November 20, 2010

When you do things like hang out with your Scouse friends the night before your flight the next morning, you end up doing stupid shit, like forgetting your passport in the 30 minutes you left yourself to pack, and no, a US driver's license and a Beijing residency permit will not get you past the check-in counter at Beijing International.

The attempt was valiant, but doomed.

Amazingly though, after realizing the futility of the situation, I simply went to the Air China service desk and said (in Mandarin), "I forgot my passport at home." Without blinking, the agent asked if I could fly out the next day, which I could, and that was that.

No hassles, no money exchanged, just good service.

I don't really see that happening at LAX or JFK, or Heathrow or Charles de Gaulle, for that matter.

Flight in China, it seems from the dozen or so times I've flown domestically in country, is still about a happy customer. And I have no complaints thus far.

November 16, 2010

1. Been busy doing some freelance editing for some Beijing-based art critics.
2. Starting to write art criticism after a brief hiatus.
3. Going to play snooker with my Center Director on Wednesday night. Should be fun.
4. Flying into Inner Mongolia on Thursday for a couple of days of much needed get out of Beijingness.

November 12, 2010

Beijing's city central government has turned the heat on. It's glorious.

November 12, 2010

I'm happy this morning at the rumors that the A's have acquired the rights to Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma.

November 10, 2010

Things have picked up since the shit-hammer week of last post.

Thanks for the comments.

More later.

Mr. Hill,

My reply to your missive is on my washing machine. It'll hit the post tomorrow at some point.

November 3, 2010

Since my last post, I've:

1. Watched my Chinese friend get pummeled by a group of Beijing Xenophobes. My friend ended up in the hospital with 8 stitches for the broken bottle he took across his neck. My friend was apparently defending us (the foreigners) when the racists went crazy on him. I tried to do something but was violently restrained. I ran to the police station not far from the altercation. The police passed out cigarettes and worked out a 2000 元 ($293) deal to keep the main instigator out of jail.

That's how the police work here: pass out cigarettes to everyone and then make a deal. No one seems to go to jail. This is the second time I've seen this tactic.

2. I put myself on suicide watch for a friend who was very low at the Halloween Party. He's much better now, but depression and alcohol are a bad mix.

3. I arrogantly pronounced I was going to have a drama-free week on Monday. To be honest, my nerves can only take so much.

Telling the world you don't want drama, and what it gives you, well . . .