things I learned

There are people who will sell mobile phones with cameras and mp3 players which cannot be connected to a computer without blue tooth, but not sell the blue tooth. So, no pictures.

Off to Hainan tomorrow. Days in the tropical sun. Wager wisely on just how burned I will be which day.

Wii and beaches

The wii works fine now most of the time, so blogging suffers. I must choose between telling tales of students or Lego Star Wars. Incidentally, the Wiis at the electronics store with the Sony sign near the Star Ferry in TST work fine oncce you set them up. Just took a native English and a native Chinese speaker to get to that point. They can be bought cheaper, but they do work.

On another unrelated topic, when playing lego Star Wars, it seems that you need Jar jar to leap about on Naboo. He does it better than the rest. This interferes with the joy I take in slashing him to pieces with a lightsaber. Since I've completed 3 levels out of 160, I don't think I'll ever finish it, but I can't see what greater thrill the game could provide than that, unless it combines Dance dance revolution with Hutts.

On an increasingly unrelated topic, I am heading back to Hainan. I've decided i like being cash strapped each month. Bought a bike, and was poor. Bought a Wii, and was poor. Time to travel and resume being poor. Sanya is a place with nice beaches and monkeys, and there's little else i want in a vacation. I hear it's getting more developed, but that there are still places that accomodate backpackers.

Might rent a motorcycle and drive around the island a bit, visiting a few remote towns. There are a fe flaws with that plan. First, i don't have a credit card. Second, I don't have a driver's license. Third, I'm still sketchy on the intricacies of motorcycles (as opposed to scooters), and might smear myself over the road. Fourth, I speak roughly three words of the hainan dialect, and not a word of the minority languages, which i think are closer to Thai or Vietnamese. I've had Chinese friends tell me that a lot of Hainanese have a weak grasp of mandarin, and cantonese is unknown.

So i might stick to the beach. And Monkey Mountain. You create a monkey preserve, I believe I am obligated to go.

things I learned

When someone turns off the light on their electric bike to save power and drives the wrong way down the street at night, blows a red light, and almost hits you, it is possible to slap them off the bike. The face of a person being slapped off a scooter cannot be compared to any other facial expression.

Also learned that Chinese police are remarkably unsympathetic to people who are slapped off bikes when they almost crash into people in a crosswalk.

And Officer Leung is a handsome, witty charming man. A paragon of virtue, and a credit to Chinese culture. All hail this officer's wise decisions, as we enter an era of slapping

phone

had a few visitors lately, so I haven't been on-line much. Just wanted to know the phone is back on. Yay!

Grandpa needs sleep!

had a friend visit for a week, and spent the week preparing for the visit, drinking, and recovering.

While she was here, a few people made off hand comments about me that were sometimes rather flattering. My students were kind of embarrassing a few times. Not quite the saint they at times portrayed (though they also described me as fat with bad writing. One referred to me as "stupid" which will not be forgotten soon).

Was a weird and somewhat humbling week that way.

Last night, someone gave me a message a bit after midnight, hoping I could meet her and some others. As I was sound asleep, I ignored it. I then received a call about 1:00. Same request. Tempting as the offer of leaving my house with my almost empty wallet to drink with the Euros was, I decided to go back to sleep. After a few more calls, ending at 3:40,I was considering a new number.

so Zhongshan, thanks for the kind words and love. Now just back off a little bit, you smothering drunks

things I learned

If you rely largely on pantomine to say "please trim the beard a little, you get a goattee.