The other day, I made an impulse buy. But unlike most of my impulse buys, this one is actually useful:
Yep. A bike.
You know how people say everything is cheaper in China? Well, it’s true. You will never guess how much I paid for this (slightly ok-kind-of-really worn) contraption.
$100, you say? Psh. Please. Lower.
It’s that time of the decade again for the media to question why Americans are disinterested in a sport the rest of the world is so passionate about. But while you all back at home get to see that tired story be recycled through the American news stream, I’m busy catching every game at any restaurant, shop, gym, or store that has a TV because, more likely than not, they’ll be showing it. You see, China—the country that hasn’t even had a team in the World Cup since 2002—is crazy for the world’s biggest soccer football event.
So who is China supporting? Drumroll, please … Argentina (“Āgēntíng“). And overwhelmingly so. On Saturday, I went to a local restaurant here in Beijing that’s very popular with Chinese college students and it was completely packed for the Argentina-Nigeria game. The restaurant-goers cheered in unison whenever the game went in Argentina’s favor and collectively laughed when any Nigerian players writhed in pain on the pitch. They love coach Diego Maradona and all-star striker Lionel Messi. It helps, too, that their names are easy to pronounce in Chinese (“mǎlāduōnà” and “méixī“). And the minute that game ended, nearly the entire restaurant emptied. Not many stuck around to see the USA-England game (which, to be fair, aired at 2:30 in the morning here).
It’s pretty exciting to be living abroad during World Cup season, though I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like in more traditionally football-crazy territories like Europe or South America right now.
UPDATE (6/16/10): From Reuters—a Chinese “volunteer army” arrived in South Africa to support North Korea’s team. While I don’t doubt the existence of these supporters, this article is a little misleading. By leaving out the fact that most people back on the mainland are actually supporting Argentina, the article paints the picture that China is throwing it all its support behind the North Korean squad. Having seen Messi in endorsement ads for Chinese products and spoken to many Chinese coworkers who have all confirmed that the majority of people here are rooting for Argentina, I know this couldn’t be further from the truth.
I think it’s important to make this clarification because the article seems to imply that, in supporting the team, China is also supporting the country. I can’t comment on the political relationship between the two countries because, quite frankly, I still don’t understand it. But I think it’s dangerous and, to repeat a word, misleading to make that implication.
Here in Beijing, I haven’t yet purchased a dish-drying rack because I keep forgetting to search for them when I go to the supermarket. So, my temporary strategy for cleaning dishes has been to handwash them first, then dry them with a towel and leave them along the wide windowsill in my kitchen.
Here’s why that’s a bad idea:
Guh-ROSS.
Ah, acid rain.
No matter how much you study a second language, you’ll never be 100% prepared to use it on the spot in a random, real life situation. Especially if that random, real life situation is something you don’t do all that often. Like getting a bimonthly haircut. Or signing up for a yearlong gym membership.
Two days ago: Thailand. Yesterday: Cambodia. Today: Vietnam.
Unfortunately, the last leg of our Southeast Asia trip got cut short because of Tet, the Vietnamese version of Chinese New Year. Essentially, everything in the country shuts down during this holiday, including most forms of transportation. Our original plan for Vietnam was to take a train from Ho Chi Minh City northwards, taking stops in Nha Trang and Hoi An until we hit Hanoi. But because of the holiday, we would have been stuck in Nha Trang for over a week. On top of that, train ticket prices for the week after Tet were astronomically high. Having to leave early was upsetting, because I desperately wanted to see Halong Bay.
Anyway, enjoy!
Yesterday I posted my Thailand photos. Today I’m posting my Cambodia photos. I was in the land of Angkor Wat from February 1 to 6 as part of my Chinese New Year break. During the trip, my group traveled to Siem Reap and saw the famous Angkor temples. We also ventured out to Phnom Penh to learn about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. Some of the most powerful photos, towards the end, were taken at the infamous S-21 prison.
Update: Here’s a separate slideshow for just Angkor Wat photos (all of which can be found in the Cambodia slideshow):
I’m really really behind on this, but my photos from my trip to Thailand earlier this year have been posted. I was in Bangkok just a month and a half before the violent protests started.
My last few days in Southern China happened to coincide with the May Day holiday weekend, which also happened to coincide with my trip to obtain a new visa in Hong Kong. Appropriately, I dragged Ramses along to snap some photos at two of the SAR‘s more notable spots.
Atop Victoria Peak overlooking The Harbour. No, I did not look ridiculous holding a stuffed ram on the Victoria Peak Tram.
Catching some rays at Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay) in the New Territories. Thank God I'm not as pale as Ramses.
Bridget O'Donnell is a designer for Ataway in Shanghai, China. She previously worked for the China Daily and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009. More »
