He still has the same bucky smile 30 years later
Obama on his early 20's and his NY gf.
My blog is blocked in China. Probably because it's hosted by Posterous, which itself is entirely blocked in China as well.
I used to just log onto my VPN to gain access to it, but recently my VPN access got revoked. But Posterous has this feature where I can just email in blog submissions. I wonder if this feature is blocked as well?So this post serves as a test. If you see this posted, let me know! You can shoot me a text at my US number (626, I can still see text messages, standard US rates apply) or shoot me an email.
Osama Bin Laden sent three of his terrorists to bomb key targets in Beijing. They were then to return to Afghanistan and report to him on their success.
The first one targeted a crowded supermarket. After he positioned the bomb somewhere in the store, he ran to find his remote but realized it was stolen.
The second wanted to blow up a bridge. He planted the bomb, and tried to get on a train to escape, but it was too crowded.
The third had successfully blown up a crowded courtyard, killing over 100 people, and flew back to tell Bin Laden about his success. But no news outlets had any information about the Beijing bombing, so Bin Laden had the third terrorist killed.
Thought it was interesting, the style of jokes in comparison to what we tell back in the states. The only one I could offer back to her was a racist Mexican one.
I ordered a wireless router and humidifier from 360buy.com at 9am. It arrived at 4pm the same day. Free delivery.
Can you microwave plastic bags with your food?
I didn't think so. The plastic will melt into your food, right?!
That's why I felt apprehensive when I saw the fuwu (服务, employee) at the bakery putting my pastries in individual plastic bags after I asked her to heat them up. I asked her, are you going to put the pastries WITH the plastic bag in the microwave?
She goes yup.
I said you can't do that, that's bad for you! The chemicals in the plastic are going to melt onto my food. Can you put it on a plate or something?
She goes nope.
I asked why not?
She says we don't have plates small enough to fit in the microwave.
I looked around the store and peeked into the kitchen. Sure enough, the only plates I see are the cafeteria trays you put your pastries on. Too big.
I ask is there nothing else you can put these pastries on? Microwaving the pastries inside the plastic bag is not good for you!
She goes that's how we've always done it.
The store I'm in is part of a franchise of bakeries. I see them all over Beijing. So I ask, do you do this in ALL of your stores?
She goes yup.
So I'm starting to think maybe I’M wrong. I only THINK that putting plastic bags in the microwave is bad for you…but where did I actually learn that from? Is that something my mom taught me? Is it like one of those myths where no one is sure if it's true or not, like cracking your knuckles gives your arthritis? Is this a truth that only applies in the U.S., making this a cultural thing? I'm more willing to err on my American truths than Chinese truths. So I decided to be stubborn and stick my ground.
Me: Do you have napkins?
Fuwu: No. (Of course they wouldn't have any, why did I even bother asking?)
She looked like a student, and I was in the university area.
Me: Do you have a notebook?
Fuwu: Yes, why?
Me: Can you rip out a few pieces of a paper and put the pastries on there instead?
Fuwu: (Gives me this what?-you're-crazy! kind of look) You want me to put the pastries on these sheets of notebook paper?
Me: Yes.
Fuwu: But that's even unhealthier than putting them in plastic bags. The ink from the paper will bleed onto your pastries.
No lady, it's not. By this time I've exhausted my ability to argue in my broken Chinese, especially after trying to remember the word for "plastic." So I wasn't going to continue with her about bleeding ink in microwaves.
Me: Just…do it. I don't care.
She put 2 of the pastries on the notebook paper and put them in the microwave. After they were heated up, I didn’t want to bother with the third pastry, having again become so flustered with arguing with Chinese fuwus. So I walked out into the cold night, where the 0° Celsius weather was probably going to chill my pastries back to their original cold state and negate all feelings of achievement I had just gained over the past 10 minutes.
Over the course of the next day, I asked dozens of friends whether it is safe to put plastic in the microwave, just to check my own sanity. They all gave me the same crazy look that the fuwu gave me.
“Umm, what? Of course it’s not.”
i hope this image shows up in all of its glory. its HUGE.
