i went to a chinese wedding. it was cool. i love weddings because that means free food and drink. i think it is difficult to turn that down. oh, yeah and two people committing themselves to each other, that's cool to. i guess a lot of people here are incorporating a western theme into many of their weddings. that would mean an exchange of rings, white dress, everything save for the religious aspect. of course, there are eastern traditions that still take root. wearing a red dress, giving smokes for the men, candy for the ladies. smoking and drinking has an entirely different meaning here. it is a sign of friendship when you drink with another man, or offer them a cig. maybe i should write about that, someday i will.
the wedding was the combination of the reception and ceremony in one. the food is served when the ceremony is over, but it takes place in the reception hall. the interesting thing is the wedding was much more of a performance. fully loaded with an MC, spotlights, narrator, strobes. for a minute, i thought i was at the club. for me, the role-play was the most intriguing. the bride and groom acted out a love story, with help from the narrator, before they sealed everything with a kiss. i assume the story was fictitious, but compelling none the less. they seemed like a nice couple, and i heard the were pretty well off. i guess they pulled out all the stops for this. the entire thing lasted no more than two hours. many people left after the their bellies were full. others played games and congratulated the new couple. i wonder if they will have a honeymoon?
once again, i will be writing much more. i have loads of free time now, while i prepare for coming home.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
i am not quite sure what that is, but i will eat it!
china knows how to tickle one's tastebuds and leave the consumer with a feeling of complete satisfaction. more specifically where i live, southwest china, chongqing. most of the food here is unbelievable. the main reason i like it is due to the fact that most everything is spicy. i have always been one who enjoys his peppers, sweating while i eat, and coughing vehemently when the spice hits the back of my throat. the main fare is a bubbling concoction called hotpot. most foreigners hate this, as did i at first. over time i began to enjoy it more and more. anything and everything goes into this pot of fire, filled with peppers and other spices. the more common would include, dumplings, meatballs, fish, vegetables. the more interesting includes cow stomach, duck blood/intestine, and many other things. food that enters my mouth with no idea what animal it is, or what part of said animal. i can almost assure you that it is not cat. i have heard that southeast china, near hongkong, is the home of those delicacies. along with snake, dog, and rat. when i get to that area maybe i will try snake, it might taste pretty good. rats, too filthy. dogs, man best friend, but cat......
two things i will not touch are fish heads and chicken feet. they are definitely popular dishes here. i just cannot eat something with an eyeball staring at me. the chicken feet i would eat if the toes were split into small pieces, as opposed to looking just like the foot of a chicken. chinese always offer these to you because they fell it is the best part of the animal. they are being polite to the foreign guest. one thing i can say is that they let nothing go to waste. why trash the neck of that duck? there is some good meat on that. naw, son, you can have it. eggs are popular as well. they will slap an egg on anything-sunny side up, spaghetti, rice, even a steak. this also does not bother me. i have an iron stomach and will eat just about anything, no shrimp, allergic. some new dishes are okay, others delicious. food i will sorely miss when i arrive home. by the way, if i hear the word delicious again. it must be one of the first english words learned after hello/bye-bye, thank you, and okay.
when i first arrived and begin to explore, walking down the street i would encounter an awful, repugnant stench. it can only be described as a fresh steaming pile of pig innards. later i was told this vile odor was because of the unique way the chinese prepare tofu. it is likened to that stinky cheese from germany, or holland, or wherever. i have eaten delicious tofu here, but it did not stink when it arrived at the table. i am still not quite used to the smell. i do not think anyone is. many have asked if the food here resembles delicious chinese food in america. in some ways it does, but at least in chongqing it is spiced up a bit. i know some people who are finicky eaters. they have a difficult time finding things they like. they are missing out on all the delicious food here. well, you can find delicious western food, even more so on the east coast. there they have a delicious taco bell. most newcomers usually become best friends with their toilets. it is a good idea to know all the best bathrooms in the city, you never know when danger may strike, and you surely want to sit down instead of squat during this not so delicious predicament. my stomach has made all of the necessary adjustments. i wonder if montezuma's revenge will strike when i get home?
my stomach is beginning to rumble describing all of this cuisine. today is friday, hotpot nite, time to go eat. maybe i will get those spicy/meat sweats going. well, i will just wash it all down with some delicious beer.
two things i will not touch are fish heads and chicken feet. they are definitely popular dishes here. i just cannot eat something with an eyeball staring at me. the chicken feet i would eat if the toes were split into small pieces, as opposed to looking just like the foot of a chicken. chinese always offer these to you because they fell it is the best part of the animal. they are being polite to the foreign guest. one thing i can say is that they let nothing go to waste. why trash the neck of that duck? there is some good meat on that. naw, son, you can have it. eggs are popular as well. they will slap an egg on anything-sunny side up, spaghetti, rice, even a steak. this also does not bother me. i have an iron stomach and will eat just about anything, no shrimp, allergic. some new dishes are okay, others delicious. food i will sorely miss when i arrive home. by the way, if i hear the word delicious again. it must be one of the first english words learned after hello/bye-bye, thank you, and okay.
when i first arrived and begin to explore, walking down the street i would encounter an awful, repugnant stench. it can only be described as a fresh steaming pile of pig innards. later i was told this vile odor was because of the unique way the chinese prepare tofu. it is likened to that stinky cheese from germany, or holland, or wherever. i have eaten delicious tofu here, but it did not stink when it arrived at the table. i am still not quite used to the smell. i do not think anyone is. many have asked if the food here resembles delicious chinese food in america. in some ways it does, but at least in chongqing it is spiced up a bit. i know some people who are finicky eaters. they have a difficult time finding things they like. they are missing out on all the delicious food here. well, you can find delicious western food, even more so on the east coast. there they have a delicious taco bell. most newcomers usually become best friends with their toilets. it is a good idea to know all the best bathrooms in the city, you never know when danger may strike, and you surely want to sit down instead of squat during this not so delicious predicament. my stomach has made all of the necessary adjustments. i wonder if montezuma's revenge will strike when i get home?
my stomach is beginning to rumble describing all of this cuisine. today is friday, hotpot nite, time to go eat. maybe i will get those spicy/meat sweats going. well, i will just wash it all down with some delicious beer.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
whatever you think is best for my future.
in many ways university life in chongqing differs, from what we have come to consider normal. when the momentous day of going off to college arrives, the common denominator for freshman students is their new found freedom. one day you are sneaking out of your parents home, the next you are sneaking into your new home, trying to not disturb your roommate. did you have a late nite? no problem, just skip class the next day, no one will notice. you thought you wanted to be a doctor, huh? turns out you have found your true calling of teaching gym class. well, just change your major. my point is, college students in china abide by certain rules and have less freedom when they move away from their parents. for them this is not anything to get into a fit over, you just accept it, or you can always kill yourself.
this semester my workload is much lighter than the last. i teach seven classes spoken english. the class enrollment ranges from 28 to 34. i also have office hours that consist of 10 to 15 students. office hours give the students more chances to speak and myself more topics to discuss with them. as i have said before, the best part of teaching here is the interaction with my students. they are all freshman and many of them are very shy. they assume their english is not good enough, so the best thing to do is not talk. this only occurs within the classroom. outside of class, the quietest students will talk your ear off, using every english word in their limited vocabulary. they all know english, it is mandatory to learn. they begin at a young age, and even in college they may have at least three more english classes in addition to mine. my job is to get students to talk. sometimes that can be difficult, but i do find success. in china, the teacher speaks, the students listen. they accept what the teacher tells them because the teacher is right. they would not be teaching if they were wrong. i try to get them to voice opinions, arguments, contradictions, classroom proceedings in traditional american universities. usually, the girls are more likely to speak and participate than the boys. many of the boys sit in the back and sleep, while the girls are in front with smiles on their faces. i try to teach to the good students and make the others happy so they stay awake. chinese students are extremely competitive so playing games with them is always a fun activity. classes last about an hour a fifty minutes, with a ten minute break in between. i do not have to keep track of time because there are buzzers, like high school, that signify when class ends and begins. i also must take attendance every class period. i only meet each class once a week, but it reflects on their grade if they do not show, or they try and sneak out of class.
some of things that are totally different from an american university is the idea of not choosing your major. i believe they take a test in high school, then they are placed in the field that suits them best. even if they find their major boring, they just accept it. it is strange like that, the chinese, how they just accept things the way they are. earlier this year the women were forced to move to a dorm further away, creating a much longer walk to campus. i asked them what they thought of this, and the reply was "we now have a TV". "do the boys have a TV?" "yes, they always have." the women just accepted the fact that they did not have television before, and now accept the fact they have a 15-20 minute walk to campus. of course, i explained to them that women in an american university would not be too happy with lesser living standards than the men. another strange fact is the loss of electricity. on the weeknites at 11:30, the power to all dormitories is shut off. the students get around this by having full batteries for their computers or using candles. many even stay off campus and sleep in a karaoke room or internet bar. but there is never any complaining to the superiors at the university, just maybe amongst themselves.
the pressure for students seems to be much higher over here in the east. not only in china, but in many asian countries, suicide is a more frequent occurrence. losing face, or extreme embarrassment, is one of the worst things that could happen to a student. the pressure to perform well is larger for a student because going to college and learning english is significant. some students release this pressure by jumping off a bridge. this happened fairly recently at my university. a junior student walked into the water to release her pressure or save embarrassment. they thought she jumped off a bridge, but then said she drowned herself. they had a meeting about it. told the students not to kill themselves. then accept that it happened, and move on.
this semester my workload is much lighter than the last. i teach seven classes spoken english. the class enrollment ranges from 28 to 34. i also have office hours that consist of 10 to 15 students. office hours give the students more chances to speak and myself more topics to discuss with them. as i have said before, the best part of teaching here is the interaction with my students. they are all freshman and many of them are very shy. they assume their english is not good enough, so the best thing to do is not talk. this only occurs within the classroom. outside of class, the quietest students will talk your ear off, using every english word in their limited vocabulary. they all know english, it is mandatory to learn. they begin at a young age, and even in college they may have at least three more english classes in addition to mine. my job is to get students to talk. sometimes that can be difficult, but i do find success. in china, the teacher speaks, the students listen. they accept what the teacher tells them because the teacher is right. they would not be teaching if they were wrong. i try to get them to voice opinions, arguments, contradictions, classroom proceedings in traditional american universities. usually, the girls are more likely to speak and participate than the boys. many of the boys sit in the back and sleep, while the girls are in front with smiles on their faces. i try to teach to the good students and make the others happy so they stay awake. chinese students are extremely competitive so playing games with them is always a fun activity. classes last about an hour a fifty minutes, with a ten minute break in between. i do not have to keep track of time because there are buzzers, like high school, that signify when class ends and begins. i also must take attendance every class period. i only meet each class once a week, but it reflects on their grade if they do not show, or they try and sneak out of class.
some of things that are totally different from an american university is the idea of not choosing your major. i believe they take a test in high school, then they are placed in the field that suits them best. even if they find their major boring, they just accept it. it is strange like that, the chinese, how they just accept things the way they are. earlier this year the women were forced to move to a dorm further away, creating a much longer walk to campus. i asked them what they thought of this, and the reply was "we now have a TV". "do the boys have a TV?" "yes, they always have." the women just accepted the fact that they did not have television before, and now accept the fact they have a 15-20 minute walk to campus. of course, i explained to them that women in an american university would not be too happy with lesser living standards than the men. another strange fact is the loss of electricity. on the weeknites at 11:30, the power to all dormitories is shut off. the students get around this by having full batteries for their computers or using candles. many even stay off campus and sleep in a karaoke room or internet bar. but there is never any complaining to the superiors at the university, just maybe amongst themselves.
the pressure for students seems to be much higher over here in the east. not only in china, but in many asian countries, suicide is a more frequent occurrence. losing face, or extreme embarrassment, is one of the worst things that could happen to a student. the pressure to perform well is larger for a student because going to college and learning english is significant. some students release this pressure by jumping off a bridge. this happened fairly recently at my university. a junior student walked into the water to release her pressure or save embarrassment. they thought she jumped off a bridge, but then said she drowned herself. they had a meeting about it. told the students not to kill themselves. then accept that it happened, and move on.
Friday, March 16, 2007
not this song again
for many people, music is a necessary and indispensable aid to keep the blood rushing through their veins. many of you know that i feel this way as well. sometimes i feel that i live in a place where good music does not exist. i will confess that i am a music snob. i listen to plenty of popular music and in many ways am not impressed. i am trying to make the most of this opportunity and educate my fellow students and friends on, not just american music, but music and the entire genre. that includes different cultures, countries, and histories. i actually am doing a lecture on this topic in front of hundreds of people. many are receptive so far, unfortunately they just do not get exposed to this during adolescence. they listen to what is fed to them, as many of you do back home. hey, if you do not believe me, let's listen to what good music has to say on this matter.
music magazine: so good music, i hear you are going spend some time over in china.
good music: yeah, you know, just wantin' to expose everyone to what i got to offer. you fell me?
mm: that sounds great. what is it you have to offer?
gm: well, i got a lot of different styles, genres, classics, mad talent. maybe some studio, with a little on stage. throwing some live instrumentation in there, intuitive lyrics, also something to get the party started, know what i mean, son? it's like bon-bon, bang-bang, gotcha.
mm: i did not quite understand the last part, but i think i know what you mean. you are going to chongqing, correct?
gm: word.
mm: uh.......okay, have a fantastic time.
gm: yo, yo, yo, peace to the god. holla at ya boy!
good music arrives in china
wow, this place is off the meat rack! let me lay my thang down. i think i can get some work in, for real.
one month
why is everyone listening to the backstreet boys? didn't those mothafuckas break up like ten years ago, or some shit? britney! you know she is a crazy bald bitch, right?
six months
it's like every popular song is about love or dancing. where the songs at about killin' fools? hatin' yo job, being poor? smokin' drinkin'? women gettin' a bad rap? gettin' bush out the motherfuckin' white house? angst, pain, sufferin'? you know what i mean, real life shit. enough with this bunny rabbits, ice cream, and flowers shit.
one year
i met some peeps here who feel me. they say i should get my ass to beijing or shanghai. things are more western there. they got all the dope shiznit there.
two years
we going to ktv (karaoke) tonite? that is super. i would love to sing a love song.
later that nite
how about that song from titanic that is sung by celine dion. i love singing it. here goes guys! near, far, wherever you are, i believe that my heart will go on...........
i have no idea why good music sounds like RZA from the wu-tang clan. maybe it is because i am listening to hip-hop as i write. maybe because the music he produces, in many ways is the exact opposite of what i hear on regular basis. i love it here, but i know the cities on china's east coast have more options when it comes to what one may want to hear. i have met many chinese who do have similar tastes: a couple rock guitarists, a few young MCs, and i sat in with a great jazz quintet, the latter being in beijing. we all are trying our best to make those styles more popular here. i think the young generation wants it, they just do not know where to look. that is where we come in. honestly, i have heard some good pop music here, and the traditional chinese music can be really cool. there are also some great traditional instruments that i want to learn to play. the language is also very musical. one reason why i am trying to become fluent. it is very tonal; the pitch of a word will change its meaning. it is actually documented that musicians have an easier time learning the language. this may have the same effect in reverse. potentially, i could be surrounded by a billion chinese with an innate sense of scales, tones, and pitch. let's get the band back together!?
edub
music magazine: so good music, i hear you are going spend some time over in china.
good music: yeah, you know, just wantin' to expose everyone to what i got to offer. you fell me?
mm: that sounds great. what is it you have to offer?
gm: well, i got a lot of different styles, genres, classics, mad talent. maybe some studio, with a little on stage. throwing some live instrumentation in there, intuitive lyrics, also something to get the party started, know what i mean, son? it's like bon-bon, bang-bang, gotcha.
mm: i did not quite understand the last part, but i think i know what you mean. you are going to chongqing, correct?
gm: word.
mm: uh.......okay, have a fantastic time.
gm: yo, yo, yo, peace to the god. holla at ya boy!
good music arrives in china
wow, this place is off the meat rack! let me lay my thang down. i think i can get some work in, for real.
one month
why is everyone listening to the backstreet boys? didn't those mothafuckas break up like ten years ago, or some shit? britney! you know she is a crazy bald bitch, right?
six months
it's like every popular song is about love or dancing. where the songs at about killin' fools? hatin' yo job, being poor? smokin' drinkin'? women gettin' a bad rap? gettin' bush out the motherfuckin' white house? angst, pain, sufferin'? you know what i mean, real life shit. enough with this bunny rabbits, ice cream, and flowers shit.
one year
i met some peeps here who feel me. they say i should get my ass to beijing or shanghai. things are more western there. they got all the dope shiznit there.
two years
we going to ktv (karaoke) tonite? that is super. i would love to sing a love song.
later that nite
how about that song from titanic that is sung by celine dion. i love singing it. here goes guys! near, far, wherever you are, i believe that my heart will go on...........
i have no idea why good music sounds like RZA from the wu-tang clan. maybe it is because i am listening to hip-hop as i write. maybe because the music he produces, in many ways is the exact opposite of what i hear on regular basis. i love it here, but i know the cities on china's east coast have more options when it comes to what one may want to hear. i have met many chinese who do have similar tastes: a couple rock guitarists, a few young MCs, and i sat in with a great jazz quintet, the latter being in beijing. we all are trying our best to make those styles more popular here. i think the young generation wants it, they just do not know where to look. that is where we come in. honestly, i have heard some good pop music here, and the traditional chinese music can be really cool. there are also some great traditional instruments that i want to learn to play. the language is also very musical. one reason why i am trying to become fluent. it is very tonal; the pitch of a word will change its meaning. it is actually documented that musicians have an easier time learning the language. this may have the same effect in reverse. potentially, i could be surrounded by a billion chinese with an innate sense of scales, tones, and pitch. let's get the band back together!?
edub
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
hey baby, you look good.
there are three different types of women in chongqing: the prostitute, the gold-digger, and the traditionalists.
1. the prostitute is........well, just that.
2. the gold-digger is the chinese woman who is out for a foreigner, no matter what they look like. they just want a foreign man who can buy them shit. also, maybe there is some sort of prestige to having a foreign boyfriend because it sets them apart from the millions of chinese women without. what i do not like about this scenario is most of these men are losers. that does not phase the gold-digger because he has money. when i am witness to this in a bar or club, it can become quite disgusting. these bum-ass fat, old geezers with these skinny little, young girls. it is a relationship that is headed toward the dark sea of unsatisfying, artificial happiness.
3. most women in this country, i would classify as traditional girls. they are nice, kind-hearted women just like women back home, but there is one difference. you cannot really date them. it is all the way or not at all. i mean, you can get to know them, but the physical part that comes along with dating is slim to none. if you want a little sensuality, well you had better expect on becoming their boyfriend for a long period of time. oh believe me, i am all for buying the cow, i have had my share of free milk, but i feel these traditionalists do not experience enough in the dating department. "hey, just because you had sex with that guy does not mean you need to marry him. i know, i know, he was your second, and you are almost 26. what in the world are you going to do! oh, no!" i am just saying that having intercourse with a man does not mean he is the one. honestly, what the fuck do i know? maybe it is a good thing to be conservative when it comes to the opposite sex. no one-nite stands, mistakes, less chance for pregnancy, disease. hopefully the man they marry does not turn out to be that cat strolling around the red-light district so he can experience another woman. in the future i know i will meet more men and women, hopefully having to revise some of these statements. i do not want to generalize and place women into these three categories, even though i just did that.
as for myself, well the whores are out. i know that would make a great story, but i cannot bring myself to paying for it. i guess it was the way i was raised.
gold-diggers. nope. that scene is phony and in many ways repulsive.
that leaves the old-fashioned chinese girl. of course that will not happen unless i meet one i am truly into; that may take a while. i could have a girlfriend, it is very easy to do so, and use her to better my chinese. but then i would feel bad when i dumped her after i became fluent. there is the fourth option of the foreign variety, but there could be another post dedicated solely to the dating scene for foreign women in china. actually, there is an entire blog for just that.
to the ten or so people who actually read the drivel i churn out, do not fret. i will begin to post something new every week so check back. do me a favor and give me some feedback. comments, what you want to know about, anything. it should be easy to leave your thoughts, and it will make for better writing on my end.
edub
1. the prostitute is........well, just that.
2. the gold-digger is the chinese woman who is out for a foreigner, no matter what they look like. they just want a foreign man who can buy them shit. also, maybe there is some sort of prestige to having a foreign boyfriend because it sets them apart from the millions of chinese women without. what i do not like about this scenario is most of these men are losers. that does not phase the gold-digger because he has money. when i am witness to this in a bar or club, it can become quite disgusting. these bum-ass fat, old geezers with these skinny little, young girls. it is a relationship that is headed toward the dark sea of unsatisfying, artificial happiness.
3. most women in this country, i would classify as traditional girls. they are nice, kind-hearted women just like women back home, but there is one difference. you cannot really date them. it is all the way or not at all. i mean, you can get to know them, but the physical part that comes along with dating is slim to none. if you want a little sensuality, well you had better expect on becoming their boyfriend for a long period of time. oh believe me, i am all for buying the cow, i have had my share of free milk, but i feel these traditionalists do not experience enough in the dating department. "hey, just because you had sex with that guy does not mean you need to marry him. i know, i know, he was your second, and you are almost 26. what in the world are you going to do! oh, no!" i am just saying that having intercourse with a man does not mean he is the one. honestly, what the fuck do i know? maybe it is a good thing to be conservative when it comes to the opposite sex. no one-nite stands, mistakes, less chance for pregnancy, disease. hopefully the man they marry does not turn out to be that cat strolling around the red-light district so he can experience another woman. in the future i know i will meet more men and women, hopefully having to revise some of these statements. i do not want to generalize and place women into these three categories, even though i just did that.
as for myself, well the whores are out. i know that would make a great story, but i cannot bring myself to paying for it. i guess it was the way i was raised.
gold-diggers. nope. that scene is phony and in many ways repulsive.
that leaves the old-fashioned chinese girl. of course that will not happen unless i meet one i am truly into; that may take a while. i could have a girlfriend, it is very easy to do so, and use her to better my chinese. but then i would feel bad when i dumped her after i became fluent. there is the fourth option of the foreign variety, but there could be another post dedicated solely to the dating scene for foreign women in china. actually, there is an entire blog for just that.
to the ten or so people who actually read the drivel i churn out, do not fret. i will begin to post something new every week so check back. do me a favor and give me some feedback. comments, what you want to know about, anything. it should be easy to leave your thoughts, and it will make for better writing on my end.
edub
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
where is the toilet?
as some of you may know, china is filled with holes in the ground. some of these holes are actually used for the deposit of feces. you can find western toilets, they are around, but sometimes you just have to go. the first time i used a squatter was the beginning of october. i was in a small town, small meaning 500,000+ residents, and my stomach had not adjusted to the spicy food here yet. i was far from my homebase, so i had to use the restroom at the restaurant. luckily, it was not too dirty. sometimes they are filthy. no need to get into details, but let's just say i missed. i come out and there are two ladies who work at the restaurant in the hallway. my chinese was terrible at that time, so i try and tell them i am very sorry and i can clean it up. they don't even seem to give a shit (no pun intended). they just say, "welcome to our restaurant". so i got the hell out of there. i really believe they did not mind. this would at least give them a good story to tell their husbands, or kids, or something. "hello ping, how was your day?" "well, today i cleaned up a foreigner's poop". "a foreigner's!" "surprisingly, it looked just like yours baby."
anyway, i have gotten pretty good at using them. of course, i would like to sit down if i have the option. you know, read the paper or the back of the toothpaste. sometimes, the restrooms offer no privacy, because bodily functions are not a big deal here. but here is a photo of a clean, private one. maybe you can imagine how disgusting they can get.
Monday, January 08, 2007
holiday season
yeah, it has been awhile. if you lived in a place where there were gorgeous women at every turn and cheap booze, you would not have time to write either. they say the women are beautiful here because of the hot weather and spicy food, it does something for their skin. i could blog about the eye candy all day, but let's move on to the unusual way that two big american holidays are celebrated here: christmas and new years.
does anyone here actually know the true meaning of christmas? of course not. well some know it has to do with the jesus dude. i ask them what they know about it. "uh, he was born in a grass house". check, manger. "his mother was mary". yeah, that is right. "then he died on some wood". cross, you got it! that is about it. then i go into this spill about people who believe in him, the miracles, resurrection. one of my students said, "teacher, that's impossible". not that i would, but it is forbidden to actually preach to my students. i can give them the history lesson on religion, but if i tell them they are going to hell i would be out of here quicker than the brits when they took off with hongkong in 1898. for those who do not know hongkong has since been returned to china in 1997.
christmas time is here! yeah, another time to celebrate for virtually no reason! many of the chinese between the ages of 16 and 30 buy these inflatable bats/hammers/mace. they sell them everywhere around the holiday season. you buy these things, congregate in an open area, then proceed to beat the shit out of other people with them. i ask why is this done? the response, "it's fun". you can also spray each other with shaving cream and anything else that comes out of a can. i got drunk and got into the middle of a crowd and got beaten. in the very center of the city there will be thousands of people doing this. it actually can get dangerous. they bring out a shitload of cops for this. of course, they especially like to beat foreigners. i think the chinese just love an excuse to party. new years is no different. same thing. besides being drug out into the street and beaten, new years is not really that important. my friend kern says that this whacking does not happen in beijing, so maybe it is a southern china thing. chinese new years is the big holiday here. fireworks galore. it goes by the lunar calender so this year it is february 18. maybe i will take one of those blow-up bats and whack them on their important holiday. you know, "because it's fun".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)