So for some very valid reason I'm sure, the chinese government has blocked only MY access to view my blog. Can't see it. I can still write on it and post new stories, but the real danger is letting me see my own blog?!?
Anyways, the point is that I cannot see if you leave a message for me on my own blog.
Soooooo, instead I ask you to just type up your lil scribbles of joy and send them to my email account. You know the one.
Thanks.
And if anyone knows someone big here in China that has say in the internet filter, ask em to reconsider my blog. Only thing dangerous around this site is the word "night kitty"...oh yea, and a small recipe for homemade anthrax. Paranoid Reds.
So keep up with this blog, I promise to write on it even if I can't read it.
And if you don't see a posting from me on over a month...contact someone in Congress. Preferably someone who speaks Chinese.
T. Willy
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Bling Bling in Ching Ching
So here's the skinny on the money here.
You don't need any.
Well, at least you don't need a lot. Or monopoly money will work. Whatever.
Case in point, let me run over a few of my mandatory expense transactions I've already had here in China:
1) 120 minute massage from wee local 'respectable/professional' girl: 50 RMB...about 7 bucks.
2) Bottle of good red wine (goes well with the first): 26 RMB...about 3 dollars.
3) Manual Labor of 2 cleaning guys to scrub my kitchen and bathroom floor, toilet, walls, dust, etc...for 1 hour: 24 RMB....another 3 bucks.
4) 10 frames of fun-filled, kingpin, bowling action: 6 RMB...about 80 cents.
5) The purchase of 80+ DVD movies from a respectable non bootleg, non illegal movie dealer off the non black market: ~500 RMB...about $65 (or about 80 cents each).
*One finds out later that the language the movie is in is not guaranteed to be English. For example, I had no idea Tom Crusie spoke such perfect Chinese in the Last Saumuri.
6) Last nights dinner of noodles, seaweed, quail eggss and personal spicy hell: 3 RMB..about 45 cents.
7) Haircut from a barber who doesnt speak a lick of English: 5 RMB...70 cents. Up side is that you can't beat the price. Bad side is you can't really blame the guy for the outcome...I thought i motioned for him to only CUT a little- not LEAVE a little. Must have been the 1st crackers hair he's ever cut. Oh well. Giant foreheads are cool, I hear.
So upon realization of this giant bargin bin they call China, I am urging you all to bounce over to your couch, frisk it like you mean it, take the change you find, and send it my way. I promise to put it to good use (aka the 2 items I've seen with a Made In America sticker on them. One is a bowling ball and the other is a moonpie...which doesnt count because I brought the latter with me).
Now I don't want to give you am inaccurate idea of this place because sure as sugar nuts one can drop money fast like if you arent aware. Some restuarants charge US prices for food that would make a Denny's look 5 star-esque. But buy some tasty street food from the guy outside with a runny nose and a wet sleeve and you too can stretch your wallet to last for awhile.
So come and visit! We can drop some money on very legal items in the market. Adidas clothes with 4 stripes (not 3) and a real Yao Ming Jersey for 2 bucks. Threads may be falling out after the 1st quarter, but no worries...its real.
Gotta go and yammer to some kids in English.
Its a good day when they keep pointing to your hair and laughing isn't it?
T. Willy
You don't need any.
Well, at least you don't need a lot. Or monopoly money will work. Whatever.
Case in point, let me run over a few of my mandatory expense transactions I've already had here in China:
1) 120 minute massage from wee local 'respectable/professional' girl: 50 RMB...about 7 bucks.
2) Bottle of good red wine (goes well with the first): 26 RMB...about 3 dollars.
3) Manual Labor of 2 cleaning guys to scrub my kitchen and bathroom floor, toilet, walls, dust, etc...for 1 hour: 24 RMB....another 3 bucks.
4) 10 frames of fun-filled, kingpin, bowling action: 6 RMB...about 80 cents.
5) The purchase of 80+ DVD movies from a respectable non bootleg, non illegal movie dealer off the non black market: ~500 RMB...about $65 (or about 80 cents each).
*One finds out later that the language the movie is in is not guaranteed to be English. For example, I had no idea Tom Crusie spoke such perfect Chinese in the Last Saumuri.
6) Last nights dinner of noodles, seaweed, quail eggss and personal spicy hell: 3 RMB..about 45 cents.
7) Haircut from a barber who doesnt speak a lick of English: 5 RMB...70 cents. Up side is that you can't beat the price. Bad side is you can't really blame the guy for the outcome...I thought i motioned for him to only CUT a little- not LEAVE a little. Must have been the 1st crackers hair he's ever cut. Oh well. Giant foreheads are cool, I hear.
So upon realization of this giant bargin bin they call China, I am urging you all to bounce over to your couch, frisk it like you mean it, take the change you find, and send it my way. I promise to put it to good use (aka the 2 items I've seen with a Made In America sticker on them. One is a bowling ball and the other is a moonpie...which doesnt count because I brought the latter with me).
Now I don't want to give you am inaccurate idea of this place because sure as sugar nuts one can drop money fast like if you arent aware. Some restuarants charge US prices for food that would make a Denny's look 5 star-esque. But buy some tasty street food from the guy outside with a runny nose and a wet sleeve and you too can stretch your wallet to last for awhile.
So come and visit! We can drop some money on very legal items in the market. Adidas clothes with 4 stripes (not 3) and a real Yao Ming Jersey for 2 bucks. Threads may be falling out after the 1st quarter, but no worries...its real.
Gotta go and yammer to some kids in English.
Its a good day when they keep pointing to your hair and laughing isn't it?
T. Willy
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The International Secret Santa Secret
I don't get it!?! It's amazing!
Walking the isles of an American grocery store, Wal-Mart, or Hooters Restaurant, it seems that everything is made in China. Well my friends, I'm going to let you in on a secret I discovered since moving to China. Everything in China is made in America. That's right.
Same concept, just flipped around. I'll bring some stuff back for anyone who is desiring some of their old crap.
Just kidding...but what a great concept huh. Conspiracy theory indeed.
T. Willy
Walking the isles of an American grocery store, Wal-Mart, or Hooters Restaurant, it seems that everything is made in China. Well my friends, I'm going to let you in on a secret I discovered since moving to China. Everything in China is made in America. That's right.
Same concept, just flipped around. I'll bring some stuff back for anyone who is desiring some of their old crap.
Just kidding...but what a great concept huh. Conspiracy theory indeed.
T. Willy
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Week 1
After a butt-numbing 11 hour flight from Cali to Beijing, I've arrived in the land of the little people. Quickly I realized I should have been studying more than the 2 hours of Chinese I put in before departing the US.
"Hello.
My name is David.
Please don't say anything else to me because I don't understand and me confused."
Arriving on Friday evening, by Saturday night I found myself in the one and only night club where the foreigners hangout at. Auzzies, Brits, Cameroonians and a few other crackers like myself was what made the buffet of people a funny mix. It looked a bit like a plate of turkey, donuts, wheat thins, and nutella. I quickly observed that there is something about traveling that inspires people to smoke...everyone. Oh how i love the scent of cigs. Hot indeed.
had a banquet with all the other foreign teachers the night after arriving. We have 2 japanese teachers, 1 english teacher from cameroon, 1 english teacher from china, and me. Me being the only one from a native English country. Showcase the whitey indeed. We ate all the finest dishes-- squid, frog eggs, and mutton. All while trying not to drop my chopsticks in the College President's lap who is sitting right next to me. I did good though...only hit him twice.
Anyways, Ive met some good people that I hope to kill time with in the following months in between teaching. Which leds me to my first week of engligh classes.
I must admit I'm a bit stunned by the questions I recieved from my students.
Can I buy your shoes?
Why are your teeth white? (brush your teeth snaggletooth)
Why is your nose so big? (little did i realize)
Do you have a girlfiend? (no)
Do you have a boyfriend? (no and you don't be sending me to jail)
Will you sing us a song? (ever heard of hanson?)
Guess the dog and pony show has begun. Classes are about 50 kids big so Im able to really give genuine 1 on 1 time with each one. We covered introductions, our hobbies, and even threw in your favorite and mine, an ice breaker called the human knot. Learned that the kids love games. Also learned that the kids love to cheat. Punks. Your government is watching you for a reason.
So once my first class is over I stand at the door waiting to say goodbye to them all when they walk out the door. Well, that would work if they changed classrooms...but they don't. Hence I stood there for a god bit after I dismissed them looking like a Grade A genius waiting for them to go NOWHERE. I'm sure I'm gaining oodles of respect for that move.
Moved into my new apartment last night. 2 bedrooms, a quaint living room, a dirty kitchen/closet and a room that smells like poo in which Im supposed to shower and find toilet time. So I now have my first Martha Stewart Project in China...rid the stank and clean of my new flat. My eyes are watering just thinking about it.
---T. Willy
"Hello.
My name is David.
Please don't say anything else to me because I don't understand and me confused."
Arriving on Friday evening, by Saturday night I found myself in the one and only night club where the foreigners hangout at. Auzzies, Brits, Cameroonians and a few other crackers like myself was what made the buffet of people a funny mix. It looked a bit like a plate of turkey, donuts, wheat thins, and nutella. I quickly observed that there is something about traveling that inspires people to smoke...everyone. Oh how i love the scent of cigs. Hot indeed.
had a banquet with all the other foreign teachers the night after arriving. We have 2 japanese teachers, 1 english teacher from cameroon, 1 english teacher from china, and me. Me being the only one from a native English country. Showcase the whitey indeed. We ate all the finest dishes-- squid, frog eggs, and mutton. All while trying not to drop my chopsticks in the College President's lap who is sitting right next to me. I did good though...only hit him twice.
Anyways, Ive met some good people that I hope to kill time with in the following months in between teaching. Which leds me to my first week of engligh classes.
I must admit I'm a bit stunned by the questions I recieved from my students.
Can I buy your shoes?
Why are your teeth white? (brush your teeth snaggletooth)
Why is your nose so big? (little did i realize)
Do you have a girlfiend? (no)
Do you have a boyfriend? (no and you don't be sending me to jail)
Will you sing us a song? (ever heard of hanson?)
Guess the dog and pony show has begun. Classes are about 50 kids big so Im able to really give genuine 1 on 1 time with each one. We covered introductions, our hobbies, and even threw in your favorite and mine, an ice breaker called the human knot. Learned that the kids love games. Also learned that the kids love to cheat. Punks. Your government is watching you for a reason.
So once my first class is over I stand at the door waiting to say goodbye to them all when they walk out the door. Well, that would work if they changed classrooms...but they don't. Hence I stood there for a god bit after I dismissed them looking like a Grade A genius waiting for them to go NOWHERE. I'm sure I'm gaining oodles of respect for that move.
Moved into my new apartment last night. 2 bedrooms, a quaint living room, a dirty kitchen/closet and a room that smells like poo in which Im supposed to shower and find toilet time. So I now have my first Martha Stewart Project in China...rid the stank and clean of my new flat. My eyes are watering just thinking about it.
---T. Willy
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Getting My Chinese Ducks In a Row
So this is a crab shoot.
This blog may only be frequented by Grandma, Mom, and Viagra commercials...but I'm hoping not. Its kind of like a celebrities personal life...free for everyone to enjoy.
February 16th is the day of departure. Off to rack up more skymiles on a flight to Beijing. 6 months in the 3rd worst polluted city in the world- Jinan (300 miles south and a 5 week donkey ride from Beijing). Hope to be doing a lot of running and sun bathing. That is of course whenever I'm not teaching English at the Shandong College of Tourism and Hospitality. Yikes.
Attempts to update this bloody blog I hope will be successful. If not, we'll just blame the commy's. Silly reds.
T. Willy
This blog may only be frequented by Grandma, Mom, and Viagra commercials...but I'm hoping not. Its kind of like a celebrities personal life...free for everyone to enjoy.
February 16th is the day of departure. Off to rack up more skymiles on a flight to Beijing. 6 months in the 3rd worst polluted city in the world- Jinan (300 miles south and a 5 week donkey ride from Beijing). Hope to be doing a lot of running and sun bathing. That is of course whenever I'm not teaching English at the Shandong College of Tourism and Hospitality. Yikes.
Attempts to update this bloody blog I hope will be successful. If not, we'll just blame the commy's. Silly reds.
T. Willy
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