| Censorship makes the world that much smaller |
[Oct. 13th, 2009|03:36 pm] |
And not in the sense that my horizons are broadened.
It's been ages and ages since I posted here! Still sticking it out in the Beij, but am plotting a triumphant return to the States next summer. Or, well, some kind of return, anyway.
It seemed that for a while there, Beijing life lacked direction--no Olympics, no construction blocking your path at every step, no ethnic minority unrest to quash. I needn't have worried: the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC recently came and went, and I, for one, gladly welcomed the tanks in the streets and the military flybys over my apartment complex.
The loss of Facebook and Twitter was a tough blow, I admit, but living without Youtube and blogs for the last two years, my wounds healed quickly. Plus, I work for the French still, and our servers are in Paris. So I can no longer peruse last night's drunken photos from many hundreds of friends, but I'm sure I have better things to do with my time anyway.
Work, for one.
Right. |
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| It's LOBBYING, not corruption |
[Jan. 14th, 2009|10:53 am] |
| [ | Mon |
| |  anxious | ] |
Last night I attended Danwei.org's Third Plenary Session (www.danwei.org/business/creative_business.php), which I mistakenly assumed would focus more on the creativity bit, and not so much on the business. I walked away a bit disappointed, but finding out today about fresh firings among lowly support staff (i.e., people like me) at the firm when there are so many useless, non-billing lawyers whose salaries and benefits are at least 4-5 times ours, and new trainees whose siblings might happen to be married to the big boss, well, maybe the discussion will turn out to be more useful than I initially thought.
Just have to work on my zhongnanhai-smoking (poor) and baijiu-drinking (better) abilities. It might also help to become more familiar with procuring prostitutes. My karaoke skills at least are up to snuff.
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| Complete and utter lulz |
[Jan. 7th, 2009|06:57 pm] |
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I make a solemn "hey-i'm-back!and-serious-this-time!" post only to go on to read about impending DOOM on my friends page. What timing! I hope I have time to download all my old posts before the whole things goes under (if and when, and preferably never). |
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| New Year Resolution #1 |
[Jan. 7th, 2009|06:04 pm] |
Breaking away from the herd, my main goal is not to get to the gym more often (I'm already quite diligent about it, so it's not fair to make one concerning the gym), but to start writing more. I've been already a year and a half in China, and I've missed out on the written records of all that's happened (and there has been much). I plan to be here indefinitely, at this point, with a brief break for some future schooling, and I think the archiving of my youthful shenanigans is appropriate.
A former professor of mine, who writes a fantastic Chinese history blog, is of the opinion that all blogs are worthy that have a goal. My goal in writing from now on is to present my China experience. There are tons of China blogs out there, I admit, and few of my experiences and reactions are unique. Still, I've mostly been absorbing, not creating. I can't say that I have much to say at all, and my writing is extremely rusty, so I'm a bit hesitant, but hello again, anyway. |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 17th, 2008|04:58 pm] |
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Olympics over, weather turning, leaves changing, wind blowing, sand in my eyes and my teeth as I walk. China is not a war-torn country, but life is not so easy--perhaps because I have just enough money and not too much. Not accounting for inflation, however, I manage still to make more in my low-level do-nothing position doing some not-very-important things than my father did as a resident with three kids; life, in that respect, is kind. I negotiate very badly. 50 kuai cashmeres I can do, but life and all its opportunities I squander squander away. Must work on keeping more for myself. We shall have a new president! Of this I am proud. I will watch his inauguration when I am meant to be sleeping; up and celebrating with the world in a smoky bar, no doubt. |
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| Oh, hello there! |
[Jul. 4th, 2008|10:15 am] |
Still in China, but I've just discovered that livejournal doesn't seem to be blocked at my new office . . . something to do with the servers being in Paris.
Happy 4th of July!
And happy birthday, to me. I'm now officially in my mid-20s and it's a wee bit scary, but I'll cope. |
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| Sloughing |
[Apr. 14th, 2008|05:49 pm] |
Journal, friends, lend me an eye. Or two.
Hello! And greetings from the other side of the planet, which may as well be another planet entirely. I know I am remiss in my absence from blogging, but let me tell you: The Great Firewall, plus an enduring sense of always-pissed-off-motherfu-why-am-I-still-here-again?, along with a very American upbringing (if you can't say anything nice . . .), has led to a months-long silence. I'm sorry; I apologize; there were things in my life that I should have written and things in your lives that I'm sad to have missed.
My situation hasn't really changed. I'm not happier now, and I'm still mostly pissed off. But goddamn, I really did miss you all.
To recap these last months since August:got a job. Lost my boyfriend. Quit my job.Got another job. Met boys. Discarded boys. Looking for a new job.
Mixed into all that are some serious sicknesses, some serious singing, some trips to Hong Kong and Bangladesh, and a realization that this place, for better or worse, with all its frustrations and obstacles, has been the source of all of my life's major changes. To be here is to see this vibrant juxtaposition of the high-tech future and years of tradition (5000, as any good citizen here is quick to tell you), of shifting global identities, of obscene wealth and utter poverty. The result is simple confusion. It is stripping away, layer by layer, those things I thought true of my self, and though it is painful and never pleasant, I couldn't imagine such a scouring were I sitting in a cubicle in Iowa City.
I hope you all are well. |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 30th, 2007|04:07 pm] |
Oh my darlings, I am alive! I am at the Central subway station in Hong Kong, enjoying my escape from Beijing, which is ridiculous and un-fun and I'm quitting my job, so if you know of anything in BJ tell me please ok sank yew. I would say more, but I'm at the subway station for a reason and this is HK, so what am I doing on the innernets anyway? Oh, right, it's freeeeeee.
Baibai, until next time. |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 22nd, 2007|10:36 pm] |
Last night I dreamt I died when the bus I was riding in tipped over the edge of the pier we were driving on in future Iowa which happens to be a place of yachts and gigantic cruise ships and efficient motorways and beautifully lit nights. Global warming made it so that the rich and privileged converged upon our sleepy no-longer-land-locked state. I drowned, and I felt it, all the scenarios where I might have survived having been considered and ultimately undreamt, and then I dreamt that I came back to life to find myself on another bus on the same route a year later with all the survivors/resurrectees. Why, I wondered, would we do such a thing.
China feels a little bit that way right now.
I have bronchitis. Coff coff hack hack. I'd like to smack some (most) of my children, who poopoo and peepee on the floor and in their pants with a disheartening regularity. I have discovered that the fates have so decreed that persons named Buda are never going to like me, be they man or woman, grown or not yet, but this time I am prepared to deal with it. My apartment played a trick on me. The Chinese Medicine place downstairs is moving out and rancid drain smell is moving in. That drain is mostly in Caitlin's room. Caitlin is the beautiful girl I espied from out my hotel room window one sunny morning two Mays ago. I caught a glimpse of her that morning and wondered if we would meet that day. We are living together now. Not living together living together, but rooming. Not rooming yet, either, while she sorts through her visa troubles with her boyfriend and I, I retain the hope that I will not have them.
I saw a Maybach in the showroom next to the medical center when I went last week. The X-ray technician asked me to remove my shirt and breasts. I was alarmed. My one light-hearted experience in China so far. |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 6th, 2007|02:40 pm] |
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Oh, look, school uses proxy. I'm here, I'm safe, I'm not really jetlagged, and work sucked. I cleaned a classroom and then sat aroubd, useless. Later on I'm getting a SIM ka, so you can call me. I bought a Motorola RIZR last night. |
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