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Post by George61 on Nov 5, 2006 11:09:49 GMT 7
The first (new) Christmas banner! On a supermarket here. It's getting ridakulis, folks. Also have seen this week, two of the new European-style, compact Cadillacs, and a silver Hummer!! Why is is that city folks everywhere, indulge in these stupid 4WD vehicles??
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Post by Dragonsaver on Nov 5, 2006 11:24:59 GMT 7
They started playing 'jingle-bells' on the loud speakers at the University last week!!!! Post Office sold me some Happy New Years cards yesterday!
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Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
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Post by Ruth on Nov 5, 2006 11:53:56 GMT 7
Wow, hadn't realized China had 'opened up' that much to western influence.
For those of you who aren't here yet - better hurry up, or you soon won't be able to tell the difference between China and your home country.
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teleplayer
Barfly
Ni3 you3 hen3 duo1 qian2. Gei3 wo3 yi4dian(r)3 ba.
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Post by teleplayer on Nov 6, 2006 0:47:47 GMT 7
When I was a kid, town Christmas decorations went up the Monday after Thanksgiving Holiday. I remember the complaints when so many chain dept stores began putting up the decorations right after Halloween. Thanksgiving, became a dismissed holiday in spirit. It was always my favoite. There's something special about celebration of the harvest to me. My most despised statement of blatant consumerism of a few years ago is "the fate of the world's economy rests on the backs of the USANIAN consumers." The corporate powers that be are just trying to spread the burden to maximize profits. The best we can do here is continue the "Black Friday" boycott. When the malls open at 4AM on the Friday after Thanksgiving, go fishing, watch locak sports, take a walk, read a book, have a cookout but whatever you do, if it's not for emerigency meds, don't buy a thing. Make Madison Ave cry. I do hope to see the Middle Kingdom long before KFC and Mickey D have yurts in Mongolia. corporate big brother's army is coming and paraphrasing Nikita K's infamous words, "we will bury you [and your culture] in our economic wake." I'll get off my little soapbox now.
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Post by kcanuck on Nov 6, 2006 4:00:33 GMT 7
The new Hummers are even up here in Inner Mongolia. One of our graduate student's also interviewed with Porsche awhile back. Seems they are thinking of building a winter test facility up here.
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Non-Dave
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Try Not! Do - or Do Not... There Is No Try!
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Post by Non-Dave on Nov 6, 2006 6:55:40 GMT 7
I saw a Hummer down here on Saturday too. It just didn't look right and I shudder to think what it is capable of in the hands of an experienced (?) Chinese driver...
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Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
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Post by Ruth on Nov 6, 2006 8:39:48 GMT 7
Yeah, an experienced driver who paid someone to get the license 'cause they failed the exam the first time.
Christmas is my favorite holiday and I miss the music (at church), decorations, special shows, and parties with friends. I don't miss the commercialism. Pity that seems to be the part that is insinuating itself into China.
I'm on that soapbox with you Teleplayer. Holiday decorations are going up earlier and earlier. Takes away from the holiday. Here in Xingcheng the places that decorate for Christmas do it about one week (or one day) before the actual holiday. But the decorations stay up until July - I swear. One flower shop had two pitiful trees, complete with little santas and stars, out on the sidewalk until July. Finally got replaced with fake flowering trees, that are now looking a little dusty and bedraggled.
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Post by solongtinik on Nov 6, 2006 10:15:32 GMT 7
Philppines celebrate christmas and yuletide seasons the longest...starts from september til february!!!!!
there's this season scent that so distinct! miss it!!!!!!!!!
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Eagle's Nest
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A self-portrait ... note that there is a mess of confusion in the swirling mists of "self"
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Post by Eagle's Nest on Nov 6, 2006 12:12:52 GMT 7
Christmas? Why? I think I am giving a final exam on that day. Yah, I know that I can take it off and reschedule - but why go through the hassle. In China, it's just another day. If I was in Canada with my children and grandchildren it would be a different story. Still, I hate the commercialisation. I can't stand the constant bombardment of carols, ads and hustle that has only one purpose - to empty my wallet.
Bah Humbug
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Post by Lone Traveller on Nov 7, 2006 19:31:03 GMT 7
In Harbin this weekend I saw a Stretch Hummer!!!! Longer than any Limmo I've seen. Imagine trying to weave that through Harbin traffic??? Tragic.
L.T
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Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
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Post by Ruth on Nov 8, 2006 7:21:08 GMT 7
Just wondering who needs a stretch Hummer. In Harbin.
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Post by Dragonsaver on Nov 8, 2006 7:30:41 GMT 7
Just wondering who needs a stretch Hummer. In Harbin. In Canada, the stretch vehicles are used as rolling hotels for the 'working girls'.
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Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
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Post by Ruth on Nov 8, 2006 8:25:11 GMT 7
Wow. Limo rental must up the cost. Maybe that's what the Hummer in Harbin is for.
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Crippler
Barfly
Beware the conspiracy!
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Post by Crippler on Nov 8, 2006 9:48:57 GMT 7
Wonder if the girls can hum while ehhhhhh?
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Post by The G-Stringed Avenger on Nov 10, 2006 22:27:07 GMT 7
Judging by the way things seem to be going in the UK, Brits will have to come to China to celebrate Christmas. Seems like they can't do it at home anymore... musn't offend the Muslims, you know.
If I was Blair, I'd be telling them to get m'kayed and to m'kay back home if they don't like it.
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teleplayer
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Post by teleplayer on Nov 11, 2006 5:58:39 GMT 7
Judging by the way things seem to be going in the UK, Brits will have to come to China to celebrate Christmas. Seems like they can't do it at home anymore... musn't offend the Muslims, you know. If I was Blair, I'd be telling them to get m'kayed and to m'kay back home if they don't like it. Well, rest assured, WalMart is now prepared to return to Christmas. This announced yesterday (11/8/06). They'll provide you with more commercialization than you can stand. www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2006-11-08-christmas-usat_x.htmWal-Mart wishes you a Merry Christmas Posted 11/8/2006 11:03 PM ET E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | Subscribe to stories like this By Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAY Wal-Mart will put "Christmas" back into the holidays this year, the retailer plans to announce Thursday. A year after religious and other groups boycotted retailers, including Wal-Mart (WMT), for downplaying Christmas, the world's largest retail chain will have an in-your-face Christmas theme this year. "We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year," says Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley. "We're not afraid to use the term 'Merry Christmas.' We'll use it early, and we'll use it often." Wal-Mart told about 7,000 associates of the plans at a conference last month and "was met with rapturous applause. ... We know many of our customers will feel the same," says John Fleming, Wal-Mart's executive vice president of marketing. ..... see link for more if you like.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Nov 11, 2006 8:49:08 GMT 7
So this means that despite all of the complaints and whinging about Christmas season being earlier and earlier the great unwashed actually want the early hype and freneticism - and were prepared to demonstrate with their dollars?
Ummm....
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teleplayer
Barfly
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Post by teleplayer on Nov 11, 2006 9:08:30 GMT 7
The so called "great unwashed" regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin, do whatever the media/popular thought of the day/herd tells them. Can you say "lemmings?" God forbid you raise a voice in opposition of the herd. You might actually have to go to the restaurant and eat alone. Can you "dig it?"
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