My Suzhou is a That's series when we ask a Suzhou-based somebody to tell us about their life.
Born and raised in Canada, James Brown graduated with an International Hotel Management degree, and hotel work brought him over to China. After working front office of hotels for a few years, he drifted back to his true passion, food and beverage (as well as quizzes and Camelympics), and can now be found heading up The Camel Sports Bar.
How long have you been in China?
I have been in China for a total of seven years, first in Fuzhou, then Hangzhou, and for the past three years in Suzhou. So I can tell you that Su is not just your average Zhou.
For people who have not been to The Camel, what can they expect?
Sports! On our many TV screens we show sports from nearly every continent. But in addition to that, we have many Aussie-inspired items on our Western-style food menu. Not to mention a large variety of beers to choose from both on tap and in bottles. Oh, and shots of delicious, ice cold, Fireball.
What about this famous Quiz Night?
Quiz Night is probably my favorite night of the week. I have a lot of fun reading the questions and hearing feedback from contestants, which helps inspire me to write new unique categories. The quiz runs from 8pm to around 10pm, and covers different subject matter from movies and music to current events. And there are plenty of prizes on offer, of course.
Tell us about the upcoming Camelympic Games…
The Camelympics is a series of pub games played over five Saturdays in May and June. Teams compete in five events (Shuffleboard, Darts, Foosball, Pool and Golden Tee golf), with bronze, silver and gold medals awarded for each event. Points are given for each medal won and the team with the most points at the end wins the trophy, a keg of beer to share and a steak dinner each. The Games were tons of fun for the last two years, and we get to help the Suzhou Animal Welfare Club at the same time. Anyone interested in joining or getting more info can come see me in The Camel. You can make your own team, or sign up as an individual and I will find a team for you.
What other nights should people know about?
We have something going on basically every night of the week, but the ones that stand out are the pool competitions (Wednesday is 9ball and Sunday is 8ball) which are always followed by a game of Killer. Thursday is chicken wing night, and you really should try our half roast chicken on Sundays. Fridays are devoted to partying and Saturdays are big sports nights. And we often show UFC fights on Sunday mornings.
What is your philosophy in running the bar?
The new customers I get to meet and the regular customers that have become my friends. They inspire to make The Camel as good as it possibly can be. I love putting on special events that make The Camel unique. When a new customer comes in and I meet them, hear their back story and introduce them to the bar, it makes me proud when I see them again. I try to make a point to learn their name in an effort to show them that they are not only a customer to me, but also a part of the Suzhou community.
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