World Trips, Travel, & Tips at World Tripster

Hilton Hotel in Chongqing, China

Matt — Fri, 23 May 2008 05:10:08 +0000

If you plan on going to Chongqing and you can’t speak Chinese, the Hilton Hotel is a great place to stay. You will be greeted by a friendly staff that can speak English and served by many pleasant employees. The hotel is clean and the service is great. The rooms are also pretty good for the price. It’s a 5 star hotel. I was there a number of times so I got to know the staff including the managers. I even knew a number of bands that played in their lounge that came from the Philippines as well.

Some of the things you might not know about the Hilton Hotel in Chongqing is that they have a KTV bar downstairs that is also a brothel. You go there, you sing, and there are girls that come to your room to entertain. I was with my girlfriend there, so we didn’t stay long. So, if you are interested in that type of thing, you know that it’s available at the Hilton Hotel in Chongqing.

Another thing that was disturbing was the windows could actually open enough so that someone could fit through them at any level of the building. Well, one night, someone actually jumped out of their window and landed just outside my friend’s window. He was hurt, but was able to make it to the hospital to fully recover. This is just a warning to be careful if you plan on staying overnight at the Hilton Hotel in Chongqing.

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Reflex Band in Chongqing, China

Matt — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:35:39 +0000

One of the bands that I watched the most in Chongqing was the Reflex Band. The band consisted of a sequencer (Homer) and two Filipina singers (Leanne and Myra). It was great to hear them sing oldies from Tina Turner, Celine Dion, the Carpenters, and many other hits from the past. The sequencer would set up their line up and play the music for the band to sing. They all took turns singing. The band was fun to listen to, but one of them had an angelic voice, the other two sounded like they were singing in a karaoke bar which wasn’t very professional or interesting to listen to. Myra’s voice was unique and could match the voices of each song she was singing. She was definitely an experienced singing with a lot of talent. As time went by, I really got to know the band and what they were like in person. Just like any real person, they all had their own story of where they came from and what they have done to get up to this point.

They started to sing at the Hilton Hotel in Chongqing. After their gig, they went home to the Philippines and then came back to sing for a new company, Mexin. They were offered their own bar as long as they sing on Mexin’s daily parade and at their main office. It was another exciting opportunity. By the time the band was together again after their trip to the Philippines, the band was having difficulties with the Mexin company. They would be singing in poor working conditions and would be getting paid lower than what they should be getting. This turned out to be a really different experience they weren’t expecting.

Homer seemed like a kind and gentle person who was the master behind the keyboard. He insisted that his music took days to create when it sounded like he just copied them from the internet. Sometimes he would play the piano without the sequencer music, so his limited talents did shine through. I got to know him personally and he did seem friendly and kind. It’s too bad for his two wives and baby in the Philippines. He met a Chinese girl and fell in love with her. It might have been just to get away from his wives, but I’m sure that Chinese girl won’t find out. He gave me all of the songs he created, so if you are interested, post a comment and I’ll send them to you. It’s just background music you would find in a karaoke.

Leanne was an entertaining person who had a child and husband back in the Philippines. That didn’t stop her from constantly flirting with new guys and starting a new relationship. She is now engaged believe it or not. Maybe it’s a new beginning, I’m not sure. Her limited talents almost got her kicked out of the band while singing in Chongqing. It was homers idea to send her home weeks after she arrived in Chongqing for their first gig. Leanne did stay after Myra convinced Homer to change his mind. What else can I really say about her?

Myra was the talented one in the group. She could sing like Tina Turner or even Michael Bolton. She was always pushing to sing new songs that could fit her voice. Her voice was powerful and was nice to listen to. When Myra went to Chongqing, her son was only seven years old. She had to go back to the Philippines at one point in time because her son had a serious health problem with one of his kidneys. It was too big and was leaking poisons into his body. The kidney was ultimately removed from his body. Her son is still a healthy boy that has a lot of energy. Myra was a strong person who fought for her band when they were freezing cold, singing in the parade at Mexin. They wouldn’t allow the band to bring a heater since it might take too much power from the wagon they were riding. Myra was the one who put everything on the line to get what her band needed when Homer and Leanne stayed back and said nothing. She’s a smart person who knows what’s right.

By the time Myra was ready to leave the band and go back to the Philippines, she signed a paper saying she was going to retire from the band. After she signed her release form, the band wanted her to pay for her replacements return ticket from the Philippines. That was in the original agreement made with Mexin. Myra and Leanne agreed that Myra would only pay for a one way ticket. They even signed a paper saying Myra would only pay to what they agreed. The reason why Myra was going to pay for a one way ticket was because Leanne was bringing her sister to replace Myra. Leanne was going to pay for the other way of the ticket. That should have been the end of the story. After a while, Leanne changed her mind and wanted Myra to pay for the entire return ticket. They wanted Myra to sign another paper, forgetting about the original agreement they had made. Leanne and Mexin were trying to get around the agreement that was originally made. This made Leanne and Mexin seem like they weren’t looking out for their employee, Myra. In Mexin’s defense, they were saying they are looking out for their employee, Leanne, which wasn’t fair to Myra. Myra did end up paying for the return ticket since Mexin was threatening Myra that she couldn’t leave the Philippines since they were going to file a complaint in the Philippines. Mexin should have followed the agreement that Myra and Leanne made and there wouldn’t have been any problems.

All of this actually happened in Chongqing. Could you imagine what everyone was going through? What would you have done in any of those people’s positions? It’s just an example of how some people change and act differently when they are not in their own country. Have you ever experienced anything like this before? If you would like a copy of the sequencer music that was made by the Reflex Band, please post a comment.

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Live Bands from the Philippines in Chongqing, China

Matt — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:33:55 +0000

Nightlife in Chongqing is something that is definitely fun and exciting when you first arrive. Everything is new, all of the neon lights perform their own light shows, and you don’t know what to expect. The bar scene in Chongqing is fun because there are a variety of bars you can try that have their own unique look and feel. Foreigners are welcome to all of the bars. There are even nights where foreigners can drink all they want for free. The best part of going to the clubs is watching live bands play. It’s nice to see the Chinese bands play, but they are no where as good as the bands from the Philippines. They have the experience and talent to give a good performance. You will find bands from the Philippines in hotels, bars, and even jazz clubs. You don’t really know they are around until you go in and see. Most of the hotels you can stay in that are international have a band from the Philippines. These bands usually consist of a sequencer and two singers. Sometimes the singers can play their own instruments, but there usually isn’t enough room for them to do that. I’ve seen Filipino bands as big as six playing in a salsa bar. The songs they sing are catchy, so it makes for an enjoyable night.

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