One Doughnut Pillow, Please

Finally headed home on the 27th, through Narita rather than Shanghai -> Hong Kong -> Taipei -> SFO. Was not looking forward to that.

Picture Match Game: Beijing Food Market Edition

It’s a game you can play at home!
Match the edible treat with the picture:
a. Scorpion
b. Shark
c. Centipede
d. Sea Urchin
e. Sheep Testicle
f. Grubs
g. Snake
h. Lizard

Who’s Watching?

The Red Army

The Most Peaceful Place in China…

Tiananmen Square. At least that’s what several locals told me. Aside from the constant incoming sorties of people peddling books, kites, watches, and Mao quote books, several people approached us with similar MOs — something I’d be warned about and have seen elsewhere in the world.
The template story basically goes like this:
We’re locals, we’re like really friendly, won’t you come somewhere with this? Once you go somewhere, you and your money usually part ways. From what I understand, you’re not at any real risk of being hurt, as long as you hand over your cash and whatever else you might have.
We got two:
1) We want to practice English with you. We’re 3 students who have an art exhibit inside a hall at Tiananmen. We have special passes, even though it’s closed right now, won’t you come look at our art exhibit?
2) We’re locals, we like American culture including McD’s and KFC. We also like beer. Won’t you come have a beer with us? (They also called me Budda, since I was sitting on the wall with my legs crossed much like Budda. I hope that’s the only reason why…)
The sad part is they look to be nice, normal people, and they might even have been… but considering I was sans a local this time, we just couldn’t take chances. 3 white guys walking around seem to look like giant dollar signs around here.
The weather here has been disgusting. I can’t figure out if the haze is weather or pollution, but my bet is on the latter, since about every single place in Beijing is a construction site.
Today we went to the Great Wall.
Tomorrow it’s back to Hong Kong.
Pictures coming up.

Friday Night Music w/Duran Duran

“The Chauffeur”
This never happens when I use a car park.

Mmmmmmm… Bowels

I always find this amusing. Cuz I’m 13 and like fart jokes, I guess.
Today’s menu: Boiled Jew’s Ear and Marinated Bowels! #504 and #508 below.

Apparently “Jew’s Ear” is fungus, and well, bowels are bowels. It’s beef intestine.

Crack is Whack!

After learning just last month that Osama longed to give Whitney Houston his meat kebab, it should come as no surprise that Whitney no longer wants to be Mrs. Bobby Brown.
My bet’s on irreconcilable crack differences.
During rehab last year she used the power of prayer to overcome the evils of drugs.
This time we’re all praying for you, Whitney.

Office Buddy II

This one I’m not so fond of: