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Smoking in China

admin | 31 October, 2007 07:36

C'mon man... even Mao's doin' it, dude!

In China, people smoke like chimneys... no... even worse, smoke stacks.

China's top product is cigarrettes (the 2nd is alcohol) and people out here spend tons of money on Zhonghua and Hong Shuangxi cigarrettes cause it's tradition out here. Hong Shuangxi, which means "red double happiness" in Chinese, is a Shanghai brand and is usually distributed in packs at weddings where the cigarrette's "double happiness" meaning relates directly to the married couple.

It's hard to walk around China and not get a whiff of a freshly lit cigarrette, or even worse... talk to someone who just smoked! Get a mint!

It's a big part of the culture out here and my boy Fred sent me this article from WSJ on cigarette smoking in China.

The article is quite true though... smoking is a man's thing and in certain situations, a way one makes friends. Dated... I know, but it really works. Generally men trade cigarettes out here in hopes of making a new contact, be it for business, starting a friendship, or overall bonding.

But since my time in China, cigarette smoking has gone down quie a bit with more and more signs saying "Xi Yan Dui Shenti You Hai" -- smoking is bad for your body. Smoking has decreased in "China's bad habits" along with public spitting. We'll get into that later.

For now... Thank you for smoking!... or not smoking!


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Mr. Tsang - Family Business CD

admin | 29 October, 2007 08:09

Urban Magazine - Left: Edison Chen, Right: Mr. Tsang's Family Business CD - Keep you eye on the panda!!

Last Saturday at Eno (Art by Us, Them, and You), DJ Mr. Tsang (ranked Shanghai's number 5000-something DJ) released a mix CD of Hip-Hop, Funk, Lounge and all kinds off-the-beaten-path music with a Chinese influence. Of course, Redstar is on the CD with our song, "My Show Sux".

The CD really is something else. It mixes elements of international, no pop music with Chinese flavor and soul. If you in Shanghai, get this CD.

Who said art in China was dead?


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Backwards Vacation #3: Dragon's Palace Cavern

admin | 11 October, 2007 08:55

We're still in Anshun and but now in the Dragon Palace Cavern. The cavern is quite deep and it gets pretty cold in there. The place is kind of like Howe Caverns, but in Chinese.

Another main difference between the two are the way the tours are run. Back home, I remember that checking out caverns was a more scientific experience. Something like, "This stalagtite has been around for 5 million years based on carbon-based studies from the University of blah, blah, blah..." But in China, the approach is different. Every crack looks like a dragon, certain rocks look like monks, or the first emperor, or emperess or some sort of Buddhist god. My wife finds it kind of silly, and as do I (Must EVERY rock look like a monk protecting a god?), but I found something interesting...

The tour, nor the tour group members were very scientific in the way they describe these rocks, but they are very visual, imaginitive and physically descriptive. I think this says alot... I've been told that in advertising and promotions in China, use a lot of pictures out here because Chinese are more visual than any other culture.

Is that true? I'm not sure, personally, I'm a firm believer that every person is different... but come to think about it, even Chinese characters are visually pleasing and attractive to look at, characters were originally pictures!

Let me stop before I get ahead of myself. Enjoy this video by our tour guide singing a Chinese Minority song. (Yes, there are minorities in China, Chinese minorities. I'll get on that in a later post! Enjoy!)

Sorry you were sick, babe! Hope you still enjoyed the caves!


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Backwards Vacation #2: Huangguoshu

admin | 09 October, 2007 08:08

Look out below!!

Let's take a trip to Anshun in Guizhou Province, China. Anshun is about a 2 hour bus trip from the Guzhou's capital, Guiyang. But you can't mention Guiyang without talking about Anshun.

Why?

Because the biggest waterfall in Asia and one of the biggest in the world is in this tiny, countryside town of 370,000 people (Yes, that is a tiny town - in China!). That waterfall is called Huangguoshu.

Look at all the green! And it's not money!

Of course, when Zoe and I arrived at Huangguoshu during the holiday, there were tons of people, but that didn't stop us from taking in the sight of this massive natural wonder. Who would have thought that Anshun, a countryside town that most people in the world, let alone China, don't know about has such a great wonder?

With China hustling and bustling to make that money and develop into the world's greatest industrial and economic dragon, we tend to forget that China maintains and celebrates its natural beauty, because this is what made China internationally and historically famous. Huangguoshu is the perfect example of what makes China beautiful, clean and pristine.


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Backwards Vacation #1: Talib on Performing in China

admin | 08 October, 2007 09:57

I hope to spend the next few posts on how my vacation went down. Keep your eyes posted. I'll put up stuff soon on my Guiyang trip with my aweseome wife, Zoe! But for now, we're going to work backwards starting with Yue Festival stuff.

Here's a video by me with Talib Kweli on performing in China. Sorry for the poor quality vid, but listen to what he says and tell me what you think. By the way, I was backstage for his performance and Talib was well recieved. I'm quite proud of this educated Brooklyn brotha. Very inspirational.

Here's Redstar with Talib Kweli. Pic is kind of shaky, but yeah, that's us.

Thanks for taking the pic, Siesta!

The Yue Festival was a good time and I hope there will be another next year and for the future... heck, hope Redstar gets to perfrom there as well! More vacation stuff to come!

Be on the look out with Redstar and Busdriver at 4live. Live music in China isn't dead.


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