Super-China Vol. 3

---

Taking a few cues from our boy Chuck Klosterman, here's the most over-rated, under-rated, and most accurately-rated bullshit from the trip. Plus all the random American-type shit that helped us along.

Most Over-Rated
1) Chinese tourist sights in general - they hype them up so much, but they're usually boring and crowded
1a) Forbidden City in one particular
2) The helpfulness of the China Lonely Planet - stunning lack of decent information, ridiculously skewed price estimates, and absolutely useless maps
3) Boat Tours everywhere - always choose the option that skips the boat tour
4) Tsingtao Beer
5) Rai Leh (Railay) East

Most Under-Rated
1) Travel Times, particularly in China - never believe what they tell you
2) Chopsticks - come on, it's not THAT difficult
3) Squat Toilets - comfortable result with fewer points of contact
4) Trains
5) Ko Tarutao
6) Beer Lao
7) Travelfish
8) The spiciness of Lao food
9) Mao's legacy

Most Accurately Rated
1) Tiananmen Square - big paved square, that's it
2) Full Moon Party - lots of wasted white kids on a beach in Thailand... with techno (ugh); like it says, it's just a party... not a Hedonist's Revolution
3) Sleeper Busses
4) The frustrations of Chinese bureaucracy

Places to find a cold Dr. Pepper
1) Lily Food Store, Yangshuo, China
2) City Market, Shanghai, China
3) Random corner store, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Best Places to Watch "Dark Knight"
1) Chris Roma's house, Shanghai - try it naked, while he's at work
2) Nick Topjian's house, Beijing - but he's gonna be half-working the whole time, no matter the hour
3) Le Tour Youth Hostel, Shanghai - great TV room
4) White Birch International Hostel, Urumqi - big TV, but crowded couches
5) Abdul's office at Seman Hotel, Kashgar - but we had to go in the bushes outside and pour our beers into water bottles, in case his Muslim boss came by

Top Books Read on the Road
1) 1984
2) The Quiet American
3) Life & Death in Shanghai
4) Still Life with Woodpecker
5) A People's History of the United States of America
6) Dune
7) The Curious Case of the Dog in Nighttime

Top New Songs Heard on the Road
1) Simeon's Dilemma - Why?
2) Rise Above - Dirty Projectors
3) Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa
4) Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks - Los Campesinos
5) Time to Pretend - MGMT
6) Hell on Earth (remix) - MF Doom (Special Blends)
7) Postcard to Nina - Jens Lekman
8) Wham City - Dan Deacon
9) Oliver James - Fleet Foxes
10) Criminal - the Roots
11) Dreamer - Atmosphere
12) All I Wanna Do - Jamie Lidell
13) Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
14) Playin with Fire -Lil Wayne

---