Aug 11 2008
The Seven Gold Medal winner is upset. Why no one has bothered to invite him to Beijing? It would be a great idea to have him on hand to present the medal to Phelps. Speaking out himself cheapens his legacy. I for one, would love to see him greeting Michael on and off the deck.
Aug 11 2008
I’ve gone nuts and screamed my heart out for the Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay, the Americans beat the French, setting new world record by 4 good long seconds. Golfer came to the room, asking if we could let him sleep. Pumpkin said appologetically, “it’s Mom ..”
Did you hear what the Frenchies were saying? [...]
Aug 10 2008
I can’t believe that I’m a such sour loser. When I saw my favored swimmers being passed, I would wonder out loud if the leader or leaders is/are taking enhancing drugs. Pumpkin looked at me .. .. Do people get emotional in a multi-nation competition? I think so.
I was surprised to see Mary Carillo does [...]
Aug 08 2008
Why do we have to wait for NBC to air it tonight? Go online.. NBC scheduled at 7:30pm when it’s happening in the morning. In the past, NBC or other major net works would get hammered for not broadcasting live, like French Open. That’s in the past, we had no recourse. Now it’s the Youtube era. [...]
Aug 02 2008
The other day I spotted Jiujiu online at Skype.com, so we chatted. They just came back from a mini vacation to Huairo 怀柔 near Beijing.
“We went to the mountain .. The game is starting in a week, we’d better get some vacation in while we can.” He said. “The air was really fresh. We ate [...]
Jul 08 2008
不是地震，是2004年三里屯南街大拆迁的盛况
1998年1月1日晚十时许，我切了一辆夏利从劲松杀到三里屯北街，在元旦的花火荧光中，一位外地妇女劈头拦住我：先生要小姐吗？我刚想按惯例说“我要你不就成了嘛”，一看，不对，她超龄了，赶紧改口：谢谢，先不要了，我刚从有小姐的地方来。这功夫，一帮跟拉客有关的各界人士纷纷涌上来——先生，到我们酒吧去坐坐吧，我们酒吧有演出。先生，要碟不？先生，买花吗？先生，画像吗？先生，吃羊肉串吗？先生，到我们酒吧跟小姐玩玩骰子吧。我赶紧力挽狂澜、力排众议，跟他们说：我就来三里屯找厕所撒泡尿，其余的都不干。
从三里屯北街第一家捋过去，依次是——地平线、男孩女孩、兰桂坊、休息日、米兰、云胜、棕榈、逗号、52号小男孩女孩、白房子阿尔卑斯啤酒屋、戴茜小屋、灵丽、简单日子、骊姿园、傲基高、8、王画咖啡。马路对面白天外贸服装市场盘踞之地晚上则是——飞翔、卡布瑞特、安吉尔三家酒吧。这是1998年三里屯北街隆重的格局，奠定了三里屯震惊中外的名声，总共构成三里屯北街酒吧中心区的“十九条好汉”。
时光突进2008年2月17日，我穿行三里屯北街，参加李季在三里屯后街新开的意大利西红柿餐厅开业酒会，再次遭到拉客的堵截。拉客问我：先生来我们酒吧坐会儿，我们酒吧没有最低消费。我说：那有最高消费吗？拉客说：更没有了。我说：那我还消费个屁！
在1998年元旦，整个三里屯只唱同一首歌——你总是心太软心太软，把所有问题都自己扛，相爱总是简单相处太难，不是你的就别再勉强。换词儿就是——我总是人太傻人太傻，把所有存款给别人花，上当总是简单醒悟太难，本是我的还要去糟蹋。
到了1998年春节之后，王菲那英在春晚高歌的那曲《相约98》，瞬间就成为“相约酒吧”的代言曲，整个三里屯北街在相约98中，进入相约酒吧的鼎盛时期。一度，没去过三里屯就跟没出过国一样落伍。
之后，三里屯北街逐渐成为旅游景点，垃圾歌手、站街小姐、劣质白领以及一帮农转非的闲杂人等，已把北街变成了恶俗之地。尤其是一些从写字楼出来就不会写字的白领，穿西服打领带，喝着科罗娜耍着骰子假装特有情调，其实就是一帮城市混混。虽然三里屯北街曾是我泡吧的根据地，但是我现在比谁都烦它。
进入21世纪，三里屯区域的酒吧开始圈子化、私人化。王朔开了“王吧”，成为文学愤青、艺术愤青畅谈理想的中心。“王吧”旁边是“蒋酒”，也成了戏剧愤青的啸聚之地。“王吧”对面的“青年旅馆”，由于酒卖得便宜，兼有“地下音乐”不时演出，便成了中外工薪愤青追求艺术的狂欢之地。
工体北门具有拉丁风格的“哈瓦那”，融入了一些小资情调的文人和商贾，还有一些强壮的西方牛仔。工体北门对面的“幸福花园”和“甲55号”，则是边缘文化人的混迹之地。
在貌似跟文化特搭的三里屯南街，“隐蔽的树”正成为外国旅游者的天堂，而“芥末坊”早已成为本土愤青的大本营。“明大”在南街独树一帜，以高额的流水将中西方的“白领浪子”荟萃于此。“苏茜亚”是一家日式餐吧，在这里你可以体验到松尾芭蕉和夏目漱石幽长的气韵。“乡谣”则属于酒吧中的“山药蛋”派，朴实无华还透着有情调。“乡谣”对面的“北京爱尔兰”，是周末老外狂欢的场所，很多中国女孩在这里寻找机会。
“夜上海”餐厅对面的“藏酷”酒吧，颇具“奥菲斯”色彩，来这里的大多是“菲斯科”雇员，他们把写字楼的气息传染给酒吧。兆龙饭店对面是“豹毫”、“海力”和“火烈鸟”，其中“豹豪”豪情天纵，很多二流影星、三流歌星、四流模特都在这里寻找一举成名的机会。
与三里屯北街交相辉映，1995年春天，一位叫居岚的女海归，在三里屯南街擂响了酒吧的战鼓，开创了南街处女店咖啡咖啡。随后，隐蔽的树、芥末坊、明大、乡谣、苏茜亚、北京爱尔兰相继崛起，这七家酒吧七剑震朝阳，风云啸长虹，伴随着河、阿苏卡、生于七十年代新血的涌现，三里屯南街顿时被忽悠成愤青的重镇、怨青的摇篮、文青的家园、滚青的战场。
我把88号、男孩女孩、豹豪、藏酷、明大、赛克赛思、哈瓦那命名为三里屯“七大奇迹”，特别是88号，每个想在北京文化圈、娱乐圈有所建树的主儿，必须得在88号过一把，然后你才知道自己是骡子是马。
2005年深秋，我跟88号创始人、三里屯教父李亨利在他的白房子小坐，算是边聊天边采访，为我的杂志做一期《十年三里屯》的专题。秋风一来，人便开怀，我跟亨瑞开怀畅饮，旁边的站街女孩想坐怀都不让，我们宁可让灵魂代替小姐在自己身上坐——直至精尽身亡……
在这次秋夜畅谈中，李亨利说出一句转变中国人行为方式的话语——我就想改变中国人朝九晚五的生活秩序，晚上不出来，白活一辈子！三里屯的意义和价值就在这一点上发扬光大，把中国人从农民变成了都市消费者和生活享受者。现在中国人还有看完新闻联播就准备睡觉的吗？
十年三里屯，它就是改革开放之后中国的一个缩影，它教会了中国人怎样走进新时代，走向夜生活。没有夜生活的人是对不起夜晚的，月亮反感你，并通知太阳在第二天讨厌你。正如有一天，我跟狗子在三里屯喝着喝着酒，他突然颓了，缩进角落里。我问他：狗子，喝呀，你干嘛老往后缩呀？狗子说：要不我怎么是生活的缩影呢，我缩惯了。
十年三里屯，从1998来到2008，一路走来令人慨当以慷，忧思难忘，何以解忧，惟有烂谷子中，扒拉出几粒陈康。1998，2008，中间穿插着多少酒吧，多少女人在此地抛掷了年华，多少男人在此处倾空了钱夹？
1998，在三里屯酒吧，一位乡镇企业家，望着科罗娜，高声问服务员：小姐，那一领啤酒多少钱？2008，随便一个东三环写字楼的小白领，来到三里屯酒吧，不看酒单就喊：服务员，芝华士对红茶，套餐那种！1998，在三里屯酒吧，一位城乡结合部的带头大哥，坐下来就问：咱酒吧有啥下酒菜，油炸花生米和猪头肉有吗？2008，从白沟到塘沽再到秀水假名牌越穿越像真名牌的私企豪杰，张口就问：洋葱圈有吗？炸泥肠有吗？水果沙拉有吗？里面多搁猕猴桃。
三里屯十年的超值价值就在于——中国人从吃糠咽菜，一把进步到黄油奶酪。
大仙泡吧
Jun 11 2008
The NYT editorial should get out of their office, take a day or two to visit China. Just walk down the streets, they’ll learn plenty. Pls, give me a break. Actually a sizable Beijingers couldn’t wait till the game’s over, long before it even started - so things can go back to normal, like party till [...]
Jun 03 2008
Does this drunk driver who’s serving 18-year sentence at a correctional center in New York and is now appealing his case, deserve death penalty? I think he does: two people died and families are ruined. US doesn’t believe in death penalty, but if the law permits, that drunk driving that killed carries death penalty, I would [...]
May 27 2008
Long before Mick Jagger and the Dream Threter, there was Henry Kissinger, the very first rock star in the People’s Republic of China, not just American rock star, he was the most talked about rocker, period. Famous and larger than his boss Nixon.
Auntie Spalding’s 4×4 meter home (a single room) in Building 16 was the little salon for [...]
May 12 2008
Pre dawn on July 28 in 1976, I was awaken by clinking of pots and pans in the hallway, then felt my bed was shaking. I lay still till the shake subdued. Then the human noise rose, followed by door openings and foot steps. I followed the suit. Running down the darken the hallway into the street.
It [...]
May 09 2008
Xiaomin (1906 Lujiang Anhui - 1967 Lujiang) in the front row with her three children: (fm left) Liu Chongwu 刘崇武, Liu Chongwen 刘崇文, Liu Chongbin 刘崇斌 (Don’s mother). The youngest daughter Chongwei 刘崇伟 wasn’t born yet.
Their palacial house in Beichangjie 北长街 was next door to Li Zongren 李宗仁. Then they downsized to Xisi Dajie 西四大街 where I remembered endless rooms and courtyards for us to run around [...]
May 09 2008
Liu Youyu was Yeye’s colleague in Suiyuan 绥远 now Hohhot. When he moved back to Beijing, he became Yeye’s tenant at Canzheng Hutong. Liu was one of four Feng Yuxiang 冯玉祥’s lieutenants that sent to Germany to further study and training. They all came back with German wives, but eventually all of them divorced due to cultrual [...]
May 09 2008
Misha Xiaoyi, Xiaoyifu and I, 1966
Xiaoyi - Lü Youtang (1936 Beijing -) is my Mom’s younger sister. An OB/GY by training, but she loves doing house chords. Even working at the hospital, she preferred to dish out aspirin than deliver babies.
Misha and Xiaoyi dated briefly, parted way after she went to medical school. A naval engineer boy friend who’s father [...]
May 05 2008
Yizang’s having great time at his current job, the art director for the Trojan 木马. He sends me his work often. He’s great sense of style, but the wording often left me guessing: not that I couldn’t read Chinese - thank you very much I’m still very able - but the modern vocabulary is way [...]
May 01 2008
A sign of Yang Guifei (719-756) exhibit staged in a small side wing in the Forbidden City. Yang was the most famous and beloved concubine in history - Chinese version of Wallis Simpson for whom King Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved. My interest in her was due to [...]
May 01 2008
Coupe of stories about Beijing, as much as about China I would hate to tell. Here you have it, five years after the fact.
After long hiatus - 18 years to be exact, I found myself in my home town with my children in toe. Although I didn’t go back, but I thought I had kept [...]
May 01 2008
Few might find it odd that my kids dislike China . The 2003 visit were kind of a disaster, in term of they didn’t learn Mandarin as I fully expected. Golfer predicted it, but I didn’t see that coming. I was so sure that a summer in Beijing they’ll return not just with fluent Mandarin, [...]
Apr 30 2008
China is experiencing breakneck speed modernization, and the transformation since 1980s. No sector has the seismic change as the real estate. Chinese love to own real estate. The landowners in the past were solid middle to upper class. Then they were out cast during Mao’s reign from 1949 to 1976 and [...]