Monday, January 30, 2017

Year of the Cock



Saturday was the beginning of the Lunar New Year, though most people started celebrating on Friday. It was also the first time since moving to China that I was out of the country during the Chinese New Year. I went to Tel Aviv just before it started and will come back long after everyone has gone back to their jobs and daily routines. The holiday is not officially over until the Lantern Festival on February 11, but most people only get two or three days off. Since it was over the weekend, a lot of people already had those days off anyway. If you have a cushy government or corporate job, maybe you get Monday and Tuesday off.

I have two roommates. One of them has one of those cushy office jobs. He usually gets around six days off. This year, those days off are the week after it all starts. That is always better if you want to travel.

My other roommate teaches English to spoiled rich children. That job has a lot of drawbacks, but one huge benefit is that spoiled rich children never go to school during major holidays. Her vacation started on New Year's Eve and ends long after the rest of us are back at work.

I'm working through the whole thing. I rarely have the New Year off, but this year I took some time to go to Tel Aviv. Chinese New Year does not mean much in Israel. Their next big holiday is Purim, in March. I would love to see that, but unfortunately, it is not going to happen this year.

If you live in China and have a week off during the New Year, leaving the country is not a bad idea. Big cities are usually pretty crowded, but they get ridiculous during major holidays. Chinese New Year is the biggest of the lot. Lily and Kevin were going to go to Japan, but then they checked the weather. I still think that's funny. They are both from Canada, but shied away from Japan because it is winter. So they went to Bangkok instead. 30°C and 0% chance of rain looked better than a few degrees above freezing and daily showers.

That means our apartment will be empty until they get back. But if you are a thief, don't get any ideas. Our neighbor keeps an eye on things. She pays attention whether we want her to or not. Unless she is a thief. Then we just might be screwed.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Carrie Fisher

Last year was famous for celebrity deaths. If you were famous in 2016, you were on notice. Most of those celebrities died of cancer or drug overdoses. I'm never surprised when anyone dies of cancer. It is more of a surprise when someone can live to 80 or 90 and never get cancer. Celebrity and drug overdoses go hand in hand. What surprised me in 2016 was Carrie Fisher's death and then, the very next day, Debbie Reynolds.

Debbie Reynolds was 84 and had been in poor health. Carrie Fisher was 60 and getting in better shape for the new Star Wars movies. She was also a lifelong smoker and fought drug addiction for as long as she struggled with mental illness. She often said she was surprised she lasted as long as she did.

Carrie Fisher will always be known as Princess Leia. Nothing can change that. She was primarily an actor and that was her most famous role. But she was also a writer. She wrote seven books, two plays and was a sought after script doctor.


Postcards from the Edge
Surrender the Pink
Delusions of Grandma
The Best Awful There Is
Wishful Drinking
Shockaholic
The Princess Diarist

Wishful Drinking
A Spy in the House of Me


Shampoo
directed by Hal Ashby
written by Robert Towne & Warren Beatty
produced by Warren Beatty
starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Carrie Fisher

Star Wars: A New Hope
directed & written by George Lucas
starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones

Come Back, Little Sheba
directed by Silvio Narizzano
starring Laurence Olivier, Joanne Woodward, Carrie Fisher

Ringo
directed by Jeff Margolis
written by Pat Proft & Neal Israel
starring Ringo Starr, Art Carney, Carrie Fisher, George Harrison

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
directed by Irvin Kershner
written by Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas
starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones

The Blues Brothers
directed by John Landis
written by Dan Aykroyd & John Landis
starring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman, Henry Gibson, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, James Brown

Under the Rainbow
directed by Steve Rash
starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, Eve Arden, Billy Barty, Mako, Pat McCormick, Adam Arkin, Zelda Rubinstein

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
directed by Richard Marquand
written by Lawrence Kasdan & George Lucas
starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, James Earl Jones

Garbo Talks
directed by Sidney Lumet
starring Anne Bancroft, Ron Silver, Carrie Fisher, Betty Comden

The Man with One Red Shoe
directed by Stan Dragoti
starring Tom Hanks, Dabney Coleman, Lori Singer, Charles Durning, Carrie Fisher

Hannah and Her Sisters
Directed & written by Woody Allen
Produced by Robert Greenhut
Starring Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Barbara Hershey, Woody Allen, Michael Caine, Sam Waterston, Carrie Fisher, Daniel Stern, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julie Kavner, Max Von Sydow, Joanna Gleason, John Turturro, Lloyd Nolan, Richard Jenkins, JT Walsh

Hollywood Vice Squad
directed by Penelope Spheeris
starring Ronny Cox, Carrie Fisher, Frank Gorshin

Amazon Women on the Moon
“Reckless Youth” directed by Joe Dante
starring Carrie Fisher, Paul Bartel

The Time Guardian
directed by Brian Hannant
starring Tom Burlinson, Carrie Fisher, Dean Stockwell

Appointment with Death
directed, written & produced by Michael Winner
starring Peter Ustinov, Lauren Bacall, Carrie Fisher, John Gielgud

The 'Burbs
directed by Joe Dante
starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher

Loverboy
directed by Joan Micklin Silver
starring Patrick Dempsey, Kate Jackson, Carrie Fisher

When Harry Met Sally...
directed by Rob Reiner
written by Nora Ephron
starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby

Sibling Rivalry
Directed by Carl Reiner
Written by Martha Goldhirsh
Starring Kirstie Alley, Jami Gertz, Bill Pullman, Ed O'Neill, Carrie Fisher, Scott Bakula, Frances Sternhagen, John Randolph, Sam Elliott

Postcards from the Edge
directed by Mike Nichols
written by Carrie Fisher
produced by Mike Nichols & John Calley
music by Carly Simon
starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss, Rob Reiner, Mary Wickes, Conrad Bain, Simon Callow, CCH Pounder, Dana Ivey

Drop Dead Fred
directed by Ate de Jong
starring Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall, Marsha Mason, Carrie Fisher

Soapdish
directed by Michael Hoffman
starring Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Elisabeth Shue, Robert Downey Jr, Cathy Moriarty, Whoopi Goldberg, Carrie Fisher, Kathy Najimy, Teri Hatcher, Garry Marshall

Hook
directed by Steven Spielberg
starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Carrie Fisher, Phil Collins

This Is My Life
directed by Nora Ephron
written by Nora Ephron & Delia Ephron
starring Julie Kavner, Samantha Mathis, Gaby Hoffmann, Carrie Fisher, Dan Aykroyd, Caroline Aaron, Kathy Najimy, Estelle Harris, Tim Blake Nelson, Marita Geraghty, Valri Bromfield

Lisa Picard Is Famous
directed by Griffin Dunne
written by Laura Kirk & Nat DeWolf
starring Laura Kirk, Nat DeWolf, Griffin Dunne, Carrie Fisher, Buck Henry, Melissa Gilbert, Mira Sorvino

Heartbreakers
directed by David Mirkin
starring Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Gene Hackman, Ray Liotta, Anne Bancroft, Carrie Fisher

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
directed & written by Kevin Smith
starring Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, George Carlin, Carrie Fisher

These Old Broads
directed by Matthew Diamond
written by Carrie Fisher & Elaine Pope
starring Shirley MacLaine, Debbie Reynolds, Joan Collins, Elizabeth Taylor, Jonathan Silverman, Peter Graves, Pat Harrington

The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch
directed & written by Eric Idle
starring Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Ricky Fataar, John Halsey, Bill Murray, Catherine O'Hara, Robin Williams, Carrie Fisher, Steve Martin, Mike Nichols, Kevin Nealon

Wonderland
directed by James Cox
starring Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott, Carrie Fisher, Christina Applegate, Janeane Garofalo

Stateside
directed & written by Reverge Anselmo
produced by Robert Greenhut
starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Agnes Bruckner, Joe Mantegna, Carrie Fisher, Val Kilmer, Penny Marshall

Undiscovered
directed by Meiert Avis
starring Pell James, Steven Strait, Carrie Fisher, Ashlee Simpson

Romancing the Bride
directed & written by Kris Isacsson
starring Laura Prepon, Matt CedeƱo, Carrie Fisher, Maria Thayer

Friendly Fire
directed by Michele Civetta
written by Michele Civetta & Sean Lennon
starring Sean Lennon, Bijou Phillips, Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Fisher

Suffering Man's Charity
directed by Alan Cumming
starring Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz, Anne Heche, Karen Black, Carrie Fisher

Cougar Club
directed by Christopher Duddy
starring Warren Kole, Jason Jurman, Kaley Cuoco, Carrie Fisher, Faye Dunaway, Joe Mantegna

The Women
directed & written by Diane English
produced by Diane English & Mick Jagger
starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Carrie Fisher, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, Candice Bergen

White Lightnin'
directed by Dominic Murphy
starring Edward Hogg, Carrie Fisher, Muse Watson

Fanboys
directed by Kyle Newman
produced by Kevin Spacey
starring Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Billy Dee Williams, Danny Trejo, Seth Rogen, Carrie Fisher, William Shatner

Sorority Row
directed by Stewart Hendler
starring Audrina Patridge, Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Margo Harshman, Carrie Fisher

Wishful Drinking
directed by Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato
written by Carrie Fisher & Joshua Ravetch
starring Carrie Fisher

It's Christmas, Carol!
directed by Michael Scott
starring Emmanuelle Vaugier, Carrie Fisher, Carson Kressley

Maps to the Stars
directed by David Cronenberg
starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Carrie Fisher

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
directed by JJ Abrams
written by Lawrence Kasdan, JJ Abrams, Michael Arndt
starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow

Bright Lights
directed by Fisher Stevens & Alexis Bloom
starring Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
directed & written by Rian Johnson
starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Laura Dern, Frank Oz

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
directed by JJ Abrams
written by JJ Abrams & Chris Terrio
starring Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, Billy Dee Williams


She also played guest roles in dozens of TV shows, from Laverne & Shirley to Sex and the City to The Big Bang Theory, and was a recurring character on Family Guy.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Christmas in China

Christmas in China is nothing new to me. I have been here a while. I think I would be more amazed by an American Christmas at this point. What is completely new to me is how they do things in South Africa. As a former British colony, they do a lot of things the British way, including Boxing Day.

I can recognize most of their traditions. But just like Australia, Christmas is during the summer. That would be the hardest adjustment for me. Hong Kong Christmas is nothing like Christmas, but at least it is in winter. We have no real winters, but at least it is slightly less humid than the rest of the year. Christmas in summer would feel strange to me.

And yes, I know that some of my country's states were also British colonies a very long time ago, but we don't follow British traditions nearly as much as places like Australia and South Africa. I never ate Yorkshire pudding until I moved to Hong Kong, and my people would never pay taxes to support a royal family. If we had to do that, there would be a revolution. In fact, I'm pretty sure there was.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Christmas 2016

On Christmas morning, I woke up, shook off the sugar plums dancing in my head and went for a run. At work, people were jollier than usual. Most of my colleagues did not grow up with Christmas the way I did, but there are enough Australians and Canadians to spread a festive atmosphere. We always have decorations up, but it never feels like Christmas. Especially since it only snows here about once every 200 years. That does not bother the Australians so much, but the Canadians know what I mean.

In China, Christmas is a day of shopping. The locals don't realize that the proper tradition is to shop between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, and examine wrapped gifts whose secrets you tried to shake into revealing themselves. Christmas morning is for anticipation, while Christmas afternoon is reserved for disappointment in the realization that the people around you don't know you well enough to get all the best toys for which Jesus died.

I don't generally like to work on Christmas day. It is a more important holiday to me than to most of the people at work. I think the foreigners should always get the day off, just as we mostly volunteer to work during the important Chinese holidays. One of the biggest issues during the Chinese New Year is that people are supposed to go home to see their families. In China, that could mean traveling thousands of miles. You need at least three or four days off. The more I work during the New Year, the more someone can see people they might only see once a year. All I ask in return is Christmas and Thanksgiving. I'm pretty flexible about Columbus Day.

I spent a good chunk of Christmas night on the phone. There is nothing exceptional about that when you are an expat. We all have people in some other part of the world. Christmas might be one of the busiest international calling days. What made this Christmas different was that I spent most of the night talking to a man I just met.

Mthandeni went home for Christmas. He will be back soon, but so far, we have talked on the phone every day. I think it is too soon to call us a couple. We have not done most of the things couples do together. But we sure seem to have a lot to talk about. When I get off work, it is the middle of the afternoon for him. When he goes to sleep, I'm waking up. The time difference between China and South Africa really works out.

Monday, January 2, 2017

New Year's Eve 2016



A lot of people are glad to be rid of 2016. It was a strange year politically and a pretty terrible time for celebrity deaths. Plus, we had zika, bird flu and more terrorist attacks than the world needs. I read somewhere that 2016 was the most violent year for Europe. That is simply ridiculous, if true. They had a couple of world wars that were pretty deadly, not to mention a million other wars since the beginning of time. If you live outside of Syria and Iraq, chances are, your life is far safer, richer and healthier than your grandparents'.

It was a pretty good year for me. My career went places I never expected. I took a few trips to Israel and my first trip to Canada in the longest time. That was for my best friend's father's funeral, unfortunately, but it is always nice to spend some time up in the Great White North. I'm pretty sure I wrote a book in 2016. I must have mentioned it somewhere.

I started dating for the first time since I was a teenager. It is too early to say how well that's going, but dating is definitely different. This is not the way we did things in high school.

2016 was yet another year in which Paul McCartney refused to acknowledge the existence of China, but I saw Elton John's Wonderful Crazy Night. That was a pretty good outdoor show. Ironically, he let the sun go down on him. It was not very crazy, but it was a wonderful night.