(click on pictures to see them full size)
One of the awesome perks of living in China is Google Music. Because free music is available in China on various websites, Google has gotten into the game in order to compete and as of early this year, launched their free music downloads. It has a catalog of over 1 million songs of artists from China and abroad. The site is all in chinese, but all you have to do is type is what you're looking for in the search bar and the results pop up in english. You can make a playlist right there on your computer and it'll save and play from the web whenever you open it. Great because Pandora doesn't offer service outside of the US. Eat it Pandora. Next to each song is an arrow pointing down(load). Click on the arrow if you're feelin the song and thats it. The MP3 is on your computer 10 seconds later. Easier than Geico. So if you're coming over to China, clear up some space on your hard drive and get ready to gorge on free MP3's.
Don't let the Chinese scare you, just type what you're looking for in the search bar. Double click the song and it's added to your online playlist.
Scroll over the arrow pointing down and click to 'xia zai' the song. Downloads right onto your computer.
But all the free music in the world doesn't make up for the loss of just being able to flick on the TV and catch live American sports. That might have been a good thing this summer, with the ridiculous season the Mets have had. It's like they're trying to think of ways to make each season more unbearable than the last. Although you can't fault them for the injuries. But anyway, there were essentially no sports to watch this summer, but the #5 Penn State Nittany Lions have come calling and with basketball season just around the corner, ESPN.com will become my second best (inanimate) friend. Number 1 being..... SLINGBOXXXXXX(I added five x's.)
Our slingbox setup. Connected the laptop to our TV and speakers. Notice the time on the clock. Thats opposite of NY time. SEC(U of Georgia) Superfan, Rachel, enjoying a game.
Slingbox is truly a sports loving expat's best friend. Hook the box up to any cable back in the US, configure your computer to the box and that's it, you can watch whatever channels that cable gets on your computer wherever you are in the world, LIVE (provided you have internet connection). The fact that it's live does present some time difference problems, but it's fine for noon kickoffs (midnight here) and night games (8AM Sunday morning here). It's just those annoying 3:30PM kickoffs that are a pain. But if you're a sports fan and living overseas for an extended amount of time, invest in a Slingbox for sure.
Janet Jackson re-creating the Scream video at the MTV VMA's was awesome.
Response to comments:
Johnny - Hahaha, dude, I GOT pegs. Not only pegs, but a seat cushion for the back of the bike too. I'll update you guys on my pimped out bike soon...
Gary - Yeah, the BBQ was on the roof of our friends apartment building. There's a hottub up there, kitchen (with utensils) and outdoor BBQ grill set up for whoever lives there to use. And the complex even provides FREE CLEAN UP. Downstairs there's a movie theater/rec room for them to use too. Expats live large over here man.
Lin - We're waiting for you to come back. If these make you miss it out here, just wait until you see the pics we're gonna take in Malaysia.
trying to think of some new jams you can download over there... but cant come up of anything. haha. music these days sucks! of course anything by my wife is good.. she has a new single out - "doesn't mean anything" also that song with jay z is dope. makes me want to be from ny - then i think of the mets and snap back to reality. HAHAHA.
ReplyDeletepumped for Sunday morning?!!!