As we waited for our lunch at the other noodle shop (we were today intrepid travelers, trekking half a block farther north along Pudong for lunch), Liren and I agreed that it was nice that we were active in the daytime on a Sunday. This prompted me to wonder why this was noteworthy at all, sparking the realization that thus far my Sundays in China have been wholly forgettable. At this moment I could not say even three things I’ve accomplished on Sunday here, which is a bit deflating. The reasons for this failure are twofold:
- I’m tired and it’s hot: Or, the circumstantial reason. It’s not that I don’t want to do things on Sunday- I do, definitely. But I always wake up after an abridged morning’s sleep and feel too tired and sweaty to do anything beyond vegetating in the 3-4-7 and saving money by just having lunch-inner. Besides, I tell myself, it’s pushing 38C and humid as balls outside, so any outdoor activity would merely involve me scrambling to any popsicle stand around. So, better to just call it a week and get some nice R&R before it’s back to the ol’ nose-to-the-grindstone lifestyle of Tomorrow.
- I blog weird: Here it gets personal. I said I didn’t want to turn this into a daily log, but I fear I may have erred too far in the opposite direction. If I read this blog again in five years, I would probably hate myself for having such a boring China summer (who the hell spends ten weeks debating [within himself] the merits and demerits of living in a hotel long-term?), but such would not have been the case at all. In truth, I think I’ve really only had one or two wasted days, Sunday or otherwise, this summer. But when I neglect to record my actions with as much fastidiousness as I do my ramblings, it falsely betrays a summer lost to inaction and antisocial behavior. Thus, I hereby resolve to ameliorate this imbalance, beginning with this post. While I wrote last time at an awkward and nonsensical hour, I hope that this post, fueled by the privilege of sleep, can rescue me from sounding like a three star coming-of-age movie.
Saying goodbye to the HKU kids was definitely harder than I thought considering how little time I spent with them. I mean, yes, I did have my moments around the pool table with the boys- James, Ian, Michael, the ever-drifting Charles, and I did go to that Modest-Mousey concert with Stella, Vicki (really should have spent more time with them, I feel bad), and KK. But on the whole, it was a failure to initiate of which I readily admit culpability. But still, that last night at Windows and then the lounge made it seem like we were closer than we probably were.
I hate to be all utilitarian about this kind of thing again, but I can’t help but. Maybe I’m just a regular Benthamite with new people, I don’t know, but China has made me all kinds of socially calculating. This doesn’t apply to the HKU kids in particular, but they make for a good example. For too long a time I saw this relationship as a casual one that wouldn’t stand the test of the Pacific Ocean as barrier. That more than anything probably inhibited my attempt to make our friendship denser. But, as Liren says, there is such a thing as “camp friends,” and who knows- maybe someday I’ll wind up in Hong Kong and suddenly have shattered my naïve cost-benefit analysis to meeting new people. Regardless of what happens in the future, John in Hong Kong or not, I should probably ditch the calculator and be nicer.
Before this post becomes more of the same, I’ll right this ship by delving into a rough outline of the week just passed. Sorry in advance, future reader John and friends, for the sloppy English in what is to follow.
- Monday: Struggles to find minutes for my phone. Helped a really tall (already getting a bit messy) American man, who had just arrived earlier that day, buy an IP card. Freaked out for a second because I thought I’d wasted money on the wrong type of card, but things worked out and realized the Hanting workers are actually incredibly nice and helpful. Cabbed it over to Blue Frog Burgers in Lujiazui for half-off burger day. Caught up with the girls about their Beijing trip and had good laughs about Triwit over a delicious mushroom burger and fries. Went over to Windows Scoreboard for what would be the first of three times this week to see the HKU kids. A good, brown Tsingtao, foosball, and hilarious games of “ah, shenme” later, we were Hanting-bound where we sketched out potential plans for a winter break Hong Kong trip. Final goodbyes with good, new friends and a special goodbye moment with Ian before sleep struggles begin and seemingly never end.
- Tuesday: One of the most tired days of my life, and that is not hyperbolic. Literally went to work, got McDonalds, and vegetated until I fell asleep (with the assistance of sleeping aids for ensured slumber) at 20:30. Got about eleven hours of much-needed sleep, but woke up the next morning with a headache Wednesday: Met up with Cherk afterk werk and had a delightful little food court dinner in Raffle’s City. For some foreign reason, these little eating complexes are amazing in China, serving freshly- cooked dishes on the cheap. After meeting up with Chris, we walked towards M2 to a Western grocery so that Michael could stock up on “quality sources of protein” for his Beijing trip. On our way back, he suggested we all get mangoes. Best decision ever. I don’t even like mangoes, but I peeled this one like a profreshional and wolfed it down like a real champ. Once we got the requisite supplies, we engaged in an unforgettable 28-cup, 9-beer-per-side game of pong befitting of its primetime occupancy. An obnoxious bet and rare surge of talent led to a victory entailing a home-cooked meal from Cherk- as of this writing I am still waiting. Four bros and three sufficiently inebriated Bros packed into a Windows-bound cab where we continued to revel in our pong madness. Chris and I spent a good hour and a half discussing life, Harvard, ambition, and the Right Thing to Do, though I must admit that I did most of the talking. An uninspiring scene at RichBaby directed us toward my one true love in building form. The scene was entirely average, but it was a Type I kind of night for me, so I had a blast. Late night chicken and bell peppers ended the night on a high note.
- Thursday: I had absolutely no intention of going out. Really. Contrary to popular belief, I actually mean that most of the time. But the chance to do something with the entire Hanting family is one not to be taken lightly. A very clean, classy evening took us to Bar Rouge and back in neat and time-conscious fashion. The view from up top was stunning: a cloudless sky uncovered the tippy-tops of the financial forest in Lujiazui. After sufficiently embarrassing myself with another loss to Jasmine The Unbreakable and a string of camera-whoring, my feet finally won my heart’s attention and let me back home.
- Friday: I should just lease a room in the Media Markt. Once again, once more fun, and once another time covertly trying to keep us stationed at Windows. Finally met Triwit, who was probably too uncomfortable to be hilariously annoying. At a later date I’ll share my thoughts on this place, but I’ve got to move forward here. We eventually made the move and then attempted the biggest clown car move since Lucy Gelb’s party junior year. RichBaby was fun. And that was it. Very one-dimensional, but oddly refreshing. Ran up about 143RMB in the cab ride home because we were either a) being hustled or b) lost and blind. I remember being very relaxed the entire time though, sitting in the front seat watching for the colors to change.
- Saturday: We could solve the overcrowded prisons problem by just having social delinquents tour ZhouZhuang during the day, every day. It was absolutely ridiculous. I treated everyone else just as a source of heat and thus avoided all extended social contact for the better hours of the day. When you buy a 1RMB peach popsicle for triple the price, you know you’re fucking with some other shit. ZhouZhuang was beautiful, though, and I’m so happy I went. I’m even happier that I went in an air-conditioned Audi, but who cares for such details? Well, I guess I certainly do. Okay, moving forward. And of course, there’s Ray Wang, who deserves an entire post to himself. The time spent back at the Hanting was invaluable, and I was really happy to have stayed in on a Saturday night. Once again, I slept way too late for my own good, but this time life was good.
- Sunday: Beautiful struggles to wake up, and once I did it was delightfully past noon. Made for YuYuan with Chris and completely ignored all the kitschy junk they try to shove through your wallet. Again, aimless ramblings about life, education, The Other Sex, and different ways to ramble, as we are wont to do. I then hopped on the metro to Xijiahui for KTV with Ivan Jiang and friends in Metro City. Possibly the quickest passing time ever, as three hours flew by with me hardly batting a wink. My rendition of Tong Hua needs work but should be recordable by next season’s end. We had lunch in Cha’s Restaurant, a fantastic Hong Kong-styled café where I indulged in the sounds and smells of home. The pineapple buns stuffed with a block of butter was otherworldly, as was the pork chop with eggy rice. Cultural exchange occurred, as could be expected by now, and we all went home very satisfied with how our days had gone. Back at the Hanting, the “foolproof” plan fell fool to the nastiest creature to have ever walked the Earth. An hour of panicking and failed attempts later, we conquered the beast and triumphantly succeeded in doing our laundry. Video evidence exists for those naysayers incredulous of our heroism.
Good times.
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