Miscellany

Things have been quiet in this neck of the woods. I have been trying to enjoy me free time by getting back to some of the routine which I enjoyed so much last year, when free time was more abundant. Several weeks ago I finished work on a Saturday night and felt like eating some of the lamb kabobs that are a staple of small, slightly dingy, restaurants that dot the streets in many parts of Beijing. I headed down to a hutong near my office in pursuit of such fare. I found a little place that seemed to be hosting a coronation. In the small restaurant were 15 people packed around 20 different dishes. I, being the only white guy for several blocks, drew a bit of attention as I took my seat near their table. The stares are something that I have gotten used to and something that I will miss when I leave China. I took my seat and placed my order which included a glass of Bai Jiu, the famed Chinese liquor. I ate my food and drank my drink as the people at the adjacent tables delivered countless speeches all of of which were followed by toasts. Because I am white and because I was drinking bai jiu I was drawing stares from the oldest gentleman at the party table. He toasted me with some of his 'good' bai jiu. I put quotation marks around good because There is no such thing as good bai jiu. All of it can be used as accelerant and therefore tastes the same. It was obvious that he had been at it a little longer than I had that evening. He began swaying in his chair and I began to worry for him. The other members of the table had to physically restrain him from ordering another bottle. He wouldn't be happy until I was as drunk as he was. He shook off his handlers and got himself together long enough to deliver an impassioned speech. All I got from it was something about how he is the boss, he has worked a long time, he was buying the entire meal, and some diatribe about hot and cold. As he delivered this speech every reveler at the table sat in silence looking everywhere but at the orator. They were being shamed. He stopped at the end of his five minute speech and got what he had asked for. He poured me a glass and I glanced over the faces of the members of his party. They were trying to put the heat on me to make him stop. I had refused his offers for more many times. I had no choice in the matter. I decided to just act more drunk than I actually was since I understood that this was his ultimate goal. After two glasses I began to wobble and sway. He was happy to get me to concede. It was his victory. I paid my bill, said my goodbyes, and left the restaurant. As I walked from the restaurant I realized that I may not had been acting as well as I thought.

Work has been going pretty well. I have been doing a movie corner every Wednesday where I show about 60 students a movie in English and explain the plot, vocabulary, and phrases. Here is a sample of some of the movies I have shown recently:
Jerry Maguire
She's The Man (students' choice)
The Usual Suspects
Gattaca
A Fish Called Wanda
The Shawshank Redemption
Edward Scissorhands
28 Days Later
There's Something About Mary

Of all of these I'd say that Edward Scissorhands, The Shawshank Redemption, and She's The Man have been the most popular. They seem to enjoy movies that are sweet and positive. I tend to hate movies like those. I have been struggling to find movies that I would enjoy showing them. Edward Scissorhands and Shawshank are great movies, but She's The Man? They loved it! I am always looking for more movies so if you have any suggestions please send them my way.

Two weeks ago was my friend Cromwell's birthday. He is a popular dude and even had some friends from Hong Kong come up here to help him celebrate. He had a catered dinner at his apartment on Saturday and we went out for a ridiculous brunch at the Intercontinental Hotel. This whole brunch thing is a monthly event for me and my friends. These brunches are posh and there is no way I would be able to take part in such a decadent tradition were I living in the USA. I say this to clear the air and not mislead people into believing that I could have a comparable lifestyle in the US. The brunches usually feature a great assortment of delicious treats and champagne. Cromwell's friends were great and very funny people. After brunch we all headed for a foot massage followed by cocktails at a nearby bar and restaurant. It was a great weekend full of delicious food. That is the best kind of weekend.

I am a bit sick and I know why. Sports. Sports have made me ill. I don't really blame them. I mean they are so engaging and exciting that it is no wonder I have become dependent on them. I love them and I have no one to blame for my current condition but myself. Recently, I have been staying up late to watch the Euro 2008 soccer tournament. I had several favorites going into this tournament: Holland, Spain, and Portugal. All historically underachieving football nations. The first game of the evening starts at midnight with the second one starting at 2:45 a.m. This second match is difficult to watch all the way through, especially in the face of......

THE NBA FINALS!!!!

I had my sleep drastically reduced considering that all the NBA Finals games started at 9 am and the last Euro 2008 match ended at 4 am. For a week and a half I endured five hours of sleep every other day. But it has been worth it. The Finals were great. I am a Kobe hater and a KG lover. I love to see good guys win. It is fun to see the Celtics on top again after 22 years of futility. I remember watching that series 22 years ago at Joey Holland's house back in McAllen, Texas. I was happy to endure a few droopy eyelids to witness such great sporting events.

What didn't help my situation was terrible weather. The weather in Beijing has gone from very pleasant to stifling in the course of a week. Summer in Beijing is known for two things, both detrimental to the Olympics: pollution and rain. The pollution traps the heat and gives you an awesome first hand experience with the greenhouse effect. Stifling. The occasional rain seems strange in Beijing. Not far south enough to be part of the monsoon region of China and not far west or north enough to be in the desert, Beijing lies at a weather crossroads in China. The winter is extremely dry and the summer quite wet. Four of the last seven days have had rain lasting only about an hour or so. Last Monday was exceptional. I play in a soccer league that meets on Monday nights in Chaoyang park. Our games start late, around 9pm. Last week I was not sure we would have a game. Torrential rain was predicted during the day but never manifested itself. As we prepared for the match lightning raced across the night sky. In the first minute of the match a light drizzle came down that was actually quite a pleasant contrast to the hot, muggy, air. This persisted for about two minutes before the skies opened up. Sheets of rain poured down. It was that big fat rain. We continued to play thinking that such rain could not sustain itself for too long. There were a few good opportunities for goals. We continued to fight for possession and challenge balls in the air. The rain was suffocating. I actually felt as if I was drowning while running up the field spewing water to stay afloat. The setting was great were we two national teams battling for the European Championship but we were The Carpal Tunnel Chopsticks battling The Dulwich Chinese Lions. The referee blew his whistle and I immediately shouted (because that was the only way he would have heard me over the rain), "It's only a little rain!" There are about 7 five-a-side fields in the sports complex and simultaneously everyone had their games canceled and we all sought shelter in a small room in the center of the complex. In about seven minutes of rain I was entirely soaked along with my wallet and all the money in it. Bryne and I ran to catch a taxi ahead of the rush of people who would eventually settle in the same idea. Taxi's never stop in the rain so we had to wait a bit. I could feel a sniffle coming on. Now, one week later, I am speaking like James Earl Jones.

I just spent the last five minutes trying to find a good Darth Vader quote to end this post. An appropriate one does not exist but this one is cool:

"The Rebels are alerted to our presence. Admiral Ozzel came out of lightspeed too close to the system. He is as clumsy as he is stupid. General, prepare your troops for a surface attack"