Smart Ass

Last night was quiz night in Beijing.

Let me step back by saying - as you get older - and you have kids - your social life evolves.

That means a desparate race takes place each school night where you attempt to get the kids to their various activities, get them home, get their homework done and checked, practice their various instruments, watch a couple cartoons, read them a story, and try to get them to bed.

Usually by the time they go down - you're ready to go down. Because you're that tired.

But.

In Beijing - I have no kids. The wife is doing that duty. And - I CAN'T SLEEP. So I have added to my normal routine here of work work work two social activites. One is basketball on Friday nights. The other is Quiz Night at the Bar Blu.

Jade, my project coordinator here in Beijing - loves quiz night. Not just because you get a big bottle of booze when you win - but because... Ah Hell - she loves the booze. And she also loves that I don't drink any.

I have to say that I have a ton of room in my head for lots of useless information. Most of it involving music and movies. I do pretty good at most trivia - although not on the uber geek level required for the World Series of Trivia - as shown in my earlier posts...Where my team and I quickly washed out in the audition round.

But here in Beijing - I do OK.

The first time I went to join the "team" there were about 20 of us. And there were three other teams. We had the biggest team by about 12. And some of the guys bring their girlfriends who speak no English. So out of 20 - only about four of us did the heavy lifting.

This is an international affair - as the Quizmaster is Brittish - as so the questions don't all apply to the US - which makes little sense to me as I can't understand what important happens outside of our shores.

They started with a world maps round, followed by a movie round, a music round, a current events round, and wrapped up with a general knowledge round.

That night we took first place - a big bottle of vodka. As it came, I left.

Last night was the first in a month that our team went back. They are happy I'm here - cause I do well with the movies. But sometime between then and now - the whole quiz night thing has blown up - including a recent cover story on the English magazine here in China.

When we arrived - they had to set a special table far away from the booths that normally host the game - because there were so many people. Instead of four teams - there were 10. And the place was packed.

Even worse.

Jade's sister - who works for a news service - had just played in a charity quiz event where they took last place - saw the team that had won that night. They were here.

The only saving grace was that tonight was a theme night.

ALL 80's.

First round - we breezed through. 10 out of ten. It was pictures of 80's stars. My biggest contribution -

FLAVOR FLAV!

Seems that knowledge of rap and rap stars is scant in Beijing. Later in the music round - I correctly identified Slick Rick - which no one else had heard of.

The movie round was tough. We did great though - naming all the Heathers in Heathers, coming up with the fictional town in Illinois that John Hughes uses in all his movies, and the director of Big. We failed to find the actor that ties Matrix to the Goonies.

Anyone?

The music round was tough. Most of it was name the next line in the verse of different songs - and even though we knew all the songs - the lyrics are not the bright spot of 80's music.

We were tied for the first two rounds in first place.

After music - we were one point back - but three ahead of third place.

Going into the last round - we were down a point. And it was to the team that won earlier in the week.

Once it was all said and done - we found out we were tied. And there was to be a tie breaker. And for the tie breaker only one team member can participate. And it had to be a female. And it was to be a drinking game.

Jade's sister jumped at the chance. Watching her all evening - I figured it was in the bag. Unfortunately - it was over before it began - as the other team not only was smart - they had a girl who should have been in the movie Beerfest.

She literally put down a pint of beer in under 5 seconds. Jade's sister didn't even get the top four inches of her drink down before it was over.

So we lost in the tiebreaker. And instead of a bottle of vodka - we get two bottles of wine. But they love us all the more - because Bill and I took our leave before the wine arrived - giving them all an even bigger cut.

Wow. So this is what I've been missing with kids... :)

Anyways. It was fun. And there's always next week.

SLEEP UPDATE:

Sad to say - even going to bed at Midnight last night - I was up at 4:30 this morning. And yesterday - after sleeping the most I have in a week - I was druggy all morning. My brain couldn't function that well - which is even harder when you have to translate Chinese all day.

Hopefully today will be better. We auditions our actors today - and I meet with the business guys from Shanghai.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I miss my family.

What I wouldn't give for one crazy night of towing the kids to their various activities, doing their homework with them, watching some Avatar and Spongebob, and reading them a story before tucking them in bed.

The return home countdown begins: 11 more days.