koue

Went to a Chinese punk concert tonight. I haven't been to one in two years. Back in the day the venue was a daytime roller derby that turned into a punk lounge and mosh pit at night. But construction clear through that and now its an expressway.

Since then Beijing's expanded its nightlife opportunities, and there's a more varied rock scene.

I had my usual complaints about the scene - the usual goofy foreigner not into punk, but just moshing it up cuz he comes to China and thinks he grows testicles. My biggest problem is always that there are as many or more people documenting the night with photos or video as there are people dancing. It's like people are more interested in Beijing punk as a social phenomenon than as music.

But it was really great to get banged up a bit and people watch. The lead singer was the Chinese reincarnation of Patti Smith. Some very cute punk girls had my heart throbbing, even tho' I had my girlfriend on my arm. I have real polygamous eyes. Thank god my girlfriend usually doesn't mind.

But she was in a bad mood tonight due to a mysterious chronic stomach ache that made a sudden return. I did the gentlemanly thing and saw her home, but sucks, cuz I wanted to stay out.

The apartment is filled with lawyers. They're visiting for two weeks, and have eated all of one Chinese meal and have been surviving on McDonalds. They're all my age and they've all graduated from law school. I'd feel like I've wasted my life, except that they're lawyers, and today saw this conversation:

them - So what drugs have you done?
me - [insert list here, nothing spectacularly long]
them - So what's marijuana _feel_ like?
me - [insert description here]
them - Don't you think its unnatural?
me - uh....
them - haven't you seen that anti-marijuana ad that says "Marijuana kills"?

At which point I turned off my ears and walked away.