languages (Chinese), literature, music (I study the erhu!), travel, film, piracy, my friends, my family, listening to Wang Yao sing, smoking up and smoking down, donkey punching Mike, pretending like I know what I'm doing, playing video games high at the internet bar on cold nights with nothing else to do, shit talking, streetwalking, riding the bus around town, helping my friends bargain for cell phones, the monkey king, Chenggis Khan, pterodactyls, being despised by intellectuals and despising them right back, being red and expert, infecting my computer with viruses and then removing them, teaching 14 year olds about the dangers of pseudoscience and African colonialism, rockstars, making coffee, pondering the evolutionary path of the ground sloth, tasing Amir, watching amy kill puppies by accident, knowing what happened to atlantis, deep conversations in the cutlery aisle at wal mart, home, confusing the Chinese, being confused by the Chinese, writing, translation, and so on.
Music
Television, Pavement, Modest Mouse, Max Romeo, Toots and the Maytals, Marley, The People's Rhythm, Arken, J5, The Flaming Lips, CCCP, CSI, Radiohead, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Tristeza, Spoon, The Good Life, Cursive, The Ramones, SiQinGeLe, Xu Wei, Dou Wei, Bright Eyes, Belle and Sebastian, Mayday, Death Cab for Cutie, Zhang Chu, Sonic Youth, The Beastie Boys, Pinback, The Pixies, Explosions in the Sky, Miles Davis, The Buena Vista Social Club, Manu Chao, Adnan Sami Khan, Asha Bholse, Ravi Shankar, Talvin Singh, Spiritualized, DJ Shadow, DJ Mael, DJ DSK, Shan Ren Band, Spring and Autumn, Han Ying, A-Hong, Lao Wai, Nie Chang, Xiao Ou, Xiatian, and my amazingly talented Wang Yao
Movies
To Live, Life on a String, Umberto D, Buffalo 66, Casino, Ran, Raise the Red Lantern, Closer, Motorcycle Diaries, Kekexili, Dances With Wolves, Heat, Boogie Nights, Red Sorghum, Happiness, Microcosmos, Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Marriage of Tuya, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Tommy Boy, Office Space, The Killing Fields, The Seven Samurai, The Thin Red Line, The Last King of Scotland, Happy Times ... this list could take forever to write ...
Television
The mega beasts were united by only one thing: their size.
Books
Stranger in a Strange Land; Midnight's Children (and Salman Rushdie in general); A Suitable Boy; Red Azalea (Anchee Min); The Defiant Ones; Divorce, Chinese Style; The Corrections; Orientalism; Writing Diaspora; Pascal Khoo Twe; The Trouser People; Birds Without Wings; The FLTRP Chinese/English English/Chinese Dictionary; The Absorbent Mind (Maria Montessori); The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brian); and basically anything in the English language I can get my hands on over here (beggars can't be choosers).
Heroes
My mother and father, who never for a second stopped loving each other, no matter how rough things got. Bless them, they ruined me for the real world.
The University Of Texas At Austin
Austin,Texas
Graduated: 2003
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Asian Studies
Minor: Radio - Television - Film
2001 to 2003
Richardson H S
Richardson,Texas
Graduated: 1998
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Completely agreed! It looks like I won't be leaving Beijing for this week. I was going to try to go to the Qingdao Beer Festival but I'd be going by myself so I don't really want to go now. Give me a call whenever you guys are doing anything!
Hey! How are you doing in Beijing? Is it cooling down up there yet? We are still 90+ degrees everyday and I'm getting tired of it! Yeah, we are really excited about the baby except for the fact that I got rid of all of JiaQi's baby stuff besides her crib. I didn't realize I was going to have another one so soon or I would have kept some of the stuff! JiaQi is in that "terrible twos" stage and I am ready to skip it! If I could fast forward through any time it would be the two year old stage lol. I think every other word that comes out of my mouth is "NO!" How's Dylan doing now? Is he walking? Saying anything yet? That age is such a good age :) You guys should have another! Close siblings are so much fun :)
Happy Birthday Jess! Hope you're having some kind of shindig to celebrate! Thinking about you and the fam'. Peace in the middle-east and one love and all that. 8) ttyl
Hey! How's everything been going? Life with a baby is crazy, right? ;) This cold weather is really annoying since there's no heat. I hate having to put so many layers on; sometimes it's so many layers JiaQi can't even move! Chinese new year is coming up. I'm so happy for the break from school. How are you juggling a new baby and school? You should put some more pictures up. You guys are so cute. Talk to you later!
I'm so glad to hear the news!! Chris and Patrick were just in Austin this weekend, but we didn't know to celebrate their newlyfound cousin/uncleship. You've all the makings of an excellent mother, and baby Wong is certainly a lucky one.
Remember, the hardest part of being a parent is actually having the baby! It's all downhill from there. The child will raise itself! Just hit that cruise control girl. TV and Happy Meals are all American kids require. Are things so different in China? :)
That's great! I didn't realize it was in the middle of October; for some reason I was thinking it was late October. Are you having any complications? Isn't being nine months pregnant great :) Please let me know when he finally makes his appearance and tell me everything about how it goes. Which makes me think, are you going to have to go to Guangzhou to get his birth certificate and passport? That's what I was required to do. That's a long way to go for you and a new baby. Same thing with her visa. It was kinda a mess with that. Anyway, i'll be waiting to her from you!
Hey there Jess...sorry that I haven't been in touch, hope that all is well with you. Let me know when your little bundle arrives. Miss Isabel got here on Oct 9th, and she is wonderful. I'll be posting some photos soon! Hope you're well!! Take care of yourself!
Hey Jess! How's everthing going? I remember you are due this month but what day? How are you doing at 9 months? I delivered at 38 weeks so don't be surprised if he decides to come a little early :) I can't wait to see some pictures!
Hey Jess! I'm finally reading the copy of Stranger in a Strange Land you gave me damn near a decade ago. Oh...and no. In no case will you ever see a communist drinking a glass of water, and not without good reason! Now sit down! And mix me a drink of rain water and grain alcohol.
So sorry sis! I dont get on the computer much anymore because I am always working! I will find time soon to write you and fill you in on whats new in D-town! Miss you!!!
I had the most random memory yesterday. Do you remember those seriously-hard beds we had at Shi Da? I miss those. Best night's sleep ever. How's Kunming treatin you lately?
