MOJO IN CHINA

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Fall is OVER. Welcome to China Winter

admin | 19 November, 2007 08:19

Today, it's darn cold.

Winter in China is here and it's time to get those heaters ready and jackets zipped up.

Winter in China can be a somwhat magical experience. Why? The air is a lot chillier which means the the air feels cleaner and fresher than it does in China's hot and sweaty summers. Also, it's more of an excuse to visit people's homes or stay in your home and have a nice little get together or be a bit lazy.

The only issue is home insulation.

Home insulation is China is pretty weak. The time it take for the water in your sink to become hot is even longer because the pipes run through concrete walls which are already cold as it is. Also, the walls and windows here for the most part are either not thick enough or well inslated enough to truly keep you warm (unless you are staying at a 5-star hotel or own a villa - maybe).

The heater in your room will add some comfort, but the air will get dry. Humidifiers are key. Your skin feels like it wears down and becomes sandpaper after a month or two of a China winter.

My suggestions:

1. Buy a massage card at an official massage parlour. They can cost about 1000-2000RMB ($150-$250). If you buy a card, for that much, probably you will get about 3000RMB ($350) of massages and that about 200-250 massages right there. Blind man massages (mang ren an mo) is also a cool China experience. I'm talking about an official massage parlour and not this, people!

2. Facials. Facials are key and they should cost somewhere around $10. it wil help with those dry days where it seems like nothing is healing on your face.

3. Get a heater under your desk. If you have a desk at home where you write and all, get a heater under your desk or next to it. The coldest place of all in your house will be that area, especially if you spend a lot of time in front of your comp.

4. Exercise. Gym memberships can run from 1000-10,000 RMB per year. Find a good gym, take some classes and work out. You use a lot of enbergy trying to stay warm, butild more energy through working out. (It's also helps you plan on taking that beach vacation in February and want to show off those pythons or your new bikini.) I would also do some yoga. You can check out my boy Duncan Wong's Namaste Yoga. My wife and I took a class with him and he's worked with Madonna.

5. Do things to make you happy. It's easy to feel like you are in a hole, especially in China. As an expat (or half-pat), China can feel really weird and different and it's easy to stay trapped at home of feel like the world is cold because the weather is cold... Make some new friends, adopt a pet, have a drink (but not too many), volunteer for a good cause. Do something worthwhile this winter.

Linkin Park In Shanghai

admin | 18 November, 2007 14:40

Lin Ken Gong Yuan (Linkin Park in Chinese)

Last time I saw these guys, I was with my boy Skek in Montreal, Canada in 2004. On the way over, we blasted Hybrid Theory, Reanimation and Meteora and sang every word like it was no tomorrow.

Now... My wife has given me one of the best tickets I've ever been given: Tickets to see Linkin Park in Shanghai at Hongkou Soccer Stadium.

It's a cold day today... But I'll dress super warm to see these guy rock the stage at the open-air stadium.

Rumors have been spreading over the last two years as to whether or not Linkin Park will make a trip over to China. Their lyrics, loud style and emotional cntext have been viewed carefully out here by the government and people in China. But LP has a following and a market out here. So I hope this is all a good show.

By the way, Beyonce was great, except one thing... the crowd had trouble responding to her performance. I think a lot of them were either scared or just couldn't understand Beyonce's very American English/Slang...

Stampede at Family-Friendly Carrefour in Chongqing

admin | 13 November, 2007 08:46

Stampede at Carrefour

A stampede happened at a Chongqing Carrefour where 3 people died and 31 were severely injured.

Before I begin, a little background information. Carrefour is France's answer for Wal-Mart, except Carrefour's market presence in China is super strong and is know for their super low-priced sales.

But I wouldn't want to be Carrefour's PR guys on this one.

Apparently there was a bottle of cooking oil that was on sale for the day and the price dropped from about 50RMB (~$6 -- Or more since the Dollar is dropping!) to 11.5RMB (~$2) and the lines for this oil were crazy. Things in China are getting more expensive at a fast rate and any way to grab that good deal is basic instinct around these parts, even to the death?

RIP Donda West

admin | 12 November, 2007 10:10

RIP Donda West

I don't know Kanye, but I've felt kind of a connection to him since performing hip-hop and studying in Nanjing. Kanye West's mother, Donda West - an English professor and former Nanjing visitng faculty, passed away last Saturday.

Donda was a visiting professor in Nanjing. in 1987 (anyone know which school?), which to me, is crazy because I couldn't imagine what Nanjing looked like in '87, and it must have been a wild experience. She even brought her son Kanye along for the journey. I heard that when he was in Nanjing, Kanye spent time breakdancing (ahem... breakin' for all my real bboys and bgirls out there!) on the streets on Nanjing.

Imagine that, a 10 year old little black kid amongst all these Chinese onlookers. I don't know if it is or isn't true, but it sounds like that family has made the best out of any given situation.

My regards go out to the West family from China.

Long Vacations Cut Short, Traditional Holidays Finally Observed

admin | 12 November, 2007 08:23

Enjoy that vacation you've always wanted, and not have to wait till may or October holiday!!

My wife just told me some great news that's been on the boob tube for a bit. Those long, all-China vacations like October holiday and May holidays are gone forever starting next year!

China, like most countries in the world, will offer workers their own choice as to when they want to take those weeks off during the year. This is apparently due to the disadvantages these long week vacations have on China.

Generally, NO ONE works during these holidays and everywhere is packed and it's hard to purchase or book anything in this country... hotels, airplane tickets... anything. The more flexibility for these vacation times will distribute the number of vacationers out evenly through the year, rather than everyone taking off from work at the same time. (Imagine a 1.3 billion-person pilgrimige/exodus of sorts. Massive. Don't get it? Read this. )

Next up, one-day holidays like Mid-Autum Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day and other important one-day festivals in China will be celebrated and those days will be days off in China! This is due to several reasons.

1. These are China's official and traditional holidays for thousands of years.

2. More and more youth have forgotten about these holidays and don't know what they are nor how to celebrate because either there's no day off for that day or just because there's a lack of importance given to these holidays. Sad.

My fellow Americans... Imagine you had no day off on Thanksgiving... and kids had no idea about the Native Americans and the Pilgirms. Think about it.

So that's the story of the day with Holidays in China. Things are-a-changin' in the PRC.

By the way, the weekend is still a holiday in China. That's why people say "Zhou Mo Kuai Le!" (Happy Weekend!) almost like Merry Christmas!

Beyonce In Shanghai

admin | 05 November, 2007 13:06

Feng Le Zai Ai Qing Li (My literal translation of Crazy in Love.)

It was about 5 months ago when my wife Zoe and I sat at Cold Stone Creamery at Cloud 9 Mall for "The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience" and I came up with the ultimate question... ("Will you marry me?" was in February, folks...)

M - Who do you think will be the next foreign celeb coming to Shanghai?

Z - Christina just left... Maybe Justin?

M - Yeah, he's cool, but what about Beyonce?

Z - Nah, her market presence isn't that strong out here...

After a million Beyonce Samsung Anycall commercials later... She's here, TONIGHT!!!

I was right lao po!! Emma should hire me!!!

Anyway, enough with the boastful, "I was right, finally" husband talk, Beyonce is in Shanghai tonight and I got tickets! (Zoe wins by default anyway... she loves Beyonce.) Aparently all the front row 2000 kuai ($250) tix were all sold out. (Like I could afford them.)

I hope her show goes well tonight. I'm a bit iffy on her reception out here because she's basically China's first pure crossover R&B artist in China. hard to compete against this:

Some folks about town have ben bring up her blackness as an issue, but James Brown (aka Soul Brother #1, RIP) made it out here and got a very warm reception.

Maybe this is all about taking back what happened with Jay-Z? I don't know.. but in my opinion, it's a step in the right direction.

Lastly, a bit of shamless self-promotion: Back to the Roots with The Lab and of course, Redstar, is happening at 4Live on November 24th. (My mother's birthday! Love you, mom!)

Pandas + China = Concept Art

admin | 05 November, 2007 12:59

In the end... She got paid to do this.

This one was sent to me from my homegirl/college buddy Venessa. You can check out the entire article about this fashion show at Xinhua. Holler.

I guess zookeepers won't have to tranquilize this one, folks.

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recently...

Fall is OVER. Welcome to China Winter

Linkin Park In Shanghai

Stampede at Family-Friendly Carrefour in Chongqing

RIP Donda West

Long Vacations Cut Short, Traditional Holidays Finally Observed

Beyonce In Shanghai

Pandas + China = Concept Art

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