Life's Persistent Questions

M&Ms

This has been one of the coldest winters in Shanghai's recent history. There are still piles of snow everywhere to prove it. I have not done anything outside the last two days. Centralized AC/heater is still rare, and even a trip to the bathroom, which is not heated, can be daunting. Of course, the temperature was not the only reason that I barely leave the apartment.

I was playing with my dad's old SLR Canon yesterday. Considering the number of photographers and gadget-philes in my extended family, I am rather a novice when it comes to photography. I soon realized that the best way to learn will be to pop in some film and start shooting. But that will require me going outside to the store.

We had dinner last night with my mom's extended family. The star of the gathering was the Guizhou Maotai. This was Chairman Mao's favorite drink. I wonder if this was because the only thing more irresistible than its bouquet and taste was its tendency to make its drinker talk. Oh, did my family talk, especially my youngest uncle. Not surprisingly, we could not stop until both bottles were finished--we had to find out if the two tasted differently because of the age difference of 15 years. The history of the family is intricately linked with the liquor. When my uncle got married in the early 80's, his brother-in-law who was from Guizhou brought with him 8 bottles of Maotai for the wedding banquet. They were RMB8 each at the time. Each banquet table costed RMB45, which was the monthly salary of my uncle. Maotai nowadays can be anywhere from RMB600 to 6000, and I would not venture to guess how much our meal costed last night. How time has changed. One of my cousins was unfortunate enough to bring his girlfriend (who was a psychiatrist). I wonder who is going to need therapy after she spent the whole meal listening to various people discussing the psychology in today's Chinese society and grilling the couple about a date for their wedding AND their eventual child.

Not surprisingly, the drinking continued after the meal at my uncle's place. A bottle of XO was the victim this time. Apparently I am only nice to dogs when I am drunk. Long story short, I got bit by their dog, I took my revenge by puking on their balcony, and after my dad somehow took me home, I proceed to fall asleep with the TV, lights and laptop on in my bed.

Also not surprisingly, I had to take today off. It was so cold that I just could not think of anything that I want to do bad enough to get out of the apartment. I ended up playing 8 hours of Majong. My techniques were based purely from a HK Majong movie I saw recently. I was winning at a decent frequency. Even after I got cocky and more greedy and missed opportunities to increase my winnings I still came out on the black in the end.

Maotai and Majong, only in China.

posted by hedgehog @ 8:05 AM