Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Plans in Motion

"You see the way Hynesy took out Sivivatu? We can't lose!"

Warning: This post features regular fanboy excitement.

My 3 weeks in China in July are up. Tomorrow I hit Japan again, back for a full 2 weeks before I'm back here to get more involved in some peaktime summer work. Am I complaining? Well, I don't get much of a summer. But in return, I've got loads of cash to do all the fantastic things I'm looking forward to this year.

And fantastic they are: Yesterday the latest installment in my plans for much amusement this year went through successfully, as I managed to get tickets to Bledisloe IV in Hong Kong in November. Judging by the looks of last week's game between the ABs and the Wallabies, it could well be a cracker. I'm almost hoping that the Wallabies win both their home games so it comes down to a winner-takes-all in HK. Noone wants to spend copious amounts of money on a dead rubber.

That's happening November 1st, a week before the recently announced company vacation to Bali, which I am also looking forward to with much excitement. With Luke planning to visit in the last week, its looking to be a bit of an awesome month.

Before then in October we have Radiohead in Osaka on the 2nd, which I must say I'm equally stoked about. Dude. Radiohead.

September has the trip back to NZ and Bill Bailey, not to mention all the wonderful people I am much looking forward to catching up with and proving my continuing existence to. Game on.

But all eyes are focussed firmly for the moment on the next 2 weeks, which will be my only summer for the year. But hey, could be worse. I could be not going to Summer Sonic. The people who organise which were nice enough to release the timetable for (click to enlarge):


I can already spot a couple of titanic clashes, in the form of (my preference first)
The Shoes vs. The Ting Tings
Late Of The Pier vs. MGMT
Biffy Clyro vs. Does It Offend You Yeah? vs. Junkie XL
New Young Pony Club vs. The Kooks
Justice vs. Coldplay (OK its no contest, but I still would like to see Coldplay...)

And that's only Saturday. Sunday is also pretty jam-packed, though only Santogold vs. Cajun Dance Party is causing me strife.

God I love summer.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Toilet Humour

Warning: This post may make you shit yourself.

I had the privilege of using one of MacDonalds' restrooms the other morning, as Chinese food tends to put my body in a constant state of "when I need to go, I need to go NOW". Thankfully the golden arches were nearby, and I knew they wouldn't have "one of those Chinese toilets".

"One of those Chinese toilets", words that people who have been in Asia for any period of time can well relate to, refers to one of these:


Well, this is a clean one. If you are unlucky enough to have to use one that is communal for all the workers of a factor, you may find yourself trying to negotiate territory worse than the state of a loo at 3am in a busy club.

I for one really can't stand squat toilets (they are fairly prevalent in Japan too, at least in public restrooms). The main reason is because "squatting" is my nemesis. I am incredibly bad at squatting. I don't know if it's years of sprained ankles that has rendered them incapable of bending forward far enough, or inflexible legs that cramp up and lose blood if I fold them in on themselves, but either way I find it near impossible to hold a squat for more than 30 seconds without disabled handles to hold. And that's a fair approximation to how I feel while squatting: rather disabled.

Some places in China are nice enough to have sit down dunnies, though depending on the place, you do wonder if you really want to sit. May be better to hover. Especially when you see signs like the one I saw when I went to sit down (rather hurriedly, as my bowels apparently wait for nothing these days) in this particular toilet in Macca's:

Say what? I shudder to think who has been doing what to warrant the need for that sign. I also think that if someone was attempting to use the sit-down toilet like a squatting one, then they're a) really confused and b) very talented in the balance department.

I'd like to write more, but you know, nature calls.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

I'll have my lunch burnt, please

Warning: This post is not legal in bars or restaurants in most Western countries.

So we were out in some other random part of the city (Dongguan, China), visiting a factory that makes blow-molded stuff (if you don't know what that is, it's not important, and no it's not dirty). While waiting for the guy to pick us up, we have lunch in some cafeteria which serves typically semi-westernized food. Glancing across the menu, I noticed they also catered for those who prefer to inhale their lunch...



China will be the last country to outlaw smoking in eateries. And even then, they won't enforce it. Not in a country where in business situations, if a person offers you a cigarette it's rude to say no (though as foreigners, we can get away with being rude).

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

2008 - The year movies were awesome again?

Is THIS your card?

Warning: This post is not necessarily region-coded for your country.

I have been thoroughly impressed with the line-up of new movies this year. After a mild 2007 (for those of us not gushing over Transformers, Die Hard 4 was about the only real pant-wetting experience to be had), this year has proven that there is still awesomeness to be made, even if its all sequels, remakes and adaptations.

Although their actual release date may be considered as 2007, last Oscars nominations chilling No Country For Old Men, fantastically-scripted Juno, difficult-to-watch-but-damn-good There Will Be Blood, and the fairly-heartwarming The Bucket List set a standard I didn't think would be met again this year. And yet, starting with the totally fan-boy-pleasing Iron Man, its turning out to be a cracker.

Good reviews abound for the likes of The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, Son Of Rambow and WALL-E suggest that we're in for an excellent next few months. Sparsely different genres but they all look fantastic. And right after they all land we've still got:

Hancock
X-Files
The Dark Knight (ooh boy)
Zack & Miri Make a Porno (Kevin Smith!!)
Australia (and yes I am excited about this)

And, although I'll probably have to wait until 2009 to finally see it, THIS GUY is back.
I think I'm going to faint.

Not that there's no rubbish this year. High School Musical 3, Saw V, You Don't Mess With The Zohan and Disaster Movie should well take care of that.

I'm also very stoked about seeing these all in cinema - if they'll be released here, damnit.