Tuesday, August 09, 2005
The Devil's Name is Siddhartha. No, Really.
Saturday August 6th, typhoon Matsa was relentless. Pretty much no reason to leave my room and watched some Scrubs, Family Guy, and Arrested Development. Eventually, however, I had to get out, especially considering the chairs provided in the rooms might as well be called Iron Maidens. Met up with Elise and we ordered Papa John's pizza which, although a little cold, was really just as good as it is in the US. Eduardo joined us, hurting severely from the night before. This guy is a professional student! He's got engineering degrees in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Systems Engineering. Then he decided he don't want to be an engineer anymore. Oops!
After the last of my Budweisers (yes, I still drink Bud occasionally here!) we headed over the the canteen to get 5RMB Steinlager beers (60 cents US!). Unforunately, Siddhartha had beat us too it and cleaned out all five beers they had on hand. Sign of the devil #1. Don't let his religious Indian name fool you.
Under the covered walkways the typhoon still managed to get us. And trees had fallen down all over campus. "Let's go to John's Pub!" says Siddhartha. Brilliant. This place is close enough to walk and he suggested just that. He was loving this typhoon because it reminded him of home. Sign of the devil #2.
And before you make some snarky remarks about how we could have chosen not to follow him, we were in a particularly vunerable state. Satiated with pizza but with only two beers, we were still thirsting for some more. Also, we'd been stuck in our rooms all day. Somehow, his suggestions sounded like a pretty damn good idea.
Elise retrieved her umbrella (we all laughed at this, I've seen the New York streets littered with broken umbrellas in far less destructive storms) and off we went with another Chinese classmate, George.
Braving the storm, we did the 1km walk to the pub (I've been forced to start using metric here) only to find the inevitable, it was closed! Pouring rain we floundered about when a taxi rolls up, and in we jump and onto Latina Bar. Elise passes around tissues to dry ourselves, which is like giving a tic tac to a whale.
Let me remind you that this is all Siddhartha's doing.
We order what is essentially a keg of Carlsberg and proceed to attempt to make our insides as wet as our outsides. Siddhartha shows off his dancing moves again with the Philippino band singer, April. Eventually, after more beer, shots, and mixed drinks, they finally kick us out. Making it back to the school, we're nearly dry and Elise, Siddhartha and I walk into our dorm where Siddhartha makes left instead of going for the stairs back to our rooms. We follow him only to find him the raiding the common fridge for every single last beer. Elise and I are horrified. I don't know the exact reasoning he gave us but somehow, at the time, it all made sense and we went to my room with our recently "liberated" four carlsbers, 1 tsingtao, and one strange belgian beer. Sign of the devil #3.
Before we know it, the sun is shining. D'oh! Sign of the devil #4!!
After the last of my Budweisers (yes, I still drink Bud occasionally here!) we headed over the the canteen to get 5RMB Steinlager beers (60 cents US!). Unforunately, Siddhartha had beat us too it and cleaned out all five beers they had on hand. Sign of the devil #1. Don't let his religious Indian name fool you.
Under the covered walkways the typhoon still managed to get us. And trees had fallen down all over campus. "Let's go to John's Pub!" says Siddhartha. Brilliant. This place is close enough to walk and he suggested just that. He was loving this typhoon because it reminded him of home. Sign of the devil #2.
And before you make some snarky remarks about how we could have chosen not to follow him, we were in a particularly vunerable state. Satiated with pizza but with only two beers, we were still thirsting for some more. Also, we'd been stuck in our rooms all day. Somehow, his suggestions sounded like a pretty damn good idea.
Elise retrieved her umbrella (we all laughed at this, I've seen the New York streets littered with broken umbrellas in far less destructive storms) and off we went with another Chinese classmate, George.
Braving the storm, we did the 1km walk to the pub (I've been forced to start using metric here) only to find the inevitable, it was closed! Pouring rain we floundered about when a taxi rolls up, and in we jump and onto Latina Bar. Elise passes around tissues to dry ourselves, which is like giving a tic tac to a whale.
Let me remind you that this is all Siddhartha's doing.
We order what is essentially a keg of Carlsberg and proceed to attempt to make our insides as wet as our outsides. Siddhartha shows off his dancing moves again with the Philippino band singer, April. Eventually, after more beer, shots, and mixed drinks, they finally kick us out. Making it back to the school, we're nearly dry and Elise, Siddhartha and I walk into our dorm where Siddhartha makes left instead of going for the stairs back to our rooms. We follow him only to find him the raiding the common fridge for every single last beer. Elise and I are horrified. I don't know the exact reasoning he gave us but somehow, at the time, it all made sense and we went to my room with our recently "liberated" four carlsbers, 1 tsingtao, and one strange belgian beer. Sign of the devil #3.
Before we know it, the sun is shining. D'oh! Sign of the devil #4!!
