Let’s All Go To The Wang Ba

September 7, 2006

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. There is an unnatural fascination in this country with video games. Now, I like video games as much as the next guy/girl (meg, hehe), but there are people here whom I’ve seen on MISSING signs at the local shops. Kids that have been in here for days, men who are starting to smell, and women who are FAR too engaged in their QQ conversations (likely much to the tears of their husbands at home trying to figure out how to work the wok).

Anyway, back in Suzhou after a few days of training in Shanghai. At some point I’m going to visit the city when I’m not rewarded for my touristic nature with a collection of sweat-soaked clothes and no laundry facilities. Honestly, it was hotter than Heidi Klum’s midriff.

The training was pretty straight-forward, and it was a bit odd observing a teacher whom has only been teaching for 3 months. I kept telling myself that I wasn’t learning how to teach, I was learning the DD Dragon system (a DD Dragon franchise being the private langauge school I’m working for). This got tired by mid-way through the second day, was painful the third day and by the fourth, I begged for mercy.

I got set free and was able to give Maggie some company in our A/C’d hotel room after only a half day of training.

Now back in Suzhou, and finally in an apartment, we’re nearly unpacked and somewhat organized. I’m still working out the kinks in my schedule, and weighing the advantages of upping my hours from 16/wk to 21/wk (the 500 RMB extra a week wont hurt our wedding plans).

Anyway, all this is to say:
1) Settling nicely in Suzhou
2) Photos, video, etc. will all be coming as soon as I get Internet at home.

Oh – two other things:

First – A big HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY to my grandmother and also a happy birthday to my Dad.
Second – RIP Crocodile Hunter. Steve, tough luck, but crikey what a way to go.

9 Responses

  2. Hey it’s good to see that you survived your trip (training {he he i said train}) And yes it’s too bad about Steve. But not to sound rude, But you have to think that in his profession it might happen sooner or later. Speaking of AC ours bit the big one too the moter gave up. so thank fully it’s starting to cool off now.

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  3. I always thought Terri would be the first to go. She always seemed to play “Jim” to Steve’s “Marlin Perkins”: falling out of boats, “just grab the tail, Terri!” etc. As the show went on, I half-expected him to start saying things like, “This is a Tai-gah Snake, Won boit an’ I’d be a goner! Terri’s gonna kiss it on the lips!”

    Sad to see him go. Whatever one wants to say about his methods, he was committed to protecting animals, you gotta give him that.

    The internet is popular everywhere, but you’re right, in China the “wang ba’s” are off the hook. Why do you think that is?

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  4. Glad to hear you’re settling in ok.
    You should work on getting your school renamed to “Double Dragon English” or something.

    Don’t get sucked into the wangbas, man. They’re like little mini Bermuda Triangles.

    By the way, that article on Hao hao about the dog killing… I heard the other day that it’s happening in Dalian. Pepe is scared shitless.

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  5. @J.: I think the wang ba popularity is two-fold
    1) Many a kid’s family can’t afford a PC, and so the legions of monitor watchers have to come out in public for their dose of radiation.
    2) The kids are fun repressed until they hit university, and then they just go nuts and spend days in the damn things.

    I saw an instant noodle package yesterday that touted itself as “Net Food”… I think I’ll jump into the market and start pushing a repackaged “Depends” as “Netnaps” and with copyrights being what they are, I’ll nick the slogan: “Just Do It”

    @R(ick)edneck Health: Nice little plug there hehe. Seriously all, check out Redneck Health … it’s neato and will make you cooler.

    @Pepe: RUN RUN RUN!!!!!!

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  6. hey! hows things?? whats ur place like? is it as nice as your last place? 21hrs a week is nothing shit face so stop moaning!!! any more news on the wedding ie when and where??

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  7. Where are your priorities, man? Paragraphs devoted to the weirdness that is the net bar (I personally think they’re where men go to smoke without being hassled by their wives), but barely a P.S. for the Crocodile Hunter (may he rest peacefully in that giant croc’s nest in the sky). It’s an absolute travesty that the man was killed by a stingray like some common tourist instead of going at the hands (or teeth) of the animal that made him famous like that crazy grizzly bear guy a year or two ago. That was just poetic. This, on the other hand, this is sad.

    I do have a question, though. With as KTV-wild as people here seem to be, why do they look at me like I’m crazy when I sing along to my MP3 player at net bars… or when I’m riding a bike… or shopping… or taking a shower…?

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  8. It’s got nothing to do with the singing, and everything to do with the fact that you’re white and singing. Didn’t you know, only Chinese are allowed to sing aloud (often sans iPod) to music in this country – and it’s certainly not socially acceptable to announce your foreign-ness by singing Western songs. Your white skin is quite enough, thank you very much.

    BTW: Who are “they” that look at you crazy-like in the shower T?

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  9. The Chinese, man! The Chinese! They’re everywhere. They’re watching me eat. Watching me sleep. Watching me scrape my tongue with my roommate’s tongue scraper…

    Or the hours I spend studying could be going to my head. Take your pick.

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