{"id":2185,"date":"2009-05-22T06:16:52","date_gmt":"2009-05-21T22:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.asianramblings.com\/?p=2185"},"modified":"2009-05-22T06:16:52","modified_gmt":"2009-05-21T22:16:52","slug":"random-friday-expat-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stevepeer.com\/blog\/random-friday-expat-thoughts\/","title":{"rendered":"Random Conversation – Random Thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"

I haven\u2019t had much to say lately. Things have been busy. Finishing one phase of your life, and planning for another, is not an easy task, especially when government bureaucracy is involved. Such is life in China.<\/p>\n

Random Conversation<\/em><\/p>\n

As I sat on the 777 from Beijing to Shenzhen, a small boy, maybe six-years-old, climbed into the aisle from the bank of seats to my front.\u00a0 The lad\u2019s eyes opened wide when he spotted me. There was a brief consultation between the boy and his father before he walked over to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It was 6 pm.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning,\u201d I replied, my young-learners happy face prominent.<\/p>\n

He stared at me, concentrating.<\/p>\n

Finally, he said, clearly and loudly, \u201cSnake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I parroted, \u201cSnake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSnake,\u201d he said again.<\/p>\n

I nodded. \u201cSnake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he ran back to his father and I returned to Michael Palin’s Himalaya<\/em> on my iPod. I am willing to bet that good morning and snake are the only English words he knows. I wonder about the curriculum of his kindergarten.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Stevo eats Beijing Roast Duck. Yes, it is tasty. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Random Thoughts<\/em><\/p>\n

Beijing Roast Dusk is as tasty as you have heard. Consuming it with 26 bottles of beer makes it more so. I wonder if Madame Donna<\/a> can make it?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be in Tiananmen Square while experiencing distress in your lower GI tract. The square is 40 acres, and it is a long hike to the facilities.<\/p>\n

Real men eat chili peppers, even if it leads to abdominal distress (see above).<\/p>\n

The woman on a street corner that offers you a massage at 1:30 am is not really offering you a massage.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t ever take a Hong Kong MTR train at 6:00 pm on a Friday afternoon. If you must, lube up first to increase your chances of\u00a0 getting in and out of the train and station.<\/p>\n

Half-asleep dreams, where your wife is so close you can touch her are sweet, but few and far between.<\/p>\n

Watching three dogs try to mate is funnier after consuming too many beers than it would be sober.<\/p>\n

Yogurt can be an almost adequate substitute for mayo when making tuna salad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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