ap·pre·ci·ate

Another thing I appreciate about living here:

• The star-rating system for cabbies. Zero is the worst, four is the best (at least I think so; I've never seen a five). Zero-star cabbies may/may not really know the roads and will probably fumble around to get your change, whilethree-star cabbies usually speak some very basic English (Hello/left/right/straight...). Never tried a four-star cab, but the ratings are usually pretty accurate.

China Sharks Media Day

Alright, so it wasn't really a Media Day.  It was just me and a couple reporters from the Shanghai Times.  But that's pretty much as good as it gets for a hockey team around here.  Anyways, I got to interview a couple of the players while the Chinese media got to watch Peter, the Sharks' Assistant to the Coach (i.e. translator) strap on the pads and skate around clumsily. 

Pretty amusing, actually.  Anyways, I ended up having lunch with the coaches, and I talked my way into a gig as a video coach of some sorts.  Not really sure what it is yet; I'll find out tonight. 

From Child's Play to Convicts' Play

Skid Row Photography Club, a project similar to the Malafi Photo Initiative has just popped up in LA.

Chinese Democracy

Guns 'N Roses' new album, Chinese Democracy, was just released, and it is definitely not getting good reviews in China. The CD and its official website have been banned, though you can still get at it if you're down with Bittorrent or MySpace. No big deal though, since according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang, "Many people don't like this kind of music. It's too noisy and clamorous."

In general, the Chinese are really, really sensitive when it comes to foreigners suggesting that there are things wrong with China. Even my Dad's like that, and he's been living in Canada for more than 25 years now. And the fact that this album is art--something that usually gets artists a free pass in Western cultures--doesn't soften the perceived harshness of any criticisms. As New Matilda journalist Dan Edwards recently opined,

The attendant conception of art as a disruptive force that might challenge the assumptions by which we make sense of the world has little traction in China, and is actually regarded as a threatening notion by a significant number of people — not least those in positions of power.

-Dan Edwards, NewMatilda.com

Anyways, you can find the full lyrics of the title track here. Critical or not, the Falun Gong reference pretty much ensures that the government will do its best to bury the album.

The Chinese MC Hammer

I love that the guy's mom is just sitting there knitting like it's no big deal.  I mean, this dude must practice a lot.

Update:  It gets better.  Turns out "HammerXXX" has his own Youtube channel.  Plus he's jacked.

Claude Comes to China

Claude Lemieux, four time Stanley Cup Champion, Conn Smythe trophy winner and TSN's "most hated player" in NHL history, has just signed with the China Sharks.  Lemieux had been looking to resurrect his NHL career in recent weeks, but apparently nobody was interested in a 43-year old who'd been retired for 4 years. 

He's played in the Sharks' last two games (both in Korea), and recorded one assist.  Ironically, the team the Sharks played was the same one that Esa Tikkanen was once a player-coach for.

Oh, and the video above isn't really a Lemieux vid, but whatever.  I'll jump at any opportunity to post a goalie fight video.

Historical Chinglish

I'm assuming the sign says "US Army! Go back your sweet home!". Picture taken in 1946.

By the way, I got this off Google, who has just teamed up with LIFE to put all the magazine's archived photos up online. Lots of great pics there.