Chinkerfly

Chongqing State of Mind (Music Video)

Nov 112011

Even as someone who now lives in NYC and has heard this tune ad nauseum, I still could not help but like this video. Let’s hear it for Chongqing! Go show the makers of this video some love here: http://chongqingstateofmind.blogspot.com/

Lyrics (English & Pin Yin)

(Verse 1 – JP)
Yeah, I’m up in Yuzhong. Now I’m down in Nanping.
Right by Yang Ren Jie, I’ll be Chongqing forever
I’m the new Mr. Da, & since I made it here
I can make it anywhere, Chongqing loves me everywhere!
I used to teach at Xi Zheng, Ni Hao to my Falu Xue Sheng
Right there in Yubei, and over there in Shapingba
Take it to Tiandi, Bon Bon’s got good eats
Catch me in the kitchen like Clifford cooking pastry
Cruising down the Jialing, Cruising down the Yangtze,
Renmin Guangchang, Practicing my Tai Chi!
Time to go to De Yi, I wanna sing KTV
Stoppin by Haoledi, and I brought my boys with me
Say what up to Ty, Ty, still rockin Mianhua
Ping An Chongqing
Seng Lin Chongqing
Jian Kang Chongqing
Chang Tong Chongqing,
Yi Ju Chongqing
I’m MOST DEFINITELY FROM…

(Chorus – Celie)
Chongqing!!!!
Mountain City where dreams are made of,
There’s nothing you can’t see,
Now you’re in Chongqing!!!
Where the mei niu are so sexy,
the hot pot is spicy,
Let’s hear it for Chongqing, Chongqing, Chongqing

(Verse 2 – JP)
Catch me at the club, with Celie, rappin on stage,
Here I made these baseball caps more famous than a Mei Gou Ren,
But you should know I bleed Red, Wo shi Jian a da Ren
but now I play Ma Jiang, like I’m Chongqing Ren
Welcome to the Shou Kou, corners where we eating sticks,
Hao Chi La Jiao, Home of the hot pot,
Jiulongpo, Dadukou, and Changshou, holla back,
for foreigners, you love us though we dont know how to act,
30 million stories out there and they’re naked,
it’s a pity some of you just can`t make it,
Marine’s Chris Bosh, baby’s got it made
Celie’s like Lebron, I’m more Dwyane Wade
What`s up Jiangbei? What`s up Beibei?
Christmas Day Jiefangbei, rest in peace Ms. Jiang Jei!
Huo La De Tian Qi
Huo La De Mei Nue
Huo La De Shi Wu
I’m from the Spicy State thats…

(Verse 3 – JP)
Chongqing piaoliang, girls so sexy
Ni hao ke ai, baby, wo ai ni,
I wish I could speak Chinese, Ti Bu Dong, Dui Bu Qi
But Mei Wen Ti, baby come and take a walk with me…
Walk down Chaotianmen, Walk up Hong Ya Dong
stop by Ciqikou then go to Furong Dong
Da Zu Shi Ke, let`s take a bus ride
then cool off in the hot springs, oh what a lovely night
Shancheng pijou, Gaoliang baijiu
Toast to Chongqing, now everybody ganbei!
Party every day, that’s the Chongqing way
Never want to leave, here my heart will always stay
came here to teach, graduated to the good life,
DJ, rap star, “Legs” in the spotlight,
Hey Chongqing, You got me feeling like a champion,
our city never sleeps, better slip you a Ambien

(Bridge – Celie)
One glass in the air for the big city,
No sunlight, all girls looking pretty,
no place in the world that can compare,
Put your glasses in the air, everybody ganbei
GANBEIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! for……

CiCi Park Bar

Nightlife 1 Response »

Dec 302010

Xixi Gongyuan Ba 西西公园吧

Located just Northwest of Liberation Tower, this bar is set away from the Jiaochangkou and Hongyadong club scene, but comes recommended by this NY Times writer as “My favorite… a den of trance music, foosball and Sichuan-peppercorn-flavored potato chips.”

Cici Bar Card

Bus Tip: 临江门
Light Rail Tip: 临江门 (Linjiangmen). On north side of the station.

Yangtze River Hostel

Hotel/Lodging 1 Response »

Dec 302010

Chongqing Xiyuan Guoji Qing Nian Lu She 重庆玺院国际青年旅舍
• 25-30 RMB/dorm bed, shared bath; 90-160 RMB/private rooms, private bath

This hostel was mentioned in this NY Times article. It’s centrally located in Jiefangbei about 10 minutes away from Chaotianmen dock along the Yangtze River. They also have a handy website (chongqinghostels.com) that’s translated into several different languages to take some of the guesswork out booking a place to stay.

Website: chongqinghostels.com

Bus Tip: 朝天门

Address: 重庆市渝中区长滨路80号(朝天门往菜园坝方向600米)

Phone: +86 (0)23-63104270, +86 (0)23-63104208

Email: cq1938@sina.com

NY Times: Lost in Chongqing

News No Responses »

Dec 292010

Check out what happens to NY Times writer Matt Gross, when he travels Chongqing by the seat of his pants. He recommends a couple hostels that may prove useful to future Chonx travellers, but for the most part the article is more entertaining than informative. Read the full article here.

NPR snapshot of Chongqing

blog, News No Responses »

Dec 082009

Anthony Kuhn gives a quick 3 minute overview of the Chonx in “Chongqing, China: Mountainous Terrain, Spicy Food“

Three Gorges: Photo essay by Chua Chin Hon

blog, Outside City Limits, Tourism No Responses »

Nov 242008

Photojournalist Chua Chin Hon documents five years of change behind the Three Gorges Dam.

FOREWORD: For journalists chasing the China story, capital Beijing and financial hub Shanghai are the obvious staging grounds for tracking the rapid changes in the country and the challenges it faces. The 660-km stretch of river towns and cities behind the Three Gorges Dam, however, has been an interesting alternative for me since I paid my first visit there in June 2003. The major themes – economic sustainability, environmental worries, the thirst for energy, the destruction of historical and cultural heritage – are all here, framed against the backdrop of millions of ordinary Chinese struggling to cope with the powerful political and natural forces beyond their control. Would all the sacrifices be worth it in the end, as China successfully uses the Three Gorges Dam to tame and harness the power of the Yangtze River? Or would the dire warnings about the controversial project materialise with tragic consequences? No one is quite sure for now. The photographs on this website, taken over five trips between 2003 and 2008, represent perhaps the opening chapter of a dramatic story that is just beginning to unfold.

Weather in Chongqing

Living 6 Responses »

Sep 032008

If you’ve already booked your ticket and you’re on your way to Chongqing get the most accurate weather forecast for right now with any of the various weather sites. Wunderground is usually fairly accurate.

If still trying to decide when to come, the best advice is to avoid the summer. Unless of course you enjoy the feeling of being oven broiled every time you set foot outside your door. The best time to visit Chongqing is the very short Spring season, and Autumn is not so bad either. Despite what they say at this site, winters in Chongqing are not pleasant.

Here is a general breakdown of the annual seasonal changes, but the weather is not constant. Take this year, for example, it rained for nearly the entire month of August, causing the city to be unusually cool for the summer. The year before they had the worst drought in decades. It was HOT. Same goes for the winter. Some years are definitely worse than others.

Spring (Mid March-Early May) The weather starts to warm up just enough for flowers to bloom all over the city, blue skies are much more common during this time of the year. Occasional spring thunderstorms wash a bit of the winter grime off the buildings and sidewalks, but sometimes lead to flooding. Temperatures range in the 20s °C, 60-80 °F

Summer (Mid May-Mid September) On good days it is hot and dry and the sky is some variation of smoggy blue. On bad days the humidity from the rivers hangs over the city and the heat is trapped by the surrounding mountains. The pollution from the cars and the factories create air quality that makes your eyes sting and your nasal passages fail, and the sky alternates between shades of yellow, orange, and dirty dishwater. An increasing number of buildings are air-conditioned and smart people stay in those places rather than face the tropical city heat. Rain is a welcome respite. Temperatures range in 30s °C, 80-100 °F. About two weeks out of the year the temperatures exceed 40°C/100°F.

Autumn (Late September-Mid November) The temperatures become bearable again, and humidity is less noticeable. This is the rainy season, but typically the rain falls in short bursts or there is just a constant light drizzle where people may not even bother with an umbrella. Temperatures range in 20s °C (60-80 °F).

Winter (Late November-Early March) Winters can be nasty in Chongqing because of the humidity and lack of central heating in most places. The damp, cold can be felt all the way down to your bones even though the actual temperature seldom dips to freezing. It almost never snows in the city, but on occasion there is sleet and hail. The pollution is probably the worst in the winter, possibly from people burning coal in the countryside or around the city. Everything becomes covered in a film of black, and the skies seem grayer too. Locals wear thick down coats over several layers of clothing and long underwear and wrap scarves around their necks and faces. Temperatures hover around 10°C (40-50°F)

Ted Koppel does Chongqing: "The People's Republic of Capitalism"

blog, News No Responses »

Jul 102008

Starting tonight (Wednesday the 9th) in the U.S., the Discovery Channel will be airing a special series on the economic growth in China and what it means for the U.S. Most of the filming is done in our favorite city, the Chonx! Thanks to Dan over at the China Law Blog for the tip.

Here is a breakdown of the program schedule for those who can watch it when it airs (once there are clips available online I’ll be sure to post them here)

July 9-12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Part 1: Joined at the Hip — Wed., July 9, at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Part 2: MAOism TO MEism — Thur., July 10, at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Part 3: The Fast Lane — Fri., July 11, at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Part 4: It’s the Economy, Stupid — Sat., July 12, at 10 p.m. ET/PT
See complete program summaries and highlights.

“I wish that people who think they have no interest in or concern about China would just give it a try,” said Koppel, who has been producing long-form programs for Discovery since retiring from ABC in 2005. “Our future is so tied together with China’s future, and [the Chinese] get it. . . . The greatest tragedy of all would be if they keep plowing away at this and we become so relaxed about the permanence of America’s place in the world that we fail to see that there are people breathing down our necks.” (See article in LA Times)

If Ted Koppel thinks we should pay more attention to China, who are we to argue?

Night Chongqing

blog 3 Responses »

Jul 072008

Heeding the call of my grumbling stomach, I wander out the main gate of my campus and down to the noodle shop around 9:30 pm. There it is dinner time for the 老板 (laoban) and his family. A rather large and boisterous three generational affair. They gather around a large table, him, the wife, the sister, the brother-in-law, their children (about my age perhaps younger), and a smattering of little ones. They alternate getting up from the dinner table to attend to the guests still arriving at this late hour, like myself. Continue reading »

More tips on accessing blocked sites in China

Tech Help 4 Responses »

Jul 062008

The Great Firewall (GFW), sometimes referred to as the Net Nanny, may be the bane of your existence in China. But it doesn’t have to be.

Most blocked sites (blogging services, certain news sites, anything with “sensitive” words), can be accessed in China with the use of a proxy. Those willing to fork over some cash can spring for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) – this highly recommended one goes for $40/year.

Gearing up for the Olympics a few sites that were blocked for a long time, have now been miraculously unblocked including: blogspot, Wikipedia (both English and Chinese!)

In exchange Facebook seems to be going in and out. EDIT (7/8/08): Stay on top of which sites are blocked/unblocked with this handy list.

Some tips and tricks from the veterans:

Those who use Gmail and Google docs in China may find that it constantly disconnects. To fix that simply add an “s” after http making the connection “secure” example: http://mail.google.com/ becomes https://mail.google.com
For Myspace junkies, occasionally profiles are blocked. Quick fix, delete the “profile” from the address and refresh. Example: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=????? becomes http://myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=?????
In China you can access the Flickr site, but not see photos. To get around that install this handy plugin to Firefox: Access Flickr.
The Fastest workaround for WordPress and Blogspot (when it becomes blocked again) is a .pac file.
Feedburner RSS posts are blocked, even when the original content is not, so sometimes you just have to go to the original site and search for the article in question.
Post to your favorite blogs even though they are blocked through non-blocked posting services like Ping.fm (supports Livejournal, Blogger, Xanga…).