Asia – Conrad Askland https://conradaskland.com/blog Music Director and Music Technology Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:15:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 53388445 Off to Boracay https://conradaskland.com/blog/off-to-boracay/ https://conradaskland.com/blog/off-to-boracay/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:07:41 +0000 http://www.conradaskland.com/blog/?p=4217 boracay

Off to Boracay, Philippines with some friends for a few days. The vacations while living in Asia are mind blowing and amazing. Information on Boracay here:
http://www.conradaskland.com/blog/2008/11/boracay-philippines/

This will be my first trip to the Philippines. I know a few phrases in Tagalog (Tah-gah-loh) because I have many Filipina friends in Macau, but I hope to learn a few more. 🙂

]]> https://conradaskland.com/blog/off-to-boracay/feed/ 1 4217 Expats in Asia and The Price of Tea in China https://conradaskland.com/blog/expats-in-asia-and-the-price-of-tea-in-china/ https://conradaskland.com/blog/expats-in-asia-and-the-price-of-tea-in-china/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:31:25 +0000 http://www.conradaskland.com/blog/?p=4009 Having lived in China for a year now, it has been interesting to see how many Asian flavored “slurs” pop up in the American language. Sayings and attitudes that made sense before seem a little more foreign now. Because the American homeland IS slowly becoming the foreign place to me now. It’s the curse of the Expat.

I went to an American website a couple months that bans certain IP addresses. It had banned China IP’s which included mine. The message to these IP’s was a “no access” message along with the jab: “No Rice”. In other words, if you access their site from China you are banned, they don’t want rice eaters on their site. There was a time I might have thought that was funny. But being the recipient of that made me embarrassed for the website owner, and embarrassed that other Chinese would see that same message.

Today on a discussion forum someone commented “what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” And instead of reading that and understanding that they meant the recipient was not making a valid point; my first reaction was to actually wonder where the price of tea in China was involved. Perhaps this is part of a larger paradigm shift. It may seem trivial, but if you have been an Expatriate working in another country then you probably understand the strange perspective on things. The price of tea in China IS relevant to me, as is the attitude of my native country towards my host country.

Also today in the news were complaints from Iran that Hollywood movies are full of slurs against Iran and it’s people. I would normally discount that as more political drivel. But maybe there are more put-downs in our languages against different countries than we realize.

]]> https://conradaskland.com/blog/expats-in-asia-and-the-price-of-tea-in-china/feed/ 2 4009 The Number One Conversation in Asia https://conradaskland.com/blog/the-number-one-conversation-in-asia/ https://conradaskland.com/blog/the-number-one-conversation-in-asia/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:01:38 +0000 http://www.conradaskland.com/blog/?p=3882 Thought someone might find this interesting. This is the #1 conversation in Asia right now between residents and Americans:

Chinese: Where you from?
American: From America.
Chinese: *smile* America very good. You like Obama?
American: Yes, very much.
Chinese: *Big Smile* I also like Obama.

Now we’re best friends… I’ve had this same conversation in Macau, Vietnam and Thailand. Everyone is happy.

]]> https://conradaskland.com/blog/the-number-one-conversation-in-asia/feed/ 2 3882 Manchester United visits Zaia in Macau https://conradaskland.com/blog/manchester-united-visits-zaia-in-macau/ https://conradaskland.com/blog/manchester-united-visits-zaia-in-macau/#respond Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:38:37 +0000 http://www.conradaskland.com/blog/?p=3756 manchester-united-1108

Photo November 2008 at the ZAIA Theater – Venetian Macao.

Manchester United visited Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA Theater in Macau, China as part of their promotion for the new Manchester United Interactive Football Experience located at the Venetian Macao. Here is the photo of MU with the ZAIA cast (I’m on the far right in the top photo).

Update December 2008: Manchester United wins the World Cup!

MU at Zaia 2008

Manchester United Interactive Football Experience comes to the Venetian Macao
Macau can now experience what it is like to be at Manchester United (MU), as Asia’s first interactive football experience, MU Experience is opened at The Venetian Macao, launched by two former United stars, Bryan Robson and Brian McClair, joined by Mr Stephen Weaver, President of Asian Region, Las Vegas Sands Corp.

“I think the Experience is superb, it really captures the spirit and the atmosphere of this great club. The amazing way in which they have used technology makes it really feel like you are in the United dressing room or lining up with the players in the tunnel.” said Robson, former MU captain who was the longest serving captain in the club’s history.

During MU Experience, fans will have the chance to experience the drama and excitement of the build-up to a match at MU, including hearing Sir Alex Ferguson’s voice, without having to travel to Old Trafford.

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