Qinghai!

[Marian]

I still need to figure out how to pronounce the name of the city I'm
flying to, find out how much the airline tickets cost, order the
airline tickets, arrange the time off work, which will probably
include borrowing my boss's laptop so that I'm not actually off work,
and borrow a digital camera since mine is broken but... in slightly
less than three weeks I'm going to Qinghai.

Really really going.

For sure and official and definitely going.

To Qinghai.

It's been definite for all of about forty five minutes at this point,
and a very strong possibility since last Friday. I'm still in enough
of a shock about this whole "they said yes" thing that I haven't yet
come far enough down to get potential stomach butterflies. Not that
I'd get stomach butterflies or anything like that. After all, it's
only one of the two 2.HC races on the Asia calendar and the largest
bike race in China. Who would get stomach butterflies over a little
thing like that?

Over a little thing like working at that?

I'm not going as a fan. I'm going as a staff member.

A staff member.

I'm going as a staff member.

I'm going to Qinghai as a staff member.

Maybe if I print this message out and can read those words in real
black ink on real white paper it will feel more real. Cause right now
it's still a bit of a shock. Once I got up the nerve to actually ask
the people who knew the people who could ask the people if I could go
it took all of about two minutes before I had my answer.

I don't need to pinch myself to confirm that I'm not dreaming. My
sunburned shoulders from yesterday's metric century are already
confirming that I'm not dreaming.

I'm not dreaming. The people in charge said yes. The people in
charge said they'd pick me up from the airport. The people in charge
said that I'm working as a staff member at the Tour of Qinghai Lake.
And I'm not dreaming.

I've been having a schedule snafu for the last month and some with a
friend of mine. Part of the scheduling snafu was caused by me moving
to another city. So despite my regularly coming back to Haikou there
wasn't as much of an opportunity for me to meet with him. However,
after two canceled rides and a canceled lunch date I finally had the
chance to see him face to face. Route planning for the Tour de Hainan
had started and they were going to be here. If you can't bring
Mohammed to the mountain bring the mountain to Mohammed. Or something
like that.

Can't say the lunch was exactly what I'd thought it was going to be.
Scale, scope, attendees, quantity and quality of alcohol were all
things I hadn't considered. I knew it was going to be Mr.Wang, Coach
Li, and the bike shop manager. I didn't consider that Mr.Qiu from the
Chinese Cycling Association would be there. Or Mr.Ye who was one of
the race directors last year. Or half of the far upper echelons of
the Sanya City government. Actually, with the exception of Mr.Ye,
Mr.Qiu, Mr.Wang, Coach Li, and Ah Zhi I didn't have a clue who any of
the others were. Merely that they were important enough that I was
supposed to already remember who they were and not need introducing.
After all they had remembered who I was...

Being non-important in the general scope of things (especially when
compared to oh, say, everyone else in the room except the waitresses)
and being female meant that I wasn't called upon to drink too much
alcohol. I escaped with a mere seven shots of baijiu (sorghum based
white lightning). At lunch. On a work day. Thank god for lenient
bosses. It will take dinner, no one needing to drive anywhere
afterwards, and a proper liver killing drinking session to determine
my actual placement on the alcoholic leaderboard but I'm apparently
doing pretty well. This is very important.

With the food on the table and the alcohol flowing very freely the
actual purpose of the lunch in Sanya became obvious. This year's Tour
of Hainan wants to have 108 riders participate in a 20km time trial in
the prologue in Sanya. Would it be okay to close one of the major
thoroughfares for say two hours give or take? In the US you file
permits and applications. In China you get the relevant officials
drunk. All the same really.

As we were dispersing in the parking lot I drummed up my courage. It
would have been easier if it had just been me and Mr.Wang but in a
group of people many of whom spoke at least a little English and all
of whom were important it was a little harder. Mr.Wang still doesn't
quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
race?"

And after a stuttery bad non-explanation to Mr.Qiu who wanted to know
why I wanted to go and what I thought I could do there (I've just had
seven shots of baijiu and you want me to explain something using
concepts more difficult than "because"?) Mr.Wang came to my rescue,
explained how much I'd helped out at the Tour de Hainan and said
"sure, no problem."

Two hours later I had a phone call that he'd called the people at
Qinghai and they said yes.

Eight hours after that I had a text message with the relevant person's
phone numbers.

And it was too late on Friday night to possibly do anything about
having the relevant person's phone numbers.

Then, this morning, when I went to make the call the phone number was
the wrong number.

The a n t i c i p a t i o n was driving me crazy. Might
have been interesting to find out what my heart rate actually was
cause I could feel it thump thump thumping crazy fast for sitting at a
desk holding a telephone when the right person picked up.

Got the right number.
Got the right person.
Got the right answer.
And I'm going as a staff member to the Tour of Qinghai Lake!

T minus 16 days and counting.

-M

[Bob Schwartz]

Marian wrote:
> Being non-important in the general scope of things (especially when
> compared to oh, say, everyone else in the room except the waitresses)
> and being female meant that I wasn't called upon to drink too much
> alcohol. I escaped with a mere seven shots of baijiu (sorghum based
> white lightning). At lunch. On a work day. Thank god for lenient
> bosses. It will take dinner, no one needing to drive anywhere
> afterwards, and a proper liver killing drinking session to determine
> my actual placement on the alcoholic leaderboard but I'm apparently
> doing pretty well. This is very important.
>
> With the food on the table and the alcohol flowing very freely the
> actual purpose of the lunch in Sanya became obvious. This year's Tour
> of Hainan wants to have 108 riders participate in a 20km time trial in
> the prologue in Sanya. Would it be okay to close one of the major
> thoroughfares for say two hours give or take? In the US you file
> permits and applications. In China you get the relevant officials
> drunk. All the same really.
>
> As we were dispersing in the parking lot I drummed up my courage. It
> would have been easier if it had just been me and Mr.Wang but in a
> group of people many of whom spoke at least a little English and all
> of whom were important it was a little harder. Mr.Wang still doesn't
> quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> race?"

Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?

Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.

Bob Schwartz

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article >,
Bob Schwartz > wrote:

> Marian wrote:
> > Being non-important in the general scope of things (especially when
> > compared to oh, say, everyone else in the room except the waitresses)
> > and being female meant that I wasn't called upon to drink too much
> > alcohol. I escaped with a mere seven shots of baijiu (sorghum based
> > white lightning). At lunch. On a work day. Thank god for lenient
> > bosses. It will take dinner, no one needing to drive anywhere
> > afterwards, and a proper liver killing drinking session to determine
> > my actual placement on the alcoholic leaderboard but I'm apparently
> > doing pretty well. This is very important.
> >
> > With the food on the table and the alcohol flowing very freely the
> > actual purpose of the lunch in Sanya became obvious. This year's Tour
> > of Hainan wants to have 108 riders participate in a 20km time trial in
> > the prologue in Sanya. Would it be okay to close one of the major
> > thoroughfares for say two hours give or take? In the US you file
> > permits and applications. In China you get the relevant officials
> > drunk. All the same really.
> >
> > As we were dispersing in the parking lot I drummed up my courage. It
> > would have been easier if it had just been me and Mr.Wang but in a
> > group of people many of whom spoke at least a little English and all
> > of whom were important it was a little harder. Mr.Wang still doesn't
> > quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> > workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> > I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> > drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> > race?"
>
> Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
> need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?

Yes...LIVEDRUNK heartily endorses the Chinese Method of getting a road
racing permit.

> Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.

And men in black! Now we must add them to the list.

Congrats on the wonderful new deal. I think that having a cultural
attache such as yourself will be especially useful at this race,
considering that it will include a lot of non-Chinese riders who will be
very glad for an interpreter and fixer who speaks their language, as it
were :).

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

[Michael Press]

In article
. com>
,
Marian > wrote:

> Being non-important in the general scope of things (especially when
> compared to oh, say, everyone else in the room except the waitresses)
> and being female meant that I wasn't called upon to drink too much
> alcohol. I escaped with a mere seven shots of baijiu (sorghum based
> white lightning). At lunch. On a work day. Thank god for lenient
> bosses. It will take dinner, no one needing to drive anywhere
> afterwards, and a proper liver killing drinking session to determine
> my actual placement on the alcoholic leaderboard but I'm apparently
> doing pretty well. This is very important.

The sorghum white lightning I get is called
Mou Tai Chiew. It is 53 %. Brewed in a town called
Moutai, Renhuai county, Kweichow province. I type
this off the label. Good stuff.

Congratulations on your appointment. Best wishes.

--
Michael Press

[Michael Press]

In article
>,
Bob Schwartz >
wrote:

> Marian wrote:
> > Being non-important in the general scope of things (especially when
> > compared to oh, say, everyone else in the room except the waitresses)
> > and being female meant that I wasn't called upon to drink too much
> > alcohol. I escaped with a mere seven shots of baijiu (sorghum based
> > white lightning). At lunch. On a work day. Thank god for lenient
> > bosses. It will take dinner, no one needing to drive anywhere
> > afterwards, and a proper liver killing drinking session to determine
> > my actual placement on the alcoholic leaderboard but I'm apparently
> > doing pretty well. This is very important.
> >
> > With the food on the table and the alcohol flowing very freely the
> > actual purpose of the lunch in Sanya became obvious. This year's Tour
> > of Hainan wants to have 108 riders participate in a 20km time trial in
> > the prologue in Sanya. Would it be okay to close one of the major
> > thoroughfares for say two hours give or take? In the US you file
> > permits and applications. In China you get the relevant officials
> > drunk. All the same really.
> >
> > As we were dispersing in the parking lot I drummed up my courage. It
> > would have been easier if it had just been me and Mr.Wang but in a
> > group of people many of whom spoke at least a little English and all
> > of whom were important it was a little harder. Mr.Wang still doesn't
> > quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> > workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> > I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> > drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> > race?"
>
> Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
> need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?

Ask for Moutai in the Chinese neighborhood liquor stores.
Opaque white bottle, red label, 53%.

> Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.

--
Michael Press

[Marian]

Bob Schwartz wrote:
> Marian wrote:
> > Mr.Wang still doesn't
> > quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> > workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> > I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> > drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> > race?"
>
> Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
> need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?

Some baijius are exported, generally the higher end stuff like
Moutai. Most are not. Unlike Polish vodka, for example, this is not
because they taste so good that there isn't enough left for export but
instead because no one (and I mean no one) would actually want to buy
Erguotou given the choice to drink anything else (including
strychnine).
And although baijiu would do a very handy job of cleaning the floor it
is not recommended as a floor cleaner due to the fact that it has a
quite unpleasant lingering odor which can take days to go away (sort
of like the flavor, come to think of it).

> Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.

The first three times I read this through I was thinking I needed to
watch out for blue -colors- and couldn't figure out what shades of
blue had to do with anything.

....

Does LIVEDRUNK have it's own rubber band things like livestrong? I'm
thinking something in a nice mottled chartreuse and pink would be
good.

-M

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article om>,
Marian > wrote:

> Bob Schwartz wrote:
> > Marian wrote:
> > > Mr.Wang still doesn't
> > > quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> > > workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> > > I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> > > drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> > > race?"
> >
> > Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
> > need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?
>
> Some baijius are exported, generally the higher end stuff like
> Moutai. Most are not. Unlike Polish vodka, for example, this is not
> because they taste so good that there isn't enough left for export but
> instead because no one (and I mean no one) would actually want to buy
> Erguotou given the choice to drink anything else (including
> strychnine).
> And although baijiu would do a very handy job of cleaning the floor it
> is not recommended as a floor cleaner due to the fact that it has a
> quite unpleasant lingering odor which can take days to go away (sort
> of like the flavor, come to think of it).
>
> > Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.
>
> The first three times I read this through I was thinking I needed to
> watch out for blue -colors- and couldn't figure out what shades of
> blue had to do with anything.
>
> ...
>
> Does LIVEDRUNK have it's own rubber band things like livestrong? I'm
> thinking something in a nice mottled chartreuse and pink would be
> good.
>
> -M

http://fawnjotters.blogspot.com/2005/08/livedrunk-wristband.html

Brown. I actually suggested one time that a LIVEDRUNK wristband would
consist of one of those six-pack beer-can plastic ring thingys, but a
company went and did one in black. Unfortunately, their web page doesn't
appear to work now.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

[Marian]

On Jun 25, 2:29 pm, Ryan Cousineau > wrote:
> In article >,
> Bob Schwartz > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Marian wrote:
> > > Being non-important in the general scope of things (especially when
> > > compared to oh, say, everyone else in the room except the waitresses)
> > > and being female meant that I wasn't called upon to drink too much
> > > alcohol. I escaped with a mere seven shots of baijiu (sorghum based
> > > white lightning). At lunch. On a work day. Thank god for lenient
> > > bosses. It will take dinner, no one needing to drive anywhere
> > > afterwards, and a proper liver killing drinking session to determine
> > > my actual placement on the alcoholic leaderboard but I'm apparently
> > > doing pretty well. This is very important.
>
> > > With the food on the table and the alcohol flowing very freely the
> > > actual purpose of the lunch in Sanya became obvious. This year's Tour
> > > of Hainan wants to have 108 riders participate in a 20km time trial in
> > > the prologue in Sanya. Would it be okay to close one of the major
> > > thoroughfares for say two hours give or take? In the US you file
> > > permits and applications. In China you get the relevant officials
> > > drunk. All the same really.
>
> > > As we were dispersing in the parking lot I drummed up my courage. It
> > > would have been easier if it had just been me and Mr.Wang but in a
> > > group of people many of whom spoke at least a little English and all
> > > of whom were important it was a little harder. Mr.Wang still doesn't
> > > quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> > > workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> > > I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> > > drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> > > race?"
>
> > Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
> > need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?
>
> Yes...LIVEDRUNK heartily endorses the Chinese Method of getting a road
> racing permit.

It certainly was quite effective. I've heard about it but never
before been in on a high power business luncheon and it was quite
interesting to see the way in which everything was light banter until -
after- the person with authority was happily red faced.

> > Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.
>
> And men in black! Now we must add them to the list.

Hmmm, the bike shop manager has a grey and black jersey with _no_
advertising on it that he sometimes wears in Hainan's laughable excuse
for cold weather. Do you think he could be an orange juice supplier?

> Congrats on the wonderful new deal. I think that having a cultural
> attache such as yourself will be especially useful at this race,
> considering that it will include a lot of non-Chinese riders who will be
> very glad for an interpreter and fixer who speaks their language, as it
> were :).

Qinghai has been going on for enough years now that I'm sure their
translator corps is more experienced and educated in bike related
things than the translators for last year's Tour of Hainan. Also the
commisaires that I've met all speak excellent English (though some of
them at the Hainan race didn't tell me until a non-Chinese speaker was
also present).

-M

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

Whoa Marian, that'll be cool.
--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
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[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:27:22 GMT, Bob Schwartz
> wrote:

>Is baijiu exported? We all
>need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?

Yes and yes, though for the second watch out for the fumes -- they are
toxic.
--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

[[email protected]]

On Jun 25, 5:53 am, Marian > wrote:

> And I'm going as a staff member to the Tour of Qinghai Lake!

Very cool. Let us know if you score any pot chinois.

[Michael Press]

In article
om>,
Marian > wrote:

> Bob Schwartz wrote:
> > Marian wrote:
> > > Mr.Wang still doesn't
> > > quite get that there are people who might consider the 18 hour
> > > workdays of an international stage race 'fun' but he understands that
> > > I am such a person. The seven shots of baijiu helped enormously in
> > > drumming up my courage. "Would you please introduce me to the Qinghai
> > > race?"
> >
> > Good to hear you can LIVEDRUNK in China. Is baijiu exported? We all
> > need courage. Can it double as a floor cleaner?
>
> Some baijius are exported, generally the higher end stuff like
> Moutai. Most are not. Unlike Polish vodka, for example, this is not
> because they taste so good that there isn't enough left for export but
> instead because no one (and I mean no one) would actually want to buy
> Erguotou given the choice to drink anything else (including
> strychnine).
> And although baijiu would do a very handy job of cleaning the floor it
> is not recommended as a floor cleaner due to the fact that it has a
> quite unpleasant lingering odor which can take days to go away (sort
> of like the flavor, come to think of it).
>
> > Enjoy the race. Keep an eye out for blue coolers.
>
> The first three times I read this through I was thinking I needed to
> watch out for blue -colors- and couldn't figure out what shades of
> blue had to do with anything.
>
> ...
>
> Does LIVEDRUNK have it's own rubber band things like livestrong? I'm
> thinking something in a nice mottled chartreuse and pink would be
> good.

One of the polyethylene rings from a six-pack holder.

--
Michael Press

[Marian]

On Jun 25, 10:11 pm, wrote:
> On Jun 25, 5:53 am, Marian > wrote:
>
> > And I'm going as a staff member to the Tour of Qinghai Lake!
>
> Very cool. Let us know if you score any pot chinois.

What is pot chinois?

-M

[[email protected]]

On Jun 27, 2:55 am, Marian > wrote:

> What is pot chinois?

The Chinese version of pot Belge?

[Marian]

On Jun 27, 2:41 pm, wrote:
> On Jun 27, 2:55 am, Marian > wrote:
>
> > What is pot chinois?
>
> The Chinese version of pot Belge?

If you mean what I think you mean, then I think the 20%-40% less
oxygen than normally available at sea level and elevations ranging
from a mere 1,771m to 3,880m[1] will be more than enough to have me
happily buzzed at what is quite literally the highest bike race in the
world. All natural, no additives necessary.

-M

[1] figures lifted from the official website at tdql.cn

[Carl Sundquist]

"Marian" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Jun 27, 2:41 pm, wrote:
>> On Jun 27, 2:55 am, Marian > wrote:
>>
>> > What is pot chinois?
>>
>> The Chinese version of pot Belge?
>
> If you mean what I think you mean, then I think the 20%-40% less
> oxygen than normally available at sea level and elevations ranging
> from a mere 1,771m to 3,880m[1] will be more than enough to have me
> happily buzzed at what is quite literally the highest bike race in the
> world. All natural, no additives necessary.
>
> -M
>
> [1] figures lifted from the official website at tdql.cn
>


http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/1999/nov99/copacabana99.html

The "highest bicycle race of the world" (on average) - the Doble Copacabana
in Bolivia will be held for the fifth time, starting on the 5th of November
and running for 3 days (4 stages). The stages will be contested at heights
of between 3,600 m and 4,200 m - roughly between 1 and 2 km higher than the
Galibier, folks!
The competitors will start at Paz, (3.600m), finishing in El Alto (4000m),
in the suburbs of the Bolivian capital. Stage 2 will lead them around the
highest lake in the world, Lake Titicaca, while the third day will bring
back them to Paz. The total distance is 305 km, and the altitude never drops
below 3,800 m after day 1.

The conditions will be quite harsh at this altitude: the lack of oxygen,
almost no humidity, sudden variations in temperature, with the sun being
very strong. In addition the roads are in fairly ordinary condition. The
organizer, Eduardo Perez-Iribarne, has also limited the teams to four riders
apiece, making it very hard to control the race.

The various teams riding this event have generally had approximately fifteen
days of acclimatisation to sort out their hematocrits. If they did not do
this, the sudden change to altitude could be disastrous, EPO
notwithstanding!

The team probably best equipped to deal with this type of race would be the
Colombians, who are used to training at around 2000 m.



As far as I know it is still an annual event. And the Bolivians like to chew
on coca leaves.

[G.T.]

"Carl Sundquist" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> The various teams riding this event have generally had approximately
> fifteen days of acclimatisation to sort out their hematocrits. If they did
> not do this, the sudden change to altitude could be disastrous, EPO
> notwithstanding!
>
> The team probably best equipped to deal with this type of race would be
> the Colombians, who are used to training at around 2000 m.
>
> As far as I know it is still an annual event. And the Bolivians like to
> chew on coca leaves.

That coca is probably not as bad for them as this stuff:

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=6131132

Greg
--
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