Comments on: Fall

By: yz

yz — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:23:57 +0000

我也一直很奇怪为什么很多外国人虽然不停抱怨北京这不好那不好–同时抱怨的也都挺有道理的，我们自己对北京也有很多不满，但我们没什么选择的余地，或者说，这么多年来已经适应了。而你们不同，却还是愿意呆在这个不适合所有人类居住的地方，真的很让人觉得奇怪。现在我明白一些了，总结主要原因应该有以下这么几点：
1，北京东西便宜-对于从欧美等发达国家来的人说，手里的货币一块能当7-15块花，那是什么感觉我没体验过，你们肯定更清楚；

2，北京物产丰富，从吃的穿的到住的用的，应有尽有，而且价格便宜，尤其是吃的。我听说从欧洲留学几年回来的人说现在看见方便面就想吐，因为留学时吃了太多的方便面，但是如果让他在方便面和西餐里选他还是会毫不犹豫地选择方便面（真够悲壮的这哥们儿）；

3，北京方便，不说别的，taxi满大街都是，招手就停，bus四通八达，隔几分钟一辆，虽然人多挤点儿吧但总比两小时一趟要好得多，各位说似不？

4，北京没那么多的条条框框，都说中国没人权，但是你在中国可以不走人行道，可以想绿灯亮走绿灯亮走，想红灯亮走就红灯亮走。看看国贸最乱的那带，现在抢着走红灯的已经变成老外了，而且竟然是德国人居多~先分析这么几条儿吧，不管对不对，反正我是这么觉得滴~

By: Lonnie

Lonnie — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:49:46 +0000

Greetings from the haze in Guangzhou….

OMBW

By: ABD

ABD — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:13:24 +0000

Really funny stuff! Guangzhou weather much better but makes for many more man nipples in my movie. Great reading your words - just can’t shut it down…

By: Alai

Alai — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:53:06 +0000

I really don’t know how you can stay in Beijing, aside from the slightly better food and work and music options and slightly fewer sketchy expats, does not hold a candle to Shanghai.

Wow. In my defence, I’ve been getting little sleep because my kittens are both going through heat and I can’t have their girly parts removed until I’m paid at the end of the month.

By: Alai

Alai — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:51:18 +0000

I really don’t know how you can stay in Beijing, aside from the slightly better food and work and music options and slightly fewer sketchy expats, does not hold a candle to Shanghai.

Well, I can’t really say that. I now only miss the awesome restaurant run by BJers in my old hood and cheap buses. What in hell is up with Hong Kong having buses that cost almost as much as the metro!? (Oh, I miss the quaint Hongkou neighborhood where I lived until June as well. It made Shanghai living seem not so awful, unlike my daily trek to the hell that is People’s Square and Xujiahui.)

And I guess I even miss Shanghaihua. Canto, especially spoken by HKers, is an awful, awful language. Even our floor’s ayi agrees and has rambled at end on how she prefers the sound of Mandarin over the whiny, drawly HK Canto.

By: Alcibiades

Alcibiades — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 06:26:01 +0000

You’ve really got something special here with this blog. I’ve greatly enjoyed your writing, my favorite being the piece about succumbing to Chinese-girlfriend-dom — her chin tucked tenderly into the crook of your neck. Chills! zaijian, Alcibiades

By: chriswaugh_bj

chriswaugh_bj — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 02:41:23 +0000

Richard, like Brendan I love Beijing despite the general unliveability of the place. By all objective measures, Dalian and Jinghong rate as the most liveable Chinese cities I’ve seen, with Kunming coming a close third. Or second. Dunno, my maths is crap. But given the choice I’d still choose Beijing any day. I generally prefer rural Beijing to urban Beijing, but even the city is still that hardbitten, down to earth, humane place it always was (despite the architecture and what passes for city planning) and it’s still possible to find cool bars with good music that haven’t been overrun by yuppy scum.

Never been to Shanghai, but everything I’ve been told by those who have and the few Shanghairen I’ve met lead me to believe that it’s just a big pile of mud covered in ugly buildings and seriously 变态 people.

And autumn in Beijing can make the whole thing worthwhile.

By: Connie

Connie — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:47:27 +0000

Beautiful, just beautiful.

I love odes to fall and this is as good, and poetic, as any.

Makes me wish I were there.

By: Yoshio Osaki

Yoshio Osaki — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 06:32:23 +0000

I second Derek. Another outstanding post, my friend.

By: Ben Seeberger

Ben Seeberger — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 02:12:36 +0000

I’ve neglected you far too long, Brendan. New format looks good.

You are really a wonderful writer. I wish my Chinese were up to par with yours…