Glee

There's a guy who sells DVDs at the subway station about a minute walk from my apartment for 10 元 (less than $2), so I picked up the first season of Glee. I had never watched the show, but I wanted something in English for those times when I just want to veg out. And Chinese TV suuuuucks. All the shows are set in ancient China, or they're full of anti-Japanese propaganda (CCTV, the station that seems to run on all 60 channels, is state owned).

Anyway, I've watched about five episodes of Glee and am happily impressed. Does anyone out there watch the show? I want someone to gush over Puck with me. He's the hot rebel and soooooo sexy (bottom right corner). He plays a high school student, but he was born in 1982, so it's totally legal to find him hot =)

Tiger and I also bought and watched the new Karate Kid and Salt. KK is just ok; Salt is awesome. 

Let me know if you want me to pick up any movies for you. I'll be in the states in February for a few weeks.

Behind the Great Firewall of China

Several people have messaged me to ask why I haven't posted anything since my arrival in China two weeks ago. Aside: thank you for your interest =) Despite China's dive into capitalism ("socialism with Chinese characteristics"), she is still very much a communist country with her eyes all up in everyone's business. China does not want her citizens accessing networking sites that promote the sharing of ideas and, goddess forbid, tools that enable large groups of people to organize themselves into a unit of like-mindeds. Facebook and Blogspot are blocked. There are many more blocked sites, but those are the ones that have impacted my ability to reach out to yous.

A friend I work with (Rebecca from Colorado), turned me on to WiTopia, where I purchased a VPN (I have no clue what the acronym stands for). Now, to access the blocked sites, I simply click on the tunnel icon the VPN software installed on my desktop and scroll down to Hong Kong... I am now free as a bird to fly all over the internet. Yay!

Garlic Breath

So, I was studying Chinese in the living room while Tiger was cleaning up the dinner dishes when I commented that “My breath stinks.”

Tiger laughed and asked, “Really? Is that normal?”

I was only half focused on the conversation because I was concentrating on tone marks, so I didn’t pick up how shocked he was at my comment. I replied simply, “Yeah, it’s normal. There was a lot of raw garlic in the 'Little Green Dragon Died in Pieces.'” (diced cucumber salad).

“Huh, mine doesn’t stink.”

That got my attention because I was spewing garlic gas with each breath. I looked over at Tiger to see him fanning his chest, cupping the air up to his nose. “Maybe only women’s breasts stink from eating garlic.” 

I Wanna Flyyy Awayyy Yeaaah Yeaaah Yeaaah

Remember that song? A few stanzas to jog your memory:

I wish that I could fly
Into the sky
So very high
Just like a dragonfly

I'd fly above the trees
Over the seas in all degrees
To anywhere I please

Oh I want to get away
I wanna fly away
Yeah yeah yeah

Lenny Kravitz's "I Wanna Fly" was a hit here in the states in '98, but it was still hot in Swiss dance clubs when I lived there a few years later. Everyone in the club stretched out their arms and swiveled their bodies to the chorus. I wish I could remember the name of the club in  Disentis. But I digress. "I Wanna Fly" has been in my head for a few weeks as I twiddle my thumbs waiting for all my visa paperwork to get stamped by the right people in the right places. And the day is looming. I got the green light yesterday to book a flight for Saturday, August 14th.

I fly in 9 days!

The Upside to Waiting

More cuddle time with Grant the Manimal

Joint B-day Party for Christian (12) and Isabella (9)
August 1, 2010