The Karate Chicago Code Kid

Magnet #1112 - China Beijing

How pretty is this magnet? It's from my roadtrip buddies who went to Beijing a few years ago.

Reminds me of two things that have surprised the heck out of me in the last couple of weeks, hence the blogtitle mash up.

First. The Karate Kid remake last year was not that bad. No, hear me out. I grew up with the Ralph Macchio/Pat Morita version and I was pretty adamant that I'd never watch the movie. But when Starz says, here's a free preview, you watch. And I was completely surprised by how entertaining it was.

It was set in Beijing, where the little Jaden Smith and his mother move out there from Detroit. It was clarified pretty early on that he was practicing Kung Fu and not Karate, in fact, the reverence the kid had for the incredible sweeping shots of a Kung Fu-practicing nation was touching.

Jackie Chan was of course, terrific. Even if it was a major role, it was pretty understated, and not how I'm used to seeing him. The bully angle was timely, giving the kids being bullied today something to believe in. And the bad guys were totally believable. Mean, but believable. And the locations were just astounding. Whether it was Olympic Park, Forbidden City, aerials of the Great Wall, or even hundreds of people dressed in uniforms, it was just gorgeous.

My only issue was that I didn't buy a Detroit car company sending an employee to Beijing, especially when they didn't even define what sort of function she fills. Marketing? Operations? Didn't seem like a high-level position, so why send her over? And then there was the lone American kid that the little boy almost makes friends with totally disappears within the first 15 minutes. But whatever. Good movie...even as I winced every time Jaden got hit.

My other happy surprise is @ShawnRyanTV's The Chicago Code. I freakin' love this show. I kinda knew I might because Shawn Ryan's written so many other great shows, but TCC is the one show that I literally stalk Hulu for when the next episode becomes available.

I Hulu'd the latest one a few days ago - Chinatown mischief, where of course the unofficial mayor of Chinatown (played by LOST's Dr. Chang) is protecting his constituents, covering for a couple of murderers, only so he can deal justice himself.

Normally, I really do not enjoy cop dramas. But, I think I'll watch anything that has bulletproofvesttime great characters to get to know, with complicated relationships or personal situations to deal with. I tend not to care about the Crime of the Week, and instead get invested in the characters and long-term story arcs. This one has several layers of both.

With each passing week, I'm surprised that I'm starting to buy Jennifer Beal as CPD's superintendent, trying to figure out if I'm supposed to like or revile the ever-awesome Delroy Lindo as Alderman Gibbons, and loving Aussie Jason Clarke and his cuteboy partner Matt Lauria from Friday Night Lights.

Plus? I love hearing the Chicagoland accents, fake as they are. They're the accents I would have had, if we hadn't moved from Chicago when I was five.

Definitely check it out. The Chicago Code. Not the accents. Well, them, too.

Oh, you know what I mean.

Merry Christmas

Magnet #672 - Panda

I used to have this friend who was always unnerved being around folks speaking non-English languages, convinced that they were talking about her.

This magnet, given to me by someone else, reminds me of her, because I could have sworn they got it in Beijing, and that's what the writing says. It doesn't. Then I thought it said panda. It doesn't. So, I haven't a clue what it says, and I just hope it's not something about me. Hahahah.

I picked this magnet today, mainly because I forgot to do a magnet photoshoot before leaving NYC, so all I have are the magnets already loaded in my photobucket, and this is the most Christmassy festive of the bunch.

But, also because Save the World Sister got her usual fill of pandas for Christmas. It's so funny, I remember at one point in her apartment, everywhere I looked, I saw another panda item. Things haven't changed.

And yep, we've already done Christmas. It's what we do - head straight home after Midnight Mass, jump into our jammies, and open presents. This year was a little weird, because after the snowstorm in DC, we decided it was easier for us to drive down to NC, rather than have our parents deal with the crappy roads (see yesterday's post for validation). So like Santa, we threw all our presents in the big red 4-runner, and headed for the open road, singing Christmas music all the way home.

But, home too late for Midnight Mass. So, we just jumped into our jammies, and did our Christmas tonight, in a proper showing of commercialism and consumerism cause and effect. Heh. Now everyone's asleep...except for me, who drank a Mountain Dew at 9 to keep me awake driving home. Ooops.

I know, middle of the night to open presents is weird, but this stems from years of practice. In fact, the saddest Christmas ever for me was the year I stuck to my guns, forced myself to go to sleep on Christmas Eve, in order to have a proper Christmas morning opening presents.

Only, amidst piles of discarded wrapping paper, my presents were the only ones under the tree. And I was the only one opening presents. By myself. Cuz everyone else was asleep.

Silly. Opening presents Christmas morning, instead of Christmas Eve. Who does that?


Hahahaahaha. Merry Christmas, ya'll!

eta:
Yay, thanks for the clarification, Erika! Shanghai, China. Awesome.

Happy Birthday, Tai Shan! - Guest blogger, Save the World Sister

Magnet #503 - Beijing Pandas

New (possibly monthly) feature: I was a little wary of inviting guest bloggers, but so many of my magnets have been gifts that it would be a shame not to hear their magnet stories as well.

This one didn't come from my Save the World Sister, but since a ton of people overheard me yell at her "NO, we're NOT buying you a panda for Christmas!" at Concord Mall in NC, I thought she'd be perfect for this magnet. Enjoy!

- joy

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So because I love (no seriously, it could be my obsession) pandas, Joy asked me to guest blog about this magnet. I'm excited to start joy magnetism's guest blog feature.

Four years ago, the National Zoo's pair of pandas finally gave birth to the *cutest* baby panda ever. Tai Shan (the baby panda formerly known as Butterstick) is almost like my pet. I love him and used to watch the webcam in the panda enclosure all the time back when he was only as big as stick of butter.

He's my pet that I don't ever have to take care of - thanks National Zookeepers! I used to visit the zoo ALL the time just to go see Butterstick. I went to his 1st birthday party just to celebrate with all the little kids that love Butterstick too. I've watched him grow up over the past 4 years... he's grown so much I've even had to give up my dreams of breaking him out of the zoo and hiding him in my closet!

I don't know who gave Joy this magnet, but I'm jealous. Did you go to China and see the pandas? My love of pandas gives me a soft spot toward China (and being the Save the World Sister, China's got a lot of things I DO NOT agree with) because I REALLY want to go to the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center and Reserve and play with all the baby pandas. Could you imagine??? Playing with over a dozen baby pandas at once? I would seriously go crazy.

I've known a few people that have gotten to visit the breeding center, but I haven't been able to raise enough funds to get me there. It's on the top of my list of places to go especially now that Nepal is checked off. Sometimes the documentary on the breeding center is on PBS or Discovery Channel and when it is I try to watch it... even if I've already seen it. Sadly, though, because of the earthquake in China last year, the reserve and breeding centre was closed to the public and some pandas even escaped and went missing. (Oh, noes! - joy)

But today, let's focus on the happy stuff. I don't want my post to bring you down. Pandas are meant to bring happiness! They give me such a happy that Save the World Boyfriend asked me to marry him in front of the pandas at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. He did good, by the way, with the pandas on his side, of course I said yes. :) I'm still holding out hope that someone can genetically create a pygmy panda that I can keep as a pet... like a take it home and actually get to take care of it kind of pet.

So on Tai Shan's b-day today, go out and celebrate! Maybe go eat some Panda Express (I love it even if it is seriously Americanized Chinese food) or buy a panda plush toy (I have MANY and you can get one for free I think if you join WWF or donate over $25) or wear a panda ears headband (thanks to Save the World Fiance for buying me my pair!). Or go get engaged (if you feel like copying Gordon and me).

Pandas in America are located at the National Zoo in DC, the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, the Atlanta Zoo in Georgia, and the San Diego Zoo in California.

Hey, Beibei!

Magnet #456 - Beibei from the Beijing Olympics

Eeeeee! How. Adorable. Is. This.

She's one of the mascots from last year's Beijing Olympics. Yes. A keychain my friends brought back for me, now turned into a magnet. Yay!

Beibei is a fish (in water behind her) - the symbols of prosperity and harvest.

I just love her cuz she's blue and green!

There were five Fuwa (good luck dolls). They have a rhyming name (like the way Filipinos repeat syllables/words), so we have Beibei (fish), Jingjing (panda), Huanhuan (Olympic Flame), Yingying (Tibetan antelope) and Nini (swallow).

But, what I didn't know (or most likely forgot) is that together, Bei Jin Huan Ying Ni means Welcome to Beijing!

Superbien! Yep. My new word, totally stolen from my friend's blog - where she's totally having Adventures in Chile.