Beijing 2008

[Drunk Monk]

At least I might be. It's the bizarro world, doncha know.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I didn't realize there country codes to eating. I'll put that down on my travel guide.

[Drunk Monk]

Drinking too. Got to watch the water and the local liquors at all times. All the rules change. That's true of travel anywhere. You know what I mean. You've done a lot of travel. That's what makes it fun, and sometimes very, very hateful.

And I confess, there's a meat dish that is only made in the area near Shaolin Temple that I relish. Muslim mutton noodle soup. It's super spicy and hardcore mutton because Chinese goats live hard lives. Fresh hand-pulled noodles. There nothing like fresh hand-pulled noodles. Very rich in that way that only mutton can be rich. If we make it to Beijing, I'll spring for another Peking duck banquet. No carnivour can go to Beijing and pass that up.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

Haha Hand pulled.

Sounds like you are going. But I've heard these promises before. Who else? Keep working on thsoe press passes.

[Drunk Monk]

...I'm gonna guess it's beijing yarou, but that's just a literal translation (and given the audience here, I could just as well post beijing pigu for all you know ). It's become known in the west as Peking so most restaurants will still market it as such. Peking duck is like veal - the animals are force-fed and not allowed to walk so they get grossly fat - it's about as cruel a form of food as there can be, really.

For the record, Greg, I absolutely want to go to Beijing for the Olympics. You seem to doubt my resolve. But - and this is a big butt (or big pigu if you rather) - wushu did not make it in so the chances of doing it for work are pretty slim. Right now, I only go to China for work. And it's a freakin' boatload of illegal aliens full of work whenever I go. China is working on a wushu tournament that will run in conjunction with the Olympics, but have no official relationship with it. OK, fine, I'll go to that if I can get there. It's all very up in the air still. I'm actually trying to get out this year for another big tournament, but that's looking slim too. Keep your fingers crossed.

[cranefly]

So. How exactly did wushu lose out to hide-and-seek?

Could you talk Gigi into letting you cover that?

http://www.extremesportclips.com/viewvid...c=ct&cid=7

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I doubt your resolve in order to stiffen it. And once it's stiff, why, you have the lotion.

[Drunk Monk]

CF - Monty Python did Olympic hide and seek early and better

G - You're starting to sound like LB. Don't make me get out the santa suit...

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

You started it. I'm sure it will come out fine.

See you in Beijing. Cranefly?

[cranefly]

Still trying to come up with a zippy response. You know, something clever.

Must be late.

This is for 2008, right?
I'll give it some thought.

Oh, and I forgot Monte Python had done hide and seek. It's been a while.

[Drunk Monk]

Beijing is already insanely congested. I can't imagine what it will be like for the Olympics. Lots of little old Chinese ladies pressing up against you and elbowing you in the ribs to get past. We'll need a lot of guanxi.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

I hear China is making a big effort to promot courtesy across the country in time for the Olympics. I'm sure they'll all be prim and proper by the time we get there. Or at least by the time I get there.

[Drunk Monk]

They had told everyone to stop spitting. People spit a lot in China, btw. It's not uncommon for your waitress to hock a loogy on the floor while she's serving your food (and don't get me started on the nose picking). Anyway, we were in Beijing after Shaolin and since Shaolin is in the country, everyone had picked up the habit of spitting like crazy. One of my friends spit and this middle-aged lady jumped out of nowhere, flashing some PSB card and yelling him. It was crazy. She was ready to take him in until we all walked away.

[The Queen]

Where does that come from? Is everyone in China constantly congested? Is it an especially allergen-friendly environment? Is everybody hooked on chaw? What are they spitting?

[Drunk Monk]

Some China travellers theorize that everyone in China suffers from a low-grade strain of a unique common cold and if they could all stop spitting for one month, everyone would get better. Almost everyone who travels in China get sick. It's just par for the course. The Biejing air used to be really, really nasty because they used to burn coal. That was banned a few years ago and now it's only really nasty. Plus they all smoke. China has the largest smoking population in the world.