This weekend I…
… was surprised to discover that neither Neil nor Rhona (nor her pal, Mary) knew what peeps are*. I know they’re peculiar to North America, and I personally have never eaten a peep or seen a peep in the (marshmallowy) flesh, but I know they are candy (a massive candy army). That can be manipulated into making films, acting in plays, rocking out, and becoming experimental subjects. Or ride bikes.
We also went to Havana to spend the last of our vouchers, watched a few episodes of Black Adder, checked out the roundhouses, Huoshaoyu, and I continued my stencilling experiments. Which so far have not been 100 percent successful but not bad for someone who has no idea what the hell she’s doing.
I’m very interested in this stencilling nonsense, but I’m not so interested in buying a whole heap of supplies. So I’m working with my sister’s 10+ year old Giant wax crayons and using that iron Neil bought me for Christmas in 2004 because he thinks he’s funny. I would ask the local shop that paints on t-shirts for money, but 1) I don’t think I could properly communicate what I want to know, and 2) in not properly communicating what I want to know, they will think I am trying to pump them for information so I can set up my own t-shirt shop. The art store has two boxes of Pentel fabric paint, but they are so dusty I imagine I’d take them home to find that all the paint inside the tubes has dried. Acrylic paint is easily available, but the fuckers crack. I hear. I’m not about to buy tubs of paint and then confirm that the fuckers crack, because buying the paint means I have to buy a sponge brush as well. And buy a palette-thing so I can mix the paint (with textile medium, which I have not seen for sale in the art store). And find freezer paper, which is NOT available in Xiamen (my source has so far been The Londoner, hurrah for fish and chips). So there’s a bit of a dilemma with this stencilling thing.
Then there’s the sewing. Now Rhona has ordered a bag and cuff from me, which I am happy to do. But the size of the project means I need sewing machine help, and I’m currently still too scared of sewing machines and I need to at least borrow one to learn how to use it, or else I can stick to hand-stitching but that could mean that by the time I’m finished the whole matching accessories thing might have gone out of fashion in the UK. I dunno.
I’ve got a couple of craft swaps going as well, and one of them is currently delivering a lot of amusement, because it involves me taking someone else’s sock monkey out and around Xiamen and taking pictures. Everyone loves the monkey, so it’s cool. But I think they think I’m mad. And then I’m crocheting this doll, it’s supposed to be a good karma doll. I’ve only just started. I’m a little worried about the details.
And THEN, I’ve got loads of writing to do.
Whew.
* Terry also e-mailed this link to peeps comics.
This weekend I…
- had dinner at Havana (where we wouldn’t go but for the vouchers I get — it’s not that good, frankly)
- went to The Londoner for a bit (and had a great time watching old videos — sadly, without sound — on MTV)
- got stuff prepared for posting off on my first craft swap
- had dim sum at Lucky Full with the Chong clan
- went to Fenny’s place and watched The Naked Kiss
- tried to go to the chiropractor (it was closed and moving to another location)
- went for a massage at Chang Sheng Tang
- had dinner at the Singapore restaurant
- had lunch at a great Xinjiang place
- went furniture window shopping with Choi and Apple (Choi and Apple were shopping, we were looking)
- watched Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (whee!!!!!)
- watched a couple of episodes of Arrested Development, season one
- had dinner at The House (which, by the way, was quite disappointing — my vegetarian gnocchi is about 2/3 the size it was when it was first put on the menu, and for the same price)
- finished reading Stupid White Men
This weekend I…
- had dinner with Georgie, Gary, and Georgie’s mum at the Xinjiang restaurant (man, is it ever good)
- had dessert (lemon meringue pie) at Javaromas (it’s not often I suggest going to Javaromas, so people should seize on the opportunity when I do)
- met up with Reuben for a few drinks at The Londoner
- moved on to the beach bar to meet Natsuko for her farewell drinks
- followed Marco to Park Latin (you know Neil’s had too much to drink when he not only says yes to Park Latin, he’s actually enthused about it)
- followed Rommel from Park Latin to the Trance Bar Crazy Horse for a spot of house music (or is it trance, or whatever, can’t keep up with these crazy kids and their electronica)
was about to go home when Neil decided he was hungry (you know Neil’s had too much to drink when he must have duck porridge at 5am)- (therefore, we) slept in all day
- went out and bought a few pairs of socks (yeah, I’m not through yet)
- had dinner at Havana
- watched a bunch of Frasier (while sewing and stuffing socks)
- slept in again (it’s just a downward spiral, isn’t it)
- had soup and toast (and tomatoes and mozzarella cheese) at Tutto Bene
- met Reuben for coffee at Javaromas (this wasn’t my idea)
- had dinner at the Singapore restaurant
- watched a bunch of Frasier
This weekend I…
- finished Yes Prime Minister (legendary)
- had prawn noodles at the Singapore restaurant
- had a few drinks at The Londoner
- went for a boogie at Park Latin (that was not wise)
- went for duck porridge at 4am
- went to a 4th birthday party at the Holiday Inn
- left the 4th birthday party at 2.30am (the 4-year old went to bed at 8pm, she’s not hardcore)
- went to a new bar, Glasshouse
- went to The Londoner for shepherd’s pie at 4am
- got home after 6am
- slept in (funny that)
- started and finished Past Mortem
- had dinner at Havana
- watched six episodes of Lost
This weekend I…
- had dinner at Havana (an Indian food festival in a Spanish / Mexican / Latin restaurant and bar?)
- computered for four hours at Javaromas
- watched The Village (when people keep telling you there’s a great twist at the end, the chances that you’ll guess it half an hour into the film increase exponentially)
- watched part of The Terminal (Tom Hanks is a great, great actor)
- had drinks and dinner at The Londoner
- watched the North-South rugby match at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza (what a fun match to watch — donate to Rugby Aid)
- went for a long walk around Hexiang Xilu and SM
- watched the rest of The Terminal
- watched Spider-Man 2 (mmm, Tobey Maguire)
- watched Alfie and had a pizza (I’m beginning to see the appeal of Jude Law)
- started reading The System of the World
This weekend I…
- had dinner at Shakira
- had drinks at The Londoner
- had hot chocolate, a mocha, and a hamburger at Javaromas
- watched Very Bad Things (mmm, Christian Slater)
- had dinner at Bellagio
- had drinks at Havana
- had drinks at Park Latin (still not impressed)
- had dinner at Tutto Bene
- had hot chocolate (Neil had coffee and cheesecake) at Javaromas (we like the new cafe)
This weekend I…
- had beef and chicken quesadillas (and a couple of yummy sangrias) at Havana
- made a stuffed elephant out of two socks
- had dinner with intrepid (here I mean willing to suffer the indignities known as overland transportation) journalist and writer Dan Washburn
- made Dan have drinks at The Orient and The Londoner while we watched England play South Africa in rugby
- had a ‘breakfast’ (at noon) of bacon and tomato sandwiches at Brown Sugar
- finished ‘breakfast’ at 3pm and went shopping
- came home with a new pair of jeans and preppy tweed blazer
- wandered around an old part of Xiamen with Dan (and had dinner at a Burmese restaurant)
- Put up my first sponsor’s ad on What’s On Xiamen (wahey!)
This weekend I…
- had dinner near the airport with a visitor here on business
- had a beer at The Coffee Club
- had a couple of beers at The Londoner
- watched Jersey Girl (Liv Tyler is hot)
- had dinner at Le Mezina
- had a sangria and patatas bravas at Havana
- had a couple of beers at Jazz Bar
- had a beer at Trance
- watched Shaun of the Dead (only the poms could take the piss out of a zombie movie)
- watched Van Helsing (erm, not so good)
- watched You Can’t Stop the Murders (Aussies are weird)
- watched Spaceballs (I like Bill Pullman)
Neil watched the Indiana Pacers play the New York Knicks this weekend (he’s in Indiana on business). His only comment? “The game seems to take second place to the entertainment.”