Shanghai

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jim
on March 25, 2009
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shanghai

I wanted to post a quick update about my recent travels to Shanghai (my most recent recent destination in China). I just returned the other day; those travels - coupled with midterms, work, class, and a general lack of skill at the whole blogging thing - have contributed to my lack of recent updates.

So, we recently had midterms, after which we were given a generously long four day “spring break” - I use the term very loosely - where we could go to a location of our choosing. 所以, three friends (Derek, Stephen, and Harry) and I went on an adventure to Shanghai, which is north of Beijing. As a cultural note, Shanghai is basically the concentrated economic and entertainment area of China, whereas Beijing is more of a cultural and political center. Continue reading ‘Shanghai’

Rap, The Beatles, and China Nightlife

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jim
on March 10, 2009
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So, to begin this post, I’m just going to regale you with (what I think) are some interesting Beatles sample and/or remixes. The first one is by Dyme Def. It’s a really interesting take on - from the opening, with the sped-up version of  “Let it Be,” to the “one, two, one, two, one, two… when I get to three I’mma let it all go and let it be. Three!” Check it out:

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For reference, here’s the original song by the Beatles, “Let it Be”:

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The next song up is by Lil Wayne, and it’s a 1 minute and 24 second jam called “Help,” based on, and heavily sampling from, the Beatles song of the same name. In my opinion, it’s one of the best Lil Wayne tracks he’s recorded, both in terms of its originality and sampling. “So sick need a doc yes / A preacher might stir like the loch ness / I gets hotter by the top when I sizzle to death / I just tell that clock give me a sec.” Sometimes, I love his stream of consciousness narration. Check it:

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The original Beatles song, “Help”:

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The last song here is by B.O.B., and it’s (yet another) interesting take on a Beatles song by a hiphop artist. I think the sample is very cool, and it works really well given B.O.B.’s rhyming style. The creepy synthesizer behind the swooping “I look at all the lonely people” chorus works really well too, I think. Pardon the gratuitous internet DJ self-promotion at the beginning:

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Here’s the original beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby”:

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Third Time’s The Charm

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jim
on February 12, 2009
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The other night, me and a bunch of people from my program - along with Lihuan and Xuxu, my previously mentioned Chinese friends - went out to Quanjude, a famous, super-old restaurant that serves Peking Duck. There chain has seven locations in Beijing, so we chose the one closest to our university - which ended up being in Wudaoko, the small district near us that has a bunch of bars, cheap restaurants, and a couple chaoshi (or supermarkets). The food was pretty incredible - in my opinion, the greasy stuff we get back in the United States is only a rough approximation of how Peking Duck is supposed to taste - and the whole experience was very fun to share with the two Chinese girls. They helped us order a bunch of entrées (we neglected to consider that the place didn’t have a picture menu before going), and we all had a few laughs at various steps in the process - especially when Xuxu decided to serve me the duck’s eye (which I guess is a delicacy - eye wasn’t even aware of that). In any case, the whole experience was fun, and I would highly recommend it. Don’t invite too many Chinese people, though - apparently, the custom here is to pay for people you invite, so of course ended up footing the bill for Lihuan and Xuxu (hereon: L + X).

We’ve also done a few other cultural things in the hopes of becoming educated, worldly people. Continue reading ‘Third Time’s The Charm’

The Air Up There

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jim
on February 8, 2009
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So, in short, the air in China is pretty awful. Being here is a lot like being inside a really dry room with a fire going and like three dudes smoking cigarettes. I have this persistently dry feeling in the back of my throat, and I constantly feel a little congested and weird. So, in short, I’m glad that I’m not going to live here for the rest of my life.

Whenever I read travel blogs, I’m always most fascinated with the descriptions of the actual mechanics of how life works in a foreign country - the visceral sensations, the smells, the people.

So, a few of those. Continue reading ‘The Air Up There’

Breathless Enthusiasm

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jim
on February 5, 2009
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“Women’s hearts are like old China, none the worse for a break or two.” - William Somerset Maugham

I’m not sure how that quote relates to my trip to China, but bear with me. There are a lot of clichés people throw around about studying abroad - about the newness of the people, or the way it changes the way you perceive your “old” life, etcetera, etcetera. I’m not really one for that kind of breathless enthusiasm, but in this case, I think it’s pretty much all true.

I’ve only been here a week, but I’ve already accumulated enough stories to fill a book. So, for a more comprehensive discussion of everything that’s happened, just talk to me in person or on skype - use the “contact” tab on my page to get my screen name. This blog is going to be a clearinghouse for my best China stories - but it’s certainly not going to be one of those exhaustive things that documents every single thing I do while I’m here.

So. To begin. Continue reading ‘Breathless Enthusiasm’