For the most part I have been nothing but a big slacker when it comes to this blog for the last couple of weeks. This is due in part to many different things, mostly because I have been slammed with many things that take up the days.
First, the trip to hainan.
Second, upon my return, I was stunned to discover that most of my students had cheated on their papers that they were to have turned in while I was gone. So, it has been slow going in grading them.
Thirdly, the holidays. The chinses are very concerned that I have a good time and enjoy myself, so I have been to countless dinners and such since my arrival back from Hainan--which is nice, but the food has been spicy and my stomach had rejected most of it either because of the spice or because of the ridiculous fucking MSG.
Tonight we dined with the president of the uni--who was a nice guy and the food was just great. A lovely experience in dining for once.
Anyway, more later when I feel better-- I promise. The holiday is coming and I promise I will add more stories as there have been a lot in the last couple of weeks that you will all enjoy.
Read more!
27 December 2005
24 December 2005
It's the time of the Season
Season's Greetings to you all.
As per usual, I am enjoying the holidays.... I'll be back in full swing in the next couple of days, but I am dealing with another case of bad chinese food again and trying to finish the book Papillion.
I hope everyone is doing well.
These were taken just yesterday. I am the assed out Santa--what a blast. Read more!
18 December 2005
Hainan
The sun has now set upon Sanya once again and the fireworks barrage has begun. This is my second night here in this furthest city in China. The island of Hainan is sleepy and peaceful, but it will not be this way for very long. Huge buildings are being erected just like everywhere else in China as the country goes through a construction movement that leaves foreigeners like myself wondering who they are building all of these for?
Here in hainan the problem is perhaps more pronounced as the buildings that have been built are all empty and one wonders who in China would be able to afford these places if they were to come south.
To the foreigner, Hainan is a place of unbridled beauty--beautiful tropical sun which I have never really experienced before, andy beaches with far less people on them than one would expect. If you keep your eyes focused on the sea, it makes for a really lovely place, but if you turn around and see the skeletons of the resorts being built in front of your eyes, as you see the future, you want to run into the warm water and stay there as long as possible before they take you out of it and charge you for using it.
Ahhh yes--the Capitalist China. It is coming alive. People in the capitalist trade, the taxi's, the fruit vendors, the shell vendors, everyone wants your money here and lots of it. Not that its expensive, because its not, but the constant barrage from people trying to sell you something really stays with longer than the fruit that the sell.
Christmas is a great example of just how pathetic China is getting in catering to Western causes. The Chinese do not celebrate Christmas but here in China all the shops and the shop workers are all dressed up in their Christmas attire and singing Christmas songs --because Christmas means extra sales and extra sales means, well, for these people, nothing. They don't get paid by how much they sell, they get paid very little to stand around and try to help you however they can--its better than selling your body for sex.
Not that I am not having a good time on the beach--its a little boring travelling by yourself to a tropical paradise and it beats being in America at this time of the year. Drinking and eating fresh cocunut off the tree and mangos for breakfast is really the life, even it is a bit boring. It would just be so much nicer if we werent all so fucking worried about money all the time and it really makes you ill to see it here because you know it doesnt need to be this way...!
More later. Read more!
13 December 2005
A blog entry that I will write at another time has to do with this statue. Part of the huge building that is going on in China is also the creation of these new historic parks. Basically, to help develop tourism internally, the local governments in China are basically developing these scenic parks in which they design new copies of old buildings and charge huge prices for the public to come and view them. This is a picture of one of the statues in such a park. I will send more pictures of this at another time. Its an interesting thing to watch out for in China--the land of imitation.
This little girl is from the school where I was an acting judge for a compitition. She was by far one of the cutest. They teach these kids how to speak English through action--so they learn songs and action moves to go along with them. Think Britney Spears on Star search.
Two of my favorite students. Natalee and Honey. I play badminton with them once a week. I have gotten to be quite good at badminton lately. It is a lot of fun.
Ahhhh, the Chenzhou bus. Lovely isnt it? This shot was taken just yeasterday as I went to the city to buy my bus ticket and as I suspected, there was a thief on the bus. He was caught trying to steal someones cell phone. Too bad I didn't get him in the picture!!
The school gate and Ms. Fiona, one of the people that works in the foreign affairs office at the University. We had lunch this afternoon and I took this picture of her outside of the gate.
The last week has been very busy with school work and trying to keep warm in this ever changing climate. Although it has not gone below freezing, I am constantly either too warm or too cold as the flat does not hold any heat for very long. This is the case over most of China-- I have a nice flat, but no insulation whatsoever.
The heaters are the air conditioners that now have the heat element hooked up, but they merely blow a little hot air into the room, circulating the cold air. It keeps the temp from just where you can see your breath, but not much higher.
I am off to Hainan for the week to soak up some sun and take a much needed break from all of this.
The time has come rather quickly for a vacation--even though the big one will be here in a month. This will serve as good time away to come back and refocus for the final half of my chinese experience. I can not believe that it is Christmas time already. It certainly does not feel anything like it, but next weekend is the merry time of the year. Unbelievable. Perhaps the beaches in Hainan will make me think more of the Christmas season-- driking coconut milk and sunning is just what the doctor ordered.
See you all in a week or so. Read more!
10 December 2005
Off To Hainan...
Finally, a break.
The last couple of weeks have been a bit tedious--dreadfully cold weather, rain, gloom. The weather mixed with the students anger that I am making them write a final paper on a book that they have read this semester *they have NEVER written a paper before*, it is time to take a little bit of a break before having to lock myself in my apartment for two weeks and grade 6-9page essays.
One solid week of nothing but warm, sandy beaches and relaxation await me in Hainan. I will be leaving for the Hainan area next wednesday afternoon.
Hainan is recently very famous for its recent hosting of the Miss World finals, which are held in Sanya, in the southern end of the island. Hainan has similar weather to Hawaii--hence why it is known as Chinese Hawaiian Island.
A week in Hainan, followed by two weeks in Chenzhou grading term papers, followed by a month long vacation.
I will start the journey in Hong Kong or Guangzhou for my birthday, followed by Chinese New Year, followed by three weeks in Thailand. All of this will cost less than $430 USD.
So, I miss Christmas, but I will be on the beach until just before Christmas eve. :) Read more!
The last couple of weeks have been a bit tedious--dreadfully cold weather, rain, gloom. The weather mixed with the students anger that I am making them write a final paper on a book that they have read this semester *they have NEVER written a paper before*, it is time to take a little bit of a break before having to lock myself in my apartment for two weeks and grade 6-9page essays.
One solid week of nothing but warm, sandy beaches and relaxation await me in Hainan. I will be leaving for the Hainan area next wednesday afternoon.
Hainan is recently very famous for its recent hosting of the Miss World finals, which are held in Sanya, in the southern end of the island. Hainan has similar weather to Hawaii--hence why it is known as Chinese Hawaiian Island.
A week in Hainan, followed by two weeks in Chenzhou grading term papers, followed by a month long vacation.
I will start the journey in Hong Kong or Guangzhou for my birthday, followed by Chinese New Year, followed by three weeks in Thailand. All of this will cost less than $430 USD.
So, I miss Christmas, but I will be on the beach until just before Christmas eve. :) Read more!
Tea Crazed
Over the past several weeks, as my body begins to realize how vile and bad booze really is, I have discovered the true beauty of tea.
I must confess, that if anything, tea is in my blood. My father, being English, was a constant drinker of it until he had this realization that anything that was somewhat stimulating in life was bad for him. At once, for health reasons, he gave up all booze and caffeine and meat. He know leads a life sin free, except for sweets. If you want something from Dad, come bearing chocolate. It helps his menstral cycle I guess.
Giving up tea was the hardest for him, but the doctor said that it had to go. It just wasn't good for his health.
Well Dad, if you read this, I may have found a cure.
Red Tea.
It is actually black tea, but the processing of it seems to take out the caffeine in the process. The story of the tea is varied, so I am going to give you what I think is the truth, but, like many other things in China, it might be the truth. So, look for corrections on this in a later blog entry.
The story begins with the continuation of the story from the other night. When we went to this tea shop in the walking street, I was quite blown away by the culture of tea. It was my first exposure to the different methodology with the tea than what I was used to: Loose tea that steeps, or sits in hot water for a few minutes, then is poured into a cup and served with cream and sugar for more flavor. I thought that nothing beat a nice pot of PG tips on a Sunday afternoon with a good book, but that has all changed.
The other nights tea experience turned out to be a bit of a fraud. It turns out that the brick of tea that I recieved as a gift the other night turned out to be terrible. So terrible in fact that the tea shop that I went to today called it "fake".
I am still not sure what to think of the gift--if it was meant with the best of intentions or it was meant to show off to the girl that went with us. Regardless, it was a sham. When we opened the package, the tea was moldy and the package was not consistant with the good teas--it was wrapped in plastic. The tea shop owner or boss as they are called here, pointed out that good tea will either have no wrapping and you just buy the brick, or it is wrapped in linen and expensive good tea is boxed in bamboo. A good lesson to know for next time.
I was eager to try the new tea and on Friday morning I had taken the tea with me to a meeting with a fellow teacher, Mrs. Chen, who is a big fan of Guyang tea, which is a decent green tea. She bought me a couple of sample tins that other day to see if I enjoyed it, so I thought I would take this tea to her to show her and get her thoughts. When she saw it, she thought it was expensive tea and invited me to have it looked at by an expert--the boss of the tea shop where I spent all of the afternoon. She suggested to bring the tea with us and she would buy some others to contrast it against.
The tea failed in every catagory.
The tea shop where I went on my pretend date is on the walking street in the town--a nice little place in the heart of where the action is in Chenzhou. It is a nice tea shop and expensive--the first couple of times that we went there they charged us a 12rmb sitting fee, plus the cost of the tea, which I thought was silly. Since I have been there a few times now, they don't bother to charge me anymore.
When I went with the girl and the police officer, who is a regular customer, it was quite an experience because he is well connected. It is because of this that I don't think I will raise the issue with the boss about his bad tea. It is not worth the hassle. The boss, who is from Taiwan, seemed to have a good knowledge of tea and the different experiences--that is, until I met this boss today.
The shop we went to today has only been in operation for a month. The boss and his brother recently relocated from Yunnan, where the majority of this red tea comes from. They had been doing a lot of business in Hunan, trading their tea with the hunan green tea (which is not good) and the Changsha Jasmine tea (which is nice), so they decided that they would open the shop down here. The location is not the best--it is a little off the beaten path, but it is quite a nice little place, but is about 1/6 of the size of the big teahouse in the walking street, but it looks like his business will be centered in the wholesale trade.
My intial response to this place was not positive because of the immediate insults of the tea I brought into his shop. Again, as in other posts, my American suspecion of everything occured.
Tea is difficult to gauge because of the variant in trade prices. The Yunnan tea, which is my personal favorite, ranges from 130rmb a brick to 3500rmb and the taste, just subtle differences. The main difference comes from ageing. Red teas are treated and packed to last a long time. Their flavor retains its strength for many years. The 3500rmb tea is 25 years old and tastes like most of the other teas, except it has a nice smooth finish on it with some hints of walnut. Its quite an experience, but not worth 3 weeks salary.
I decided to give the 130rmb a try. It was a good decision. I am enjoying the first pot of some 80 that I will get out of this brick of tea. In another post, I will explain the process of making the tea--it is very involved, but it is easy if you practice through the afternoon. The key is that you dont steep the leaves--this causes them to become bitter--which is probably why the english had to use the sweetneers and such.
Anyway, I need to get back to grading the outlines my kids have lined up.
To be continued.................... Read more!
I must confess, that if anything, tea is in my blood. My father, being English, was a constant drinker of it until he had this realization that anything that was somewhat stimulating in life was bad for him. At once, for health reasons, he gave up all booze and caffeine and meat. He know leads a life sin free, except for sweets. If you want something from Dad, come bearing chocolate. It helps his menstral cycle I guess.
Giving up tea was the hardest for him, but the doctor said that it had to go. It just wasn't good for his health.
Well Dad, if you read this, I may have found a cure.
Red Tea.
It is actually black tea, but the processing of it seems to take out the caffeine in the process. The story of the tea is varied, so I am going to give you what I think is the truth, but, like many other things in China, it might be the truth. So, look for corrections on this in a later blog entry.
The story begins with the continuation of the story from the other night. When we went to this tea shop in the walking street, I was quite blown away by the culture of tea. It was my first exposure to the different methodology with the tea than what I was used to: Loose tea that steeps, or sits in hot water for a few minutes, then is poured into a cup and served with cream and sugar for more flavor. I thought that nothing beat a nice pot of PG tips on a Sunday afternoon with a good book, but that has all changed.
The other nights tea experience turned out to be a bit of a fraud. It turns out that the brick of tea that I recieved as a gift the other night turned out to be terrible. So terrible in fact that the tea shop that I went to today called it "fake".
I am still not sure what to think of the gift--if it was meant with the best of intentions or it was meant to show off to the girl that went with us. Regardless, it was a sham. When we opened the package, the tea was moldy and the package was not consistant with the good teas--it was wrapped in plastic. The tea shop owner or boss as they are called here, pointed out that good tea will either have no wrapping and you just buy the brick, or it is wrapped in linen and expensive good tea is boxed in bamboo. A good lesson to know for next time.
I was eager to try the new tea and on Friday morning I had taken the tea with me to a meeting with a fellow teacher, Mrs. Chen, who is a big fan of Guyang tea, which is a decent green tea. She bought me a couple of sample tins that other day to see if I enjoyed it, so I thought I would take this tea to her to show her and get her thoughts. When she saw it, she thought it was expensive tea and invited me to have it looked at by an expert--the boss of the tea shop where I spent all of the afternoon. She suggested to bring the tea with us and she would buy some others to contrast it against.
The tea failed in every catagory.
The tea shop where I went on my pretend date is on the walking street in the town--a nice little place in the heart of where the action is in Chenzhou. It is a nice tea shop and expensive--the first couple of times that we went there they charged us a 12rmb sitting fee, plus the cost of the tea, which I thought was silly. Since I have been there a few times now, they don't bother to charge me anymore.
When I went with the girl and the police officer, who is a regular customer, it was quite an experience because he is well connected. It is because of this that I don't think I will raise the issue with the boss about his bad tea. It is not worth the hassle. The boss, who is from Taiwan, seemed to have a good knowledge of tea and the different experiences--that is, until I met this boss today.
The shop we went to today has only been in operation for a month. The boss and his brother recently relocated from Yunnan, where the majority of this red tea comes from. They had been doing a lot of business in Hunan, trading their tea with the hunan green tea (which is not good) and the Changsha Jasmine tea (which is nice), so they decided that they would open the shop down here. The location is not the best--it is a little off the beaten path, but it is quite a nice little place, but is about 1/6 of the size of the big teahouse in the walking street, but it looks like his business will be centered in the wholesale trade.
My intial response to this place was not positive because of the immediate insults of the tea I brought into his shop. Again, as in other posts, my American suspecion of everything occured.
Tea is difficult to gauge because of the variant in trade prices. The Yunnan tea, which is my personal favorite, ranges from 130rmb a brick to 3500rmb and the taste, just subtle differences. The main difference comes from ageing. Red teas are treated and packed to last a long time. Their flavor retains its strength for many years. The 3500rmb tea is 25 years old and tastes like most of the other teas, except it has a nice smooth finish on it with some hints of walnut. Its quite an experience, but not worth 3 weeks salary.
I decided to give the 130rmb a try. It was a good decision. I am enjoying the first pot of some 80 that I will get out of this brick of tea. In another post, I will explain the process of making the tea--it is very involved, but it is easy if you practice through the afternoon. The key is that you dont steep the leaves--this causes them to become bitter--which is probably why the english had to use the sweetneers and such.
Anyway, I need to get back to grading the outlines my kids have lined up.
To be continued.................... Read more!
08 December 2005
Traditional Chinese dating is something that is very heavily guarded. Where I live here in the middle of Mao country, there is not the worry about AIDS or loose women. Sure there are hookers (and cheap hookers at that), but they are well hidden and kept away from the mainstream traffic.
The women who are traditional are guarded heavily. Especially the really good looking ones. I met a really good looking one last weekend. Her name is Lei Hui Zhen and unlike most other Chinese girls, she does not have an English name because she loves her name and wants people to know it.
Now, I am not romantically linked to this girl in anyway. However, a collegue of mine found out that she wanted to take me out to tea and he gave me a fairly stern warning:
"Bad things happen to people that have sex with a Chinese girl without bearing a ring."
Now, to be fair, this guy is from the country and comes from a family of rice farmers. He clearly has not lived in the city long and still thinks all Chinese women but the whores are as fresh as Colorado snow on Christmas morning.
I asked him what he meant by the comment--if he was threatning me.
"No, I am not one to really care, but many others do. Consider this your warning. She is a lovely girl."
I still didn't catch his meaning.
As my good friend Tiny asked me when I relyed the story to him:
"What, does he mean like an honor killing?"
I decided to just not pay any attention to this absurb talk. I am a grown man who generally makes good decisions. I have no intention of sleeping with a traditional Chinese girl--I just can't see the point of hugging for three months before getting a kiss. I don't have that kind of time. I have already crossed the path of immortal sin, thanks all the same.
But, we did go out tonight. She was going to introduce me to her yoga teacher. Easy enough. However, when we went to the gym, I was challenged by someone to a game of ping pong. At first, it was ok. I could tell that the other guy was playing with me, giving me crappy lobs and trying to watch to see how bad I could be. The Chinese take their table tennis very seriously--which is kind of funny because in America you see it more when you are in a friends basement at the age of 12 then at any other time. So, I let him have his fun for a bit and then he decided to give me a good lashing in front of the girl.
He then says he wants to take me out for some tea. The way that he described it in Chinese made it seem a little planned out. The girl agreed and excused herself to go talk to the Yoga person before the three of us head out to have tea.
I like tea and am beginning to really enjoy Chinese teas, so I was looking forward to it. I didn't know what, if anything I would do with the girl, so this seemed to fit nicely. No awkwardness.
Basically, the three of us head to the tea shop and it then becomes very apparent that this guy thinks we are on an actual date! I shake my hands-- No, No. He nods and shows me his badge-- YES! YES!
and smiles. A police escort.
Lovely.
So, an honor killing and a police escort. Odd.
But wait, theres more.
The teahouse had some of the best damn tea I have EVER tasted. Red tea is the best, by far. I found one particular type that I enjoyed the most-- it is 700rmb a KILO!!! Which is close to $90 USD.
Of course, its good for your health.
To make this story a little shorter, we had a good time--and I got my first traditional Chinese tea lesson (Britian does not have anything on Chinese tea culture)
As we were leaving, the policeman, our escort on the date I wasn't on, gives me two bags. One with a brick of the red tea--probably valued at 50 bucks, and the other, the traditional Chinese lucky tea frog set, another 50usd.
As we leave, he has a car outside to take me to the University.
Its moments of pure kindness like these that make me wonder why people aren't always like this. It makes me wonder why we, as rich Americans, would NEVER do something so kind. It makes me think that there is another motive behind his actions. I am always suspect of policeman bearing expensive gifts...
It just amazes me how lovely these people can be.
Then again, this is China.... Read more!
The women who are traditional are guarded heavily. Especially the really good looking ones. I met a really good looking one last weekend. Her name is Lei Hui Zhen and unlike most other Chinese girls, she does not have an English name because she loves her name and wants people to know it.
Now, I am not romantically linked to this girl in anyway. However, a collegue of mine found out that she wanted to take me out to tea and he gave me a fairly stern warning:
"Bad things happen to people that have sex with a Chinese girl without bearing a ring."
Now, to be fair, this guy is from the country and comes from a family of rice farmers. He clearly has not lived in the city long and still thinks all Chinese women but the whores are as fresh as Colorado snow on Christmas morning.
I asked him what he meant by the comment--if he was threatning me.
"No, I am not one to really care, but many others do. Consider this your warning. She is a lovely girl."
I still didn't catch his meaning.
As my good friend Tiny asked me when I relyed the story to him:
"What, does he mean like an honor killing?"
I decided to just not pay any attention to this absurb talk. I am a grown man who generally makes good decisions. I have no intention of sleeping with a traditional Chinese girl--I just can't see the point of hugging for three months before getting a kiss. I don't have that kind of time. I have already crossed the path of immortal sin, thanks all the same.
But, we did go out tonight. She was going to introduce me to her yoga teacher. Easy enough. However, when we went to the gym, I was challenged by someone to a game of ping pong. At first, it was ok. I could tell that the other guy was playing with me, giving me crappy lobs and trying to watch to see how bad I could be. The Chinese take their table tennis very seriously--which is kind of funny because in America you see it more when you are in a friends basement at the age of 12 then at any other time. So, I let him have his fun for a bit and then he decided to give me a good lashing in front of the girl.
He then says he wants to take me out for some tea. The way that he described it in Chinese made it seem a little planned out. The girl agreed and excused herself to go talk to the Yoga person before the three of us head out to have tea.
I like tea and am beginning to really enjoy Chinese teas, so I was looking forward to it. I didn't know what, if anything I would do with the girl, so this seemed to fit nicely. No awkwardness.
Basically, the three of us head to the tea shop and it then becomes very apparent that this guy thinks we are on an actual date! I shake my hands-- No, No. He nods and shows me his badge-- YES! YES!
and smiles. A police escort.
Lovely.
So, an honor killing and a police escort. Odd.
But wait, theres more.
The teahouse had some of the best damn tea I have EVER tasted. Red tea is the best, by far. I found one particular type that I enjoyed the most-- it is 700rmb a KILO!!! Which is close to $90 USD.
Of course, its good for your health.
To make this story a little shorter, we had a good time--and I got my first traditional Chinese tea lesson (Britian does not have anything on Chinese tea culture)
As we were leaving, the policeman, our escort on the date I wasn't on, gives me two bags. One with a brick of the red tea--probably valued at 50 bucks, and the other, the traditional Chinese lucky tea frog set, another 50usd.
As we leave, he has a car outside to take me to the University.
Its moments of pure kindness like these that make me wonder why people aren't always like this. It makes me wonder why we, as rich Americans, would NEVER do something so kind. It makes me think that there is another motive behind his actions. I am always suspect of policeman bearing expensive gifts...
It just amazes me how lovely these people can be.
Then again, this is China.... Read more!
07 December 2005
Part of the frustration that is a constant in china is the lack of finding information. First, there is the language barrier, which is not that bad as long as you try to surround yourself with Chinese people that speak english and understand how difficult it must be.
However, within the culture of the Chinese is a total lack of a clear cut way to do most things. This is the main source of most of my frustrations in China.
For example: I was riding on the bus back to the University with one of my students. Anna is from the North, near Beijing and is much more educated and cultured than most of the other kiddies here at the University. I mention to her that I am interested in going to Hainan for a weekend because the cold weather is getting to me because I do not have enough warm clothes.
She offered to call a friend of hers who is a travel agent in town.
She rings the woman at about 9 at night and she is still working. She asks which way I want to go to Hainan and I say the cheapest possible. She says that there is a train, which takes a long time, but you can fly there for 1000rmb roundtrip from Guangzhou, which is four hours from here. I repeat--no, I want to go the cheapest way possible. She says this to the travel agent and they go back and forth, several times. I sit wondering what they are discussing. A lot of discussing always worries me because it usually means that my friendly translator is making decisions without conference--which never turns out to be what I intend.
"She said that it is just 1000rmb to fly. If you go to guangzhou, stay in guangzhou overnight and catch the train in the morning, it will cost you about 800rmb, so why not fly?"
We go back and forth on different options before I decide to think about it some more. When we arrive back at the school gate, Anna calls a friend of hers from Hainan and asks her what she normally pays to go back home. The woman cannot hear us clearly, so we agree to meet each other in the English department. When we meet, she tells me it depends on which way I want to travel to hainan. I say, again, the cheapest route possible. She says that the cheapest route possible is only available to students.
I gasp.
"Okay, the cheapest route to Hainan for me."
She spends several overly confusing minutes discussing the different transport options available. I laugh to myself at how complex all of this seems to be. There is a bus from Chenzhou, but its slow.
You can take a bus to Guangzhou and take a train to Hainan.
You can take a train to Guangzhou and take a train to Hainan.
You can take a train to Guangzhou and take a bus to Hainan.
or you can fly.
The prices are all varied and she doesn't know how much it is because she is just a student, so she only knows how much the student rate is.
I talk to another friend of mine later in the afternoon who says that there is a direct bus to hainan that leaves here each morning at 10:40am. It arrives in Hainan 7 hours later. The total cost: 150rmb each way.
I will let you know in a couple of days if this is the case.
I must go teach the kiddies now. Read more!
However, within the culture of the Chinese is a total lack of a clear cut way to do most things. This is the main source of most of my frustrations in China.
For example: I was riding on the bus back to the University with one of my students. Anna is from the North, near Beijing and is much more educated and cultured than most of the other kiddies here at the University. I mention to her that I am interested in going to Hainan for a weekend because the cold weather is getting to me because I do not have enough warm clothes.
She offered to call a friend of hers who is a travel agent in town.
She rings the woman at about 9 at night and she is still working. She asks which way I want to go to Hainan and I say the cheapest possible. She says that there is a train, which takes a long time, but you can fly there for 1000rmb roundtrip from Guangzhou, which is four hours from here. I repeat--no, I want to go the cheapest way possible. She says this to the travel agent and they go back and forth, several times. I sit wondering what they are discussing. A lot of discussing always worries me because it usually means that my friendly translator is making decisions without conference--which never turns out to be what I intend.
"She said that it is just 1000rmb to fly. If you go to guangzhou, stay in guangzhou overnight and catch the train in the morning, it will cost you about 800rmb, so why not fly?"
We go back and forth on different options before I decide to think about it some more. When we arrive back at the school gate, Anna calls a friend of hers from Hainan and asks her what she normally pays to go back home. The woman cannot hear us clearly, so we agree to meet each other in the English department. When we meet, she tells me it depends on which way I want to travel to hainan. I say, again, the cheapest route possible. She says that the cheapest route possible is only available to students.
I gasp.
"Okay, the cheapest route to Hainan for me."
She spends several overly confusing minutes discussing the different transport options available. I laugh to myself at how complex all of this seems to be. There is a bus from Chenzhou, but its slow.
You can take a bus to Guangzhou and take a train to Hainan.
You can take a train to Guangzhou and take a train to Hainan.
You can take a train to Guangzhou and take a bus to Hainan.
or you can fly.
The prices are all varied and she doesn't know how much it is because she is just a student, so she only knows how much the student rate is.
I talk to another friend of mine later in the afternoon who says that there is a direct bus to hainan that leaves here each morning at 10:40am. It arrives in Hainan 7 hours later. The total cost: 150rmb each way.
I will let you know in a couple of days if this is the case.
I must go teach the kiddies now. Read more!
06 December 2005
Revaluing the Yuan
In other news, China has announed today that it will not revalue the Yuan.
This is good news for me as my meager salary will still go futher in the marketplace. It is bad news for American workers and the rest of the world that is producing products for consumption because it essentially means that China will still be the best deal in the world to do business in for low end goods.
Why?
Because even though China has joined the WTO, they are still taking their own sweet time in coming into the marketplace at a fair and just rate. They keep the exchange rate high, which lures big business because it basically gets a deal that should not be available in the market--think of that scenerio where a stolen truck pulls up to your street with 52 inch Plasma televisions for sale at $200 instead of $2000. That is China.
The United States keeps shaking their finger at China, threatning to impose trade restrictions and China, as it will always do, is polite and doesn't directly say no (it is against Chinese culture to directly say no.)
Bush and the other big business capitalists in charge in Washington, know that this is political bullshit, but they also know that there isnt a thing that they can do about it.
Why?
For years, decades even, China has been getting a lot of money from open market capitalism and not giving any of it to the people in the people's republic. Instead, it just reinvests in the market--both in the bond market as well as the US market. They are the No. 1 country that owns most of the US debt. While Bush is fighting a war, he is essentially doing it on credit. The credit card used by more Bush's-- Bank of China.
So, while the US likes to use big words to make us seem like big balls, China has our balls and knows how small they really are and they have their cold hands cupping them gently and telling us to just cough and everything will be alright.... Read more!
This is good news for me as my meager salary will still go futher in the marketplace. It is bad news for American workers and the rest of the world that is producing products for consumption because it essentially means that China will still be the best deal in the world to do business in for low end goods.
Why?
Because even though China has joined the WTO, they are still taking their own sweet time in coming into the marketplace at a fair and just rate. They keep the exchange rate high, which lures big business because it basically gets a deal that should not be available in the market--think of that scenerio where a stolen truck pulls up to your street with 52 inch Plasma televisions for sale at $200 instead of $2000. That is China.
The United States keeps shaking their finger at China, threatning to impose trade restrictions and China, as it will always do, is polite and doesn't directly say no (it is against Chinese culture to directly say no.)
Bush and the other big business capitalists in charge in Washington, know that this is political bullshit, but they also know that there isnt a thing that they can do about it.
Why?
For years, decades even, China has been getting a lot of money from open market capitalism and not giving any of it to the people in the people's republic. Instead, it just reinvests in the market--both in the bond market as well as the US market. They are the No. 1 country that owns most of the US debt. While Bush is fighting a war, he is essentially doing it on credit. The credit card used by more Bush's-- Bank of China.
So, while the US likes to use big words to make us seem like big balls, China has our balls and knows how small they really are and they have their cold hands cupping them gently and telling us to just cough and everything will be alright.... Read more!
Its about time....
Sorry about the lack of posting over the last several days--just not too much to report here in China. Winter has set in and so has a slight tinge of depression. The holiday season is among you, but here its just business as usual. Things are starting to annoy me more and more here as you get past what the foreigners call the "honeymoon" with China and settle into your everyday life. Now it is becoming more and more dismal and winter enters the picture.
Most of the problem that I am encountering comes from a lack of people to share the experiences with. For some reason this has always been a common problem. The other foreigners that are here are just so different than me in too many ways that we have little to talk about and when we do, it gets me down. They are always so pessimistic about the experience--and that says a lot coming from someone like me. I just realize that I am a little special in the fact that I have really had the chance to experience the good life and the shitty life really brings a lot of light and clarity when the times are good. When it is the other way around, it is difficult.
I didn't imagine I would miss Americans, but in a way I do. The only American to come to Chenzhou was Phillip, who went packing after a month. This is a good thing--I was lobbying hard to fire the guy and he certainly wouldn't have made it this far along in the game.
I have to just keep remembering that the end is coming faster than I want it to. Soon enough I will be applying for jobs both in the US and abroad and looking for the next move. there are many options to consider because nothing concrete has really surfaced as of yet.
I have learned alot of things here about myself as well as society and what people can really live on--it is both an amazing concept and one that is shocking to me. I just can't believe at times that people live like they do here, but it also makes sick when I think that people are buying homes in Seattle for the price they are going for--it just makes you very aware of where you are. That's not too say that either side lives a better life than the other--it is all in the mind about where and what is good and plentiful in the world. For me, I am just happy I get to see both sides of the coin for what they are. Read more!
Most of the problem that I am encountering comes from a lack of people to share the experiences with. For some reason this has always been a common problem. The other foreigners that are here are just so different than me in too many ways that we have little to talk about and when we do, it gets me down. They are always so pessimistic about the experience--and that says a lot coming from someone like me. I just realize that I am a little special in the fact that I have really had the chance to experience the good life and the shitty life really brings a lot of light and clarity when the times are good. When it is the other way around, it is difficult.
I didn't imagine I would miss Americans, but in a way I do. The only American to come to Chenzhou was Phillip, who went packing after a month. This is a good thing--I was lobbying hard to fire the guy and he certainly wouldn't have made it this far along in the game.
I have to just keep remembering that the end is coming faster than I want it to. Soon enough I will be applying for jobs both in the US and abroad and looking for the next move. there are many options to consider because nothing concrete has really surfaced as of yet.
I have learned alot of things here about myself as well as society and what people can really live on--it is both an amazing concept and one that is shocking to me. I just can't believe at times that people live like they do here, but it also makes sick when I think that people are buying homes in Seattle for the price they are going for--it just makes you very aware of where you are. That's not too say that either side lives a better life than the other--it is all in the mind about where and what is good and plentiful in the world. For me, I am just happy I get to see both sides of the coin for what they are. Read more!
01 December 2005
A response.
My dear friend Christian decided to remark on my slight rambling last night and I have decided to publish a more formalized version of what I meant by my comments. Last night was just a momento for me where I began to think again about how much my feelings about our government has continued to change in the wrong direction since this yahoo took over the oval office.
Now that I have been somewhat called out, I feel that I need to formalize my thoughts.
Going to war with Iraq unilateraly without the support from the community was a mistake.
First off, I am going to make these comments in Red and I am just doing this to be devil's advocate...
The main issue with the Bush administration and, for the most part, the Republican party, is that they don't do anything with the involvement of a community. A committee, yes, but not a community, which is made up of citizens with different opinions and rationale's. This administration does whatever it wants and then uses political bully tactics to carry out its agenda. Sometimes this option works, but for the most part it is a temporary fix on a bleeding artery--which to continue the metaphor, is the American People.
However, no one neither UN, EU, ASEAN or IAEA never claimed that Saddam Hussein should stay in power. I also don't think they said that he needed to removed by the United States.
However, the problems created by the U.S. is that the unilateral pre-emptive attack opened up a whole lot of worms. The U.S. got lucky as to defeating the Red Guard. No one expected them to drop their loyalty towards the regime once tanks began to role over the boarder.
The issues created was:
1. Increased hostility towards U.S. interests in the region I would add the world. It was a nightmarish PR move for every segment of the global population except for republicans and rednecks. Oh wait, it's just republicans I guess.
2. Increased hostility towards western interests in the region Not to be redundant, but the global market.
3. An increased tension within the Middle East which might spreat through the Arab world towards Muslim states boardering Russia and to Turkey and the EU I think this is true but relations will get better over time as long as we do not leave the area in a mess, which we are more than likely going to do.
4. Pre-emptive attacks can only be considered as justified by the attacker. This opened up the issue of making it legitimate for other countries in attacking who they consider the enemy. Which is the rhetoric that Pakistan and Israel has been using after 9/11 in "their fight against terrorism".
Again, this is another nuance for Bushie. He is the one that changed the policy that said that the US could now attack in a preemptive stance in this post 911 world. He changed the policy, our lawmakers voted it in and our media didn't cover it. Ooops. It must have been super bowl weekend.
5. The attack also created tention between the U.S. and the EU and the United States lost much of its credability in the international community. I don't think this is from the attack on Iraq as much as it is that Bush is not a statesman. He turns his nose at order, but not in a rage against the machine way-- He is a the king of the pompous arrogant prick. He is captain of the football team that no one likes.
Something that in the end is dangerous as the U.S. still has the most powerfull military arsenal.However, with this said I wanted to point out that attacking Iraq was by itself not wrong. Yes it was. We can agree to disagree, but the fact is that Bushie had his eye on that prize since he did wrong to his Daddy. We all forget to go back to this issue, but we all know its totally true. When Saddam watched the WTC explosion, he said "Oh Shit"--even if he knew about it.
Sanctions did not work and had already killed hundered of thousands of innocent civilians. Oh, okay. So the US cares about innocent lives now? Hmm, well maybe Rwanda or the Congo or the Sudan or AIDS might be better off then--but they aren't. Why? Because we believe that if you cant play with the expensive toys, then there is no game.
The issue was that the United States acted alone. The United States acted alone because they acted out of turn in the chess match of weapons inspections. Bush and his people saw the opportunity to mislead in a time of conflict and turmoil and went for it. When there were still questions raised, he still went. Guns a blazin-- just like in the old West movies. John Wayne would be proud.... This is the problem when you have a failed Texas businessman trying to act like a public servant--you getting him trying to act better than Ronald Regan.
But, the in order to create som stability and for the United States to gain trust in the future from the world community they need to stay in Iraq but work closer with the world community. Oh, and Bush was just really doing an impressive job of that when he was just in China. One of the major concerns regardging Iraq was that the U.S. would follow suit and leave once body bags started to pile up in Dover. But a political administration cannot and should never cave for public opinion when it comes to Security and Foregin policy. The public opinion changes depending on the news cycle. If politicians would listen to the public in these matters there would be troops sent to every atrocity committed everyday all over the world. And not even the United States has the resources to do so.
In closing, I would agree with this last statement, if we had someone that was a respected public servant doing this job. But, as Dave Eggers says, "Mistakes were made". You don't just keep moving on with the same plan to find the secret treasure when there isn't any secret treasure. No, we shouldn't leave Iraq, but we should get Bush out and let someone in there that can make some sense of this whole mess.
But, it isn't going to happen. You know it and I know it. Everyone except the families and Michael Moore are being encouraged to just forget about it. It's going to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on until someone just pulls the plug and says that we have done the best we can--there is nothing left and we pull out the troops and there is civil war, thousands die (but they aren't Americans, so we are all happy because maybe the World Series will be on the tele, or maybe Friends will be having a reunion!) and one of the main minority groups takes control (maybe the Kurds) and they make a deal with US for protection and arms....
And Saddam is still on trail.
Now that I have been somewhat called out, I feel that I need to formalize my thoughts.
Going to war with Iraq unilateraly without the support from the community was a mistake.
First off, I am going to make these comments in Red and I am just doing this to be devil's advocate...
The main issue with the Bush administration and, for the most part, the Republican party, is that they don't do anything with the involvement of a community. A committee, yes, but not a community, which is made up of citizens with different opinions and rationale's. This administration does whatever it wants and then uses political bully tactics to carry out its agenda. Sometimes this option works, but for the most part it is a temporary fix on a bleeding artery--which to continue the metaphor, is the American People.
However, no one neither UN, EU, ASEAN or IAEA never claimed that Saddam Hussein should stay in power. I also don't think they said that he needed to removed by the United States.
However, the problems created by the U.S. is that the unilateral pre-emptive attack opened up a whole lot of worms. The U.S. got lucky as to defeating the Red Guard. No one expected them to drop their loyalty towards the regime once tanks began to role over the boarder.
The issues created was:
1. Increased hostility towards U.S. interests in the region I would add the world. It was a nightmarish PR move for every segment of the global population except for republicans and rednecks. Oh wait, it's just republicans I guess.
2. Increased hostility towards western interests in the region Not to be redundant, but the global market.
3. An increased tension within the Middle East which might spreat through the Arab world towards Muslim states boardering Russia and to Turkey and the EU I think this is true but relations will get better over time as long as we do not leave the area in a mess, which we are more than likely going to do.
4. Pre-emptive attacks can only be considered as justified by the attacker. This opened up the issue of making it legitimate for other countries in attacking who they consider the enemy. Which is the rhetoric that Pakistan and Israel has been using after 9/11 in "their fight against terrorism".
Again, this is another nuance for Bushie. He is the one that changed the policy that said that the US could now attack in a preemptive stance in this post 911 world. He changed the policy, our lawmakers voted it in and our media didn't cover it. Ooops. It must have been super bowl weekend.
5. The attack also created tention between the U.S. and the EU and the United States lost much of its credability in the international community. I don't think this is from the attack on Iraq as much as it is that Bush is not a statesman. He turns his nose at order, but not in a rage against the machine way-- He is a the king of the pompous arrogant prick. He is captain of the football team that no one likes.
Something that in the end is dangerous as the U.S. still has the most powerfull military arsenal.However, with this said I wanted to point out that attacking Iraq was by itself not wrong. Yes it was. We can agree to disagree, but the fact is that Bushie had his eye on that prize since he did wrong to his Daddy. We all forget to go back to this issue, but we all know its totally true. When Saddam watched the WTC explosion, he said "Oh Shit"--even if he knew about it.
Sanctions did not work and had already killed hundered of thousands of innocent civilians. Oh, okay. So the US cares about innocent lives now? Hmm, well maybe Rwanda or the Congo or the Sudan or AIDS might be better off then--but they aren't. Why? Because we believe that if you cant play with the expensive toys, then there is no game.
The issue was that the United States acted alone. The United States acted alone because they acted out of turn in the chess match of weapons inspections. Bush and his people saw the opportunity to mislead in a time of conflict and turmoil and went for it. When there were still questions raised, he still went. Guns a blazin-- just like in the old West movies. John Wayne would be proud.... This is the problem when you have a failed Texas businessman trying to act like a public servant--you getting him trying to act better than Ronald Regan.
But, the in order to create som stability and for the United States to gain trust in the future from the world community they need to stay in Iraq but work closer with the world community. Oh, and Bush was just really doing an impressive job of that when he was just in China. One of the major concerns regardging Iraq was that the U.S. would follow suit and leave once body bags started to pile up in Dover. But a political administration cannot and should never cave for public opinion when it comes to Security and Foregin policy. The public opinion changes depending on the news cycle. If politicians would listen to the public in these matters there would be troops sent to every atrocity committed everyday all over the world. And not even the United States has the resources to do so.
In closing, I would agree with this last statement, if we had someone that was a respected public servant doing this job. But, as Dave Eggers says, "Mistakes were made". You don't just keep moving on with the same plan to find the secret treasure when there isn't any secret treasure. No, we shouldn't leave Iraq, but we should get Bush out and let someone in there that can make some sense of this whole mess.
But, it isn't going to happen. You know it and I know it. Everyone except the families and Michael Moore are being encouraged to just forget about it. It's going to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on until someone just pulls the plug and says that we have done the best we can--there is nothing left and we pull out the troops and there is civil war, thousands die (but they aren't Americans, so we are all happy because maybe the World Series will be on the tele, or maybe Friends will be having a reunion!) and one of the main minority groups takes control (maybe the Kurds) and they make a deal with US for protection and arms....
And Saddam is still on trail.
It's a never ending cycle of bullshit--which is really sad because it involves people losing their lives in something that they don't even think of why they believe what they do, but they believe and that is all that matters....
Sometimes I think we have progressed so far, then I wake up from my dream and pull off my goosedown comforter and the chill of reality sets in....
Read more!30 November 2005
The mark of good leadership is admitting when you are wrong.
Again, the Bush administration has gone out of its way to deny the fact that going to war in Iraq was a bad decision. How can it be a good one? Where in all of this does anyone see a positive result? Saddam Hussain is in a trail that will certainly never end--if it ever begins. Even if it does end and he is shot and killed--does that bring justice to the thousands of people that have lost their lives?
No, of course not.
But we still have Bush in the White House, still trying to con everyone into believing that this war has some echo of justification in it.
It makes our country look terrible. People do not see this as a strength--they see it in the same way that all men are when they are lost and they refuse to stop and ask someone for directions.
I am obviously sad today.
I don't know the answer either--but it is not to tell people that we are not leaving Iraq until everything is in its right place--because it isn't our country. We shouldn't be in the business of telling Saddamn Hussein that he can not invade Kuwait and then invade his country. Its a game of Chess for fools.
We, the foolish American people, elected this king of fools to keep us Checkmated in a world that we do not belong.
Enough rhetoric. Read more!
Again, the Bush administration has gone out of its way to deny the fact that going to war in Iraq was a bad decision. How can it be a good one? Where in all of this does anyone see a positive result? Saddam Hussain is in a trail that will certainly never end--if it ever begins. Even if it does end and he is shot and killed--does that bring justice to the thousands of people that have lost their lives?
No, of course not.
But we still have Bush in the White House, still trying to con everyone into believing that this war has some echo of justification in it.
It makes our country look terrible. People do not see this as a strength--they see it in the same way that all men are when they are lost and they refuse to stop and ask someone for directions.
I am obviously sad today.
I don't know the answer either--but it is not to tell people that we are not leaving Iraq until everything is in its right place--because it isn't our country. We shouldn't be in the business of telling Saddamn Hussein that he can not invade Kuwait and then invade his country. Its a game of Chess for fools.
We, the foolish American people, elected this king of fools to keep us Checkmated in a world that we do not belong.
Enough rhetoric. Read more!
25 November 2005
China Hates Bush too.....
This article is funny....
This reminds me of the conservative republicans that call the Western Media -- "The Liberal Media"--here we have the communist, government media that is making sweeping accusations about how our media has a bias--which I think is really funny. They can't talk in truth about their government, so it makes sense to just point and laugh at ours....
Bush in China
George Koonull Updated: 2005-11-22 10:37
Coming off a new low in domestic approval ratings and battered by a decidedly hostile reception in Latin America, a mellower and gentler President George W. Bush brought a more conciliatory message to Asia.
Western media stressed the part of Bush's speech in Japan where he suggested that China should look upon Taiwan as its model for democracy and freedom. The reference to Taiwan occupied only two short paragraphs out of 34 of his prepared text. China chose to ignore the reference when Bush arrived in Beijing.
Bush began his speech in Beijing by praising China for its economic progress and for its role in the six-party talks with North Korea. He gave a subtle signal about the need for more religious freedom in China by attending a Protestant church service near the Tiananmen.
Alas, both the president and the media entourage showed dismaying flaws in their understanding of China.
When Thomas Murphy, then chairman of General Motors, visited Beijing in 1978, he too attended mass at a Catholic church near where Bush attended the protestant service. Giving subtle signals about religious freedom was far from Murphy's mind, however. His only intent was to be a good Irish Catholic.
What has changed during this interval is the degree to which Buddhist temples have flourished. Today, temples are full of worshippers and grounds covered by incense smoke and burnt currency printed for the dead.
China has even constructed a bronze-clad statue of Guanyin, a Buddha native to China, off Hainan Island, built by design to be taller than the Statue of Liberty. Buddhism has always been the dominant religion in China. Why has Western media not acknowledged the liberalization of worship in the country?
Surely no one is suggesting that only the practice of Christian religions count toward religious freedom.
About the time of Bush's trip to Asia, the Washington-based Pew Research Center released a remarkable survey as part of their global attitudes project. The survey revealed that 76 percent of the Chinese people living in urban areas expect their lives to improve over the next five years. For the United States, it was 48 percent, closer to Russia's 45 percent.
When asked if they were "satisfied with the way things are going at home," 72 percent in China responded "satisfied," and only 19 percent "not satisfied." In the United States, the survey indicated only 39 percent satisfied and 57 percent not satisfied.
Even more remarkable than Pew's result is the near total absence of coverage about this survey in Western media. Only the International Herald Tribune, distributed outside of America, ran the story. None of the wire services and none of the major American dailies even mentioned this poll.
Why such a lack of interest? The global attitudes project was co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Senator John Danforth. Pew's many other surveys were always cited by the mainstream U.S media. Could it be because people allegedly deprived of freedom have no right to be optimistic?
President Bush, it seems, should have saved his lecture for his good buddy, Russia's president Vladimir Putin at the APEC meeting in South Korea. At least with Putin, Bush would have spoken from a relative position of strength.
Bush also misfired by holding Taiwan as a model to which China should aspire to. People in Asia have not forgotten that the last election of this so-called model of democracy saw a miraculous intervention of a supposed assassination attempt on the eve of the 2004 election. The sympathy from the superficial wound on Chen Shui Bian's belly was far more effective than any hanging chads or Swift Boat veterans that influenced the outcome in America.
Now that Beijing has offered to buy agriculture products from Taiwan tariff-free and dangled the prospect of sending millions of affluent mainland tourists to Taiwan, the economic pressure on Chen to revise his no-negotiation stance is mounting. The opposition leaders in Taiwan have already reached rapprochement with Beijing, further isolating Chen.
It will be interesting to see how long Chen can abide by rules in the books without new subterfuge. His predecessor, Lee Teng Hui, was known to make revision of the Taiwan's constitution an annual exercise.
More than 1 million Taiwanese have already voted with their feet by moving to live in the mainland. Even 100,000-plus Americans are now living in China. Such voluntary migration of people flies in the face of the image of a repressive China portrayed by the western media.
During his visit to Asia, President Bush has shifted to a perceptibly softer diplomatic approach from his previous hard rhetoric. It is a small but hopefully significant step toward collaboration instead of confrontation. Western media needs to take off their biased filters and see China for what it has become -- a progressive nation on the move Read more!
This reminds me of the conservative republicans that call the Western Media -- "The Liberal Media"--here we have the communist, government media that is making sweeping accusations about how our media has a bias--which I think is really funny. They can't talk in truth about their government, so it makes sense to just point and laugh at ours....
Bush in China
George Koonull Updated: 2005-11-22 10:37
Coming off a new low in domestic approval ratings and battered by a decidedly hostile reception in Latin America, a mellower and gentler President George W. Bush brought a more conciliatory message to Asia.
Western media stressed the part of Bush's speech in Japan where he suggested that China should look upon Taiwan as its model for democracy and freedom. The reference to Taiwan occupied only two short paragraphs out of 34 of his prepared text. China chose to ignore the reference when Bush arrived in Beijing.
Bush began his speech in Beijing by praising China for its economic progress and for its role in the six-party talks with North Korea. He gave a subtle signal about the need for more religious freedom in China by attending a Protestant church service near the Tiananmen.
Alas, both the president and the media entourage showed dismaying flaws in their understanding of China.
When Thomas Murphy, then chairman of General Motors, visited Beijing in 1978, he too attended mass at a Catholic church near where Bush attended the protestant service. Giving subtle signals about religious freedom was far from Murphy's mind, however. His only intent was to be a good Irish Catholic.
What has changed during this interval is the degree to which Buddhist temples have flourished. Today, temples are full of worshippers and grounds covered by incense smoke and burnt currency printed for the dead.
China has even constructed a bronze-clad statue of Guanyin, a Buddha native to China, off Hainan Island, built by design to be taller than the Statue of Liberty. Buddhism has always been the dominant religion in China. Why has Western media not acknowledged the liberalization of worship in the country?
Surely no one is suggesting that only the practice of Christian religions count toward religious freedom.
About the time of Bush's trip to Asia, the Washington-based Pew Research Center released a remarkable survey as part of their global attitudes project. The survey revealed that 76 percent of the Chinese people living in urban areas expect their lives to improve over the next five years. For the United States, it was 48 percent, closer to Russia's 45 percent.
When asked if they were "satisfied with the way things are going at home," 72 percent in China responded "satisfied," and only 19 percent "not satisfied." In the United States, the survey indicated only 39 percent satisfied and 57 percent not satisfied.
Even more remarkable than Pew's result is the near total absence of coverage about this survey in Western media. Only the International Herald Tribune, distributed outside of America, ran the story. None of the wire services and none of the major American dailies even mentioned this poll.
Why such a lack of interest? The global attitudes project was co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Senator John Danforth. Pew's many other surveys were always cited by the mainstream U.S media. Could it be because people allegedly deprived of freedom have no right to be optimistic?
President Bush, it seems, should have saved his lecture for his good buddy, Russia's president Vladimir Putin at the APEC meeting in South Korea. At least with Putin, Bush would have spoken from a relative position of strength.
Bush also misfired by holding Taiwan as a model to which China should aspire to. People in Asia have not forgotten that the last election of this so-called model of democracy saw a miraculous intervention of a supposed assassination attempt on the eve of the 2004 election. The sympathy from the superficial wound on Chen Shui Bian's belly was far more effective than any hanging chads or Swift Boat veterans that influenced the outcome in America.
Now that Beijing has offered to buy agriculture products from Taiwan tariff-free and dangled the prospect of sending millions of affluent mainland tourists to Taiwan, the economic pressure on Chen to revise his no-negotiation stance is mounting. The opposition leaders in Taiwan have already reached rapprochement with Beijing, further isolating Chen.
It will be interesting to see how long Chen can abide by rules in the books without new subterfuge. His predecessor, Lee Teng Hui, was known to make revision of the Taiwan's constitution an annual exercise.
More than 1 million Taiwanese have already voted with their feet by moving to live in the mainland. Even 100,000-plus Americans are now living in China. Such voluntary migration of people flies in the face of the image of a repressive China portrayed by the western media.
During his visit to Asia, President Bush has shifted to a perceptibly softer diplomatic approach from his previous hard rhetoric. It is a small but hopefully significant step toward collaboration instead of confrontation. Western media needs to take off their biased filters and see China for what it has become -- a progressive nation on the move Read more!
100 tons of chemicals flowed into river(China Daily/chinadaily.com.cn)Updated: 2005-11-25 05:47
About 100 tons of dangerous chemicals equivalent to 10 tanker-truck loads was spewed into the Songhua River, which supplies water to Harbin, the nation's environment watchdog disclosed yesterday.
Zhang Lijun, vice-minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), told a press conference in Beijing that Jilin Petrochemical Corporation, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), "should be responsible" for the leak of benzene and its derivatives following an explosion at a chemical plant.
"We will be very clear about who's responsible. It is the chemical plant of the CNPC," Zhang said.
Asked whether the company might face criminal charges or fines, he said that had not been decided.
A stretch of potentially lethal polluted river water headed towards one of China's biggest cities on Thursday after an explosion at a petrochemical plant, November 24 2005. [newsphoto]
The plant, on the upper reaches of the river in Jilin Province, earlier denied any connection between the contaminated water and the explosion on November 13, which left a trail of dead fish.
But Jilin Vice-Governor Jiao Zhengzhong, also Party secretary of Jilin city, apologized to the 3.8 million residents of Harbin on Wednesday during a visit there. He brought 71 tons of mineral water with him. "We will work with the Heilongjiang provincial government to quickly investigate the incident," Jiao said.
CNPC also apologized to Heilongjiang people Thursday. Its deputy general manager Zeng Yukang expressed his sincere sympathy and deep apologies to the residents of Heilongjiang Province.
Zeng, who is also director of Daqing Petroleum Administration Bureau, came to Harbin on Wednesday, heading a drilling crew which is to dig 100 deep groundwater wells for universities and college as well as water and heat suppliers in the city.
Zeng also deemed it CNPC's duty to help treat the pollution, according to the city government of Harbin.
Water supply has been suspended in Harbin since Tuesday midnight and the city government is keeping a close watch on an 80-kilometre swathe of polluted water in the Songhua which flowed into the city early yesterday morning.
We know where the toxic water is and how its density changes," said Li Weixiang, director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Environment Protection Bureau.
The slick, flowing at about 2 kilometres an hour, is expected to pass the city by Saturday morning.
The Harbin Water Purification Plant said it could restart water supply on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
Heilongjiang Governor Zhang Zuoji earlier vowed to "drink the first mouthful of water once the supply is resumed" to ease people's worry about water quality.
On the second day of the water-supply suspension, Harbin residents found it much easier to buy bottled water, which was readily available in shops and supermarkets.
"Now it is totally unnecessary to worry about buying water," said Teng Song, a postgraduate student of Harbin Institute of Technology.
The city has drilled 55 wells in three days, and more will be dug, the government said on its website.
But many people still chose to leave the city.
For the fourth day in a row, sales of air and rail tickets remained brisk as many were sending the elderly and the young to other places.
A saleswoman in Harbin North Ticket Centre, one of the largest in the city, told China Daily there was strong demand with tickets to Guangzhou and Shanghai sold out for yesterday.
Liu Yunlong, a businessman, said he would send his two sons to Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province. "I can't afford to let anything happen to my children," he said.
On the international front, China has informed Russia of the situation in the Songhua River which flows into the neighbouring country Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a press briefing in Beijing yesterday.
The Songhua is a tributary of the Heilong River (called Amur River in Russia).
China will try its utmost to minimize the impact on neighboring Russia, including intensifying monitoring and water quality control measures.
"China is very concerned about the possible hazards to Russia and has informed its neighbor several times of the pollution," Liu said, "Both have pledged to cooperate closely to handle the pollution."
At another press conference, SEPA Vice-minister Zhang Lijun said the Chinese side will keep informing the Russian side of what it has learnt from our monitoring.
"The two sides are making specific arrangements for opening a hotline for the matter".
He said the polluted water in the Songhua River, which reached Heilongjiang provincial capital Harbin on Thursday morning, is expected to flow into the Heilongjiang River (called the Amur River in Russia) on the Sino-Russian border in around 14 days judging from the current flow speed. Read more!
About 100 tons of dangerous chemicals equivalent to 10 tanker-truck loads was spewed into the Songhua River, which supplies water to Harbin, the nation's environment watchdog disclosed yesterday.
Zhang Lijun, vice-minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), told a press conference in Beijing that Jilin Petrochemical Corporation, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), "should be responsible" for the leak of benzene and its derivatives following an explosion at a chemical plant.
"We will be very clear about who's responsible. It is the chemical plant of the CNPC," Zhang said.
Asked whether the company might face criminal charges or fines, he said that had not been decided.
A stretch of potentially lethal polluted river water headed towards one of China's biggest cities on Thursday after an explosion at a petrochemical plant, November 24 2005. [newsphoto]
The plant, on the upper reaches of the river in Jilin Province, earlier denied any connection between the contaminated water and the explosion on November 13, which left a trail of dead fish.
But Jilin Vice-Governor Jiao Zhengzhong, also Party secretary of Jilin city, apologized to the 3.8 million residents of Harbin on Wednesday during a visit there. He brought 71 tons of mineral water with him. "We will work with the Heilongjiang provincial government to quickly investigate the incident," Jiao said.
CNPC also apologized to Heilongjiang people Thursday. Its deputy general manager Zeng Yukang expressed his sincere sympathy and deep apologies to the residents of Heilongjiang Province.
Zeng, who is also director of Daqing Petroleum Administration Bureau, came to Harbin on Wednesday, heading a drilling crew which is to dig 100 deep groundwater wells for universities and college as well as water and heat suppliers in the city.
Zeng also deemed it CNPC's duty to help treat the pollution, according to the city government of Harbin.
Water supply has been suspended in Harbin since Tuesday midnight and the city government is keeping a close watch on an 80-kilometre swathe of polluted water in the Songhua which flowed into the city early yesterday morning.
We know where the toxic water is and how its density changes," said Li Weixiang, director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Environment Protection Bureau.
The slick, flowing at about 2 kilometres an hour, is expected to pass the city by Saturday morning.
The Harbin Water Purification Plant said it could restart water supply on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
Heilongjiang Governor Zhang Zuoji earlier vowed to "drink the first mouthful of water once the supply is resumed" to ease people's worry about water quality.
On the second day of the water-supply suspension, Harbin residents found it much easier to buy bottled water, which was readily available in shops and supermarkets.
"Now it is totally unnecessary to worry about buying water," said Teng Song, a postgraduate student of Harbin Institute of Technology.
The city has drilled 55 wells in three days, and more will be dug, the government said on its website.
But many people still chose to leave the city.
For the fourth day in a row, sales of air and rail tickets remained brisk as many were sending the elderly and the young to other places.
A saleswoman in Harbin North Ticket Centre, one of the largest in the city, told China Daily there was strong demand with tickets to Guangzhou and Shanghai sold out for yesterday.
Liu Yunlong, a businessman, said he would send his two sons to Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning Province. "I can't afford to let anything happen to my children," he said.
On the international front, China has informed Russia of the situation in the Songhua River which flows into the neighbouring country Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a press briefing in Beijing yesterday.
The Songhua is a tributary of the Heilong River (called Amur River in Russia).
China will try its utmost to minimize the impact on neighboring Russia, including intensifying monitoring and water quality control measures.
"China is very concerned about the possible hazards to Russia and has informed its neighbor several times of the pollution," Liu said, "Both have pledged to cooperate closely to handle the pollution."
At another press conference, SEPA Vice-minister Zhang Lijun said the Chinese side will keep informing the Russian side of what it has learnt from our monitoring.
"The two sides are making specific arrangements for opening a hotline for the matter".
He said the polluted water in the Songhua River, which reached Heilongjiang provincial capital Harbin on Thursday morning, is expected to flow into the Heilongjiang River (called the Amur River in Russia) on the Sino-Russian border in around 14 days judging from the current flow speed. Read more!
These pictures will tell a very funny story tommorow.... I am planning on spending the entire day drinking green tea and writing some of the wonderful stories that have made this trip to China such a wonderful experience.Many thanks to those of you gave me a call this thanksgiving and the notes of appreciation for the site-- it is always so nice that people are reading this material.
I will be uploading much information tommorow afternoon.... Mean while, enjoy these pictures and the story below....
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
FROM CHINA DAILY TODAY (See if you can spot the propoganda)
Commentary: Cover-up can't hide murky water truth(China Daily)Updated: 2005-11-25 06:00
With confirmation by the State Environmental Protection Administration that the Songhua River has been contaminated by benzene and nitrobenzene, action by Harbin municipal government has proven to be timely and necessary.
As the contaminated swathe of water approached the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, local residents finally heard an apology from neighbouring Jilin Province, where an explosion in a chemical plant belonging to Jilin Petrochemical Corporation on November 13 caused the problem.
A delegation headed by Jiao Zhengzhong, vice-governor of Jilin Province and Party secretary of the city of Jilin where the chemical plant is located, came to Harbin on Wednesday to apologize to local residents. The delegation has brought with it 71 tons of mineral water to atone for the inconvenience the pollution has brought to Harbin residents.
Zeng Yukang, director of Daqing Petroleum Administration, also in the delegation, apologized on behalf of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) to Harbin's residents.
Both Jilin Petrochemical Corporation and Daqing Petroleum Administration are under the auspice of CNPC.
However, the Jilin corporation denied the pollution of river water three days ago. It said that the explosion produced only carbon dioxide and water, which would definitely cause no pollution to the water of the Songhua River, according to a report by China Business News on Tuesday.
It also promised it had a sewage treatment plant and it did not discharge any untreated water into the river, the report said.
In the same report, an anonymous source from the Jilin provincial government revealed that the river was indeed contaminated by a toxic spill from the explosion.
People cannot help but doubt that the Jilin corporation was trying to cover up the truth. A local report says the benzene and nitrobenzene from the explosion were washed down into the river by the water from the fire engines.
This has further deepened people's suspicion that the corporation would have known about the pollution immediately after the explosion.
A spokesman from Heilongjiang Environmental Protection Bureau said at a news conference on Wednesday that on November 20, the level of benzene and nitrobenzene was checked at the border between the two provinces, and found to be much higher than the State standard.
Even then, the authorities of the corporation bluntly denied that the river water had been contaminated.
A spokesman from the State Environmental Protection Administration said yesterday at a news conference that Jilin Province and Jilin Petrochemical Corporation had adopted timely measures to stop the toxic spill from being discharged into the river immediately after the explosion.
This shows that the corporation knew very clearly about the contamination and its possible result but still wanted to keep the secret to itself.
Leaders from the Jilin provincial government and Daqing Petroleum Administration apologized for the contamination of river water and for the inconvenience and losses the pollution has inflicted on Harbin's residents. But they never apologized for the hiding of truth.
We do not know what is behind the cover-up. It might be because they were afraid that they would have to pay money for the losses the pollution has incurred in Harbin, and it might be because they were afraid of losing face.
But the fact is they have brought shame on themselves by covering up the truth.
We sincerely hope that no cover-up of a similar nature occurs again in the future. Read more!
24 November 2005
Thanksgiving--another crazy day in China
To my shock and amazement, today was actually a great thanksgiving. Its over at about the same that every other thanksgiving is over, about 900pm, I am tired from all the food and activity that the day had brought forth.
As per usual with Chinese festivities, I wasn't made aware that anything special was going to be happening until just after 10 this morning, when one of the cute chinese girls calls me and asks me if I can attend a special dinner and performance. I had known that the finals of the University singing/lipsynching to the worst English songs known to man was scheduled, but I had no idea that it would hold what we were in store for.
I will upload some pics tommorow, but the food was horrid at first. I ate most of a frog before I finally asked what it was, and the fish, which I took a picture of, was made in my honor, so I was forced to eat it. Not good-as you will see.
Then, I was told about 430 this afternoon, that I was going to be performing in the middle of the show, so again, I performed a SONG in front of 2,500 people.
The song, thank god, was my choice.
I chose, The Scientist, by Coldplay.
I had three bouquets of flowers thrown to me for my excellant job in performance.
Pics tommorow.... Read more!
As per usual with Chinese festivities, I wasn't made aware that anything special was going to be happening until just after 10 this morning, when one of the cute chinese girls calls me and asks me if I can attend a special dinner and performance. I had known that the finals of the University singing/lipsynching to the worst English songs known to man was scheduled, but I had no idea that it would hold what we were in store for.
I will upload some pics tommorow, but the food was horrid at first. I ate most of a frog before I finally asked what it was, and the fish, which I took a picture of, was made in my honor, so I was forced to eat it. Not good-as you will see.
Then, I was told about 430 this afternoon, that I was going to be performing in the middle of the show, so again, I performed a SONG in front of 2,500 people.
The song, thank god, was my choice.
I chose, The Scientist, by Coldplay.
I had three bouquets of flowers thrown to me for my excellant job in performance.
Pics tommorow.... Read more!
Thanksgiving--rememberances
In honor of today's Thanksgiving, I thought it might be a good idea to go back in time one year ago today and remember what will always live in my memory as the strangest, yet most personal thanksgiving ever.
Although this journal entry, which I have printed below is just a small example of how I felt that day, looking back on the memory it was an exciting time. One thing about the chinese that always interested me more than anything else was how they managed to get as excited as young children over the western holidays with which they had so little familiarity.
Today is bound to be equally as special as it is Lili's first thanksgiving as well and I think she, like the Chinese, is equally excited to see whats in store, to feel that holiday cheer that comes with all of these winter like holidays.
I had a lot more to say in the previous entry that was swallowed up by cyberspace when the computer decided to go into hybernation and not save the information.... but this brief moment is somehow more intimate than the last entry.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you take a moment to be thankful for something.
And now, a moment from a year ago today....
Thanksgiving 2005.....
To my shock and amazement, today was actually a great thanksgiving. Its over at about the same that every other thanksgiving is over, about 900pm, I am tired from all the food and activity that the day had brought forth.
As per usual with Chinese festivities, I wasn't made aware that anything special was going to be happening until just after 10 this morning, when one of the cute chinese girls calls me and asks me if I can attend a special dinner and performance. I had known that the finals of the University singing/lipsynching to the worst English songs known to man was scheduled, but I had no idea that it would hold what we were in store for.
I will upload some pics tommorow, but the food was horrid at first. I ate most of a frog before I finally asked what it was, and the fish, which I took a picture of, was made in my honor, so I was forced to eat it. Not good-as you will see.
Then, I was told about 430 this afternoon, that I was going to be performing in the middle of the show, so again, I performed a SONG in front of 2,500 people.
The song, thank god, was my choice.
I chose, The Scientist, by Coldplay.
I had three bouquets of flowers thrown to me for my excellant job in performance.
Pics tommorow.... Read more!
Although this journal entry, which I have printed below is just a small example of how I felt that day, looking back on the memory it was an exciting time. One thing about the chinese that always interested me more than anything else was how they managed to get as excited as young children over the western holidays with which they had so little familiarity.
Today is bound to be equally as special as it is Lili's first thanksgiving as well and I think she, like the Chinese, is equally excited to see whats in store, to feel that holiday cheer that comes with all of these winter like holidays.
I had a lot more to say in the previous entry that was swallowed up by cyberspace when the computer decided to go into hybernation and not save the information.... but this brief moment is somehow more intimate than the last entry.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you take a moment to be thankful for something.
And now, a moment from a year ago today....
Thanksgiving 2005.....
To my shock and amazement, today was actually a great thanksgiving. Its over at about the same that every other thanksgiving is over, about 900pm, I am tired from all the food and activity that the day had brought forth.
As per usual with Chinese festivities, I wasn't made aware that anything special was going to be happening until just after 10 this morning, when one of the cute chinese girls calls me and asks me if I can attend a special dinner and performance. I had known that the finals of the University singing/lipsynching to the worst English songs known to man was scheduled, but I had no idea that it would hold what we were in store for.
I will upload some pics tommorow, but the food was horrid at first. I ate most of a frog before I finally asked what it was, and the fish, which I took a picture of, was made in my honor, so I was forced to eat it. Not good-as you will see.
Then, I was told about 430 this afternoon, that I was going to be performing in the middle of the show, so again, I performed a SONG in front of 2,500 people.
The song, thank god, was my choice.
I chose, The Scientist, by Coldplay.
I had three bouquets of flowers thrown to me for my excellant job in performance.
Pics tommorow.... Read more!
23 November 2005
While you are enjoying your lovely meal....
Although this might not look like your traditional thanksgiving grub, it was pretty tasty. This is what I got when I ordered good old Spaghetti with Meat Sauce!!! Lovely, I know.
Woof Woof--too bad this isnt a husky, but then again... enough of them were killed last weekend....
Maybe a nice weekend of Stuffed Dog instead of a turkey?
Ahhhh, the BoBoGow marketplace, where all the Chinese women will go to make the preparations for their thanksgiving feast--mmmm delicious!!! --Oh wait, THE CHINESE DON'T CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING!!
No chance for a turkey--they aren't here in China--but there is plenty of HAM--if you dare!!!
Another roadside attraction-- fresh Corn on the cob with something that looks like Butter--except its oil with sugar?
I did, however, find fresh strawberries this morning for sale at the market. Its the end of November and we are still getting fresh strawberries---!!! Read more!
Woof Woof--too bad this isnt a husky, but then again... enough of them were killed last weekend....Maybe a nice weekend of Stuffed Dog instead of a turkey?
Ahhhh, the BoBoGow marketplace, where all the Chinese women will go to make the preparations for their thanksgiving feast--mmmm delicious!!! --Oh wait, THE CHINESE DON'T CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING!!
No chance for a turkey--they aren't here in China--but there is plenty of HAM--if you dare!!!
Another roadside attraction-- fresh Corn on the cob with something that looks like Butter--except its oil with sugar?
I did, however, find fresh strawberries this morning for sale at the market. Its the end of November and we are still getting fresh strawberries---!!! Read more!
22 November 2005
It has certainly been awhile since I have posted a normal prose based entry, so I thought I would do this before going to bed.
Winter has arrived, so my mood has changed slightly. Winter here is close to the same temperature that we have in Seattle, except there are virtually no clouds and just a little rain over the last couple of days. The mountain out the back of my house is beckoning to me--I have been up about 1/4 of the way the other day and had to turn back because the day was quickly becoming the night.
We are nearing the end of my first term of instruction-- the term will offically end on the 15th of January, but the intruction will end at the end of the year according to our calender. This will be nice, but I wanted to be out of school in the middle of February, when the weather would be just a little warmer. I will more than likely head off to Hainan and the south end for the first couple of weeks and then go up to beiijing if I feel like it--well see. I might begin my big trip near Mongolia and head to Xi'an and then over to Beijing and then south down to Shanghai and head down the coast of China to check it out.. I'll have to see.
Things are good, all in all. The book about China is actually taking its shape now and I am excited to be writing more than I ever have before. It is a nice feeling to finally feel like I am in the groove of writing. It is coming so easily these days, mostly because of the time that I have available to get all my busy work done and I still manage to have some energy left. A nice feeling overall.
I am going to miss thanksgiving. Read more!
Winter has arrived, so my mood has changed slightly. Winter here is close to the same temperature that we have in Seattle, except there are virtually no clouds and just a little rain over the last couple of days. The mountain out the back of my house is beckoning to me--I have been up about 1/4 of the way the other day and had to turn back because the day was quickly becoming the night.
We are nearing the end of my first term of instruction-- the term will offically end on the 15th of January, but the intruction will end at the end of the year according to our calender. This will be nice, but I wanted to be out of school in the middle of February, when the weather would be just a little warmer. I will more than likely head off to Hainan and the south end for the first couple of weeks and then go up to beiijing if I feel like it--well see. I might begin my big trip near Mongolia and head to Xi'an and then over to Beijing and then south down to Shanghai and head down the coast of China to check it out.. I'll have to see.
Things are good, all in all. The book about China is actually taking its shape now and I am excited to be writing more than I ever have before. It is a nice feeling to finally feel like I am in the groove of writing. It is coming so easily these days, mostly because of the time that I have available to get all my busy work done and I still manage to have some energy left. A nice feeling overall.
I am going to miss thanksgiving. Read more!
20 November 2005
The European Commission has just announced an agreement
whereby English will be the official language of the European
Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded
that English spelling had some room for improvement and
has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known
as "Euro-English.
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".
Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.
The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k".
This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less
letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year
when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f".
This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be
expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are
possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double
letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e"
in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps
such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords
kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl
riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis
and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza.
Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer,
ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepul. Read more!
whereby English will be the official language of the European
Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded
that English spelling had some room for improvement and
has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known
as "Euro-English.
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".
Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.
The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k".
This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less
letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year
when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f".
This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be
expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are
possible. Governments will enkourage the removal of double
letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e"
in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps
such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords
kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl
riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis
and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza.
Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer,
ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepul. Read more!
16 November 2005
American Culture Lecture
More than 2,000 people in attendance-- and the guy that took the pictures sucks. So there arent many of them, but here they are.
Read more!
Read more!
Chinese Wedding
I had the pleasure of attending a Chinese wedding, in which, to my surprise, I was the guest of honor. Having spent time with this family previously, I was excited to be in their company again for such a joyous occasion.This picture was taken outside of the main area where the event was held, at my friend Julian's grandparents house in the Countryside. These were guests of the wedding, a fun group of men who loved to follow me around chanting the Hello's!!! and NICE TO MEET YOU's!! throughout the cold and wet afternoon.
The man on my back insisted on jumping on my back as the picture was being taken. It was quite funny.
The two grandfathers of the party. The elder men of the house. To my surprise, I would be seated at the most honored table in their home during the wedding reception. Julian was asked not to sit at the table, but I insisted because he was my translator!!!
I did not get to kill the pig as planned, I had to teach lessons when they decided to do it, but here is one of them, in all their glory. A nice yummy pig particle sitting on hooks for god knows how long. They cooked two entire pigs for the wedding--and most of it was delicious--although I did have some pig liver that looked just like steak--which was tolerable, but pig liver is just not so appealing to me... :)
MMMMMM, pork dishes!!! Lovely Chinese food, that to my shock and surprise, didnt make me ill at all, but then again it might have been the Bijao-Homemade Chinese rice wine-- think of everclear with a pineapple flavor--everytime a dish is served you must toast the dish for good luck, so the Bi-jo was flowing like the Yangtze.
One of my favorite shots-- the bride and groom entering the reception with literally thousands of firecrackers going off all over the place--an intense display --the smoke and gunpowder from the display almost made me gag several times. The clouds were so thick you couldn't see the ground in front of you, but I just kept following the red umbrella!
The happy couple in their new bedroom at Grandmas house. I am not sure if they are going to be living here or not, but it was very interesting to see. They recieved as a gift a new bedroom set complete with a refrigerator (a big deal here in the countryside). It was pretty cool.
Oh yeah, my favorite shot. There is another one before this where his mouth is closed and he is really smiling huge, it is cute, but this one, this one will make me feel great anytime I am concerned about my teeth. This is not an uncommon site in China--bad teeth are everywhere. This mans teeth were simply amazing--I would be one grumpy bastard if I had that much mouth cancer, but this guy was just awesome.
Ahhhh, Bijo at the head table!!! This is the head of the house, the elder grandfather of the clan. To drink with him is a wonderful honor.
A fun random shot. The women in the green is the happiest woman I have ever met. Capturing her smile on film is truly as beautiful as the highest peaks of Guilin.Well, that's enough for now... If you haven't already, check out the other pics of Guilin. I will be spending the next couple of days grading more than 200 papers on the Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and doing some consulting work with the students on their final projects.
Winter has finally hit here in Chenzhou, as you might be able to tell. That was the only thing that was so unfortunate about the whole wedding, the weather sucked. I wore my suit and a simple Patagonia parka and was freezing most of the afternoon--most of the area where we were was outside and there was no heat except for the fires used to cook the food--just amazing to me. When Joe Wadden said that it will be good to live so close to the bone, I now know what he meant!!! Read more!
14 November 2005
I had the pleasure of having a dumpling party this past Saturday night, which, as you can see, involved the making of hundreds of dumplings!!!It was an exciting time and many dumplings were to be had by all!!
In all, we made close to 500 dumplings, and only ate about three hundred, so there are about 200 dumplings sitting in my freezer right now!
We made pork and onion, pork and mushroom, beef and mashed potato with cumin (I finally found cumin, so life is a little better now), and various veggie samplers. Delicious and good for your health!!!
This is a shot from the main centre in Yangshou, where all the westerners hang out. It was such a beautiful weekend and an equally beautiful place as well...!Another monkey shot for Jacobe... These monkeys were just hanging out at the Famous (everything is famous in China) Seven Stars Park. The monkeys paid no attention to you unless you annoyed them or gave them peanuts. This first shot was when I moved a little too quickly and the monkey king shot me a threatning look.... The other shot is the monkeys on the peanut watch. Notice the younger one on the back end-- So cute, but nasty at the same time!!!
Anyway, I am off to a traditional Chinese wedding today. I am scheduled to help kill the pig as a sign of good luck. I hope it isn't too big-I hear they can get to be quite difficult to kill once they figure out that they are the guest of honor. The wedding is going to last over two days--I'll try to take a lot of pictures.... Read more!
11 November 2005
Halloween
I almost forgot Halloween was last week. It was on a monday, which is my day to teach Literature and my students quickly pointed out that today was Halloween. They asked me how I was going to celebrate it and the perfect thing sprang into my mind: I'll show a scary movie for the students!!
They all gasp in unison, all 56 of them. They began to mutter to each other about what I had just said, you could see the wheels churning in their head.
"What will you show, Mr. Tim?"
I had just picked up a copy of Frankenstein from the creators of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on DVD, so I thought, why not? We were studying Mary Shelley's chilling tale in class as an Audiobook for the Halloween Holiday, so it seemed fitting.
Throughout the day, I kept thinking that the movie wasn't Halloweenie enough, these kids would be let down if the movie sucked and my rep would be on the line for delivering good quality entertainment to the Chinese college kids.
Word spread faster than herpes on homecoming weekend that I was showing a scary Halloween movie. People sent me text messages of excitement and concern--and the place only holds 1,000 students to see the film, so people were trying to get VIP into the showing. I laughed heartily and said a firm No.
I decided to add another film, Ring 2, to the lineup. It scared me in a creepy kind of way--not to mention that the main spooky character kind of looks like she is Asain. (This would be a constant commentary for days after the showing--"If she is Asain, she must be Japanese, because Chinese girls are never that ugly!!" --One of my lovely nationalist students.
First off, more than 2,000 kids showed up to see the film. There were injuries. People were crushed getting into the doors. It was like David Beckham and Yao Ming were presenting the film themselves.
I arrived fashionably late, my cell phone ringing frantically from the other students who were afraid of the large crowd that had gathered outside--they needed guidance. Upon arrival, I couldn't believe the amount of students. It was just a few hours ago that I had even thought about showing a film and suddenly there were thousands of kids outside the classroom wanting to see what scary really was.
The first one, Frankenstein basically sucks. Don't waste your time. The students, as well as myself, were pissed off at the ending of the film, which isnt really an ending at all, its almost like they just ran out of film. Annoying. Students told me that the film was not a horror movie, but rather a science fiction film. Haha, I thought--just wait until you see the next one.
Only about 50 students left when that film was over. The rest of them were strangely quiet as the film began. The best part of the entire night, one of the most memorable moments I will ever have of China, was what happened in the next ten minutes. The film opens with a frightening scene where the scary girl Xiomara, comes out of the television to attack the person that has the curse. When she popped out of the televison on the screen, about 200 students schrieked loudly and RAN for the doors. When I say RAN, I mean they ran like their own lives depended on it. It was pure insanity. They were so scared of this women that they did a full sprint out of the place and straight to their dormitories. I have not seen many things funnier in my life.
Throughout the rest of the film, the remaining students tried to hold out as long as they could--but every scene that was a little scary had the students moving quickly out of the theatre and after awhile I decided to give chase after them as they left--which really made for a good time. I chased after two students who literally fell into the squat position and almost peed their pants from being so scared-- it was AWESOME!
The kids talked about the film for days--some of my students were really mad at me because they couldn't sleep the entire night.
"Mr. Tim, I am very angry with you today. Each moment that my eyes closed last night, the girl would come into my dreams and wake me up. This is not a good movie!"
You can't ask for much more than that!!
Most of the students loved it. One of them entered class the following day in a xiomara outfit, no shoes and he hair combed over her head--she looked terrifying... and when some students saw her, they ran out of the other door and down the hall and did not return to class for several minutes.... Read more!
They all gasp in unison, all 56 of them. They began to mutter to each other about what I had just said, you could see the wheels churning in their head.
"What will you show, Mr. Tim?"
I had just picked up a copy of Frankenstein from the creators of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on DVD, so I thought, why not? We were studying Mary Shelley's chilling tale in class as an Audiobook for the Halloween Holiday, so it seemed fitting.
Throughout the day, I kept thinking that the movie wasn't Halloweenie enough, these kids would be let down if the movie sucked and my rep would be on the line for delivering good quality entertainment to the Chinese college kids.
Word spread faster than herpes on homecoming weekend that I was showing a scary Halloween movie. People sent me text messages of excitement and concern--and the place only holds 1,000 students to see the film, so people were trying to get VIP into the showing. I laughed heartily and said a firm No.
I decided to add another film, Ring 2, to the lineup. It scared me in a creepy kind of way--not to mention that the main spooky character kind of looks like she is Asain. (This would be a constant commentary for days after the showing--"If she is Asain, she must be Japanese, because Chinese girls are never that ugly!!" --One of my lovely nationalist students.
First off, more than 2,000 kids showed up to see the film. There were injuries. People were crushed getting into the doors. It was like David Beckham and Yao Ming were presenting the film themselves.
I arrived fashionably late, my cell phone ringing frantically from the other students who were afraid of the large crowd that had gathered outside--they needed guidance. Upon arrival, I couldn't believe the amount of students. It was just a few hours ago that I had even thought about showing a film and suddenly there were thousands of kids outside the classroom wanting to see what scary really was.
The first one, Frankenstein basically sucks. Don't waste your time. The students, as well as myself, were pissed off at the ending of the film, which isnt really an ending at all, its almost like they just ran out of film. Annoying. Students told me that the film was not a horror movie, but rather a science fiction film. Haha, I thought--just wait until you see the next one.
Only about 50 students left when that film was over. The rest of them were strangely quiet as the film began. The best part of the entire night, one of the most memorable moments I will ever have of China, was what happened in the next ten minutes. The film opens with a frightening scene where the scary girl Xiomara, comes out of the television to attack the person that has the curse. When she popped out of the televison on the screen, about 200 students schrieked loudly and RAN for the doors. When I say RAN, I mean they ran like their own lives depended on it. It was pure insanity. They were so scared of this women that they did a full sprint out of the place and straight to their dormitories. I have not seen many things funnier in my life.
Throughout the rest of the film, the remaining students tried to hold out as long as they could--but every scene that was a little scary had the students moving quickly out of the theatre and after awhile I decided to give chase after them as they left--which really made for a good time. I chased after two students who literally fell into the squat position and almost peed their pants from being so scared-- it was AWESOME!
The kids talked about the film for days--some of my students were really mad at me because they couldn't sleep the entire night.
"Mr. Tim, I am very angry with you today. Each moment that my eyes closed last night, the girl would come into my dreams and wake me up. This is not a good movie!"
You can't ask for much more than that!!
Most of the students loved it. One of them entered class the following day in a xiomara outfit, no shoes and he hair combed over her head--she looked terrifying... and when some students saw her, they ran out of the other door and down the hall and did not return to class for several minutes.... Read more!
Shorter, man...
Okay, so I'll start making the entries shorter.
My ability to tell the story is increasing, and with that, so is my prose. You are seeing the first draft of material, which is totally unedited, except for the occasional spell check, when I remember to check it.
I will begin to post more short stories so that you can just skim through it as I realize this is just a blog and you, my loyal readers, want more on the short end instead of waiting for a longer entry. I am still waiting for the pictures to be uploaded, it should happen at some point this weekend. It isn't my camera, so I don't have control over it. Read more!
My ability to tell the story is increasing, and with that, so is my prose. You are seeing the first draft of material, which is totally unedited, except for the occasional spell check, when I remember to check it.
I will begin to post more short stories so that you can just skim through it as I realize this is just a blog and you, my loyal readers, want more on the short end instead of waiting for a longer entry. I am still waiting for the pictures to be uploaded, it should happen at some point this weekend. It isn't my camera, so I don't have control over it. Read more!
09 November 2005
I still have not been able to upload the pictures from Yangshou and Guilin as I did not take them with my own camera and I am waiting for Clare to come and set it up so that I can actually load them for you....
But I will continue with the stories..
Clare and I decided after much deliberation that it made more sense to just call the guy at the travel agency in the train station and pay the overemphasis price. We had try to find one of the open tourist kiosks throughout the town, but we were met with very little success. We found several of the kiosks, but they were all closed in the middle of a friday afternoon--which reminded me once again that this is China. So we called him back and I attempted to bargain with him on the price, knowing that 250rmb is more than we should have to pay, especially because it is no longer the tourist season and he offered me a rate of just 200rmb, but made it sound like this route was by far the worst way to do it and for the extra 50rmb, we could do everything on our own and not have to pay attention to the tour groups and such--which was more appealing to me, so I agreed and booked us on the 250rmb cruise, slightly regretting it. I also inquired about a massage because the hard beds of China has really began to take a toll on my bones and I heard that there were good massage places in Guilin. Again, I got a little screwed on this endeavors as I got booked into a massage place at the nicest hotel in Guilin. It was 100rmb for the massage, which is still cheap in western standards, but if I were to tell a Chinese person about this price, they would shriek at the high rate. Overall, it was a nice massage, except you keep your clothes on, which I was a little surprised by, but it made me feel more comfortable about the whole procedure.
It was a good massage, with her massaging everything except my groin, including my robust buttocks, which made me giggle like a little school girl. She also jumped on top of my back, digging her knees into my back and massaging my body--quite an amazing maneuver.
When it was done, amazingly enough, the woman nodded at my compliments and then began following me saying, TIP! TIP! TIP!, which is something you never, ever, never hear in China. It was the strangest thing. She did a good job, but 100rmb is a lot of money-but I decided to oblige the request, since it is so rare. I stopped and pulled out some money and she saw a 50 note and pointed to it-- TIP TIP! and I shook my head. No way was I giving another 50note, but I did settle on a 20 and went on my way.
The next morning, we awoke at 5:15 to take the shuttle down to the pier and go on the boat ride outside of town. It was scheduled as a 2.5 hour long boat ride and the car was scheduled to pick us up at 6am sharp. He arrived about 10 minutes later than he was expected and we could immediately tell that he knew he was late. He raced through the empty streets of Guilin and got onto the highway in mere minutes. Clare became worried when he got on the freeway because we didn't know exactly where the boat trip started, but we assumed it was in the downtown area. Not true. We were in the car for about 30 minutes while it flew down the highway, trying to get to the destination by 7am, which we made just in time. We were quickly shuffled out of the car and escorted to the boat. We were in the middle of farm country, which basically equated to the middle of nowhere. As we got onto the boat, we quickly noticed that we were the only ones on the boat and the driver of the boat quickly got the engines started and we were off. Immediately, I knew we had made the right decision. Although the process seemed shady, we were now sitting on a long tour boat, the only tourists of the river. We had our own personal moments on the Li Jang river. It was an amazing hour, cruising through the low river. taking in the beautiful scenery--hundreds of small, ragged peaks, all in dense green colors lined the distance, reflecting on the calmness of the river. It was a beautifully odd combination of both serenity and chaos. The river, still and calm as we rode through it, clearer than I thought any river could really be in China. The peaks, small in size, but rugged and fierce--something major happened here not so long ago in the timeliness of the earth and it was violent.
The scale of the mountain range reminds me of my admiration of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, just off the rugged landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau, where I spent some of my most formative summers. These were much different, both in size and distance. The Tetons are a huge range of mountains overlooking the Snake River, while this smaller mountain of the Li Jang river, go for miles upon miles, every turn in the riverbed presents a new series of mountains. I took Clares cameras and spent most of the time on the outside deck on the loud, rusty metal ship that took us through the low river channels.
Eventually, our solo journey came to an end as we met up with the other tour boats, which we about and hour and fifteen minutes ahead of us. We stopped at an island together and we were told to get on another boat, which was equipped with Chinese tourists who instantly got very excited when the learned that two Westerners would be joining their cruise. The next 45 minutes of the cruise was spent stopping periodically at different places to basically waste time as we were close to the end, but the tour stated that it was 2.5 hours, so they have to make it seem like your getting every minutes worth.
I felt like we got our moneys worth--as I said yesterday, the thing you need to remember in China is that it really doesn't matter how much you paid, as long as you feel okay about it. You can afford to get ripped off on occasion in China.
The boat ride does end directly in Yangshou, but just outside of a small village, where there are tour buses that will either take you back to Guilin or to visit Yangshou. Every westerner for some reason simply loves to visit Yangshou, which is also known as Yangers. It is about a 30 minutes ride from where you get dropped off. We were told that it was easy to get a bus ride from the town to Yangshou, but as we arrived, we discovered that this was not entirely the case. We had done more of a budgeted trip, and they didn't cut us a deal on a bus, so we had to attempt to figure out transport. Luckily, a couple from Belgium were in the same boat as we were (pun intended). For whatever reason, their tour bus has just left without them, so they needed to fend for it on their own. We quickly found a cab driver that offered to take us to Yangshou for 50rmb each, which we bargained with her down to 30rmb for all of us. This is another example how too little is never too little.
In the car ride over, we discovered that the couple lives in Brussels, works for the main airline in Brussels, he is a pilot, she is a flight attendant. Because of their jobs, they have traveled all over the world--going to every country on the planet. The woman was a frequent flyer to Africa--this week she will go to Rwanda and live for 10 days. It was interesting to get their take on the different travels, especially Africa.
Upon arrival in Yangshou, we decided to have an early lunch with each other. They took us to a western restaurant that was really an American restaurant. Bacon, Eggs, Pancakes, Burgers, Lasagna, garlic bread--good food and not too expensive.
There was not much discussion while we were enjoying our food--both Clare and I were simply amazed at how delicious everything was--you tend to forget that things taste differently than Chinese food!
The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping and bargaining for different things. I spent a lot more money than I had budgeted for the trip, but I was able to justify it because I had spent so little since my arrival here in China. Overall, I have spent less than 600usd since I have arrived here, plus my monthly salary. I had not really purchased many of the things that I wanted to make sure I bought before leaving China, and I found all of it in Yangshou.
The biggest splurge was on a Chess set that when I saw it, I knew I needed to have it. The original price for the set was 850rmb, which was just ridiculous. Without much effort, I was able to get the price down to a mere 200 rmb and the final sales price was 180rmb. I will send a picture of it in the near future.
Yangshou serves as a good base camp location for going and checking out much of the local area. It is only 50 rmb to rent a motorbike for the afternoon, and the bike tours are very famous. There are many listings on-line for guide services, which usually include a tasty Chinese lunch. We didn't do any of these adventures as I know I will be there again sometime soon.
here's a good link to Yangshou: http://www.yangers.com/ Read more!
But I will continue with the stories..
Clare and I decided after much deliberation that it made more sense to just call the guy at the travel agency in the train station and pay the overemphasis price. We had try to find one of the open tourist kiosks throughout the town, but we were met with very little success. We found several of the kiosks, but they were all closed in the middle of a friday afternoon--which reminded me once again that this is China. So we called him back and I attempted to bargain with him on the price, knowing that 250rmb is more than we should have to pay, especially because it is no longer the tourist season and he offered me a rate of just 200rmb, but made it sound like this route was by far the worst way to do it and for the extra 50rmb, we could do everything on our own and not have to pay attention to the tour groups and such--which was more appealing to me, so I agreed and booked us on the 250rmb cruise, slightly regretting it. I also inquired about a massage because the hard beds of China has really began to take a toll on my bones and I heard that there were good massage places in Guilin. Again, I got a little screwed on this endeavors as I got booked into a massage place at the nicest hotel in Guilin. It was 100rmb for the massage, which is still cheap in western standards, but if I were to tell a Chinese person about this price, they would shriek at the high rate. Overall, it was a nice massage, except you keep your clothes on, which I was a little surprised by, but it made me feel more comfortable about the whole procedure.
It was a good massage, with her massaging everything except my groin, including my robust buttocks, which made me giggle like a little school girl. She also jumped on top of my back, digging her knees into my back and massaging my body--quite an amazing maneuver.
When it was done, amazingly enough, the woman nodded at my compliments and then began following me saying, TIP! TIP! TIP!, which is something you never, ever, never hear in China. It was the strangest thing. She did a good job, but 100rmb is a lot of money-but I decided to oblige the request, since it is so rare. I stopped and pulled out some money and she saw a 50 note and pointed to it-- TIP TIP! and I shook my head. No way was I giving another 50note, but I did settle on a 20 and went on my way.
The next morning, we awoke at 5:15 to take the shuttle down to the pier and go on the boat ride outside of town. It was scheduled as a 2.5 hour long boat ride and the car was scheduled to pick us up at 6am sharp. He arrived about 10 minutes later than he was expected and we could immediately tell that he knew he was late. He raced through the empty streets of Guilin and got onto the highway in mere minutes. Clare became worried when he got on the freeway because we didn't know exactly where the boat trip started, but we assumed it was in the downtown area. Not true. We were in the car for about 30 minutes while it flew down the highway, trying to get to the destination by 7am, which we made just in time. We were quickly shuffled out of the car and escorted to the boat. We were in the middle of farm country, which basically equated to the middle of nowhere. As we got onto the boat, we quickly noticed that we were the only ones on the boat and the driver of the boat quickly got the engines started and we were off. Immediately, I knew we had made the right decision. Although the process seemed shady, we were now sitting on a long tour boat, the only tourists of the river. We had our own personal moments on the Li Jang river. It was an amazing hour, cruising through the low river. taking in the beautiful scenery--hundreds of small, ragged peaks, all in dense green colors lined the distance, reflecting on the calmness of the river. It was a beautifully odd combination of both serenity and chaos. The river, still and calm as we rode through it, clearer than I thought any river could really be in China. The peaks, small in size, but rugged and fierce--something major happened here not so long ago in the timeliness of the earth and it was violent.
The scale of the mountain range reminds me of my admiration of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, just off the rugged landscape of the Yellowstone Plateau, where I spent some of my most formative summers. These were much different, both in size and distance. The Tetons are a huge range of mountains overlooking the Snake River, while this smaller mountain of the Li Jang river, go for miles upon miles, every turn in the riverbed presents a new series of mountains. I took Clares cameras and spent most of the time on the outside deck on the loud, rusty metal ship that took us through the low river channels.
Eventually, our solo journey came to an end as we met up with the other tour boats, which we about and hour and fifteen minutes ahead of us. We stopped at an island together and we were told to get on another boat, which was equipped with Chinese tourists who instantly got very excited when the learned that two Westerners would be joining their cruise. The next 45 minutes of the cruise was spent stopping periodically at different places to basically waste time as we were close to the end, but the tour stated that it was 2.5 hours, so they have to make it seem like your getting every minutes worth.
I felt like we got our moneys worth--as I said yesterday, the thing you need to remember in China is that it really doesn't matter how much you paid, as long as you feel okay about it. You can afford to get ripped off on occasion in China.
The boat ride does end directly in Yangshou, but just outside of a small village, where there are tour buses that will either take you back to Guilin or to visit Yangshou. Every westerner for some reason simply loves to visit Yangshou, which is also known as Yangers. It is about a 30 minutes ride from where you get dropped off. We were told that it was easy to get a bus ride from the town to Yangshou, but as we arrived, we discovered that this was not entirely the case. We had done more of a budgeted trip, and they didn't cut us a deal on a bus, so we had to attempt to figure out transport. Luckily, a couple from Belgium were in the same boat as we were (pun intended). For whatever reason, their tour bus has just left without them, so they needed to fend for it on their own. We quickly found a cab driver that offered to take us to Yangshou for 50rmb each, which we bargained with her down to 30rmb for all of us. This is another example how too little is never too little.
In the car ride over, we discovered that the couple lives in Brussels, works for the main airline in Brussels, he is a pilot, she is a flight attendant. Because of their jobs, they have traveled all over the world--going to every country on the planet. The woman was a frequent flyer to Africa--this week she will go to Rwanda and live for 10 days. It was interesting to get their take on the different travels, especially Africa.
Upon arrival in Yangshou, we decided to have an early lunch with each other. They took us to a western restaurant that was really an American restaurant. Bacon, Eggs, Pancakes, Burgers, Lasagna, garlic bread--good food and not too expensive.
There was not much discussion while we were enjoying our food--both Clare and I were simply amazed at how delicious everything was--you tend to forget that things taste differently than Chinese food!
The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping and bargaining for different things. I spent a lot more money than I had budgeted for the trip, but I was able to justify it because I had spent so little since my arrival here in China. Overall, I have spent less than 600usd since I have arrived here, plus my monthly salary. I had not really purchased many of the things that I wanted to make sure I bought before leaving China, and I found all of it in Yangshou.
The biggest splurge was on a Chess set that when I saw it, I knew I needed to have it. The original price for the set was 850rmb, which was just ridiculous. Without much effort, I was able to get the price down to a mere 200 rmb and the final sales price was 180rmb. I will send a picture of it in the near future.
Yangshou serves as a good base camp location for going and checking out much of the local area. It is only 50 rmb to rent a motorbike for the afternoon, and the bike tours are very famous. There are many listings on-line for guide services, which usually include a tasty Chinese lunch. We didn't do any of these adventures as I know I will be there again sometime soon.
here's a good link to Yangshou: http://www.yangers.com/ Read more!
07 November 2005
Yangshou Part 1
I can imagine another place when I travel in China. I look at my cell phone and the date tells me we are in November, but as the sweat drips from my nose from the humid day, this is weather I have never experienced at this time of the year. This seems like the longest summer of my life and after living in the Pacific Northwest for the last several years, I was long due for weather like this.
As we set off to see some of the most glorious land that exists on this vast earth, we had no idea what we are in for. The weather service, which is always wrong in varying degrees said that there would be morning rain and showers and the outlook for the entire weekend in Guilin was not promising. Still, we decided that we needed more than anything to get out of this space, to go somewhere else and experience the subtle differences in China that each province has.
Guilin is an almost perfect weekend from where we are located. It is a mere 7 hours by train to the city and it is fairly cheap to go into the city, just 75rmb for a seat and about 130 for a hard sleeper. We lucked out in getting a hard sleeper, which I must say is not as bad as rumoured. I will take a picture of them next time I go on a sleeper trip, which will be soon. I left my camera here on accident, so the photo opps were limited (which is especially funny because this trip had the most beautiful scenery of all the places that I have been as of yet).
Sleepers are set up in two ways, 6 to a space, 3 of each side--top, middle and lower. They are spacious enough were someone of my size can sleep in them and they are amazingly comfortable for what they are and what they cost. Although they are double the price of the cheap seats, it is a better more secure way to travel for foreigners and anything over 5 hours, a sleeper should be considered.
Our train left Chenzhou at 11:15, so it was pretty much lights out as we arrived on the train. It was relaxing to get onto the train, get situated and then the lights were turned out and I found most people asleep on the train, so I drink a little water and promptly passed out to the sounds of Radiohead. (Thanks Fargo)
Sleeping on the train works quite well for some. My travelling companion, Clair, doesnt have any problems in crashing out within half an hour of the train departing. I however have already developed an annoying habit of waking up everytime the train stops--and there are a lot of stops. I hope to cure myself of this issue in the near future.
We arrived in Guilin in the early morning, just after 7 am, and the sun was just starting to show itself. As the sun began to shine through the cloudline, we were slightly disapointed in the scenery of the city from where we were. It looked like many of the other Chinese cities that we have seen so many times before this--poor shanty shacks leading into the almost overnight revitalization--highrise, modern apartment houses and condo's. It seemed almost surreal to see these striking differences once again. For some reason I had it engrained in my head that this was not going to be the same as the other cities. Perhaps the Chinese would attempt to preserve their most treasured smaller city to the architecture that was shared with the timeless hills, but as I arrived I thought my thoughts would be proven wrong.
There certainly were let downs by the design of the outskirts of the city, but the parts where they want the tourists to stay is a pleasent mix of the new and the old coming together, but almost in a showcased, tourist kind of way.
As we pulled into the station, I was excited by the prospect of being in another place, experiencing another sampling of the different culutral landscape that makes China such an overwhelming place to visit but slightly disapointed by what I had witnessed thus far.
This would be the last moment of my unfavorable attitude toward such a wonderful and beautiful city. From the moment we stepped off of the train, I was caught in a constantly good mood with the beauty of the area surrounding the city.
Guilin is a shopping city and the various tourist kiosks and bureaus around the city certainly document that. Being the tourists that we are, we were captured by the first person that could find us, an Asain women that seemed to speak fairly good english, which always catches me off guard. I know now that this should always raise a question mark, but when I am on vacation, I don't really mind spending a little extra money if it is worth it. Clair and I immediatly began our discussion on what we should do about a hotel (get one now and drop our things or head out into the city and see where we want to center ourselves or rent a bed in a hostel--so many choices! While discussing what we should do, we are greeted with a
"Hello! How are you today, are you looking for a hotel, boat trip to Yangshou?"
This was a double check mark, which made us almost immediate suckers. She led us into what appeared to be a city run tourist bureau and we were greeted by the boss immediatly upon entering. We saw a couple of other people with big backpacks on and this set my mind to ease--but I didnt want to do anything with these people--just get some information on the various places to stay and head out and find it on our own, but it didnt work out that way. I tried to get a little information and move on our way, but Clare kept talking to the guy and soon enough we had a hotel that fit right in our price range and he quoted the ballpark figure of what the boat trip that we wanted to take would cost (and it matched the guidebook, so it seemed it might be a good enough deal, but I felt that since he got us the hotel room, that was probably good enough for now --no need to book the cruise at the same time as the hotel, so we got his card and went on our way to discover Guilin. He took us to the hotel- (Which is always an indicator that you might have paid too much for the ticket. If they are going to get a commision for the sale, they must present you to the hotel and their price is based on that price.)
The thing about pricing in China is always the same-there is always a cheaper price than what you pay because of your skin color and social status. If you let this bother you, you will not have as good of a time as if you just don't worry about it. To a Chinese person, the difference between 125rmb and 200rmb is a lot of money--to a westerner, it is less than 10 bucks and to pay 20usd for a decent hotel room is a good deal regardless. The key thing is that whenever you meet a Chinese person that is in the tourist business or a Chinese person interested in the goods you purchased or how much you spend, they will always tell you you paid too much for things but the reality is that they don't do much better in most positions. There is a price that is negotiable and its fairly easy to learn this key information when coming to China. Nothing has a set price, but there is always a price that they know they can get for the room or the trinket and they are not going to let it go for any less--but they will charge you more. The key is to play along and have fun with it. Don't be afraid to ever walk away from something because if they really want to get rid of it, they will chase you down and if you really want it, you can always go back and get a better price out of them.
I tell you this now, but I admittly didnt follow these very simple directions at all. When I arrive from a long travel, I want to find a place to put my things and get on with my travelling. I don't want to try and find the perfect room, just something to drop off my stuff and when I come back I can sleep in it. If you are spending too much time in a nice hotel, stay home, save your money and buy a hot tub or something fun. Don't waste your money on an expensive hotel--its just another step away from the real Chinese experiece!!!
So, even though we paid too much for the hotel and a couple of other things--we still had an awesome day in Guilin. We were quick to discover how awesome things were inside of the city--there is easily enough to do in that town for at least a week, if not longer.
Tommorow I will talk more about the adventure--incluiding the personalized 2.5 hour boat trip though the most scenic countryside I have ever seen (and I lived in Yellowstone for two summers--this pretty much tops it), feeding free roaming monkey peanuts and my first American breakfast in over two months...
Wednesday will be the much anticipated pictures, which are nothing short of mindblowing.... Read more!
As we set off to see some of the most glorious land that exists on this vast earth, we had no idea what we are in for. The weather service, which is always wrong in varying degrees said that there would be morning rain and showers and the outlook for the entire weekend in Guilin was not promising. Still, we decided that we needed more than anything to get out of this space, to go somewhere else and experience the subtle differences in China that each province has.
Guilin is an almost perfect weekend from where we are located. It is a mere 7 hours by train to the city and it is fairly cheap to go into the city, just 75rmb for a seat and about 130 for a hard sleeper. We lucked out in getting a hard sleeper, which I must say is not as bad as rumoured. I will take a picture of them next time I go on a sleeper trip, which will be soon. I left my camera here on accident, so the photo opps were limited (which is especially funny because this trip had the most beautiful scenery of all the places that I have been as of yet).
Sleepers are set up in two ways, 6 to a space, 3 of each side--top, middle and lower. They are spacious enough were someone of my size can sleep in them and they are amazingly comfortable for what they are and what they cost. Although they are double the price of the cheap seats, it is a better more secure way to travel for foreigners and anything over 5 hours, a sleeper should be considered.
Our train left Chenzhou at 11:15, so it was pretty much lights out as we arrived on the train. It was relaxing to get onto the train, get situated and then the lights were turned out and I found most people asleep on the train, so I drink a little water and promptly passed out to the sounds of Radiohead. (Thanks Fargo)
Sleeping on the train works quite well for some. My travelling companion, Clair, doesnt have any problems in crashing out within half an hour of the train departing. I however have already developed an annoying habit of waking up everytime the train stops--and there are a lot of stops. I hope to cure myself of this issue in the near future.
We arrived in Guilin in the early morning, just after 7 am, and the sun was just starting to show itself. As the sun began to shine through the cloudline, we were slightly disapointed in the scenery of the city from where we were. It looked like many of the other Chinese cities that we have seen so many times before this--poor shanty shacks leading into the almost overnight revitalization--highrise, modern apartment houses and condo's. It seemed almost surreal to see these striking differences once again. For some reason I had it engrained in my head that this was not going to be the same as the other cities. Perhaps the Chinese would attempt to preserve their most treasured smaller city to the architecture that was shared with the timeless hills, but as I arrived I thought my thoughts would be proven wrong.
There certainly were let downs by the design of the outskirts of the city, but the parts where they want the tourists to stay is a pleasent mix of the new and the old coming together, but almost in a showcased, tourist kind of way.
As we pulled into the station, I was excited by the prospect of being in another place, experiencing another sampling of the different culutral landscape that makes China such an overwhelming place to visit but slightly disapointed by what I had witnessed thus far.
This would be the last moment of my unfavorable attitude toward such a wonderful and beautiful city. From the moment we stepped off of the train, I was caught in a constantly good mood with the beauty of the area surrounding the city.
Guilin is a shopping city and the various tourist kiosks and bureaus around the city certainly document that. Being the tourists that we are, we were captured by the first person that could find us, an Asain women that seemed to speak fairly good english, which always catches me off guard. I know now that this should always raise a question mark, but when I am on vacation, I don't really mind spending a little extra money if it is worth it. Clair and I immediatly began our discussion on what we should do about a hotel (get one now and drop our things or head out into the city and see where we want to center ourselves or rent a bed in a hostel--so many choices! While discussing what we should do, we are greeted with a
"Hello! How are you today, are you looking for a hotel, boat trip to Yangshou?"
This was a double check mark, which made us almost immediate suckers. She led us into what appeared to be a city run tourist bureau and we were greeted by the boss immediatly upon entering. We saw a couple of other people with big backpacks on and this set my mind to ease--but I didnt want to do anything with these people--just get some information on the various places to stay and head out and find it on our own, but it didnt work out that way. I tried to get a little information and move on our way, but Clare kept talking to the guy and soon enough we had a hotel that fit right in our price range and he quoted the ballpark figure of what the boat trip that we wanted to take would cost (and it matched the guidebook, so it seemed it might be a good enough deal, but I felt that since he got us the hotel room, that was probably good enough for now --no need to book the cruise at the same time as the hotel, so we got his card and went on our way to discover Guilin. He took us to the hotel- (Which is always an indicator that you might have paid too much for the ticket. If they are going to get a commision for the sale, they must present you to the hotel and their price is based on that price.)
The thing about pricing in China is always the same-there is always a cheaper price than what you pay because of your skin color and social status. If you let this bother you, you will not have as good of a time as if you just don't worry about it. To a Chinese person, the difference between 125rmb and 200rmb is a lot of money--to a westerner, it is less than 10 bucks and to pay 20usd for a decent hotel room is a good deal regardless. The key thing is that whenever you meet a Chinese person that is in the tourist business or a Chinese person interested in the goods you purchased or how much you spend, they will always tell you you paid too much for things but the reality is that they don't do much better in most positions. There is a price that is negotiable and its fairly easy to learn this key information when coming to China. Nothing has a set price, but there is always a price that they know they can get for the room or the trinket and they are not going to let it go for any less--but they will charge you more. The key is to play along and have fun with it. Don't be afraid to ever walk away from something because if they really want to get rid of it, they will chase you down and if you really want it, you can always go back and get a better price out of them.
I tell you this now, but I admittly didnt follow these very simple directions at all. When I arrive from a long travel, I want to find a place to put my things and get on with my travelling. I don't want to try and find the perfect room, just something to drop off my stuff and when I come back I can sleep in it. If you are spending too much time in a nice hotel, stay home, save your money and buy a hot tub or something fun. Don't waste your money on an expensive hotel--its just another step away from the real Chinese experiece!!!
So, even though we paid too much for the hotel and a couple of other things--we still had an awesome day in Guilin. We were quick to discover how awesome things were inside of the city--there is easily enough to do in that town for at least a week, if not longer.
Tommorow I will talk more about the adventure--incluiding the personalized 2.5 hour boat trip though the most scenic countryside I have ever seen (and I lived in Yellowstone for two summers--this pretty much tops it), feeding free roaming monkey peanuts and my first American breakfast in over two months...
Wednesday will be the much anticipated pictures, which are nothing short of mindblowing.... Read more!
06 November 2005
Guilin Recovery
I am sorry about the lack of postings over the last week. I have been very busy, giving my lecture in front of 3,000 students as well as picking up another oral english class and travelling to Guilin and Yanghshou, some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. Think the Grand Tetons times 100. It is truly an amazing place and I have much to write about, but it is 4am here in China and I have just arrived back in Chenzhou and will be teaching in the morning, so look for more postings in the next couple of days. I am hoping that the pictures turn out as good as I think they will.
Read more!
28 October 2005
Bird Flu is nothing to balk at.....
Prudent or Paranoid?
By Melinda Liu
Newsweek
Updated: 2:06 p.m. ET Oct. 26, 2005
Oct. 26, 2005 - The deadly H5N1 virus is creeping closer to China’s teeming cities—and to me in Beijing. On Wednesday, Chinese media revealed yet another outbreak of avian influenza, the third report in little more than a week. Over the summer H5N1 killed thousands of birds in four outbreaks, but they were all in the remote hinterland of western China, in the Central Asian enclave of Xinjiang or near the Tibetan plateau.
Last week, though, the virus hit closer to home. Thousands of chickens were declared dead in Inner Mongolia, less than a day’s drive from Beijing. Then came Tuesday’s report of dead geese in Anhui province, on the bustling east coast. Wednesday’s news was an H5N1 outbreak among birds in Hunan, a populous southern province.
China has yet to report any human deaths due to bird flu. But a lot of people are betting the fast-mutating H5N1 virus, which is endemic in China, will find a way to spread between humans here. I’m not taking any chances. My husband and I have purchased more than $600 worth of Tamiflu already, enough to treat the entire NEWSWEEK staff in Beijing. Tamiflu is the antiviral medication that experts tell me might lessen the severity of avian influenza in humans, if taken within 48 hours of exposure.
Some of my friends think I’m crazy to stock up on a drug that may or may not help me survive a flu pandemic that may or may not be able to spread among people here. On the other hand, I sat next to a Western television journalist at dinner recently who said he’d purchased thousands of dollars worth of Tamiflu, and was having more shipped in from abroad. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong pharmacies, Tamiflu and another antiviral drug, Relenza, are flying off the shelves.
When my husband picked up a couple more 10-pill courses of Tamiflu yesterday, the pharmacist took pains to tell him the pills should be taken only after exposure to the H5N1 virus, or when exposure is imminent. Some entirely healthy people are popping Tamiflu already, the pharmacist said.
This is not good. If a healthy person has taken Tamiflu over a period of time, and then becomes infected with influenza, there’s a better than 10 percent chance of the virus becoming resistant to the antiviral. If the person is later exposed to avian influenza, resulting in genetic mutation, the result could be an especially malevolent flu virus resistant to Tamiflu.
Instead, the treatment helped alter H5N1 genetically to create a more virulent, amantadine-resistant strain of the virus. “We’re more and more concerned that [amantadine] might not be that useful any longer,” says World Health Organization (WHO) representative Henk Bekedam in Beijing. That’s why so much hope is now pinned on Tamiflu and Relenza, even though they’re much scarcer and more expensive.
It’s not like I relish the thought of living in or near what many people think will be the Ground Zero of bird flu. I’m not sure I have much choice. If the virus begins human-to-human transmission, border crossings around the world would start slamming shut—between nations, between provinces, between cities, maybe even between neighborhoods. A few days ago a Chinese health ministry official declared his nation would seal its borders if even a single case of human-to-human H5N1 transmission is found.
That sent jitters throughout the expat community here, and on Tuesday Foreign Ministry officials tried to calm such concerns by calling the report “inaccurate.” Still, don’t bet on open skies and porous borders for long—except maybe for the migrating wildfowl who currently function as an airborne Influenza Express. If and when this thing becomes a pandemic, hopping on a plane to fly to the West may not be an option for me. What government will welcome an arriving planeload of passengers from China, the place where experts believe the H5N1 virus was born?
The whole question of shutting down borders would become irrelevant very quickly at any rate. WHO’s Dr. Julie Hall in Beijing tells me one Western government recently war-gamed what would happen if it closed its borders to slow the advance of a bird flu pandemic. “It delayed things by just three and a half days,” she says. “If there’s a large cluster [of human deaths] many countries will close their borders, but that may not do much good.” Hall gave China high marks for improving its surveillance system in the wake of the 2003 SARS disaster, when authorities tried to cover up the severity of the crisis that eventually sickened 8,000 people worldwide and left 770 of them dead. But a flu pandemic will be much worse than SARS. She warns against complacency: “We can’t just say, ‘Ah, we did OK during SARS so we’ll be all right in the face of a flu pandemic'.”
The pandemic crisis wouldn’t restrict itself to overflowing hospitals and dying medical staff. Widescale absenteeism, illness and death could disrupt everything from food supplies and transportation to garbage collection and mortuary services. SARS was a medical problem, albeit a serious one. A flu pandemic could tear the fabric of societies and economies around the world.
Take the problem of maintaining social order. Even without a pandemic on their hands, Chinese leaders are obsessed with keeping the lid on escalating mass protests. I’m sure that’s why domestic Chinese media is under orders to downplay—or outright ignore—news of the recent H5N1 outbreaks. There’s a name for this tactic, nei jing wai song, meaning the government takes the problem seriously but isn’t conveying its worries to the public. To tell it like it is “could easily lead to panic,” says Zhong Dajun of the nongovernmental Dajun Economy Research Center. “It would be terrible.”
The fact is, many Chinese are hopping mad already about what they perceive to be unsatisfactory health services. In three quarters of Chinese hospitals, angry patients or their relatives have actually beaten doctors and staff to retaliate for shoddy treatment or exorbitant fees. One disgruntled patient stabbed a well-known doctor to death at a clinic in Fuzhou—and many Netizens who commented on the murder in Internet chat rooms wound up siding with the killer. Hospitals have hired bodyguards to fend off such attacks. Even Health Minister Gao Qiang recently admitted that doctor-patient relations in China are “tense” and unlikely to get better anytime soon. So how much worse would things get when Chinese citizens discover that hospitals don’t have enough respirators to go around? Or that some authorities have been trying to cover up the severity of the crisis? Or that cadres have been hoarding Tamiflu and now stocks have run out?
As Hall puts it: “the only thing that spreads faster than viruses is panic.” To plan for both the medical and nonmedical challenges ahead, I asked my husband, a retired Australian diplomat, to help draft a bird flu contingency and business continuity plan for the NEWSWEEK bureau. He conducted research on the Web and consulted friends in the business of corporate security—who themselves were busy crafting bird flu contingency plans for their clients.
Now I have a meaty 17-page business continuity scheme for the office, and I’ve briefed my staff on the plan. It explains everything from the basics of personal hygiene to how to take Tamiflu properly; from how we might work from home to the procedures we’ll use to decide when to stop working altogether—and start focusing on sheer survival.
I’ve started stockpiling canned tuna, dried noodles and other staples. The contingency plan calls for storing a couple month’s worth of food. Two weeks ago, about the time we bought our first batch of Tamiflu, my husband and I also got inoculated for routine seasonal flu. Nobody wants to become the “mixing vessel” in which H5N1 and human flu viruses mix and match.
All of this has become the target of some good-humored ribbing from friends. This whole bird flu thing is overblown, they say. After all, H5N1 has been around in China for years—maybe much longer—and so far only birds are dying on the mainland. They point to the latest news reports speculating that Southeast Asia, which has seen the most human deaths, will wind up being the front line of any human pandemic. I hope they’re right and that I'm just being paranoid. Read more!
By Melinda Liu
Newsweek
Updated: 2:06 p.m. ET Oct. 26, 2005
Oct. 26, 2005 - The deadly H5N1 virus is creeping closer to China’s teeming cities—and to me in Beijing. On Wednesday, Chinese media revealed yet another outbreak of avian influenza, the third report in little more than a week. Over the summer H5N1 killed thousands of birds in four outbreaks, but they were all in the remote hinterland of western China, in the Central Asian enclave of Xinjiang or near the Tibetan plateau.
Last week, though, the virus hit closer to home. Thousands of chickens were declared dead in Inner Mongolia, less than a day’s drive from Beijing. Then came Tuesday’s report of dead geese in Anhui province, on the bustling east coast. Wednesday’s news was an H5N1 outbreak among birds in Hunan, a populous southern province.
China has yet to report any human deaths due to bird flu. But a lot of people are betting the fast-mutating H5N1 virus, which is endemic in China, will find a way to spread between humans here. I’m not taking any chances. My husband and I have purchased more than $600 worth of Tamiflu already, enough to treat the entire NEWSWEEK staff in Beijing. Tamiflu is the antiviral medication that experts tell me might lessen the severity of avian influenza in humans, if taken within 48 hours of exposure.
Some of my friends think I’m crazy to stock up on a drug that may or may not help me survive a flu pandemic that may or may not be able to spread among people here. On the other hand, I sat next to a Western television journalist at dinner recently who said he’d purchased thousands of dollars worth of Tamiflu, and was having more shipped in from abroad. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong pharmacies, Tamiflu and another antiviral drug, Relenza, are flying off the shelves.
When my husband picked up a couple more 10-pill courses of Tamiflu yesterday, the pharmacist took pains to tell him the pills should be taken only after exposure to the H5N1 virus, or when exposure is imminent. Some entirely healthy people are popping Tamiflu already, the pharmacist said.
This is not good. If a healthy person has taken Tamiflu over a period of time, and then becomes infected with influenza, there’s a better than 10 percent chance of the virus becoming resistant to the antiviral. If the person is later exposed to avian influenza, resulting in genetic mutation, the result could be an especially malevolent flu virus resistant to Tamiflu.
Instead, the treatment helped alter H5N1 genetically to create a more virulent, amantadine-resistant strain of the virus. “We’re more and more concerned that [amantadine] might not be that useful any longer,” says World Health Organization (WHO) representative Henk Bekedam in Beijing. That’s why so much hope is now pinned on Tamiflu and Relenza, even though they’re much scarcer and more expensive.
It’s not like I relish the thought of living in or near what many people think will be the Ground Zero of bird flu. I’m not sure I have much choice. If the virus begins human-to-human transmission, border crossings around the world would start slamming shut—between nations, between provinces, between cities, maybe even between neighborhoods. A few days ago a Chinese health ministry official declared his nation would seal its borders if even a single case of human-to-human H5N1 transmission is found.
That sent jitters throughout the expat community here, and on Tuesday Foreign Ministry officials tried to calm such concerns by calling the report “inaccurate.” Still, don’t bet on open skies and porous borders for long—except maybe for the migrating wildfowl who currently function as an airborne Influenza Express. If and when this thing becomes a pandemic, hopping on a plane to fly to the West may not be an option for me. What government will welcome an arriving planeload of passengers from China, the place where experts believe the H5N1 virus was born?
The whole question of shutting down borders would become irrelevant very quickly at any rate. WHO’s Dr. Julie Hall in Beijing tells me one Western government recently war-gamed what would happen if it closed its borders to slow the advance of a bird flu pandemic. “It delayed things by just three and a half days,” she says. “If there’s a large cluster [of human deaths] many countries will close their borders, but that may not do much good.” Hall gave China high marks for improving its surveillance system in the wake of the 2003 SARS disaster, when authorities tried to cover up the severity of the crisis that eventually sickened 8,000 people worldwide and left 770 of them dead. But a flu pandemic will be much worse than SARS. She warns against complacency: “We can’t just say, ‘Ah, we did OK during SARS so we’ll be all right in the face of a flu pandemic'.”
The pandemic crisis wouldn’t restrict itself to overflowing hospitals and dying medical staff. Widescale absenteeism, illness and death could disrupt everything from food supplies and transportation to garbage collection and mortuary services. SARS was a medical problem, albeit a serious one. A flu pandemic could tear the fabric of societies and economies around the world.
Take the problem of maintaining social order. Even without a pandemic on their hands, Chinese leaders are obsessed with keeping the lid on escalating mass protests. I’m sure that’s why domestic Chinese media is under orders to downplay—or outright ignore—news of the recent H5N1 outbreaks. There’s a name for this tactic, nei jing wai song, meaning the government takes the problem seriously but isn’t conveying its worries to the public. To tell it like it is “could easily lead to panic,” says Zhong Dajun of the nongovernmental Dajun Economy Research Center. “It would be terrible.”
The fact is, many Chinese are hopping mad already about what they perceive to be unsatisfactory health services. In three quarters of Chinese hospitals, angry patients or their relatives have actually beaten doctors and staff to retaliate for shoddy treatment or exorbitant fees. One disgruntled patient stabbed a well-known doctor to death at a clinic in Fuzhou—and many Netizens who commented on the murder in Internet chat rooms wound up siding with the killer. Hospitals have hired bodyguards to fend off such attacks. Even Health Minister Gao Qiang recently admitted that doctor-patient relations in China are “tense” and unlikely to get better anytime soon. So how much worse would things get when Chinese citizens discover that hospitals don’t have enough respirators to go around? Or that some authorities have been trying to cover up the severity of the crisis? Or that cadres have been hoarding Tamiflu and now stocks have run out?
As Hall puts it: “the only thing that spreads faster than viruses is panic.” To plan for both the medical and nonmedical challenges ahead, I asked my husband, a retired Australian diplomat, to help draft a bird flu contingency and business continuity plan for the NEWSWEEK bureau. He conducted research on the Web and consulted friends in the business of corporate security—who themselves were busy crafting bird flu contingency plans for their clients.
Now I have a meaty 17-page business continuity scheme for the office, and I’ve briefed my staff on the plan. It explains everything from the basics of personal hygiene to how to take Tamiflu properly; from how we might work from home to the procedures we’ll use to decide when to stop working altogether—and start focusing on sheer survival.
I’ve started stockpiling canned tuna, dried noodles and other staples. The contingency plan calls for storing a couple month’s worth of food. Two weeks ago, about the time we bought our first batch of Tamiflu, my husband and I also got inoculated for routine seasonal flu. Nobody wants to become the “mixing vessel” in which H5N1 and human flu viruses mix and match.
All of this has become the target of some good-humored ribbing from friends. This whole bird flu thing is overblown, they say. After all, H5N1 has been around in China for years—maybe much longer—and so far only birds are dying on the mainland. They point to the latest news reports speculating that Southeast Asia, which has seen the most human deaths, will wind up being the front line of any human pandemic. I hope they’re right and that I'm just being paranoid. Read more!
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