China Bedhead

Blog moved again

2009-06-26T02:54:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Please note that I've moved my blog house again. Unfortunately, Blogger.com is also banned in China. Here's my blog address: http://blog.sina.com.cn/chinabedhead.

I'm saddened by Michael Jackson's passing.

Some more observations

2009-05-14T05:17:00.000-07:00

Dear readers, sorry for the sporadic updates lately. I am fully in the swing of being a teacher at Beijing Union University and have schedule of classes chock-a-block. I've started to build a site to keep all my lecture notes. If you're super curious, you can check them out here.

Thought I would share with you some interesting observations of China that I've had lately.

1.) At the hairdressers, you can choose between paying a lower fee, and a higher fee. The higher fee gets you the master hairdresser. The lower fee gets you the intern. So it's kind of like gambling. Well I gambled, and it turned out ok. The intern did a great job for RMB38, which is about SGD 8.

2.) Over 50,000 people died in the Szechuan earthquake, while 20,000 remain missing. Given that it's been a year since the disaster, it would be safe to assume that 70,000 people died in all. The mood in the air has been somber recently, Tuesday marking the one year anniversary of the disaster which fell on May 12th 2008. Apparently RMB 1 trillion has been committed to rebuilding affected communities. That's a lot of money no doubt, but it flows into infrastructure projects. Foreign NGOs are helping to fill in the gaps putting money into the most affected so that they can buy food and clothing. My heart goes out to the families of the deceased.

3.) On TV everyday, you can view soap operas of Japanese-Chinese war. They run for hours at a time. Anti-Japanese sentiment runs deep here and I was surprised by how entrenched it is. I have seen both the movie. I think one can make the case that Japan hasn't atoned for all its past WW2 aggressions as completely or as sincerely as Germany, but I can't escape the feeling that this deepset anti-Japanese stance may be over-warranted. I read this great article from a film critic who reviewed the film "Nanking Nanking" in a local Chinese. The ironic thing is that he's Japanese. Check it out his review here.

4.) Not sure if the government is trying to save money, but in general, the streets here are very dark.

5.) Besides Baidu, which is the Google of China, the Facebook of China is kaixin001.com, and the Youtube of China is youku.com. Youtube is banned here.

6.) There is province in China called "Inner Mongolia", and it's not part of the Mongolia, which is a completely independent country. So "Inner Mongolia" lies SOUTH of Mongolia. Weird.

Apparently, the Soviets had a strong influence in the creation of the modern Mongolian state.

According to Wikipedia:

"The Soviet threat of seizing parts of Inner Mongolia induced China to recognize Outer Mongolia's independence, provided that a referendum was held. The referendum took place on October 20, 1945, with (according to official numbers) 100% of the electorate voting for independence. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, both countries confirmed their mutual recognition on October 6, 1949."

艺术创想

2009-05-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ok I am totally going to nerd out on you now..

各位朋友，你好！这些相片是从我最喜的电视节目，叫做《艺术创想》！

若有空，我每天在五电四十分会去看。这个电视节目是从 1990 年到 2007 年传播，而相对来说是在英国最长传播的儿童电视节目。《艺术创想》的主持人名叫 Neil Buchanan。他以前是更一个英国摇滚乐团《Marseille》弹吉他。我听了他们的音乐之后，就支持 Neil 后来选做一个电视节目的主持人的决定！

在《艺术创想》有一段表演是叫作 Big Art Attack，我觉的真了不起。Neil 用一些很普通的家具来创造一些特别美观的大型艺术品，这的确是我最欣赏的，而且特别最收到灵感的节段。

Time taken to write in Chinese: 45 mins

Hi all, these are shots from a great show that I've been following lately. It's called "Art Attack" and it ran for 17 years, starting in 1990 and ending its run in 2007. It was run by a fella called Neil Buchanan, who used to play rock guitar for British Heavy Metal band called "Marseille". I had a listen to them and well, I think Neil made the wise choice to switch to a television career!

On Art Attack, they have a segment called "Big Art Attack" where Neil creates large art pieces on a hug scale, using a variety of ordinary household items. The end result is usually quite stunning, and this by far, my most favorite bit about the show.

Time taken to write in English: 5 mins - English wins!

Watch more episodes of Art Attack here. (Chinese version)

There should be more shows like this on TV I reckon! Kinda like cooking shows for the artistically inclined. Unfortunately, we forget the arts and craft so early in life, don't we?

Here's Neil at work one of these Big Art Attacks I mentioned above. Here he's using black sand to create walruses.

And here's Neil at work again, this time inspired by ropes and canvases to create a Vikings. This would definitely be one of my dream jobs!

Check out this cool video of Neil at work.

A long note I wrote to my green friends!

2009-05-11T04:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a update note I just sent to all my green-hearted friends..

Dear friends,

I thought I would give you an update here on my life in China, and a brief overview about the social and environmental scene here! Much has happened over the month that I've been here.

Just to give you some background. I am a foreign guest teacher at the Beijing Union University where I conduct lectures on a Marketing, Social Entrepreneurship, Finance, Marketing, US Culture and History, and English. The university is hungry for foreign "experts" so I am thrown in different areas at once. I conduct these classes in a smattering of English and Chinese. I teach about 10 hours a week, which translates to about 24 hours of work, because of the preparation I have to do. The university doesn't provide any material, so I am make it up as I go along, drawing from books, magazines and the Internet.

Outside of classes, I am focused to getting my Mandarin up to speed. It's a slow arduous frustrating process. Speaking Mandarin well and fluently is an absolute must to really get plugged in here, whether at a personal level or a business level. There is, what I would call, an "alternate" reality to this..i.e. the expatriate world where English is the main language, its hard to make any real connections the public at large using just English alone.

In terms of opportunities in social enterprise, whether it be charity work, consulting work, or philanthropic work, there is a lot that one can get involved in. Most of them are with foreign NGOs or inter-governmental organizations like the EU. In the few conferences and networking sessions that I've attended, I've have yet to meet anyone from the CCP or any of the local government agencies. Digging deeper, and talking to Chinese friends, I've come to realize that -

1.) Chinese people aren't generally used to social networking events

2.) In terms of social volunteerism and civic society, the government dominates.

The notion of an self-initiated civilian activism, separate from the government, is a relatively foreign concept. Although foreign NGOs and charities have volunteerism events, most of what happens on a large scale is dictated by the central government and its vast network of agencies. I am trying to get closer to that center, to understand what the environmental issues are, and how the government is responding, and how, I might possibly help and learn in the process. This means learning Mandarin as best I can, so that I can plug into the real world, for real. It's a tough climb, and I am discouraged by the snail's pace of my progress, but I am determined to succeed and enjoy the challenge.

On the streets, buses and subways, I don't get a sense that the environment is foremost in people's minds. Too many plastic bags, wooden chopsticks, over-packaging, wasted food, trash, and litter. The natural environment, and climate calamity that the world faces, is unfortunately relegated to the back of most people's minds. Instead, what I have felt acutely here, is a sense of survival, as people try to get by so that they can put food on the table for their one child. It's not an easy city. In a crowded city of 14 million, social graces are occasional miracles. But it's a hopeful, energetic, and driven place, and I heartened by the boundless energy, creativity, curiosity and spiritedness of the university students. They are growing in a more open, more caring society that is changing everyday, and the environment just might have a fighting chance, if these kids hang on to notions of social responsibility, and slivers of naked idealism, before they head off into the "real" world. Outside of school, I have made friends with people who share my concerns over the environment, but as I've mentioned above, this doesn't appear to reflect the sentiments of the majority.

Here's what in the news these days...

1.) 1 year anniversary of the Szechuan Earthquake.

2.) 90th anniversary of May the 4th movement

3.) Yao Ming and Houston Rockets against Lakers.

4.) Global Financial Crisis (a lot is reported about what is being done to address this, but I generally don't "feel" the recession on the streets, mainly because I'm surrounded by students)

Well that's all for now! I hope this email finds you in good health and spirits! Be the change you want to see!

Calvin

The Beijing Zoo

2009-05-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's worth a trip! The pandas are worth the price of admission (RMB 30 or about SGD 6). But there's more than just the pandas to enjoy. Enjoy the photo fest below!

Beijing Union University school gym

2009-05-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Viola. The school gym. Actually more like a glorified playground. Planet Fitness ain't got nuthin on this!

Threadmill. I hurt myself on this. Fell down and hit my shin. Aching now, and don't feel like doing any work. Although I have to. For an 8am presentation tomorrow. Sucks.

No idea what this one is supposed to do.

Umm..Arm twister machine thing.

Some seriously beat up equipment

Nordic track

This huge sculpture lies in the center of campus

Making T-shirts

2009-05-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Great fun on Friday! I spent the Labour Day holiday making T-shirts with Momo. After picking up painting supplies from an art store, we headed over to her studio (she's a writer) to make the shirts. In all, we did 5 designs and are definitely hooked on this! Try it out sometime..all you need is fabric paint (available in most art stores), brushes and some decent plain color T-shirts (I recommend Unicolo T-shirts - paint color sets well on them, and they look and feel great).

Unicolo T-shirts, fabric paint, brushes, snacks, and some good music are all you need to get going

I've never heard of this camera, but it takes some awesome photos.

Sketching out ideas and concepts. It helped me to surf Threadless and to browse through several magazines to get inspired which in Chinese is "激發靈感" or "激发灵感".

I've been obsessing over the triple spiral pattern for a while (even considering getting a tattoo of it), so I used it for my first T-shirt design.

The scariest bit is putting paint to the shirt. Once you start, there's no turning back.

Viola! Our first 2 shirts. Mine's on the left and Momo's is on the right. Besides the triple spiral pattern on my shirt, I added an imaginary Chinese character underneath that combined the words "愛" and "玄". See below for their meanings.

Momo's next design was more ambitious. Using clear tape, she created a film that she would paint over.

We did a color test to match up red against dark blue. Fabric paint tends to get darker after drying, so we tried to guestimate what the final color would look like.

Momo's design entailed painting over strips of clear tape attached to the shirt. After drying, the tape would be removed, revealing the original red color of the T-shirt underneath.

Momo's design is on the far left. I'll post more shots of our creations next time! In all, a super cool way to pass a good seven hours!

This is my favorite food in Beijing

2009-04-29T08:54:00.001-07:00

This is called "Liang Pi" or "涼皮". Sliced rice noodles served cold with cucumbers and sesame sauce. Great stuff and a super deal too, at about S$0.60 a bowl.

Nanking: City of Life and Death

2009-04-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

I didn't have any classes to teach yesterday so I went to catch 南京南京 (English title: City of Life and Death) with a friend. I wasn't very familiar with the details of the events of 1938 Nanking, but I was prepared for images of awful brutality. Thankfully, the movie spared audiences from that. Although I thought the acting was good and the cinematography, brilliant (Riveting scenes of mass executions, and one great funeral procession scene), I thought the movie was pretty listless as a whole. There seemed to be no central narrative trust to guide the audience through the terror, cruelty and banality of war. At certain portions of the film, I felt like I was watching various short films stitched together rather than a single unified film. This left me feeling confused at the end. Wowed by the filming prowess, horrified by the tragedies, but yet not, fully drawn to any of the characters and their motives, and ultimately, not pertinently clear about what the film's director, Lu Chuan, was trying to tell me. Overall, although I felt somewhat satisfied, I left with a nagging sense that against such a emotional and historical backdrop, 南京南京 missed the potential of being a truly great film. (B-)

It does appear different on the inside

2009-04-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

The news is always different from where you hear it. From the outside, one could get the impression that rampant piracy was a systemic problem in China. I'll grant you that you do find the fake Guccis, and Pradas, but to suggest that the entire system is in on the scam is ridiculous. It doesn't appear to be like that, at least from where I am inside.

Over the past few days, I've seen several television programs that have discussed the issue of intellectual property (IP). One was BBC Hardtalk-style interview with an IP lawyer and a college professor. The other was an Oprah Winfrey-style talkshow, which featured a stories of dedicated IP officers determined to stamp this problem out. There was an interesting segment where the host actually asked several kids to identify authentic goods ( ) and fake goods ( ). There were even several music celebrities on hand to push the cause.

Furthermore, and this was news to me, China's patent office is one of the most active in the world, and is fast becoming the world's largest. China appears seems well aware that safeguarding the rights of creative people, whether it be in the arts or the sciences, is key to its cultural and economic future.

Ok lecture over! Woot!!

I present to you the world's longest buffet! From a somewhat cheezy Brazilian-German place near the university. Yes, Brazilian-German you heard it right, but with Chinese, Japanese and Korean as well! You cannot go hungry in this country!!

Brazilian style buffet. The meats are much oiler and sweeter than usual. Chinese style I guess.

Beer is brewed here. Very very very light beer.

Waitresses dressed in German-styled clothes.

A video to give you a sense of how long the buffet line was. There is wisdom in the adage "More is less".

All Dogs go to Heaven

2009-04-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

The longer I've been here, the more I'm beginning to understand this place.

Actually scratch that - I think I am beginning to start my understanding of this place.

The chaos, the urgency, the many small tragedies and miracles that tug at its core. It's a million stories of chance, of getting by, of surviving, of living, and of dying. It's a place that requires more than a travel guide's worth of handy tips to appreciate, much less understand.

Between mausoleums of long dead emperors which we visited today, we passed a dead dog on a large field that we were crossing over. I could tell it had only just died, and I felt sorry for it. Nature and elements had just begun to reclaim its body for the earth, and I felt distinctly then, like I did in the mausoleums, the weight of history that has shaped this place for so many years.

The Ming Tombs. Only 2 of the 13 are accessible to the public for now. Each of the tombs occupy a vast area, with each tomb set a few kilometers apart from each other.

Before the entrance to the tombs, we passed through the "Sacred Way". Statues of both of real and mythogical animals line the promenade.

Photo - Liok-style!

I met this kid who wanted me to photograph him on the tortoise.

This is about where I passed the poor dog.

This is one of gates to the tombs we visited.

And this is the underground tombs of one of the emperors. Inside, it isn't all that interesting.

Presenting Trart

2009-04-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

whoever did this is my hero:
http://www.citibank.com.sg/global_docs/promo/cb/citialerts/citialerts_siff.htm

I mean really, this is art, and trash, mixed together. I don't think there's a word that's invented to describe this yet. So I'm going to invited a new word - "trart"

This is truly trart.

Saturday

2009-04-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

First up, word up to buddies AK and Lambie - Thanks guys!

Busy Saturday. Spent the early part of the day visiting Nan Luo Gu Xiang, a old street alley that good for shopping, eating and wandering around. It's kinda like Haji lane in Singapore, except much larger, with a greater of variety of stores. Definitely plan to come back more often.

Next, I met Momo at WuDaoKou, which is where many of star universities are located. It's a nice area as well, with tons of foreign students learning Mandarin in the many cafes that dot the neighbourhood.

Then it was back to my area of town for karaoke with some students. Austin, another foreign teacher from US, and I, run a International Business Club, where we teach kids international business issues. Austin threw up the idea to go for drinks and singing Saturday so that's how the team ended up groovin tonight. My buddy Christina also showed up and it was great to see her again.

Karaoke with Russians, Austrians, Koreans, Americans, Canadians and Singaporeans!

Probably the SWANKIEST Karaoke place I ever been too.

Dinner with the Kara Crew

Below: My university has these signs which spew out messages of encouragement 24 hours a day. It's pretty freaky sometimes. Beijing is big on these kinds public messages. Below are a couple for your encouragement.

Happier, Stronger, A more pleasant disposition.

Below: These are shots from WuDaoKou

I wrote a couple of handy words for Momo to learn

Foreign students, mostly studying Chinese, I suspect

I've always loved the star symbol. Here's from a store in WuDaoKou university district.

Below are shots of from Nan Luo Gu Xiang.

Below: This was lunch, For about S$1.20. Tastes much better than it looks. Soy bean pasta with chicken and veggies.

I hate laundry

2009-04-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

我最討厭的工作是洗衣!!!

I hate doing laundry more than anything else in the world. Even more than public speaking, doing dishes, or playing d at ball.

MSN Spaces eat eggs!

2009-04-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

MSN's blog system sucks eggs. That's all I have to say about that.

Thankfully, Blogger is working super well!! So there!

On Wednesday, I visited the YongHe Lama Buddhist Temple. It was my first introduction to Manchu, Tibetan cultures and their long, and sometimes tenuous, relationship with the Han majority.

Definitely worth a visit, after you've done all the big stuff (Great Wall, Forbidden City etc). This place also houses one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, which I sadly, could not photograph.

A sign reads the name to one of the prayer halls in 4 different languages. Manchu, Tibetan, Mandarin and one other whose name escapes me.

Mandarin from the Hans

Tibetan

Manchu

I loved the Manchu script. It reminded me a bit of the Elvish language from LOTR. Sadly, it's a dying language that is only spoken, read, or written by Manchu scholars.

Praying for small mercies

I have no idea what I'm doing so don't ask.