The Wong Blog

Let’s tally up the Harbin sightseeing so far: 3 university campuses; 2 pirated DVD stores; 1 flood control monument; and 0 towers. Yesterday, I also checked out St. Sophia’s, the most prominent of Harbin’s Russian Orthodox churches, which is now used as an art gallery. On today’s agenda: Japanese germ warfare base.

Until the recent Sichuan earthquake, it was Olympic fever here 24/7. The Hong and I are heading to Beijing tomorrow to scope things out. Apparently, a colleague of The Hong’s managed to procure for us tickets to an event at Beijing National Stadium, a.k.a. the “Bird’s Nest,” the main venue for the forthcoming Olympics. We have no idea what the event is, just that we have tickets. I’m hoping it’s an execution—I think that’s how China inaugurates all new stadiums…with the blood of bourgeois counterrevolutionaries!

Or it could be track and field. One or the other.

There’s a great t-shirt that’s floating around locally that I’m trying to find and buy. It says, “Tibet was, is, and always WILL BE a part of China.” Nice.

Ads here in China feature a number of celebrities, including many from Hong Kong. There’s Yao Ming, of course, Jay Chou (from Taiwan!), Rosamund Kwan, Louis Koo, Leo Ku, Cecilia Cheung, Daniel Wu, etc. But the king of them all has got to be Big Brother Jackie Chan. That man will pimp anything. We’re talking tea, hair products, credit cards, the one-child policy, abortion pills, whatever. Pay Jackie enough jack and he will endorse it, no questions asked.

Zhang Ziyi is endorsing Mercedes, but the fact that she’s dating a Euro, apparently, is not going over well with the locals.

There’s this large chain of restaurants in town (possibly all of China) called The California USA Beef Noodle King, which was apparently started by a Mr. Lee. His face is featured prominently on the signage, almost like an homage to Colonel Sanders.

Things here are pretty cheap—pirated DVDs, transportation, life—such that I’ve become sort of a culinary snob. Because I can’t read menus, I’ve resorted to ordering the most expensive dish on the menu just because, why not. Theoretically, it should be good, right? Yesterday, I found out that I ordered a pretty good lamb stew that cost $4. At least, I think it was lamb. It could have been bear, dog, or tiger (I hope).

A Harbin Happy Birthday to me! I’m here in China and love it. Of course, it’s springtime, sunny, and 75 degrees outside, so what’s not to love? Had taro pie at McDonald’s. Saw one of the top five flood control monuments in the world at a place called Stalin Park(!). Observed three minutes of “silence” in observance of the Sichuan Earthquake victims (air raid sirens were blasting all over the city—thought that they were re-booting the revolution). Lots to say, not enough time to say it, but rest assured that virtually every moment is being documented by camera, video, or mp3 recorder. Later!

So this will be my third official trip to China.  The first was in the early ’80s, just when Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms were beginning to ramp up.  Went back to the ol’ family village in Southern China, on the Macau peninsula, to check things out.  The village was grubby and there were a lot of pigs.  A lot.  The second trip was in the late 1990s.  I was in Hong Kong for the summer and decided to spend a weekend in Guangzhou, a.k.a. Ram City.  It was crazy—lighting storms, police standoffs with migrant workers, and the general insanity that is Guangzhou city traffic.  But I survived.  Now, it’s gonna be Harbin for the trifecta, the City of Tigers.  Because of the Russian influence, I think I’d like to try some vodka there.  I’ve also heard that Harbin has some pretty good local beer, so that’s definitely on the list.  And can you eat the tigers?  Is tiger meat available?  And if Guangzhou and Harbin could fight each other in the octagon, who would win?  Uh, time for bed…

Earlier this week, I received my Chinese visa.  To me, this was a minor miracle given that (1) China is in lock-down mode right now with the run-up to the Olympics, and (2) I had to, uh, “improvise” some necessary documents.  (Very Chinese of me.)  Up until now, China’s enforcement of its visa rules has been lackadaisical and selective at best.  Now with the Olympics looming, the authorities are cracking down like it’s 1989.  The borders and entry points have been tightened, papers are being checked, and illegals are being booted from the country.

But not me.  Totally legit.

Woo-hoo!  Papa’s coming home to the Motherland, baby!  This Cantonese is gonna kick it with my wheat-eatin’ Northern homies!