So, when I wrote that last post I was so tired I thought my face was going to melt off like a Nazi reading the Arc of the Covenant. So, let me fill you in on a few important details.

First of all, my speech was in this lecture hall with four chalkboards, a projector, and a computer. Had I known this, I might have tried to come up with a movie or something but really it was for the best that I didn't bother with it.

It also had this microphone that I didn't need because I command an authoritative and booming voice, but it was great because I could use it occasionally to scare them.

Once I got on a roll it wasn't really hard to keep talking. I just kind of prattled about how i had been to a concert before, talked about seeing The Living End with Doug and Flogging Molly with Lexi, getting kicked in the head, moshpits, and tried to convince them to start a rock band. I also played music, which filled time, and tried to explain some genres to little success. Then, during the 10 minute break I gave myself, one girl came up and asked why I hadn't talked about the Sex Pistols.

I didn't quite know how to react. It's been a long time since I had a real conversation about music, especially with a local, but by God she was interested in my thoughts on punk music. Turns out there are three rock bars of note in this town, and I aim to hit the all of them since they're all pretty close. Moonkey Bar (not a typo), Tiger Bar, and the Music Man. They're all near the southern gate of the inner city, which is the closest one to me, and I know exactly what bus to take to get there (35, same as the portland bus that takes me from West Linn into downtown, crazy coincidence? clearly not.) I had been disappointed with the "scene" here in xi'an, and this might just be what the doctor ordered. Tonight I'm planning to head out and see if I can find these places, at least one of them, and hope they have a show on Saturday night.

So, anyways, i do my little song and dance, make up the latter half of it on the fly, and tell them some bullcrap about the future of Rock and Roll and its relationship with the Internet which I honestly believed but i don't think got across. Now its time for questions.

I was a little disappointed when most of the questions were about me. How long have i been in china, what is my chinese name, one guy tried to get me to sing a song and I shot him down. It was awkward when someone asked me if i was a christian: i almost said "no, I'm catholic" but the joke probably wouldn't of worked. She asked if i went to church in China and I laughed, said no, and decided I didn't want to get arrested or something so I moved on.

One person asked if Americans liked british rock and roll, and I said yes but that was all we liked about the british, except for their TV shows. Stewart, if you're reading this, sorry man. Anyways, I talked about the Rolling Stones like they invented water for a while earlier in the speech so i referred to that.

It was 4 o clock when all was said and done, everyone clapped, it was quite nice, and i had to figure out how to get back to my apartment. The next shuttle left at 6, so I wasn't about to wait for two hours. So, with 3 of my students in tow, i'm about to walk over to the english department to ask them for cab fare when I see this poster. I decide I want the poster more than cab fare and snag it, much to the horror of my students. They tell me i will get arrested, I tell them I am a very important teacher and the poster, while quite well put together, had my name on it so its mine, and they helped me take it off the piece of board and roll it up. Good kids.

So, I take the 363 over to the xiao jie shopping center, and take the 400 home. I explained that I knew how to get back but these guys were hearing none of it. They thought if they left me alone in big bad china for a minute i would get eaten by a Grue. So, they take me back, and lo and behold we took the 400 bus. So, they hang out at my apartment for a while, and then i kick them out because I am hungry and tired.

And to think, i had to wake up at 6 for work the next day! What a gimmick. Still, I managed to get home a half hour before the bus even left so it wasn't a total loss. This weekend I've been catching up on my sleep and relaxing, though the weather got much nicer today so I think i'll go out. Shopping, maybe. And tonight, we'll try out these rock n roll bars. See if I can become a regular.