Jurassic Park Danger, or, shameless begging for those things I lack

I got this SWEET drawing in the mail yesterday.

Art is cheap to mail. Come on, people! Won't you please send me a drawing? An impression of your favorite mega-blockbuster, perhaps? Or the latest indie whatever? I know you've spent at least one long afternoon coloring The Bourne Ultimatum or My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Just a suggestion. Oh, and I also need some Emergen-C. Cranberry. My address is in Facebook, if you don't already have it.

Electric rooster

Here is the most amazing detail about the generally lovely arts compound where I stay in Guangzhou. Every morning, the upstairs neighbors drop some heavy, heavy things on the ceiling above my bedroom. This is alarming for several reasons:
1. I've developed a paranoia about shoddy Chinese high-rise construction.
2. These sounds are loud. The kind of sounds you feel. To be fair, the reverb coming off my "mattress" probably worsens the effect.
3. My room is on the 28th floor.
4. That's the top floor. Who is up there, and what are they doing?

But that's not the amazing detail I promised, just a momentary lapse into negativity. Here's what I really wanted to say:

I am saddened by these noises less for the momentary panic they cause than because they prevent me from being awakened (awoken?) by the COMMUNITY ALARM! Yes! Every morning, around 8, the bells of a grandfather clock sound through a PA system. And there is a snooze feature! They come back twice more, several minutes apart.

I love this. As much as it's an obvious intrusion of a bureaucratic structure into one's personal life (a reflection of so much else), there's also something really natural about being awoken to a sound coming from outdoors, rather than right next to your head. It comes from the distance and seems gentle and benevolent, probably because everyone seems to ignore it.

This is the view from my window.

Dog day at Cheung Sha

On my way into China last week, a customs beagle confiscated my apple. (As if my produce didn't come to the Special Administrative Region from the non-Special one, in the first place!) But I'm in Asia, where there's this whole philosophy of yin/yang working, and to this principle I owe the pleasure of my afternoon with two small dogs at Cheung Sha. The universe tooketh, and then it gaveth, through the agency of dogs. (Sorry. I'm really mixing my systems of belief now. I blame it on my morning yoga class in what is actually known as the yin/yang style, taught in English and Cantonese. My head spins at the hybridity.) Dogs and I took long walks on the beach, lounged on rocks, ran in the rain, and collaborated on a short film. (See post below.)



In tribute to them, I treat you all to a photo essay. After following a herd of cattle down the beach (don't ask - I don't know), the little blond fellow even sat below my chair at the amazing outdoor South African/Mediterranean restaurant on the beach.













































I'm working hard on the art of the candid self-portrait.

The Young and the Restless, a short film

The Young and the Restless, a short film
Video sent by indoorcat

You'll notice that we adhere to the practices of Dogme 95. (And I want you, film aesthete reader, to know that I was planning on making that silly reference before I realized what a fabulous pun it would make.) We also maintained Aristotle's dramatic unities, but I can't find the joke in that one. Can you please self-complete this post by imagining I've made some clever reference to winning the Palm d'Or at you-know-what? Thanks.

In Guangzhou, finally!

Dongfeng Park
Originally uploaded by Indoor Cat

This week, I went to Guangzhou to visit the dance festival for the first time. I love this city! It's huge: 9 million and sprawling. I haven't seen the old parts of town yet (which are, what, 900 years old?), but I'm staying in the old part of the new part (meaning 1960s construction, I think).

The neighborhood is expansive and comfortable - several parks, wide streets lined with beautiful trees, on a scale that reminds me of Chicago. (Yes, I know that's weird.) A Chicago without traffic lights, that is! It's weird to cross so many lanes on foot without a walk sign! Luckily, I haven't found the rumors of chaotic driving to be true in this neighborhood. The fact that cars drive on the right, unlike Hong Kong, certainly helps me feel oriented. Here are the flickr pictures.

One downside of the city is the pollution. Wow. Yesterday, I missed my return train to Hong Kong. (By "missed," I mean I was only 9 minutes early, not the required 10. I forgot how much worse the English signage is in this station, and I ran all over trying to find my gate.) I was required to purchase another ticket (a new definition of customer service!) and ended up with two hours to kill before I could return to Hong Kong. In the outdoor waiting area, the air was gross! Thick, dirty smog. Also, people smoked everywhere in the city, including in the cubicle next to mine. However I feel about returning to the U.S., my lungs will be thrilled.

The Pinkie

Last February, my right pinkie became swollen and remained so for a few months. Exhibit A is to the left. What was wrong with it? Nobody at Health Services knew. (I just accidentally typed "Heath Services." Creepy.) It was only a mild annoyance, anyways, a decommissioning of one of the marginal fingers.

Why am I mentioning this now? Because it's back! And it's February again! What's up with this seasonal joint disorder? And will I need to rely on Chinese medical services for any reason? Will I come home with a mere 9 fingers? Exhibit B, below, observed in front of Times Square, Guangzhou. (Who knew they would have Times Square in both Hong Kong and Guangzhou? Weird!)


My most medically-knowledgeable (aka only) friend here thinks it must be arthritis. I'm leaning towards gout.

Tomorrow, Guangzhou. Today, Repulse Bay.

and then, a return to this:

Lamma Island

The harbor at Yung Shue Wan
Originally uploaded by Indoor Cat

Saturday, I took the ferry to Lamma Island. It's about 25 minutes by boat from Central Hong Kong, but very different feeling. Lots of expats, no cars or buses, hippie hemp stores, plus Chinese seafood restaurants. (And one famous for its pigeon!)

My camera battery died as soon as I stepped off the dock (and, sadly, no Stephanie to share hers with me!), so I didn't get many pictures. I spent the afternoon wandering around and reading The Fortress of Solitude on a rock at the beach. I miss Brooklyn, but I don't miss the winter!

Thanks

Dear friends, thank you so much for your messages! Every morning, I wake up early and go to Starbucks, where the internet is good, excited to have new messages to read. This is one of my favorites, so far:

hi aunt debby
max here again. hear me. i'm going to bed now. good night.

love,
max x0x0x0x0x0x0

(Don't worry, I promise I won't paste yours in for all the world to see!)

Love,
Deborah

Chinese New Year Update

Crowd control at the temple
Originally uploaded by Indoor Cat

Well, I've slogged aimlessly through my first Chinese New Year. I'm not proud of myself - I wasn't much of a joiner - but I got through another solid of week of no plans. There were lots of pretty lights to look at, with the added bonus of children in brightly-colored satin costumes on the train. I watched the big parade from an Indian restaurant up the block from the real action. With good food and fellow foreign observers, it was pretty fun and cozy!

The next night, I did go all the way to the waterfront for the fireworks display. I watched them from a crowd looking up into the sky but not out over the water: there was a tall construction wall just in front of us, blocking our view forward. How symbolic! And lots of police. They had to face us, so they missed all the fireworks.

The display was very similar to the last few NYC 4th of July displays, with the addition of what some red sparks that seemed to be roughly in the shape of Chinese characters, plus an attempt at Olympic rings. Here are my fireworks pictures in Flickr.

Over the week, I also spent a lot of time wandering around after dark, taking pictures. Such a nice way to pass an evening! Here's the full set.

In praise of the Broadway Cinematheque

I've just spent another pleasant evening at the Broadway Cinematheque. I've seen three films here since I arrived. (Don't worry, mom, the student rate is about $5 USD.) Besides showing the best selection of independent films around, they have an amazing dvd store called Kubrick with the most incredible selection of films from around the world. The first time I walked in, I thought I had died and gone to heaven: here were all of my favorite movies, plus things I meant to see but never did, plus who knows what else!

I bought two movies, which I thought were on DVD. Oops. They were VCDs. Never heard of that, but now I know that they're basically lower quality than dvd, no extras, and fit on two cd-roms. That explains why they were only $3 each. Fine with me! I'm desperate to have a reserve of things to do at home when the internet goes down. What would happen if I had to feel bored?

Anyways, I came home with Volver and Me and You and Everyone We Know. Did you, whoever you are, have a discussion with me this year about Knocked Up and the lack of womens' perspectives in the movies? Almodovar makes all the American chick flicks, as well as all those popular novels that inevitably deal with incest, look just pathetic... I'm not saying there aren't a whole lot of other things going on in Volver besides a female POV, just that it was striking to see a whole world of women, with the men playing the bit parts for a change. I'd like to see him re-do P.S., I Love You. (Or is P.S., I Love You already some weirdly twisted - or untwisted - remake of an Almodovar film?)

I should mention here that I haven't seen P.S., I Love You. And I can't, yet, because it's not showing in Hong Kong: its taunting ads are plastered all over the MTR stations, but I can't figure out the opening date.

To return to my original theme: I went back tonight to see Sweeney Todd. While I was lingering in the bookshop, browsing sadly among the books on contemporary German dance in Chinese (drat!), I learned that they also have a nearly-free DVD lending library! I'm now a member, and I can get two dvds at a time for up to 7 days. I'm so psyched! I checked out Night and the City (Dassin) and Summer Interlude (Bergman). I'm feeling ambitious!

Let's talk some more about me.

I love this yellow building!
Originally uploaded by Indoor Cat

From my corridor
Originally uploaded by Indoor Cat

My laundry returns to me in an amazing cube form
Originally uploaded by Indoor Cat

That's what we're all here for, right? I, frankly, am quite tired of my own company - me, me, me all day! - but I will persevere with the blogging.

I keep forgetting to take my camera out of the apartment, so here are yet some more pictures of home. This time, my favorite mango-colored building, followed by the engineering marvel of Bo Laundry, who label my receipts "Miss," and fold my laundry into the most perfect rectangular solid you've ever seen.