Loaf Mobile Formal Introduction

Just finished up at the first club in Guangzhou, which was much nicer than all of the clubs in Guiyan with only a single exception. The club was really far out, it took about a half an hour to get to. Of course we took the loaf mobile, which is the general name given to Chinese vans which have a name in Chinese which literally means “bread car” because they look like ridiculous loaves of bread with wheels on them. Kind of like the 70’s van that they drive in Scooby Doo.

Kim is teaching me to spin fire on strings. Poi, I guess it’s called. He practiced for six months on beaches in Thailand where apparently it’s very popular. He has scars all over his chest, arms, and neck to show for it. Everytime he performs in front of people most of them are falling over themselves they’re so impressed, because this is something that not only they haven’t seen, but a form of art that they didn’t even know existed.

Wow, that’s weird. A girl just sat across from us and Kim said hello, to which she replied in fluent English. Evidently she was born and raised in Canada but is of Chinese heritage. The labret piercing gave it away though.

Tomorrow the mission is to find a pool and bring the boombox.

May 31, 2005|

Welcome to Kung Fu Land

New city! Arrived in Canton at 9am this morning from Guiyang. Some adjustments were made to the itinerary so now I’m taking Tenzin’s route through the eastern coast of China instead of traveling through the southwest near Tibet to the north near Mongolia and Russia. So I’ll be in all of the big modern cities instead of the way-out smaller cities. Part of me is a little upset because it’s the smaller cities which I seem to enjoy most, but on the other hand, I’m going to Shanghai which I like, and Beijing which I’ve never been to but I must see.

It’s really hot and humid here. The food is delicious; almost as good as in Sichuan, but much more formal and fancy. Everyone speaks Cantonese and I can’t understand them. It sounds really different from Mandarin, and I think it’s what most people in the west stereotypically think of when they think of Chinese. All of this “bing bong wing wong” business which isn’t in Mandarin. I’m at an internet bar now which is super posh and expensive. Literally 15 times more expensive than the one I went to in Guiyan, but this one has huge leather couches, webcams, headphones, etc. Seems to be a fairly large complex as well, housing about 200 people that I can see.

I didn’t sleep last night at all really, but spent time with Chun Li. That’s not her real name, by the way, but it’s the name that I’ve given her because I can’t remember hers. She reminds of someone.

Yes, Chun Li from Street Fighter.

I would have liked to have spent a few more days in Guiyan hanging out with her, but duty calls. Kim arrives tomorrow at noon, he had to take a 24-hour long train trip because his visa isn’t ready yet and he can’t board a plane without it. I loaned him a book and a handful of CD’s to keep him from going insane, because he doesn’t speak Chinese and there almost definitely won’t be anyone on the train who speaks English. Everyone is playing Warcraft III and Counterstrike all around me.

May 30, 2005|
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