Monthly Archives: September 2006

Cheques My Ass Can’t Cash

I can’t win. I really can’t. I finally get my first pay cheque in like three months and decide I want to take the missus out to celebrate her recently landing of a yoga instructor job. I’ve been dying to check out this Spanish restaurant, El Meson de Carmen, that is not too far away …

September 30, 2006
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Give the Gift of Love – Give Chicken

Anyone that’s been in China for more than six minutes has been hounded by a plethora of bowl weilding beggars looking for your chinky bits (and no, that’s not a racial slur). Rumours abound about these unfortunate, often elderly or massively under-abled, people. I’ve heard tales that they are pimped out by the local triads, …

September 30, 2006
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Maple Bridge | æž«æ¡¥

Continuing our foray into Suzhou’s tourist spots, we headed to æž«æ¡¥ (Maple Bridge – man do I miss syrup) recently and were pleasantly surprised. Generally speaking, I’m not impressed by Chinese tourist spots, yet lately I’ve not been let down – perhaps I’m just tuning out the stuff about them that previously ruined the experience …

September 28, 2006
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Great Expat-tations

To say that there isn’t a divide between the ESL teachers of China and those expats that are here with ‘real’ jobs would be a complete falsity. Nothing paints this clearer than a trip to a local Western-style bar. The teachers are all bitching about their classes whilst sucking back cheap Qing Dao’s or some …

September 25, 2006
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Linktastic

With not much time to write anything, here are a few links that I’ve been meaning to mention. Hotel Ninja: You may have noticed the link to Hotel Ninja on my sidebar. This is my newest sponsor and as they’ve done me the wonderful pleasure of sending me some cash, I figured I’d suggest you …

September 19, 2006
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Don’t Try This At Home Kids

Remember back in the summer when I mentioned Maggie was training to be a yoga instructor? Well, as of today she officially is one. She substituted at a local school here today that is thinking of hiring her, and in doing so earning her first yuan in her new-found profession. I’m not going to deny …

September 17, 2006
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Islam: Fundamentally Flawed

Alright, give me a moment before you start the respective religious retaliation that my post’s headline might invoke. I dig Islam and I dig Christianity. By and by I agree that the two promote relatively peaceful and more fulfilling lives for several billion people. That said, I’ve never been overly kind or sensitive to any …

September 17, 2006
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250 Ways To Stupid

Since arriving in China there has been one answer that I’ve quested for more than any other. Weeks into living here, I was given precious information that would leave me ‘in the know’ many times during my stay in China. It was whispered to me in the busy halls of a Dalian Carrefour supermarket by …

September 16, 2006
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Foreign People Zoo

Alright, so Chinese people want to stare at us laowai. It’s time we quit complaining and start cashing in. The “like a monkey in a zoo” thing is something I got chatting with a friend about once and he had the wonderful suggestion that I might just bank on. As I started to delve into …

September 14, 2006
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I Walk The Online

So I'm back! Just when my Chinese studies were starting to improve, I'm back online! But where my Chinese text may feel a little abandon, you no longer need to. I'm back amongst you and couldn't be happier for it. Buddy from the telecom company showed up yesterday and sorted me out by doing what …

September 13, 2006
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Let’s All Go To The Wang Ba

Right, so I hate netbars. I mean, despite that I’m typing this in air-conditioning while sitting in a nice comfy armchair… the obnoxious pair sitting beside me ignoring netbar etiquette and listing to music without headphones is a pain in the ass. Still, it is neat to take glances at what everyone else is doing. …

September 7, 2006
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