reading/thinking about today:

Here’s an update on the company dinner last night: two words – warm beer. Enough said.

In other randomness:

• The pneumonic plague has struck China, and as alarming as that might seem, I could barely be bothered to keep up with the news. I know it is isolated to some village in the northwest. I know the village has been quarantined and disinfected. I know that plague is endemic to much of the world and treatable when caught early.  So although shouts of “the plague!” and “black death!” and “bring out your dead!” spring to mind, plague in China doesn’t concern me. Nor does H1N1 either. Besides, with newsy items like this from China Daily, why would I be concerned?

• I enjoyed reading this blog post about abandoned places around the world. I am crazy fascinated by abandoned spaces and detritus of modern life. I guess that is the wannabe archaeologist in me.

• And finally, we all know that the global economic crisis has done a number on the aviation industry, right? Well, in case you didn’t know, it has. Which is one of the reasons I am still sitting in China. There are just zero aviation jobs out there. On a somewhat bizarre note, to save money, these pilots are “crashing” in mobile homes set up in LAX’s long term parking lots. I guess they don’t have to worry about being late for work. Personally, I’m glad the DH “crashes” at home every night and that our commute is all of 15 minutes down a chaotic Chinese road, but that doesn’t mean we are not looking for other opportunities. Just when is this crisis supposed to get better?

En Español:

Lo Que Estoy

leyendo y pensando hoy:

Primero, la cena de ayer fue una desastre total! Dos palabras: cerveza templada. Qué horror!

• Has oido que hay plaga en China? Pues si, en el noroeste. Pero no me importa nada, si te digo la verdad. Estoy hasta la narices del paranoia del gripe A y el gripe aviar y no sé que. La plaga está todo bajo control y está muy lejos de mi. Bueno, eso es lo que me dice la propaganda las noticias Chinas.

• Siempre me han fascinado los edificios abandonados. El DH y yo sacabamos las fotos de nuestra boda cerca de una casa casi en ruinas. Como niña yo quería ser arqueologa. En éste blog hay una resumen de muchos sitios abandonados por todo el mundo – edificios, hoteles, pueblos enteros! Está todo en ingles, pero hay muchas fotos.

• Y al final, la crisis nos ha tocado a todos, verdad? La aviación en especial. En vez de alquiler una casa para descansar entre vuelos, (cuando no están en casa), éstos pilots viven en el parking del aeropuerto LAX en Los Angeles. Por un lado me parece una ridiculez, pero por el otro lado me parece una buena forma de ahorrar dinero y no tener que llegar al trabajo tarde!

• What a beautiful weekend we had. Clear blue skies. Warm temperatures. Perfect days, really. How long will they last?
• Yet more evidence I am an aviation geek – one of our airplanes flew over the neighborhood yesterday and I stopped right in the middle of the road to watch it pass over. I was so happy when I noticed that my behavior had caused others around me to do the same. The miracle of flight is usually ignored around here. 
• On my usual walk around Linyi’s downtown on Saturday I was tickled to see the resumption of Spring behavior – girls posing elaborately for photos next to trees & flowers. Posing for photos is a common pastime for Chinese girls.
• I was surprised to hear about the swine flu outbreak in Mexico since I haven’t been keeping up with news over the weekend. Scary. Read The Coming Plague and Betrayal of Trust by Laurie Garrett and The Great Influenza by John Barry if you want more fear!
• I’s tiiiired. For no reason. I need better coffee.

Reading today:

• Rethinking the American Dream by David Kamp in the April Vanity Fair

“…that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Looking at it that way, the American Dream still exists, as it always will. But I think over time we have inflated the meaning tremendously, with almost unattainable expectations – the crux of the article.

I rethought the American Dream a long time ago and in my estimation, I’m living it! I’m educated, I’m healthy, I’m debt free! I’m darn happy out here seeing the world. My life is better, richer and fuller than it has ever been. The current economic crisis is affecting everyone, however, and international aviation is no exception. Our dreams are a little fragile these days. Still, I wouldn’t trade this life…

• Meet Menhaden by Alice Friedemann on the Ethicurean Blog

Ever heard of menhaden fish? Neither had I, until I read this. Now I have something entirely new to worry about!

Not exactly light & happy reading. That’s what diversions like this and this and this are for.

For sustenance today I basically had a bowl of spicy kimchi, a slightly bitter pomelo and a liter of coffee… Just waiting to see how my stomach reacts to this one.

• Sometimes editing Chinglish improves my English. For example, did you know that to gloze means to rationalize? Leechdom, however, I did not believe could possibly be in the dictionary. (As in Infection of alcohol and leechdom for “ingestion of alcohol and drugs.”) What the hell is leechdom? Turns out it means medicine. Crazy.

• Went shopping today for Chinese New Year paraphernalia and everyone was fairly freaked out by me. “What in the heck is the laowai doing buying all these decorations?” they must have been wondering. I think the phrase should actually be “Curiosity killed the elderly Chinese lady” ’cause, really, elderly Chinese ladies have no fear and freely get in my business. Not that  I mind, how could you get mad at those crinkly little faces?

• Chinese New Year/Spring Festival decorations are up! The season of red and gold is here! Start stocking up on oranges, red envelopes and baijiu!

The stores are full of stuff like this!

• And for those of you who celebrate – Happy King’s Day! Today in Spain the three kings will be spreading joy and presents around to all the kiddies. Looks like all we’re getting this year is coal. 

• I’m at work. It was 4℃ this morning in my office. I’m cold. My hands are dry. My feet are numb. At least there is coffee.

• You may be aware that I am a big fan of Pico Iyer, the travel writer. I enjoyed this article in the LA Times where Iyer muses on the meaning of the New Year holiday in different cultures. This appeals to me since I live in a country that observes January 1st as a holiday, but really doesn’t care too much. The New Year that counts in China is Lunar, and it will be happening on January 25th. 

• I am bitter that I have to be at work on Sunday, even though I will be going on yet another holiday very soon. 

First, a couple of links to things I found interesting to read:

• Corruption Taints Every Facet of Life in China - From the LA Times. This article confirms/exposes things I have suspected/believed for a very long time. Corruption is a serious problem here and I have seen it affect friends personally. Can the central government effectively deal with it? Hmmm…
• How would you like to be known as the Tourists of Evil Omen? It seems this unlucky British couple, Jason and Jenny Cairns-Lawrence , have been in New York City, London and Mumbai during terrorist attacks.

And in other randomness:

• I am about to go postal on “DouFu” woman, the character who comes around the apartment complex every few hours peddling her block of tofu. She lets you know she’s around by screaming “DouFu” loudly and frequently. She is not to be outdone by recycle man, who usually passes through around 0730 every morning shouting for you to bring down cardboard to sell to him. He doesn’t have a tag line, just an annoying animal call. While I was in the States this summer, I heard that our roommates got fed up and launched a couple of empty pizza boxes out the window, which I am sure were greeted with much happiness, since they are made of cardboard and were free.
• Another Chinglish moment in my editing work this morning: A flight maneuver called “S-Turns Across a Toad” instead of road brought me great joy.
• I know they mean well, but when they find out I have a cold, why does everyone immediately tell me to drink hot water and wear more clothes? I’m 32 years old and a registered nurse! I know what to do! Besides, the coffee helps my cough and I get overheated if I wear too many layers in a hot office! Everyone says the same thing, too. Hot water and additional clothing must be the “chicken soup” of cold cures here. 

Sometimes I have things to share, like news, thoughts or links, but I don’t think it’s “big” enough for a dedicated post. I’ll group things like this together and call it Randomness.

Random things:

• My parents very generously have bought me a digital SLR camera for my graduation from library school. Thanks! Gracias! Xie xie! I’m a proud owner of a Nikon D80! I’m not the best amateur photographer out there, but I am making every effort to learn more and take better photos. I don’t have the camera yet, but hope to pick it up sometime in January. I have been reading photography websites and browsing photo-blogs all weekend. If you have any recommendations, please comment!
• For example, here is the very lovely photography site of Allison Wright (no relation as far as I know.) I can only aspire to such beauty.
• And in other randomness, I feel I have to share the absurdity of Linyi McDonald’s and their choice of music. Saturday morning while I enjoyed my coffee, I was quite stunned to hear a completely uncensored version of the infamous 90’s single “Don’t wanna a short d**ked man,” loud and proud, only in China.