waiting

I had a dozen better things to do last Saturday than go to Hong Kong, but go to Hong Kong I did. The guest house wanted a deposit on the rooms for our upcoming staff excursion. They didn’t mention they were unlicenced. Giving 3000 Hong Kong Dollars to an unlicenced Guest House is not the…

friday night profanities

I considered my stock Chinese insults: All involve the driver’s sister, mother, or grandmother, and a foreign resident of China and part of his anatomy.

an ewok and questions on the stairs

Nancy is comically short. Grade 1 students are small but Nancy’s proportions place her in a different visual class than her contemporaries. I nicknamed her “The Ewok” out of affection. If she was hairier she could easily be one of George Lucas’ Return of the Jedi characters. I was standing on the stairs between classes….

better than reality TV

Outside my window. I’d rather watch this than Survivor, or the evil and vacant Tyra Banks on ANTM. big brother is another story. Captured: May 2, 2008, Shenzhen, China

meat cleavers, drawers, and heat syncs

It’s been a challenging week for The Stevo. I mentioned my new desk, complete with credenza and movable cabinet. Thursday morning saw me trying to shift furniture around an impossibly small space. Somehow, the cabinet portion became locked after I shut a drawer. After 20 fruitless minutes I was forced to grab ye ole meat…

may day, doctors, desks, and randy chefs

It’s nearly May 1st. In my part of the world that means it is International Labor Day. I wrote a post about this holiday a year ago. Take a look if you dare. Labor Day used to constitute a 5-day holiday in China, three days being official and two optional to encourage tourism. It was…

busted busker

As I was waiting to meet friends for lunch I wandered to Sea World (hai shang shi jie). No, there are no killer whales or dolphins. Sea World is Shenzhen’s expat hang-out, an outdoor mallish area of international restaurants and shops. The centerpiece of Sea World is an old French-built cruise ship (seized for narcotics…

wire

Fenced and abandon. Captured: March 29, 2008.