A Faggot Grows China - Part one

Hello from China...ina...ina...ina! So much so say and so little time to say it, really. First is the flight was insane! I can't believe I sat (and slept) for 15 hours! It was nuts, especially since we left at 1 am. So of course sleeping didn't come until 4/5 am. Which by then, no doubt we'd already cleared several time zones. Eventually time meshed together. It was dark the entire flight. As if we were traveling through and endless night. I listened to several musicals, but it was difficult seeing as my new headphones hurt my ears. I also didn't read as much Beckett as I would've enjoyed, nor learned as much Chinese that I anticipated.

Regardless I survived the flight, but it never occurred to me that I would be traveling basically for 48 hours. So I took one shower at 9 am on the 26th of December, only to realized I wouldn't be taking a shower until 2:30pm of the 28th. Yes, as I write this all, I write from the future!! I will be in 2008 before anyone else here.

The group is nice, I enjoy them. I do believe that I am the only gay on the trip. And what's more shocking is that I am chilling out with all the guys. I still get that feeling sometimes, because these are straight men, they can tell I'm gay. I mean I've already worn pink, talked in my East Hamptons accent and openly discussed my love for cock. Yet, sometimes I wonder if they are actually catching on...hmmmm.

Tomorrow is a super busy day. TiaMen Square, The Forbidden City and a Beijing Opera. Phew. I can't wait!!

But tonight is what matters. The tonight of the future that is. We went to Washington Street (after checking in at our hotel and getting buzzed off of Asian beer). Washington Street is basically Time Square, without the Broadway shows. Yet, they have the Olympics to brag about. Let me tell you, this city is getting all the work done it can for the Olympics! Adding subways and streets and a new airport, all before the summer.

My favorite thing about the Olympics this year is their mascot. I hope they show these commercials in America...I bought a T-shirt with the Yellow one, also know as YingYing. And I bought the Tall Man the blue one, named BeiBei, as a stuffed animal. He told me he wanted a panda in a pink bow. I feel as though I am one upping that request.



Lastly, before I go to bed, as I am tired and have an early day tomorrow. We went out to eat and decided to be authentic and get Turtle Soup. Why not? It should be great. After ordering it and watching the waitresses giggle at us. Perhaps it's the way I look or the way I act, they must think I'm insane! A waitress brought out a plastic bag and started asking us in Chinese if this was good. I had a moment of not know what was in this bag. Then I realized. A 1.7 lbs turtle (alive) was in there. We all sort of shook our heads yes...sure...who were we to judge? Then they returned moments later to tell us that it would take...50 minutes, which we thought they said 15 minutes.

Then we continued eating duck and such. Then all of the sudden they return, with the bag of the living turtle. The woman all look perplexed and stressed. She was pointing to her wrist and asking us if was wanted to keep the rug...ummm? What? She pointed to her wrist and said rug...Skin? I asked. No, rug! Rug!

Would we like to keep the blood...Apparently, Turtle Soup is served with the blood of the turtle in the broth. Well to that we said, no thank you. I know, we're not authentic. When is finally arrived it looked like this...



Here is the link to my Flickr site if you'd like to see more pictures...