Bikini’s, Booze and Beats

Went for a nice cycle to the homebrew store down in Yarraville for my grains and yeast, got some advice from the guys and had another free sample of beer (had to be done). My hops should arrive Monday but it’s a public holiday so most likely not, we are supposed to be wakeboarding then too. I cycled over to Moonee Ponds Creek as its a better cycle home, less harsh hills.

Chilled at the house for a bit then left for town with Nat as her cousin was taking part in a bikini contest at a fitness exhibition. Haha, that sounds kinda funny but it’s the truth. I didn’t get to meet her though (awwww) as it was $30 to get in and I wasn’t prepared to spend that at a body building event, that’s beer/food money. You should have seen some of the folk walking about there, tanned so much they looked black and bulked so much they were like an Aboriginal Hulk.

I wandered up and down the Yarra river, got some sushi at Southern Cross station then met Rose at her place where we would meet Nat later. Hung out with Rose until Nat arrived (her cousin got 3rd place) then we all headed back to our place where I met Rowan, a friend of Nat’s, then things got messy… We ended staying up until after 5am drinking, dancing, discussion many things and listening to music by DJ Dan. Uggghh.

St Kilda Festival

St. Kilda Festival today and mercifully the temperature was continuing to fall during the day, a nice sea breeze also helped. This festival is probably one of the biggest in Victoria, if not Australia, with the website stating between 300-400K people attending, as it’s free that makes sense.

One of the main entrances to the festival

The main stage is right next to the beach and like most festivals there are stalls, food, entertainment, etc. We wanted to go on the catapult ride but it was like $30 per person, total rip off. All roads in and around the festival are closed to traffic so walking around is easy peasy.

Main Stage

We ended up in a Royal Legion type of pub so didn’t actually see much of the music outside, drinks here were cheaper and the atmosphere relaxed. Around 10-ish me, Nat and Louie left the festival, got some beer and a pizza and chilled at home for a bit. I managed a slightly intoxicated Skype chat with my Dad and niece Emma (who’s birthday it was, Happy Birthday!) which was great. Hopefully get out on my bike tomorrow if the heat stays away.

I like my hippies well done

Well just back from an epic 6 day hippy festival (Rainbow Serpent) and Jebus we are all glad to be home. I haven’t exactly noted everything down as I’m writing this post-fest so my memory isn’t great. Let’s start from the beginning…

We packed Erik’s Hilux to the brim, and on the roof, full of kit for the stall and the stall itself. Weather was great, not too hot, and the site was near the community of Lexton about 2 hours drive from Melbourne. We bought beer (6 slabs = 144 tins. Yes this all got drunk also need to check out all the bottle shops here, feels more and more like America) and food on the way (fish seems cheap here). We left a little later than expected and arrived at the back of 5PM.

Fook me this place is dry, just a sea of yellow in the fields of bone dry grass no wonder bush fires are common as muck (you see warning signs on the road including one’s for Kuala’s and roo’s). It didn’t take too long to get the stall and tent’s setup, the stall area’s are called island’s and that’s what it’s like with the private campsites in the middle. We were right next to the chillout stage complete with sofa’s and occasionally chest reverberating bass (as days went by this became quite annoying, it’s a 24hr festival FYI).

The Stall

Clothes and stoof all made in Melbourne

Art and my hats

Masks, folk liked these

Chillout stage

Trippers would be trippin’ seeing this

By the end this fella had tripped off his face, literally it was smashed off

Behind the scenes of the stall

An actual fridge, Erik was a Legend bringing this

Skulled

Padi hat – check, Wife beater – check, Beer – check

Can’t remember entirely what we did on the first day, or any after for that matter. We arrived a day early because we had the stall to setup so it was quite cool walking around the empty site (it was still getting setup too). There was 5 main stages (Chillout, Market, The Playground, Main Stage and Sunset) with The Playground being my favourite complete with huge circus tent and live stage shared with DJ’s and live bands, jived mostly here I must say. There was loads of food stalls too offering all different kinds of food from veggie, meat, Turkish, pizza, frozen yogurt and Baby Burgers. An area called The Village was right next to us too and this had various tents usually doing workshops (legs crossed hooing and humming) and galleries. The stars were really out the first night so it was great just lying back and taking in the view.

So to avoid sounding like a stuck record essentially each day consisted of consuming large quantities of beer (then whatever other alcohol was available), eating lots of different food, watching the sights of the festival (some bloody trippy get-ups and also a Festi-Couch) and jiving my ass off at various stages. There was a magician called Max and his Dad is one of the guys in this video, that was great to meet him. As each day went by sleep decreased, temperature increased and it slowly became punishment, and I didn’t even need to man the stall. The experience was great though, full of hippies and people off their trolley (just seems to be an excuse for people to take lots of drugs this festival).

Packing up today was fecking tough going (the heat and lack of sleep made me feel delusional also I’d drunk quite a bit of wine the night before and found my tent flat as a pancake when going to bed) but it didn’t take too long thankfully. The trip back home was a sticky smelly one and having a shower was AMAZING (not showering for the entire time and only changing a tee every other, yup JUST a tee, think about that…) the amount of dirt that came off (“Oh I’ve tanned well…. ah bugger”). It’s been six days folks and the temp has crept up to just under 40C today, jebus.

Ordered a lamb and ricotta pizza (very nom) and just chilled. Tomorrow will be my birthday but I want to get a few boring things out the way first like bank account, tax file number, etc first. Oh and belated Birthday messages to Rachel and Joanna hope you both had great one’s! 🙂 I got a card from my Dad today too complete with Nana bruck inside, that was nice. Anyway I’m done here, signing out. (More pictures will follow once Jean has posted them)

Beijing Beggars and Bad Gifts

Another rush for class after lunch, it was dumplings though so I was willing to wait. 🙂

Subway Beggars (or maybe that should be Scroungers). Almost every time you ride the subway you will encounter someone walking down the carriages asking for cash. It’s clear when they are missing a leg, some arms or their face is half melted that some charity might be required. On the other hand some are obviously milking the possibility of free Yuan. The use of music is often deployed to grab your attention (a small boom-box strapped to the beggar, sometimes with a microphone so they can sing) but so are children, clearly being used to pluck at the commuters heart strings, guilt tripping them on the way to work. Nice.

We were kicked out of our classroom again today so we chilled in the foyer. We’re focusing on revision now but to be honest we didn’t do much today, just chatted. I’m learning more about Chinese culture though, for example never give a clock as a gift to a Chinese person, you are basically saying “I hope you die.”. Would take the wind out of Christmas that would.

Since Benjamin was at his after school class it was only me, Ben and Goa A Yi at tea. Goa A Yi had made hotpot, yas! Love this. Me and Ben cracked open our beers and had a good chat. In South Korea celebrating Christmas isn’t as big a deal as it used to be but they do get a day off for it (not one to be beat Buddha also gets a day off for his birth too). I got to know more about his side of the family too and that he is staying here until Christmas, that’ll be the longest stay yet. He said we should go buy some more beers whilst he is here, not sure if that will happen but I’m more than game. 🙂

When Benjamin did get back we played Lego for a bit then he had to hit the sack.

Planning for future Adventures (+ a cold)

The cold definitely has me in it’s grip, mainly around the jugular. Last night I couldn’t hear properly like my volume had been turned down, my sinuses playing up. Always worse in the morning. So because of this I didn’t want to do anything today, in saying that though it was far from unproductive.

I submitted my online application for my Australian visa, fired off no less than 52 emails containing my CV to breweries in the Victoria area and bought my ticket to the ‘Rainbow Serpent‘ music and arts festival. 😀 Apparently the visa’s are processed fairly quickly (although mine seems to require an x-ray, which will be a slight pain in the arse to organise) so should hear back this week, then I can book flights. I’m expecting replies from breweries to be in dribs and drabs, if at all. Three replied all ready saying they were too small a setup (no brewery yet) and one offered to buy me a beer. And the festival kicks off a day or two after I arrive! Nat and her mate have a stall selling their wares (custom designed tee’s and stuff) and I’ll be helping too. Super looking forward to that. 🙂

The family was out most of today (Benjamin was at EF class) so around tea time Yu messaged me and I went over to the mall to meet them for tea. I haven’t been to this restaurant before (I can’t remember which province was it’s style) but it was very good, the filled bing’s and fall-off-the-bone beef were the highlights. I left needing a lie down. Stuffed. Helped Benjamin build another Lego robot, he did it all really, and showed him leek spin (no I didn’t not show him the alternate site). Class tomorrow as we are still catching up from holidays owed.

Beer in the park

This morning me and Benjamin played a bit of football outside, which was cool as we rarely do this now. After lunch I bailed to meet up with Randy and crew at ‘Chaoyang Park’ where the plan was to drink, eat, chill and kick a ball about (or in American foozball’s case, throw).

I bought a bunch of snacks on the way and realised I had forgotten the frisbee. Doh. I had a cheeky pint (Hop God 120) at Great Leap, balloons were everywhere as they were celebrating their 3rd birthday. One of the ways you could join in was pay 300RMB/30GBP and drink as much as you want. Oh, I could have done this. 🙂

After my pint I headed to ‘Heaven Supermarket’ to pickup some beers for the park, I spent 150RMB/15GBP on 5 top job beers. The park (which I’d never been before) was close to my Chinese classes so I headed there with my spoils. I met Randy along with BinBin, Suzanne and Suzy at the parks South entrance, this place is big. A language festival was in full swing (including a fashion show?) with various events going on, one was a paddling pool (essentially) filled with gold fish where kids could scoop them out with nets. These fish must have been living in terror the whole day.

Some cosplay going down

A bit of a walk North of the park we met up with Henry and Yuki (and Beth later on) at our predesignated place, where mats were set out, along with cake and Mexican lemon pie, and a bottle of sparkling wine was soon popped. How very sophisticated! We chilled here for a few hours drinking, eating, chatting and throwing a foozball about. Good times. The sun soon buggered off though and the wind was playing up so we called it a day, at least for the park. Henry and Yuki left, the rest of us dived in a taxi headed to ‘Dongcheng’ district.

CAKE + Mexican Lemon Pie

Stuffing my face with cake

Randy don’t need no glass

‘Jiangchang’ hutong is here (where ‘Stuff’d’ is at) and there is a music bar that Randy wanted to check out. We wandered the street a bit as it’s a cool one, lot’s of things to see, then headed in for a beer. Not long after we got ours they wanted us to pay for gig tickets but we weren’t that interested so wandered to the dive bar close by.

Suzy and BinBin, with me and Beth badgering Van in the background

I like this place, been a few times now and the music is good (we chatted to Van the owner a fair bit and he played any music we wanted), you can play pool, foozball table and pick up an instrument and bang out a tune. We stayed a good while but eventually the pack dwindled to just me and Suzy, so we went clubbing.

Oh me, now I remember why I don’t do this unless hammered. We had arrived in ‘Sanlitun’, the Western capital of Beijing, I have an ever increasing disliking to this place. Got a cheap drink at some bar that is basically the street, tunes blaring out and drunk folk everywhere. We then wet into the club which is quite a cool venue I must say, split over many floors leading to a fire escape (health and safety?) then to the the roof, with a balcony and indoor bit. The view was cool. So we jived a good while, including on tables, no Gangnam Style unfortunately but still fun. Still isn’t my thing though and after a while I was done and got a taxi home.

Escargot Hut

I just wanted to chill today so that’s exactly what I did.

Read, listened to music and mucked about on the laptop. The main topics of my reading were stuff to do in Japan, updating my beer making instructions from what I have absorbed, catching up with the news and plans for next week. Need to get that Great Wall hike booked.

I had my left over lunch from yesterday, it was still very nom.

When Benjamin got back from school I was able to pry him away from the iPad to play ‘Dots and Boxes‘, uber simple paper game, love it. And so did he! Tried to teach him tactics, about knowing the other player will get some boxes but make sure you give them the least. Screw you iPad we use paper.

We went to Pizza Hut for tea and I ate snail. Yup, that’s right, snail. Now it’s not so shocking eating snail, I may have done this before, but at Pizza Hut?! WTF. It was server in a garlic butter sauce with some garlic bread, and tasted chewy. If I’m ever homeless I’ll at least know how to prepare this meal.

Weekend tomorrow but I have written it off in honour of the family so fudge knows what I’ll be doing.

Gig Night

Up until around 4pm I did next to nothing. I did start researching and planning what I’m to do when my 6 month stint ends with this family. The plan was to be here for at least a year and go to another family (easy done once your in China), my worry is that the other family would be shite. I’ve heard from other Au Pairs about their families and it hasn’t all been great, my family are brilliant and I don’t think they can be topped.

In brief I’m fairly certain Japan will happen, 2 weeks there would essentially complete my life travel plans. Australia has interested me even before I came to China so I’m looking into that too. Following other endeavors here in China is also in consideration but getting a Visa here can be difficult. Still a wee while away, time will tell…

I headed to Zhang Zizhong early and did a little recon of the area, I’ve been before but was killing time. Eventually headed to ‘Slow Boat’ where I met up with Randy. I had the very nice ‘Monkey Fist IPA’ to begin with then we ordered food and a pitcher of the newly in imperial vanilla stout, I had been waiting for this bad boy. Oh it was nice (even with my fecking cold destroying all my senses), definitely a desert beer as it was heavy, full of vanilla and strong with chocolate. Our burgers arrived, patty style, one with blue cheese the other with fries and cheese, served with a slice of gherkin, oh they were nom.

Get in ma taste buds!

Beth, another Au Pair that was going to the gig, followed my instructions on getting to the pub and she joined us for a drink before heading to the venue. Yugong Yishan was far more alive now, people filling most of the hall and the first band (don’t know the name) was in full swing. They have a lounge upstairs so if you want to get away from the tunes and grab a seat you can.

The drinks were expensive (25RMB/2.50 for a bottle of Tsingtao) we nipped to the shop across the road between each act to get some cheap beer, 5RMB/50p a tin.

Not sure who this is…

The mix of bands was good, including a reggae rock band where it looked like some dude proposed on stage, but the best was easily ‘Nova Heart‘. The tunes they produced were trippy, mesmerizing and laced with a funky beat, Helen Feng (the lead singer) had great stage presence as well as easy on the eye. (Listen to some of their tunes here)

The last band finished, Beth left, Randy and I went for another beer then some food. DJ’s were left playing at the venue to end the night (95% of the crowd had left), I danced like an idiot for two minutes then we got taxi’s home.

Boom – good night. 😀

The best kind of mission

After breakfast, and whilst I was on the laptop, seemed to disappear. Benjamin and Goa A Yi first then Yu and Ben around lunchtime, no explanation given. Oh well then!

After texting Yu, with no response, I thought “Sod this!” and left in search of beer, the best kind of mission. I knew where I was going, ‘The Heaven Supermarket’, I had been here before after the football match and was in awe of it’s beer selection (for China), it’s in the Sanlitun area so I knew where to go.

Beer, glorious beer

I spent 150RMB (15pounds) on 5 bottles of beer which, on reflection, is only 2.50 a bottle, completely reasonable for quality imports, here that’s expensive. I bought Kwak, La Chouffe, Duvel, Punk IPA and Hardcore IPA. I left a happy bunny. 😀

The grand Poly Plaza

Next stop was Yugong Yishan, where tomorrow’s gig is, to pick up an extra ticket. I walked there (a greater distance than I expected) and on the way admired the very odd and imposing obelisk that is the ‘Beijing Poly Plaza‘, HQ for the China Poly Group Corporation. In contrast it was quite hard to find the entrance to Yugong Yishan, I knew where it was on the map and Randy told me “It has a red door”. After walking past it I found it, as you can see by the photo there is no big sign of it’s existence, the door was also shut which made it look less obvious, I didn’t want to poke my head into someone’s house.

“Eh hullo? Anyone home?”

The place was dead, clearly people only come during gigs and they could be at work I suppose. Was nice to get a scope for the place before it’s mintal, reminds me a bit of ‘The Tunnels’ back home but bigger, lighter and the bar is on the wrong side. Looks cool and got me excited for tomorrow! I bought another ticket and briefly chatted to a German dude self promoting his band that would be playing on Thursday (Jeans Team). This place is right next to the subway and also close to Slow Boat for some decent beers.

This place should be jumping tomorrow

I headed home and proudly showed off the beers I had bought to Ben, he was a happy chappy and surprised at the price but I explained it wasn’t only import cost and quality, 4/5 of the beers were over 8%. A few minutes later he very generously gave me money for all the beers, I refused but he insisted and said they are for us both to enjoy. What a dude. 🙂

So over a late tea (Benjamin was at evening class) we sampled a beer each. I went for the Kwak and he chose the Punk, with no influence from me! Safe to say he loved it, Yu tried and approved it too, I was super chuffed it’s great opening peoples taste buds to beer they never knew existed.

We also munched on some Moon Cake from Starbucks. Yup, they have cashed in on that and plastered there logo all over the top as decoration, I had to laugh. (Tasted all right though)

My body is failing me

Woke up this morning feeling a bit shit.

A rogue mosquito got into my room and each time I thought I smeshed the bastard (this included slapping my face a few times in the dark) I would hear it’s piercing buzzing around my head seeking out it’s next vein. I’ve also contracted the cold that’s been going about the family (I felt it’s presences the past few days) so I didn’t get much sleep.

Nevertheless I was up, showered, fed and out the door for class. I really couldn’t be arsed today and everyone knew it, class was slow. My ears felt like they were under pressure, which made it difficult to hear properly. We revised and covered ordering food at a restaurant, yay for food. No class this Thursday due to the Moon Festival, BOOST.

Afterwards I headed straight home as Benjamin appears to be off this week, I’m not entirely sure why. We played random games with me mixing in some Science where possible, teaching him new words and the dumbed down meaning. I also wrote some rules for his power play cards, see if it can actually be fair now and I can possibly win a game.

I also finished my book (whilst Benjamin was at an extra tuition class) which ends very abruptly on a, to put it lightly, sad note. I did get a chuckle out of it though it was that “BAM! Shit happens.” kind of ending.

For some unknown reason I think Goa A Yi is annoyed at me and I have no clue why. It’s hard to find out due to the language barrier as I may end up making it sound offensive if I ask, in turn making it worse. I’m going to ride it out for now.

Yugong Yishan 9 Yeahs

A few weeks ago Randy had told me about a music venue that was hosting a record labels 9th birthday there. I noted my interest and today he sorted out some tickets. Yas! Really looking forward to seeing some live bands even though I have no idea who they are and if they sing in English.

The rest of the day I played with Benjamin, ate some super nom cherries, chilled and listened to an audio book.