A Bachelor’s, AKA Loner’s, Weekend

While J. is in Hong Kong renewing her visa, I’ve had a bachelor’s weekend. For those who don’t know, this type of weekend involves a bunch of lonely males going to dinner and talking about guy things, then the “bachelor” staying home alone and eating various foods while playing hours of computer games (Crysis Wars), watching TV, practicing guitar, surfing the web, doing sit-ups, not taking showers, kicking the feather toy inside, eating fast food, feeling lonely, going to bed late, and sleeping alone. I haven’t had a weekend like this in quite a while.

On Friday, three lads from work and I went to a Russian restaurant called The Flying Elephant. The dimly lit and loud eatery was on the third floor of a gaudy hotel in a forgettable part of town. The place was mostly packed. There were a few obvious Russian expats, some people on dates, two large groups (one of which was celebrating a birthday), and various working girls who kept strutting past us to the restroom. We arrived around 9:30, just as the “band” was starting. They were a reluctant duo. The Chinese guy played the keyboard and sung exclusively American cover songs. The more Russian looking guy manned the sound system and sung Russian tunes. Occasionally, he played a trumpet. All the songs were feel good and loud. And all were jazzed up by two robotic lasers that projected patterned green light onto the empty dance floor.

It was too loud to talk, so we ate. The extensive menu made most of the dishes look unappetizing and similar. Only one person at the table had Russian food before, and for him it was Singaporean Russian food. The ordering was a little uncertain, but the food was surprising good. We got borsch, pumpernickel bread, chickens stew in a clay pot, seasoned skewered lamb, French fries, baked tomato and eggplant, and cabbage pancakes. I snuck in a hot coffee. The fellows drank the only bottled Russian beer on the menu.

On Saturday, the morning started hot and hazy. I stayed indoors except to bring back some lunch. By the time I was ready to get some fresh air, it had started raining. I was in a glum mood, in part because of all the Crysis Wars I played while watching horrible movies on Cinemax. I’m not a TV watcher, but when I do I have the choice of three horrible English channels here: CNN Asia, HBO, and Cinemax. The reporting on CNN sucks. HBO is only weird movies from the 80s/early 90s. And all Cinemax seems to do is promote movies that will be airing in two months while re-runing some “original series” about southern vampires. Hey ya’ll, them undead are suckin’ our blood.

On Sunday, I went on a long bike ride. Some pictures:

Sunday’s bike route: a non-stop, 5 hour journey.

Old abandoned building.

Columns boarded up.

Museum clock tower.

Wusong Bridge.

Exterior vents.

Hong Kong style street packed with lots of signs.

Bridge to the Bund.

Man and pipe.

Compressors.

Canal.

Old domed building blocked off by construction.

Yangpu Bridge.

Floating crane.

Foggy view from the ferry.

Old bridge over barge-filled canal in Pudong.

Cargo near Yangpu bridge, Pudong.

Old covered walkway to an enormous grain elevator.

Broken windows.

Green tile.

Cheap fence enhancement.

Golden tower.

Old bathrooms.

The floor of the waiting area for the ferry home.

Colorful characters.

Man napping on sidewalk.

I feel smelly and refreshed. Now if only my teeth would magically get better. J. comes back on Monday morning.