Monday, December 11, 2017

Nanhu Park and Downtown Nanning

Yesterday, being a nice day and being my 8-930 am work day, Yen and I decided to hop on the subway down to Nanhu park. We headed to Nanhu station and got off at the park exit. The new subway makes life in Nanning incredibly easy, as you walk out and are basically in the park.

It is the largest park in Nanning, and runs next to a big lake which has been dammed to keep it full year round. It is a decent place for a walk and a spot to take a few pictures. There isn't much else to say about it, and information in English on China is surprisingly scarce (internet censorship I guess). What I have learned is that the park was established in 1972, though the lake itself was formed when a tributary of the Yong river was dredged during the Tang dynasty. It has tropical plants from all over Guangxi province. There is a museum there dedicated to Zhuang (the local minority) revolutionaries in the 1920's, though it is all in Chinese.

For us though, it was a nice stroll in the park on warm winter afternoon.

After that we headed to the Nanning elephant statue, said to represent the city. Then a subway to MixC mall for a meal (what is it at 4pm?) and then home.




Saturday, December 9, 2017

Yangmei Ancient Town

A couple weeks before Yen got here, I went out with a few of my new coworkers to the Yangmei Ancient town. It is a Ming era merchant town that rose to prominence in the late Qing (1800-1912) before losing its status to Nanning, just down the river, and becoming a bit of a backwater. It has had a revival as China has opened up, and a middle class has developed which is eager to go explore on the weekends.

The name ancient is a bit misleading, as many of the buildings are less than 100 years old, and even the oldest are no more than 300 years old. That being said, it is still a great place to visit.

To get there, go to the bus station on the south side of the road just past the Luban rd. subway station (walking west away from the university). You can also get a bus to other tourist places in Guangxi.

Anyway, despite not technically leaving Nanning, it takes 90 minutes to get there, and it is not a gentle ride. Once there there is not a lot to actually DO. It is a neat place to walk around for a few hours and grab lunch. It was a fun trip.

Yangmei itself is more an "as long as you're here" destination rather than somewhere you would fly a long ways to see.  But I kind of like that. Much as I love Hong Kong it isn't exactly a place no one has ever heard of before. These small gems are often what make their way in to stories down the line. It was a fun trip, and I may have to take Yen there soon.





Mobile Pics Fall 2017

I've done this a few times before. I sometimes enjoy taking a few random pics off of my pgone and sharing them. I have to admit that I sometimes get the urge to just snap a random shot on my phone, and am not always sure why. But they are fun, so here are a few pics.

yet another beer that tastes the same
as all the other beers.

Guangxi University St. 

On campus, on a (genuinely) foggy day.

old habits die hard

Old Nanning meets new Nanning

old relic at Yangmei Ancient Town

in Yangmei

view from Tad's

In front of the gym.

yellow snow

west of Nanning

Nanning pagoda at night

Yong river

Zhongshan rd.

again

again

Saturday, November 25, 2017

November

This month has been an interesting one to say the least.

First off, Yen finally made it to China. I went ti pick her up a couple weekends ago in Guangzhou. She flew in from Manila after getting her S2 visa. She can stay until Feb 2nd. The good news is that now that she has had visas in a couple of countries, and we have some cash in the bank, getting her a visa to another country shouldn't be as difficult. We have a G20 on there, though we don't have a G7 on there yet. I am assuming Canada will be the first.

Anyway, it was a LONG mission to Guangzhou from Nanning, then a subway ride across town to the airport. We then took a taxi to our hotel. I splurged on the Crowne Plaza. Afterwards we essentially went to the same places I went to the last time I was there. Walking along the Pearl river to Shamian and dinner near the hotel.

Yen on the banks of the Pearl river

again

me, same place

Guangzhou flowers

stopping for a very Chinese lunch

Yen by the river again

a fine brew

Yen in the hotel district


Other than that it has been quiet. Winter is here, though it is Vancouver winter, not winter winter. Rainy and 9 degrees. Work is going, and while I am happy here, I don't see us here next year. There really isn't much for Yen to do in Nanning and my job, while enjoyable, is also not one with any long term potential. We are looking at bigger cities in China or back to Korea for now, with the eventual goal of kids and a return to western Canada down the road.


Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Fall 2017

I've been back in Nanning a few weeks. There isn't a whole lot new, but a few things worth recording.

Yen should have the cash now to FINALLY get her Chinese visa. About bloody time. I should know by next week. If it all works out I will meet her in Guangzhou as soon as it is issued.

Semester is well under way, and I am now doing a course in academic writing, which I am loving. It is more work for sure, but it feels good to actually be doing something substantial. The classes I have been doing have been good, but these new classes are more in line with what I was hoping to be doing when I got here. That is nice.

October still has most days in the high 20's, though 12 and wet is right around the corner.



I am also starting, slowly, to look for my next job. Though it is almost a year away, I do want to start thinking about it. With two years university experience my options really open up. I am looking at doing IELTS training for international students, teaching EAP full time, or else.......?

Finally, I am planning on finally seeing a bit of China. Heading out on Sunday to an old village near Nanning. Want to hit Guilin when Yen gets here. Will be fun to get out a bit more.



Saturday, September 16, 2017

Summer Vacation Pt. 3

The rest of the week went by very quickly. We had a last dinner with my Mom and sister at 801, the restaurant/bar at White Sands, before they left for Taipei the next morning. On Tuesday I met Will and Mike for dinner at Ayala Terraces and met Mike there again on Wednesday before he flew back to Tampa. Both times ending up at TGI Friday's. Thursday we were at the resort all day before my Dad, Sue, and Braden all left from the long trek back to Vancouver.

With everyone gone, Cebu suddenly got a lot quieter. Yen and I moved to our condo in San Marino. We've stayed there before and, while it is a decent place to stay a few weeks, I am not sure why you would build a condo there, and I am sure I would never buy in it. Only 10 years old but looks and feels at least 30 years old. We had a good couple of weeks though. Travelled around the city a bit, did the last few things we had never done in Cebu, and relaxed. Yen's cousin Ivy came by for a couple days with her daughter, and we did a tower in Cebu, the Daoist temple, and went to see a band at the terraces at Ayala mall. Fun, but hardly stuff you'd travel across the world to see.

While I love the Cebu/Mactan area, I doubt I will be back anytime soon. As a city Cebu itself is fairly quiet. I've well and truly done the tourist trail there, and with no good friends there, there isn't much for us to actually do there anymore. If I owned a condo there, and could spend my vacation swimming, fishing, and reading and I'd probably feel differently, but to rent a cheap condo for two weeks isn't exactly something I'd want to do every year. I think the next time we are in the Philippines together we will try for a resort area. Boracay or Puerto Galera.

Still, it was the best August of my life. Next August I am assuming we will be back in Vancouver for a visit. I think we have a couple more years before we come back for good, but it is hard to see much more than a couple years in to the future right now.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Summer Vacation Pt. 2

We landed in Cebu and walked out right in to the biggest rain storm we would experience the entire trip. However, it was a dry cab and a short run to White Sands.

I was actually one of the last to arrive. Yen had arrived with her family from Dipolog that morning, and most of my friends has showed up during the day. Only Mike and Will were still in transit. I ran in to Bobby first and met his lovely new girlfriend Karishma. I didn't have much time to talk with friends or family though, as we had to meet with the wedding coordinator.

After all that it was a bit of a family and friends reunion and a day at the resort.

The next day of course I got married.

On Sunday Yen and I moved to our condo, back at San Marino, which we had stayed at in February. Then it was back to the resort for more visiting and dinner at 801, the rooftop bar at White Sands. Sunday was also the day that much of the wedding party left Cebu. Yen's family were all off home, Darren back to Daejeon and Bobby to Seoul, and UK Mike off for a week in the Philippines with his wife.

Monday was our first real day trip. Rosie had organised a trip to Oslob, to see the whale sharks that go there to feed every day year round. It was an early start and a long trip to south Cebu island, but well worth the effort.

a whale shark.

south Cebu island

After the whale sharks we went to see a waterfall, which was cool as well (in every sense of the word, that water was downright cold). It was great to get in to the countryside, as that is where the Philippines really shines. I do like Cebu city, and I even like Manila, but if I were to ever permanently relocate to the Philippines it would not be to the city, it would be a chunk of land with a view like the one above. Anyway, after the waterfalls we began the long trek to Cebu City.







Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Summer Vacation Pt. 1

This summer I, of course, got married. That is obviously the biggest part of my summer. However, that was only a part of the summer. Part of the reason we chose Cebu as our wedding location was so that friends and family could also have a vacation in the Philippines while they were at the wedding.

It started with me on a LONG haul flight from nanning to Xiamen, a lengthy stopover, and a flight to Manila. I had been worried about exchanging money in China, because the rates charged at the airport are extortionate. I would have cost me 9000 PHP ($220 Cad) to exchange my rmb, so I got on the pane to Manila with 600 PHP in my pocket. Charge for changing money in Manila. 50 PHP. Note to self, NEVER change money in China, just take the rmb out and change it at your destination.

Anyway, when I got there I met Darren, who had flown in to Manila from Daejeon. We then headed to Manila 101, a great hotel in Pasay, for a 1am check in. However, we were still hungry and so opted to head to a place near Sea Residences and MOA, a quick walk. We met two Spanish guys and chatted til almost 4. Then off to bed.

After a bit of a sleep in we decided to head up to Intramuros. I had not been there since 2013 when I visited the area with Mike on my first trip to Manila (about a month before I met Yen actually). We did the fort, art museum, and Luneta Park. However it was getting late and Mike (from UK, not to be confused with best man Mike) and his wife Xiaoshan had arrived from Guangzhou and we were going to meet them at MOA for dinner.

We went and went to the Pad, which has been a regular spot for me for years. However, the menu has changed and the food was a real disappointment, so we went over to Roadhouse for a cocktail before going to bed.

The next day we got up, checked out, and headed to the airport to catch the flight to Cebu.

"so, now that we are all in a free country,
we all agree Taiwan is a country right?"


Friday, August 18, 2017

Married

It is all done. Six months of incredibly hard work has finally paid off, as Yen and I tied the knot at Cebu White Sands on August 5th.

It was made all the more special because I had so many friends and family members who were able to make it from across Asia and Canada. My immediate family was able to come out and visit the Philippines and see other destinations in Asia as well. It was great to show them a place that has, effectively, become a second home for me. I also had friends come from Korea, China, and Vietnam for the ceremony, so a big thanks to all of them for coming. I also was happy that they had a chance to see a bit of the Philippines, and have vacations of their own, even if for some of them it was just a 3 day weekend. Also a big thanks to Mike for landing at 6am the day of the wedding and still being good to go on best man duties. Much appreciated.

The ceremony itself was held in the White Sands garden area. For Yen, preparation began at 10am with hair and makeup. For me it was far less work (as it usually is for men and women on wedding days). Still, I was very excited when the ceremony finally got started.

It is really a situation where pictures tell a much better story than words could, but I will just say that August 5th has now become the most important day in my calendar, and the event was exactly what I wanted it to be.

Babysitting duties while the women get ready.

Waiting patiently

Yen coming 

yes I may

Oh yeah, Mike is 6'3. I forgot about that :D




Monday, July 31, 2017

Off to Cebu

Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving Nanning early to get a flight to Xiamen, and from there on to Manila. Despite being a short distance, my flight in Xiamen has been delayed, and so I will not get in to Manila until around 1130pm. Ah well.

I'll be meeting Darren and probably crashing early. I'll fly down to Cebu on August 4th, and hopefully get there in time to meet with the coordinator at 430. Yen gets in at like 6am though, so if worse comes to worse she can deal with it.

It is going to be a very busy, but also very fun few days.

Mike will be showing up late on Aug 4th, so will get filled in on best man duties on the 5th. I think it'll be low key. It is also cool because the last time I saw him was over a year ago in Chilgok. Also, with him possibly off to Miami this year, it may be the last time we see each other for a while. I have other friends coming who I haven't seen in a while, and a few that couldn't make it but have sent well wishes.

My Mom and sister leave soon and my Dad and his whole side are currently in Hong Kong (technically Macau at this exact moment) so it is cool to see everyone else having fun.

I am excited as well.

For today, I just need to exchange some RMB in to USD, pack, get a haircut, and do all the other fun stuff to get ready. Tomorrow I leave here at 9am, which isn't bad at all, but it means I don't have time for much else. I also know that I don't get to settle down until almost midnight. A few hours of Travian and Civilization in Xiamen may be in order :P

Friday, July 21, 2017

July

A busy month.

Officially the semester ends the first week of July, but for some there is an option of overtime work with the College. Most teachers have opted out and decided to head off on vacation, but a couple of us have stayed and agreed to do it.

And boy is there overtime.

I have not had a day off since last Saturday, though I should get Sunday off. I then have a very busy 6 day stretch before I too am on holidays, with a nice little bonus that will disappear in wedding costs almost as soon as I get it :D

ah well.

I then have 3 days here before I fly out to Manila on Wednesday Aug 2nd.

Of course the reason I am doing all this is so the wedding is as good as it can be. I have had to say no to a few things that I just can't afford, but a lot of it seems like stuff that we don't need anyway. I think some people blow 40-50k on a wedding, which seems a sure way to ensure that you will spend that again on a divorce :D. We are having a good wedding, but I hope it is remembered more for friends and fun than for the tacky crap.



It is actually strange being on campus in the summer. Most of the staff have left and it is oddly quiet, or as quiet as China ever is, and it is nice. I'll be here for part of next summer, but my visa expires on July 20th and I am sure that we will be back to Vancouver then, even if just for a visit and a visa renewal to wherever we are going next. Still, it means I'll only really get this month to live like this in Nanning. Kinda cool.

Monday, July 10, 2017

Semester Done

This week I handed in final grades and said goodbye to year one at the university. It was a neat feeling. I have worked very hard over the last 4 years to get to a point where I can do this job, and to have done my first year here has been great. I have learnt a lot, and it has been good. I made a few learning mistakes, but I think overall I did alright. I am already contracted here for another year, and at the end of that time I will have my two years experience, and the world opens up to me.

With that being said, I think two years in Nanning will be enough. Not that this has been a bad experience, because it has been great, but after two years I'll be setting my sights a bit higher I think. Frankly because I can. Yen is fairly adamant that if we don't stay in the Philippines or Canada then she wants to go back to Korea. I don't blame her either. Korea has great jobs and I can't imagine a better country to have a child in, which is another goal of hers for next year. With good friends working there I feel like I am in with a chance (you reading this Mat, Darren and Tobe? :D).

Also, and this is a China thing, the visa requirements for teachers don't guarantee the best results. As an example. To work in Korea as a university teacher I usually require and MA and 2 years experience. For public schools an education background (and in Seoul increasingly teacher certification), and for the cram schools a BA in anything. I am okay with that. In China to work at a cram school you need a BA and either two years experience or a TEFL certification (approx 28 days). To work at a university? A BA in anything and either two years experience of a TEFL certificate. The result is that, while I work with many great people, the backpacker crowd is still alive and well at the university level. I am also not crazy about the way in which Chinese schools are run. Very communal and almost paternalistic. Add to that the housing situation, internet censorship, and in general everything just being less efficient than it could be, and I think two years will be ample.

So for the summer, I am in Nanning for July doing IELTS exam training. Then on August 2nd I leave for Manila where I'll meet Darren. Then on the 4th I fly down to Cebu to meet Yen and get married. This wedding has stretched the budget a bit (a lot), but it will be well worth it. I am also looking forward to a few weeks in Cebu just relaxing. Then it is back at the end of August for my second year in Nanning.

For next year, I would like to see a bit of China, as once I go I am not sure how much I'll be back even if I live in Korea (Hong Kong/Macau notwithstanding) and especially if I live in Canada. Mostly because the visa process is such a hassle. However, I mostly want to save and get more experience. I am actually looking forward to next year. Having a year done feels like a real accomplishment, and even though it may not be where I want to settle down, I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had in Nanning. It certainly won't be a time in my life I will remember badly.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

August

Old news I think, but on August 5th Yen and I are getting married. Planning for that has been, to say the least, stressful (and expensive) but with less than 2 months to go I am suddenly starting to get excited.

The plan for now is for me to leave Nanning on August 2nd and fly to Manila, then on to Cebu on the 4th. My parents and siblings should be there already. Darren is meeting me in Manila on the 2nd and he very generously bought my flight from Manila to Cebu as a wedding gift. So we will be in Manila for a day or two. My friend Mike from China and his wife may also be in Manila on the 3rd.

I will then be in Cebu through most of August. I am looking forward to just decompressing. This semester at work has been incredibly busy, and paying for the wedding has eaten my savings. So just having a few weeks with Yen in Cebu sounds perfect. We will be doing a bit of work, such as organising her visa for China, but I can foresee a day where we don't leave the apartment, and I am okay with that.

I'll write more about the event closer to the time, for now I am off to work.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Chris Cornell

It is a weird how the death of someone you've never met can affect you at all. But it does. I read last night that Chris Cornell had been found dead in a hotel in Detroit just a couple hours after playing a show. This morning it was confirmed as a suicide. Hanged himself in a hotel bathroom. 

My aunt pointed out that for her, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix were ones that hit her hard, because their music is such a part of her life. Their death is a part of our own history dying as well. The Seattle sound was such a part of my youth, yet as of now almost all the major Seattle icons have died, all before 60 and some before 30. Obviously the most famous and iconic was Kurt Cobain's suicide in 1994, but that was predated by Andrew Wood who died of an overdose in 1990. Since then Layne Staley and Scott Weiland have both passed on as well. However, with both of them it was drugs and, while very sad, wasn't exactly a surprise. Scott Weiland's death in particular hit me, but again, not shocking.

Cornell, besides being the most versatile musician of the lot, was also the one that had beaten drugs and booze, was still a prolific songwriter and was very healthy, physically at least. He was still making decent music, and unlike so many other classic rock musicians who release new material at age 50, his was still really good.  I think it was such a surprise and shock because it was so senseless.

Sad news.

What's in a Name?

Much like Korea, in China there is a custom to have an "English name" which is used when talking with any non-Chinese. It is a custom I have never really understood. If people want a name great, but when someone gives you their real name you should use it. Some foreigners then ask or wait for an English name, which bothers me.  Either way, I just call people what they want to be called.

You get the same odd names, like "Explosion" or "Echo" as a name, and in those cases I just use their Chinese names.

What I find odd in China is the sheer number of, well, very old fashioned names. The young woman working at Starbucks. Very cute, friendly, and modern. Her name in Mavis. I get lots of Eunice's, Bonnie's, Horatio's etc. I would love to know where they get these names....

The Last Few Weeks

Working six days a week, I don't usually have much to write about on here anymore.

I am saving and sending every penny I make to Yen to pay for our wedding in August. So with the exception of dinner Saturday nights (which runs me about $20 for dinner and drinks anyway) I do very little.

However, last Friday night I was called and asked to come to a meeting between the Dean of the university and New Brunswick vice-premier Stephen Horsman the next morning.......... so yeah I did that.

I've also managed to hit the gym regularly and get through midterms. My first year is almost done, and so far I am very happy I decided to take a full time uni job.

This week Yen is in Manila to pick up stuff for August, and visit Rose and Diya, who are both in Manila from Daegu. I wish I could have made it. Diya is two now, and very mobile. The last time I saw her was over a year ago, and she was just starting to walk. She will be in Tacloban this fall, and while I would love to visit in August, I think it will have to wait until the winter break next year.

The weather here is back to its downright tropical feel. Sitting outside by the pond on a warm night with a couple Chinese "beers" is becoming not only possible, but a nice thing to do. I expect 30 plus and humid until November.

I have gotten in to a bad habit of starting 15 different blogs, but never finishing them. I have a lot of grading to do this weekend, but I'll try to get 1-2 done as well. Chris Cornell will have to be one.


Sunday, April 9, 2017

Qingming Festival

Last weekend was the Qingming, or tomb sweeping festival here in China. It is the time when families go to the graves of their ancestors to pray to, and honour them. It is the 15th day after the spring equinox, which means it falls on April 4th, 5th, or 6th.

In Guangxi, it coincides with the provincial Zhuang New Year festival, which meant for me it was a six day holiday.

However, with so much cash being needed in August, I decided to spend it locally. I went to Qingxuishan, the hiking area east of Nanning, and managed a few trips to the gym. I also tried a few restaurants I had been meaning to try but never seem to have time for. It was also the first time in ages when the university campus was actually quiet, so it was nice to just have that peace (China is noisy).

It was also the first weekend when the tropical weather returned, so it was nice to be able to go outside without a sweater.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Yunnan Coffee

One of the things I miss from Korea - a lot - is good coffee. Not the coffee culture, but coffee. At Homeplus you could buy a 2kg bag of Sumatran coffee for relatively little. In China there is Starbucks, which will actually run out of brew coffee most days. The Chinese are tea drinkers. This means I do instant most mornings. A very sad state of affairs. So when a friend and coworker of mine, Erin, who has lived here for a few years, told me about the coffee she gets from Yunnan I was intrigued. Yunnan actually has a decent coffee growing climate, and it is even sold a Starbucks here. I got myself a French press (good luck finding a real percolator) and asked her to grab some. At 90rmb ($17.50 Cad/15000krw) it isn't super cheap, but the company, Hani, is run by an American who treats the farmers very well, and the company is what fair trade is supposed to be about. It is also damn good coffee. Given that I can go through a bag in about 10-12 days, that means 5 bags in a 3 month period, which is more than I spent in Korea and certainly more than Canada, but only marginally so. I am also happy to give my money to coffee growers here. Parts of the country have a climate for it, and anything you can do to get rid of tea culture is a win :)

Hani Coffee

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Gen X or Millennial?

This article from the Washington Post popped up on facebook this morning. It was a summary of Gen X and how they are now in their 40's and 50's and taking up the slack. How they vote and why, and how this affects us.

It is a bit shallow, and feels the need to constantly remind us that Trump is a boomer president (which he is), but a lot of what it says I found fascinating. A few reasons why.

First off I am not sure where I fit in on this scale. I read 1982-2000 are millennials. I was born Feb 9th 1982. Did I miss Gen X by 5 weeks? But then I hear millennials are 1986-2000 elsewhere, but Gen X is 1964-1978. So what if you were born in 1980?

Personally I do feel like I identify stronger with Gen X than millennials. I DO think millennials are kinda whiny and self absorbed. When I think of my favourite music from my teen years it is Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell. Staunch Gen Xers. I identify much more easily with a 40 year old than a 25 year old, though being 35 that might be natural in any event. 

So I've decided that I'm not gonna miss Gen X by five weeks. I might have been late to the party, but you don't hear me crying about it (see, not a millennial). I'm here now. Get off me. 

Seriously though.


The article sums up the number of Gen Xers who are now republicans, arguing that Gen X is attracted to that philosophy. I disagree strongly with that as when I think of a boomer republican I think of a guy with more guns than teeth and a bible he can't read. That being said, the sheer number of libertarian Gen Xers in Conservative parties across the U.S and Canada may be indicative of a point the author made:


But how is it that the new wave of the GOP was raised on grunge?
If they were angry and disillusioned teenagers in the 1980s and ’90s, in middle age they are “very naturally libertarian, very pragmatic,” says Neil Howe, co-author of “13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?,” the 1993 book that defined the generation. During Gen X’s formative years, Americans were embracing individualism, the free marketplace and unabashed capitalism.
“Gen X is a perfect reflection of that: ‘No one is going to help you. No handouts. It’s up to you,’ ” Howe says. “Particularly first-wave Xers, they’re just naturally Republican.”
Again, I think these ideals are what republicans (and Canadian Conservatives party members) wish they were, rather than what they actually are, and I think it ignores the fact that Gen X voted overwhelmingly for Obama for years. It also ignores the fact that republicans have been staunchly against women's rights and homosexual rights for decades, something Kurt Cobain would not have approved of at all :P. Their stance on the environment is also appalling. I do share this with millennials - I like breathing. So I feel very comfortable dismissing the party politics side of it.

But it does tap in to something that I do think is common among people my age. I would never say government is THE problem, but I do see it as an annoyance rather than a tool for much good. I would never call myself a Libertarian, mostly because I understand why labour laws came in to existence in the first place (ever wonder why every Libertarian you ever meet is a rich or single white guy?) but I do think that they successfully identify the problems of modern liberal democracy. Listening to Bill Maher talk about republicans and democrats only serves to remind me how old he is. The only difference between him and Bill O'Reilly is where in Ireland their families emigrated from. I am much more interested in what Richard Branson is doing for space travel than NASA. Now you'd think that would make me like Trump, but see women, gay and environmental issues above for explanation as to why I absolutely do not. Now if Richard Branson wanted to be the U.K's next P.M, that would be interesting to me. Heck, why can't Arnold just be president? The free world needs a leader who can bench more than Putin. These are the issues. Seriously though I do wonder how Bill Gates would fare with Gen X as a candidate? Better than Hillary Clinton did I bet.

I think it was interesting that, in Canada anyway, Gen X and millennials did not vote Conservative, but nor did they vote for the NDP. Statistically they voted Trudeau or stayed home. Now obviously statistics are a dangerous thing, and can be manipulated in many ways, and MANY Gen Xers voted NDP or Conservative (and a majority of both Gen X and millennials stayed home). Heck some are probably Nazi's or Marxists or whatever. But if you take a generation as stats, the guy who offered to spend money on roads and bridges so you could get to where you need to go beat the guy who tried to trick you in to thinking Muslims and immigrants were scary and the guy that offered you free handouts and claimed everyone was a victim..... by a decent margin. Not that I personally think Trudeau is amazing at all, and again stats are a mixed bag and this ignores the 45% of Canadians who stayed home in 2015. It also ignores regional issues, local representatives etc. So by no means should it be taken as fact. I just think that, when it was put to me in that way, it was interesting and I admit it has a certain appeal to me. 


I also thought it was interesting the way that society affects you more than you realize, which the article touched on various times. Whether you subscribe to the Post's article, some or all of my points, or have a set of your own that are totally different, the society you were raised in affected them. Yes family matters a lot, but the society as a whole matters too. Boomers had idealists as heroes. From MLK to John Lennon. The hippies, again as a demographic, had moral certainty. An absolute belief that they could change the world for the better. This has been, to say the least, a double edged sword. Kurt Cobain never offered us that. He was staunchly against homophobia, racism and sexism and was vocal about it, but lets be honest he is most famous for doing a lot of drugs and drink and then doing himself in. Man didn't give a fuck. Eddie Vedder was a bit better, but even he went about it differently. He didn't lead mass protests against exploitative capitalism, he just insisted on not using ticketmaster for Pearl Jam shows (which in the 1990s was a big deal). Again these role models (if you can even say there is such a thing as a generational role model) leave a mixed legacy, but they affect how people think. 

I see a lot of that in myself. I don't care if someone is gay and dislike homophobia in the extreme, but when I say I don't care I mean I don't care. Fuck off with the parades. You were born gay, it isn't an accomplishment. You don't like oil pipelines? What are you actually doing to change it? Oh you have a sign and are blocking traffic. Good job.....you fucking tool. You want to do something useful go study environmental engineering. You can do that with Canada's well funded post-secondary system. They are the guys making a difference. My non sexual man crush on Richard Branson can be referenced here. I regret taking student loans to pay for my BA and an angry that my family was taxed so heavily that I needed those gov't loans because there was no expendable income there (the loans being my money anyway.... I have to borrow my own money......). I don't feel appreciative, I am fucked off about it. I paid for my entire MA and teacher training myself. I am proud of that. It was hard and I was poor and I won't have the saving account my Dad had at 35 until I am in my 40's. But I'll have it, and I won't owe anybody but my family for it. As it should be.

Anyway. I do wonder how much that attitude is me, how much it is generational, and how much you can say anything is generational. I do know that my parents generation bemoan the low voter turnout among their children. I don't think it is that we are uninformed or lazy or slackers. I think it is that we'd rather fix a problem ourselves rather than wait for (or trust) the state to fix it. This does not mean that change cannot be affected at the ballot box, and some people DO need to be voted AGAINST. But for positive, proactive change I'd rather work with my friends and colleagues. I know that I can affect education and international students going to Canada with the job I have now. I know that with more experience I'll be able to do that on a much larger scale back in Canada. I am going to do that. Education is my passion, and at the risk of being arrogant I am damn good at it. My cousin is an engineer. I have more faith in him to fix our oil dependency than I do in Trudeau or some protester. 

Is that Gen X or just aspects of it? I dunno. But I know a lot of people my age who feel the same way, so I am sure it isn't just me (though I certainly know some who would disagree strongly with everything I have just said). Being raised in the Pacific northwest was probably a part of that. I have referenced three Gen X icons here.... all from Seattle. I wonder how someone from Miami feels about wearing flannel and having long hair in the summer and the 'ideals' that went along with that? In any event it is a different world view than our parents, and I enjoyed the read.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Random mobile uploads from China and the Philippines

Chinese whisky. Big sizee

Guangzhou Soviet era Statue

Pearl River

Entrance to the old colonial district

5 Elephant Statue Nanning

Goon baby

Shamian

Shamian

Shamian

Guangzhou traditional Chinese dinner

A-Won Korean, in Manila

best Korean beer. Also in Manila

View of straight of Cebu

fun mall

those shoes don't fit

near Panglao

could be a commercial

large hermit crab

Philippine Coffee. Actually good

"Meat all you can"

spot the lizard

does he know that?

school in Nanning

copyright

bridge near the Guangxi Uni west gate

palm trees when it feels too cold for palm trees

Nanning Exhibition Centre

Macau 

at night

Grand Lisboa, Macau

the spicy dish that finally got me.


What a Chinese elementary school classroom looks like
(not where I work)

yeah it really is the shits

view of university from the 9th floor

near the teacher apartments



more spicy food

good beer

west of Nanning. Guangxi countryside

elephant again