1/15/2007 China Day 112: Shanghai - Shanghai Freaks

Tonight was some sort of star-crossed night for me. I had every single wrong kind of approach on me at JZ Club, an otherwise delightful cozy little jazz club on West Fuxing Road (Fuxing Xi Lu).


First there was the 40-year old, 40-pounds overweight (and not in the right places, despite her claims to the contrary) self-proclaimed Marilyn Monroe-esque blonde bombshell fashion writer. She wanted me to look at her enormous breasts which she said were responsible for attracting all sorts of men sometimes from across the room (or was that the universe?). I didn't want to look, but I looked out of the corner of my turned face to be polite. Was that polite? Maybe I should have fondled them out of politeness. Well, as I said before, she was overweight, but not in the right places. Final verdict: not enormous; not even ample.

Then the fashion writer introduced me to her friends, who included Alice, the Dutch redhead author-photographer. She has a new book about Shanghai jazz coming out this Friday. Now if the fashion writer was 40 years old, then Alice is 50. (And if I was off and Marilyn Monroe was actually 50, then Alice was 60, and so on, and so forth.) Ok, so I was just wearing my sort of body fitting red T-shirt at the time. No pants. Fuck. I had pants on! What were you thinking!! The T-shirt is really more crimson than simple red, and it's not really that form fitting anymore after several washes and ring dries by me. All this by way of an excuse for the Dutch woman, because she needed one. The first words out of her mouth after I introduced myself were, "And you're a masseur?" This being China, and we being at a jazz club and not a fucking sauna, I took that to mean gigolo. What the fuck?! Jake! Fucking Dutch! If you and Alice are any example, you need to learn the art of sweet talking, seducing, foreplay, and some sort of grasp of reality!!$#@ And your cuisine - if you can call it that - it's shameful!

Finally, to end the night right, there was this interesting Englishman travelling on business. He's married with kids and lives in London. We were having very interesting conversation, and he was getting closer. Then after several drinks, he had to go to the bathroom. So did I. So I went with him. He had this interesting way of peeing where he stood sideways and peeed into the urinal so that I could see (appreciate, I'm sure) his penis as I stood behind him waiting to use the only urinal. I was not appreciative and I found it easy to look him in the face instead. Then when it was my turn, he wanted to politely see mine. Hrm, well, look if you want, I guess. I can't really preserve my modesty from an interested and motivated observer and piss at the same time. Finally, back to the bar, he excused himself soon after saying that if he didn't leave soon, he wouldn't be able to control himself because I was just too cute. He left with his boyfriend.

See, Jake, at least the Englishman knows something about seducing and taking time. Conversation, show your penis, hug - you know, all the standard tools of the trade. Now, if he had just gotten the order right, it might have worked.

Ok, so I left out the gem of the night, Jandi. I'm not being sarcastic this time. When compared with the rest of the people I met at JZ Club that night, she is refreshingly ... normal. We talked on and off during the night. She is a Korean freelance writer who's travelled around America, Europe, and Asia. And she is best friends with Alice. I only have nice things to say about her except that she drank a little too much that night and didn't like my appreciation for one of her favorite authors. She thought I wasn't cultured enough, which I'm not. Oh, and she's a little lonely (I don't know why).

I don't want you to go away thinking that JZ Club is a freak show. Because other than everyone I met that night, it was a great fucking place. First, they serve Macallan 12, 18, 25, and 30 in China, so they obviously know what the fuck is good. I bought a bottle of Macallan 12 for a little bit too much. Second, the music, lighting, and accoustics were great. Reminds me of Yoshi's in Oakland. But the lighting at JZ Club is actually better. It was perfect, actually. Finally, the wait staff and bartenders there are wonderfully nice, cheerful, and friendly. I defintely recommend the place, and will probably be back myself.

And who knows, maybe a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, a Dutch redhead, or a bisexual Englishman is just what you're looking for! If so, you're in for the night of your life!

1/14/2007 China Day 111: Shanghai

1/13/2007 China Day 110: Shanghai - Rêve Élégant

Rêve Élégant
           Coquin, Shanghai le 13 janvier 2007

Un regard, un sourire clandestins.
Adieu. Retrouvailles.
Échange, affinité.
Ivresse, confusion.
Fin inattendue.
Poisson hors de l'eau.

Pluie. Respiration. Essoufflement.
Douceur, tendresse devant l'inévitable.
Deux cœurs hors du temps.
Deux cœurs poursuivis par le temps.
Envol.
À bientot. Espoir.

Copyright © 2007 Coquin. All rights reserved.


Special thanks to Franck de Rennes, France for his invaluable and untiring assistance, without whom this would not have been possible.

1/12/2007 China Day 109: Bus Hefei, Anhui --> Shanghai

1/11/2007 China Day 108: Hefei, Anhui

1/10/2007 China Day 107: Hefei, Anhui

1/9/2007 China Day 106: Hefei, Anhui

1/8/2007 China Day 105: Plane Hong Kong --> Hefei, Anhui

1/7/2007 China Day 104: Trek Tung Wan Beach --> Sai Wan Beach --> Pai Ngak Shan --> Pak Tam Au Village, Sai Kung East Country Park, Hong Kong

1/6/2007 China Day 103: Trek Wong Shek Pier --> Sharp Peak --> Tung Wan Beach, Sai Kung East Country Park, New Territories, Hong Kong

1/5/2007 China Day 102: Hong Kong

1/4/2007 China Day 101: Hong Kong - Night Out! Woohoo!

Tonight I had the most fun night yet in Hong Kong with 3 American exchange students studying Chinese in Beijing: Tim (he's buff), Reese (he's tall), and Andrea (she's bubbly). We met because we're staying in the same hostel - Mirador Mansion, 13th Floor ($60 HKD/night). They're in Beijing for 1 year, and are travelling around China for 1 month during winter break.

We started out the night at a Russian ice bar, a place with an ice room that they keep around -20ºC and have chilled vodka on display. They have jackets and hats that you can borrow for a more comfortable experience. Costs about $25 HKD more per shot (i.e. $68 HKD) for the experience, which we learned later at the table.

We started out the evening as 5. Lenny, a Hong Kong native studying abroad in Andrea's home college, was our guide. Several vodka rounds later, Kirsten, Kelvin, and Felicia joined us. When it was the guys' turn to buy, we bought the straight vodka. When it was the girls' turn, they bought the flavored stuff. We tried Stolichnaya, but we found that a brand that started with "M" whose name I forget was much better. It had a nutty taste that I really enjoyed.

There was a Russian(?) couple playing some Russian folk music, and everyone was having a great time. Somewhere in there I ordered some Russian liver to see how it compared to French foie gras. The Russian liver was very good - smooth and not at all grainy. But a more apt comparison would have been with French paté because the Russian liver didn't come from a fattened bird.

Sufficiently liquored up, we were ready for the next phase of the night, dancing and Ladies' Night in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong island. Quick hop on the subway and you're in a trendy bar/night club area of Hong Kong! Well, it turns out we didn't get to go dancing in the night club where it was Ladies' Night because the line was 1.5 hours long at 1 AM.

So we went looking for another club/bar. First bar, clientele was too old, and some Filipino band was playing, but not dance or even rock. Next bar was already announcing last call for drinks as we walked in, and it was empty. Nevertheless, the ladies ordered some drinks, perhaps just as well to keep us from wandering endlessly from one unsatisfactory bar to another. Eventually the waiter came to me and asked me for my order, and I said, "Nothing for me, thanks." I wasn't feeling the bar, and it was expensive (~$88 HKD) for not much going on, so I was just going to keep my friends company.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the waiter in response put some hard pressure on me to order a drink. He said that he had already let my 2 friends (Tim and Reese) bring in beers from the outside, and 3 freeloaders was a bit much (well, he didn't say this last part, but I understood it). And, he said, there was a 1 drink minimum. I told him politely that him letting my friends in with outside drinks had nothing to do with me, and I still wasn't going to order anything - I'd rather leave. He said, OK, then you should leave.

I didn't leave right away. Tim and Reese downed their beers, and we just hung out with our other friends. 5 minutes later the same waiter came back and asked why I still hadn't left. I looked at him, smiled, and cheerfully said, "Just waiting for you to escort me out!" I offered him my elbow, but he didn't take it. At this point, I got an idea from Burning Man. Seeing his discomfort with any male-male physical contact, I smiled even bigger at him and then started dancing with him to the music in the bar like he was some hot shit (and I was gay, or at least bisexual). I was grinding my hips and ass next to him, like I know how to do. Well, if you thought he was uncomfortable before, you should have seen him then! He didn't know what to do, so I got to dance next to him for a couple minutes. I wasn't paying any attention to my friends because I was just paying attention to the waiter. But they told me afterwards that they thought it was fucking hilarious!

Eventually I got bored and we left - Tim, Reese, and me. We went downstairs, where there was just a chill bar - no music, where it was also last call too. They served some good beers like Peter would like. Mmmmm, Duvel. And some complimentary peanuts. Tim and Reese had never had Duvel before, so we ordered a 750 mL bottle between the 3 of us ($80 HKD). Now that's cheap. And good.

When the girls and the 2 Hong Kong guys (Lenny and Kelvin) came down, lots of people were ready to call it a night. Half of them took a cab back to Kowloon - across Victoria Harbor from Lan Kwai Fong on Hong Kong island, because there's no subway or ferry service that late. That left Andrea, Lenny, Kelvin, and me. We stopped at another bar that was pretty packed. They were playing some music with a beat. Nobody else was dancing, but that didn't stop Andrea and me! Some of the other patrons were appreciative. Andrea wanted to be able to talk more with Lenny and Kelvin though, so we didn't stay long.

And when we had settled down a little bit outside, they decided to just call it a night, since they were meeting Lenny for Dim Sum tomorrow at noon anyways. Lenny, Andrea, and I took a night bus back to Kowloon ($30+ HKD).

1/3/2007 China Day 100: Space Museum, Hong Kong - Remembering Life's Simple Pleasures

Today I realized that while travelling long term, you can sometimes forget the simple pleasures in life - that is, the little things that make you happy in daily life. Or put another way, there are some things that I wanted to change in myself during this trip, but I forgot to keep doing some of the good things I was already doing that made me happy.

Today I went to visit the Hong Kong Space Museum because all museums are free on Wednesdays. But that's just a smart gimmick on the part of the city and tourism bureau to generate interest in their museums because the normal entrance fee for museums is only 10-15 HKD (= $1.25-$2.00). The main exhibition hall in the Space Museum (that is the part that is free on Wednesdays) is dumbed down to interest children, so it's not very interesting. But I enjoyed watching a couple movies in the Omnimax Theater.

One of the movies was what sparked this realization for me. The movie was entitled "Top Speed" and was about human pursuit for ever greater speeds, whether in running, biking, driving, flying, or by any other means. Watching 2 segments on professional athletes, I remembered the first simple pleasure I had forgotten - the endorphin high of a good workout. Though I may feel physically exhausted after a good soccer game or workout, I never feel bad during or after exercise. In fact, I feel great! But I haven't had a good workout since I left home 3 months ago, and my body knows it.

By the time I get my new passport and Chinese visa, I will have been in Hong Kong for likely over 2 weeks. They have gyms here in Hong Kong, but the walk in fee is something like 160 HKD (= $20). Then yesterday, when I met a Bikram yoga instructor over lunch, I thought, hrm, I don't like yoga as much as gym workout, but in a pinch, it would do. So I went back to the yoga studio with her, and asked how much a class would cost. I was shocked to hear 250 HKD (= $31.25), especially because I knew a long term student that was paying 1200 HKD per month, minimum 3 months. So, no go on the gym or yoga membership. But tomorrow I'll find somewhere to jog or a park to get a simple workout in.

The second pleasure that I had forgotten was the beauty of a sexy woman. What, you say?! Is it possible for any man to forget the pleasure of seeing a sexy woman?! Let me explain. I had forgotten how to appreciate the beauty of a sexy woman without having to pursue or possess it. I remember the particular scene that made me think of this. It was simply a silhouette of Marion Jones, the Olympic track and field gold medalist. I don't even find most professional female athletes, including Marion Jones, that sexy - too hard and too much muscle; not soft enough. So too I thought, sexiness is not just about the physical body and clothes, but also about personality and style. In this particular shot of Marion Jones, what I found sexy was her confidence and style. And because it was just a movie and not a person, I couldn't interact or pursue anything. I could only enjoy the momentary sensation of beauty, and I was happy.

I think 2007 is gonna be a good year. My horoscope said so.

1/2/2007 China Day 99: Hong Kong - Lazy Hazy Day

Still recovering from my hiking trip on Lantau Island, the foggy weather in Hong Kong today dissuaded me from going to the beach to relax. Instead, I just stayed in the Kowloon district where my hostel is and got a massage (180 HKD). 180 HKD is actually expensive for a 1 hour massage in Hong Kong - there are innumerable touts in the tourist areas offering massages for 99 HKD, but I went to the more expensive place because it came recommended by a yoga instructor.

A yoga instructor I met over lunch. I figured trying a recommended masseuse was better than trying a random one. The yoga instructor was ethnically Chinese but born (I think) and bred in New Zealand. Studied Bikram yoga in Los Angeles, was offered a job in Hong Kong out of the blue, and accepted!

The masseuse she recommended was OK. A little better than average. Which is to say that sometimes the massage was soothing, but sometimes it was painful. My calves were still so sore and tight from hiking that the masseuse could barely touch them without inflicting a squirming pain in me. Unfortunately, she decided not only to knead them softly, but also to step on them.

Next time I'll try the cheap massage.

1/1/2007 China Day 98: Stanley & Repulse Bay, Hong Kong Island - Happy New Year, Bitches!

Since I'm one of the first to experience it this year, Happy New Year, Bitches! Hello from 2007!





Today I caught a bus (7.80 HKD) from Exchange Square in the Central district of Hong Kong to some of the beaches on the south side of Hong Kong Island. I started the furthest east at a town called Stanley, but its waterfront wasn't that nice.

So I caught the same bus line heading west (7.80 HKD) to Repulse Bay. The beach there was nice - relaxing and calm. I intended to get to a southern Hong Kong beach with enough time to relax and read a book, but by the time I reached Repulse Bay Beach, it must have been 4 or 5 PM, and the sun began setting soon afterwards.

So I didn't get to read my book at all. Instead, all I got were these lousy sunset pictures.





Tomorrow I may go back to the south side of Hong Kong Island again and this time visit Deep Water Bay, and maybe the aquarium at nearby Ocean Park. I'm still resting my bruised and blistered feet from 2 days of hiking on Lantau Island. And really, it was only the 2nd day of hiking with all of my China gear that killed me - almost 20 kg.

12/31/2006 China Day 97: Hong Kong

12/30/2006 China Day 96: Lantau Island, Hong Kong

12/29/2006 China Day 95: Lantau Island, Hong Kong

12/28/2006 China Day 94: Lantau Island, Hong Kong

12/27/2006 China Day 93: Hong Kong

12/26/2006 China Day 92: Hong Kong