Do you remember your first . . .

[roddy]

I'm no expert on Chinese music (or anything else, for that matter) but I now know a lot more than I used to. When I first arrived in China I just heard stuff and if I liked it I'd try to buy it. However, 'like' just meant sometimes 'it's not bad. Haven't heard anything better'.

The first song I really paid any attention to was . . .

对面的女孩 by pretty pop boy 任贤齐. I left China shortly after purchasing the album, and as a result my 任贤齐 phase lasted a shameful 2 years. I can talk about it now though.

Who else has an embarassing musical past? And to genuine fans of Richie - it's ok. Sometimes we all feel like 一只小小鸟

Roddy

[lpascoe]

I used to buy songs I heard on the radio all the time because I figured afterwards they would remind my of my time in Taiwan.

Once I bought a Wang Fei CD because 'Dui bu qi, da cuo le' got stuck in my head for a whole weekend. Buying the CD seemed to cure that problem and I haven't listened to it since. Can't stand it, in fact.

Another time I bought a CD by this Taiwanese guy, whose name I can never remember, for the same reason. Zhou Hua Jian? Got stuck in my head for ages because it was being played everywhere, but I didn't know how to find out what the song was. Then one day I was in 7-11 and heard it, so asked the 7-11 guy to write down the singer's name. One of the other songs has this bit where he sobs "Dui bu qi! Wo ai ni!" I once embarrassed myself at the airport in Shanghai because they played that song and I really got into it, in a drama queen kind of way, whilst singing along, causing the children sitting behind me to hide under their chairs. Don't listen to that one anymore either. Although I still have a soft spot for the other song "Wo xian zai changzhe zhe shou ge..." or whatever it's called.

But now, the only thing I listen to in Chinese anymore is Jay. Hated him at first, but then I started using 8 Dimensions as a bribe for my students, who were all obsessed with him. If you're good, you can listen to Jay while you're writing... Somehow I got addicted. Just wish he wouldn't mumble so much.