Posted December 30th, 2008 by Josh
The SOHO complexes around Beijing have always been one of the things I hate about this city most. Gray, modern and ugly, the sprawling developments are a blight on the city’s skyline. Everything about them screams “mistake.” How bad are they? Try finding the right building in Jianwai SOHO. Is it building 16 or 9 [...]
Continue reading “Time to “Chai” SOHO” »
Posted in On Life in China | Comment First »
Posted December 24th, 2008 by Josh
There is a tendency for people to try to bridge the culture difference between the West and China by calling things “the Chinese X.” Like, people can’t just say “he’s one of China’s great writer.” Instead, the preferred way of explaining this notion is, “He’s the Chinese Shakespeare.” Of course, I assume that they mean [...]
Continue reading “Spring Festival IS Like Christmas!!” »
Posted in Chinese Culture, On Life in China | 2 Comments »
Posted November 24th, 2008 by Josh
Think back to the Democratic primary. Remeber what the knock on Obama always was? He’s naive. He’s too idealistic. He’s too liberal. He’s just not tough enough.
Just in case you didn’t get it during the campaign–when he decided to privately finance and blew McCain out of the water–Obama is tough, and hardly naive. A friend [...]
Continue reading “Bambi in the White House” »
Posted in On Life in China | 1 Comment »
Posted November 13th, 2008 by Josh
When I heard that the new Guns N’ Roses album is entitled Chinese Democracy, it got me wondering what, exactly, the point to the title was. Now, I think we should start with the premise that these fellows aren’t very deep thinkers. I’m not trying to hate on Slash or Axl Rose, but they did [...]
Continue reading “What’s up with Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy”?” »
Posted in Poor Attempts at Humor, satire | 2 Comments »
Posted November 9th, 2008 by Josh
Not to gloss over the remarkable achievement of America electing its first Black president, but the heavy focus we have seen misses the point of this election entirely. Barack Obama is set to lead this country out of one of the worst periods in its history. And he will do so slowly and steadily, with [...]
Continue reading “Policy, Not Race, Could Make Obama Great” »
Posted in Politics, Presidential Election | 4 Comments »
Posted November 5th, 2008 by Josh
It’s a new day in America.
Continue reading “Yes!” »
Posted in Presidential Election | 1 Comment »
Posted November 4th, 2008 by Josh
Since February I have been predicting a Democratic blow out. However, I am a Democrat. And a Mets fan. And a Jets fan. Let’s just say optimism isn’t my thing. So as we approach the moment of reckoning, I’m confident–but totally scared shitless. One similarly-minded friend of mine got mad at me because I kept [...]
Continue reading “Cup of Election Predictions” »
Posted in Politics, Presidential Election | 6 Comments »
Posted November 3rd, 2008 by Josh
Over the last several weeks I’ve gotten pretty into AMC’s show Mad Men. It’s all about the men (and women) of an advertising firm on New York’s Madison Avenue in 1959. The amazing thing about the show is how much its portrayal of late 1950s New York reminds me of modern China. Specifically, the provinces [...]
Continue reading “The Mad Men of China” »
Posted in On Life in China | Comment First »
Posted November 2nd, 2008 by Josh
Just before the four-minute mark is one of the weirdest exchanges I’ve ever seen. You can’t make this stuff up.
Continue reading “Bill Kristol on the Daily Show” »
Posted in Presidential Election, WTF | 1 Comment »
Posted October 27th, 2008 by TheOtherRichard
Mr Lee’s California Beef Noodle restaurants are a staple around Beijing and many Chinese cities. Mr. Lee, a Chong Ching native according to the poster in the restaurant I was in on Sunday morning, moved to the US where he made his money in Beef Noodles, returning to take this niche in Chinese cuisine by [...]
Continue reading “The California Beef Noodle King is Hiring.” »
Posted in On Life in China | Comment First »