Favourite Posts, April-June 2007
Maybe it's our subversive tastes in music that lead the government here to censor us?
2) Very bad things - June 26th, 2007
The darkest chapter in my life in China - the anniversary makes me gloomy.
3) GJN strikes again - June 25th, 2007
One of the very best ever of my 'weekly bon mots', courtesy of my recent find, American theatre critic and wit, George Jean Nathan.
4) Imperialism, Chinese style - 18th June, 2007
The difficulties involved in getting your hair cut in China.
6) What's behind the Third Door? - 12th June, 2007
A favourite old joke (cartoon) recounted; still unnervingly appropriate to my irresolution in both my professional and my romantic life. (This one seemed to delight my regular commenters.)
8) Ronnie's Rocket - 9th June, 2007
One of the greatest moments in sporting history.... and I was there. 34 years later, I discover a clip on YouTube. I'm sorry - I'm a boy: I like sports. Watch the clip (and read the post) and you might begin to understand.
9) The problem with the Chinese education system - 9th June, 2007
Or one of them. One of my more ranty posts - about the ubiquity of cheating in exams here.
10) Is it SAFE? - 8th June, 2007
I facetiously compare the agony of job interviews with the dental torture scene in Marathon Man. Possibly the most personally revealing item I've ever posted!
11) 8 (More) Things You Didn't Know About Me - 2nd June, 2007
Random biographical revelations, prompted by a blog tag from Jeremiah.
12) End of the month morbidity - 30th May, 2007
One of my favourite suicide poems... and I even manage to throw in a Virginia Woolf reference.
13) On a related note... - 28th May, 2007
A marvellous joke - revealing a lot of truth about China's supposed 'economic miracle'.
14) Listlessness - 23rd May, 2007
We hadn't had a list on the blog for a while, so I borrowed an idea from cyber-pal Leah - more interesting(?) trivia about myself. And a game you all can play.
15) Loo with a view - 21st May, 2007
My favourite loo view - of Beijing's historic Bell Tower. I have a particular affection for this post because it was the one that somehow first grabbed the attention of the wonderful Moonrat and drew her into my blogging circle.
16) The Missing Gun (Xun Qiang) - 20th May, 2007
A review of my favourite Chinese film of recent years - not yet widely recognised overseas.
17) The weekly haiku - 18th May, 2007
I don't include many of my haiku in these 'best of' roundups, but..... this one I particularly like.
18) The story of my life - 15th May, 2007
A wonderfully resonant Gary Larson cartoon. As I say in the post, it's alarming how one simple gag can so aptly encapsulate the whole of my experience on this earth.
19) A fetish from long ago - 13th May, 2007
YES, my interest in gloves dates back 10 years to my doomed affair with 'The Evil One'. At least I wrote a nice poem about it.
20) An angry incident - 10th May, 2007
Another 'near death' experience on the roads prompts some observations about the standards of driving in China.
21) Sudden stopping - 9th May, 2007
I become an early-morning subway commuter again; so it is obligatory that I write a post analysing the main irritating behaviours of my fellow passengers.
22) Time stands still - 6th May, 2007
Another of my poems - one of the best things (I think) to come out of my last Great Lost Love relationship.
23) Is piracy BAD? - 29th April, 2007
One of my more serious-minded and controversial posts, challenging the notion that DVD piracy is inherently morally culpable.
24) Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead - 28th April, 2007
One of the first of my film reviews on this blog - one of Andy Garcia's best, and much overlooked/underrated.
25) WITH tears! - 27th April, 2007
A wonderfully grotesque, morbid piece of unintended humour from a Victorian reading primer.
26) Here comes the haiku - 27th April, 2007
I really don't recommend many of these... but this is a particularly sweet one.
27) Woof! - 24th April, 2007
One of my sillier (and more provocative) bits of humour: 10 Reasons Why A Dog Is Better Than A Girlfriend.
28) A Beijing street scene - 21st April, 2007
The socio-economic scene today summed up in a fleeting roadside vignette.
29) Another poem, one of my darker ones - 18th April, 2007
The stages of growth in a relationship - with a lover, with a city: it's an intriguing parallel.
31) A 'Bad China Day' - 10th April, 2007
Some advice on how to cope with the difficulties of life in China - combined with some fleeting references to my worst experiences here, and some casual contempt for 'China-bloggers' in general.
32) What cartoon character are YOU? - 4th April, 2007
A fatuous personality quiz prompts an appreciation of the greatest-ever animated cartoon series.
3 comments:
Not related to you blog in any way, but thought I'd mention it anyway... while channel-hopping earlier this evening, I came upon "Hell's Kitchen", I spotted your old university bud (acquaintance?) and former Big Brother contestant, Derek Lord. He was sitting in the HK restaurant with the Hamiltons (gawd... what are the forenames of those former Tory MPS...? Christine and Christine) and a rather fetching Marilyn Munro look-alikey. Weird, random moment.
This follows hot on the heels of Derek's appearance on "Test the Nation" IQ quiz on BBC1 last week. After a quiet period, he seems to be doing the rounds of reality TV again.
Neil & Christine Hamilton - seems they're quite enjoying their retirement as media whores. My buddy Giles hangs out with them in Edinburgh occasionally.
It's rather sad to think of Derek Laud's once illustrious career veering off down this track. I hope it's just another outlet for his exhibitionism, rather than a desperate need to make money.
hmm. have you reviewed CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER for us yet?
[i'm just relieved that my chinese isn't good enough for me to be able to guess how bad an actor jay chou is. or, who knows, maybe he's not.]
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