Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli were disqualified for match-fixing because they wanted to avoid facing Tian Qian and Zhao Yunlei in the semifinals, and now we know why. Tian and Zhao just won the gold medal, never dropping a set in any of their three knock-out round matches. They beat Japan’s Mizuki Fujii and Reika Kakiiwa 21-10 25-23.... Read more »
Australia beat Brazil 70-66 yesterday to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals, but all anyone is talking about is Liz Cambage's dunk, which people are agreeing is the first-ever in women's basketball in the Olympics.
Via Facebook: “Gabrielle Douglas, the first African American woman to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics, celebrating with Liang Chow, her Chinese-born coach.” (H/T Disgrasian)
Allow me to categorize, in an admittedly clumsy manner, the options expats have for international music in Beijing:
* Foreign bands, usually rather amateurish, that live in China.
* Past-their-prime bands or solo acts that have little more than nostalgia on their side (think Ian Brown or any individual Ramone).
* Super big-pop acts that no one really likes (Lil' John, Akon).
* Up-and-coming bands that may eventually make it big, or may suck rather hard (Common, Owl City).
For music lovers, that's not much to look forward to, so it's incumbent upon us to take chances.
I hit the jackpot last night at Yugong Yishan.
Formed in Beijing, Residence A (A公馆乐队) released its first LP earlier this year, Please Use Body to Pulverize the Desire to Flee for One's Life《请用身体砸碎欲望逃生》(translation mine). Described by Josh Feola of the music promotion Pangbianr as playing "tight, melodic indie pop, often with a syncopated disco beat reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand or The Killers," here they are with the music video Wo Jiu Zai (我就在), which translates to something like "I'm Just Here."
Scant info is available about this picture, except that it was posted earlier this week, taken at the intersection of Songjiang and Jinyu, city unknown. Commenters on Weibo speculate the grandma is doing this to get drivers to slow down. Or maybe it’s to cause drivers to rubberneck and crash? #MinorDifferences (Via Car News China)
We’re guessing this video was taken in Vietnam, but given we found this on Youku and here at BJC we’re amused by all quirky and homemade inventions, we thought we’d share this clip of a guy riding his own version of a batmobile… although it appears this vehicle is simply made from exercise equipment, bicycle... Read more »
Xinhua is reporting that in Yongling township, Xinbin Manchu autonomous county, Liaoning province yesterday, a 17-year-old went on a killing spree after fighting with his girlfriend: The 17-year-old suspect, a native of Xinfu district in downtown Fushun, stabbed to death two relatives of his girlfriend after having conflicts with his girlfriend, an initial investigation showed.... Read more »
The Guardian continues to win its coverage of the Olympics. You might remember they were right on top of the Ye Shiwen story, and what can you say about their Lego reenactments of Olympic moments except bravo, good sirs.
