Venturing around China

[david_dawei]

Enough about tech stuff David. We want to hear about your trip. How about starting a David's adventures in China thread?

I guess I'm a little behind in sharing any info about my trip to china. I've already been in 5 cities in two weeks. Gained 10 pounds in the first 5 days from too much 'gan bei'. I tested for the first time some 140 proof bai jiu from Liaoning Province... I don't recommend more than a 1/5 of a glass unless you want to be reminded of your entire previous night.

 

I have played my favorite sports so far: basketball, soccer, pool, and ping pong. Last year I was invited to go a school to teach soccer and they were involved in a soccer tournament this year. I got word from my friend's dad (the coach) that I was invited to come see it. Since it worked with my plans I said I would come by... Turns out, they put my name in the tournament program handout as the "special guest from the US";

 

I have loved ping pong since the day I first tried it at summer camp and like most sports, I took to it easily. I never play ping pong anymore unless I am in china but I always ask for some good players to play with. They usually think I will be a push over but it takes about 15 minutes of practicing to get back into the 'slam' of it. One player really was pushing me around the table and I finally took a break and sat down for about 10 minutes. After clearing my head, he couldn't beat me again because I changed my style to return slamming his serves. My friend who setup the 'match' then said he would get another guy the next day, who turned out to be a 'south paw' like me. He had great spin on his forehand smash which even my forehand could not reach at times. For this guy, I backed off the table and played a low spinning return which he could not figure out.

 

I had dinner with GZBill while in BJ. Alot of interesting discussion about china and US which we agreed more than we disagreed. Maybe too controversial for here . I have been a few days at Jesse's (ShaQuaNew) in Nanjing catching up on many things (we visited a few times when he was still in US).

 

I'll probably be here a few more days and head back north. One CFLer send me a PM to come to Qingdao but not sure I can make that yet. The call of Liaoning Jiu is strong

 

Too many observations about china to relate... I'll save them for another post.

[GZBILL]

Enough about tech stuff David. We want to hear about your trip. How about starting a David's adventures in China thread?

I had dinner with GZBill while in BJ. Alot of interesting discussion about china and US which we agreed more than we disagreed. Maybe too controversial for here .

 

And I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions.

 

It's been a long time since I could sit down and talk with someone who knew what they were talking about. I'm kind of hoping David decides to relocate permanently to Beijing!

[tsap seui]

David, I look forward to your tales of travel in China. Write on...

 

tsap seui

[david_dawei]

Enough about tech stuff David. We want to hear about your trip. How about starting a David's adventures in China thread?

I had dinner with GZBill while in BJ. Alot of interesting discussion about china and US which we agreed more than we disagreed. Maybe too controversial for here .

 

And I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions.

 

It's been a long time since I could sit down and talk with someone who knew what they were talking about. I'm kind of hoping David decides to relocate permanently to Beijing!

I got the same comment in baoding and nanning... in fact.. everytime I go to china I cannot figure out why I even go back to the US B)

 

--------

 

Just to give some update on jesse and lan. they are doing well in nanjing which is a city trying to grow by leaps and bounds by most visual accounts. Apparently the largest asian train station will be built here and some have hopes of appearing as important a city as Shanghai or Beijing; at least people can dream even here

 

Before I came to china this month I got a few rolling eyes for going during the hot month; but I played that off since I've been here before in Aug... needless to say, I got a heat rash that reduced me to 'baby' status; and I thought to cut open my pants with a slit from front to back to improve the air flow

 

All manner if pissing and shitting has been observed at the floor of the train station or the trash cans in the malls. If that ain't freedom, nothing is

 

The beer here is not so great, but what beer in china really is? Let's be honest... So I decided to find some dark beer and brought home some which Jesse and I shared last night. It was a german beer (of course) had a slight smoke flavor and reminded me of a porter, although it was simply called a 'black lager'; it was surprisingly good for beer in a very large can.

 

But to cure the rash, all manner of 'ancient chinese secrets' have been brought forth, including a some toothpaste and the contents of a capule which has previously been given to me for my stomach... I guess they figure the stomach is close to that area so it can't be all that bad

 

I'll only comment on a quite small and very clean city near Nanjing called Yangzhou which really caught us (foursome) off guard with it's cleanliness despite it's small size and low population. We went to "Slender West Lake" (Shou Xi Hu) and then asked a cabbie for a recommended restaurant; let's just say the food was easily the best I have ever had in china; Spicy shrimp, thin sliced eel, dou fu in a yellow broth which was divine, and a local green veggie which would pass for weeds in another country. Lan couldn't stop eating all the dishes and remarked over and over how incredible it was. Worth the brief time there if you are nearby.

[david_dawei]

No Free Lunch

 

Had a discussion with two chinese about prisons and incarceration; seems that one recalled about 20 years ago that the family had to pay for the inprisonment and if they could not pay that person would stay in the prison indefinately. The other confirmed this as still in existence today (at least in her province) since her brother works at a prison.

 

Whether they are paying for their education or prison, it maybe keeps one truly more responsible for the family to not become a burden of the 'state' budget.

[warpedbored]

No Free Lunch

 

Had a discussion with two chinese about prisons and incarceration; seems that one recalled about 20 years ago that the family had to pay for the inprisonment and if they could not pay that person would stay in the prison indefinately. The other confirmed this as still in existence today (at least in her province) since her brother works at a prison.

 

Whether they are paying for their education or prison, it maybe keeps one truly more responsible for the family to not become a burden of the 'state' budget.

I see the logic David but I can't buy into the idea of punishing innocent people for someone elses crime. Some people are just born bad and might not care about repercussions for their family.

[weiaijiayou]

No Free Lunch

 

Had a discussion with two chinese about prisons and incarceration; seems that one recalled about 20 years ago that the family had to pay for the inprisonment and if they could not pay that person would stay in the prison indefinately. The other confirmed this as still in existence today (at least in her province) since her brother works at a prison.

 

Whether they are paying for their education or prison, it maybe keeps one truly more responsible for the family to not become a burden of the 'state' budget.

I see the logic David but I can't buy into the idea of punishing innocent people for someone elses crime. Some people are just born bad and might not care about repercussions for their family.

Amen! this reminds me a little of the baojia system that was resurrected a bunch of times in china throughout history, where family members and other families in the social unit could be punished for other people's wrongdoing.

 

i think the idea of paying to be in prison could be somewhat useful in the united states for white collar criminals who end up going to club-med type facilities.

[david_dawei]

I'm not saying if I agree or not with it; as an observation, china is built around the idea of 'relationships'; The Confucian "5 relationships" have 3 as concerning the family. But you can see evidence of how this plays out not just in laws but in general ethics; people feel responsible for their family members and even for their friends well being on some level.

 

One logic may go that if you bring a child into the world, you are forever responsible, till you die... as a result, we see some chinese families wiling to save every penny and risk any sum for the child to go to school or succeed. Seems that the government has decided that this goes for both positive [personal] goals they pursue and negative [social] results they produce... There's a bit of balance in it. And "balance" is a keyword that resonants down through chinese history as paramount to life.

 

I know the stories of entire villages being subject to what one member did, etc... I would agree that the line should get drawn somewhere and not extend unfairly to far... but I'm mostly interested in the effect such ways has in regards to the family and what it results in for society.

[Guest Pommey]

so whos Lan

[Dennis143]

so whos Lan B)

Lan is Shaquanew (Jesse's) wife.

[fineart]

... Turns out, they put my name in the tournament program handout as the "special guest from the US";

B) Funny, having your name really gilds them, ha!

[fineart]

... in fact.. everytime I go to china I cannot figure out why I even go back to the US B)

David, it will be good for China to have young strong intelligent energetic versatile American men like you to help her build a prosperous future. Older American men and younger women who are like me, who love knowledgeable mature stable thoughtful deep good-looking older man older men should stay in USA so that they could experience less bash.

[fineart]

... Turns out, they put my name in the tournament program handout as the "special guest from the US";

Funny, having your name really gilds them, ha!

Ya, David's been gilded. B) I guess that makes him a gilding?

Hi, Leo, didn't you see those people feel quite honored to have David's name on the list? That is what I said David gilds them. I am not quite sure how to use the word "gild", maybe somebody can teach me? But here "gild", I used its meaning as to paint gold on something's surface to make it look good.

[fineart]

... Turns out, they put my name in the tournament program handout as the "special guest from the US";

Funny, having your name really gilds them, ha!

Ya, David's been gilded. I guess that makes him a gilding? B)

Hi, Leo, didn't you see those people feel quite honored to have David's name on the list? That is what I said David gilds them. I am not quite sure how to use the word "gild", maybe somebody can teach me? But here "gild", I used its meaning as to paint gold on something's surface to make it look good.

Look up 'gelding'. You will understand.

Don, you are a bad boy today!

How come you connect what I meant "gild---to paint gold on" with "gelding" which means "to cut off the testicles"!

[fineart]

I solemnly declare: I use the word "gild" to mean, those people use David's name to paint gold on their face to make them look good.

 

NO DIRTY MEANINGS for the word "gild"!