Shenzhen Zen

Ugly American: Julian, me and a fellow teacher I'll call "M" were taken out by three of our teaching assistants last night to a "real" Chinese nightclub called True Colors. It was jammed, every table taken by young and middle aged couples, very few singles, who were there to drink, play dice, smoke and listen to bands. We saw three bands, one of which featured a lead singer in full camo attire, complete with beret and a guitar player with a modified mohawk. All wore sunglasses a la Devo. All the music was very poppy and mild by US standards, mostly cover songs from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, according to Beany, Julian's young, hip TA. "M" got wasted on three beers and on the taxi ride home proceeded to embarass the rest of us by urging the taxi driver to teach him "The East is Red" while profusely complimenting him in loud, condesneding tones.
"Tell him he is very professional!" he demanded of the TA's. "Tell him I love his country!"
The TA's told the driver something, but I imagined it as:
"We apologize for the the drunken barbarian who cannot handle even three small beers. We promise he will not vomit in your taxi."