commalove

As seen on Break.com

I'M NOT REALLY POSTING HERE ANYMORE.

GO TO http://tonywatkins.net FOR MY BLOG ACTION!!!!

today was a kind of interesting day. i had dinner with a co-worker (lisa) and her family. her mom cooked lots of chinese food and we all watched TV and chatted over dinner. even though i of course don't understand everything, once i let the force take over, i was fine. my new technique is using the force. i am the luke skywalker of learning chinese. here's an interview i did with lisa at work

last sunday was a big holiday here with lots of crazy fireworks and explosions. car alarms were going off left and right and things were blowing up everywhere - it felt like a war. i made an MP3 recording of me leaving a restaurant that night.

today is my 365th day in china . . . an auspicious occasion, methinks. it's been an ordinary day so far, however.

here's my dream from last night:

i went to a cadillac dealership with kaara peterson to pick out a new cadillac for her, but she didn't like any of them. i suggested a few, but we were all of a sudden looking at shoes and sneakers which looked like cadillacs, with tongues that looked like cadillac grills (but with harelips). we didn't like any and we started discussing my plans to sell fake new balance shoes on e-bay when all of a sudden my own fake new balances started falling apart, glue squishing out between the sole and the shoe. next we went to an outdoor jamaican jerk restaurant and the waitress forgot our order, so we waited patiently and chatted.

Here we are in Veselka during Chinese new year. Right now I'm up with insomnia in Beijing, so I guess I might as well post a picture. I don't understand this insomnia thing. It's driving me nuts.

dusty says i should write that i'm back in china and i'm so happy to be here.

click for tony and kaara on the phone

click on the pic to hear my blog entry about 80s night at the Alpha bar in Beijing.

click on the sandwich to hear my new york english podcast about food and restaurants, or just go to http://media.libsyn.com/media/english/food_final_final_final.mp3

click on the computer to hear my new york english podcast about technology and adultery or just go to http://media.libsyn.com/media/english/technology_final_final.mp3

click on Mr.T to hear my new york english podcast about partying and drinking or go to http://media.libsyn.com/media/english/partying_final_final_final.mp3

click on the coffee pot to hear my latest new york english podcast, or go to http://media.libsyn.com/media/english/coffee.mp3

CLICK TO LISTEN

http://www.libsyn.org/podcasts/english/blog_feb9.MP3

Here's what NYC looks like from the window in the bedroom where I grew up. Coolio.

Today I saw one of the funniest things ever. I was in the locker room at the gym, and some of the trainers were talking. The began to imitate another Chinese guy, and were copying his voice in almost the exact same way that my friends Matt and Gary imitate Chinese people.

i just got back to china from my chinese new years vacation in new york. new york is home, but china also feels like home. hmmm...

This past month has been a month of breakage. My DVD player, TV, MP3 player, computer (more than once), my stove ran out of gas and has to be replaced, and finally me (i caught a little cold).

But it's been good. I've learned many useful chinese phrases in my adventures (such as, "is it OK if I delete everything on your hard drive?"). I've seen lots of new neighborhoods (on my way back and forth to various repair shops, Carre Fours and electronics malls). And, last but not least, i've gotten on very intimate terms with a number of beijing cabbies (does anyone out there know about Beijing traffic?)

But today it all turned out great. I went to my friend at the giant computer skyscraper and upgraded my RAM from 256 to 512 (only 35 bucks!), bought a lot of cool gadgets and wires, and finally made my computer respectable and workable again. DVDs play, GoogleEarth works, and most importantly, I was able to post my new New York English podcast!

Go listen if you are so inclined ...
http://newyorkenglish.com OR http://english.libsyn.com