Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Man, the only place i ever saw a sitar player in Du was at jah bar, think it was kinda a spontaneous jam. Anyway, jah bar bossman may know someone. if anybody would know, that cat would…..
@Shinichi: the “electric Beat” sounds awesome! I gotta get one of those things! The sound of exploding flies will be music to my ears!
Oh, I don’t mean its really toilet water, its just the english translation that says toilet water. Its a green bottle with a mosquito on it. Pretty sure its got some citronella in it. The little electric machines, with the replaceable bottles use the same stuff (yeah, the one Shinichi mentions). I find this little gizmo works really well. Damn, I aint the cleanest cat around, but i wouldnt use real toilet water!
Mozzies aint my problem right now, its flies! Any solutions for flies? No disgusting fly paper please!
Man, i find that that green “toilet water” in the supermarkets works well (i think its citronella). Just dab a little on and the mozzies leave me alone. OH yeah, smells good too!
My ex has a car here, and i would sometimes (reluctantly and illegally) drive. It is, to put it bluntly, a pain in the arse. From the south to Shuangnan (where she lives) i can do it faster on my bike (regular, not electric) anytime from 5 to 7 pm. Parking is a hassle, but the toughest thing i found was adjusting to the driving culture here. I dont wanna rant, but even the minimum courtesy and commonsense is not followed. A guy blasts his horn at you, you wanna get out and rip his…..Ok, i’m not gonna rave!
Agree with Charlie, unless you live in the sticks, it’s not worth the hassle, and when the east-west metro line opens, it will make even less sense to have a car.
Oh yeah, strong rumours persist about Beijing-style driving restrictions next year in chengdu….
Man, i don’t think you’ll have any problem, but last year at my school the other foreign teacher, a cat about 60, left. The school told me that Chengdu PSB (always notoriously tough) wouldnt issue a working visa cos he was too old, that this was a new law in China. Anyone know about this>
BTW: i would agree with what Sascha says. Get a feel for the place, find a decent school, but going independent always felt comfortable for me. Man, i miss the good old “buy any visa in HK” days…Such a sweet, innocent time…
Oh man, i had no idea that the local bands are not paid! That’s scandalous! Yeah, as a foreigner here, Zebra is one of those things that puts me in two minds; on the one hand, you wanna be positive and thankful for it. On the other, in only it’s 2nd(?) or 3rd year, its already disappointing people in a number of areas. i guess we need to keep in mind that its basically a festival aimed at Chinese teenagers. So while i might bitch about the awesome musical ability and artistic cred of Edison Chen, i bet alot of young local girls (and heaven forbid, even boys) probably dug it, had a blast and have been talking about it all day at school today. Man, my dream line-up would be commercial suicide at Zebra and you’d have a field of confused-looking locals and then an exodus to the gates. Who knows, next year they might surprise us with an awesome line-up….
I think Mr. Turtle, Ashura, Proximity Butterfly, Soundtoy are all good bands (actually, P.B. are absolutely world- class) but I’ve seen them all 6 or 7 times. I know Zebra is only a few years old, but what’s gonna happen in the future? Are these just the automatic default bands? Is the Chengdu scene so limited? I had a great time last year but gave it a miss this year cos the line-up was pretty dismal (no surprises like Reptile and Retard last year). Anyway, like you said, its a good day to sit in the sun, on the grass (pretty elusive in Chengdu!)and hang out with friends. Hope you guys all had a great time!
@ ye ming: Yeah, i think i know that area, the shops still have the old tiled roofs, so i plan to check it out. Thanks!
Yeah Chicken/Funk street used to be pretty wild, the kinda place that becomes an urban legend. we used to sit, drinking 3 kuai beers, eating shaokao, counting the rats (it was absolutely the best rat-watching place in Chengdu), enjoying the endless procession of scantily clad girls walking down to the dark end of the alley. Where were they going? We never found out. Fear? Perhaps. Or maybe we just wanted to keep the mystique of Chicken Street alive….
Yeah man, i’ll check out Xiaojiahe. The dirtier, the better…
Man, just be careful with the card. I got one here, a visa debit card, asked them will it work in peru, ecuador and colombia? no problem, they said, its visa card. didnt work in any of these countries….useless…
Man, stay in one of the Tibetan houses in the park. it’s an awesome experience and those stone fortresses are warm even in the dead of winter. Oh yeah, and insanely cheap (paid 35 kuai including two meals and endless cups of Tibrtan tea, but that was a few years ago)….If you go during the holidays, the place is a chaotic circus….
Just had a 6 kuai haircut from the guy in the alley in Yulin, behind the sports stadium (the alley that leads to the trustmart on YiHuanlu). Kinda cold (hence its in the alley) but pretty good; no hair products, no small talk, no messing around. I told him i was in a hurry, and he was done in 5 mins. A haircut in the snowflakes. Check him out….
BTW: i dont think he does the fluffy Korean pop star look….
Oh man, i’ve had nightmarish haircuts here. I walk in with a photo, tell them (in Chinese) “just copy it exactly the same”. Walk out with a fluffy Korean pop star debacle. My advice: invest in a hat…
Man, despite what some people have said, you CAN get a 3 month lease here, (i’ve done it 3 or 4 times) but it is harder and some places will refuse. Go to a zhong jie (real estate agent) but dont tell them you want 3 months. Look at a place, if you like it tell the agent that you want it but have some concerns (ie. I used to say noisy neighbours)but if its fine after 3 months, you’ll pay for another 3 after that (but dont put that on the contract!). Dont go to the big expensive places like Century 21, but just your average, dirty, semi-legal hole in the wall place (90% of real estate agents are like this in Chengdu). I was always reluctant to sign for 6 or 12 months cos i did have problems in the past (neighbours playing mahjong until 6 AM, rats, broken appliances)and like i said, some places will let you ahve 3 months.
Keep in mind that alot of fang dongs (landlords) arent even interested in earning too much rent; its basically an investment property to sell later. Also at this time of year there are lotsa vacant places, cos school year is over and students go home for spring festival or relocate in search of jobs.
The places and websites that cater to foreigners are ok if you have a high budget, but if you can speak some chinese, or have a chinese friend, i’d DIY. My old place was advertised on an english website for 600 kuai more than in a local shop, simply cos it was an english language site!
Good luck man!
Yeah, the future of that place is kinda uncertain. Earlier this year they had an insane opening party; all you can drink, pop stars, imported DJs (who actually weren’t bad, but few people got into it. Now it seems to be kinda in limbo. It’s always amazing to me how many huge retail developments in Chengdu go broke or struggle (ie. Panda mall, Soho in Kehua bei lu) despite the booming economy. Anyway, a good 2011 to all….
Man, LKF will have lotsa “talent”, just none of it on the decks! I went to their grand opening, which gave new mention to the word cheesy!
Yeah, i go to the uni gym, which is closed for the next 3 days, so i will probably hit the running field or run at the east lake. I/m not a huge drinker, but i always feel better after a night out if i run or train.
Actually, on second thoughts, LKF…..no, just kidding!
Have a good one man!
@hz:
Keep in mind that for most Chinese tonight is nothing special, and when midnight hits, its often silent (depends where you are). The places here that promise “Party! Crazy time!” are invariably shit, so i go for a chilled place with a few close friends. I find that if i have low expectations i generally have a good night. The tunes you’re seeking could be elusive however…
Have a good one!
BTW: just read an article that working out is the best hangover cure…gotta find the motivation tmw morning!
Man, the dvd guy at Yiguan miao, on yihuan lu (you know the trustmart and cinema place just before all the camping stores) has a good selection. he’s in a shop on the second floor, kinda deserted. he’s a cool guy and if you have any hassles he’ll refund with no questions asked… i bought sopranos box set for 60, and it was complete and good quality…
Man, a few years ago in some of the older areas there’d be this sketchy little gaming parlours, usually witth a curtain over the door. A friend and i went in and they had rows of small gambling machines with blinking lights (i think they came from japan originally). Anyway, at the back of the room was an old pinball, i think maybe Flash Gordon (probably worth a fortune on ebay now). These parlours were kinda semi-legal, so the boss looked nervous when we walked in. To cut to the chase: it didnt take Chinese coins so i guess you paid the boss to use it, but he let us play for free. After ten minutes or so we kinda got sick of it and left. You still see some of these gaming parlours in the countryside or small towns, but i think they are a thing of the past now….not much retro stuff in China (sigh)..
