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Candy Mandible Stroke 7

I can now say I've been to China.
I can now say I've got an Ipod.
I like my apartment. Life is slowly getting a rhythm. I have to learn Mandarin. I have to go to a gym.

Surprisingly you can find good music stores in Hong Kong. There's even an independent store somewhere, I should go find it. So My ears are currently having a jamboree, thanks to some new purchases and some acquisitions a la Francois from Quebec. Having iTunes on my work computer is a bit dodgy but it will have to do until I get a laptop. It is actually really annoying at times...

I got Neutral Milk Hotel's second album "In an aeroplane over the sea." Wow. It could become my favourite album ever. It is even better than "On Avery Island." Well, actually...

and then Neil Young's "After the Goldrush." Why did I ignore my mothers Vinyls of Crosby Stills Nash and Young for so long? Maybe because they aren't as good as just Neil?
I don't know....

And my surprise purchase was Broadcast's "Tender Buttons." The title track is really cool, I'm really enjoying some of their soundscapes: They conjure up all sorts of images of films not yet written. They are nice to bug out to.

And then, courtesy of Francois, there's The Eagles of Death Metal, who I once dismissed. I have to say, I've changed my mind-some of their campy grunting and whooping nearly caused me to laugh out aloud in the office last week, NEARLY...

Actually, Francois also provided every single Fugazi album, some Smog, and plenty of Zappa and Velvet Underground(which I will tackle tonight). His brother visited him recently armed with lots of burnt CDs, and, consequently, an unusual selection is making it to my iPod as well. Goldfrapp? Air? Bruce Springsteen? Wha?...They're all nice to have...

Yesterday Francois and me went over the border to Shenzhen. I had no trouble with border control going in or out of China which was nice, considering my Tourist Visa in HK was due to expire in 2 DAYS!!! Now I have another 90, or until I finally get my work visa.
Shenzhen was definitely worthwhile visiting, to witness the character of Chinese modernity.
This metropolis wasn't there some 20 years ago, it started life as a small village that became the geographic location to stage China's freemarket experiments.

Everyone has something to sell, watches, clothing, sex, mp3 players. We actually wanted a massage, a PROPER massage thanks very much. We settled for a foot massage and a pedicure.
The place we wanted to go was being renovated.

Looks like I want to go back to China. There is alot to see...

Candy Mandible Stroke 7

Candy Mandible Stroke 6

It's October already, I've emerged alive, and quite changed I think. Hong Kong is not a city that lets you be who you thought you were, it changes you whether you like it or not. It's rude, it's violating, but it is a crazy crazy ride.
I've been in this apartment for a month now. I knew it was small, but it doesn't feel "pokey" small, I've been happy with the functional layout, the wood parquetry floors, the view out to the street, everything works. The location!!!
Now that a few comments regarding its size have been dropped, I find myself a little unsure about it all. I mean, it is expensive. Maybe it is a good idea to start to look for some kids to share with. I think initially it has been great, to help me settle in. I think the bond money I will probably lose will be paid back very soon if I am living with one or two others. We will see what happens...
My diet was poor, the lifestyle miserable this month. To emerge from September is relieving.
I got paid, and everything was magically alright.
So friday night it was only right to join Francois, Larry, Clint, Hans, Jessica, Utaka, David (is that your name dude-sorry...) for the mother of all friday nights. These don't feel momentous to begin with, the realisation of the spectacle unfolds soon enough.
On this particular occasion, that realisation dawned when we were all seated at a giant table in a chinese restaurant. We'd already seen the inside of Fringe club and some cocktail bar, and so all were hungry and tight as lords. Hans was spinning the lazy susan around and around, handing out handfulls of toothpicks to everyone seated. I had a scratch session with it, ala DJ Lazy Susan.
As the 'Susan spun faster and faster, I realised it was truly friday in Hong Kong. I think we went to Yumla after this. Yumla is rare in that the beats playing are always fine, but on this occasion we had other plans. We left shortly after for Volar.
Volar, I had never been to this place. It is a club that is so surreal and intoxicating. The price is high for good dreams...The door bitches are the most elitist and NASSTY in Hong Kong. They will look you up or down, turn you round, pull clothing labels out of your pants to check the Brands. On this occasion we must all have looked particularly appealing. It's where the beautiful people go. Larry loves this place. He goes off.
It was a really cool night. We went back Saturday night but it wasn't so good.

It was lovely to catch up with Felicity. She was here for just over a week en route to Italy for the architecture 4th year Offshore Studio. Lucky Lucky Lucky. She and Clint would have loved this guy I saw today at Causeway Bay, doing some promotions thing on the street, dressed in this giant bulging oval suit, wobbling around handing out leaflets. I nearly lost it.

And today I got an Ipod 60GB. It's been a month of anxiety and research into portable audio. The trade-offs have been made, the mic out is shitty, but it works, the storage is massive, it looks nice, it is easy to use. I am happy with it so far. Everyone else in the office has one. Ah, but only I have a 60GB, I have the CAPACITY!!! Aha. Ha.Ha.

Next week our crazy Badminton Team will play their first game. I still have to organise this, shit. There was such a groundswell of interest after we mooted the idea. Everyone will look so cute in their sporting outfits and little racquets...