. So, I beat a hasty retreat.
Chinese Workplace Safety Posters
Been a long time since I updated, and I had a couple of minutes to spare today, so I thought I would post a few pictures of something that has nothing to do with anything....
The following five pictures are of posters in the lobby of the building where my girlfriend works.
Pretty standard style of artwork for these types of posters in Beijing. The "message" in each poster is pretty much the same type of thing you will see everywhere in the world. And, the message is pretty clear, even if you can't read the language.
But, for those of you that are interested, I have translated the posters for you...
----
---
Like I said... Pretty much the same message you'll get from any safety poster anywhere in the world.
The following five pictures are of posters in the lobby of the building where my girlfriend works.
Pretty standard style of artwork for these types of posters in Beijing. The "message" in each poster is pretty much the same type of thing you will see everywhere in the world. And, the message is pretty clear, even if you can't read the language.
But, for those of you that are interested, I have translated the posters for you...
----
"When you are drunk driving,
never hang your bottle of booze out of the window."
never hang your bottle of booze out of the window."
"5 years old = 5 points"
"Little snot is crossing on the red light? Fair Game!"
"Trucks carrying snails turn left here.
Then hang a right and go straight."
Then hang a right and go straight."
"Christians are allowed to drive a maximum of 16789km at 140kph"
---
Like I said... Pretty much the same message you'll get from any safety poster anywhere in the world.
2008-03-24
I'm pretty lame at updating aren't I?
It's been awhile. I know. My mom has already read me the riot act, so there is no need for anyone else to do so.
So.... Why has it been so long? Well, a few reasons.....
1) Winter is always a bad time for me.... The brain synapses seem to misfire in winter
2) Winter is busy for me at work.... Kids don't have public school, so they come to my school
3) Another reason is buried is this story I will share. It's kinda personal, but I am sharing, so don't give me too much shit, okay?
Story time...
There's this girl. Beautiful, kind, etc, etc.
We hung out together. I knew I wasn't Mr Right for her, but thats cool. She didn't blow me off, so I chose not to worry/think about it.
Well, there comes a time where its time to "shit or get off the pot" as my Dad might say. End result was/is: We are still friends, and we still see each other all the time, but thats it.
Fast forward a little while....
Last night, I went to dinner with a couple good friends (engaged to each other) and my girlfriend. It was a great time. The girls talked about girl stuff (in Chinese). And, me and the other guy, in English, talked about the Tibet situation, Taiwan, the possibilities of war between the US and China, etc.
As it turns out....
-The other guy and I solved all the problems of the world. (Isn't that what all guys do when they have a beer and talk politics?)
-The girls talked about me. (It's not ego... They told me that they talked about me. Besides, I understand more Chinese than anyone thinks I do. Not much more, but a little more.) I've known the girl since the day I came to China. The girlfriend is a bit newer. We're approaching 2 months. This was the first time they had met. Girlfriend had met other friends who are girls, but this is a closer friend who is a girl.
I think I owe the girl who is my friend money. She told the girlfriend that I am an extremely Nice person (capital N). I'm Patient, Polite, and Kind.
I know all of you are doing a 3 Stooges "Spit-Take" right now, but thats okay. Girlfriend believes it.
As of last night, we are now in the "next stage" of our relationship.
I get to meet her friends. woohoo and shit. (um. I mean.... WOOOHOOOO!!!)
Girlfriend is a little bit traditional. According to another friend of mine, this is the pattern...
-I passed muster with her.
-My friends passed muster.
-Now, we see if I pass muster with her friends.
Not much different than in the US, but the timing seems to be more structured here.
So anyway... There's the story.
-------
Now that I've typed it I realize I wasn't very subtle. I gave away the theme, the plot, and the conclusion almost at the very start.
But, just in case you missed it, here is the point of the story.....
A Chinese guy and I solved the problems of the world while our girlfriends chatted about stuff.
So.... Why has it been so long? Well, a few reasons.....
1) Winter is always a bad time for me.... The brain synapses seem to misfire in winter
2) Winter is busy for me at work.... Kids don't have public school, so they come to my school
3) Another reason is buried is this story I will share. It's kinda personal, but I am sharing, so don't give me too much shit, okay?
Story time...
There's this girl. Beautiful, kind, etc, etc.
We hung out together. I knew I wasn't Mr Right for her, but thats cool. She didn't blow me off, so I chose not to worry/think about it.
Well, there comes a time where its time to "shit or get off the pot" as my Dad might say. End result was/is: We are still friends, and we still see each other all the time, but thats it.
Fast forward a little while....
Last night, I went to dinner with a couple good friends (engaged to each other) and my girlfriend. It was a great time. The girls talked about girl stuff (in Chinese). And, me and the other guy, in English, talked about the Tibet situation, Taiwan, the possibilities of war between the US and China, etc.
As it turns out....
-The other guy and I solved all the problems of the world. (Isn't that what all guys do when they have a beer and talk politics?)
-The girls talked about me. (It's not ego... They told me that they talked about me. Besides, I understand more Chinese than anyone thinks I do. Not much more, but a little more.) I've known the girl since the day I came to China. The girlfriend is a bit newer. We're approaching 2 months. This was the first time they had met. Girlfriend had met other friends who are girls, but this is a closer friend who is a girl.
I think I owe the girl who is my friend money. She told the girlfriend that I am an extremely Nice person (capital N). I'm Patient, Polite, and Kind.
I know all of you are doing a 3 Stooges "Spit-Take" right now, but thats okay. Girlfriend believes it.
As of last night, we are now in the "next stage" of our relationship.
I get to meet her friends. woohoo and shit. (um. I mean.... WOOOHOOOO!!!)
Girlfriend is a little bit traditional. According to another friend of mine, this is the pattern...
-I passed muster with her.
-My friends passed muster.
-Now, we see if I pass muster with her friends.
Not much different than in the US, but the timing seems to be more structured here.
So anyway... There's the story.
-------
Now that I've typed it I realize I wasn't very subtle. I gave away the theme, the plot, and the conclusion almost at the very start.
But, just in case you missed it, here is the point of the story.....
A Chinese guy and I solved the problems of the world while our girlfriends chatted about stuff.
2007-12-18
Random Beijing Olympic Picture
Just 'cause, here is a picture related to the 2008 Beijing Olympics....
This is the place where events like Rhythmic Gymnastics will be held. It's on the campus of the Beijing University of Something or Another. It's walking distance from my house. (Long walk, but still walkable.)
New Digs
As some of you know, I recently moved.
I promised pictures. So, here you go...
So anyway.... There are a couple pictures of the new digs. Costs a lot more, and not everything is perfect, but it's worth it to me.
What's not perfect? Well...
-The water is TOO hot. Scalding hot at halfway.
-Paying my bills is more of a pain. I had to open an account at a different bank just to buy electricity.
-Running out for a soda, or ice cream, or a potato is much more involved. I can't just walk across the street anymore.
-The old place was 2 bedroom. Which meant I had one room just to store junk. Now, I don't have as much junk storage as I used to.
Still, overall, a major upgrade in my life. And, I'm very pleased.
Feel free to visit any time.
----------------------------------
This picture is completely unrelated to my apartment.
A while back, we took the kids and their parents on a field trip to an apple orchard. It was one of those Pick-Your-Own places. Everyone seemed to have a really good time. Even me.
Here is a picture of the sign outside the place.
It says "Ping Guo Yuan", which translates to "Apple Garden".
So there we go... My old place, my new place, and a Chinese lesson all in one post.
I promised pictures. So, here you go...
This first picture is the view outside the 3"H x 4"W window of my old apartment.
This is the view outside the floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window of my new place.
See the building in the center of the picture? See the top floor? That's where I live.
This was my old living room. It was bigger than the picture makes it seem, but this was the best picture I could get due to angles, etc. This view is from standing at the front door. I actually had it arranged differently, but I put it all back they way it was when I moved in.
This is my new living room. I had the chairs set like that because 10 people were coming over for food. Normally, they are around the dining room table. In this position, I have my back against the "sun room" that has the window which looks at the place in picture number 2.
So anyway.... There are a couple pictures of the new digs. Costs a lot more, and not everything is perfect, but it's worth it to me.
What's not perfect? Well...
-The water is TOO hot. Scalding hot at halfway.
-Paying my bills is more of a pain. I had to open an account at a different bank just to buy electricity.
-Running out for a soda, or ice cream, or a potato is much more involved. I can't just walk across the street anymore.
-The old place was 2 bedroom. Which meant I had one room just to store junk. Now, I don't have as much junk storage as I used to.
Still, overall, a major upgrade in my life. And, I'm very pleased.
Feel free to visit any time.
----------------------------------
This picture is completely unrelated to my apartment.
A while back, we took the kids and their parents on a field trip to an apple orchard. It was one of those Pick-Your-Own places. Everyone seemed to have a really good time. Even me.
Here is a picture of the sign outside the place.
It says "Ping Guo Yuan", which translates to "Apple Garden".
So there we go... My old place, my new place, and a Chinese lesson all in one post.
2007-11-23
Happy Thanksgiving, New House, and Bicycle Crashes
Howdy all.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I've been a little quiet recently. Primarily because of dealing with the new house.
Searching for the new place was not fun. Cleaning the old place was not fun. Unpacking at the new place is not fun.
But, I've found, cleaned, and made a huge dent in the unpacking, so all is good.
I'll have pictures in a few days. I just need to get the pictures onto the computer, sort them and post them. You'll see the before and after, old vs new.
One thing about the new place is that I can't walk to work anymore. It's a little too far. So, i ride my bike.
In the previous two years of living here, I'd only had one accident. In the past two days, I've had two accidents.
Accident #1 - I'm riding my bike down Wusheng Lu. Car comes out of a side street and pokes its nose out. I have to swerve to miss the car, and bump off the side of a passing bus. No big deal. Didn't fall, and barely slowed down. Just a little something to get the adrenaline going.
Accident #2 - Happened just about an hour ago. I'm riding along, and one of those tricycle pedalcab things turns left right in front of me. I couldn't stop. Crashed into him, he rolled over my front tire and mangled it all to hell.
Remember the story of when I got accused of shoplifting? How tons of people stopped to watch?
Think about this.... This time, it was the middle of nighttime rush hour. Right at a bus stop. And this time, I know enough Chinese to curse at the guy in Chinese. LOTS of spectators.
To make a long story short... The guys friends moved his pedalcab away, and he took off running when he realized that the cops were coming to sort it all out. One thing about China... The cops will make an on-the-spot decision, and demand that the person in the wrong pay the other person, right then and there.
I'm not really pissed about the cost of the new tire. I am pissed that I let him get away. Oh, well.
At least I did get to use my Chinese cursing in a real life situation :)
I got to use:
-Are you foolish?
-You are foolish!
-Are you blind?
-You are blind!
-You are stupid!
I didn't think about it at the time, but I should have told him that he wears a green hat. This is just about the worst thing you can say to a Chinese guy.
Obviously, Chinese-style cursing is a little different than American-style cursing.
Anyway... Hope all of you have/had a great Thanksgiving! No green hats for you!
Magores
Happy Thanksgiving.
I've been a little quiet recently. Primarily because of dealing with the new house.
Searching for the new place was not fun. Cleaning the old place was not fun. Unpacking at the new place is not fun.
But, I've found, cleaned, and made a huge dent in the unpacking, so all is good.
I'll have pictures in a few days. I just need to get the pictures onto the computer, sort them and post them. You'll see the before and after, old vs new.
One thing about the new place is that I can't walk to work anymore. It's a little too far. So, i ride my bike.
In the previous two years of living here, I'd only had one accident. In the past two days, I've had two accidents.
Accident #1 - I'm riding my bike down Wusheng Lu. Car comes out of a side street and pokes its nose out. I have to swerve to miss the car, and bump off the side of a passing bus. No big deal. Didn't fall, and barely slowed down. Just a little something to get the adrenaline going.
Accident #2 - Happened just about an hour ago. I'm riding along, and one of those tricycle pedalcab things turns left right in front of me. I couldn't stop. Crashed into him, he rolled over my front tire and mangled it all to hell.
Remember the story of when I got accused of shoplifting? How tons of people stopped to watch?
Think about this.... This time, it was the middle of nighttime rush hour. Right at a bus stop. And this time, I know enough Chinese to curse at the guy in Chinese. LOTS of spectators.
To make a long story short... The guys friends moved his pedalcab away, and he took off running when he realized that the cops were coming to sort it all out. One thing about China... The cops will make an on-the-spot decision, and demand that the person in the wrong pay the other person, right then and there.
I'm not really pissed about the cost of the new tire. I am pissed that I let him get away. Oh, well.
At least I did get to use my Chinese cursing in a real life situation :)
I got to use:
-Are you foolish?
-You are foolish!
-Are you blind?
-You are blind!
-You are stupid!
I didn't think about it at the time, but I should have told him that he wears a green hat. This is just about the worst thing you can say to a Chinese guy.
Obviously, Chinese-style cursing is a little different than American-style cursing.
Anyway... Hope all of you have/had a great Thanksgiving! No green hats for you!
Magores
2007-10-20
Been back for a week, here's what's happened so far
So... I've been back in China for a little over a week. A lot has happened...
I got in late on Thursday. Had one beer and slept.
Friday...
-I looked for a place to live
-Met a girl from Israel
-Found a great place to live, that I can't live at
-Saw about 8 other places that I wouldn't want to live at
Monday...
-Looked at some other places to live
Tuesday...
-Looked at some other places
-Had a double date. Lynn, her boyfriend, Della, and Me. I took them for Indian food.
Thursday...
-Found a really nice place to live, that I CAN live at
Friday...
-Signed the lease
Today...
-Asked Della if she wants to try German food next week. She said yes.
-Will contact Guo Yang and/or Rain later tonight to see about dinner next week
Tomorrow...
-Going out for a beer with a fellow ex-pat from the Bay Area
Busy me.
--------------
The place I can't live at.
Long story, but to make it really short:
-Illegal apartment. (Kinda like the Mother-in-law apartments people build in SF.)
-Can't get Residence Permit, since its 1) Illegal Place, 2) No landlord to sign the paperwork
-Was/Am kinda bummed. Its a great place. Huge deck with a view of the Main Olympic Stadium (Bird's Nest) and the Swimming Place (The Bubble) Would have been a great place to live, have parties, watch the Opening Ceremonies fireworks, etc
--------------
The place I will move to.
Really nice home.
I'm very pleased that I found it.
-Newly painted, clean, no exposed pipes, an actual shower
-Close to work.
-Close to the foreigner supermarket
-Nice view of city lights
-Sort of expensive, but cheaper and better than some of the other places I saw. It's a steal actually.
-The building across the street, which I have a view of, is a surreal, gothic-like castle. It's a mix of hotel, very expensive apartments, and retail.
I'll take pictures of the current place, and the new place, so you can all see how much of an upgrade it actually is.
------------
The double date...
We went for Indian food. First time any of them had ever had.
Was a good time.
------------
The Israeli girl...
Long story but basically... She's hot. Just sent her a text message about 2 seconds ago. We'll see how it goes.
--------------------------
So, that's a brief summary of my first week back.
I got in late on Thursday. Had one beer and slept.
Friday...
-I looked for a place to live
-Met a girl from Israel
-Found a great place to live, that I can't live at
-Saw about 8 other places that I wouldn't want to live at
Monday...
-Looked at some other places to live
Tuesday...
-Looked at some other places
-Had a double date. Lynn, her boyfriend, Della, and Me. I took them for Indian food.
Thursday...
-Found a really nice place to live, that I CAN live at
Friday...
-Signed the lease
Today...
-Asked Della if she wants to try German food next week. She said yes.
-Will contact Guo Yang and/or Rain later tonight to see about dinner next week
Tomorrow...
-Going out for a beer with a fellow ex-pat from the Bay Area
Busy me.
--------------
The place I can't live at.
Long story, but to make it really short:
-Illegal apartment. (Kinda like the Mother-in-law apartments people build in SF.)
-Can't get Residence Permit, since its 1) Illegal Place, 2) No landlord to sign the paperwork
-Was/Am kinda bummed. Its a great place. Huge deck with a view of the Main Olympic Stadium (Bird's Nest) and the Swimming Place (The Bubble) Would have been a great place to live, have parties, watch the Opening Ceremonies fireworks, etc
--------------
The place I will move to.
Really nice home.
I'm very pleased that I found it.
-Newly painted, clean, no exposed pipes, an actual shower
-Close to work.
-Close to the foreigner supermarket
-Nice view of city lights
-Sort of expensive, but cheaper and better than some of the other places I saw. It's a steal actually.
-The building across the street, which I have a view of, is a surreal, gothic-like castle. It's a mix of hotel, very expensive apartments, and retail.
I'll take pictures of the current place, and the new place, so you can all see how much of an upgrade it actually is.
------------
The double date...
We went for Indian food. First time any of them had ever had.
Was a good time.
------------
The Israeli girl...
Long story but basically... She's hot. Just sent her a text message about 2 seconds ago. We'll see how it goes.
--------------------------
So, that's a brief summary of my first week back.
2007-10-18
I was in the US... And now I'm not.
Hi all.
Been a little while since the last post, and I promised people I would post, so here we go...
As many of you know, I was in the US for a couple weeks. No wine or women, but there was song. And family, and friends, and good food, and clean air... Good times.
---------------
For someone like me, who is basically a Left Coast Kid, the mention of Arkansas brings to mind images of bad teeth, Monster Truck Rallies, NASCAR, moonshine, road kill stew, etc.
I was pleasantly surprised to see it isn't really like that. (At least, not in the parts I saw.)
Lots of trees, lots of animals (road kill and otherwise), and not many people. 2000 census shows 2,673,400 people in the entire state. For comparisons sake... the city I live in right now has more than 13,000,000 people. It was very nice to not see 5000 people as soon as I walked out the door.
And, I saw the Milky Way. I've seen it before, but it's a been a loooooong time.
Had frog legs for the first time ever. Pretty good actually. And fried kale. I liked it. I hear that boiled kale isn't quite as good though.
Went fishing for the first time in years. Huge lake. I saw a grand total of 4 people the whole time. And two of them were me and my Dad. Didn't catch anything, but no problem. Just gives me an excuse to go back.
And, I got to see my parents. Best part, needless to say.
---------------
Did SF too.
Didn't get to see everyone I would have liked to have seen. But, considering that almost no one knew I was coming, I actually saw quite a few people. (Hello to everyone that I did and/or didn't see.)
I timed it good too. If you have a chance, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a great excuse to visit SF.
One thing very nice about SF that can be easy to forget... I had Indian food, Thai food, Italian food, Mexican food, and, yes, even Chinese food. I miss the variety of food available in the US.
---------------
I got to see LA too. Well, the part of it near the airport, at least.
And my sis and nephew. Good times.
Note to Sis: Let him come for a visit next summer if he wants to. It would be a great learning experience. Stories to tell his friends, kids, grandkids, etc.
Note to Nephew: Stop growing. You get any taller, and I won't be able to find things to fit you.
---------------
Anyway.... There's a brief summary of my trip to the US.
Next time, I'll tell you what's been happening since I got back. For example...
-TSA opening my luggage at the airport
-New house
-The double date
-IDF babe
Been a little while since the last post, and I promised people I would post, so here we go...
As many of you know, I was in the US for a couple weeks. No wine or women, but there was song. And family, and friends, and good food, and clean air... Good times.
---------------
For someone like me, who is basically a Left Coast Kid, the mention of Arkansas brings to mind images of bad teeth, Monster Truck Rallies, NASCAR, moonshine, road kill stew, etc.
I was pleasantly surprised to see it isn't really like that. (At least, not in the parts I saw.)
Lots of trees, lots of animals (road kill and otherwise), and not many people. 2000 census shows 2,673,400 people in the entire state. For comparisons sake... the city I live in right now has more than 13,000,000 people. It was very nice to not see 5000 people as soon as I walked out the door.
And, I saw the Milky Way. I've seen it before, but it's a been a loooooong time.
Had frog legs for the first time ever. Pretty good actually. And fried kale. I liked it. I hear that boiled kale isn't quite as good though.
Went fishing for the first time in years. Huge lake. I saw a grand total of 4 people the whole time. And two of them were me and my Dad. Didn't catch anything, but no problem. Just gives me an excuse to go back.
And, I got to see my parents. Best part, needless to say.
---------------
Did SF too.
Didn't get to see everyone I would have liked to have seen. But, considering that almost no one knew I was coming, I actually saw quite a few people. (Hello to everyone that I did and/or didn't see.)
I timed it good too. If you have a chance, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a great excuse to visit SF.
One thing very nice about SF that can be easy to forget... I had Indian food, Thai food, Italian food, Mexican food, and, yes, even Chinese food. I miss the variety of food available in the US.
---------------
I got to see LA too. Well, the part of it near the airport, at least.
And my sis and nephew. Good times.
Note to Sis: Let him come for a visit next summer if he wants to. It would be a great learning experience. Stories to tell his friends, kids, grandkids, etc.
Note to Nephew: Stop growing. You get any taller, and I won't be able to find things to fit you.
---------------
Anyway.... There's a brief summary of my trip to the US.
Next time, I'll tell you what's been happening since I got back. For example...
-TSA opening my luggage at the airport
-New house
-The double date
-IDF babe
2007-08-14
It's picture day!!
Yesterday, I went to Zhongguancun. I took pictures along the way. Here are some of them.
Forbidden Palace, aka The Palace Museum
There are signs scattered around the city, that show the countdown until the Olympics. Here is one of them.
This is a new sign.
I've ridden past here before, and never seen the sign until now.
Obviously, this is where the Road Races will begin.
I've ridden past here before, and never seen the sign until now.
Obviously, this is where the Road Races will begin.
The Road Race sign points you to this sign.
Forbidden City, on the way home.
I stopped in a a shopping district.
This was an area where Beijingers with a good amount of cash go shopping.
Cute girl walked by.
I took a picture.
That's all for now. I'll be in the US at the end of September/start of October. See you all then.
This was an area where Beijingers with a good amount of cash go shopping.
Cute girl walked by.
I took a picture.
That's all for now. I'll be in the US at the end of September/start of October. See you all then.
2007-07-30
The Beijing Museum of Natural History
We took the kids on a field trip to the Beijing Museum of Natural History.
I've been there before. It's kinda cool.
Here are some pictures:
This last one is kinda gross. There was a building set aside from the others called the Hall of Human Bodies. I scoped it out before we took kids in there. After seeing the displays, we didn't let the kids go in that room.
I took a couple of pictures before I left. After I had taken the pictures, I saw the sign that said "No pictures!
Only scroll down if you down mind seeing a kinda gross picture.
I've been there before. It's kinda cool.
Here are some pictures:
This last one is kinda gross. There was a building set aside from the others called the Hall of Human Bodies. I scoped it out before we took kids in there. After seeing the displays, we didn't let the kids go in that room.
I took a couple of pictures before I left. After I had taken the pictures, I saw the sign that said "No pictures!
Only scroll down if you down mind seeing a kinda gross picture.
2007-07-17
Mid-July Update: I got lost in the farmland
Couple weeks since I've posted, so I figured I should update the world on my status.
Right now is just basic days...
Although... I did have an interesting day right after my last post.
Basically, I like to ride my bike. So, I decided to ride south. No particular place to go. Just... South. One thing led to another, and I ended up heading East.
I live near the 3rd Ring. I rode out past the 6th ring. This is a hefty little journey. No idea about distance, but it was around 3 hours of hard, fast riding.
Then I got lost. Even with my maps, and a general idea of which page to look at, I had no idea exactly where I was.
I was in some little piss-ant town. I tried to go home. I went in a circle. So I tried to go home again, in a different direction. I went in a circle. And, I was back in the piss-ant town. So, I tried to go home AGAIN. Yep. I did a circle again. And, I was back in the piss-ant town.
Finally, I got smart. I asked some guys at a toll-booth how to get back home. Apparently, I was SO out in the boonies, they couldn't even figure out how I even got there in the first place.
A few hours later, and numerous stops to ask peasants where I was, I finally got home.
I left my house at 11am. I got home at 8pm. Insane leg cramps. Body covered in dried salt.
Why was this actually kinda cool?
During those 9 hours of riding, being lost, etc. ... I spoke no English. It would have been pointless, out where I was, since no one would have understood me. It was the longest stretch of non-English since I've been here (besides sleep, of course).
I dealt with street vendors selling water, shop keepers selling water, toll booth guys, random peasants, and people at a little restaurant. And I did it all in Chinese. And, the people actually understood me.
Conversations included "Please give me a bottle of water.", "Do you have colder water?", "What road is this?", "Can you help me find this road on my map?", "Where the hell am I?", "I live near the 3rd ring. Can you tell me how to get back there... on a bicycle?", "Yes. I'm on a bicycle. I came out here on purpose, but now I want to go home.", "Are you serious? I have to go NE, in order to get to my home which is SW of here? Damn!"
What was the REALLY best part?
I learned a new greeting. It's actually a form of Goodbye, rather than Hello.
Goodbye in Chinese is "Zai Jian". And, over the last year and a half, shopkeepers have said this to me when I leave, if they say anything at all.
During, and ever since, my "Lost in the Farmland" bike ride, people say something a little different.
They say "Man Dianr", which is essentially "Take it easy." (Literally: "Slow a little")
People at work say it's because I can actually talk a little bit of coherent Chinese.
The shopkeepers are saying the same thing to me, that they would say to any other Chinese person.
It's kinda cool.
Makes me feel like I'm making a little progress on the Chinese Language thing.
---
Moral of the story?
Best way to practice your 2nd language skills is to go out and get lost.
- I'm alive. Nothing real special going on. Just basic days.
- I'm busy. Summer is my busiest time of year.
- I'm a chef. Flower cut tomatoes stuffed with Red Wine cooked chicken salad.
- I'm Sooooooooo ready to visit the US. A bit homesick atm.
Right now is just basic days...
Although... I did have an interesting day right after my last post.
Basically, I like to ride my bike. So, I decided to ride south. No particular place to go. Just... South. One thing led to another, and I ended up heading East.
I live near the 3rd Ring. I rode out past the 6th ring. This is a hefty little journey. No idea about distance, but it was around 3 hours of hard, fast riding.
Then I got lost. Even with my maps, and a general idea of which page to look at, I had no idea exactly where I was.
I was in some little piss-ant town. I tried to go home. I went in a circle. So I tried to go home again, in a different direction. I went in a circle. And, I was back in the piss-ant town. So, I tried to go home AGAIN. Yep. I did a circle again. And, I was back in the piss-ant town.
Finally, I got smart. I asked some guys at a toll-booth how to get back home. Apparently, I was SO out in the boonies, they couldn't even figure out how I even got there in the first place.
A few hours later, and numerous stops to ask peasants where I was, I finally got home.
I left my house at 11am. I got home at 8pm. Insane leg cramps. Body covered in dried salt.
Why was this actually kinda cool?
During those 9 hours of riding, being lost, etc. ... I spoke no English. It would have been pointless, out where I was, since no one would have understood me. It was the longest stretch of non-English since I've been here (besides sleep, of course).
I dealt with street vendors selling water, shop keepers selling water, toll booth guys, random peasants, and people at a little restaurant. And I did it all in Chinese. And, the people actually understood me.
Conversations included "Please give me a bottle of water.", "Do you have colder water?", "What road is this?", "Can you help me find this road on my map?", "Where the hell am I?", "I live near the 3rd ring. Can you tell me how to get back there... on a bicycle?", "Yes. I'm on a bicycle. I came out here on purpose, but now I want to go home.", "Are you serious? I have to go NE, in order to get to my home which is SW of here? Damn!"
What was the REALLY best part?
I learned a new greeting. It's actually a form of Goodbye, rather than Hello.
Goodbye in Chinese is "Zai Jian". And, over the last year and a half, shopkeepers have said this to me when I leave, if they say anything at all.
During, and ever since, my "Lost in the Farmland" bike ride, people say something a little different.
They say "Man Dianr", which is essentially "Take it easy." (Literally: "Slow a little")
People at work say it's because I can actually talk a little bit of coherent Chinese.
The shopkeepers are saying the same thing to me, that they would say to any other Chinese person.
It's kinda cool.
Makes me feel like I'm making a little progress on the Chinese Language thing.
---
Moral of the story?
Best way to practice your 2nd language skills is to go out and get lost.
2007-07-07
And now for something completely different...
So... After 2 weeks or so, I finally got my internet back.
I was feeling a little homesick for "Western culture", so I did a search for 'internet tv'. The goal was to find SOMETHING in English.
Of course, I can watch AN English TV station here (AN, as in 1). And, of course, I can watch plenty of movies. But, frankly the TV is boring, and I've watched so many movies I'm sick of them. And the selection of English music in Beijing is horrible.
One thing led to another, and I ended up on a Dutch (Norwegian, Swiss, Finnish, whatever) website. They were playing videos of music I've never heard before, so I let that play in the background while I read a book.
All of the sudden, music came out of my computer that made me sit up and say... "Oh my f-ing God! This stuff ROCKS!"
And, I do mean ROCKS!
As in, kick you in the head, burst your eardrums, shatter your teeth, give you a kidney punch, and then stomp on your brain type of kick ass.
-----
This link is to the same video I saw on the Euro-website, but this is the youtube version. BUT WAIT! Don't watch it yet.
Watch this one first. Most of you will probably like this one more than the first one... That is, if you like it at all.
If you like the 2nd one, then check out the first one. Keep in mind, that they are different types of songs/videos. So you might like one, but not the other. Or, maybe you won't like either. Or, you will like both. Who knows?
---
Very "heavy" stuff.
I was feeling a little homesick for "Western culture", so I did a search for 'internet tv'. The goal was to find SOMETHING in English.
Of course, I can watch AN English TV station here (AN, as in 1). And, of course, I can watch plenty of movies. But, frankly the TV is boring, and I've watched so many movies I'm sick of them. And the selection of English music in Beijing is horrible.
One thing led to another, and I ended up on a Dutch (Norwegian, Swiss, Finnish, whatever) website. They were playing videos of music I've never heard before, so I let that play in the background while I read a book.
All of the sudden, music came out of my computer that made me sit up and say... "Oh my f-ing God! This stuff ROCKS!"
And, I do mean ROCKS!
As in, kick you in the head, burst your eardrums, shatter your teeth, give you a kidney punch, and then stomp on your brain type of kick ass.
-----
This link is to the same video I saw on the Euro-website, but this is the youtube version. BUT WAIT! Don't watch it yet.
Watch this one first. Most of you will probably like this one more than the first one... That is, if you like it at all.
If you like the 2nd one, then check out the first one. Keep in mind, that they are different types of songs/videos. So you might like one, but not the other. Or, maybe you won't like either. Or, you will like both. Who knows?
---
Very "heavy" stuff.
2007-07-04
2007-06-12
It's picture time
Here are some random pictures that I thought I would show for no particular reason...
Sometimes I curse at the tangle of wires behind my computer and my TV/DVD/CD player. You think Chinese utility workers do the same?
I like phone booths.
Stereotypical Beijing bus stop sign.
The Baiyun ("White Cloud") Taoist Temple
Inside the Baiyun Temple.
Living quarters for the monks. A monk.
And two pure white doves overseeing it all.
Living quarters for the monks. A monk.
And two pure white doves overseeing it all.
2007-06-08
I actually passed my test
I mentioned a month or so ago, that I took a "Test of Chinese Proficiency".
I just found out today, that I passed. I'm actually a little surprised that I did.
The test is the HSK. It's THE test for foreigners trying to learn Chinese. There are 3 levels, and within each level there are 3 sublevels. (There is actually a fourth level that is new, and supposedly super easy. But, by everyone's opinion that one doesn't count.)
I took the level 1 test. I passed with a "C" (lowest possible) grade.
As I said, I'm actually surprised I passed, for a number of reasons...
I don't have the actual piece of paper certificate in hand yet. And, I won't celebrate until I do.
But, for now, it's enough to think that maybe I actually AM learning something over here.
I just found out today, that I passed. I'm actually a little surprised that I did.
The test is the HSK. It's THE test for foreigners trying to learn Chinese. There are 3 levels, and within each level there are 3 sublevels. (There is actually a fourth level that is new, and supposedly super easy. But, by everyone's opinion that one doesn't count.)
I took the level 1 test. I passed with a "C" (lowest possible) grade.
As I said, I'm actually surprised I passed, for a number of reasons...
- The test makers suggest the test for people that have studied Chinese in a classroom for 200-300 hours. I've studied in a classroom for 0 hours.
- You should know 1200-3000 characters/words. I know maybe 600.
- I did best on the reading section, worst on the grammar, and middling on the listening. Not quite what I would have expected before the test. But, reasonable enough based on what the test was actually like.
- It's graded on a curve. In the room where I took the test, there were 3 white guys like me, an African girl, a Russian girl, and 30 Koreans. I expected to be the one guy to boost the curve for everyone else. Of course, there are thousands of people across the world taking this test, all on the same day. Apparently, some of them knew less than I did.
I don't have the actual piece of paper certificate in hand yet. And, I won't celebrate until I do.
But, for now, it's enough to think that maybe I actually AM learning something over here.
2007-06-06
So there I was, minding my own business...
So there I was, minding my own business...
I was just walking to work this morning, just like any other day.
When, all of the sudden, a spooked out horse pulling a flatbed cart full of watermelons crosses four lanes of traffic, right at the intersection, during morning rush hour, and decides to head right to the corner that I, and 50 other people, are standing at.
Everyone did a little shimmy to the right or left, and the horse and cart passed by without hitting anyone. It went by me with 2 feet to spare.
I caught a look at the horse's eyes as it came towards me. It was definitely spooked about something. You could see it in it's eyes. Was freaky.
---
That's one thing about living in Beijing... People appear clueless to everyone else around them.
People will step in front of you, stop in front of you, spit in in front of your next step, and generally ignore your presence. People ignore traffic laws and other things which I would call "common courtesy".
But, when push comes to shove, people seem to have a "sense". Cars don't hit people, people snake their way around cars, the lines at stores seem to keep moving, and people don't step in the spit.
Like I said a long time ago, when I DID get hit by a truck... it's like a dance.
The horse forgot his steps, but everyone else covered for it. We all shimmied, and went on our way.
As if it were all supposed to happen exactly the way it did.
I was just walking to work this morning, just like any other day.
When, all of the sudden, a spooked out horse pulling a flatbed cart full of watermelons crosses four lanes of traffic, right at the intersection, during morning rush hour, and decides to head right to the corner that I, and 50 other people, are standing at.
Everyone did a little shimmy to the right or left, and the horse and cart passed by without hitting anyone. It went by me with 2 feet to spare.
I caught a look at the horse's eyes as it came towards me. It was definitely spooked about something. You could see it in it's eyes. Was freaky.
---
That's one thing about living in Beijing... People appear clueless to everyone else around them.
People will step in front of you, stop in front of you, spit in in front of your next step, and generally ignore your presence. People ignore traffic laws and other things which I would call "common courtesy".
But, when push comes to shove, people seem to have a "sense". Cars don't hit people, people snake their way around cars, the lines at stores seem to keep moving, and people don't step in the spit.
Like I said a long time ago, when I DID get hit by a truck... it's like a dance.
The horse forgot his steps, but everyone else covered for it. We all shimmied, and went on our way.
As if it were all supposed to happen exactly the way it did.
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