OMG: Rocky is BACK?

Ok so a few days ago I by coincidence was talking about Rocky. Here it is now that I discover that there is actually a sixth installment coming out to the theaters this December; entitled "Rocky Balboa".

I can't believe it. I know it is likely going to suck, but I gotta see it when it comes out. Call me sentimental but I still like the old dog.

ps: Stoopid blogger is giving me a hard time with photos again...

One Eye Open, One Eye Closed

Ok time for the disclaimer: None of the photos here were taken by me. Since I didn't bring out my camera tonight I have "appropriated" photos from off the net that say what I am describing quite nicely.

Anyhow this was my first day back from my trip to Macau and so I was dead tired and had a bunch of stuff to do today. Minutes stretched into hours, and the hours ran into a day. So it was about 8:30 p.m. when I realized I was bloody hungry and needed some eats.

Unfortunately (fortunately?) the others already went out to McDonalds tonight for dinner so I was going to have to fend for myself. Since I had the time and had some stuff to think about tonight, I decided to go next door to Fo Tan and visit the Dai Pai Dong.

If I haven't explained b4, these are nice old skool restaurants where flavour comes first and everything else including decor and hygiene come second. You have to eat with one eye open and one eye closed. That means, enjoy your food, but don't look too closely otherwise you'll be scared away by something or other.

So tonight I needed Chinese soul food so I had a couple of giant Tsing Dao bottles, a plate of sauteed jie chai vegetables, a pot of spicy snails, and some sliced chilis in soy sauce on the side. It was delicious, but not for the faint of heart.

The laoban was the typical old guy with the note pad and the other diners were the odd mix of students, workers, regulars, and old timers. Under the stark light of the naked bulbs, the outdoor patio was a buzz of late night activity.

I looked up and saw a hazy half moon peeking down from high above the bluish night sky, in between the high rise flats. Each of the buildings only evident via there skeleton of yellow lights. I spent a couple of hours in pensive thought, plucking away at the tender snails with the wooden skewers provided. After thanking the laoban I made my way back to campus and so here I am now; full stomach and hoping the next day doesn't bear any unhappy reminders about tonight. Cheers.

When did Rocky turn gay?

Click to see Rocky 3 and Carl Weathers

Ok So I am watching the You Tube again because I've had a really crappy last couple of days. So I start wandering around You Tube when I happen upon a clip from Rocky 3. Now I own a copy of the first Rocky because it was an awesome story about redemption and raging against what everyone else thinks you are worth. It was awesome. It was an update of Marlon Brando's, "On the Waterfront".

But I remember watching Rocky 3 when I was a kid (on beta no less) because I wanted to see Rocky kick Mr.T's ass. So I watched the old clip of Rocky 3 on the You Tube and was surprised at just how gay it was.

Being gay is ok with me, but I was so surprised at how gay Rocky 3 was and that I didn't know it at the time. Don't believe me? See for yourself and cringe before the slow motion scenes.

Damn. I was innocent back in the day. How could a movie showing two oiled up guys in short shorts hugging each other at the beach NOT be gay?

I miss my TV.

Shanghainese Flavour

Since coming back from Shanghai, I've been thinking a lot about the life there versus here in Hong Kong. I can't put my finger on it yet, but there is something in Shanghai that can't be said. I suppose it is like any other city you've been to in that the flavour must be tasted.

Don't know what I mean?

Well just imagine the hundreds of pages you'd have to write to describe the experience of chocolate. You can blather on and on about it, but the other person will still never get the point. But give them a nice little square of Valrhona, and they'll understand in the seconds it takes for the chocolate to melt on their tongue.

Anyhow, here is a bunch of squares of Shanghai that I think make up a pretty decent bar.



ps: The author is not liable for damages or injuries arising from the use of lame puns and weak analogies. You have been served.

Hangzhou Redux

Ok, so Blogger seems to be letting me upload pics now, but I can't see them until I actually view my blog. So don't get on my case for having crappy lay out ok?

Anyhow I went to Hangzhou while I was in Shanghai a couple of weeks ago. I went there on a mission to see the sights and to relive some grand experiences I had when I was a kid. See when I was young, my folks took me and my siblings to China for a vacation. It was a great experience for me as I had the chance to see my roots and get a sense of where I fit into the world. Anyhow about twenty years later, I returned to see Hangzhou.

Anyways, we saw the West Lake and it was beautiful. The sky was overcast and there was a foggy haze everywhere so the water reflected the greyness. It sort of gave off an over all feeling of peace and timelessness. The water stretched out as far as you could see and from its thin horizon came the edge of the sky. No one said anything as we looked at the view. Its kinda like looking into the distance and seeing yourself in return.



We also had a chance to try the local Hun Tun and Long Jing tea. Quite tasty as we were damn hungry, but we totally got screwed on the price. Oh well. It came to $30 bucks Canadian for the three of us so it's ok. Damn it...

We walked the length of the perimeter of the lake and saw the different views, islands, pagodas and such. Then we eventually got to the tomb of General Yue Fei.

If you don't know, he was a famous general of the Song Dynasty who was loved by the people. Well like in Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" the emperor's subordinates schemed to have Yue Fei executed for fear of losing power to him. So after his death the public out cry demanded retribution and so they created this tomb for Yue Fei and his first son, whom both were executed.

Well when I saw the tomb again, it was a lot smaller than I remembered. Then again, I was a lot smaller back then too!



Anyhow we spent the rest of our time poking around Hangzhou before hitting a local bar. Then we took the train back to Shanghai. Unfortunately it was the slow ass train and what was supposed to be a two hour ride took four! That would never have happened if Yue Fei was still around!

Help! Blogger is Rejecting my Photos!

It's been awhile since my last confession. Not because I didn't want to post stuff, but because Blogger won't let me upload my photos anymore. Damn!

I'll try again later.

ps: I'll be in Macau this weekend, and then Beijing next weekend, so now you know my excuse for being lazy in advance.

Just a quick post

I was up really late last night "studying" so I am really slow moving today. Anyways I was going over some photos I took in Hangzhou, China when I came across this beauty.

This could be the tackiest boat I've ever seen in my life. This is like the Chinese version of "Pimp my Ride". What a shame to see it on the famous West Lake (Xi Hu). Even the dragon head looks like it should have little fat kids in bathing suits shooting out of its mouth.

It's so bad, it looks like the perfect place to shoot a Chuck Norris movie.

NOTE: Favourite Chuck Norris Joke: When Chuck Norris couldn't get a Big Mac before 10:30 am, he kicked the restaurant so hard it became a Wendy's. Ha ha ha ha...

Anyhow I gotta go and be all I can be now.

ADDENDUM: Don't Mess with the Don

I love this photo. Doesn't my buddy Rodrigo look like some hard plantation owner? Maybe a sugar cane king? All this photo needs is a smoking six shooter on the table and it would be perfect.

Don't negotiate with the Don.

Just accept the fate he gives you.

I Miss Shanghai Already

Robs and I just got back from a five day weekend in Shanghai. It was an awesome time as it was my first time in Shanghai ever.

It's the strangest mix of contrasts you'll ever see folks. Where you'll see malls selling high end capitalist merchandise, you'll also see ironic portraits of chairman Mao right above them. Just when you think you've landed in an eastern version of New York, you'll see old world technology and peasant class poverty.

Food? You bet. You can have the traditional Shanghainese fare just minutes away from the local TGI Fridays and Taco Joint. Contradictions a plenty in a now socialist world which Mao never imagined.

Behold! Rodrigo (Don Rigo) with a Corona and some great Cubans he gave me.

Here's Robin with her new boyfriend, the street kebab guy. I think it was the aroma of meat on a stick that attracted Robs to this guy, but the affair didn't last.

Anyhow, we enjoyed Shanghai under the guidance of Don Rigo and saw so much of the city. We aite at places where we probably shouldn't have and strayed into parts of the city that most foreigners will never see. Thanks Rodrigo.

Here's a few shots of what we saw:


The amazing thing about being in Shanghai is that you are a witness to the transition of China. These contradictions between tradition and modern living is a battle where old China is losing at the edge of a bulldozer. Try to see Shanghai before the end of all things. It's definitely worth it. Better still, pick a few good friends to do it with you.

Lazy Days with Sand Between Your Toes

My brain hurts because I just went through about ten different articles and cases on marketing in China. I am being a good boy today and so that means I am pushing myself hard to get a paper done for my China Strategies class before I take off for Shanghai next week.

So after I finished my research and identified a salient idea to work on, my mind wandered off to better days gone by. A few weeks ago my friends and I headed off to one of the beaches here: Repulse Bay. Don't be fooled by the name because it really is a nice stretch of sand and water. Incidentally the name comes from the British who used this location to repulse pirates.


Stranded at my desk here on campus, my mind wanders off to white sand, salt water, good buds, and cold beers.

After I got a nice burn on my "fish belly white" skin I went down the beach to take some snaps of the local monuments here at Repulse Bay. Just next to the beach is sort of pier that has Buddhist structures and statues arranged about. Very interesting stuff, but unfortunately I didn't know the context for the strange shapes and fingures.

It was an awesome day folks. I wish I was beached on the hot sand again, instead of banging out this paper on foreign firms entering China. sigh. This is going to be a rough one....