Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Difficulties In Staying Single
Ok. Single single single is the name of the game, but nobody said it would be an easy game, did they.
So almost immediately after i called things off w/ J (la belle femme francaise), i told an msn friend of mine about it, and she said, "No way, me and my bf just broke up for the same reasons!" But i hesitated to meet her since... i'm trying to stay single, and she's self-confessed she's too emotionally needy, so she needs a new bf. (warning lights, anyone?) Also, i recently learned that she found her new requisite bf already, so hopefully that works out for her.
Two.
At a show, i am introduced to a very cute girl who has seen me on her friend's photography website. Pix i've nver seen, so she sends them to me, and we start emailing, and make vague plans to meet at a festival. But things don't align, and then it turns out she needs to run off to school in south China.
Three.
My photographer friend asks me to do a studio photo session because she's practicing for fashion photography. So i do some poses (some which are great, and some which i deem awful: i don't like any pix which stem from "Look surprised."). Then her friend shows up. A yoga teacher who i've met briefly before. Immediately we're doing snuggly poses and then she's insinuating fellatio with a curling iron whose power cord stems from my fly. Um, deja vu? Photo session aside, she's rather flirty and touchy-feely with me. I was keen to get to know her better, despite the Stay Single game, so i was kinda surprised to learn yesterday that she has a boyfriend.
Which is great.
Because...
Now it's easier to stay single!
That's the goal, but frankly i feel like it's fate that's doing the work, not me. i can't really say i WANT to be single, but i KNOW (or think) that it's better if i can stay single for a while. Be more emotionally independent. Yadda yadda. So. Really i've been making zero effort to meet women these days. That's a-ok. But when i do inadvertently meet women, the wheels still start turning. Such is life, i guess.
In other news: i went for dinner with a guy on Friday who seems really cool. That's great 'cause it's strangely rare for me to hang out with men in BJ. Weird, what a life.
The pic is a self-portrait from a dilapidated swimming park i found.
Techno Isn't Dead
It's just really boring.
Yesterday i went to Beijing's 1st Electronic music festival. A roster of local and international djs did their thing in a stellar industrial park area in the art district. I realized it was a superb party once i got over the fact that the music was soooo dull. Hey, i listened to tons of techno bk in the day, but all this hardliner techno is 95% just beats, and not only are the beats incredibly repetitive and lacking in melody, but they sound exactly like the beats we listened to 15 years ago. i was a bit incredulous that nobody else seemed to notice.
My brother is quick to note that of course, for most BJ'ers, the music IS new, so hey: rock on. Anyhow, if people are hooting and hollering and waving their hands in the air, we can only presume they love it, so who am i to judge (which i just did, oops).
Aside: i also bumped into the young girl i dated bk in fall for the 1st time, and her supercute new bf. That was really cool, i thought, though at first she did say she shouldn't talk to me for too long or else her bf would get jealous.
Yesterday i went to Beijing's 1st Electronic music festival. A roster of local and international djs did their thing in a stellar industrial park area in the art district. I realized it was a superb party once i got over the fact that the music was soooo dull. Hey, i listened to tons of techno bk in the day, but all this hardliner techno is 95% just beats, and not only are the beats incredibly repetitive and lacking in melody, but they sound exactly like the beats we listened to 15 years ago. i was a bit incredulous that nobody else seemed to notice.
My brother is quick to note that of course, for most BJ'ers, the music IS new, so hey: rock on. Anyhow, if people are hooting and hollering and waving their hands in the air, we can only presume they love it, so who am i to judge (which i just did, oops).
Aside: i also bumped into the young girl i dated bk in fall for the 1st time, and her supercute new bf. That was really cool, i thought, though at first she did say she shouldn't talk to me for too long or else her bf would get jealous.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Running on the Wall
1st of all, let me say that blogger's been blocked, presumably by the PRC, which is rather annoying. But H informed me that i can post thru flickr. So amen to companies like Google buying up and consolidating everything.
Anyhow, last wkend was fun. i went to my friend's band's concert, then hung out bkstage w/ her bandmates and some other musicians, then went out to a bbq meat joint with the drummer and keyboard player and got pretty drunk.
Then i had to split to catch the 3:30am bus out to the great wall. attempted a nap on the 2.5 hr ride to the wall. i had to argue my way into the site 'cause i had no confirmation or race # or anything, but finally got all my stuff.
Then me and about 1500 other other people (about 95% expats, but it was pretty expensive, and so i understand, Chinese folk just aren't so much into running anyhow) all ran out to the wall.
The course was really really cool. It offered 1000 stairs to climb up, treacherous descents not suitable to running at any speed, sections of wall wide enough to accommodate only one runner at a time (which caused big traffic jams, forcing people to socialize or organize things like... The Wave. Ha.). It offered plenty of beautiful vistas, but also toured through the local village, through old hutongs, and farmer fields.
Before the run, i was all gungho about doing my slowest race to date, having trained sporadically, and not being interested in limping for a few days afterwards this time.
And after climbing a few stairs i realized just how great of an idea walking was.
Also, it was nice to take time to take some pictures. Especially in the village where the local folk were watching the race. And then i realized that this provided a welcome reversal to the usual voyeur-subject relationship between travelers and locals. So it was really natural to take pictures of the locals, and they were all accommodating.
The last time i did a 1/2 marathon i did it in under 2 hrs. This one took over 3. But i felt i gave it a good go, and didn't suffer any muscular aftermath.
Oh. i should also mention i was sorely disappointed by the crappy Subway lunch at the end. And how epically unfair that the veg subs were 1/2 size, and everyone else gets full size. Ooh, i oughta write someone a letter.
Anyhow, last wkend was fun. i went to my friend's band's concert, then hung out bkstage w/ her bandmates and some other musicians, then went out to a bbq meat joint with the drummer and keyboard player and got pretty drunk.
Then i had to split to catch the 3:30am bus out to the great wall. attempted a nap on the 2.5 hr ride to the wall. i had to argue my way into the site 'cause i had no confirmation or race # or anything, but finally got all my stuff.
Then me and about 1500 other other people (about 95% expats, but it was pretty expensive, and so i understand, Chinese folk just aren't so much into running anyhow) all ran out to the wall.
The course was really really cool. It offered 1000 stairs to climb up, treacherous descents not suitable to running at any speed, sections of wall wide enough to accommodate only one runner at a time (which caused big traffic jams, forcing people to socialize or organize things like... The Wave. Ha.). It offered plenty of beautiful vistas, but also toured through the local village, through old hutongs, and farmer fields.
Before the run, i was all gungho about doing my slowest race to date, having trained sporadically, and not being interested in limping for a few days afterwards this time.
And after climbing a few stairs i realized just how great of an idea walking was.
Also, it was nice to take time to take some pictures. Especially in the village where the local folk were watching the race. And then i realized that this provided a welcome reversal to the usual voyeur-subject relationship between travelers and locals. So it was really natural to take pictures of the locals, and they were all accommodating.
The last time i did a 1/2 marathon i did it in under 2 hrs. This one took over 3. But i felt i gave it a good go, and didn't suffer any muscular aftermath.
Oh. i should also mention i was sorely disappointed by the crappy Subway lunch at the end. And how epically unfair that the veg subs were 1/2 size, and everyone else gets full size. Ooh, i oughta write someone a letter.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
School work
Although me and my class are reading a pretty lame novelette, i've still managed to squeeze a couple good journals out of it, like Do good parents (and teachers) make good children? Can good parents make bad children etc etc. And also a journal about growing up, which got me responses ranging from the discovery that Santa is a lie, to previously believing that parents are teachers knew everything when really they don't know much at all, to this:
"When i was young i used to think the communist government was the best in the world. But now i think it's kind of evil. I used to think that chairman Mao was better than god, but now i think he was just a man..."
Boy, this stuff is pretty juicy. I could use more of these students, and less of the incurable slackers.
"When i was young i used to think the communist government was the best in the world. But now i think it's kind of evil. I used to think that chairman Mao was better than god, but now i think he was just a man..."
Boy, this stuff is pretty juicy. I could use more of these students, and less of the incurable slackers.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Out trips: Easy Come Easy Go
Um, i haven't felt like writing much lately, but i guess i should update you on things.
So.
i had a trip to Datong in Shaanxi province w/ my french lover, which was pretty good. Saw big buddhist statues in caves. Went to a monastery built into the side of a mountain, but after buying tix decided that the 2 hr line up of tourists wasn't worth the effort. Hiked up the mountain and drank wine sitting on the plateau instead.
Somebody discovered my wallet somewhere in my pants. Some young guy gave me super bad vibes staring at me w/ this unrelenting greasy grin. i was all like "fuck, i just want to get the hell away from him." So naturally i suspect he was involved when i noticed that my pocket had been razored. But of course, there's no proof and what are the odds of seeing the guy again?
The next day, on a bus in a different town he was sitting right behind me. Fucking weird. "Ni ji de wo ma?" = "Remember me?" he asked? We talked a tiny bit, which was odd, but he wasn't all weird this time. I went to sleep.
Mostly I'm annoyed that i was carrying a few hundred bucks (like a month's wages for many chinese folk), 'cause that only serves to reward the deed and propagate the behaviour. Otherwise, it's just a hassle to replace things.
Hit the Strawberry Music Fest bk in BJ which was pretty fun. Saw a bunch of people i know. Including Heather and her bf, and a friend who sorta dumped me. So that was all kinda weird.
And also that was the end date for me and J. So now i'm officially single again, and actually gung ho to stay this way for a while. Which won't necessarily be very fun. We'll see.
Also. It's just over a week 'til the Great Wall Marathon. or 1/2 marathon, for me, i should say. Too many stairs, either way.
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