Going to Shanghai tomorrow
Friends and family, if you read nothing else, read and obey the following sentence: Please post your Chinese zodiac animal, or, if you don't know it, please post your birthyear. Thank you very much.
Last night we saw some examples of Chinese opera. It's...interesting. I took good videos of it. It's something you really have to see to believe. Also, we saw a woman play this really nifty string instrument that I think is called a gozhong or something like that. I have pictures of it, which I will post when I have more time. Uri ought to feature someone playing one on an album or something, it's a really freaking cool instrument. Then again, Uri would also probably like to feature a Chinese opera singer...it's definitely right up his alley.
I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow. It's bound to be a blast. Nathan and Sam want to go club-hopping, which ought to be quite the experience.
I went out this morning with Max and Xuwen. I bought some great stuff, good souvenirs for people. I bought myself a real Chinese jade necklace with laotu on it (the zodiac rabbit, my birthyear). They do some wonderful art with those zodiac animals. I got a great deal on my necklace, too, only Y144, which is 18USD. It was 55% off.
Max did some great haggling. He was thinking of buying some replica ancient Chinese coins, but the guy want to charge Y5 per coin. Max kept saying Y35 for the nine coins he wanted to buy, and the guy kept saying Y40, and then we got up to go and the guy freaked out and let Max have them for Y35. It was awesome. And all over a mere Y5.
Xuwen was very helpful with the pricing of things. Also, he showed me how to tell the difference between real and fake jade.
Wang Laoshi and Mack (Jon's girlfriend) taught us how to play Mahjong this afternoon. Mack taught us how to play with gambling. It's a great game. I'm going to buy a tile set so that I can teach people back home; I'm sure my friends will like to play, especially if it involves gambling.
Last night we saw some examples of Chinese opera. It's...interesting. I took good videos of it. It's something you really have to see to believe. Also, we saw a woman play this really nifty string instrument that I think is called a gozhong or something like that. I have pictures of it, which I will post when I have more time. Uri ought to feature someone playing one on an album or something, it's a really freaking cool instrument. Then again, Uri would also probably like to feature a Chinese opera singer...it's definitely right up his alley.
I'm going to Shanghai tomorrow. It's bound to be a blast. Nathan and Sam want to go club-hopping, which ought to be quite the experience.
I went out this morning with Max and Xuwen. I bought some great stuff, good souvenirs for people. I bought myself a real Chinese jade necklace with laotu on it (the zodiac rabbit, my birthyear). They do some wonderful art with those zodiac animals. I got a great deal on my necklace, too, only Y144, which is 18USD. It was 55% off.
Max did some great haggling. He was thinking of buying some replica ancient Chinese coins, but the guy want to charge Y5 per coin. Max kept saying Y35 for the nine coins he wanted to buy, and the guy kept saying Y40, and then we got up to go and the guy freaked out and let Max have them for Y35. It was awesome. And all over a mere Y5.
Xuwen was very helpful with the pricing of things. Also, he showed me how to tell the difference between real and fake jade.
Wang Laoshi and Mack (Jon's girlfriend) taught us how to play Mahjong this afternoon. Mack taught us how to play with gambling. It's a great game. I'm going to buy a tile set so that I can teach people back home; I'm sure my friends will like to play, especially if it involves gambling.