trapeezing tortugas take flight

This was a subject line I got on an email yesterday. 

I saw white people in my apt complex yesterday!! I did a huge double take, a very noticeable one.. it was a group of five really good looking guys so I'm sure they thought I was blatantly checking them out or something - great - maybe this complex isn't so bad after all, I need to start reading outside more so I can meet some of these elusive attractive white men without chinese girlfriends. 

link for the day : Cool Beans

ok.. damage to the phone from last night, which was epic: someone named Yalf, who thinks I am going to an open bar BBQ with him tonight, and Mari, which is my drunk shorthand for Mariel.  

I experienced one of the most morally questionable points in my life though last night.  I realized I was pre-gaming, by myself, while watching Schindler's List. 

Went to Saddle in SanLiTuar again, drinks were half off. woot. On the way there the cabbie in the car next to me stated singing my darling Clementine at the top of his lungs, probably for my benefit, and was really excited when I rolled down my window and joined in.  After Saddle there is a long progression of bars, and an attempt to go to Vicks, only to get there and then be too cheap to pay the 50 Kuai ($6) cover.  Instead we headed across the street to Alpha for 80s night.. and the night gets a bit blurry....Kebab Stand...my only jean skirt rips all the way to the top while climbing onto a stage w Mari....get convinced to stay despite said ripped skirt because luckily the rip is right over the pocket so I was still somewhat clothed....all decide to wake up early in the morning and go to a pool party... somehow get home. 

Really though, so far Beijing is like college, just with way more traffic and pollution (I know, I know, LA is pretty bad in these two categories too)

Woke up, have done nothing all day except for discover that adding bacon grease to eggs makes them 10 times better.  I bet bacon grease makes everything better, I should make a book: Cooking With Bacon Grease - Gourmet Adventures of a Vegetarian

Toodles

Madness Hamsters are gnawing my brain

Ouch

I am at work.  Hungover, maybe possibly still drunk.    I just slept for an hour here though, so I'm feeling better than I did on the cab ride in.   Sleeping is one very culturally interesting thing about the chinese workplace.   It is completely permissible to take naps at any point in the work day; In fact, most people bring a pillow to work. I kid you not. After lunch most of the office is asleep and snoring for a good 30 minutes, although in their case it stems from hard work, not too many shooters with crazy aussies. 

Last night was great in a random sort of way.  Went to dinner with three other guys from Pomona, then went to Nashville near Solana Plaza and listened to a really good chinese guy sing Simon & Garfunkel songs while we played spades -- Jeff and I won of course.  I also had an amazing drink called a Gin Fizz, sort of like a fizzy gin creamsicle. Next time I will inquire as too the ingredients. 

Onward into the night, we went to shooters in SanLiTun, which I need to remember since all shots and beers are 10 kuai. (thats about 1.30 US).  Danced with the guys for a while which made me remember that american guys really can't dance.  Then I ran into the flamboyant spanish guy that I salsad with on saturday night, named Ernesto, which is awesome cause now I have his number!  Made friends with three aussies, got Kebab, went home at like 2 to wake up at 7.  No wonder I am struggling.   

Since I'm trying to build an empire of friends I decided I would not turn down any invitation to go out / hang out, no matter how hungover I am or how early I have to get up.  So I am having a greeeeat time, but my sanity and liver are suffering.   Luckily for me, a retarded child could do my job so a hangover doesn't stop me from being excellent!   Emma texted me last night saying she wanted to go out tonight, so I am going to try and drink as much water as humanly possible and sleep for another hour at work to prepare. 

Luckily my workload is really light right now because we just did  a demo to the client and they loved it... so unlike Adam, who has a miserably horrible client... I can just keep working on my project in peace, which only occupies about three hours a day. 

I havent talked at all about prices so here is run down on what stuff costs in china: 

7 Kuai = 1 US $

Large beer from a convenience store: 3 Kuai

Dish at a semi-nice restaurant: 18 Kuai

Rice: 2 Kuai

20 min cab ride: 20 Kuai

Full american breakfast at Rickshaw: 45 Kuai

Batteries: 16 Kuai

Beet at a bar: 10-20 Kuai

Drink at bar: 10-40 Kuai