Observations

That last post where I tell you about what I did and didn't editorialize very much felt kinda boring.

This one I am just going to tell you things I find interesting. what ever that is

We're back in Gui Lin now and at an internet cafe, but its more of an internet nightclub. Its sunday night, the place is packed, there is a glass floor, with neon underneath, and its all dark and smokey. There is this really hot bikini girl on the sign, and it took us 10 minutes just to get a computer. Oh, and there are waiters.

Outside is the main square, where on a huge screen, like times square size, they play music videos about how the olympics are coming, and everyone should get ready, and also videos on how to do the official Chinese cheer, Which is pretty boring, and I will not demonstrate, even when I get back, even if I am inebriated. All the videos are pretty slick, and include Chinese pop stars, and cool panning, helicopter shots on the top of mountains, and people who are in the square, which is about the size of bryant park, or the parking lot in front of seahawks stadium is full of people chilling, shopping, and of course, if they are bored, watching this thing like people watch tv at home. They got that weird stare on.

Also today I finally took one of the moped (moto-che 车) taxis, because I wanted to get one of the helmets that they use. Its just injection molded abs plastic, but its cool because it's yellow, and has a visor. Riding those things are tight, and I did not take a picture.

Chinese people take meat serrrrious. My sister, who has been here for 6 months, says that people do not consider it a meal unless there is meat involved. They do not understand vegetarianism. people on her program would tell waiters that they did not eat meat, and the waiters would then ask if they were going to only eat chicken for dinner. Today I see this very well dressed woman, young and sexy, and in high heels, and she has, what I think is, a pork rib in her hand munching away while she walks through the main shopping mall (outdoors, think stroget). Turns out, when she gets closer, she is wailing on a duck head. She is picking the thing to pieces. Amazing. She got it at this food stand, a little to go shop, where all they sell is duck parts. All sorts of gizzards, feet, wings, neck, head, basically, think of a duck, then subtract all the parts that don't have meat on them (feathers) and they eat the rest. Its logo is a duck that is dressed and like and in a Bruce Lee stance, which mystifies me, because any duck that ends up at this place has clearly lost the game of death.

When we were at Yang Shou, there is a tourist part of town, where the hawkers and skeemers are out in force. They are not really there to hustle you, but they are definetly trying to get some cash. I spent the day dreaming up ways to try to sell them things when they were trying to sell us stuff. Unfortunately none of them wanted my shredded pork bun, that I was trying to sell. I kept offering them a pork bun, which I paid 5 Quai ($.85) for, and they were not taking it. Then my sis and I talked about the nigeran scammers who were scammed into performing the dead parrot skit from monty python.

Which you can see here.

We also went to see a show which was directed by Yimou Zhang, who also directed Raise the Red Lantern, and Hero. It was pretty amazing, his control of light and cloth is unmatched. But I got most excited, understandebly, when the 200 women in dresses that had LEDs in them came marching out in the dark. Look forward to that video.

I have spent a considerable amount of time looking for bootleg copies of Polo shirts. Finally, today I found one. It of course smells a little bit musty, because it is kept in a dank, concrete room, but that does not detract from the fact that it is mint green, and has a giant pink polo logo on it. Quite amazing the level of Bootlegginess out here. We have been counting, and one of the most bootlegged brands is the adidas/Yhoji Yamamoto brand, Y-3. We have seen Y-1 all the way up to Y-8 shoes, and a considerable amount of them are pretty good. But it has been a long process to explain to my dad why I would want a bootleg copy of a famous shirt, or brand.

Times up, gotta go