Wednesday, December 30, 2009

RETROSPECTIVE: Barbie tribute video

Lots of departures this year, but I only had time to make one video. This one from Barbie's pink party on December 12:

Monday, December 28, 2009

Alice likes Frisbee

Without meaningful input and lacking any remaining reason or coherent narrative structure, the rejected cartoons grew unstable. They began to fall apart.
-- Rejected - Best Oscar Award Winner Movie

Picture of the Day:


The blogroll now reflects the latest addition, Nick Liu's Be Active for China Ultimate Frisbee website. Check it out.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Emma! (A message from the Shyus)

Just wanted to wish you a Happy Holidays and introduce you to the newest member of our family. Weighing in at 4000g (8.82lbs) and 53cm (20.86") Emma Lillian Shyu was born on 12.24.2009.

Mom, Baby and Dad are all doing well. We are wishing you and your family a very Happy Holidays!

Love

Mike, Helen and Emma

Friday, December 25, 2009

Beijing Ultimate's first baby

Baby Shyu, as yet unnamed, crawled out of Helen Shyu's tummy -- we can only assume Alien-style -- around 10 p.m. on the 24th of December. Pictures will be available once the proud mommy and daddy give us permission to post.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

RETROSPECTIVE: Caps madness in Tianjin

Since we're talking caps and all, here's a scene of battle caps from the Tianjin tourney in March:

Youku version here.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Preview of the 2009 Year-in-Review Slideshow

I've lately been consumed with the Beijing Ultimate 2009 Year-in-Review Slideshow, waking up at 8 (though that's partly because of jetlag) and working through lunch these past three days. Here's a preview of the 23-minute show, which only needs finalizing and could be ready by New Year's (though it may not debut until after I return to Beijing on Jan. 12):

UPDATE: Blogger's video uploader not working so well... will think of way to get the preview posted shortly.

UPDATE 2: Here.

Friday, December 18, 2009

WEEK IN REVIEW: Beijing All-Caps League

As we prepare for the holiday break, Beijing Ultimate would like to announce the beginning of a great thing: the Beijing All-Caps League. (If you need a refresher on how caps is usually played in Beijing, go here.) Caps, in the traditional sense, is a controlled and refined game, and as such we are able to keep stats, etc. After two nights, this is what the standings look like:

Players Gms. Caps R Pts. Avg. C/7 W L Win %
Tao 9 53 3 48 5.89 3.09 6 3 0.667
Kevin 9 39 4 32 4.33 2.28 6 3 0.667
Alicia 9 14 1 11 1.56 0.82 4 5 0.444
Jim 3 5 0 4 1.67 0.80 1 2 0.333
Jehan 6 9 1 8 1.50 0.83 1 5 0.167

More to come after the break. These were the final standings of the New York All-Caps League, by the way:

Players Gms. Caps R Pts. Avg. C/7 W L Win %
Tao 82 286 28 222 3.49 1.76 34 37 0.442
Ian 62 312 35 239 5.03 2.45 36 17 0.610
Rob 63 264 34 220 4.19 2.06 36 16 0.621
Tony 26 108 11 83 4.15 2.05 14 12 0.538
David 36 116 10 91 3.22 1.60 17 17 0.500
K-Ball 6 17 2 14 2.83 1.28 2 4 0.333
Paul 35 107 15 76 3.06 1.42 6 24 0.188
Jon 12 56 6 45 4.67 2.29 8 4 0.667
Anna 3 6 0 5 2.00 0.78 1 2 0.333
Ross 1 5 1 4 5.00 1.59 0 1 0.000
P-Funk 20 23 1 18 1.15 0.67 6 12 0.333
Cheryl 2 2 0 2 1.00 0.64 0 2 0.000
O-Town 2 2 1 1 1.00 0.64 0 2 0.000
Smita 1 1 1 0 1.00 0.64 0 1 0.000
Jane 1 2 0 2 2.00 0.78 0 1 0.000
Mae 6 11 1 8 1.83 0.97 3 3 0.500
Darden 2 3 0 3 1.50 1.17 0 2 0.000
Liz 1 1 0 1 1.00 0.64 0 1 0.000
Molly 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0 1 0.000
Julie 4 4 0 4 1.00 0.55 0 4 0.000
Alan 1 2 0 1 2.00 0.58 0 1 0.000
Mike 4 13 1 12 3.25 1.98 2 2 0.500
Megan 3 5 0 5 1.67 1.06 1 2 0.333
Craig 7 10 1 7 1.43 0.89 1 2 0.143
Coe 1 2 0 1 2.00 1.08 0 1 0.000
Nick 1 0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0 1 0.000

Hopefully Beijing's league will be as successful.

And now we bid adieu until after the New Year.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Jim Show

We mentioned a certain foosball tournament at Ellen's a couple weeks back. Well, a couple videos have surfaced from that night. Enjoy:



Update: Now on Youku! Part 1; Part 2.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

RETROSPECTIVE: Remember when this girl was here?

So long ago...


(She left us on Sunday for Chicago, which, in her words, is "dreary.")

Monday, December 14, 2009

WEEKEND ROUNDUP: A bittersweet party for Beijing Ultimate


Barbie Reed

We'll have a tribute video up in the coming days, but for now these pictures of Barbie's going-away party will have to suffice. Also, Kevin's got a post up on his blog, and if you don't believe he and Therese were the most impressively dressed on the night (though Sandy and Baby Girl were impressive in their own way), go read what he had to do get ready

Pink Party 2009!









It was also Liz's last night in Beijing.





Lots of debauchery we can't write about in this space.

Friday, December 11, 2009

WEEK IN REVIEW: In preparation of another party, this one meaningful

Pink Party! Lauren's going-away / Liz's last night. See details below.

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:


GOOGLE GROUPS POST OF THE WEEK:

Lauren:

Hi everyone!

Here are the finalized details for which you have all been waiting!

7 pm - Meet at *Raj Indian Restaurant* (拉兹印度餐厅), eat *all-you-can-eat buffet
and all-you-can-drink Yanjing draft for 80 RMB *

Address: 31 Gulou Xi Dajie (鼓楼西大街31号) *
Tel: 6401 1675, 8403 5920*, or call barbie 135-2058-2509

9 pm - Walk to *Sandy's cousin's bar at Nanluoguxiang* that has great drink specials
11 pm - Go to Luga's *"Ladies Drink Free"* night after party - *Chocolate*

Due to lack of enough interest in a dongzhimen departure, and the close proximity of our first two locations, the* party bus has become obsolete*. Since there is no party bus, please *find your way to Raj at 7 pm *on your own.

We have 45 guests representing Air Kazak, Bang, Hang Time, and Big Brother. Let's use this opportunity to mix a little bit and get to know the members of other teams! Can't wait to see you all.

barbie

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

RETROSPECTIVE: Preview to a pink party, part deux

We looked back on the 2008 pink party here, but Mike Shyu and Donald felt so bad about being left out that we're gonna make it up to them:



Lauren's going-away party this Saturday will be 2009's pink party. Last year it was to honor Reid and Julia, and this time it will be for someone who's been in Beijing even longer. It's gonna be a bittersweet night.

Monday, December 7, 2009

WEEKEND ROUNDUP, part 2: Ken Dry, we'll be seeing ya



Ken, the man on the right in the pic above, seen with his girlfriend Steph and Jim on Friday night, has departed for South Carolina.

It's this blog's opinion that nothing good ever happens in South Carolina, but Ken's gone to finish some important and worthwhile work, and when he returns it might be for good.

Until then, godspeed.

***

Saturday was Adam's housewarming / Nicki Fung's birthday party at Adam's apartment near Chaoyang Park. Lots of people went, and at least one girl showed up wasted beyond recognition, resulting in hilarity and embarrassment. Afterwards some people went to Fu Bar, which just may become Beijing Ultimate's new classy hangout, as opposed to Chocolate, which will always be our sordid hangout / exactly where we're gonna end up this Saturday after Lauren's going-away pink party, because there's only one good way to send someone off: with naked dancers and vodka. Can't wait.

WEEKEND ROUNDUP, part 1: It is now legal for this girl...


...to drink in the United States. Happy birthday, Liz! You have made Jim very happy.

After the Korean BBQ dinner in the Wu we went a few blocks down the street to D-22, where Jeff and Kevin's band, Autobots, Deploy!, played in front of a lively crowd. Videos to come later, but first:




And then we ended up in Propaganda until 5 a.m. What happens in Propaganda, especially past midnight, stays in Propaganda, such as Jeff hooking up with two college girls who may or may not have been 17*. *This may or may not be a flat-out lie.

But -- hey, look! -- Jim had fun.

Friday, December 4, 2009

WEEK IN REVIEW: More parties!

Seriously, my body's getting tired.

Nov. 21: Ellen's Thanksgiving party
Nov. 27: Ellen's foosball tourney
Nov. 28: Mike and Helen Shyu's Thanksgiving dinner
Dec. 4: Liz's birthday + Autobots, Deploy! at D-22
Dec. 5: Nicki's housewarming
Dec. 12: Lauren's going-away, Liz's going-away

PICTURE OF THE WEEK:


From Kevin Reitz at the Shyus' Thanksgiving dinner

GOOGLE GROUPS POST OF THE WEEK:

A tie! Zahlen, in the post titled, Barbie's Imminent Going-Away Party: The Legacy of Pink, Dec. 12:

One time when I was out of town, Doc broke into my house and stole ALL my pink clothing.

I returned to Beijing late on a (Pink Shirt) Friday night, and went from airport to home and direct to the bars. I had acquired a few new PSF shirts while in the states, so I didn't miss a beat. Doc was flabberghasted when he saw me show up in a pink shirt. I was doubly flabberghasted when I went to grab another pink shirt the next PSFriday and found that my wardrobe had shrunk considerably.

True story, real people.

Z

And me, replying to Alicia's post, Wednesday night Frisbee - BCIS from 7 - 9pm!!!

Jizz! Jizz! Jizz! OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THERE IS JIZZ EVERYWHERE!!!

BCIS is awesome. I was really excited.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

RETROSPECTIVE: Five Ultimate going into Japan?


Zahlen, owner of Five Ultimate, addressing the Flippers, a Japanese team CUUP played in its first game Friday at AOUCC/Manila Spirits.

Has it been a month already?