Back from Beixing

The K family is back from Beixing.  Unable to blog while there, AKIC blogger scrawled some thoughts in a notebook (3 rmb) he bought in Beixing for that purpose.  The thoughts have been transcribed below:

 

My trip to Beixing doesn't lend itself to narrative.  I came, I stayed, and then I left is all I did.  So I will write in point form:

 

• The action's in the countryside.  Everyone is going home, unlike Casa K area where everyone is leaving to visit someone somewhere else.
• Tony was rough-housing at a local playground:  he was throwing balls at other youngsters, shoving little girls, and going down slides head-first.
• The in-laws were asking about Vancouver.  They had been watching the Winter Olympics.  But don't expect them to be visiting there any time soon.
• On the bus ride out to Beixing, a passenger who had stored his luggage underneath had to rush off the bus to prevent someone, at an earlier stop, from taking his luggage.
• At the Wuxi train station McDonald's, AKIC blogger bought some breakfast.  After placing his order, he was told to wait on the left hand side.  But it just so happened that a family had placed an order before him.  It being the Chinese way to stand abreast instead of standing in line, AKIC blogger was blocked and had to stand behind the group to wait for his order.  When his order was ready to be picked up, he had to stop the family occupying all the counter space from taking his order!
• Tony sees a new toy to play with.  But he first puts away his old toy before proceeding.  Progress!
• Scoffers say the King of Wuxi has no clothes.  Say-nayers say the clothes have no King.  D-syndrome sufferers say the KoW has no beef.  KoWists having no beef with the KoW, point out that the King of Wuxi is a naturist and "So there!".  The KoW's body is his crown.
• A Beixing High School has, in its hallway, pictures of famous figures to inspire the students.  Among the writers, scientists, and philosophers is Hu Jiantao!
• Hell has to be bureaucratic.  The concept of purgatory is eminently sensible when you consider that waiting, for your fate, is the worst thing that can happen to you.
• A poem:

My one son Tony,

He is no phony.

And if it was otherwise so,

I would feel some pain in my toe.

 

• If somehow the Winter Olympics can convince my wife to visit Canada, I would have one thing to say for them.  And the money wasted would have been worth it.
• The countryside is a garbage dump mixed in with agricultural fields and shopping.
• The sight of the meat at the local open-air market is something I have to put out of my mind before I eat.
• At night, the countryside is like North Korea.  People living in the dark.  And so what do they do?  Nothing.
• I saw a dancing dragon troupe packing up; loading their props and people into the back of a canopied truck.  I missed the show.
• Bright orange-red lights high in the sky.  What were they?
• There I was watching hockey in the countryside of China.  Who da thunk it?  Canada was shellacking Norway.  It shows how long I have that I don't recognize many of the players.  Some of them I remember from before 2004.  But the younger players?  I think Crosby would be the star. Right?
• Many of the K family are head-bangers.  Tony keeps whopping me with his head.  Jenny keeps banging the back of the bed frame.
• Three vertical strokes mean "Chuan".  That and the chinese character for "four" makes Sichuan.
• I watched China and France in a curling match.  I was enthralled.  Really.