Owner: Waiguoren Critic of South China URL:http://everymanscritic.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:47:29 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Adventures of a foreign devil trying to survive in a foreign land. Site statistics:Click here
Ain't Life Grand 2008-04-04 01:00:36 I've been thinking a lot about Thailand recently. I don't know why--maybe it has something to do with planning our summer vacation (currently looking like a trip to Japan or Australia).It was a little more than a year ago--just after Jia and I were engaged--that we embarked on our journey to Thailand. We didn't have much of a plan when we got there, but we managed to see almost everything we wanted. On our first day, we took a long walking tour through Wat Pho, The Grand
Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo, and Wat Arun. Out of the entire trip, I took more pictures at Wat Phra Kaeo than anywhere else (almost half of my album is filled with scenes from there).It was a fair walk from our hotel near Phra Arthit Road, and the tourist map only gave us a general idea of our direction. Fortunately, the Thai
Did Someone Turn Off the Heat? 2008-04-01 05:59:05 Mother Nature is playing an April Fool's joke on us. It's the beginning of April and it's a bit cold for Shenzhen. The Last two weeks I was wearing short-sleeved shirts to work. Now I'm back to long sleeves and feeling a bit chilly in the office.Well, as long as it keeps the unbearable heat away for a few more days, I'll live with it.
Didn't Change for an Hour 2008-03-31 04:28:24 Apparently last night was Earth Hour (Yahoo article). The concept is to show that you care about the environment by shutting off the electricity for at least an hour. In the grand scheme of things this doesn't do a whole lot, but it's a nice thought.However, last night in Shenzhen was just another night. The florescent and neon lights of the city of 15 million or so were still bright. No one took notice. I can say that I probably helped save a little energy by not being home for most of the night (about five hours outside) while out to an extended dinner with friends. We're also doing our part by resisting the temptation to turn on the air conditioner until the temperature hits "unbearable." We figure it'll probably get that hot in a few more weeks.There was also no mention of China's part Read more:Change
Low Tide? 2008-03-29 03:39:10 It's not a great day for surfing the Web. Just can't seem to catch a decent wave on China Telecom's Internet. Everything is loading slowly and some sites are blocked. It seems that the Great Firewall of China is at it again--blocking the harmless sites, sometimes only for a while. Today I have had difficulty getting into Hotmail, Writer's Digest Forums, and Technorati. Two days ago I even had a difficult time accessing my university's e-mail server... from my office. Of course, most of the usual stuff is also blocked. It seems that they have managed to mess with my Firefox proxy that allows me to access blogs hosted by Blogger. This is getting to be really annoying.
The Exquisite 2008-03-28 04:26:50 There's a line between dreams and reality and Laird Hunt's The Exquisite staggers across that line, leaving the reader wondering which side is which. Everyone has a hidden life and no one is ever eager to reveal the truth. As Henry, the narrator, says, "Once upon a time I was someone then that stopped." Everything is explained in roundabout ways to leave the reader wanting to know more and only occasionally discovering what might possibly be the reality of the situation. Even when the truth is told it is difficult to embrace as Henry isn't the most trustworthy narrator--the reader is never sure if he's dreaming, hallucinating from medication, in a mental ward, or living a real life.The Exquisite takes place in New York, mostly the East Village, not long after the terrorist attacks--there i
Backlash 2008-03-25 05:25:15 I'm not the one in trouble here. Apparently, China is extremely angry with all the foreign news outlets for their reporting on the current situation in Tibet. They are appropriately upset in some cases--a few newspapers were running photos from protests in India and Nepal with captions identifying the place as China and the police and soldiers as Chinese. The biggest loser in this case is CNN.According to the Financial Times, CNN has had to move its Beijing office. Due to their "biased" reporting, China's netizens took it upon themselves to rectify the situation. Someone posted the office phone number and address online and encouraged people to complain. These vigilante complaints degenerated into threats toward the staff."CNN staff were forced to vacate their office in Beijing last Friday
Chinglish-lympics 2008-03-21 02:10:45 Yesterday I came across this interesting piece of Beijing Olympic memorabilia--I know, it looks rather ordinary. But you have to take a good look at it to appreciate it's wonder.At first glance I thought it was a real product, but quickly realized it was just a funny knock-off. Since it's difficult to see the details from the photos, here are the descriptions: At the top, it says "Beijing 2008 Olympics" in Chinese. The English below reads, "BeiJinag 2008" with a poor rendition of the Olympic rings below that (it's only four rings and they're all in a straight line). The store had this pen in three colors. I doubt I'll try to collect them all.
Developing Excuses 2008-03-19 02:52:53 Since arriving in China in 2005, I've come across plenty of excuses. These ranged from why important information was not provided to why things don't work properly and everything else imaginable. Most of the excuses ran along the lines of "This is China." The translation of this line really means, "We have no good reason, so TS."More recently, I have noticed a common excuse coming from the government in Beijing--it usually has something to do with development. The most common phrase is: "China is a developing country." This is used to explain why there are little to no safety regulations for workers, why pollution cannot be reduced, and why efficiency cannot be improved.In his speech yesterday pertaining to the economy and job market, Premier Wen Jiabao said, "China is a developing country Read more:Excuses
Back to Work 2008-03-18 06:23:38 Well, the Great Net-Nanny Nuisance Firewall of China has slightly loosened its noose grip on Internet content. I can usually get into my Yahoo account now--yesterday I had to use the French server to log in. Now, the content filter is working within most news sites to prevent people inside the Middle Kingdom from reading particular articles (I just clicked on a China-related article on the Washington Post site and it was blocked). It seems they're filtering keywords that have to do with recent and/or ongoing incidents. Many bloggers who are not already blocked (my blog is inaccessible on the mainland) have found interesting ways around the filter by typing with symbols in place of letters. I'm just wondering how much longer that will last.On another topic, my boss said that the school has
International Olympic Image 2008-03-16 01:49:51 Western China is looking like a mess at the moment as I read plenty of articles (mostly through proxy servers) that are often contradictory in content. I've actually grown a little tired of the news, but I find the commentary more of an interesting read--the Chinese views as well as foreign. The problem is, I don't seem to agree with the majority on either side.There are a lot of Chinese Internet users posting about how the government should use extreme force (note: I have not read posts in Chinese; these were posts from English sites). There are also a lot of foreigners demanding a boycott of the Beijing Olympic
s in a few months.Obviously, I don't agree with those who think a show of force would be necessary (anyone remember 1989?). I also don't agree with an Olympic boycott. The event is Read more:Image
, International
Is the S#!% Hitting the Fan Yet? 2008-03-15 01:41:43 In the midst of the National People's Congress, China is now facing a few challenges it would probably rather ignore. There's the economic slowdown due to the US markets (most people don't believe the Chinese economy will slow down, however). Of course, there is the usual rhetoric about that little island off the east coast of the mainland and how it is "doomed to fail" in any attempt to separate from the mainland. Last week, there were stories about the Xinjiang Uyghur separatists who were planning some terrorist activities to disrupt the Olympics. The government responded by allegedly arresting a woman on a plane to Beijing with bottles of gasoline and supposedly raiding some organizations in the northwest province.Today, the big news is the riots in Lhasa. There are mixed stories due to Read more:Hitting
Scene on the Streets 2008-03-10 05:37:53 Saturday, I came across this sign in Shekou.It appears that the government hastily erected a blue metal fence around half a block. The area appeared to contain 18 businesses and at least one small apartment building that looked gutted. The sign reads, "Blood accuses the government of being heartless. Return my shop. Return my investment. Return my justice." That is the best translation I can make of it, but if you can offer a better one, go ahead.Also in the news, there has been quite a lot of talk about terrorism in China. The blogs of China are buzzing with bits of information from the newspapers in the country. Unfortunately, there are no details about any of the incidents that have occurred recently. All of them involve Uyghur (or Uighur) "separatists" from Xinjiang province. Some deta
Just Visiting 2008-03-07 01:56:05 Jia's friends from Xinjiang are visiting Shenzhen. They're mostly here on business, but we get to hang out with them a bit for meals and drinks. Only one of them I hadn't met previously. The two I have met are some of the nicest people I could know--a recently married couple Jia has known since at least middle school. They make me contemplate moving to Jia's hometown to work, but that would be really far and extremely cold.As if I needed another reason to like my wife's friends, they gave me a reminder of how great they are. During dinner last night, my mother-in-law was talking about me and other foreigners for some reason (I didn't understand all of it and kind of zoned out a bit). King of the North piped in with, "He's not a foreigner, he's family." (in Chinese, of course). If he keeps
Not Just BS 2008-03-04 23:39:38 Item 1 for today: There's a new renewable energy source coming out of California that doesn't involve depleting the world's food supply. According to this article, an energy company in the state will begin using cow manure to harness the energy from the methane gas. As long as I don't have to live near the power plant, I'm all for this green (or brown) energy source. I only say this because I live across from the cow pastures my freshman year in college--it was pretty foul. Now, if they can just come up with a way to harness the energy of the figurative bullshit we'd have an endless supply of renewable fuel coming out of Washington.Item 2: Brett Favre retired. Packer fans are distraught because they thought he'd just die on the field and win the Superbowl. Well, maybe not quite like that.
Review: Babel 2008-03-01 23:43:20 I finally got around to watching Babel
last night. This is a great story about connections across cultures and countries--how one incident can involve an entire world. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu does an excellent job assembling Guillermo Arriaga's screenplay.Babel happens in flashes--the story is cut up into pieces for the audience to place together. It's not all in chronological order. Each section is in order, but they are not altogether in order. It may cause some confusion, mostly toward the end, as to when the events occur. Overall, the story takes place in a matter of a few days (although there is no definite time frame). The catalyst for Babel involves people in Morocco, the U.S., Mexico, and Japan. Each character either plays a part in the incident or has a relation, i
Notes from America and a movie 2008-02-28 23:26:13 I think Jia misses being in my hometown more than I do. She keeps talking about the food--specifically the pastrami at Harold's in Parsippany and Crif Dogs in NYC. I can try to cook some food that we got back home, but those two definitely cannot be recreated with my kitchen in China. Other foods we sampled were Greek, Indian, Japanese, Lebanese, Italian, Mexican, Cuban, Spanish, and Jersey Diner.We watched Juno the other night. I can see why it got such positive reviews--it has a good story with interesting characters and wit. The dialogue sounds fairly natural and differentiates itself from most films I've watched. The father and step-mother are definitely the most amusing characters in the film; it's a shame they didn't get more screen time (but that probably would've ruined the story c Read more:America
, movie
, Notes
Review: The Truth 2008-02-28 23:14:03 Terry Pratchett is strangely witty--that's the best way I can think to describe his novel, The Truth
. Published in 2000, this work of Pratchett is a great commentary on politics and news reporting of its time (and possibly the future).The Truth is a fantasy novel that really has little to do with the fantasy world and more to do with social commentary and the search for the truth. It possesses all the fantasy elements--dwarfs, vampires, trolls, wizards, zombies, and the like--but only uses them in comic situations (or when poking fun at fantasy stories).Pratchett's novel revolves around William de Worde, a man who is hired to write a brief newsletter every now and again for the elite citizens of Ankh-Morpork. His life changes drastically when some dwarfs turn lead into gold in a sense. Bef
Time for a Vacation 2008-02-28 21:01:27 This post is brought to you by Riverbend Angler ResortAlthough it's been nice relaxing for an extra week due to the error in class scheduling, I'm already looking forward to this summer's break. Unfortunately, because my university is from the north of China, we're on the northern schedule. This means we get a longer winter break and a shorter summer, which is almost torture in the heat and humidity of Shenzhen.One place I've wanted to visit for some time is Montana (and it has nothing to do with that kid of Billy Ray Cyrus). Montana vacation rentals do sound like an intriguing getaway. It seems like a bit too much luxury for adventure in the outdoors, but I'm sure there are plenty of people who would love some nature from the comfort of a cabin equipped with a 50-inch plasma TV. Personall Read more:Vacation
Minor Delay 2008-02-24 22:47:40 I had my first day of class for the new term today. Oops, not today.Five students showed up to class and called their classmates to try to get them in as well. Twenty minutes into class, I was notified that they made a mistake and classes would begin next week. We had a good laugh about it. It gives me time to get myself better prepared for the term.On another topic: Will a zombie still want to eat your brain if you have brain freeze? I'm stocking up on ice cream just in case.
Read more:Delay
, Minor
I'm back 2008-02-23 06:35:43 Jia and I have been back in Shenzhen for three days now. I'm still exhausted from the trip--I didn't sleep well on the flight or at the hotel in Hong Kong. I hope I can sleep better tonight to get myself ready for work on Monday--I think I have to teach resume writing.Anyway, this week I'll begin writing up some more in-depth posts about our trip to the states, and I might even post a few photos (assuming I edit and resize them).Other news from the land of the waiguoren: My new year's resolutions will begin now that Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is over. This means that I will spend more time learning Chinese and writing those half-finished novels. I will also do my best to stick to a schedule with goals--my wife has permission to beat me if I don't.
Trip Update 2008-02-15 09:29:41 I know I got lazy with the title of this one.I'm exhausted and ready for my vacation to end. We spent last week in southern California with my grandparents. We didn't do much besides meet relatives and eat for four days. At least we got to Laguna Beach for a little while. Jia really enjoyed the area and I think she wants to move there--now, she has to convince me to do the same because I don't have any desire to move to California. I guess I just have to introduce her to Colorado this summer so she'll forget all about it.After our return to New Jersey, we took a road trip to Washington, DC, for a few days. We had bad timing--the weather was terrible. We got to see quite a bit--the Capitol building tour, Native American museum, Washington Monument, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and few o Read more:Update
Moldy? Old? I need a beer 2008-04-06 00:24:13 For the second year in a row, my apartment has mold. This is the problem with living in an extremely humid climate with poorly constructed buildings. I've been looking around online for some good advice as to how to clean up the disgusting and possibly unhealthy green splotches that are appearing all over the walls. I managed to find a site that recommends using vinegar to clean up mold (as well as cleaning just about everything else in the house). I suppose I'll give it a try.What I find amazing about the mold is the fact that our apartment is always spotless. While Jia and I are working, my mother-in-law cleans this place everyday. I've wondered why, and now I realize that she's convinced if it's not cleaned daily mold and dust will accumulate everywhere. The next thing I plan to buy aft
Can you set the oven to cold? 2008-04-08 07:09:01 It's just a bunch of little things going on lately. We bought the air purifier last night to help us fight the pollution and mold. It's a Yadu (Chinese brand that's supposedly good). We got a real warranty to go along with it just in case. The service at Suning was pretty good--probably because it's been open for quite a while and never has anyone buying anything because the building is still under construction. We could've bought the same thing from Jusco a day earlier, but we didn't like the fact their employees couldn't answer a single question.Unlike last week, it's starting to get really hot...and my school won't turn on the air conditioning until May. Even the Chinese staff thinks this is a little ridiculous. I'll have to suffer through teaching in a hot room for a few more weeks.On
The Other Protests 2008-04-09 07:29:34 In the midst of articles surrounding the anticipated protests in San Francisco is another group that doesn't seem to care about China at all. While the focus is on human rights and support of certain governments by China, there's one mention of a more interesting campaign. A group is apparently going nude in an effort to return to the ancient Greek ways of the Olympics. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any organization claiming responsibility for this (why don't the articles give names for these things?).I'm not sure if I agree with these protesters. I must admit, it will give me a reason to watch women's volleyball. But what about the winter Olympics? I don't think that'll go over too well.
Read more:Protests
Return of the King 2008-04-11 00:47:31 No, not Elvis. I'm pretty sure he's living at the Grand Lisboa in Macau. I'm talking about the Monkey King. Jia found the best pen ever--it's a boxing Monkey King.What else can I say? Its eyes glow when it punches and it's perfect for any and all business meetings around China. Nothing tells the Chinese that you mean business like a red-eyed fighting monkey.
Read more:Return
Off the Vine 2008-04-13 23:53:07 Saturday was a free wine tasting at Carrefour by our apartment. It's probably not a great idea to advertise free, alcohol, and cheese to foreigners. It was quite a bit of fun. I'd write a review of the wines, but I'm no connoisseur. Also, after the first twenty or so, they all start to taste alike.The highlights of the evening included the entertainment. They had cheerleaders. I'm still wondering how that mixes in with fine wine. On top of that, the evening concluded with bagpipes. I know I always think of great wine when I think of Scotland. By the end of it all, it turned into a self-serve party. We met some nice people who kept going to the wine tables and grabbing the open bottles that were no longer guarded by staff.Sunday I decided that free drinks are not good for me.On another note
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