When I go to a classical music concert, I go to see the performance, and I'm usually not pleased with the audience. It seems that half the audience is sick and the other half is unwrapping candy. I can usually ignore it and enjoy the performance, but when I went to a concert in Beijing a couple of weeks ago, the audience was the worst I had ever seen.
The audience looked like it just came from a game of basketball or a nice nap. Many people were wearing their everyday clothes, while I fell it's appropriate to dress up a little bit and be presentable, instead of a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals or a tank-top and basketball shorts.
Also, Chinese people tend to not care about many things related to authority, so naturally many of them had their cell phones out and some of them were even taking pictures (and even a few with flash!). Of course I was not pleased.
Between pieces there was also a lot of introductions of the upcoming piece, which I feel is also not appropriate. I can understand that the Chinese audience may not be very educated about classical music, but put that in the program notes (or maybe even have a program...).
Note to self: don't do this again...
Monday, August 12, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Food Is Amazing!
For me one of the highlights of being back in China is the food and eating all sorts of unique and wonderful treats. Granted this time I haven't eaten anything too adventurous yet, but I've still got two weeks left here. Also, I'm not sure about half the things I eat, because sometimes I'd rather not know what I've eaten. But the highlights:
-I'm fairly certain I've had curdled blood. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it showed up in a soup somewhere.
-Chinese snails are different than French snails. In France, the snails are usually somewhat large and picked out with a small fork. In China, especially in rural China, the snails are really small and you actually suck the snails out of their shells.
-白酒 (white liquor). That stuff is really strong and has been described as the combination of gasoline and alcohol, which is not entirely inaccurate. It's pretty difficult to drink the first time around, but it kind of grows on you, even with it's strong finish. It seems that it doesn't go to your head quite as much as other drinks, though it might be because I've only had it with meals.
-Pig ears/tails/etc. are very common, so it's nothing really too exotic, and same for jellyfish.
-Duck head was very interesting. It's not very meaty, and it's a little hard to pick around it if you're trying to avoid any part of it in particular.
-Right now I'm in 湖南 (Hunan) province and there are peppers everywhere and it's pretty awesome.
-Frogs legs, though they taste like any other meat...
-Red dragonfruit, while it tastes like regular (white) dragonfruit, is incredibly rare (and looks bloody if you get it all over your face...)
Going to a restaurant in China is also a much different experience. In a restaurant in China, the wait staff is there to serve you, and they really do-you can ask most anything of them (especially at good restaurants and restaurants where you can get a private room). For example, when they bring out a big bowl of noodles for the table, you can ask them to portion it out for you.
Travelling outside the country is also nice because airlines serve food. It's not really a huge perk, but it's a nice plus. For a 90-minute flight, we got a hot lunch of rice, beef, and veggies that is larger than a meal you'll see on an international flight on a major American carrier.
-I'm fairly certain I've had curdled blood. I'm not entirely sure, but I think it showed up in a soup somewhere.
-Chinese snails are different than French snails. In France, the snails are usually somewhat large and picked out with a small fork. In China, especially in rural China, the snails are really small and you actually suck the snails out of their shells.
-白酒 (white liquor). That stuff is really strong and has been described as the combination of gasoline and alcohol, which is not entirely inaccurate. It's pretty difficult to drink the first time around, but it kind of grows on you, even with it's strong finish. It seems that it doesn't go to your head quite as much as other drinks, though it might be because I've only had it with meals.
-Pig ears/tails/etc. are very common, so it's nothing really too exotic, and same for jellyfish.
-Duck head was very interesting. It's not very meaty, and it's a little hard to pick around it if you're trying to avoid any part of it in particular.
-Right now I'm in 湖南 (Hunan) province and there are peppers everywhere and it's pretty awesome.
-Frogs legs, though they taste like any other meat...
-Red dragonfruit, while it tastes like regular (white) dragonfruit, is incredibly rare (and looks bloody if you get it all over your face...)
Going to a restaurant in China is also a much different experience. In a restaurant in China, the wait staff is there to serve you, and they really do-you can ask most anything of them (especially at good restaurants and restaurants where you can get a private room). For example, when they bring out a big bowl of noodles for the table, you can ask them to portion it out for you.
Travelling outside the country is also nice because airlines serve food. It's not really a huge perk, but it's a nice plus. For a 90-minute flight, we got a hot lunch of rice, beef, and veggies that is larger than a meal you'll see on an international flight on a major American carrier.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Driving in China
Rule 1: Anything relating to traffic regulation is only a guideline
Rule 2: The driver/biker/pedestrian with the biggest balls has the right of way in any
Rule 3: Don't hit a cop
Rule 2: The driver/biker/pedestrian with the biggest balls has the right of way in any
Rule 3: Don't hit a cop
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
这《biang》字我的电脑发不了
说几次就学好了，有58字画：
一点飞上天，黄河两道弯，八字大张口，言字往里走；左一扭，右一扭；左一长，右一长；中间夹个马大王。心字底，月字旁，留个钩搭掛麻糖，推个车车逛咸阳。
这《biang biang 面》是陕西特色的面条。面条又宽又长，做好加辣酱。
一点飞上天，黄河两道弯，八字大张口，言字往里走；左一扭，右一扭；左一长，右一长；中间夹个马大王。心字底，月字旁，留个钩搭掛麻糖，推个车车逛咸阳。
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Chinese Virtue Is Now the Law
...or so goes the title of a New York Times piece about a week ago.
I find it an interesting reflection upon China's ever-changing structure, as the country becomes more urbanized and less dependent on the rural lifestyle of even a couple generations ago. Tradition is giving way to new ideas and a more modern mentality (except for food, which seems to be one of the few things that isn't changing anytime soon).
I find it an interesting reflection upon China's ever-changing structure, as the country becomes more urbanized and less dependent on the rural lifestyle of even a couple generations ago. Tradition is giving way to new ideas and a more modern mentality (except for food, which seems to be one of the few things that isn't changing anytime soon).
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Too Much Clutter
I hate it when there's too much on my mind, especially late at night when I'm trying to sleep. My mind needs to be cleared before I sleep, or else I end up with stories like a few posts below...some things are just too hard to shake easily.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Happy (Belated) 4th!
This past July 4th was the first time I had been home for the 4th since high school, and the first time I had gone to see fireworks. We have a really great show here, an all-volunteer set-up that puts on a spectacular show that's choreographed to music.
Of course that's just the end, where they shoot off a ridiculous amount of fireworks. Thanks to Tom and Raveen for getting me a VIP viewing ticket!
Also, no proper 4th of July is celebrated without a funnel cake!
(Click to Enlarge)
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