A story about a small village on the outskirts of Chengdu that faces down developers, earthquakes, and me.
Author: Sascha Matuszak
this space shall change
I have been working on a re-design for this site for some time, so that is why the site looked very strange for a few months. I am back to the old format for now, just so the space can be worked again, I can write here again, people who come and visit don’t leave […]
It’s April Again
Today I smoked a joint and walked around the Gulou area, and thought about many things. People everywhere, great clumps of pollen swirling in a funnel right above my head. Bright sunlight through the little olive leaves onto my face. I thought of my old professor, Moses. He lives in Beijing and so far has […]
Del drops a Soundcloud album
Del tha Funky Homosapien aka Zartan Dreadnought Cobra drops new ish “Iller than Most” Check it out:
Telling my kids about Winter
I think I may have missed the chance to do so this year, because I was too busy to spend the proper amount of time with my two boys during these cold winter months. I did manage to get the tree decorated and the presents laid out underneath, but the rest sort of fell by […]
Chongqing’s Cheating Heart
Ok now I am going to get into some hater shit. I watched an old Katt Williams special last night and he was talking about Star Players and Haters. This essay is actually an older one that’s been in my Stuff Folder for a while, but as I was cleaning up my desktop in preparation […]
Juvenile
A long long time ago, a girl told me to keep my voice. That was back in January of 2008, when I was writing this. I swear i remember absolutely nothing of the book that captured my moments and displayed them in a crystal case held up to the rays of an Amsterdam sun. Five […]
Flashlights in the Dark
I have to admit, I haven’t read a single story about foreign journalists with China visa problems. I found them all to smack of the same droll, insular, looping urgency of first world problems. If all of the reporters were white, I would just say “privilege” and dip my face back into the Stream and […]
Stay the course
I recently wrote a post about my Chengdu Compound, and the comments on the post, and on Reddit, reflect two things, in general: 1) Good job, enjoy the palace 2) Watch out, Chinese landlords are evil and will fuck you And the feelings I have in my own heart about the compound revolve around these […]
Tumblr Aint Just for Porn
Got this slick new Tumblr Blog that is fun to play with and fun to post on. It’s actually much easier than this blog, because you can drop stuff in a heartbeat, whereas with WordPress I feel like I have to write something long and important or it doesn’t make sense. Guess I have been […]
I wanna move to Cheung Chau Island
This happened a while ago, but I have to write chronologically, or things that get lost in the ether become floating, flailing spectres and I can’t be responsible. The new visa regulations instituted sometime in July have trickled down into the Chengdu Basin, resulting in my first ever 10 day visa. A penalty of sorts, […]
Book Review: Hawkins, Sagan, Zinn and Thompson
I have been tearing through books recently, due to my snazzy iPad Mini. I did a review a couple weeks ago, and I like that type of post, so here goes another one, this time 4 (5?) books and not three. I will review the first three here, and then do the last two – […]
Book Reviews: Hitler, Stalin, Assange and Wall Street
I tend to read at random, just grabbing whatever is lying around and swallowing it whole, believing sincerely in the Tao of Reading: the Way will lead the books I should be reading to within arms reach. In keeping with this belief – which came first the belief or the book? – I have had […]
Free
My boy heard me singing this at 6:30am as I prepared for work. He woke up and padded out and hung out by the door waiting for me to to call his name. I did and he came in and snuggled for a bit. I put the song on repeat and he fell asleep to it. […]
Shame, the movie, and how Porn is killing the World Soul
Shame is best left chained to a wall in the basement of an old lighthouse, and occasionally sung to. Arias only. Disfigured disfiguring a weight on the whole family, the wet chupa in the middle of the floor at a house party when the lights go on. Or a movie about a sex addict, America […]
Last time I was in Shanghai
… was back in April to visit Chen Jia and her Taiji studio, as well as catch up with a few old friends. Here is a link to a post about Chen Jia and her school, and below are two pics. One is the breakfast of champs for anyone who did what I did my […]
Sticky Post: About this Blog
I’ve kept this blog since 2008 and it was and still is a source of great catharsis for me. It is not a CV and should never be misconstrued as such. The things I write in here reflect my opinions only, and not those of anyone who employs me, hangs out with me, saw me […]
The Pensioners are back
Retired doctors, nurses, and health workers converged on Chengdu’s government offices today for the third time in a month. The first time I was able to walk down and talk to them, as there were but several dozen. This time there are about a 500-600 – about a dozen dressed in hospital whites – and […]
Caixin is awesome, but the sun is still gonna blow up someday
This article here, Urban Platforms in a Policy Pressure Cooker, is just one example of Caixin Online’s excellent reporting on China’s political and economic landscape. The high-quality English is also extraordinary, as most Chinese media almost never nail the news voice that, for better or for worse, dominates the international media’s idea of what is credible […]
We be sharing poetry about Chengdu.
Check it out here on the Chengdu Forum. Or below. Now I know where all the recycling goes down a funk street in hongpailou past the rows of ankle high plastic seats roundtables and dust covered plastic hats rough faced workers with mouths full of pigfat laughing out loud as they chopstick spar a bowl of pepper […]
Sinocentrism
I keep reading stuff in the news that reminds me of stuff I wrote a long time ago. My ego demands I put it here for my mom and friends to read, and agree with. Today’s example is an excellent essay by Dr. Christopher Ford, called Sinocentrism for the Information Age: Comments on the 4th […]
Li Cheng Peng Book Signing in Chengdu
Li Cheng Peng, an outspoken ex-sports journalist turned censorship-slayer and social media darling has a new book out: “全世界人民都知道：SmILENCE” (The Whole World Knows: SmILENCE) He held a signing near my house in Chengdu and I went to check it out and take some photos. I bought the book and was hoping to get an autograph, […]
Nothing to See Here
Nobody at my office, in the city’s government building, seems to care much about what happened to the deputy sec. of the whole Province last week. Everyone just at their computers, doing their thing. Noon rolls around and everyone heads downstairs for lunch at the cafeteria. Outside on the street a protest at the gates […]
Same Work, Same Pay
About 200 pensioners are camped outside of the Chengdu municipal government office building to protest imbalances in benefits offered to private and public sector employees. They represent around 50 state-owned hospitals, clinics, and community health care centers and, from the looks of it, they aren’t going anywhere until the imbalances are addressed. “People from the […]
like a chicken grease chord
Doing research for this project brought a picture to my mind of me in a field of yellow flowers with a long butterfly net chasing butterflies around and netting them as fast as I could. For each net full that I came away with, only one or two of the butterflies turn out to be […]
Was the Wen Jiabao Story a Leak?
The NYT story on the Wen Family finances that came out in October, Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader, is lauded by mainstream media figures as a journalistic coup and an example of gumshoe investigative journalism. But a small minority of media outlets, led by erstwhile Western media darlings Boxun and Mingjing, counter that […]
Anren Jianchuan Museum Cluster
I made a visit to the Jianchuan Museum Cluster a few months ago and then wrote a post for Chengduliving on the museum and Fan Jianchuan, the man behind the cluster. If you ever make it out here to Chengdu, visit the Anren Museum Cluster, for my money it’s the best collection of museums in […]
KTVs and Ketamine
Every time I hear the China version of this song, Nana’s Lonely, I think of Huang Shan dancing in front of the speaker in a dark KTV room, wearing nothing but a bra, panties and shades. A cigarette in her hand and a couple random girlfriends dancing with her. Dominating the huge glass table is […]
Insomnia
Sometimes I can’t sleep at night, I toss and turn, alarm bells and laughter going off in the street. Honking cars in my dreams. I can’t get no peace. So I get up and get dressed and toss on my shoes and walk through Hongpailou. Sometime I remember to bring my camera. These shots were […]
An Excellent Argument for Re-election
“Obama succeeded George W. Bush, a two-term President whose misbegotten legacy, measured in the money it squandered and the misery it inflicted, has become only more evident with time. Bush left behind an America in dire condition and with a degraded reputation. On Inauguration Day, the United States was in a downward financial spiral brought […]
Do you remember?
It is never too late to send love out to your people. It is never too late to reply to a letter. It is never ever too late. Check out these Letters in the Fiction Section which I will be updating from time to time.
Adrift during the Holiday
I find myself sleeping, tweeting, taking notes. Talking to people I don’t know. Coffee and cigarettes. And carrying my son around on my shoulders so he can pluck leaves and people watch.
Resist the Worst
“When you think about the worst that could happen, you should resist this temptation to make yourself the centre of the world. Turn away from the injustice of being falsely condemned or the despair of being utterly alone. Quash the thought of losing a child. On this melancholy subject, at least, I am with Smith […]
Gibbering again
My vision of myself rarely coincides with the vision others have of me. When people think highly of me, I hear the sniveling thief gibber inside; when people think low of me, I feel the warrior stir. But not just in reaction to what others think. It’s almost as if praise comes exactly then, when […]
These are my last words
the things I’ve seen in life will make you gasp in surprise like a pod of dolphins dancing in the ocean at sunrise preventing my demise a healing salve for my eyes regenerate on a daily basis refusing to die i put my nose to the wind and smell a burning red robe charred and hanging in […]
The Struggle for Hong Kong
Here in Chengdu, people have been asking me: “Hey, did you hear what they did in Hong Kong? They stood up to the government.” There is no mention of winning or losing. Only the fact the HK citizens have the courage to stand up to the government, something Chinese, in general, feel they lack. One […]
Before I die
Factories will have no workers, just a few people making sure the machines are well-oiled Doctors will never touch a knife, only input the data into a computer Disease will be the scourge of the underclass, everyone else will have their genes regularly realigned Drivers will look up at floating highways, and the tolls will […]
The Dreamer and the Rebel
When I look at my sons, I feel as if the complexities of my soul have been sundered into two separate facets and placed within each one of them. The following is a gross oversimplification of their as-yet undeveloped characters, but it’s what I think about, so I am going to let loose. My older […]
Sovereignty
Recently we’ve been treated to a few events that have brought out the reactions of Chinese netizens across the spectrum of opinion, from the reform-minded to the nationalistic, and what we have read in the state-owned media and in the comments on Sina Weibo helps to shed a bit of light on Chinese society. Chinese […]
Pragmatic above all things
I know a girl named Color who stopped me on the street one day and said, I am different from every other Chinese girl out there. I think deep, she said, and I question everything. Everybody thinks I am weird and I have few friends. I say strange stuff like, Why would you do that? […]
Chen Guang Cheng in Limbo …
Chen Guang Cheng’s great escape from house arrest, oppression and beatings has taken an awkward twist, with the activist in the custody of the Chinese government and the US administration feeling the heat from human rights activists across the world. The Twitter-verse turned from joyous to shocked to depressed as word came through from […]
On the run in China: Chen Guangcheng escapes!
Chen Guangcheng is an activist in China’s northern Shandong Province. He is blind and lives in the tiny rural village of Dongshigu, where he fought for the rights of peasants and especially women who faced forced sterilization and other abuses. He was imprisoned more than 4 years for his efforts and then placed under house […]
Foreign Men, Represent
If I were single and still in the Game, I would hold myself and all others to an oath of silence on the sociological phenomenon of overeducated, fine-lookin, lonely young ladies populating Starbuxes all across China. But I am out of the game and busy raising two of the most handsome muggle men this world […]
Calcified Culture, or Unique Characters?
This essay might sound a bit familiar, if you read this blog, as I seem to be circling the idea of change as a possibility. Last essay I wrote on this topic was Silk Roads and Great Walls, and that dealt briefly with the high-level impediments, this one here is a look at the grassroots […]
The sins of the father …
I was struck today by John Garnaut’s profile of General Liu Yuan, embedded in an investigation into PLA corruption. What moved me and stopped me in my tracks, and made me come back here to write this, is the revelation that Liu Yuan is the “last surviving male descendant of Liu Shaoqi”. I know little […]
Bo Xilai’s Dream
Something is happening across China, something impossible to stop and with consequences difficult to foresee. It began with the death of Deng Xiaoping, continued with the Jiang Zemin-Zhu Rongji era and has now reached the point just before chaos. It helped give rise to Bo Xilai and his pretentions to the throne, defined his entire […]
China watchers are high
Whenever I open Twitter to see what the people are saying, I end up feeling like the kid who showed up late to the meth smoking session and didn’t bring his own stash. Everyone is already knee deep in a conversation or three and most of the time it’s the act of yapping that is […]
Foreign Tax not about Foreigners
Perhaps this issue is old hat and considering the fact that much of the implementation and enforcement of China’s Social Security Law is, shall we say, open to debate, there might be no purpose at all in even thinking about it. But I have been. And I have come to the conclusion that every expat […]
Silk Roads and Great Walls
What we today call the Chongqing Model and the Guangdong Model are just new names for an ancient struggle. Since the first brick was laid on the Great Wall and the first caravan set out across the desert, this country has been riven by the need to communicate with the outside world and the fear […]
The Empire Strikes Back
China-based hacks into commercial and political networks across the planet have made the news again, with the Trend Micro report on an attack called LuckyCat that targeted Asian defense systems as well as Tibetan networks. The attack was traced back to a graduate of Chengdu’s Sichuan University, Gu Kaiyuan. Gu currently works for Tencent and […]
Don’t wink at me
I am a stranger in a strange land. I need connections or I will wither and die. And the connections I need are not just with my native people, or with people similar to me, but with the people who inhabit this strange land. I learned to speak Chinese out of survival instinct and I […]
Speaking of rumors …
The Bo Xilai Incident will not die a quiet death. The plodding censors in the Chinese government are stirring up the rumor pot, and no one is sure if that is the goal or just a byproduct of incompetence and the absurdity of Web censorship in general. According to a recent CNN article, “Heavy hand […]
The Next Generation in Gong Fu Awesomeness
This one goes out to E-Minor. I was defeated on the field of battle, in front of women and friends, by an Afrosamurai Warrior. Not only was I beaten, but the manner in which I fell was particularly humiliating. While I stood transfixed and completely unsure of how to attack this Great Warrior, he danced […]
A different take on the Wang-Bo Scandal
I didn’t have the confidence to step into the Wang-Bo scandal that has raged across the mainstream Western media (and parts of the Weibosphere) because I just couldn’t confirm anything. And neither can anyone else, but that doesn’t seem to stop them. For the West, the sacking of Wang – or whatever you call having […]
Mother’s milk under attack!
There are daily examples all across the world of the media mis-reporting the news and influencing public opinion. Some of them we just let go and forget about, but others have to be confronted and exposed. Today a story spread across parts of the Chinese web that attacked the natural power of women to breastfeed […]
Escaping the China Winter
It’s amazing how winter in most Chinese cities cancels out the sun. The skies seem to turn gray across the board, from Jiangxi to Sichuan and Guangxi to Harbin. Only a few pockets of sunshine are immune to the meteorological oddity known as “China Winter” and I am in one of them now, the tiny Bai […]
That cess in yer chest
Tell me how to keep the smile on my face when I start every morning hacking like an old revolutionary until lung butter splatters the toilet bowl like adolescent lust. And clings to it like a first crush. Every morning ya’ll. I quit smoking and I remember someone saying that the first few weeks/months after […]
A many headed troll at the helm
Imagine a four-headed know it all troll with a broad streak of arrogance at the helm of the Gray Pearl in the midst of the Perfect Storm, the End of the Known World dropping off into Nothing on one side, the whirlpool that almost got Ulysses on the other. If you were a hand on […]
A True Belief
Tom from Seeing Red in China pointed out some China Quarterly essays and one of them is the inspiration for this essay … Few of China’s problems seem so intractable as the issue of the Chinese soul and what morals are available to guide it in the 21st century. The whole concept of a soul […]
China-US Cold War and what we can do about it
Can it be denied that the US is actively engaging China’s border nations in an attempt to contain and control China? It seems pretty clear to most observers that such was the case years ago – Kissinger commented on the idea of containment back in 2005 – but with the recent moves in Myanmar and […]
Merry Christmas from the Family
Here are some recent pics of my two boys, Stinky and Plumpy. For family and friends 😉 Love, Sascha Yushi Dorian Damian
Yining in Xinjiang Province bans beards and burkas
The Yining Government just released a plan of action that targets beard and burka-wearers across the municipality. The plan calls for a house-to-house search for any bearded men or women wearing non-revealing clothing and then ordering them to shave and strip. Disobedience will be met with prison terms. The new plan comes on the heels […]
Dying Cultures
I often wondered if generations before us have felt this same sense of impending doom that our epoch currently feels. I don’t wonder about it anymore because I have come to the sad conclusion that, yes, of course past peoples felt the dark hand of Death coming for them … because it was coming for […]
Ode to Third Ring Road
You can catch me on the Third Ring Road, zipping down the sideline on my Bad. Moduh. Scooduh. I’m on there enough to have found myself a little community, people who all come from different backgrounds but share one thing in common every time they slip onto the Third Ring from some obscure exit choked […]
Blinded by the Web
I’m going to switch gears and talk about my own country for a second here. Hitting out at China is actually too easy. There are a bunch of problems in the country and, for the most part, the propaganda and methods of the state are so crude that ridiculing them is like shooting the proverbial […]
Buddhism in China
Several years back I was in a taxi cab headed somewhere and the guy sitting in the front seat was a Fullbright Scholar here in China to study Buddhism. I jokingly asked him “What Buddhism?” and he huffed and puffed and got out of the cab. He probably thought and still thinks I am an […]
Imprisoned
Liao Yiwu is a Chengdu native and he recently escaped over to Berlin via the Horse and Tea Trade Route pathways of southern China. Reading his story today reminded me of a few things. Ever since I have lived in China, I imagined my escape route. There are a few, but the Yunnan-Guangxi one is […]
Excerpts from an Interview with Luo Fahui
This is a companion piece to ChengduLiving’s Portrait of a Chengdu Artist: Luo Fa Hui. Here I put together some excerpts from an interview back in October. Stay tuned next week for more Chengdu artist love, both here and at ChengduLiving.com On China’s Future: -有希望。中国朝着良性方向发展，不是以前那样封闭。现在我们很多人，都有机会和权贵坐在一起。这是大趋势，不是一个政党可以控制的，所以这个是个很大的希望。现在慢慢的改变，慢慢开始尊重人权，尊重人的思想，自由度，精神上的，越来越宽。首先是看着这30年的变化，亲身体会，当年是怎么样，现在是怎么样，随便怎么比。 There’s hope. China’s is moving forward in a good direction, […]
Agents of Conformity
Today I read Murong Xuecun’s speech given in Oslo. The things he described in his speech are clearly happening all around us and I have rarely, if ever, met a Chinese who will dispute much of what he said. In fact, most of the conversations that end up dealing with the woes of China are […]
Ai Wei Wei, prepare for martyrdom
It’s hard to watch a good man go down, but that is exactly what I find myself doing everyday now since Ai Wei Wei’s battle with the Chinese government took over the front pages of a lot of the mainstream media and China related blogs. He is a heroic figure and, for Westerners, his return […]
There might still be blood ….
I am deeply ashamed that I linked that NYT article. If you read it (Hi Mom!) then you noticed how the voice was decidedly not in favor of the protestors and focused more on the restoration of order. It wasn’t the piece itself that made me link, but the news that it carried with it: […]
There will be blood
There are basically two camps in the world “battling it out” while the rest of the masses shift and moan and watch it all go down. I use quotation marks because there is often no battle at all. In the Arab countries, there is. In the West, there is not. Two possible representations for the […]
Many faces
I went to Carrefour aka Roundabout aka 家乐福 to buy a razor and shaving cream and it took me almost an hour. Carrefour is a five minute walk from my house, but they hide the entrance inside a labyrinth of shops and alleys and lanes. Unless you know that KFC is always located near the main […]
Up for Grabs
I spent a full year under the harsh lights of Ctrip’s corporate glare and I wrote a lot of stuff for them. It seemed like pissing into the wind, for the most part. I met great people there, but the Chinatravel.net site for which I worked is the mortally wounded man doggedly clinging to life, […]
Support Broke Writers
Raglitmag is a webzine of short stories that you can check out on your E-reader as a pdf. They pay pretty well for a rag these days, so the writing they have is pretty damn good. I have a story in the first edition, “The One Legged River Ho,” based on Chengdu truth. Check out […]
For those of you with lil ones:
The Little Mole is a super cute cartoon for kids up to around 2yrs of age. You can show it to older kids, but these days they might want to watch Shrek or porn or whatever. But while they’re still tiny, check out the rapidshare download links below, I use Fetch. You’ll need to extract […]
Daddy bought gold o.O
“my sword crashes through your breastplate splashes the blood across your scared face drops leave a trail in the snow showing a clear trace…” I have been thinking and talking and watching gold for a long time, but I never had the cash to actually buy any and join the club. But I did recently […]
The Future is now
While avoiding the drudge work at Ctrip, I stumbled across the theory of neoteny in evolution. Neoteny is when infant features appear in adults ie when we evolve “backward” such that we display childlike characteristics, presumably mentally as well as physically. Paradoxically, moving backward is going forward: evolution in primates is a steady procession back […]
A question of existence
I came across some interesting thoughts the least couple of days. Although I don’t write about current affairs nearly as much as I used to, i still rant about stuff during my lunch break or late at night to bean, who listens politely. I’ve explained a few times already why i don’t write about US […]
Scattered Fam
So we’re on the eternal search for “the Spot” that will allow me to sip tea and write best sellers while bean makes big big money and the lil ones scamper. Possible locations are (were) 1) Pacific Northwest, specifically Portland and Northern Cali, but also and not limited to Canada or northern Washington. 2) Dali […]
Raihan was right
When my man Raihan heard I was having baby, he wrote me a message that went basically: “When you feel the rage and are about to do violence, just remember that you can put them (the babies) down anytime.” Now when i read that I was shocked, because I couldn’t imagine ever really doing anything […]
Giving notice
I worry about my writing a lot. Its the only thing i can claim as my own and its probably my only legit ticket out of the rat race. My only honorable ticket i guess, cuz if something else got me free of the race and in the cottage by the sea, I would die […]
Poo issues
All last night i pooped out water and wandered between dream states with these lines from J-Dilla’s Jungle Love going through my head over and over ” … i won’t take it like Shaq from three … with out that loot ya instrumentals stay instrumentals” But now daddy has the house to himself, the AC […]
Recent news and other tidbits
Once again, i have neglected my own personal blog in favor of other “cooler” spots that either pay me or raise my exposure level up a micron. Unfortunate, but a lot of it has to do with fatigue and time. With two sons (pic post coming up later, don’t worry) a brother truly has no […]
Laoba and Dorian
My father in law left last night and I have a feeling it will be a very long time until we see each other again. and thats a damn shame. For a total of six months that man spent every waking hour taking care of this family. Hanging out with Dorian, keeping the books for […]
Another Son
Two boys now, depending on me to show them the way. For at least half their lives willingly and then for another 1/4 or so even though they resent it (at least that’s the pattern right?) and then later in life as a friend. This time I was able to witness the birth first hand. […]
Syed Saleem Shazad
I read Shazad’s writings on Pakistan and the Taliban for years. Every single story of his informed me as to the real, on the ground situation. Never once did I close the Asia Times window and not sit back and think hard on what I had just learned from Shazad. Often I wondered how in […]
A few days in Sanya
For years I avoided Hainan because as far as I had heard, it was a dirty, rude knock-off of nicer islands farther south and west (Bali, Phuket, Hawaii). Well, after four days and five nights in Sanya, I am going to have to set the record straight for any others out there who may have […]
Pros and Cons
I’m headed to Sanya this weekend to write up some travel stories about the island .. the beaches and some of the luxury hotels. I’ve never been to Sanya and its been a LONG time since i was in the vicinity of beaches and sun and fresh tropical fruits. I’ve heard all sorts of things […]
Fast, Cheap or Good: You can only have Two
Rumor has it that Tom Waits once said this to Jim Jarmusch over whiskey and pop tarts, but it could have been Ben Franklin. I find it to be a pretty decent appraisal of what is possible in today’s world. In the US, I believe people chose “fast and good” whereas in China people chose […]
Into a groove
When it comes to blogging and just writing in general, its important to get your groove on. For a while there I was writing wak destination guides using bad reviews from the web and memories — either mine or some one elses. That actually hasn’t changed. part of my job is still exactly that: armchair […]
An anti-establishment radical caught in a corporate setting
Today I picked up the cash portion of my pay. here at Ctrip.com we foreigners have two different forms of payment: 1) Taxable income that is wired in 2) non-taxable income that is given in cash The non-taxable income is basically our rent. In the initial negotiations with HR, we were going to hand them […]
What the Wenchuan Quake makes me think of
I still choke up every time I read about the kids that died in the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. I’ll remember the pictures of a girl impaled on rebar as screaming parents reached up to her … one of them balanced on crumbling concrete trying to reach her before she faded out. I’ll see the blood […]
Why I came to China …
I walked into the Minneapolis Institute of Arts one day way back in 1998 and saw this massive hunk of jade. It had been commissioned by Emperor Qianlong himself to be carved according to the ancient 4th century poem, “Prelude to the Orchid Pavilion,” by Wang Xi Zhi, one of China’s greatest calligraphers. As soon […]
I should be armchair travelin’
but i’m surfin instead. The other day my man Charlie got the China Blues, you know, when it dawns on you that all of the things that you heard about China as a kid actually don’t exist anymore and have been replaced by “ignorant drones on autopilot” … happens to all of us here. I […]
My wrist hurts
And when I was in Chengdu a few weeks a go I told my shifu Li Cuan about it and he made me pound on the iron circle for a while. it felt better afterwards. i am back at the 9-5 grind after a few weeks on the road filming stuff for the China Travel […]
New China Travel Video: 48 Hours in Shanghai
Stephan Luc Larose and I have put together our latest video, 48 Hours in Shanghai. The first part is below for you to check out. If you live in China and do not have a VPN. Get one. Please share this if you like it and if you don’t, leave an evil comment. Here are […]
/facepalm
Man everywhere i look the oppression is just getting deeper and deeper — at least when I peep the news. there is China doing all it can to keep dissidents either silent or dead or scared out of their wits there is Iran, hailing revolutions one day, torturing them the next there is Libya and […]
Ctrip.com Youtube Travel Video Channel — Get Some!
Some new ish here for everybody to check out and pass around the campfire: Travel videos for Ctrip.com … these are the first two and we’ll have more coming up over time. Leave a comment or just pass it around … cheers
Horse & Tea Trade Route
I’ve been up and down this road and written a few things about it — the road that links India and Southeast Asia with southwest China and Tibet. Here are links to the stories I have written and also a lil slideshow to boot: Yunnan, yonis, Sichuan & ponies Shaxi Town The Horse and Tea […]
Dorian’s First Birthday
Lil Dorian turned one on February 8th and we went to our old stomping gronds in San Sheng Xiang to celebrate with good friends. The Love’s were there and we went to our neighbors Xu Lin’s spot for lunch and tea. Her son FanFan was there and so was Bean’s father Laoba. Chinese have a […]
Chinese Winters Suck
These past days I feel like I am just holding on … waiting for this miserable winter to end. Winters in China are exceptionally difficult because there is no escape from the wet, damp cold. Homes have no insulation, no heaters, no storm windows … cracks everywhere let the cold air in the hot air […]
Visa Issues
I made a very big mistake and assumed that I could re-new Dorian’s visa in Germany. His visa expired while we were in Germany for Christmas (close enough) and my plan was to apply for a tourist visa to China in Germany and then re-apply for a relative visa once we got back to China. […]
Access Divine
Access Divine Access Divine Access Divine God is Everywhere Just have to open your eyes Look Inside You’ll be so surprised Love is Everywhere Little Leaves In Sunbeams Inside your Dreams I can do things no one has ever concieved of behold what does that say about you Live life Live life Live life
Christmas in Heidelberg
This Christmas Bean Stinky and I are spending time i Heidelberg with my family. Heidelberg is a tidy, historic old city on the Neckar River with one of Germany’s oldest castles standing gutted yet proud atop the highest point in the city, overlooking rows of warm roofs and houses as well as two beautiful churches. […]
The Beijing Consensus
Let’s take a look at the countries that refused to attend the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Venezuela, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Sri Lanka and the Palestinian Authority A collection of enlightened governments, no doubt about it. Standouts include Afghanistan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The […]
The Assassination of Julian Assange
I want a show of hands: How many people have kept doing it after the condom broke? How many people out there believe that Julian Assange raped or otherwise sexually assaulted the two women in Sweden who came forward to accuse him? The mainstream media (The Guardian, Der Spiegel and especially the New York Times) […]
Holy Shit I miss Sichuan
Man I found myself teary eyed listening to the Ya Jian Bang sing about Sichuan food. I was thinking about what it would feel like kicking it with my peoples out there around a cheap ass table covered in steaming spicy ass delicious heart warming lip smacking eye glazing down home sichuan style dishes lord […]
One Second Encounters
I can only remember a few, but my mind swims with them in the hours before i rise and after the alarm has already been silenced. I remember the little Chinese meimei sitting with her grandmother on a bench in Chengdu, on Renmin Road South. I was walking along with Heather from Proximity Butterfly. Heather […]
Horses and Tea and all manner of Roads
I’ve been up and down the “horse and tea trade route” a few times. basically the road from Chengdu south to Bangkok, as far as I am concerned. It extends west all the way to Lhasa and beyond and north to Xi’an, but basically the middle half (Yunnan and Sichuan) is where a lot of […]
China Travel Articles
I have been working for ChinaTravel.net for a couple months now and I am beginning to develop a sense of loyalty to the place. I began working here primarily because I felt I needed a stable income to take care of my stinky-ass son and his mama. Of course I could have kept going the […]
Song I bumped in Nicole’s basement
This is a track i tend to listen to from time to time that is Stinky-related. Corny?
me and stinky passed out at the hospital
Me and Stinkumz got birthdays today. I turn 33 he turns 9 months. I was just telling my pops how he says DaDa now about anything he likes and when I come home from work he starts jumping and squealing and calling out DaDa. Pretty awesome. One of our favorite games now is I do […]
Being a Rock Star in China
I have tried to write about this a few times from a few different angles … here is a story on the Rock Music scene in China for ChinaTravel.net, a long meandering story that follows my friends Proximity Butterfly as they make their way to a show in Nanjing. The rock scene is something all […]
Mixed Blood Prince
I wrote another small essay about raising children in China, specifically about mixed-blood babies and how they are treated here and what they can expect. Chinese grandmas swarm over any cute baby they see, but they tend to ignore Chinese babies in favor of mixed blood or all-foreign babies. There is a love and curiosity […]
Time-Lapse Video in China
Here is a post for ChinaTravel.net about a group of (actually an individual named Joe) filmmakers who are doing some interesting work with time-lapse and tilt-shift video- and photography. The same guys who are in doing the time-lapse stuff are also doing the “Sole Man Project,” in which an Englishman spends one year shoeless in […]
Anti-Japan Protests Rock Chengdu
The conflict between the Chinese and Japanese is getting heated. First Chinese “fishing boats” enter “disputed territory” and snoop around.. Japan sends in destroyers to see what’s going on; the Chinese boats allegedly ram the destroyers. Japan arrests everyone then releases the crew while holding onto the captain for a week. China goes apeshit. Screams, […]
Dreamin bout Portland
I remember Portland sometimes and kick myself in the balls for not experiencing more of that town. But hey, grass is always greener right? I wrote a lil something about the grass and a certain seductive harlot named Hammock once and I stumbled across it again. Its a pretty cool lil memory for me, nikki’s […]
Big Bosses
I got a new story up, a lil something about a big boss I met back in the day called: Boss Sung’s Wife. I met a lot of bosses during my time here in China. I wrote about some of them but I always loved the Boss Sung character. He was truly over the top. […]
Better Axe Somebody
I been listening to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings for some time now and if you don’t know, you better axe somebody. Or click on play below:
Just in Case My Baby Calls
Bean made homemade hotpot two days ago and the last of it just got slurped up … I won’t tell you what’s happening now in the household, but just remember that every rose has its thorn. I took some pictures of our hotpot night and even though they are wak technically, they still manage to […]
New ish has come to Light
If you have not noticed, I have a few Fiction tales up. I won’t be posting a bunch of tales there, just a couple to whet peoples’ appetites. The latest one is called, “The Imam who Sang” and I like it. Check it out. I also just recently updated Nonfiction to reflect some work i […]
Can’t Truss It ..
No No No No! I try not to get sucked into these discussions anymore, but part of my daily routine is to open sites like Atimes.com and Antiwar.com and others and when I read certain passages I just can’t help my emotional response. Last week, during the peak of the Sino-Japanese pissing contest over rocks […]
Commando Style
Here is a post I wrote about the Big Bus Tour in Shanghai. The interview kinda goes into the exciting way things can get done here “commando style” in China without really getting into it at all. Be sure to peep the accompanying photo — that’s Chris Tucker with Jackie Chan. Love it. Check out […]
Chinese Baby Products Pose a Danger
Last night I spent about an hour putting together a baby bed for Dorian. It was a pretty shoddy little bed and a very shoddy set of instructyion, but with a little love it will serve its purpose. But after finding some little nails in part of the bed I am anxious about what else […]
WOW FTW: Gamers Can Save the World
This has popped up three times in the past 5 days, so I have to drop it. I watched this speech here by Jane McGonigal about a week ago, in which she describes Gamers — specifically those that play MMPORGs like WOW (Massive Multi Player Role Playing Games like World of Warcraft) — as super […]
Class Lines Apparent
I went on a little Man on the Street interview stroll yesterday, asking people what they had planned for the October Holiday. I pretty much knew what I would hear from the garbage collectors and the coffee jerks and how it would differ from people throwing trash and sipping lattes, but I didn’t expect 90% […]
You might wanna ask Somebody
One my oldest brain patnas in the world, Tshisuaka aka aka aka has got some ish going on at CitizenMinneapolis.com This brother is a poet and a musician and his thoughts have been places. One of my deepest memories of this man is once ina studio when we were all wondering which way was south […]
New Gig
Hi Everybody, welcome to my new site. Its a little stark compared to my fluffy old Chachin Aint Easy, but hey. things change don’t they. So after a long hiatus, i just want to let you know a little bit about what is going here. I moved to Shanghai in August to take a job […]
Oh Lord lets figure it out ….
The love I made this afternoon is thanks to the following:
Ain’t got no Game
Sascha ain’t got no game. Today is a beautiful day. the tree in my backyard is drooping leaves down into my face and the sun pours threw them because they’re young yet and let the light through like its natural. when the sun is out like this, the fish kick it near the surface of […]
They’re catching on …
In this NYT story, the benfit of mushrooms is being researched by scientists and medical practitioners, one of which called it, “existential medicine.”
Whatcha Learn
You know my family always used to make fun of my dad cuz he had like one or two homies. and even those guys he saw once or twice every 1-2 years. He was basically dad and thats pretty much it. All my life I had shitloads of friends. A million people knew my name […]
Dream within a dream
Last night for the first time that I can remember, someone asked me what I was dreaming about in my dream. I was so taken aback that I answered Battlestar Galactica at first … for some reason i felt it was more appropriate to lie to the two men and two women at the baordroom […]
Little Man
Today has been a good day. above is a pic of lil man and his brother — the other boy was born in the same room, Yushi and the mom knew each other and she gave birth a few hours before Yushi did.
A Full Month: Smooches and Poo
I have absolutely no time to write anything. Little Man turned one month today and here is what’s been happenin: He empties breasts like they was ATM machines and he is growing. He already outgrew clothes that were too big for him in week 2. He can kick pretty strong and his arms are strong […]
From Now On
Dorian turns two weeks in a little less than an hour. The following is an altered message I wrote to a friend and is the post I was trying to write all week but never really had the time or the energy to put it all down. So thanks, Melissa, for getting me to spit […]
Beginning to feel the 安
安 means peace and is represented by a woman under a roof. I always figured this character was a bit patriarchal … but now that i have a mama and a lil one under my roof … i know what them old sages were talking about. Its the 30th according to the Chinese Lunar calender, […]
Bean’s Belly
Some pics from this evening:
My man Fu Qiang
Has just opened up a shop selling his CDs (compilations of music he digs) and art. He takes pictures and uses software to make his own impressions. pretty interesting stuff. You can check his site out right here. Here is a picture of Fu that he manipulated into an oil painting-type image: Here is a […]
I can’t stop laughing at Western businessmen
I don’t even know where to start laughing and where to end. It doesn’t matter. For years and years people like me (but with better jobs) have been saying that China has some issues and we need to help them along, but the money-men always trumped everything by drooling all over each other in attempts […]
redemption is just one way of saying
my job is to pull you back from the brink of darknessprotect you from the prince of shadowsshow you the flower in all seasonskeep you fed, fat and gigglinggive you a blanket when its coldbuild a home for you to waltz inshore up the foundation when it crumblesso that i might be the man i’ve […]
So, what now?
I find myself asking this question after reading stories like this one by the late Michael Kreca. This information is not new to me — the fact that FDR, Churchill and Stalin steered America into a war that did not need to be fought. The consequences reverberate today in the Empire that emerged from the […]
The Du
Here is a little list of cool spots in Chengdu. This is actually a VERY incomplete list, but its a good start. holla.
Pig Fat
I’ve been using a lot of pig fat in my cooking recently. Yushi’s dad dropped by and left two big bowls of lard, a pile of Chinese herbs and a comment on my latest essay on China. The pig fat is for daily use, the herbs are for the month of rest Yushi will need […]
Haiti
here is a short essay on Haiti and Chengdu and some of the similarities and differences in the disasters that struck here and there.
Lu Guang’s Photography: Pollution in China
Makes me real nervous to see pics like this. I know that pollution is everywhere, but seeing it up close and personal like these pictures by Lu Guang is still disturbing. For an English translation, go to ChinaHush’s post here. In related news, here is a small story about “grow houses,” which are houses built […]
The Ancients said:
“And I wish that I were not any partof the fifth generationof men, but had died before it cameor had been born afterward.For here now is the age of iron …when guest is no longer one with hostnor companion to companionwhen your brother is no longer your friendas he was in the old days.”
“Don’t be Evil” — Tell that to Wall Street
After Google announced that it might leave China, Wall Street and other stock exchanges around the world reacted in typical fashion, by buying Baidu stock and selling Google stock. Baidu’s stock jumped by at least 12%, while Google’s slid by about 1%. For the money-men — the same people, let us not forget, who caused […]
Thinking about my brothers
The army drums cut off human travel,A lone goose sounds on the borderland in autumn.Tonight we start the season of White Dew,The moon is just as bright as in my homeland.My brothers are spread all throughout the land,No home to ask if they are living or dead.The letters we send always go astray,And still the […]
Google unlocks the vault!!!!
Everything the Chinese government has blocked is now available via Google, including pictures of Tiananmen, articles on Free Tibet and the Dalai Lama and everything else. According to Google’s own stats, the most searched for terms in the past 24 hours were Tiananmen and the Chinese for it 天安门 And this picture here says it […]
Google fed up with China
You can check out the full article on Google and China here at Chengdu Living. Check it out and leave a comment. PeaceS
China reacts to Avatar the Movie
Avatar the movie opened up in China on January 4th, 2010. Lines stretched for blocks outside of most every theater in the nation for the next week as waves of Chinese went to see the next stage in movie evolution, 3D fantasy on a Hollywood scale. I went on the 6th and from the first […]
Crib finalized
Contract signed. The crib is real nice, we is happy. I wish I could show you pics, but i have to wait till those greasy bastards at the Bad Monkey send me the battery I forgot at their bar. (Excuses …) The house has two big courtyards, a lily pond, a chicken area, two floors, […]
Chengdu Living
Spent all day yesterday cooking up various meals and eating them on the spot. I’ve been brewing the soup for two days (into the third) now and its got sausage and taters and pork and garlic and ginger and all sorts of other random stuff in it. I keep imagining an inn back in the […]
A new leaf
As you can see, I have changed a few colors on the blog. let me know what you think. I have been writing for Antiwar.com again, have a regular column coming out, not yet sure exactly which days, but I will let you know. The first one I wrote in a while got me called […]
No surprises anymore
Almost a year ago today, I posted a link to China’s Charter 08 and mused about a possible “transition” led by China to a more ethical and just governance … Well the architect of the Charter is in jail and was sentenced recently, according to BBC reports, but that is just a small indication of […]
The American Dream and the Written Word
So I am reading Daniel Boorstin, The Seekers, which is the third in a series that begins with The Creators and continues with The Discoverers. Boorstin is one of my favorite historians. So in Seekers, Boorstin explores the philosophers and “idea-men” that helped to establish the foundations for Western political and social systems. What I […]
Good Morning
Whatchyallknowbout Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings? Just finished Natural Born Lover and moving on to Stranded in yo’ Love And this album makes me jig my way around this living room in my chupa, wrapped up and ready for this cup of coffee i got infused with anti-viral honey from Andrea Shanti’s store, check […]
Free to Post
I wrote an essay a while back about censorship in China, for Antiwar.com, and I basically said that within the parameters of black and white, all life transpires. Well i am now, thanks to Freedur, safely within the gray. Freedur is a VPN protocol that allows me to surf through a proxy and avoid sneaky, […]
to all the beauty in your life
back in Shanghai, listening to Christmas music. i had a small panic attack in the vancouver airport as i watched asian people be asian and realized that my ass was headed back to China to live for a while and be a father and all that. started trrrrriping. in my own head of course. was […]
GUA
Ni zai kan ma?? Ni GUADEBUDELIAO! dajia dou xiaode.
Farts in the wind
I like to categorize my friends, even if those categories only last till the end of my breath and the beginning of an action on their part to make my cubby-holing a vain useless attempt to get a laugh. So anywayz, i like to kick it with Tenz cuz he’s all heart and Johnny cuz […]
They roundin up Hobos!
Bout to watch the Return of the King. Again. And the only reason I want to do it now is to get the full account of Gandalf the White’s battle with the Balrog. I feel quite comfortable with my fractal personality that involves serious nerdocity, hobo tendencies, sleazy charm, demagoguery and half-ass intellectualism. Add a […]
this could have been anyone of us
In this story right here, I find a very familiar young man: went to evergreen and became slightly radicalized. got a girlfriend and did what he thought was best — take action instead of talk. got caught and ran for his life to Dali, a place i know well. ran around the town and got […]
i got brothers
i have been many things in my life, some good, some bad and some ugly. i have seen my brothers be those as well. what i have learned is that only through the fire can the secrets of these ancient bonds be learned and earned. i also believe that time heals all and everything works […]
This shit really happens
In the Sanctuary in Oakland with my main men Big Scott and Johnny Frizzle. Today we tore the house up to try and find my passport. We all had different vague recollections of having stowed it away somewhere in the house, but it turns out I left it at a completely different sanctuary up north […]
Sigh
Headed back Here And just to make it even more lovely, i read more about Chinese products ONCE AGAIN making consumers sick and otherwise doing everything they should not be doing. My lady wants to stay just one year or so, because in 2011 a chemical plant will be built just a an hour or […]
My Rainy Poem
Zhang Yushi — Yu means rain, Shi mean poem or poetry or poet … depending. i met her for the first time back in the days when i was a real rake and rastabout. tenzin my man and i were playing chess in the ole cafe in Fanghua Gai in Yulin. I remember two giggling […]
Well well well
What Providence, What Divine Intelligence … so i am leaving the Wagon today and headed to a different brighter spot up the road a bit. I am looking forward to it very much and i believe its the best way to get my thing going before i head to China and begin life as a […]
A Photo Project and a Photographer’s ish:
the ABC’s of photography and peep the Yosemite B&W’s here ….
Chirp Out Day
Chirp Out is the day of freedom and joy for my Tribe. Its the day when we hit the road again after a season of trimming and farting and smoking and such. we hold councils on the daily and estimate the exact date of the final chirp chirp. we figure less than 10 days. maybe […]
The Wagon Part Deux
in darkness and in light even as alli said in the last post is true, so is the sweetness of the old lady and the steady drifting of the old man in from the cold. she wants to be our grandmother and it takes time for her to manage the movement from skeksi to mystic, […]
The Wagon
I have a day off today so i am in a cafe catching up on things and trying to get into contact with people. somehow i racked up a $234 phone bill even though i lost my phone 2 weeks ago. that hurts. AT&T really takes it out of my ass. thats 234 i did […]
A new day rising?
chillin with my patna 10z taking care of a money crop bumping Nas’s new album, which if you haven’t heard is another classic. check it out asap.here is a little post inspired by what I have been thinking about recently and Obama’s surprise Peace Prize. I was inspired by my main man Q to include […]
That Kauai story for the Oregonian
Here is that story — a little truncated and bland, but hey, its a paycheck.
The Weed Game
I watched the CNBC documentary on weed in Cali, Marijuana, INC. and it was a straight War on Drugs propagan(ja) piece. Trish Regan interviewd weed farmers and the look in her eye said: “this is so crazy, these people are not like (look into the camera with a Palinesque wink) US!” So that was too […]
Bumpin Raekwon & Drinking Dew
My sister is in Paris alone … hoping that my old friend will visit and show her around, listen to her and give her a word or two of advice that she can carry back. I am in Northern Cali in the midst of the harvest season. Billions of dollars of green gold erupting out […]
now that thats out of the way
I went to kauai with my man Q in January and it was one of the highlights of 2009. A great way to begin the year. I will always remember our gestures to the moon that last night … we were blessed. One of those trips if u know what i mean. So when i […]
last night with a frozen bottle
after all that lonely lashing out ended, i dreamt of a castle i was in, under attack from buffoons shooting dynamite into the air. it was my castle, in the sense that i lived there, but i still wanted to show them my secret passageway in the wall and the stone staircase that led down […]
My Oasis
A brown hen named Gary gives a flapping sqawk and makes a dash for the cherry tree in my backyard. Her two speckled girlfriends shoot their heads up and cock suspicious eyes, until they see Gary begin painting her beak black with cherry juice. They jump and run, coming to a calm hesitant stop near […]
Wine
The past two nights i have been drinking Yellow Tail Shiraz with my old high school buddy Maximillian. He was one of my first and best friends back when i was 16 and getting my bearings in Germany. I had a friend walk with me in a dream last night, a walk i can barely […]
off work early
i am better in group situations, then one on one cuz in one on one I am too eager to revealI like to pass around planets and laugh at jokesor drift away or just sit there and smilei remember a show about a moment taken randomlyand how it could in a moment be divineany second […]
Workin at Pok Pok
So for the past few weeks I have been working in the shack at the famous Thai spot called Pok Pok in Portland, on 32nd and Division. It was supposedly ranked one of the best spots in the nation in Food and Wine. All I can say is the food is excellent, the kitchen is […]
She was my affair with Portland
and even though the morning afternoon and evening held sunshine sweet sunshineoh lord the nights were demons in my bellyand i walked on creaky wooden floorsin my footsnuggies and sweatpantswonderingwonderingwhere is my mindwhereismymind
Obama in Africa
A lil sumpin sumpin here from another blog i post on: Obama’s sayz: Get your poo together!
Rape is the Consort of War
That just kind of came to me earlier today while reading this story here about Somalis in Minneapolis becoming “radicalized” and then heading back to Somalia to be warriors. I was envisioning the journalist interviewing one of the young boys who went back to fight and having the young boy go into a tirade about […]
Moses in the NYT
Dr. Russell Leigh, that is. My old Professor at the U of M was on CNN last year during the Olympics and now he has an Op-Ed in the NYT clearly and coldly explaining what is really going down. Check it out. In my last post i said that the Han arguments of “ingratitude” are […]
When i wake up i think to myself:
Ever notice how the convolution of simple tasks is at the core of many a dream? Repeating myself.
Xinjiang protests continue
Here is the BBC on the protests … there is some decent video here showing a large group of Han thugs headed to the Uigher part of town for revenge and also a crowd of Uigher women demanding to know where their men were taken. The NYT has a repeat of yesterday’s story with a […]
Violence in Xinjiang
Uighers in Urumqi rioted over the past 24 hours, destroying property, killing people and fighting the police. The immediate cause for the riots was a brawl in Shaoguan, Canton Province that began after some fool posted a note on QQ saying that 6 Uigher boys had raped 2 Han women. Han workers then rampaged through […]
What it is
Drinking my favorite Honey Dew tea in the dungeon thinking about home births and bike rides. yesterday i biked aimlessly and ended up near Powell Butte. The path seems to lead straight to snow capped mount hood .. i waved and stared until the sky turned that shade of purple streaked with fading white and […]
US Soldiers Dissenting
Read this and tell me what ya think about US soldiers and President “I’ma bring ’em home ya’ll” Obama.
Tea Tasting last Sunday
Last Sunday I invited a group of friends over to Paul Rosenberg’s tea temple for a tasting. Paul runs Sacred Teas, a service for those who want to learn more about tea, its properties and how to appreciate the brew for all of the good things it can bring you. In attendance were John and […]
Politics and asteroids
Yesterday i was talking with a geology student and she said her last big paper was about an asteroid that is scheduled to hit the earth in 2012. I was like, girl, you sure you haven’t been youtubing or something? and she said the information is only really available in universities and on lexisnexis and […]
What sammy said last night
I need to record this fool, kinda like my Native-Black-Polack-Commie homeboy Charlie. Last night Sammy came back from the mini mart and said: “dude, mini-marts are like bugzappers for lunatics. And in our neighborhood, there be lotsa lunatics.” its true. If you hang out all day at the minimarts you’ll see people surviving/thriving offa deep […]
I like that “feelin it” style
thats what my boy grant said to me a long time ago while we were in his dj dungeon listening to a little known dj named Fresh who was juggling some funk. man i started gettin up and groovin. at the time (and even now) djs were into that technically ridiculous style. but i’ve always […]
Tea with Amy
My sensesjostle for pole position in my brainvarious species of dewbrimstone, lilacs and porcelaini look up at a sunny Portland skyand it smells like raini envy my sensesas they compete in vainthen i close my eyesand see everything
Two books that I urge you to read:
The first deals with IslamNo god but God, the origins, evolution and future of Islam This book (FINALLY) traces the roots of Islam back to the socialist hippy rebel Muhammad and his community of passionate young revolutionaries. All prophets are socialist rebels … have you noticed? and their message eventually falls prey to the wealthy, […]
Summer in Portland
is almost perfect. its not too hot and when it does get hot the rains come politely like butlers in the morning to dress up the day in dew making sure i dont know it even happened till i stretch yawn put my slippers on and walk out. a faint whiff of brimstone and stains […]
The Hand of Death is no match for a Sweaty Human
So when yer friend is wallowing in the dark night of his/her soul, at 2am, hating him/herself, wondering if there is any meaning whatsoever, then suggest a healthy sweat. God loves sweat. really. he loves funky humans. When we sweat, God sweats, Creation sweats and the whole universe sweats with us. When the Hand of […]
Chillin at the Shiraz in Shanghai
My Persian homie Amir took me and Said to Ali Baba’s spot in Shanghai. Ali Baba is a true Perisan Pimp and he got us faded offa his homemade brew, fed us yogurt with sweet raisins and took a pic of me puffin on that yummy yummy shisha. Peep my clean dome.
Mengding Mountain Tea
I took a trip last month while i was in china to my main homegirl’s tea spot. here are some pics: From Left to Right: Guan Da Ge, Xiao Bai, Chen Shui Yuan and Chen’s employees. Xiao Bai run’s the plant, Chen is my logistics, tea ware and oolong guy and Guan is my right […]
A long hiatus makes for a rambling post
So i will begin with an introduction: hi, this has been inaccessible for me for some time, but now i have hotpost shield so its all good (addendum: not all good). I am still in Chengdu and fly out of here on the 30th to Shanghai and then back to SFO for a while. Now […]
Three Mountain Teas
I went to Mengding Mountain yesterday and took a LONG trek to find my Honey Dew Green supplier Bai Ting Ting (Xiao Bai) just so I could be there again. It a beautiful spot. Tea bushes as far as the eye can see and as clear a sky as the Sichuan fog allows. Its real […]
Work is the Enemy of Doubt
Fortuitous fortuitous this is the word of the day. I spent the last two days meeting my old tea suppliers Bai Ting Ting who provides me with the Honey Dew Tea that I love so much and my man Chen Su Yuan who has tea ware for sale and twin brothers Xiao Song and Da […]
The Du
MM-MM something about the Du makes me feel all homey. its easy as pie out here. the sky looks like dishwater and i aint seen the sun yet but instead i got down on some Pickled Pepper Beef and some of the tastiest gong pao chick en this fool has ever scarfed down. Got with […]
Chinese girls are silly
My man told me earlier i the week that he would never marry a Chinese girl, even though he has been here for several years and chases them down like the bunnies they are. I remember thinking the same thing for a while, but it only hit home when .. i went home (or Portland). […]
Shanghai
I miss the quiet of my dungeon and the wind through Oregon’s trees. Its sunny here and i am about to be in the Du with all my friends again and its gonna be hard to leave. I am trying to stay for one month but i can feel the pull of oblivion on the […]
Back in China
Shanghai is a sea of skyscrapers as far as my eye can see. There are pockets of two-story blocks of old school homes with laundry hanging from lines strung between houses. The glow of the sun is like that of a streetlamp through fog. When i see the orange orb in the sky it looks […]
Vision of a Man
I wish i had a better keyboard cuz there is something i need to work out and for me keyboards are … key. I notice a lot of bad ass women out there. women who have been in the trenches of love in their twenties, been hurt, been disregarded, been underestimated. In response, i find […]
Happy Easter ya’ll
Thanks to all my peeps who commented on that digital vagabond proposal. Here is a piece I wrote about the Mexican War on Drugs about a month ago. Never got published, so I figure I’ll drop it right here: Crystal meth used to be a homegrown, domestically manufactured good ole American drug until the War […]
Reconciliation
So let me try and explain whats going on here: My main woman Nicole went through several years of servitude and now, finally, the work she has wanted all her life has fallen like manna from the sky. She wants to be a freelance journalist on the move and that’s what is happening to her. […]
CALLING OUT TO ALL MY PEOPLE
You know i don’t ask much of you all, but i need anyone who peeps this blog to go here: Chachie’s Proposal! read my proposal and drop yer words on it. Mad love.
If Babylon falls in my lifetime
Nicole be twitterin with Questlove these days cuz he is in P-town freezin his ass off … i mean it aint that cold up here but for him … used to the sun and all … Is the Apocalypse nigh? I met a dude in Eugene who saw 7 of the 13? crystal skulls and […]
the Cali sun
is hard to locate not because the clouds are there, but because they’re absent. I haven’t seen a sky like this one in I don’t even know when. Ate a power breakfast of Inca berries, Goji berries, chicken broth infused brown rice, pineapples and bananas and a huge dollop of yogurt. Did Big Scott’s pushup […]
I know why women trip
Motherhood. Its motherhood ya’ll. Before being a mother, girls trip on the intense biological forces that take over all thought and emotion and drive girls to be moms, or at the very least create the conditions under which momhood can best be realized (house, man, dog, fence). Fellaz: consider the intense drive we have to […]
Why I don’t write for Antiwar.com anymore
I wrote about China for Antiwar.com for about 8 years. If you check the columns out, you’ll see I wrote in spurts. There was often a month or more between any one column. It was basically geopolitical stuff but it also served as my forum for the things that inspired, infuriated or interested me about […]
throw a stone or move
Sigh. How many times do we read something like this over coffee/tea in the mornring, imagine charging or throwing a stone at a rich man’s house and then … just go about doin yer thang?
The Sack of Long Beach
I am working on this chapter right now and i am finding it quite difficult. i want to convey the deep desire of the pirates to be acknowledged for their adventures while at the same time showing them to be the pillaging bastards that they really are. basically, they wanted to be loved, when they […]
watch out now
funny funny, i talk about the beatnuts, pop open Itunes and my song’s on. howz that yo?its hard for you to swallawhatcha gonna do? you was in jail wearin kneepads … cuz for real there aint nothin but crooks in here … watch out now.
me and the devil sluggin it out
so yo, I have been dwelling daily on a tea business. I started out thinking that I was going to get a van, pimp it out Thai style and then roll around Portland dishin out love. It doesn’t work like that for a variety of reasons. So then I looked at my plans and numbers […]
whats goin down
this is what i’m reading and i am thankful for a bucket of blessed mobility. because this is why i aint been writing on here recently. Buddha Palm Teas ya’ll.
I got emeralds in my cup
When o when will the weather cease to drive me down into my dungeon? Its hailing outside right now. And its got that dank and dreary grey vibe that just warns ya: “if u go out, the sky can see you. and it will MAKE U PAY!” In the News?Phish is back. Long live the […]
I take my music whereever I go
because I’m just so in love with it. I beatbox walkin down the block a lot and sing in easy soul rhymes. My gait loses me in the funk and I must look wild to passersby. Its so easy to slip into a soulwalk in any town on any street, I flash it out like […]
I remember playin BB guns
My man Riz. I remember when his goofy big toothed ass showed up in Chengdu and immediately girls were following him around like he was an ice cream truck. i was so jealous i licked his girl’s eyeball. he would console me when i was drunk. he told me it was going to be all […]
Originality
Courtesy of my man Charles “Himmler” Moseley:
Speaking of holograms
I play World of Warcraft. But since i understand that massive multi player role playing games can be detrimental to your health, i try and find ways in which this truly enjoyable game can help me out in some way. so yesterday i was playing and my character was on a rocky coast WAY far […]
The Universe is a Hologram
I was tipped off to this article this morning by meeks shuckafunka and about four paragraphs down is the word “eidolon.” I wrote a story a LONG time ago that is still sitting in the unpublished drawer about a man who falls in love with a woman in seconds and the story is called Eidolon […]
Remember the Neocons!
Because now they want you to believe they never existed. The WSJ talks about it and here in the Washington Sketch is a funny little interview with Richard Perle. The lady’s comment at the end is pretty funny: “You kept us entertained.”
In Defense of Piracy
Today’s NYT has a story about the Beijing Silk Market and the struggles between big names brands and the pirates that knock-em off and slang em to tourists. I was at the silk market every day last summer during the Olympics. The big brand names do have a point: China does need to “graduate from […]
Tell it like it is
Losar is underway and the NYT and Atimes marked the Tibetan New Year with stories about the seething people of Tibet, pinned down by the boot of Communist China. Kent Ewing in the Atimes wants to know when the policy will change. He hits on the real deal in Tibet briefly, way down in his […]
I can’t help it
So i watched and listened to President Obama’s speech last night here on NYT and when he mentioned Ty’Sheoma Bethea I got all teary. I just can’t help it. The man was destined to come. So now i got to go and get another degree. Meeting with PSU people Friday morning. I can’t help it. […]
Dai Shi Men gong fu will never die
Here is a story i wrote about Dai Shi Men gong fu school for the South China Morning Post. I can’t link the story because SCMP.com requires you pay. So here are the pdfs as pics.
The 72 down 82nd
I got all dressed up for a meeting downtown. walked in the drizzle two blocks to the mini mart and ran across 82nd in front of pick-ups to grab the 72 to the Max. Bus was empty but for me and three mexicans. A white man old and wrapped in sweatpants and O of U […]
Crisis of Credit
An excellent project by Jonathan Jarvis of the Design School breaking down the Credit Crisis for fools like me:
leaving Mipples
so its bout time to go and i had a good time in the Twins. I saw several old school homies like Tshisuaka and Jake and Ciaran and i got to spend some time with queens i have worshiped like Jessie and Mika and Kelly and i am leaving here a better man. i got […]
I got out of the house
My brother was sworn in yesterday and is now considered by the Supreme Court of Minnesota to be legit. Bonafide. Hey … here are some pics from that day (more pending from the actual swearing in):
Every step of the way
I realized something very profound this morning and i am going to try and explain as best i can. it began when i thought about this scene in a movie i watched, in which a man said to another, lets have a moment. they then looked each other in the eyes and “had a moment”. […]
i hear voices
So after a few days in the Twins aka Manyasspolice aka Mipples aka Minneapolis … I have the following to say: 1) It aint even that cold. I hear its a “heat wave” out here right now, but it aint even that cold. its like .. 36 or something. no problem. i might whine for […]
balance in the force
Does anyone find it strange that all the Jedi never considered their own purge as the means with which the force would achieve balance? i have been thinking of sacrifice and devotion. are they one and the same? and just now i wrote a friend about the need to massage the message of A Great […]
what a pleasant morning
Those who do not use the hours before dawn are fools. i woke up dreaming of a fine fine situation, then flipped on the computer and started playing some o that Blue Train and then this mezmerizing photo arrested my attention. I have to thank my man Charles for sending me this. And i just […]
me and my cat gimpy
Gimpy got his first taste of pussy last week. I can imagine the look on his face, that shocked yet determined screwed up expression. A dash of confusion. Thats Chou Gui on the bed takin it all in … Its been an eventful week. I met with a lot of people here involved in international […]
my achin back
So i have to admit. Last night i put 15 pages down, but when i was done i logged in to World of Warcraft and played till 730am. then i had breakfast and walked around. then slept and didn’t get up till 3pm. its bad ya’ll. i dreamt of humans attacking as Horde characters in […]
i might as well drop it
So i been working on this epic novel and such and as the days go on the story gets more fun to mess with. I am going to lay a bit on ya’ll here cuz I figure why not and people be asking me all the time “YO Sasch, wassup with the book dude?” (and […]
now its really on
The downturn just hit my household. The main breadwinner int he house stands to lose her job come April. Her bosses are pretty unimaginative when it comes to downsizing, but how much can you expect from people really these days? I have a new slogan that can help answer that question: when you decide to […]
its on
Yesterday was MLK’s birthday. me and nicole and ashley and deb marched from Sister’s of the Road to St. Mary’s Academy with a few hundred people, then went home to listen to KBOO. I passed out and in my dreams i heard MLK’s speech we will overcome, which was playing on the radio at the […]
Some travel stories for that ass
Matador is jumping off the chains and the hook and the fence and cliffs and all that. here are some stories posted recently, check em out. A great run down of funky eats in Asia. Spots to dip to if the US is getting you down. I am down with Medellin. Some thoughts on the […]
So whats been goin on
I got back two days ago from a trip to Kauai with my man Q the Happy Buddha. We camped all over the island and ate offa campfires and propane stoves. It was a fine fine trip. We hiked one day into the NaPali coastal area and found a river site all to our own. […]
China’s Charter 08
“China, as a major nation of the world, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and as a member of the UN Council on Human Rights, should be contributing to peace for humankind and progress toward human rights. Unfortunately, we stand today as the only country among the major nations […]
the devil strikes back
right after that last post, i went through all the times i felt i was betrayed or hurt or wronged by my best friends and felt anger and hatred rise up inside. thank God i can breathe or else i’d probably blow up. so is it best to sit down and be like YO, this […]
I have memories of a Golden Age
when empathy ruled and misunderstanding had not yet been conceived. Isn’t it amazing how women and men revolve around each other like lightning struck ions repelling and attracting each other furiously? I find myself constantly saying shit like: women are absolutely insane. and weak. and needy. and insane. and Q kinda clued me in to […]
how my people do
this is my brother Mike Jones. this is how he do. bend knee and pay tribute.
Peep This
Here are some stories coming out of Matador.com … They are doing a great job with their articles and site and I am on board for the long haul so check them out and give some feedback … holla. Weird Hotels around the world International Healthcare Options How to Deal with Haters Support yer broke […]
Laffs
I knew something would come up to brighten my day …
The Whipping Boy
I sent a mass email out the other day to get people to sign a petition to have 1 million given to every citizen in the US by the gov. the math is of course “ridiculous” right? the idea that the gov “financed by the people” could possibly give any money to us is “absurd” […]
Democracy in China
Does anyone remember the Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute campaign and the Crying Indian as kids? How we were taught to throw stuff away. I think that was such a powerful and successful campaign for me because it hit me when i was young and I still carry garbage around in my pocket until i […]
The Bailout …
YO: Read this Wikipedia entry about the “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act” then go here and read through this article about where the cheddar is going … then get pissed. then sign this. (and wonder if being the 40th person to do so without doing the math makes you an idiot or a hero.) and then […]
to my Chinese peoples
I just had a dream of China in 2028 and it was a beautiful vision. I thought of a metaphor: an old man who has shed his skin, thrown away his cane and run a marathon. I felt the pain of shedding skin, the anxiety of throwing away the cane, the suffering of running mile […]
Where does all the TARP go?
This sentence here at the end of the NYT story about the failure of the auto industry bailout is probably one of the most important of the story. Its the very last sentence. A few paragraphs above this one, the “problem” of “legacy costs” (pensions and such?) incurred by Detroit because of the United Autoworkers […]
Broke Fat White People
Last night I was minding my own business at my man Q’s house in the Pearl District when I get drunk-dialed by Sammy’s ass. He came to pick me up in the broken down Daewoo that he be driving these days, half in the bag, and demanded I take him to several seedy, dark, smelly […]
Strippers
Strippers wanna be watched, stared at, lusted over and dreamt about. Strippers watch themselves in the mirror and wish they could throw some ones at their own wiggling ass. Strippers wanna sit at the bar and talk politics in their skimpy suits and be taken seriously. Strippers want elicit sex between shows in the waiting […]
The Phantom Menace
The only good thing to come out of Lucas’ last three stabs at glory is the phrase Phantom Menace, used to describe a diversion that lures the Binks of the world astray … Justin Raimondo is the head writer at Antiwar.com and he was the man who first got me into writing geopolitical stuff back […]
Big Business in the Prison System
Hey Ya’ll here is a story I wrote for Matador.com about the privatization of the prison system in the US. It is filled with links to sites doing work on this topic, i urge you to follow the trail wherever it leads, there will be some shocking revelations for you I guarantee …. things are […]
One Second Encounters
I left the Council of the Monkey in Pai and headed north through Laos to China. The other council members headed south to bangkok for school and such … I ran out of money in Chiang Rai on the Laos border and had to trade a bottle of Sambuca for a broken bike. I strapped […]
Irvine, CA
I had a very fine Thanksgiving Holiday with my family in SoCal (southern California) and it is about to end in a few hours. I am headed back to Portland this morning with a small band of adventurers and we all can’t wait to hit up the hot springs throw bills at the pretty ladies […]
El Lay
Chillin in El Lay and I must say the women here are so fly and so cute and wearing clothes that i got to get for my hipster women pals up in portland. i saw a blonde girl today fellaz. lord have mercy. and there are more asians than you can gawk at (if you, […]
PEEP THIS!!
Julia Zimmermann came to Chengdu and stayed with me for several days chronicling the earthquake there for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung — my favorite German-language newspaper. Here is her finished work, in German. The photos speak for themselves and if you click on the slideshow to your right, you will see more of the same […]
Peep This
Here are a couple stories I have been writing for Matador.com: This is my list of cities for singles and here is the “companion piece” about making love to natives in order to learn their language. Here’s what I have to say about late night food out there. Feel free to drop comments and enlarge […]
to the twang of a slow guitar
Chillin with my main menwe found some new friendsa million voices to heara million lips to reada million eyes to look into me and my main menwe get tribalsometimes we get devilishwe’re all looking for the same thing feel free to join usyou might get rescuedfeel free to join us maybe you’ll get rescued
Pirates with no Boat
I hereby claim “Pirates with no Boat” as my intellectual property. It does not matter if you read this post or not, the title now belongs to me. If i find it anywhere else, I will have my lawyer, my brother, sue you. That’s right. Go Bills.
its my birfday
and me and sammy have just taken our sweet time dealing with a heaping plate of biscuits and gravy at this spot down the road called the Arlita Library … now i have had some real good biscuits and gravy and i always love em. i have had some bad ones too and there is […]
We love the Bills
Here are some pics and a video from the last week. We had a Halloween Party and went to watch the Bills get beaten by that pill poppin cracker Brett Favre. I picked my brother up from the hospital and drove straight to Claudia’s on Hawthorne to watch the Bills game. You know how we […]
Universal Health Care?
So my wounded brother is home in Minneapolis now and my living room has never smelled better. Love the kid, but when he spends a week on your coach, you will understand the mixture of sadness and relief I feel. He is now dealing with insurance issues and paying for his substantial medical bills. It […]
What is this really about
Now that Obama has won, the focus shifts to expectations for dramatic change and improvement across the board and the historic importance of the first black president. For me, both of these lines of thought are foolish and irrelevant. Obama himself can do little to stem the tide of bankruptcies and layoffs that are yet […]
God Bless America
finally. we have a leader we can be proud of and a country we can believe in. It is now time to get up in the morning and begin executing the plans and promises that we have been hearing over the past two years. John McCain’s speech in defeat is a fine one and it […]
Digital Silk Road
Digital Silk Road From: plus8star, 1 week ago Digital Silk Road View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: japan korea) Presentation done at OpenWebAsia in October 2008 on Asia’s digital innovations and their potential impact on the West. SlideShare Link
A message from Progress
You are Progress. Speaking of progressive, i remember when Obama first started moving toward the center, i said he was a coward and a sellout in this blog and that he should rely on true change and progressive values to ride into the White House. Many of you thought i was being to harsh and […]
They Still Don’t Get It
Last Christmas I went to visit my parents in Germany and I told them then that Obama would win the White House. My Dad said “America is not ready for a black president.” I didn’t really argue with him, because I have a history of being right with this stuff and having Dad come around. […]
A Perfect Majority
Yep. The Republicans are trying to win some seats in the Senate by saying: A one Party majority can’t be good for the country. They’re absolutely right. When they had the majority, they didn’t mention it too much, but they did indeed run the country into the ground. So now the pendulum swings … back […]
Bumpin it in China
So here is a lil blurb about the music scene in China and below is my man Himmler’s response: the article is pretty accurate. one point I’d add though is that the falling cost of producing music (the digital era – hardware is effectively obsolete at this point) happened ten years ago and hasn’t yielded […]
Asia-Europe Meeting
A while back I was sitting in my friend Zhuang Jian’s villa outside of Chengdu, drinking some rare pu’er, smoking herb and chatting with a collection of people there. Zhuang always had artists, musicians and vagabonds over because his house was our dream: plum, peach and cherry blossoms, tea and incense, old bamboo and potted […]
Hipsters vs. Superdorks
My man Himmler and me have this ongoing discussion about Macs and Pcs and which computer is doper. Now the arguments are getting a bit stale and now we just argue about who is better at Starcraft. Speaking of which. If anyone out there plays this game and wants to go toe to toe, please […]
I reiterate
its transition time and i am getting my room painted, my workshop set up and my routine established. dreams of off the grid cribs become tangible in the MFNW When the full moon watches the sun set over happy valleymt hood floats like a phantom above the treesa rainbow canopy encases the worldand meets the […]
The Last Debate
I listened to McCain very closely this debate, just as I listened to Sarah Palin very closely during the celebrated VP debate. I did this because I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I wanted to know if I like Obama because I identify with a cool black man more than with an ugly […]
China vs. Portland
In Portland, cars will stop on a busy street and let pedestrians cross. Even with a whole line of cars behind them. The pedestrian then turns to the car, nods or waves, receives a nod in return and life goes on. This is not law. It is just how people do here in Portland. When […]
Ma Shan acts like a Child!
I heard this a lot when i was in China (and sometimes here as well) and i always wanted to put across my response: Thank You! Over there in China, children and women should never be listened to, according to an old saying attributed to some white-bearded sage. For China to become what it wants […]
What some people find solace in
This story is getting passed around the elderly, all-white, businesspeople circle that i have a toe in. I think they may be smug about the fact that Blacks and Hispanics defaulted on many of their loans. Here is another story, by Stanley Kurtz, that basically lays the blame of the economic meltdown on defaulting Blacks […]
droppin the hammer on McCain
Obama dropped it during the debate and this story in the Rolling Stone lays it all out … pass it on. Update: Jesus. I know a lot of people have seen this. At first I laughed my ass off listening to the SNL version, then i became shocked and extremely uncomfortable in my belly when […]
Opportunities
I trust myself now more than ever. I thought to myself the death of Wall Street could only be a boon for me and mine. I had a feeling there was an air of excitement building up … i felt guilty saying it, but i did anyway. peep this video, an Addendum to the Zeitgeist […]
A nation of loners
Here is a interesting story about China’s One Child Policy … Update: This link actually goes to the column of the day for the Jakarta Post. Today’s was “How to get a Brazilian Booty.” so take a chance.
What Germans are saying
My homie Himmler from the 19th Step sent me this long article in Der Spiegel. Its in English. Most people i know will be nodding along with this article, hollerin out like YEAH and YOUKNOWWHATIMSAYIN or whatever you yell out when you catch someone’s vibe. Of particular interest is Part 3, where Spiegel goes into […]
What we deserve
I went to watch the Vp debate at Nicole’s friend’s house. A lot of very liberal women were there and we basically laughed a lot at what Palin had to say and especially how she said it … But i had a sick feeling in my stomach as I watched, because I know that a […]
Live and Let Die?
Imagine you are at a Texas Hold-Em table and a very rich banker steps up with a collection of cash from all corners of his derivative-laced empire. He bets hard on a 6-3 unsuited (bad bad hand) and loses it ALL. And then, because his losses would mean he can’t play anymore, he asks everyone […]
Its all bad; its all good
My landlord Nikki V is doing a piece for KBOO Radio about austerity measures people (may or may not have learned from their parents/grandparents) are using to get by in “this nasty economy.” I listen with mild interest, because so far my economy seems unaffected by Wall Street’s 777+ drop this week after the big […]
Village People in the Twilight Zone
On the night of the Fall Equinox, in the hills of northern California, beneath an ancient oak tree, surrounded by leaves, herbs and Tribe: I slipped into madness. I unlocked an old familiar riddle and chased the smirking moustached man through the mazes Between. I found countless paths through the madness, countless countless paths that […]
If you’re going to San Francisco
Get yourself a Mission Burrito. Have an Izze soda — my favorite is Sparkling Blueberry. Head to ChaChaCha and drink some Sangria. Put on a gimp suit and head to Castro or Folsom … check out the piers and strippers down on Broadway. Get a tattoo at Goldfields: I did. It says Equality in French. […]
Back in the US of A
The first thing i noticed was the sun. i got off the plane, gathered my stuff and waited for Sammy B to roll through and pick me up, its was 6pm. The sun in San Francisco was so bright and so strong i had to hide behind a pillar at first. On the drive back […]
Go Longhair!
I was in Hong Kong during the WTO Ministerial in 2005 — here is part one of a four part series I wrote while i was there — and in the end i believe “we” defeated the “Establishment” by breaking through the police lines and making it to the the Convention Center where the suits […]
The Coming Storm in Xinjiang
A Muslim pilgrim near Hotan This post here (with accompanying IHT article) tells of the latest heavy-handed policies used by the Chinese government to win the hearts and minds of the Uighers in East Turkestan/Xinjiang Province. Here is Reporters Without Borders with more bad news. Has everyone forgotten or ignored the fact that during […]
Picture me Laughin
Political ads … why am i headed back to the US again? the McCain girls are great for a morning pick-me-up …
Old News and Forgiving Old Friends
Although we may already know that Bush’s policies on pretty much everything have been resounding failures, this in depth analysis of the incompetence and duplicity of the Bush Administration is a good place to look if you want to get angry. Remember: McCain will be the same type of leader, haplessly sure of himself in […]
Serendipity
I have been talkin about getting portland and china together for a long time on this blog, and look what Mayor Adams is up to RIGHT NOW … its pretty exciting. Too bad he isn’t coming to Chengdu …
Eli Sweet, An American Rapper in Chengdu
Here is Eli and my main man Kaffe doin their thang on NPR. Peep it and pass it on. Its the real deal ya’ll!!!!
peep this
Yo: I urge you all to check out this video by the Hanyuan B-Boys … they put it down for their town and have all of China writing to them about the merits of breaking amidst the rubble … here is an edited version of what i have been writing here on the Brave New […]
The Aftermath
This will be my last post with Olympic connotations. The Western AND Chinese media are starting to evaluate for themselves what the meaning of this vast spectacle that went down in Beijing really is. I will just lay down a bunch of links and let you get down on it: This article in Time is […]
Back in the Du part Du
So I am back in the Du and it feels all right. As soon as I get here and start meshing with my real people again i realize that my work in China will never ever be done. There is so much to write, create, document and promote … I am tied to here forever. […]
Obama’s Acceptance Speech in Denver
“… this election has never been about me. Its about you.” Read it and tell me Who’s the Man.
A Few China Stories
I am in Qingdao now, chillin with my man Li Du and a large group of artists and musicians for the “Twin City Art Show” between Chengdu and Qingdao. I had a great night listening to the guys tell stories and admiring the girls’ style … here are a few stories about China as it […]
The Security Establishment
Now that I have finished my stint in a semi-corporate setting in a security company, i can let you know a little bit about how things work. These companies do business here with the permssion of the Chinese government. This means that they are under the constant supervision of the Public Security Bureau. As such, […]
Dont Believe the Hype
So the Games are over and the Western media is tapping into the fear the American nation has for China’s rise. Its all smoke and mirrors, people. America is in the doldrums because the media tells us we are; China is gonna take over the planet because the media tells us they are. The reality […]
Penultimate Day: A couple pics
I will have a few pics here … i lost my camera and never really bought a new one. I know thats the main thing this blog lacks — besides wit — so i will do my best in the future to have some images. so for now:
Day 15 – Ending with a Bang
Today was quite a day. I watched Cuba whup up on the US in the baseball semifinal and then headed to a spa to wash my stankin sweaty body and watch the US whup up on Argentina in basketball. On the way to the baseball game, i shouted out GO USA! and told jokes in […]
Day ?? – Big Day for team finals
The last two days have been pretty fun, but i have not been able to watch anything. The women’s beach volleyball, men’s volleyball, water polo, softball, the track and field .. i get it offa blogs or Chinese TV. My ticket magic has run out. I have tix to the US-Cuba baseball semifinal tomorrow, but […]
We Need Your Help
I was thinking about young Chinese this morning. Last night i was chillin with Li Du, Zachary Mexico and Liang Kegang in a KTV establishment. It was a young PSB dude’s birthday and he wanted me to come out and drink with him cuz we have been chillin together during this Holland Heineken House gig. […]
Patriotism and Nationalism
I know China is being held up as the petri dish for this discussion, but i urge all peeps to check their surroundings and see where the petri dish really is. patriotism is the love of the land, the people, the culture, the history nationalism is the love for an illusion provided by the State.
Rage against the dying of the light
or just post some love on yer blog and send it through the underground. i remember telling some young Chinese friends about the Tank Man in Tiananmen and they all laughed at me and said it was a piece of CIA propaganda. I think for everybody who does not live in China, the image of […]
And of course: Dashed Hopes
Liu Xiang is injured and will not compete. He has been injured since at least May, when he had his last competition. In China, an athlete is property of the State and to a lesser extent the People. Perhaps Liu has had enough of being a slave to the system. Perhaps he wants to walk […]
Days 9, 10 and 11 … The Hustle Eclipsed
Its becoming somewhat of a blur for me these days, i had to ask if today was Day 12 or what. I am writing on the 12th day at noon, about the last three days. I suppose the theme of the past few days has been the death of the hustle. The scalpers are gone […]
And of course: the Man Fish
I bet this dude puffs mad herb. Now, if we find out that he does, will he be stripped for doping? “Once you reach the plateau, it becomes the norm.”
Days 7, 8 and going on 9 … Sleep Deprived
The last few days I have been running on fumes a bit. And for those of you who have done that, it means alternating between falling asleep while someone talks to you and being unable to shut your mouth at odd hours of the night. The Chinese look to have the Gold Medal count locked […]
Dirty Spaniards
This didnt even make the rumor rounds in China until today … doesnt seem to bother anyone that much yet … i think people here don’t really know much about the “mom’s japanese, dad’s chinese, look what they did to me” thing. It means something to Asian Americans, as this story on surgery and this […]
Day 6 – The Calm Before the Storm
The second week is just around the corner and I felt the lull today. Indeed, the preliminaries and qualifying rounds are almost over. The Chinese blitz on the gold medals will have its Dunkirk in a couple days when athletics begins and “their” sports come to a close. On ticket sales, one noticed a slight […]
Day 5 – I Love China
What a difference a day makes. Today I went and watched the China-Spain B-Ball game and it was off the chains. The big difference between yesterday’s tennis and today’s hoops was that the Chinese know and love hoops. The guys in front of me loved Clyde “the Glide” Drexler and the old man in back […]
Day 4 – Chaos and Order
Welcome to China ya’ll. Today started off fine, I woke up and went and did some gong fu with my man Shifu Li Chuan cuz he’s back in town and we showed Yves and a few of his Dutch partners some moves. While chillin with Yves in his apt later, I realized I did not […]
Day 3 – Dank and Dreary … USA whoops China in B-Ball
Today I saw a one armed Cockney Englishman marching through the crowds around the water cube trying to sell swimming tix for 2000k US. The hustle continues … I’m getting deeper into the tix biz and its fun. Today it was hazy and dark all day and then it started to rain at about 4pm […]
Day 2 – The Hustleman
Yeah its always the same wherever I go. i become Red from the Shawshank Redemption. I am now in the ticket business and it is quite fruitful. I will be able to see beach volleyball, tennis, baseball, some basketball (no USA yet) and some girls field hockey. Ya’ll need tickets? holla at me. Ya’ll got […]
Day 1 – Opening Ceremony Ticket Scam
Today has been a very weird day so far. Last night I drank late late into the night with some security guys — old warhorses from Ireland and such — and they said i fit the profile of an “agency man.” This morning I was helping Jim Leprino, one of the richest men out there, […]
Yo
I think i really dropped it on this one … peep it and holla back! (Do i need to translate any American slang for you people? — i just assume everyone knows what “dropped it” and “peep it” mean …)
Trolls.
Anyone who has written or who reads about China issues has encountered the ChiCom Troll. I didn’t realize there was such a distinct term for these people, i always called them “brainwashed fanatic spittle round the mouth haters” — anyway here is an introduction to trolls that made it into the NYT. Basically, for web […]
Some ill from the Du
My man Chengduxi, who put up my Auryn tattoo back in the day — had to get it recolored by Poh in Pai, but so what — he’s got his sights set on the art scene .. he was once a drummer, still is, now he paints and generously puts it up for us to […]
Hu Jintao Steps Up
It is a beautiful morning here in Beijing. The sun is blinding white, reminding me of a graveyard shift I pulled in Alaska once. We were driving up to Ketchikan from Bellingham (on a fishing boat) and I watched the sun come up while passing through one of the countless channels between the countless islands […]
Moral Authority?
Its not hard to imagine how China manages to get away with being one of the more brazenly oppressive nations to hold the Olympics in recent times. The USSR was able to do so, but only with half the world boycotting and in 1936, Nazi Germany’s Olympics were held before boycotts were widely used as […]
What did you think was gonna happen?
The fools of the world who believed Chairman Rogge and the Chinese BOCOG are to blame for their foolishness. There are several stories out there: The frog and scorpion, the fool and the snake … whoever thought that the Games would change the nature of the snake, was probably dreaming of dragons …
One Last Roast
Indeed, I wrote a lot about how perfect my “Leaving” is, as it comes almost to the day when i arrived 8 years ago. I spoke a lot about how everything seems pre-ordained. Well, now I am beginning to experience what that actually means. These days in Beijing will be a further searing of my […]
Down in Kokomo
Will the damn Games just start already … All day I got BBC hollerin about censorship, human rights and nationalism in one ear and CCTV hollerin about the glory, sacrifice, achievements and bursting pride of the Chinese nation in the other ear. In the middle, i compile reports. I tell Prof. Han to find the […]
The good news is
That the Chinese are ready to do this. Just Imagine: Your dad grew up smilin if he got some pork in his rice bowl.Your granddad grew up smilin if he got to shoot the invader that raped his village You are smilin cuz pork is in everyone’s bowl. No one dares invade. You got access […]
busy day
In this small blurb about a photo that made it into a tabloid about the Tiananmen protests in 1989, we see another example of the many people these days who don’t know about what happened and frankly don’t care, yet face the consequences for their ignorance. I wrote before about a couple of copy editors […]
My Worm Ridden Hound named “Dog”
I am amazed at how rumors fly around this country. its a thing of beauty to watch a story go from one part of the nation to another — at the ground level — finally coming to a feather light landing as an encapsulation of some human condition within a four-character phrase. The phrase dutifully […]
caterpillar fever
Oh, about 5-6 years ago i saw my first pile of cordyceps in Kangding, Tagong and throughout the Kham area of western Sichuan. Tibetans were slanging the dried worms on the ground for several RMB (like 10 – 20) for a pile of about 250 grams. I didn’t buy any, because at the time I […]
Friedmann has found his issue
He is just hammering away, hammering away at the alternative, renewable energy grid that would bring the US out of its doldrums. No mercy. I remember being annoyed with good ol TF for some of his views on globalization and war in the middle east, but he’s got this one nailed. his issue is important […]
Feelin for Liu Xiang and Obama
Yeah I been criticizing Obama a lot here, I guess its cuz I was so excited and inspired by his nomination run and then to see him do the necessary shuck and jive towards the center of American politics made me lose my fiery optimism. But there is a quote in this here tale that […]
Chicken Grease
Played cards with the boys last night and it was good “craic.” I think that’s how you spell the Irish version — the lone Irishman at the spot won all the damn money, even though at the end all he could spit out were mumbles and curses, followed by a bellowed “Fiiive!” — referring to […]
We exist
Last night was great fun. I met up with Zachary Mexico and Li Du of Kunming Paper Tiger fame. I took along a couple of work associates to see if everyone would be able to mesh. It worked out fine. my workmates deal with foreigners all the time, are highly educated and the communication lines […]
Hey Ya’ll
… my people will hear me though…
A Smoggy day in Beijing
There is a situation going on right now at east gate in Beijing. About 100 people and are in the area. The issues is with the demolition of several apartment blocks to make way for a park. The residents have made a “last stand” in front of the last building. Anytime people actually get hifey […]
Picture me Laughing
china gives peeps designated “arrest me” zones to do their thing. “Chinese people know better than to go demonstrate in a {issue} zone during the Olympics, except maybe a few people with nothing to lose,” he said. “They know the risk of retribution is very high.” He added: “It is not a step toward allowing […]
Aint Nothing Changed
Things is hectic in this piece … for real. after the K’ming bombings the government made a few changes to security that are putting a crimp in everyone’s style. In the Metro lines the only security they have are cadres of fussy old women — the same people who yell at bicycles that cross the […]
When things die
I was in Chengdu for the past two days taking care of some business and I went to check out my old home in Three Gods Village. I have posted here about it earlier — the place is getting torn down to make way for high rise buildings and the people are forced to move […]
Clean Energy
Friedmann has been hammering away at this issue for the past few weeks. I think the nation is ready for a Kennedy-style mission to develop clean energy. talk about killing a flock of crows with one stone: A US developed clean energy alternative to oil would revamp the economy, create jobs, remove the need to […]
Bombs in Kunming
Reports came in this morning that at least two bombs destroyed two buses in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province. Although unconfirmed, the word is that suicide bombers boarded the buses and blew themselves up at 7:50 and 8:00am. A possible third and fourth bombing is rumored but unconfirmed. BBC was the first foreign media outlet […]
My brother can get you out the clink
In case you do some shady shit and get caught, holler at my brother, the lawyer Tim Matuszak, he’ll take care of you.
Which sky will it be?
views from my window.
propagandja
My man Mike the B. and some info on the Freddie Mac thing, which i said was sinister a few days ago …
like i said, communicate
Here is a story that is pretty interesting, in that it shows the polarized views of this country that people have. I am sure that the woman in the story did not have the right documents. She either did not register, was never registered, had a wrong visa or some other glitch that she probably […]
No Fun Olympics
Check out my no-fun dork shoes: China’s “top-down” approach to security in the Olympics guarantees that there will be very little mirthful exchanges between the people (in public places at least) and the Games here will be … well … all business. 2am curfew. anti-drunken partying behavior by the coppers. random security checks. jumpy cops […]
Beijing 2008
I am finally in Beijing. After several months of talking about it and changes to the plan on a weekly basis, I am now officially part of the whole “one world one dream” experience in Beijing. Yesterday was a beautiful day. The sun shone all day, the sky was blue and white lazy clouds hung […]
Impeach Bush
This was posted as a comment, I am re-posting it so everyone can take a look.
In Memory of Aintwortha, the Original Fleabag.
We had a cat when i was five years old that was called Aintwortha Shit. We just called him by his first name. My earliest memories in life are of my dad chasing this cat down, in speedo underwear, throwing couches around, cuz aintwortha reached up and clawed his toe while he was napping. My […]
We have seen this before, and its always sinister
In today’s NYT, the “demise” of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is treated with the soft gloves of supposed objectivity. The article begins by saying that the tumultuous tumble in stock value of the two mortgage giants is inexplicable and at the same time potentially devastating for the US economy and, above all, taxpayers.“There is […]
It can’t happen here, can it?
Engdahl drops some more knowledge … check out his site i have it listed under digable (to the right and down)
Sucked in
Every week or so i find a new web tool for this blog. I am trying out the “share me” button, even though I myself have not signed in to any Diggs, Blinks or de-lish-us sites. i am interested to know how many of you actually use and are familiar with these content sharing applications.
Indocrination II
My good friend and patna Fraggle Beanmilk has just been hired by a large daily newspaper here in the Du. They signed ol’ Beanmilk to a three year contract and the training began yesterday. So far, she has learned that Marxist Theory on the media is right in line with the current Party theory and […]
Laughs
(snicker snicker) (cackle cackle)
The death of traditions
It is so hot and humid in Chengdu right now that my brain is bathing in its own liquid, humming strange tunes to itself and sending me images of massive artillery guns firing into the distance. Spengler is a columnist for Asia Times who has derided the Europeans for lacking the courage to face the […]
Surprise! Beijing is a polluted city!
Sigh. The truth the world has refused to confront always comes out in the end, be it war for oil, Bush is a fool, we need alternative energy or China is polluted … it funny how long it takes before people admit the truth to themselves. I think it takes at least three large stories […]
My Neighbors
Here are some pics by photographer Andreas Mueller of the village i live in and some of my neighbors:
America the Ridiculous, America the Glorious
Today is Independence Day, and I suppose it is a good a chance as any to re-hash all of the things that i feel and believe about America. I am so eager to head back to the States. I miss so much about the place. But the things I miss are absent from the public […]
Patterns of Development in China
Francesco Cisci is the Asia editor for La Stampa and a frequent contributor to Asia Times. Here is an essay of his that does a good job of tracing China’s cultural changes and is also invaluable for me in that the patterns he describes course through my story about the Hakka.
Three God’s Village and The Hakka – lil Update
I have gotten a glimpse of the historical record of the Hakka that settled in Three Gods Village where I live. They arrived in Sichuan during the reign of Kangxi — first in Longquan (not far from where I am) then eventually in this village. The trip took 4 months from Guangdong where they are […]
Hakka in Sichuan
Hey. I am doing research on the Hakka people in Sichuan. The Hakka are sometimes referred to as the “Jews of China.” They reportedly originated in the Yellow River Valley and migrated south to Fujian and Guangdong to escape wars and famines. They settled in and around the Pearl River for many centuries, retaining their […]
The elephant in my bathroom
how silly we humans be. Sports are and have been one of the ultimate political experiences for societies since the dawn of the ball. A discus tossing match between a Spartan and an Athenian was the grand catharsis of the day. A football match between Turkey and Germany is passionate, bloody and emotional because it […]
perhaps … perhaps …
This here is an interesting article on Obama, if only for the defense of his rejection of public financing. Dowd here says that going after the money is what Kerry failed to do and will keep Obama from being a “chump” like Democrats in years past. I am getting more skeptical, but you never know. […]
2008 Olympics: For Chinese only!
The visa situation in China is getting more and more frustrating for foreigners trying to do anything here. How to extend or wiggle one’s way into a longer stay burrows itself into every conversation at least once or twice these days. If you have a Z-Working visa and want to extend it, you must leave […]
Read This
My MAN Rindy dropped it on this piece right here. I urge everybody to read it and pass it around. Send it to Obama’s braintrust. He is already beginning to betray us, everybody: Isreal vs. Iran, public financing, ethanol … not complete sell out yet, but its early yet. Obama needs to know that we […]
Blogger up in China!
Well i’ll be damned. After all this time, China has decided(?) to let blogger do its thing. So i am visible in China. This is a good thing. I am in shanghai now and chillin with my man Ferchak. I love his house. And his style too. A true gentleman scoundrel of the most elegant […]
it just keeps gettin thicker
ya’ll don’t even know. I went to Hanyuan the other day and just got back in the Du. I was planning on staying a month there, but things didn’t work out that way. On the way to Hanyuan I got a call from my man Philly in Beijing and he said: “yo, that security job […]
The Gov’s Side of the Story
So the meeting between the local government officials of Three God’s Village and the villagers took place today at 10am. The meeting was held in a bed and breakfast inn, one of the largest, across from the local Party Secretary’s house. WE sat under peach tree in bamboo chairs as the officials explained what was […]
Might as well face it
“Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen it …” I always loved that line. So much power and confidence. A calm declaration laced with pride. An intimation of secret channels, open only to the few, that bring the blissful touch of the Divine. I enjoy the way it rolls out of my mouth when i […]
China has no orphans
Today i sloshed through the rain to Du Fu’s Cottage in Chengdu to attend a meeting of poets and lyricists. About a dozen read their works aloud — all concerning the earthquake. There were old men with wispy beards, country farmers speaking Sichuan Hua and young kids with I love China T-Shirts on. Some were […]
She’s just a young girl …
I met a woman a few months back in the city of Yaan, renowned for rain, fish and beauties. She’s a young music teacher at a high school in town. She took me and Oliver around and we talked till 2am. She is married, has a child and is irrepressibly curious about the world outside […]
Wandering Blind
I can’t read my blog right now, but that might end. It has been a common occurrence since I started this thing. Sometimes my proxy works, sometime it dont. So here is a bit of an update on the “they tearin down my house” saga: My neighbors and I had a powwow today and learned […]
Will Autumn Ever Come?
“Young Fool, only now, at the end, do you understand …” Yesterday I arrived back home from Dujiangyan and there was a small crowd of my neighbors laughing and gathering near my yard. I walked up and saw that the Local Party Secretary and his tall, thin greasy crony were present. I heard them talking […]
The Min River
The Min flows down from the Tibetan Plateau, through Dujiangyan where a 2000 year old irrigation project splits the river into two parts: one headed south to Chengdu and the other, which rushes along the mountains — and the fault line — all the way down to the Leshan Grand Buddha, where it swirls at […]
Some mo’ Sichuan Hua
So i will try and put a few good Sichuan Hua phrases up here from time to time … such as this fine one right here:zhaan hua’r kai huang qiang! zhaan hua’r is that dude, wherever there is some commotion or excitement, his ass is there. talking as if he was the only one to […]
Mainstream
For the past week I have been a scab for USAToday. I haven’t actually written anything for them, but just in case the Tangjiashan quake lake bursts, then I should be there to write something up about the ghost towns of Beichuan, Mianyang and Mianzhu and all of the people whose houses and fields have […]
I’ve changed my mind
Well. It seems as if Hillary has finally decided to do the right thing and get behind the one candidate 100%. Of course its late and she managed to weaken Obama and strengthen her own hand in the process, but I suppose that is a politician’s job. She has put herself in the best position […]
War is Pure Sin
this here is one of the best articles about war i have seen in recent times, written by a contemporary … I imagine the book to be amazing.
The Case of Wang Shi
The Chinese government has decided to clamp down on the schoolchildren issue to ensure social harmony and stability. All protests are dealt with by black-clad police and the media has been warned from on high to keep their mouths shut about the schools. They can’t even mention it. Instead, Wang Shi, CEO of one of […]
．．．．
here are some pics that are circling the chinese blogosphere. The police and government officials in China haven’t changed one iota. They are doing their damned-est to sweep the deaths of all those children under the rug. If they only knew how much love they would get if they would just do the right thing […]
serendipity
i just got back from Beichuan a few minutes ago. Beichuan was near the epicenter of the earthquake, so most of the villages in that area were destroyed or flooded. I met groups of people from Xuan Ping — a village near Beichuan that was flooded — scattered throughout the disaster area. One man was […]
I peer down from the depths of crackerdom
Obama is finally the nominee. In this story here, i think the reasons why are clearly stated. He’s one of us. Unfortunately, “us” might not be the majority of the US. What we learned in the primary is that Hillary will do anything for political power, making her — in my eyes — exactly what […]
what does it take
Today i rolled through Dujiangyan and took a look at the field hospital set up by the German and Sichuan Red Cross. The field hospital is there to take over from the seven local hospitals that are no closed due to damage from the quake. They take on all of the patients that are not […]
aftershocks
today … bout three minutes ago, a large aftershock shook chengdu. the largest in a long time, maybe since the original quake. and it lasted for about one minute. here things rattled and my heart raced, but nothing damaging happened. but if it was this heavy here, then up north people died. and who knows […]
some pics
kitties peep dude in the background. it was a good day. for badass motorcycle love, hit up Carl
Luo Shui
We went to Luo Shui today, about 20 of us in several cars and trucks loaded with toys, paints, candy and other goodies for the surviving schoolchildren of Luo Shui town. We went to four different schools and each school had lost kids during the quake. The kids loved and we had a blast. My […]
It aint funny
I can’t comment back because blogger is blocked in China … it isn’t funny, what happened to Falun Gong followers in China. The brainwashing campaign in China, which i posted on before, is extremely successful. The kids here know nothing of the torture and persecution. When falun gong is mentioned in China, people invariably laugh, […]
Kids Day
Tomorrow is kids day in China so a group of us are headed north to Shifang to play drums and be funny guys for the kids in the refugee camps. I already have a song called “Stank Feet” all thought out. Today I read a notice issued by the police to the citizens of Shifang, […]
my people
I was brought into a new community recently, Matador Travel Community and i must say i really dig it. i usually hate forums and communities because they demand much and they spring up like mosquitos in the night. Butthis one is filled with people like me so I am down. I put two stories up […]
Addendum
This is my house — the farm. About 10km southeast of Chengdu in Three Gods Flower Village, where farmers grow roses and tulips and offer up their homes as teahouses for the semi-affluent of the city. There are some quiet nooks here off the teahouse path where one can chill. This is Tenz, my half-Tibetan […]
Test Runs for the Big Show
Wass happenin ya’ll? Its been an easy few days recently. My cats are in heat again so the dirty toms are serenading us all from the backyard. Big Tenz had a rough day of chess yesterday hehehehe … he brought his projector to the Farm and we have been enjoying wide-screen Planet Earth sessions. The […]
Tapfere Leute
Photo by Julia Zimmermann
Pictures of Qing Cheng Mountain
I posted some pics here of Qing Cheng after the quake. If anyone has any information or people they would like me to contact, please let me know. I am headed back up there this weekend.
False Alarms and Party Poopers
Yesterday Chengdu went crazy as every man, woman and child rushed to the streets to throw up tents (again) or jump in cars to head out of the city. Radio, CCTV, SMS and other media screamed out, “run fo’ ya LIVES!” and we all responded. Once again I had a large crew of people at […]
Woe unto the Enemies of the State
Patriotism at the expense of another nation is as wicked as racism at the expense of another race…Let us resolve to be patriots always, nationalists never.– Rev. William Sloane Coffin Today at 2:28pm, the entire Chinese nation stood at attention for three minutes to remember the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake. Today’s edition of the […]
gotta ease back
Tomorrow is chill out time with my kitties. Ima ride my bike around and beat Tenzin in chess. mad love
mom i can’t see your hand
A Poem by an anonymous Chinese circling the web(translated): Children quickquickHold fast to Mother’s handThe Road to HeavenIs so darkMom is afraidyou’ll hit your headQuickHold fast to Mother’s handHave Mom walk with you momI’m afraidThe road to heaven is so darkI cant see your handSince the walls felland stole away the sunI haven’t been able […]
A Theory of Relativity
First off: Blogger is blocked in China, so people cannot see it here, I cannot comment back to any of you and i do use a proxy. There is so much to tell … I drove from Chengdu up north to a place called Hanwang today, through the towns of Shifang and Mianzhu. Shifang was […]
Around Qing Cheng …
Yesterday i climbed as far as it is possible to climb right and Qing Cheng mtn is def. devastated near the top. Past the Tai An Old town basically every building lies in ruins. There are a few valleys which will take months to clear. Boulders and huge chunks of mountain clog the roads at […]
China handles business
President Hu Jintao made it to Dujiangyan today and shook hands with Prime Minister Wen Jiabao… Today I took a ride with a civil engineer and a security and infrastructure assessment expert around the northwest suburbs of Chengdu. We visited Chongzhou, Qingcheng Mountain and the outskirts of Dujiangyan. The purpose of the trip was to […]
To Mianyang
Tomorrow we will try and head up to see if we can help. THe local authorities and Red Cross have designated the Bookworm and Cafe Paname as two foreign est. where supplies can be dropped off and from which teams might be able to head up and help. Earlier today, a group of Brits trapped […]
I’ll make ya famous
Well Chengdu is basically back to normal. My friend Charlie’s harrowing experience is all over the web now — here is the AP story, which also has the video. You can check out the text here. We’ll be heading up north tomorrow in a caravan filled with goodies. It will probably only be a daytrip […]
Chillin in Flower Village
Well the tremors have picked up now and rumors are rife about another large earthquake. But rumors have been flying all day about no water, polluted water, airport open then closed and so on. its safe out in my little farmhouse and I got a crew out there and some kitties to look after. Charlie’s […]
Chengdu Earthquake day after
Here is a story I wrote that didn’t find space … its a time-pegged story which means I can probably not publish it anywhere else. So here you are, a look at what was happening in the Du the day after:In Chengdu a slight drizzle coats thousands of people who have taken to the streets […]
“Even if there is only a sliver of hope …”
Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s speech is looped on TV and radio and seems to have an effect. One line that inspired was: “Even if there is only a sliver of hope, we will increase our efforts 100-fold to save those people” Rumors are out now about the water. Water is turned off in Chengdu […]
Spent last night with my People
I want to first reply to those who have commented about Qing Cheng Mountain: If anyone has ever been there you may remember the very large gate that leads from the parking lot into the actual temples area? That gate is gone. All of the small bed and breakfast inns along the road up the […]
Charlie’s Story: Surviving the Sichuan Earthquake
On the day of the earthquake in Sichuan Province, Charlie, Ramone and John met at the Shamrock Bar and Grill in Chengdu at 7am and left on motorbikes for a tour of Qing Cheng Mountain. Qing Cheng mountain is one of the most famous Daoist sites in China, covered in temples, pagodas and tea houses. […]
We felt it comin …
My friend Rachel wrote the day before the quake: “I feel like the world is shifting” if ya’ll check the first few lines of my post “The Illusion of Coincidence” you’ll see that there was something in the air … just to embellish a bit: yesterday was Buddha’s birthday. The plates that caused this earthquake […]
A shaky night
There is a tremor going on as i write — has been shaking my building for the past three minutes. still shaking. had tremors all night and all morning and the news has been getting worse every hour. Chengdu seems ot be ok for now, but north of here it is real bad. Chinese Prime […]
No Sleep tonight
Well now that i feel i have done my part cross-referencing links and straining at Chinese characters its time to write lil something for my people. Its gonna be scary tonight for sure.. there was a tremor just now at 939pm and it last till 942. it wasn’t strong but if any of you have […]
updates on Chengdu earthquake: its getting worse
Thousands dead and injured in Beichuan county — the TV is not reporting any of this, getting it off of Xinhua news. All media is locked into the “central brain” local TV is reporting on the “man in the street” and constant quotes on how people felt, where they ran too … Update: Here is […]
updates on Chengdu earthquake: Deyang has at least five schools collapse
The schools are taking a hit across the northern part of Sichuan. Deyang is 45 minutes NE of Chengdu, Dujiangyan is 45minutes NW .. PArty Secretary’s statement is playing every two minutes on the news
Chengdu TV on earthquake
The tv news just reported 107 deaths and 648 injuries. They also say that gas is tough to come by — some people have been waiting for 3 or more hours for gas. the death toll is rising as the news report goes on — 4 people dead in Aba5 people in Leshan20 or more […]
rumors of more earthquakes coming
Rumors are spreading fast throughout the city that there will be another large earthquake this evening at 830pm … this has not been confirmed by anyone in the scientific world. from Shanghaiist:“Intrigue. There were rumours of a “huge impending earthquake” but concerned villagers in the Matang Village of the Maerkang County were told by the […]
More Updates for Chengdu Earthquake
The death toll is rising — so far it is up to 107 and the schoolchildren in Dujiangyan are not completely accounted for. The countryside around Chengdu a=has taken a big hit, with houses in Leshan, Guanghan and Guanyuan collapsing. The damage will be most extensive north of Dujiangyan — that area was also the […]
chengdu earthquake gets worse
Dujiangyan has been hit with tragedy. 900 schoolchildren are believed to be buried under their schoolhouse when it collapsed. DJY is 56km north of chengdu, making it less than 50km from the epicenter.
updates on Chengdu earthquake
we just experienced another tremor at 710pm. the locals are trying to drive out of the city, but most of the roads out are jammed-packed with cars. Cars are parked near the highways west, south and north out of the city, but they are not moving due to the traffic jams. Many people have taken […]
yo
for those confused about the time of my posts, i had it on pacific time.
earthquake hits the DU!
i was in the middle of a shave when an earthquake hit and the whole neighborhood spilled out onto the street. here is a pic of my mug. i will have more pics up soon i hope. i learned that standing in the doorway is a decent way to “survive” earthquakes … the buildings are […]
love atcha
here are some pics of my kitties. there are three surviving kitties and the two sisters take turns licking and caressing the lil kitty-cats. i believe the white one is the mom. I have already thought up a fairy tale based on Auntie Lickems, Mommy and the three adventurous furballs. I cannot comment back or […]
I, like God, do not play at dice …
which is a lie. I actually do roll the dice often and play cards most every week. But i still dont believe in chance. This may seem ridiculous, but i can see the cards in the deck sometimes. The only evidence I have for this very ephemeral ability is the plus/minus column. in six years […]
Chinese activism
this is about Migrant Workers jumping from buildings to protest corrupt ass developers who refuse to pay salaries. its a spoof in Sichuan Dialect.
Ba bu Ba Si
I am down with Sichuan Hua.
holla at me
does anyone out there work with alternative fuels/renewable energy on a large scale — research, investment, development, promotion over breakfast at the sunny side up on lyndale can ya feel me ??? i bet there are at least five peeps reading this. anyway. this story and others like it have me very excited and optimistic. […]
Xenophobia
China is really making it hard for the foreigners these days. All visas are a big pain in the ass — my main man in Beijing, a guy that for years was able to get us visas, had his office ransacked and all foreign passports confiscated. People who have been here for years and have […]
The Illusion of Coincidence…
A great many strange things have happened in the past few days … perhaps not as many as may be transmitted by the feeling that accompanies one or two strange happenings, but nonetheless … something is happening. I was sitting with my friend Himmler one evening. His woman Jodie and roommate Wu Tong were in […]
Tell that b*tch to chill!
Its time to concede Hillary. I like to believe that the universe works according to my whim. My decision to stay here in China until after the Olympics and then boogie to Portland in September seems to be in line with all that is transpiring in the world. In September, I will see if it […]
The Word
I have tried to emphasize the need for us to turn back to home and see what we can do there instead of sticking our under-educated noses into everyone else’s business. This column here by Thomas Friedman lays down what we already feel.
On Brainwashing
In China, indoctrination of the youth begins very early. At age 6, young kids are given their first Chinese Reader to learn the vast collection of characters, poems and proverbs that make up the Chinese language. The book begins with a small rhyme about flowers and their need for the sunshine, then goes into the […]
HK Torch Relay II
Some words from a fellow laowai.
HK Torch Relay
here is a column i wrote for Antiwar.com that will not get published: On Friday the torch arrives in Hong Kong. Demonstrators from around the world are arriving ahead of time to take advantage of this opportunity: after Hong Kong the flame will be traveling through Mainland China, where security will be extremely tight. This […]
Sleeveless Tendencies
First off … looks like the fervor might be dying down. we shall see. Does anyone else see the parallels between the Games and the Primary? We are down to the last few states and it is getting crucial — for china they are down to the last few cities on the torch relay. But […]
Doublespeak and Bullscat
Politicians truly are amazing. In China it is fitting that the government spokesperson is a woman, Jiang Yu. In Chinese (and every other) society it is an older woman who will do most of the scolding, attacking, reprimanding and declaring in a household. And by older I mean just slightly past menopause, when their daughters […]
noone can f*ck with my tribe
just got off the horn with a one of my tribe’s elders (hahaha) and it feels damn good. crazy shit is in the mix … seems like we might all be on the west coast of the USA at some point. or Colombia. or maybe we’ll have a powwow in South Africa with the Peer […]
all the ladies in the world
this ones for you, courtesy of one of your finest.