October 2010

Photo taken at our old house in Tokyo!

Strange faces peering out of shadows of the bushes. Family friend Kyoko experiencing an out-of-body experience.

Happy halloween!

###

Sent from my iPad

Related Posts:

{ 0 comments }

(1) If you can’t afford to lose, don’t play the game of chicken.

(2) My mother always said, “look both ways before crossing the road.”

(3) “It’s not the size of the cock, it’s how well he clucks!”

(4) “So I said, who’s your rooster now?!”

(5) “After you,” said the egg.

###

Sent from my iPad

Related Posts:

{ 0 comments }

“The instant noodles for an instant afro!”*

Now that’s a brand promise!

Think of the possibilities of Chinese versions of ethnic brands!

Jheri-Curl potato chips!

Afro-Sheen soy sauce!

And, of course, J-Lo Steamed Buns!

###

* P.S. For you cunning linguists out there, yes, the copy actually says, “NEW! straight noodles” which I suppose is funnier than “gay noodles” but that’s another post.

Related Posts:

{ 1 comment }

Our local supermarket is having a promotion on Yanjing beer at CNY 1.98 per can.

Or an incredible US$0.89 (JPY 72) for three cans!

Okay, that’s the case price (i.e., you have to buy 24 cans) but the last time I bought beer in Tokyo, it was JPY210 per can!

Yanjing Beer is a light-bodied, crispy-finishing beer that would be perfect during the summer in L.A. or Tokyo.

At 3.6% alcohol content, Yanjing Beer is less potent than Japanese beers but at this price you can drink a six pack!

###

Sent from my iPad

Related Posts:

{ 1 comment }

Would you trust this man to sell you a mop bucket?

I love this guy’s emo glasses, buzz cut, and definitely the it-was-cool-in the-1970s powder blue polyester jacket and bow tie.

And he’s got such a sincere smile! Who could resist?

And if you buy one today, they’ll throw in the surprised-looking lady in the background absolutely free!

Too bad we already have a mop bucket.

###

Sent from my iPad

Related Posts:

{ 3 comments }

Not-so-Cool Products from China #1: Green Tea & Mint Oreos

October 24, 2010

Oreos. A favorite cookie from my youth. Split the cookies apart, eat the creme, dip the cookies in milk, and you’re there. So, it was kind of exciting to see Oreos in Beijing. Being able to read Japanese kanji, I could this was a “green tea” flavor. Worth a try, I figured. Oops, I neglected [...]

Things are different in China #5: Wal-Mart

October 17, 2010

Wal-Mart in Beijing is like those in the U.S., except perhaps for the dried fish, barbecued pig’s heads, and roasted ducks hanging from hooks in an open display. ### Sent from my iPad Tweet Related Posts:Ugg-Li Boots Are Big in ChinaExclusive: IG News Reveals Organizer of Jasmine RevolutionIn which InvisibleGaijin proves Mao’s maxim “Laughter grows [...]

China’s Lady Gaga

October 17, 2010

Makes me wanna get up and dance! ### Sent from my iPhone Tweet Related Posts:Ugg-Li Boots Are Big in ChinaExclusive: IG News Reveals Organizer of Jasmine RevolutionIn which InvisibleGaijin proves Mao’s maxim “Laughter grows out of the barrel of a machine gun.”Secrets of the Qing Dynasty Revealed!The Real Reason Why Chinese Mothers are Superior

Cool Products from China #2: Hot & Sour Fish Soup Flavor Potato Chips

October 17, 2010

To balance the Cool & Refreshing Cucumber Flavor Potato Chips (see part 1), @doramimy and I bought this package of Lay’s potato chips. “Intense & Stimulating” “Hot & Sour Fish Soup Flavor” Yikes! This packaging even has a celebrity endorsement — perhaps this young lady is the “hot & sour” girl? Or is she the [...]

Cool Products from China #1: Cucumber Flavor Potato Chips

October 17, 2010

So @doramimy and I are cruising up and down the aisles at Beijing’s Wal-Mart when we spot a familiar brand — Lay’s potato chips — but something is different. Huh? “Cool & Refreshing” “Cucumber Flavor” Wow, I’ve got to try this! The distinctive aroma of fresh cucumber wafts from the bag when I open it. [...]

Japanese dolphins preparing explosive surprise in “The Cove”

October 16, 2010

TAIJI, Japan (IG News) — Dolphins are secretly preparing hundreds of torpedoes camouflaged as dolphins to thwart both Hollywood filmmakers and Japanese fishermen as the annual dolphin hunt, wet t-shirt contest, and beach barbecue gets underway in “The Cove” in Taiji, Japan. “Oscars? We don’t need no stinkin’ Oscars!” cackled Furripa Iruka, head of the [...]

Survival Chinese #1: Cold Beer or Else!

October 16, 2010

On my first visit to China some 15 years ago, a colleague taught me a lesson I’ve remembered to this day.In China, you must order a “cold” beer otherwise, you’ll get a beer that’s been sitting around outside, which in the winter means you might get a cold one, but not in summer!Thus, you must [...]

Clever Copy in China #4: Potato Chips

October 16, 2010

Being hopelessly illiterate in a language has never been so much fun as it is in Beijing. Armed with a digital Chinese-English dictionary on my trusty iPad, I’ll take a guess at these brand names. The “Good Friends (are) Interesting” brand of “thick side” potato chips comes in two fabulous flavors. On the left, “Lots [...]

Beijing Breakfast: Chinese Ketchup, Meet Mexican Salsa

October 16, 2010

Chinese Ketchup: Nî håo! Mexican Salsa: ¡Buenos dias! Sent from my iPad Tweet Related Posts:In which InvisibleGaijin proves Mao’s maxim “Laughter grows out of the barrel of a machine gun.”Foreign Women Found Frozen in Beijing59 Ways to Tell if You’re New to BeijingSurvival Chinese #1: Cold Beer or Else!Clever Copy in China #4: Potato Chips

Such a modern couple in Beijing

October 15, 2010

It’s Friday night, following my first full week of work in Beijing, and a full week of shopping and getting the apartment squared away for @doramimy. A quiet dinner at home, followed by … tweeting and blogging! Not bad for a middle-aged couple. Of course, it helps when an old friend like Jameson’s Irish Whiskey [...]