Saturday, July 23, 2011

Today, on the Travel Channel

One of my friends was recently on a trip to China, and sent back a few pics.

This one shows the location of a party school. I suspect there's a big difference between the American and Chinese definitions of "party school".

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In his hotel room, among the usual amenities, was a box of condoms. Obviously, these people take their birth control seriously.

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This last one, which I'm not going to comment on (that's your job) he says was taken in a generic shopping mall, in a store that featured local crafts.

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16 comments:

  1. Thomas D.July 23, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    But are they artisanal?

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  2. AnonymousJuly 23, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    I find it interesting that the party school sign has English on it.

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  3. B. PerkyJuly 23, 2011 at 9:57 AM

    Mushrooms?

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  4. MooseJuly 23, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    I've heard of "Mr Happy" but that's just ridiculous.

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  5. AnonymousJuly 23, 2011 at 11:04 AM

    Grumpy:

    Just guessin' but I'd suspect the CPC at the end of the Party School sign really means it's a Communist Party of China school, not a US party school.

    No tiger moms would let that happen.

    Re: the phalluses, they may not see them that way if you get my drift. Americans may, but I suspect they don't. Never assume everyone is alike.

    That's why they keep the "good stuff" in a hotel room and not in a mall.

    Just my US$0.02...

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  6. bobbieJuly 23, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    LOVE the happy face!

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  7. AnonymousJuly 23, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    Hey Dr Grumpy, today is the anniversary of the Gimli Glider.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJuly 23, 2011 at 2:15 PM

    I was recently in Istanbul and stayed near the airport hotel, they had condoms in every room, irregardless as to who stayed there. Thinking about it, they're 1) being responsible as an establishment to provide you with basic things you might have in your home, 2) avoiding any awkward situations in case their guests wanted to have sex in their rooms (it's a perfectly normal function of life) and wants to get condoms, 3) helping reduce the chance of you getting an std or you giving it to someone if you chose to get freaky with a local - thus helping their community.

    In China, which is where I am from, birth control is almost considered a matter of national pride since it's no secret China is becoming over populated and traditionally big families are normally encouraged.

    Also, I know for a fact that Chinese regulations state all adult toys must be hidden from view of minors and the shops are normally labeled "husband and wife stores - marriage supply stores - whatever along those lines". So maybe they're trying to skirt the laws or your friend is in a farm area anyway where sex is considered a fact of life and it happens and fertility is celebrated (just as some African statues also do) by shaping natural materials into the shape of a phallus or the shape of a fertile female. Lots of shops try to skirt the rules and sometimes the government lets them because, well, that's how things roll.

    As for the school, that's normal - the Communists have all the money, those that belong to the Party not only have a leg up when they send their children to the official school, they also get the best teachers. It's like going to a magnet school and when you say you went to a government school, it's like saying you went to the special nice school.

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  9. LizJuly 23, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    I've been to China, and obviously I went to the wrong part, since I saw nothing like this...

    Verification word: reiner

    Heh.

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  10. girl with a stethoscopeJuly 23, 2011 at 7:43 PM

    hahah this is hilarious

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  11. Loren PechtelJuly 24, 2011 at 12:21 AM

    Pic #1: The presence of the English doesn't surprise me. There's a lot of signs there with English. (And plenty more in Chinglish.)

    Pic #2: They're more open about selling condoms than we are. In a fancier hotel this doesn't surprise me.

    Pic #3: I've seen a few dedicated sex-toy stores and the larger medical stores (a bit more extensive than a typical US drugstore) tend to have a sex section. It's always somewhat blocked off from the rest of the place. I haven't seen any fetishwear and certainly no porn but other than that they have most anything you would find in a US sex shop.

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  12. AnonymousJuly 24, 2011 at 12:44 AM

    Well, the number of children you're allowed to have in China is limited so, condoms would be very important to them. Not to mention the fact that the punishment for rape is death.

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  13. SimpletonJuly 24, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    I saw those little statues in a big, Midwestern mall and was told that they were the little gnomes, you know, like the ones in Fantasia (fillum).

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  14. njwvJuly 25, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    At Chinese party school, party finds you...

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  15. AnonymousJuly 25, 2011 at 1:30 PM

    Does anyone else see a strong resemblence to the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters in the last picture?

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  16. AnonymousJuly 25, 2011 at 3:22 PM

    Hmmm, those little statues....you are all wrong. They are the ring holders that Craig made as a project for this Boy Scout badge.

    He is exporting them to China...kinda cool.

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So wadda you think?