Name: Mat Brewster
Dateline: Shanghai, China
Weblog: www.themidnightcafe.org [RSS]
Articles: 239
First Published: Monday, January 17, 2005
Last Published: Thursday, July 3, 2008
Mat Brewster is an American stumbling as an ex-pat through the streets of Shanghai. He is helped by his lovely wife and an enormous piles of bootleg DVDs. He is chronicling his adventures in the Shanghai Diaries and musing on pop culture at The Midnight Cafe.Currently listing articles 239-201:
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The Shanghai Diaries: Beijing and the Great Wall— After nearly a year in China, we finally made it to Beijing and the Great Wall.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Olympic Fever— I'm finally starting to catch Olympic fever.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Should I Stay, Or Should I Go?— It is time to decide whether we will stay in Shanghai another year, or go home.
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Random Shuffle - Frank Sinatra, John Mellencamp, Eric Clapton, and Wilco— I've got my music collection on shuffle and I'm talking about traveling, the difference physical albums and mp3s, and other things.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Holiday in Yangshuo— It seems all I've done while living in China is travel and it is always a hassle. Sometimes though, it is well worth it.
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Music Review: Kate Rusby - Awkward Annie— It's like stumbling into someone's living room and finding it full of family singing for the sake of the song. A simple and pure joy.
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Random Shuffle - Regina Spektor, They Might Be Giants, Elvis and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy— I'm putting my music collection on shuffle and talking about karaoke, marital differences, getting older, and other random silliness.
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The Shanghai Diaries - The Madness of Crowds
— As we make the decision to leave China I find the ever maddening crowds, even more frustrating.
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The Shanghai Diaries - Field Trips
— Busted buses, list kids, and sleeping with sharks.
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Music Review: R.E.M. - Accelerate— R.E.M is back. Sort-of. And with loud guitars.
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Music Review: Counting Crows - Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings— Counting Crows are back and have created an album sure to create fond memories.
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Bootleg Country: Robert Earl Keen - Live at the Strawberry Festival, 2000— It was the first time I'd ever paid money to see someone I didn't know.
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Concert Review: Björk - Shanghai, China— Björk puts on a fabulous show and stirs controversy in Shanghai.
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The Shanghai Diaries - Japanese Edition, Part 3: Kyoto, Osaka, and Home— Our final jaunt through Japan finds ancient culture, deer fighting, more temples than you can shake a stick at, and a surprisingly expensive journey home.
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Random Shuffle - Louis Armstrong, Neil Young, Blues Traveler, and Bruce Springsteen— I'm putting my iPod on shuffle and talking about college, my love of the theatre, my obsessions with bootlegs, and a little bit of heartbreak.
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Music Review: The Raveonettes - Lust, Lust, Lust— It's as if the Supremes had a crack baby with the Everly Brothers that could sing like an angel but had the devil inside.
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The Shanghai Diaries - Japanese Edition, Part II: From Tokyo to Miyajima— We finally make it to Japan and discover its beauty, culture, and bum washings.
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The Shanghai Diaries - Japanese Edition, Part 1: The Long Journey to Nowhere
— For the Chinese New Year we decided to go to Japan. China, however, seems to have different plans for us.
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The Shanghai Diaries - Miscellany
— Finding a little piece of heaven, a little bit of warmth and a good toilet in Shanghai.
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Bootleg Country: Tom Waits - Live in Hamburg, 1977— It took me nearly a decade, but I finally get Tom Waits. This show is the reason why.
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Music Review: Ringo Starr - Liverpool 8— Liverpool 8 won't make any one stop listening to Abbey Road or Revolver, but it is a very nice collection of pop songs. Not bad
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Music Review: The Magnetic Fields - Distortion— If you can scrape past all the distorted noise there are a few gems to be found, but it might just leave you with a
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Movie Review: No Country For Old Men— Easily their best work since O Brother, Where Art Thou? and possibly their best ever...
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Bootleg Country: Bob Dylan - Live in the '90s— The greatest living songwriter performs during his mid-career slump and still knocks it out of the park.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Celebrating the Holidays— Yes Virginia, you can celebrate Christmas in China, but you have to make it up on the weekend.
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Random Shuffle - Radiohead, Juliana Hatfield Three, Gillian Welch— I'm putting my music collection on shuffle and talking about Radiohead and long legs, Juliana Hatfield and mix tapes, and Gillian Welch and road trips.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Getting Around— There is much to see in the glorious city of Shanghai and there are many ways to get there including subways, buses, and taxis.
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The Shanghai Diaries: A Trip To Ningbo
— After four months of living in China, my wife and I finally take a road trip.
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Random Shuffle - Kate Bush, Bright Eyes, Bruce Hornsby, Donna The Buffalo— I'm putting my music collection on shuffle and talking about what comes out.
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The Shanghai Diaries: A Trip To An Orphanage— In which we take a trip to see kids who have so little, and yet gave so much.
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Concert Review: Beyoncé - Shanghai, China— Diva. Child of destiny. Booty shaker. Whatever the label, Beyonce made this skeptic a fan...for one night.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Halloween Party— Me and my wife might be boring, but we sure can throw a killer Halloween party in China.
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Random Shuffle: Jimmy Cliff, The Ramones, Willie Nelson— I'm putting my music collection on shuffle and talking about what comes up.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Food— You can find any type of food you desire in Shanghai - including hamburgers, french fries, and grilled scorpion.
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Random Shuffle: Natalie Merchant, U2, Ryan Adams, The Grateful Dead— After a break that defies explanation, the Random Shuffle is back, and badder than ever.
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Concert Review: Chick Corea - Shanghai, China— Chick Corea on solo piano. In China!
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The Shanghai Diaries - Work— I've got my home set up and my cheap shopping done. Now all I need is a good job.
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The Shanghai Diaries: Special Bootleg Edition— Reasons I moved to China: Thousands of years of history, culture and civilization. Lots of cheap crap!
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The Shanghai Diaries: Culture Shock— Ants! Taxis! Shocking culture!
All BC Articles