User Comments - RJ
RJ
Posted on: Detroit
April 13, 2008 at 8:01 AMAdam - I dont know if anyone else feels this way, but I dont especially want to be a "poddie". Poddies have bums.:-)
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 12, 2008 at 11:40 PMI have some Chinese ghost stories (movies) but they are all pretty bad. I think they all involve beautiful women who get men to let their guard down at which point they are promptly eaten by something big. They are actualy comedies but that was not the intention. :-)
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 12, 2008 at 8:51 PMI agree with you about the beer and the micro breweries are nice. Dont know if you can find bai jiu iln liquor store but not like sake. Nobody "likes" Bai jiu :-).
Posted on: Do you have...?
April 12, 2008 at 11:58 AMLight- a horse is tame and controllable. It can be ridden. A tiger is wild and independent. It can not be touched. These are extreme opposites so if you are half ma ma and half HuHu then you fall in the middle and avoid any extremes. From hence comes the meaning of avg or "so so" or mediocre. At least this is how I always looked at it. The Chinese can be quite inventive and in their logic often hides much subtle beauty. More often than not, you will find there is method to their madness once it is understood. Maybe someone has a better theory but I havent heard it yet. -RJ
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 12, 2008 at 9:29 AMauntie68- yes, I do like Singha. In fact I can buy it in the US at Thai restaurants. Never had the Elephant beer.
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 12, 2008 at 8:57 AMThe good thing about the chicken paw is that it comes with a built in toothpick. Dont forget the salt. As for Beer, I tend to be a bit of a lightweight because I tend to like the lager beers. Im thinking Henning would be a real beer man and maybe have a different opinion. In China I like "Tsing Tao" and "Yan Jing", which is a pilsner beer made in Beijing. Yan Jing comes in several varieties and I only know the one I like by seeing the bottle. Yan Jing is the largest beer maker in China and is the official beer of the 2008 olympics. I have an official olympic Yan Jing beer glass that actually looks more like a large shot glass, compliments of a hot pot restaurant in Beijing. I offered to buy it and they gave it to me. You got to love China. My coffee mug says Chicago, compliments of the Ohare airport, but unlike the Yan Jing beer glass, it was not free. I can buy Tsing Tao in the US but it seems to taste different. I have not seen Yan Jing here. The other beer I drink while in China is "Tiger beer". Tiger is made in auntie68's neighborhood and its very good in my opinion. They do not sell it in the US. When in doubt you can always fall back on Budweiser ("Bai3 Wei1") which is also made in China. If you are ever in Mexico try "Indio" beer. It is dark in appearance but tastes like a lager. They can not import to the US Im told because of the picture on the label. Politics. Theese go down really smooth and you can loose count real easy. No Indio in China but they do have Cuban cigars. 干杯! (Gan bei).
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 12, 2008 at 2:14 AMChicken feet go good with beer. You can make one foot last all night :-).
Posted on: Yang Jie's Diary: The Final Episode
April 12, 2008 at 12:43 AMpatmetheney, there is one more airport lesson you might find helpful: http://chinesepod.com/lessons/booking-a-plane-ticket RJ
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 12, 2008 at 12:37 AMBrent, Bai Jiu is more like moonshine. Stronger than wine and distilled. It runs 80 - 120 proof. It is not that bad but it does taste like diesel fuel and is very warm going down. Throw down a couple of quick shots and you have everyone's respect. Then it is time to do business. You dont want to make this your drink of choice all night because the hangovers are bad. You do need to try it once though. You will survive, but it does separate the "men from the boys" Enjoy. RJ
Posted on: Superstitions and Business Trip Tales
April 13, 2008 at 8:31 AMbillm, My man. I never could see much percentage in being scared. The whole horror movie thing eludes me. Designated drinkers - they do have these in China now that you mention it. Its a sport to them but unfortunately most Chinese that I know are not very good at it. I retired from that kind of drinking long, long ago, and today, unaware that a game is even on, I still win occaisionally. :-)