The past two and a half weeks have been hell. Corey and I worked for nineteen consecutive days without a day off, but with that behind us, we rolled right into the pre-game for the Chinese New Year. Not a bad way to unwind.
Matt Herman, who astute readers may remember visited China once before, showed up in Dalian just in time for the Superbowl, which thanks to the time difference was on at 7:00 AM Monday morning. Being the good Americans that we were, we got up nice and early and made sure to be there to root for our home turf in the form of the New York Giants.
The game was being shown at only one bar in town. Bobo's Bar is a small place owned by a small Chinese dude named... well... Bobo. I don't really know what I expected in the early morning festivities, but I have to say that I was more than a little surprised by just how shady an operation China is still capable of pulling off. The game was shown on an illegal stream of the game being buffered through the bar's computer. The only downside was that the computer wasn't connected to the sound system, so the entire game (and the wonderful, wonderful commercials) were enjoyed while listening to a hilarious mix of 80's Pop, Weezer, and trance.
Still though, it was a great game that featured the trouncing of a New England team that no one thought could be beat. Couple that with a few early morning TsingTaos, and you've got a good start to your day.
The rest of Matt's short visit was highlighted by the purchase of a 520 RMB (after bargaining of course) box of fireworks to get a good head start on the Spring Festival festivities.
The box was massive, and after we blew it up that night, we were all in agreement that it was money damn well spent.
I would love to attach the video of the MASSIVE explosions that ensued, but YouTube is acting screwy, and Blogger's own video uploading tool is painfully slow.
For those of you with a Facebook account, check out the video HERE.
It blew up real good.
After Matt had left, we geared up for the actual start of Spring Festival. The Chinese New Year was brought in with some real style, and some really loud explosions to boot.
Again, I apologize for the lack of easily accessible videos, but I think the following series is worth a look:
ESCAPE FROM THE DMZ
ESCAPE FROM THE DMZ II
ESCAPE FROM THE DMZ III
MIDNIGHT IN THE DMZ
Really, video is the closest you can get to understanding just how insane it was. Things were exploding left and right, and the night was lit up with fireworks in all directions. Easily one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.
Next up for the Spring Festival holiday is a trip up north to Harbin, the city that hosts the annual Ice Festival. I've been growing a massive beard for well over a month. We'll see how it holds up in the freezing cold.
Lastly, this new year is actually the Year Of The Rat, which is leading me to debut a spectacular new Label on these posts. These posts signify the beginning of the end of our stay in China, and this blog as well. We will be leaving China in less than a month.
But don't worry... we're saving some of the best stuff for last.
Happy Year of the Rat,
- Shawn
No comments:
Post a Comment