Saturday, July 16, 2005

New World Water

When I get back to America, I'm going to drink so much tap water. Just in case you didn't know, like I did, you cannot drink the tap water in Taiwan. You must go to the 7-11 and buy bottled water or boil your own.

I've found I get too depressed if I stay in the apartment for too long. There are maybe two windows in the whole apartment and neither of them are in my room, so I'll go out for a walk. Yesterday, I decided to walk up to the giant Guanyin statue that is in Jilong which I still haven't been to. I didn't end up getting that far, but I did find a nice place that overlooks a roller skating rink and just sat there and drank my passion fruit juice. It was just nice to be surrounded by some greenery and hear birds.

In other news, my roommate Daniel found out last night that he has to go to Hong Kong today in order to renew his visa. He didn't even know if he would have to cover the plane ticket or the late fee. It sounds now like his company will pay for it. Actually his company sounds pretty sketchy and disorganized and he was understandably rather angry. I bought him ice cream, since I just got paid on Thursday, and I don't think he has much money left, nor has he gotten paid. It made me realize how lucky I am really. I try not to complain anyway, but man, I really don't have anything to complain about in comparison.

Today I think I'm off to Taibei again, I'm going to check out Ximending, which is apparently the student area, hopefully there will be some record stores to look at.

Also I have some requests to make, if anyone knows how to
1. make VCDs work on your computer
2. type Chinese characters on a PC
3. a good way to download Chinese music, baidu is ok but I'm looking for a better (Taiwanese) one.

I would be eternally grateful. If you're wondering where the title of my post comes from I will refer you to this

Mos Def - New World Water
There's nothing more refreshing (that cool refreshing drink)
Than a cool, crisp, clean glass of water
On a warm summer's day (That cool refreshing drink)
Try it with your friends
New World Water make the tide rise high
Come in and it'll make your house go 'Bye' (My house!)
Fools done upset the Old Man River
Made him carry slave ships and fed him dead nigga
Now his belly full and he about to flood somethin
So I'ma throw a rope that ain't tied to nothin
til your crew use the H2 in wise amounts since
it's the New World Water; and every drop counts
You can laugh and take it as a joke if you wanna
But it don't rain for four weeks some summers
And it's about to get real wild in the half
You be buying Evian just to take a f**kin bath
Heads is acting wild, sippin poor, puffin dank
Competin with the next man, but how your playa rank?
See I ain't got time try to be Big Hank,
F**k a bank; I need a twenty-year water tank
Cause while these knuckleheads is out here sweatin they goods
The sun is sitting in the treetops burnin the woods
And as the flames from the blaze get higher and higher
They say, 'Don't drink the water! We need it for the fire!'
New York is drinkin it (New World Water)
Now all of California is drinkin it (New World Water)
Way up north and down south is drinkin it (New World Water)
Used to have minerals and zinc in it (New World Water)
Now they say it got lead and stink in it (New World Water)
Four carbons and monoxide
Push the water table lopside
Used to be free now it cost you a fee
Cause all things fully loaded they roam cross the sea
Man, you gotta cook with it, bathe and clean with it (That's
right)

When it's hot, summertime you fiend for it (Let em know)
You gotta put it in the iron you steamin with (That's right)
It's what they dress wounds and treat diseases with (Shout it
out0
The rich and poor, black and white got need for it (That's
right)
And everybody in the world can agree with this (Let em know)
Assumption promotes health and easiness (That's right)
Go too long without it on this earth and you leavin it (Shout it
out)
Americans wastin it on some leisure shit (Say word?)
And other nations be desperately seekin it (Let em know)
Bacteria washing up on they beaches (Say word?)
Don't drink the water, son they can't wash they feet with it
(Let em know)
Young babies and professional neediness (Say word?)
Epidemics hopppin up off the petri dish (Let em know)
Control centers try to play it all secretive (Say word?)
To avoid public panic and freakiness (Let em know)
There are places where TB is common as TV
Cause foreign-based companies go and get greedy
The type of cats who pollute the whole shore line
Have it purified, sell it for a dollar twenty-five
Now the world is drinkin it
Your moms, wife, and baby girl is drinkin it
Up north and down south is drinkin it
You just have to go to your sink for it
The cash registers is goin to chink for it
Four carbons and monoxide
Got the fish lookin cockeyed
Used to be free now it cost you a fee
Cause it's all about gettin that cash (Money)
Said it's all about gettin that cash (Money) (x9)
Johny cash (Money)
Roseland cash (Money)
Give me cash (Money)
Cold cash (Money)
(Repeat to fade)
Cash rules everything around me,
Move!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is about request #2. When I worked on the Yeh book, the author sent revised files using something called Unicode 2. When I got the files, Windows said I needed to download the Chinese font to see the files properly. It was called SimSun in the font list. I don't know how easy it is to get or use this, but that's one way, I guess.

Typhoon?!?

Anonymous said...

if you are using macintosh, i have no idea.

if you are using PC, you can download the chinese typing program off the windows website.

-Michelle