Sunday, April 8, 2012
Taiwan
So anyone readers from Taiwan or have been there? Please let me know any places I should visit or see. Also a heads up on where Jay Chou hangs out would be greatly appreciated xo
Friday, April 6, 2012
Awkward moments #7 + #8
I am not entirely pleased to announce that I was the cause of these awkard moments. Basically I made two guys feel very awkward! I guess it's not the first time and probably not the last either.
I went out and proceeded to drink. Drink more on top of the existing wines I'd already downed back at the office. I haven't drunk and being out at the same time for a very long time. So anyways, as I drunk more, I got more confident/annoying (depending on how you look at it).
I spotted this cute Asian guy dressed in a white t shirt. I went up to him and grabbed him by the arm. He seemed shocked or maybe scared. I didn't let that deter me! I said to him, "Ooh hello there!" and he turns and puts up his hand to say, "Oh sorry." He thinks he is free to go but I march up to him and ask him where is he from? He tells me South Korea and adds on another "ooh sorry." I guess by now I realised the poor guy can't really speak English. I could sense he felt uncomfortable and so I let him go back to his friends I think he was searching for when I accosted him.
He probably thought that was going to be end of our interaction but unlucky for him....It wasn't! I saw him quite a few times over the course of the evening and I would give him little smiles,waves, "hello's". Basically, the more uncomfortable he felt, the more I felt encouraged to help him with that feeling! I thought it was hilarious. In the cold light of day and now being sober, I realise the poor guy probably felt totally terrorised and awkward from my actions! oops. I guess he'll never go to that bar again.
The second awkward moment came with a local guy. I spotted him and his muscles whilst I was on my way to the ladies room. I thought he was on his own but as I got really close I realised he was probably with a small group of people near him. However, I felt already committed to speaking to by this stage - I had positioned myself right next to him, it would've been weird if I hadn't said anything. I started the conversation with, "Hello there!" as I am peering at his muscles (I may have touched his biceps too but can't remember for sure). Then I asked him where he was from (see any similarities in conversation 1 and 2? lol). He was about to say which suburb, but I cut him off, "Oh no what's your backg..." then he cut me off, "Oh you mean originally? Philppines." I then say, "Oh yes, nice. I like Asian guys." His face seemed to project, "WELL THIS IS AWKARD, BUT I FEEL KIND OF FLATTERED." I noticed he was looking at the group near him so I asked him if one of the girls was his girlfriend. He said it was, so abruptly ended the conversation and left. He was probably relieved.
I went out and proceeded to drink. Drink more on top of the existing wines I'd already downed back at the office. I haven't drunk and being out at the same time for a very long time. So anyways, as I drunk more, I got more confident/annoying (depending on how you look at it).
I spotted this cute Asian guy dressed in a white t shirt. I went up to him and grabbed him by the arm. He seemed shocked or maybe scared. I didn't let that deter me! I said to him, "Ooh hello there!" and he turns and puts up his hand to say, "Oh sorry." He thinks he is free to go but I march up to him and ask him where is he from? He tells me South Korea and adds on another "ooh sorry." I guess by now I realised the poor guy can't really speak English. I could sense he felt uncomfortable and so I let him go back to his friends I think he was searching for when I accosted him.
He probably thought that was going to be end of our interaction but unlucky for him....It wasn't! I saw him quite a few times over the course of the evening and I would give him little smiles,waves, "hello's". Basically, the more uncomfortable he felt, the more I felt encouraged to help him with that feeling! I thought it was hilarious. In the cold light of day and now being sober, I realise the poor guy probably felt totally terrorised and awkward from my actions! oops. I guess he'll never go to that bar again.
The second awkward moment came with a local guy. I spotted him and his muscles whilst I was on my way to the ladies room. I thought he was on his own but as I got really close I realised he was probably with a small group of people near him. However, I felt already committed to speaking to by this stage - I had positioned myself right next to him, it would've been weird if I hadn't said anything. I started the conversation with, "Hello there!" as I am peering at his muscles (I may have touched his biceps too but can't remember for sure). Then I asked him where he was from (see any similarities in conversation 1 and 2? lol). He was about to say which suburb, but I cut him off, "Oh no what's your backg..." then he cut me off, "Oh you mean originally? Philppines." I then say, "Oh yes, nice. I like Asian guys." His face seemed to project, "WELL THIS IS AWKARD, BUT I FEEL KIND OF FLATTERED." I noticed he was looking at the group near him so I asked him if one of the girls was his girlfriend. He said it was, so abruptly ended the conversation and left. He was probably relieved.
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Model
A few years a go I met a guy I just called "The Model" mainly because he told me he was a model. He knew two words in English: model and fuck. I may have taught him the second, I can't remember now. He was tall, thin and in my very drunken state, ridiculously good looking. Actually in hindsight he wasn't that good looking but it didn't really matter as I was usually drunk when I saw him.
We first met in a seedy underground (not underground in an indie rock kind of way, just literally underground) student club. It was about 3am in the morning and I was slaughtered. I'd been drinking for a solid 6 hours with work colleagues and I thought I looked hot. In fact, I probably looked like a big old mess but apparently confidence attracts men who think they're are "models". I was feeling him up like there was no tomorrow, I may have even tried to take his shirt off on the dance floor. What can I say, I am full of class?
Over a course of several months we met up now and then. He was always out which I later put two and two together that he was likely a "duck"/male prostitute/drink whore. Basically a drink whore gets commission on the amount of alcohol they get patrons to buy at the clubs where they're employed. It's usually done by females but some entrepreneurial managers do employ guys to do this as well (they're a lot of lonely married women, it's a good strategy!) He always kept up the facade that he was a male model though, not a man whore. He did have a fascination with taking photos and would pose at any opportunity. It was quite funny. Maybe he did model but he obviously wasn't a good one....
The last time I saw him before I left China at that particular time it was New Year's Eve. He was rotten drunk and I was just drunk. I allowed him to give me a New Year's pash but soon "lost" him as I didn't want him to come home with me. I wasn't going to pay for the taxi, only to have him pass out on me! He called and called but I ignored him. My Chinese was/is pretty shite and so whenever in the past we'd talk it would be the same old questions: Where are you? I'm at home. Where are you? I'm at the bar. You want to come out? No. Bye. I couldn't be bothered trying to listen or speak Chinese to him that night.
I sometimes think about him and wonder what he's doing. His ability to remain a pretty face would be hard when he was exposed to smoke all night and drinking most nights. It would mean that his earning potential as a male model would be lowered as each year passed. No one wanted an old model. He was 25 when we met and now he'd be 29 which is ancient in Chinese terms.
We first met in a seedy underground (not underground in an indie rock kind of way, just literally underground) student club. It was about 3am in the morning and I was slaughtered. I'd been drinking for a solid 6 hours with work colleagues and I thought I looked hot. In fact, I probably looked like a big old mess but apparently confidence attracts men who think they're are "models". I was feeling him up like there was no tomorrow, I may have even tried to take his shirt off on the dance floor. What can I say, I am full of class?
Over a course of several months we met up now and then. He was always out which I later put two and two together that he was likely a "duck"/male prostitute/drink whore. Basically a drink whore gets commission on the amount of alcohol they get patrons to buy at the clubs where they're employed. It's usually done by females but some entrepreneurial managers do employ guys to do this as well (they're a lot of lonely married women, it's a good strategy!) He always kept up the facade that he was a male model though, not a man whore. He did have a fascination with taking photos and would pose at any opportunity. It was quite funny. Maybe he did model but he obviously wasn't a good one....
The last time I saw him before I left China at that particular time it was New Year's Eve. He was rotten drunk and I was just drunk. I allowed him to give me a New Year's pash but soon "lost" him as I didn't want him to come home with me. I wasn't going to pay for the taxi, only to have him pass out on me! He called and called but I ignored him. My Chinese was/is pretty shite and so whenever in the past we'd talk it would be the same old questions: Where are you? I'm at home. Where are you? I'm at the bar. You want to come out? No. Bye. I couldn't be bothered trying to listen or speak Chinese to him that night.
I sometimes think about him and wonder what he's doing. His ability to remain a pretty face would be hard when he was exposed to smoke all night and drinking most nights. It would mean that his earning potential as a male model would be lowered as each year passed. No one wanted an old model. He was 25 when we met and now he'd be 29 which is ancient in Chinese terms.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Happy New Year!
Several Asian countries are celebrating the "new" year today. However, you say it, I hope this year is a prosperous one full of action, love and laughter xoxox HH
新年快乐！(Xin nian kuai le)
Chúc mừng năm mới!
새해 복 많이 받으세요! (saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo!)
Selamat tahun baru!
あけましておめでとうございます！(Akemashite omedetōgozaimasu!)
新年快乐！(Xin nian kuai le)
Chúc mừng năm mới!
새해 복 많이 받으세요! (saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo!)
Selamat tahun baru!
あけましておめでとうございます！(Akemashite omedetōgozaimasu!)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Happy belated New Year!
Ahh don't you love New Years eve? There's such a build up to what the night is going to entail that more often than not it's a complete let down. I experienced a couple in China and one was probably the best I'd had, but the others were kind of average. There's not the same excitement or anticipation in China like there is in the West.
I was determined that this year, my first New Year at home since 2006 would have no expectation from me. I had a friend come to stay and some friends invited us to come to sing karaoke. It's not usual practice for these friends to go and sing karaoke and I did laugh to myself that my first "Westernised" New Year was going to have some Asian influence which hadn't been orchestrated by myself.
My friends had booked a private room for 3 hours. My friend and I turned up to the place to notice it seemed a bit of a dive but I'm not a snob and when the drinks are pretty cheap, I was happy. I scanned around the bar area to notice a white guy with half his face tattooed. And during the night when I visited the bar or the toilet I would see or engage in conversation with some misfits. I thought now I really do feel like I am back in China! You see, in my experience there seemed to be a high amount of "laowai" in China who probably didn't quite fit in back home. For one reason or another they didn't conform to what was considered normal at home but felt totally accepted in China. I am not saying all foreigners in China fit this mould but I was surprised when I first began living there how many were a little "different".
After our 3hours of singing and drinking it was time to battle the taxi lines. Lucky for me and my friend we didn't have to wait. On walking out of the KTV bar I spotted a group of cute Asian guys. I yelled out to them, Xin nian kuai le!" to which one replied, "We're Korean." As I had, had a few beverages I didn't let that little faux pas stop me! I then yelled, "Oh happy new year then!!" If they weren't 4ft tall and about 20 yrs old I probably would've suggested my taxi was the best way forward for them :)
I was determined that this year, my first New Year at home since 2006 would have no expectation from me. I had a friend come to stay and some friends invited us to come to sing karaoke. It's not usual practice for these friends to go and sing karaoke and I did laugh to myself that my first "Westernised" New Year was going to have some Asian influence which hadn't been orchestrated by myself.
My friends had booked a private room for 3 hours. My friend and I turned up to the place to notice it seemed a bit of a dive but I'm not a snob and when the drinks are pretty cheap, I was happy. I scanned around the bar area to notice a white guy with half his face tattooed. And during the night when I visited the bar or the toilet I would see or engage in conversation with some misfits. I thought now I really do feel like I am back in China! You see, in my experience there seemed to be a high amount of "laowai" in China who probably didn't quite fit in back home. For one reason or another they didn't conform to what was considered normal at home but felt totally accepted in China. I am not saying all foreigners in China fit this mould but I was surprised when I first began living there how many were a little "different".
After our 3hours of singing and drinking it was time to battle the taxi lines. Lucky for me and my friend we didn't have to wait. On walking out of the KTV bar I spotted a group of cute Asian guys. I yelled out to them, Xin nian kuai le!" to which one replied, "We're Korean." As I had, had a few beverages I didn't let that little faux pas stop me! I then yelled, "Oh happy new year then!!" If they weren't 4ft tall and about 20 yrs old I probably would've suggested my taxi was the best way forward for them :)
Friday, December 16, 2011
Good Marketing strategy?
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Smoking
I don't think I've ever heard a girl say, "I really wish I could meet a man who...smokes." In China, I didn't personally know a lot of local guys who smoked. Most didn't. However, it seems I see so many "imports" back home who smoke. I can just tell by the look of these guys they're not natives -wearing jeans all the time, baseball hats, man bags etc...Now what I can't understand is how they can afford to continue the dirty habit on a student's allowance. Yes, I guess if they've left their home country to study in a Western country they aren't or their family's not short of coin. However, when the cost of a packet of smokes is equivalent to a meal out, it's a rather expensive habit to keep up with. Chicks don't dig it but if the habit has a strangle hold of you, make sure you have good dental hygiene!! Nothing worse than someone who considers brushing their teeth is a once off daily "chore". Also you ain't going to do any business deals here buddy by handing out cigarettes after dinner seen as most restaurants and bars ban public smoking. Just some advice. It is the season for giving after all :)
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