MOJO IN CHINA

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Chinglish, Engrish? I dunno. Here's a mix from Shanghai and Wuhan.

admin | 31 October, 2008 13:31

These are all from my cell.

"Take care of the gap." Make sure it gets plenty of food and water.

OK! OK!! OK!!! I'll be cautious!! My bad!

"Striving for national civilized city, I know, I participated in, I dedicated. Renovated during the construction period, cause inconvenience to you, after updating" ... I have nothing to say to this one...

Soulfire in Nanjing!

admin | 07 October, 2008 15:14

Yes, Soulfire is now on Jing Ling Zhi Sheng

In FM 99.7, 10:30-11:30PM.

Nin Hao, Nanjing. Wo Hui Lai Le.

This hug was a little too long, Yao...

admin | 25 August, 2008 11:12

C'mon now, Lauren... You KNOW he's married!!! Easy...

Olympics is done, but I had fun watching!

admin | 24 August, 2008 10:57

Even Google is celebrating!

This year's Olympics has been pretty special for me. Firstly, I've seen more Olympic events during this Olympics than all of the others combined, US Basketball is kicking butt and it's the first time i've ever truly rooted for China teams though different events.

I don't know how people in the US or other parts of the world feel about the Olympics, but the feeling here is a sense of satisfaction. At first, it the opening ceremony was seen as a bit too Chinese, but then as the events got going, everyone was watching. A lot of companies were selling large screen TV's in malls and everyone was watching ping-pong or beach volleyball on their TV's right in the middle of the mall.

China's Gold medal streak was quite impressive, but I would only expect that out of a host country. But also, China learned a lt more about the skils about the competitng countries. I rememeber when Phelps took home 8 medals and Bolt literally bolted through the 100 and 200 meter dash effortlessly winning gold after gold, record after record. Look at Phelps influence on China... CCTV would run broadcasts on what he eats (15,000 calories a day or something... good god.), his college career in swimming and all of his interviews. It was like China had a lot to learn from him because they kept on stating that the US has the environment of swimming where China doesn't.

But for all those that don't know... China 20 years ago wasn't like this. people were trying to eat then, people were trying to get an education. It was a different country then... As far as China is concerned, sport, particularly organized sport for the public masses is STILL a luxury. But I think that this year's Olympics and China's wins and losses will bring a a new sense and pride in sport for China and the people here for years to come.

Next up, the World Expo in Shanghai! (And I'm sure Shanghai will go through a similar clean-up as Beijing... Oh boy...)

Haibao is ready.

China's Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics

admin | 11 August, 2008 13:49

China: We invented fireworks!! AND WHAT!! (Sparks Fly for the Olympics at Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium)

Before watching the Opening Ceremony, I wasn't that interested in the Olympics, but I got a few good friends over, Channel Young came by my place to interview me about the opening and Zoe and I got some wine and champagne... Of course I had to get excited... But what was more exciting?

The actual opening ceremony!

Dude, I studied you in Mu Lao Shi's class...

Yep, that's big time movie director Zhang Yimou. He made the opening ceremony happen. Now let me remind ya'll, most local Chinese aren't really into his work, sometimes it comes off as too Chinese or too artsy. Mostly people outside of China respect the man's work, but then again, most people outside of China, don't get China. It's no wonder that quite a few Chinese i've talked with about the ceremony told me that it wa a bit too Chinese... (Where's the athletics, bro? Yeah, they know we invented silk, porcelain and fireworks!)

Whatever... I thought the Opening Ceremony was amazing and well done. That's really hard to get all those people together drumming and making Chinese characters out of boxes to the music. And Li Ning at the end running around the top on the stadium. Classic. From athlete to CEO (and CEO's get plump after way too much time in the office! HAHA!) back to athlete. Way to go Li Ning. (I bought shoes for my wife from you once...)

China set the standard... Let's see how London takes this one. =)

Of course, there are some haters and folks calling the fireworks fake and all. It's ok. That fakeness was pretty dope. And little do mot of you guys know.. Chinese people have been jia you-ing (Jia You literrally means "add gas" but it's like saying - YOU CAN DO IT!) other countries... Looks like this Olympics extends past politics after all...

(BTW, US Dream Team beat China 101-70... haha! Mei Guo Jia You! 'Coming again to save the day - yeah!!' But props to the China team for pushing on to the last minute!)

Busy weekends this weekend and next weekend...

admin | 10 July, 2008 17:48

These weeks have been pretty crazy and busy since my lovely time in Jeju with the wifey. But, as they say, the show must go on!

This Saturday, Redstar has a show at Hangzhou's G+ from 10pm-2am. We'll aslo be on FM 99.6 from 2pm-3pm to do a live interview on the air. Be there for that.

Next weekend on the 18th is the China DMC Championship. Find out more here!

The day after on the 19th is China BOTY Final. Find out more info here and don't sleep! (I know I won't!)

SOULFIRE IS COMING TO CHANGSHA!! 6-16!!!

admin | 05 June, 2008 12:36

CHANGSHA, ARE YOU READY?!?!

106.1, Changsha Music Station

June 16th, 2008... Soulfire's coming to a radio near you... (We on either at 4pm or 5pm.. something like that...)

Take a day off, fool! It's Dragon Boat Festival!

admin | 03 June, 2008 10:46

Zong Zi -- WHAT, FOOL?!?!

Enough with th fool stuff... There's a holiday coming up and it's called the Dragon Boat Festival. All I know about the holiday is that people race on long boats kind of like crew but with dragon heads on the front of the boat and people eat lots of Zong Zi.

What's a Zong Zi? I don't have a direct translation, but it's a bunch of sticky rice filled with meat (or egg) and wrapped with bamboo leaves. it's really good, unless you find that your Zong Zi doesn't have enough meat (they can kep the egg)... grrr...

You can get a lot of Zong Zi in Zhejiang province in Jiaxing. Go Get YOURS.

Last Stop - Xuzhou

admin | 25 May, 2008 17:44

Exhibit A - Dog Meat

So I am back as of yesterday from Xuzhou located in Jiangsu province. It was really hot over there and the place is surrounded by tons of mountains... Kinda reminded me of Nanjing, but a lot smaller.

Anyway, this was the last stop of the 10 day tour with Chivas 12 y.o. Honestly, I'll miss the people on the tour, the whiskey, the meeting, greeting and taking pictures of people. But one of these things I will miss the least:

DOG MEAT

Xuzhou is know for it's spicy dishes, particulalry their spicy dog dish. There are plently of restaurants that have the sings "GOU ROU" (litterally, Dog Meat) plastered all over their walls and store fronts. No, Zoe and I had no dog meat on our journey, and you will know why if you do a picture search for the words Gou Rou on baidu.com... Sick...

Anyway, Xuzhou was cool and the hotel were were at called the Yingdu New Jin Jiang was a pretty posh 4 star. There was a wedding happening at the hotel and at the lobby they were collecting money for the couple with a machine to check whether the money people were giving to the couple were real or fake. Welcome to China!!

If you are ever in Xuzhou and you want to find a fun time, you can check out Calvin Klein Club... Yes, it's called Calvin Klein (CK Jiu Ba... IPR is going well out here!). They have a cage there for scantlily clad male and female dancers with too much make-up (the male dancers too).

Glad to be back in Shanghai.

512

admin | 19 May, 2008 21:04

Legalize it... China did!

admin | 18 May, 2008 16:48

Well, not really, but it's a city name!

Belive it or not, China has a city called "Weed" (Marijuana). The characters above are "Da" and "Ma" and they match the same strokes of the famous leaf. I found this gem at the Linping bus station as I was heading back to Shanghai.

By the way, Linping isn't Hangzhou, it's a suburb of Hangzhou... I thought we would perform in the center of Hangzhou... oh well. The gig went well and Zoe and I were able to land this great picture!)

China's pretty OPEN, huh?

Xuzhou next week!!

Nanjing... we back in tha building!

admin | 14 May, 2008 07:25

1912 in Nanjing

Once again, I returned to Nanjing and when I arrived, I realized so much has changed. Firstly, the town is a lot greener with more trees. Secondly, there are way more foreigners living there than I've ever seen. Lastly, 1912 has finally become a huge part of Nanjing's dining, nightlife and overall entertainment experience.

1912, as you might know, is called 1912 because in 1912, Nanjing became the capital of China with the country's first president, Sun Yat-sen. (Not far from 1912 is the Presidential Palace.) 1912 was a great time for Nanjing because it shows Nanjing at a time when it was bustling and becoming the true epicenter of China.

Almost 100 years later, it's getting back to that feel from 1912 at the formentioned entertainment district. Full of cuisines from Thai, local Chinese to KFC and more bars and clubs that you can shake a stick at. I perfromed there with Chivas last Saturday night at a place called Fei Bi Club (aka Phoebe Club). The place had a bit too much neon lights and metalic frames for my tasts (which is very common in Chinese clubs), so I did take a trip to Little Scarlet along with my wife, DJ Melkman, along with local friends Yuichiro (my Midd class mate and GT representer), Miki (From F&W and in-nanjing.net) and his girlfriend, and Kai.

If you're looking to move away from the 1912 spots, I would sugest two more places also worth checking out:

Nanjing's Underground Mall (aka Fashion Lady)

You want sneakers, high heels, dresses, shirts, hats and sunglasses for cheap (or relatively cheap), you got it all here. There's like 2-3 floors ful of tiny stores where you can bargain for all your clothing needs. I find that the fit for most of the clothes here is a bit small for me, particularly in the shoes department, but otherwise, it's great if you are a gal looking for a bargain and different styles that, chances are, other people won't have.

The place is full of people, I would recommend going on Sunday afternoon where it is a little easy to walk through. The spot is not far from Xinjiekou across the street from Dong Fang Shang Cheng Shopping Mall (which now has the real Gucci and Armani stores???) near the Jinling Hotel.

Planta

Planta is a Thai food/lounge/bar/club in Nanjing. It's pretty far away from other clubs and kinf of hard tofind because it's way behind some science building. When you areive at Planta, you'll find plenty of couches, dimmed lights and chill music. When I was first there with Aric in '06, there was noone there. Last Saturday, When I was there with Zoe, I thought I was at Glamour Bar on a Friday night. It was packed with people, Chinese and foreigners alike, all dressed in black with downtempo and acid jazz playing and folks schmoozing. Call it pretentious, call it cool, but this is a change for Nanjing, finally, an alternative for all.

Anyway, that's all for now. This Friday is Hangzhou at Lin Ping Ben Se.

China Quake

admin | 13 May, 2008 08:24

Folks out an about in Beijing after earthquake....

It was a very similar scene in Shanghai, many folks evacuated high rise buildings and took to the streets after the earthquake happened yesterday afternoon at aound 3:15pm. I personally didn't feel the earthquake or notice it, even though I was in a meeting at Soulfire at the time. Our office is quite low and not much was affected.

However, several friends of mine working in skyscrapers told me the opposite. Most told me it wasn't too heavy of a rumble, but the shaking did knock some stuff down off of cabinets and walls.

Anyway, I am doing ok over here and Shanghai, from what I've seen, is all good. But my prayers go out to all the folks over in Sichuan, particularly in Chengdu.

What do see in WuXi

admin | 13 May, 2008 08:18

Bao Li Plaza

This has been my second trip to Wuxi and let me tell you, the whole city is on the come up. It's a lot cleaner, and lot more expensive and over all nicer.

If you want to check out a mass of a mall in Wuxi, do stop by the Bao Li Mall, aka Bao Li Guangchang, they got Sephora, a Babyface club (when I did my show with Chivas) and even an open basketball court on the ground floor!

More on Ningbo (aka Ning-bizzle)

admin | 06 May, 2008 14:25

Damn! That's a looong bridge!! (Hangzhou Bay Bridge)

Ningbo left a pretty darn good impression on me this weekend. Maybe it's because I spent a whole two days checking out the city rather than an overnight where I see more of the club and the hotel than the actual city. There are three things that stuck out in my mind while I was there...

Ningbohua = Shanghaihua

Ok, Ningbo and Shanghai dialects aren't exactly the same, but apparently, 70% of Shanghai dialect comes from Ningbo dialect. My wife understands Ningbo dialect even though she's never been there, but she could essentially speak Shanghaineese to the people there and it would sound the same... For me, that doesn't matter much because I'm like a guy from Beijing... I don't understand what these people are saying and my Mandarin is too proper.

Ningbo Guide

I'm really impressed by this magazine. They are located in all the right spots in Ningbo, they notify you on all the good deals in Ningbo and it's in both Chinese and English. Nice to see a full bilingual magazine and not just something catered to lost lao wai in this country. Craig, way to go. if it wasn't for this mag, I wouldn't know that Crowne Plaza Ningbo has an all you can eat barbecue for 68 kuai (10 Bucks! It's a steal!)

Hangzhou Bay Bridge

(both of the pictures above)

It's long and convenient. Supposedly the longest bridge in the world... (I think only in China, but they say the world in China...)

Anyway, it's way quicker to take a trip to and from Shanghai to Ningbo by the bus. We took the train over and it took about 3.5 hours (and that was the fastest train). We took the bus back and it was about 2.5 hours, and buses are torture to sit through in this country.

When we first got on the bridge, everyone stood up to look and took pictures and talked about the history of the bridge and what they heard about it and so on.. very excited...

Then... We were still on the bridge..

It kept going... With the sea all around us... Now I know how it feels being a sailor lost at see with water all around you... BORING... hehe

Anyway, that's not the point of the bridge... It's all about from point A to point B and now traveling from Shanghai to Ningbo and back has gotten a lot faster. I see a lot more manufacturing and travelling happening between Ningbo and Shanghai.. Does this mean that Ningbo will surpass Hangzhou in city development???

(I still think Hangzhou is prettier! Sorry, Craig.)

That's all folks. This week... Wuxi and... I'm going back home to Nanjing!

(This one's for you, Miki... IN-NANJING.NET!!!)

Suzhou, Jiangyin and Ningbo... Oh My!

admin | 03 May, 2008 11:04

Suzhou

It's Labor Day in China!!! Time for me to get back to work on this blog!!

"The Venice of China" is what people say about this city, full of canals and waterways. I've been there about three times already, so I'm all watered out.

So what do you do if you've seen all major attractions of Suzhou? Simple. You shop!

I suggest you go around "Guan Qie Jie" and there's a pedestrian street full of shops where you can bargain, malls where you can get all kinds of quality, international products and there are restaurants galore. Don't sleep on this spot.

As for Jiangyin, that place didn't leave very much of an impression on me, except for the club I perfromed at with Chivas 12 Y.O. called "Armani". Yes, spelled the same as the Armani we all know... (So much for Intellectual Property Rights...) Anyway, it's the hugest club in Jiangyin and it looks like a warehouse... If you want to see how Chinese people party in Jiangyin, go there...

But you won't see me there again unless they pay me...

I'm in Ningbo now, and I'll fill you in on what I think of the place in anohter post. Zoe and I are off to get our hands on a Ningbo Guide. Later!

This weekend in Shanghai... Which I will miss...

admin | 24 April, 2008 16:47

Brubeck Braid

I'm missing a weekend of good music to work in Suzhou and Jiangyin this weekend, so whoever is reading this and will be in Shanghai this weekend, please enjoy these for me!

Jazz superstars Matt Brubeck (familiar last name? Son of Dave Brubeck, who is a dope jazz pianist...) on the cello and pianist/composer David Braid are going to play some nice jazz/classical sets. Check out more at City Weekend.

Nas is supposed to be here tomorrow. Hopefully with no visa issues... It's at Racks... (Don't they also have one in Hong Kong?)

So while I slave away with Chivas 12 y.o., enjoy this weekend, ya'll! I'll have some updates on both cities, just like last weekend, for ya'll soon!

Whatcha gonna do when Yiwu goes wild on you!

admin | 21 April, 2008 09:27

Yiwu: The Wholesale Market Capital of the World!

So I took a trip with Chivas 12 y.o. to Yiwu this past Saturday. Heard a lot of things about this place... actually... not so many... but I know that there's a HUGE wholesale market there with a lot of stuff for cheap.

Of course, you have to try to find things you like and buy a lot of it before you can go on and say how much of a great deal all of this is. Clothes, bedding, silverware, utensils, they got it all there for cheap.

Saw tons of Middle Eastern, African and Easter Europeans there getting their deals on for their business... Sometimes, it felt like there were more foreigners there than in Shanghai.

Now only if they work on their social scene...

Overall, in between my trips to Shaoxing and Yiwu, I realized something... A good number of folks in Zhejiang province are really well off.. why? because they got into their businesses early and made something out of nothing. From selling a lot of cheap stuff, making millions off of zippers, or even manufacturing... Zhejiang is loaded.

MoJo in Shaoxing

admin | 19 April, 2008 02:10

Waterways and canals can be found throughout Shaoxing.

My wife and I are in Shaoxing located in Zhejiang province, for one stop on a nine city tour for sevan weekends through Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces for Chivas 12 y.o. I'm mcing and beatboxing the shows, which is fun. When ever I do these kinds of shows, I get to see bits and pieces of these cities, but it's never long enough...

Anyway, my wife's family is originally from there (Father-in-law's side, grandfather...) and it's been nice to see it... There are a lot of canals and waterways, much like Suzhou, but I find Shaoxing to be more quaint, at least at first glance.

Next up, Yiwu. Looking forward to it!

Hip-Hop in Kunming

admin | 03 April, 2008 12:24

Hip-Hop nights at Uprock in Kunming, China

So my boy DJ DSK has a a little club called Uprock in Kunming, China. They're working on a hip-hop night down there that breaks it all down to the four elements, bboy, MC, Graffitti and the DJ (If I didn't add DJ, DJ DSK would kill me).

So if you plan on making a flight Yunnan to check out the Naxi Tribe, or take a boat around Erhai Lake be sure to check out Uprock in Kunming. Tell em MoJo sent ya...

(Respect to Mr. Stokes!!)

(By the way... 6 days till my birthday!!)

Fake Shangri-La in Wuyi

admin | 18 March, 2008 15:05

WuYi in Zhejiang province

This place is a pretty and quaint city but I partially made my title like this to get you to check out this post... but part of this post is true... The Shangri-La here is fake. It ain't the real deal. But WuYi's got it's cool touches.

WuYi is most famous for it's hot springs, which are quite relaxing. But the ones I went to were rammed with people. My wife says that it's like boiling dumplings in there... haha, it's true... That night, looks like they had a first... a Black dumpling... (I'm talking about Me, fools!)

In the phone book, for foreign food, they have a KFC knockoff... but there is one real KFC there.

They also have this bakery chain throughout the town. They have good lemon bread. (Couldn't eat too much of it though cause my mouth was still a sore from the dentist...)

Overall, it was a good trip and a good chance to get away from Shanghai. You can pick up a package on Ctrip from anywhere in China...

(Warning: If you are in Shanghai and you have to get yoru bus at People's Square, get there early otherwise you will run around through thousands of people to find your guide and hundreds of coaches to find your bus... It's a nightmare - in the morning.)

Happy One Year Aniversary, Babe!

Will Chinese Hip-Hop ever take itself seriously?

admin | 18 March, 2008 14:09

Dragon Tongue Squad

I read this article on the Dragon Tongue Squad in the UK Royal Opera House a few minutes ago. Once you open the page, bam... there's one out of 5 stars for the perfromance. I read City Weekend's post about Yin T'sang's latest album, and you can check their review here...

Two stars... and that's from a magazine IN CHINA...

I know these groups and they are good people. So what's with all the bad press? It's aweful... but is it the fault of the reporters or the fault of the artists themselves?

Reporters will see what they want to see and report stuff as they see it. Hip-hop has been generalized and stereotyped in so many ways. When groups from China come out with repeating already used terms such as "Hustler", "bling" and talking about "gangsters",and dressing like someone you're not... They need to stop it and think about something different to discuss and a new way to express interesting material.

Then again, reporters need to open their mind about hip-hop in China. Why? Because a lot of rappers out here are rather limited lyrically due to censorship, China's exposure to the ouside world (particualry recording hip-hop music in China) has come of age since the last decade), and China is still searching for it's VERY OWN hip-hop culture... Don't diss it until it's ripe and ready...

But maybe that's what hip-hop needs out here... It needs a kick in the pants and for some people to wake up in this country and start taking things to the next level. A more serious level that demands respect.

One that note, some shameless self-promotion...

Redstar is opening for DJ Roli Rho at The Shelter this Friday Night for The Lab's Second Year Aniversary Series and we'll be at Pause this Sunday, also at The Shelter. Do yo' thang, Gary.

Respect Is Given If You Take It. Redstar Is Revolution.

Bjork in Shanghai

admin | 06 March, 2008 12:10

This song's called "Declare Independence".

I'm not going to say anything to you guys, except listen carefully and discuss. This was from her concert last Sunday in Shanghai.

Anyway, I think Bjork is one of the most creative and innovative music artists in the world and I love her song with Rahzel.

Linger (Hu Die Fei)

admin | 02 March, 2008 12:53

"Linger", the movie

Last night I checked out a movie with my wife called "Linger" its a cool movie about a lady who loses her lover in a car crash and three years later, he comes back in her imagination from pergatory to help him become free (like a butterfly) and go to heaven. It stars Li Bing Bing and one of the memebrs of F4, (old boy band from Taiwan). The story is simple, yet romantic with hints of the paranormal. Great date movie.

Li Bing Bing is a popular actress from Heilongjiang province (waaaay up North!). Her most recent claim to fame is being the first Asian spokesperson for international luxury products merchandiser, Mont Blanc.

Watch out Zhang Zi Yi, here's Bing Bing!

Li Bing Bing pictured with Chow Yun Fat (one of my favorite Action stars!)

In-Nanjing.net

admin | 29 February, 2008 10:24

Finally, a site all about getting around Nanjing!!

The site is run by my long-time friend and brother from another mother, Miki Nyary. He's been in Nanjing since 2005 (Actually, I kinda introduced him to the place!), and now he's got a site going for all Nanjing visitors and residents in English called In-Nanjing.net! (Chinese coming soon.)

The site is still in its early stages, but for now, there's some good basic info on the page. The site is clear, the listings are to the point, and, as a former resident on Nanjing myself, In-Nanjing.net hits all the spots everyone should check out in Nanjing. Way to go, Miki.

(The above picture is the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.)

Amazing translation by Chinese reporter from Edison Chan (Chen Guan Xi) press conference

admin | 22 February, 2008 12:07

I'll never be able to top this reporter...

Anyway, if you guys haven't heard about the latest news on entertainer Edison Chan (Chen Guan Xi), do a google search cause there's a lot out there about this and people in China talk about it everyday...

Edison speaks English in this one (He's Canadian), so for all the Yankees, Brits and speakers who use the words: the, that and those in their common language, it won't be a problem understanding him...

The part that caught me the most was the translator who is a reporter on this news channel. The simutaneous translator is superior and accurate... Also, I think he was an actor before he became a reporter because he sounds like someone trying to get an Oscar or working on a crtically acclaimed flick. And his speed is on point!

Anyway, that's it from me. I hope things boil over for Edison and all the other folks involved in this matter and they can live normally once again. Maybe an EDC-Redstar Collabo? Who knows... I'm out!

Nothing more fun than some Beijing Olympics gossip!

admin | 19 February, 2008 15:44

OWNED

I know this is old news, but this video is about (former) CCTV sportscaster Zhang Bin got totally played out by his wife Hu Ziwei at a media press conference for CCTV's kick off for the Olympics. This video is worth watching.

Basically, Zhang Bin cheated on his wife, wife finds out, wife goes to (ex)husband's biggest media event of his life 2 hours after the bad news (and CCTV's!) and calls his bluff in the biggest way.

This is translated in English and Chinese so you won't miss a thing, particularly Hu Ziwei's meaning and metaphorical usage. It's pretty deep...

To follow up, Hu Ziwei is now an anchorwoman for a new program on CCTV about a greener Olympics. As for Zhang Bin... I don't think China has heard from him since.

KARMA.

We back from Sanya, but we got some more pictures for you!

admin | 09 February, 2008 12:49

Zoe and I by the beach bby Sanya Bay. Jan.-Feb. in Sanya wasn't as warm as we liked, but the weather's better than Shanghai!

Sanya was fun but we're back home now, stuffed from all the New Years Food and Huang Jiu. Here's some more pics from Lovely Sanya. Wish the weather was better there, but it was enjoyable and we feel fully recharged!

Our First Resort... Not bad...

Our second resort, even better! (This one's called Cactus Resort, which is a part of Glora Hotels!)

Ctrip.com has some great deals!

On The Way to Sanya!

admin | 03 February, 2008 20:13

Sanya Airport

So we made it to Sanya, but of course, had to go through some annoyances on the way over. We were delayed from 4:50pm to 6:10pm and then once again to about 8pm... so we didn't get into until about 11ish. But we're finally here and we made it. (Weather is a bit cool out here... but much cleaner and warmer than Shanghai!) Here's some pics covering our travels... Enjoy!

Quite a few people lined up for their flights...

... And this is why!

So many folks in Sanya waiting for their bags... Zoe and I were laughing about this one... C'mon ya'll!! Patience is a virtue!

Peace out to Ningbo.

admin | 02 February, 2008 13:51

Your Link To Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

I got an e-mail recently from Ningbo Guide... I personally never been there myself, but everyone tells me that it's damn pretty and if I were visiting, I'd check it out. But anyway, check out the site and pay a visit to Ningbo. Soulfire is broadcasted out there through Zhejiang's 99.6FM so I have to rep my Zhejiang folks all the way.

Shout out to Craig, by the way. Jia you!

My Trip to Hangzhou for the Zhejiang Media Group Chinese New Year's Party

admin | 01 February, 2008 11:37

So I took a trip to Hangzhou (thrid time this month!) for a Chinese New Years Party with the Zhejiang Media Group in Hangzhou (Their base city in Zhejiang). For all those who are already a bit lost about this post, let me help you out.

Zhejiang is a province in China known for it's most famous city and capital, Hangzhou. Hangzhou is best know for Xi Hu a.k.a. The West Lake. It's a great place to visit, especially in the late spring, early fall months and is a very natural city.

Xi Hu a.k.a. West Lake, in the Winter

The Zhejiang Media Group has a bunch of TV stations and radio stations, including the radio station where my program Soulfire is run from which is called Blue Channel, 99.6FM. (Zhejiang Dian Tai Wen Yi Pin Dao, Zhejiang Arts Station - Jazz is art and living a good life is an artform!)

Here's some more pics from my travels so you can take a good look at Hangzhou in it's beauty as well as how to decorate for a Chinese New Year's Gala. (The party was held at Media Hotel, a hotel owned by the Zhejiang Media Group... They even got their own hotel... Gangster...)

At Shanghai South Railway Station... Madd People!

Zara by the West Lake? Is Hangzhou becoming more like Shanghai? Or is China becoming more international? Things that make you go, "Hmmm..."

Red, Red everywhere... I told you Red is the bomb out here! This is the decor for the night's party... At Media Hotel. We be Media'd up!

Vacation is is coming!

admin | 31 January, 2008 11:40

Gloria Resorts Sanya, one of the places Zoe and I will stay for CNY!

The snow is finally starting to melt and the sun is out... the powers from up above is giving China a moment to breathe and get a good start on the Chinese New Year holiday.

The week before the holiday is always the most hectic, everyone's trying to get their last chunk of work done before vacation, folks are trying their hardest to buy bus, train and plane tickets back home to to a special vacation destination... it's a mad house...

Luckily for me and my wife, we manged to score tickets to Sanya on Hainan island, so it'll be a good getaway from the winter cold. We'll be back the eve of Chinese New Year on February 6th.

We'll try our best to put up posts and pics on our vacation!

Careful of the snow and safe travels!

admin | 28 January, 2008 14:47

It's Chinese New Year, have a safe vacation this snowy season!

I've seen nothing like it, a foot of snow in Nanjing, 150,000 passengers stuck in Guangzhou, slush all over Shanghai. Places that haven't been affected by snow in years are getting a taste of winter's medicine.

Just wanted to take the time to which everyone safe travels wherever you go and as the Chinese say, "Wear more, drink more warm water and stay indoors as much as you can!" Peace.

Beatboxing in Taiwan

admin | 20 December, 2007 13:18

Check out this cool duo beatbox skit from Taiwan. Sent to me by my Co-worker Flora. Enjoy!

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?

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!

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.

Journey of the "Nan"s: Back home to Nanjing!

admin | 12 September, 2007 08:56

At Fuzimiao in Nanjing.

Don't get it twisted, I've been gone for a bit, but MoJo In China ain't over. It always takes me some time to find some inspiration and news from this huge country worthy of throwing up on this blog. Today, we're in for a treat. I've gone over a few of the "Nan" states, as I like to call them... Now it's time to take a tour through the most popular Nan of them all. My former home, Nanjing.

I decided to take my wife Zoe on a trip to Nanjing for a weekend. It was her first time there and I wanted to give her a pretty memorable time there. I think I planned the trip pretty well and we went to some of the city's hotspots.

1. The Presidential Palace aka Dr. Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum - Sun Yat Sen's home and office. Real big place with a lot of 20-30's office style buildings, a nice little creek nearby and it's all in the heart of Nanjing. Man, I want to be president...

Salute! (pic of Sun Yat Sen meeting with American Military Chief George Marshall) Back in the day!!

** Correction - The picture is with Chiang Kai-Shek (Jiang Jie Shi) NOT Sun Yat Sen. Thanks KMW for your comment!!**

2. The Nanjing Public Library - Yes, we went to a library, but this one is HUGE. I really think the inside was built by an airport architect. Really chill library with tons of couches and tons of... y'know... books.

3. Fuzimiao - Some call it Confucious Temple, some call it classic Shanghai, I call it a great place to shop till your drop, get some good food and still a piece of Chinese history. This place is full of that world reknowned Chinese architecture that we all know and love. There's even a building called "Ming De", the same name of my college (Middlebury) and also froma famous quote (Zai ming ming de, xue bu ke yi yi - In Ming De, you never stop studying.). Check out this cool trip we made through Fuzimaio -- on a rickshaw! Old school!

4. Behind The Wall Cafe - We have to mention this great bar/mexican eatery/ live perfromance spot in Nanjing. So convenient, so close to the colleges, and so chill, you can even sit at this spots out side patio and still feel warm all over!

5. Castle Bar - Miki, Bernie, it was cool to chill out with you guys over here. Castle is a cool underground-ish kind of bar with cheap drink and busy crowd on the weekend. DSK and I have performed there once before and would love to get back over there SOON! And for all you headbangers out there, there's plenty of local and foreign live rock and punk bands to check out over there.

6. Gold and Silver Restaurant - The each dish here is about 5-10 kuai ($0.50 - $1.25) more expensive than most Chinese food restaurants in China, but here's the big difference... Gold and Silver is better. The boss is a really nice too, but won't move his restaurant for anyone or do any kind of marketing... he keeps it close to the students... He's basically IN Nanjing University. Also, he gave my wife a pearl necklace as a wedding gift. (I know him, so it's cool.)

7. Nanjing University - Last but certianly not least, Nanjing University. My Alma Mater and the most reknowned college in Nanjing and one of the best in China, Nanjing University's campus sprawls around the Xuanwu/Gulou areas of Nanjing and has been a popular landmark in Nanjing for centuries.

Now there's a few places I missed due to lack of time or some rennovations made to the spots I planned, but overall, she got the jist. But I think the most important part was having some quality time with a loved one to see something new and something great. Nanjing forever!

Zoe on the rickshaw. She ridin' spinners!

Buses to and from Nantong suck.

admin | 17 August, 2007 07:14

China buses are quite gangster.

Like I said the other day, I took a little trip to Nantong. The show went well and Dj Mick ripped it up. The Nantong Scarlet crowd is pretty good, even for a Wednesday.

BUT the bus over was one crazy ride and so was the bus back, so I'm making this post into two parts dedicated to my fun trip, both conveniently named: The Bus Over and The Bus Back.

The Bus Over

Got on the bus and luckily I could fit into my seat cause there was no space between my knees and the seat in front of me. I thought the folks in front of me had their chairs in the reclined position... NOPE!!! All the bus seats were like this.

The glass on the windsheid looked like they had bulletholes. Now China doens't allow folks to have guns unless you are the police or your in the mafia, and the mafia won't make their guns so obvious to the public... So this leads me to believe that this bus was used during World War II and it caught a couple of strays picking up folks.

Next up, there was a point on the bus ride where we had to get on a boat to pass over a river. (Not Yellow River, but the water was sickly yellow...) Being on the boat was kind of cool with the breeze and all and lack of gas smell, except for the sales people that kept coming in and out of all the buses along the boat selling all kinds of crap. Almanacs, socks, corn... All you need in China!! And you can't avoid the sales people! What are you going to do? Walk away and swim off the boat? You just gotta deal with the sales pitches and all.

Lastly, the driver passed every red light in every small town on the way to Nantong. My goodness... I feared for my life at a certain point. I did get insurance from the ticket.

The Bus Back

Two words: COLD and HOT. The bus was freezing inside, luckily, I could fit both my arms inside of my short sleeve shirt (like a 5 year-old) for warmth. I fell asleep through the first half of the trip.

Then it got hot, and why? Cause the air conditioner shut down... In the middle of a traffic jam... You see, with The Bus Over, the driver toatlly avoided the roads under construction and ran all the red lights, so he knew how to get pass all the mess of the traffic. But most people go through the construction cause it's a more direct route to Shanghai.

Whatever... The traffic was atrocious and the air con was out. You could feel everyone's body heat, breath and sweat all of a sudden. Not sexy. Lucikily we were only about 20 mins from People's Square. And I made it to Soulfire in more than enough time!

The county of the 'Nan'S'. Next stop: Nantong.

admin | 15 August, 2007 07:04

Lately, I've been on this China 'Nan' thing. No, I'm not talking about 'Nan' bread, I'm talking about how there are so many cities in China that begin with 'Nan'!!!

Today I'm taking a tip with DJ Mick over to Nantong. This isn't my first time there. I actually went there while I was a student at Nanjing-Hopkins to open for Singaporean C-pop star Liang Jin Ru.

From what I rememeber, Nantong is a very industrial town in Jiangsu Province, just 2 1/2 hours away from Shanghai. Apparently, Nantong makes more money than Nanjing (capital of Jiangsu), but as I mentioned earlier, Nantong is heavy on industry, so I expect to see factory after factory and a bit of light smog in the air...

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