Posts from July 2008
July 09, 2008
我很不爽
I was listening to a neat podcast by Zhongnanhai called "New Sounds of China." What was interesting was that a foreigner wouldn't really understand what the bands were saying, and a Chinese probably wouldn't understand what the host was saying, so that left people in between like me. I think they are still working on their format - I hope they go more NPR, make it a bit shorter, and add translations for the non-Chinese speakers.
I posted this Shanghainese rap they featured because I had no idea what they were saying, and was curious if I was missing out on some important social statement, or was it just complaining. For those who want to hone up on their Shanghainese, you can decide. Here's a translation:
我很不爽，我就要开口唱，
想要写首歌，考虑问题真是多
想要反映问题还要考虑商业化，想到了头就大，想到了我就一包火
想到爸爸妈妈啰里巴索，我就想要吐
其实我也想到良药总是要苦，
有什么好事总归要磨一磨
吃得苦中苦，才能做人上人
但是为啥我到现在还在吃补助
朋友不懂，这是hiphop文化
只有穷人才晓得
我很不爽而且我很受伤
总有太多压力压在我的身上
出了支唱片
实现了我的理想
但是怎么知道别人对我欣不欣赏
弄不好第一变成最后一唱
梦想变为失望我可以对谁去讲
Repeat: 我很不爽 我很不爽就要张开嘴巴讲
我是个学生
眼睛睁开天一亮就要到学校
对于你们来说可能平平常常
对于我来说却像是打仗
看到老师和黑板就要打瞌睡
爸妈望子成龙负担太重
没到分数标准
他们就发疯
天天复习通宵
眼睛发肿
根本没有时间好好放松
妈妈帮我买了一包脑轻松
为了成绩不差
为了不丢他们的人
请了补习班不偷懒
身体脑子一起补的让我翻白眼
这样下去我看要越来越呆 越来越挂三
问问老天爷我应该怎么办
做人难 怎么办
做学生是难上加难
Repeat: 我不爽```
盗版CD肆无忌惮流通市场
我们辛苦写点歌每天熬夜真辛苦
为了保证质量
改了一次又一次
希望广大歌迷支持记在心理面
这个世界样样都能作假
为了谋取利益为了赚点money
逢年过节人人都想凑热闹
买点炮仗放到最后浑身都是伤
冒牌奶粉便宜吃坏身体
还有垃圾黑心棉早该取缔
假冒伪劣商品质量没有保障
大家不要为了贪便宜而受骗上当
July 08, 2008
Small distraction
Monday 11:45am. I already needed to get out of the office. Everything was bugging me. My neck was bugging me from the constant looking up of badminton the day before. My computer was bugging me with it's fingerprints on the screen and lack of email excitement. The music the staff played was bugging me - not Zhang Xing Zhe again.
So I skipped out for an early lunch. I needed to find someplace new, so I ventured down Beijing Lu looking for a pleasant distraction to quell my nerves. Something different. I walked about 5 min until I saw a sign sticking out of the grass behind a wrought iron fence. "Gourmet Cafe, less than one minute >>>."
I walked about a minute north right into a nicely eco-green diner, and sat down. The staff all looked at me kind of embarrassingly. A tall laowai came up and said hi. "You're our first customer," he said.
"Yeah, I'm a little ahead of the lunch rush."
"I mean you're the first person to come in."
"I see that. So is it ok to order something?"
"Of course it's ok. What I mean is that you are our first customer ever. We just opened this restaurant today, and you're the first person to walk in."
"Wow. Cool. i guess I better order something good."
The owner, Will, and I got to talking a bit and the people started coming in. The staff looked nervous. My food arrived. It was pretty good. The first meal out of their new kitchen. I was happy for them. Things looked good from day one. There was no chaos. The waitresses wore matching black Converses. The sky was blue. A silver Porsche passed by. The iced tea was cold. I paid their first bill, and walked back to the office. The morning didn't bug me as much anymore.
Sometimes you just need a small distraction.
The Gourmet Cafe Noodle Shop
July 02, 2008
Piracy is Brilliant
Joss Stone sure knows how to piss off her record company, EMI, and I so totally agree with her. Besides saying "piracy is brilliant" (which will probably be her quote for years to come) she also nailed the sentiment of many performing artists with this great one liner, "The only part about music that I dislike is the business that is attached to it."
I remember also saying something (one of many dumb things I've said in my life as an artist) that pissed EMI off many years ago when I was signed to them in Taiwan. Some reporter asked me what I would do to improve the quality of Mandarin pop music, and I said something to the effect of, "Well, I'd first line up all the producers and have them shot." Woops.
Check out what else Joss Stone said here.
I've never figured out whether it's pronounced "Moe's (like owned by one of three stooges) or Moss (like that guy out of Bonanza), but the one down the hill from me is open until 2am most days, which means that if I get out of the club early enough, I can catch the best burger in town, the muo si la bao or the Spicy Mos Burger. They have lots of jalapenos and 
