Sunday, February 20, 2005
Roller Derby
The stories were correct. We stopped by the local roller rink yesterday and the chaos is almost more pronounced than the pool chaos.
A very dark and small rink below street level. Teens smoking in corners, little make-out clusters in the darkest corners, and some skating.
Like I was told, some people skate forward. Others, face THE SAME direction and skate backwards! Watching for only a minute I witnessed several very near misses. Our faces at the door only exacerbated the situation because everyone wanted to stare. But what a riot! And the logic used is.....non-existant.
Mother China, how we love thee so!!
Random Sidenote
Had dinner at a 5-star hotel last night (with a friend who is manager or something). Good food and all. This guy filled us in on some happenings around the area that occurred while we were eating shite in Uzbekistan. Seems 3 bombs went off around this area, one hitting a bus. Not sure if anyone was killed. Don't think this made the local news And why not? Because the minority groups were probably responsible and the govt doesn't want unrest being seen. Or if news does get out (rare), it is painted as Muslim terrorists being responsible. Hm. Terrorists, or people whose land has been taken away; who are subject to intense racism; who are being forced out of jobs and such in favor of Chinese who are essentially imported to overtake the area and make it Chinese. Yet the press these minorities get is as horrible people who are acting up for no reason. Easy to label any act against the govt as terrorism (how often blamed on 'Muslim radicals'?).
Maybe it's people tired of being treated like shit.
Much like people in Uzbekistan. A couple bombs (no one hurt), one going off in the street in front of the US embassy. The press I saw back when it happened said it could be terrorists or radicals or something, maybe against the US or whatever. Everyone we talked to in Uz was of the opinion that it was people fed up with their treatment, trying to get the attention of the world for help. One guy couldn't praise our ousting of Hussein enough. Said it was great to see a dictator like that gotten rid of, if only it would happen for them.
But I am getting ahead of myself. This was a fun email! And the serious topics are for later.
I took a shower and smell much better now. Figured I oughter do that to eat in a fancy hotel. So I shower, washed my hair with actual shampoo and put on deoporant. Then put my not clean enough clothes back on. Oops.
A very dark and small rink below street level. Teens smoking in corners, little make-out clusters in the darkest corners, and some skating.
Like I was told, some people skate forward. Others, face THE SAME direction and skate backwards! Watching for only a minute I witnessed several very near misses. Our faces at the door only exacerbated the situation because everyone wanted to stare. But what a riot! And the logic used is.....non-existant.
Mother China, how we love thee so!!
Random Sidenote
Had dinner at a 5-star hotel last night (with a friend who is manager or something). Good food and all. This guy filled us in on some happenings around the area that occurred while we were eating shite in Uzbekistan. Seems 3 bombs went off around this area, one hitting a bus. Not sure if anyone was killed. Don't think this made the local news And why not? Because the minority groups were probably responsible and the govt doesn't want unrest being seen. Or if news does get out (rare), it is painted as Muslim terrorists being responsible. Hm. Terrorists, or people whose land has been taken away; who are subject to intense racism; who are being forced out of jobs and such in favor of Chinese who are essentially imported to overtake the area and make it Chinese. Yet the press these minorities get is as horrible people who are acting up for no reason. Easy to label any act against the govt as terrorism (how often blamed on 'Muslim radicals'?).
Maybe it's people tired of being treated like shit.
Much like people in Uzbekistan. A couple bombs (no one hurt), one going off in the street in front of the US embassy. The press I saw back when it happened said it could be terrorists or radicals or something, maybe against the US or whatever. Everyone we talked to in Uz was of the opinion that it was people fed up with their treatment, trying to get the attention of the world for help. One guy couldn't praise our ousting of Hussein enough. Said it was great to see a dictator like that gotten rid of, if only it would happen for them.
But I am getting ahead of myself. This was a fun email! And the serious topics are for later.
I took a shower and smell much better now. Figured I oughter do that to eat in a fancy hotel. So I shower, washed my hair with actual shampoo and put on deoporant. Then put my not clean enough clothes back on. Oops.
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