Maybe some of you remember a post from last spring where I quoted an article from Mpls's free 'zine The Rake about the censorship of the film 'Sideways' for airline in-flight movies. No? Well, the gist of it was that they replaced a dirty word for a jerk with the word 'Ashcroft' and inserted it over the original word in the movie. With this said, I found something else online today.
That is, the list of the year's most used politically correct words - from English language papers around the world. The group, Global Language Monitor, compiled the list which was topped by "Misguided Criminals" as a euphamism for terrorists and "Thought shower/word shower" to replace brainstorm (which may be offensive to those with brain conditions such as epilepsy). The list is quite interesting and quite funny.
Being an English teacher and full time wonk - perhaps this is just the sort of stuff that makes me laugh these days, but I thought the list to be pretty interesting. Language can dictate the way we perceive an issue or problem and, as I learned, those who control the language, control the conversation.
Another cool site, if you have time to waste, is Behindthename.com which tracks names in the English language, their roots and translations into different languages.
In all, these are interesting for those who believe that language is important.
Oh yeah, and in the word X-Mas, the Greek letter 'Chi' represented by the Roman X actually stands for the first two letters of the name Christ. So, think you're PC and wish someone a merry 'X-Mas'! Sucka!
和平。保罗。peace. paul.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
The 'One Child or Else' Policy
Since 1979, the Chinese government has administered their One Child Policy to cap the exponentially growing population of China. Before, it was seen as patriotic and desireable to have a large family because that meant more hands to work in the fields. Today, those who have a second child are faced with grim penalties and even more grim options.
Under Chinese law, the following will happen if a woman has a second child: a fine of no less than 300,000 rmb ($37,500 USD), the revocation of business or teaching or any other such license, stoppage of water AND power to the household. And, if this isn't bad enough, if the second child is discovered by the government they will kill the child or force an abortion for the woman.
What options are then left for a person from Zhongshan who is pregnant with her second child? None are very pleasent and none are very legal.
The woman could: illegally enter Hong Kong or Macao or try to find an international flight to Guam (US soil) or LA (v. difficult) and overstay her visa to have the baby illegally in the US. Other options include: going to a distant province, moving frequently as not to stir questions, having the baby and handing it over to relatives or, gulp, not having the baby at all. Any way, it's pretty grim.
This policy has helped to control a population surge in the world's most populus country, but a what cost?
Under Chinese law, the following will happen if a woman has a second child: a fine of no less than 300,000 rmb ($37,500 USD), the revocation of business or teaching or any other such license, stoppage of water AND power to the household. And, if this isn't bad enough, if the second child is discovered by the government they will kill the child or force an abortion for the woman.
What options are then left for a person from Zhongshan who is pregnant with her second child? None are very pleasent and none are very legal.
The woman could: illegally enter Hong Kong or Macao or try to find an international flight to Guam (US soil) or LA (v. difficult) and overstay her visa to have the baby illegally in the US. Other options include: going to a distant province, moving frequently as not to stir questions, having the baby and handing it over to relatives or, gulp, not having the baby at all. Any way, it's pretty grim.
This policy has helped to control a population surge in the world's most populus country, but a what cost?
There's no such thing as a free accupuncture session.
I started working out about a month ago and my body doesn't seem to like it as much as I'd hoped. Sure, I've seen results: increased energy, deeper sleep, biceps the size of SPAM cans... well, that's an exaggeration, but a healthier life is better a life.
After the second week in my 4 day a week workout rotation, I noticed a strain in my neck. A dull muscle strain, nothing serious, just a sign that I should easy up and stretch better. At a dinner later that week, I told a friend who is a doctor at the campus clinic about the soreness and she said that she had a rememdy. Feeling adventurous, I wanted to give it a shot.
So, bright and early on a Sunday (11:00am usually is bright and early on a Sunday morning for me) I awoke and went to the clinic. Sitting before Su Min were packages of 12 individually sealed needles, a set of small baby food jars, an oil lamp, cotton swabs, surgical tweezers, and rubbing alcohol. What does she have in mind?
In Chinese she asked me where the pain was and I motioned to my neck and said, "Right side." She used some icy-hot type medicine to loosen the muscle and then began to massage my neck. This traditional medicine is great! I thought. After 10 minutes or so, she started to unpack the needles.
With a gentle, dart throwing motion, she pushed the needle into my neck. The muscle tensed up, but it felt good, like a deep muscle massage. She placed 10 more on various pressure points on my neck, one in each elbow, one near the pinky tendon (the thing that prevents one from giving someone the 'ring finger' without the pinky rising to attention as well), and one into the meat between the thumb and index finger of both my hands.
I was immoble. I could not raise my head to make eye contact with her and my hands were beginning a strange numbness - like they were falling asleep, but the pins and needle feelings were real. It was not painful, just a dull soreness.
With a heat lamp warming the needles, thus warming the blood, thus opening the veins for increased flow, they stayed in for about 20 minutes. Su Min was making small talk with me and trying to practice her English. I understood about 60% of what she was saying in basic CHinese, but I guess the thrill for her was not the procedure, but a captive audience.
I sat there, like a enert pincushion. Then, a group of female nurses arrived to witness this spectacle. Suddenly, this became like a show, or a zoo, I'm not sure which. I heard hushed mumbling and the word "wai guo ren" (foreigner) a few times so I knew they were talking about me. They asked Su Min questions about me and then turned to the specimen for live responses.
"Ah. Ah? Where? Ah. Where? Ah. Where do you come-a from-a?" asked a brave nurse. Frustrated at the scenario, I replyed a gruff, "USA." My tone did nothing to sway them.
"Ah. What. What. Ah? What? What is you-a name?" she persisted. "Paul. Hai shi, Wei Bao Luo." I said, hoping that they would take my feeble Chinese as a sign that they could continue the inquisition in their native tounge - which I was more like to understand than slow English.
"Yes. I can use chopsticks." I said in response. ... ... "Yes, Chinese women are very beautiful." ... ... ... "No, I'm not married."
Don't get me wrong, I am a patient person who wished to help them practice English. I've had to coax more questions out of shy speakers than I'd care to remember, but this time... I was really frustrated and thought about freaking out, falling asleep, or getting up and running out of the room. Oh...wait. I've got needles in my neck.
This continued for about 10 minutes. Su Min was happy because after I stopped answering the nurses English questions, she was able to play translator for me to them. I was happy because I could see Su Min when she talked to me, unlike the hoarde that had assembled behind my back.
Moral of the story: There's no such thing as a free accupuncture session.
Moral of the story #2: When in Asia, make a shirt with: your country of origin, two basic emotions (good/bad) and yes/no. This way you can point to your shirt in moments of frustration. Oh... wait. I've got needles in my hands, too.
After the second week in my 4 day a week workout rotation, I noticed a strain in my neck. A dull muscle strain, nothing serious, just a sign that I should easy up and stretch better. At a dinner later that week, I told a friend who is a doctor at the campus clinic about the soreness and she said that she had a rememdy. Feeling adventurous, I wanted to give it a shot.
So, bright and early on a Sunday (11:00am usually is bright and early on a Sunday morning for me) I awoke and went to the clinic. Sitting before Su Min were packages of 12 individually sealed needles, a set of small baby food jars, an oil lamp, cotton swabs, surgical tweezers, and rubbing alcohol. What does she have in mind?
In Chinese she asked me where the pain was and I motioned to my neck and said, "Right side." She used some icy-hot type medicine to loosen the muscle and then began to massage my neck. This traditional medicine is great! I thought. After 10 minutes or so, she started to unpack the needles.
With a gentle, dart throwing motion, she pushed the needle into my neck. The muscle tensed up, but it felt good, like a deep muscle massage. She placed 10 more on various pressure points on my neck, one in each elbow, one near the pinky tendon (the thing that prevents one from giving someone the 'ring finger' without the pinky rising to attention as well), and one into the meat between the thumb and index finger of both my hands.
I was immoble. I could not raise my head to make eye contact with her and my hands were beginning a strange numbness - like they were falling asleep, but the pins and needle feelings were real. It was not painful, just a dull soreness.
With a heat lamp warming the needles, thus warming the blood, thus opening the veins for increased flow, they stayed in for about 20 minutes. Su Min was making small talk with me and trying to practice her English. I understood about 60% of what she was saying in basic CHinese, but I guess the thrill for her was not the procedure, but a captive audience.
I sat there, like a enert pincushion. Then, a group of female nurses arrived to witness this spectacle. Suddenly, this became like a show, or a zoo, I'm not sure which. I heard hushed mumbling and the word "wai guo ren" (foreigner) a few times so I knew they were talking about me. They asked Su Min questions about me and then turned to the specimen for live responses.
"Ah. Ah? Where? Ah. Where? Ah. Where do you come-a from-a?" asked a brave nurse. Frustrated at the scenario, I replyed a gruff, "USA." My tone did nothing to sway them.
"Ah. What. What. Ah? What? What is you-a name?" she persisted. "Paul. Hai shi, Wei Bao Luo." I said, hoping that they would take my feeble Chinese as a sign that they could continue the inquisition in their native tounge - which I was more like to understand than slow English.
"Yes. I can use chopsticks." I said in response. ... ... "Yes, Chinese women are very beautiful." ... ... ... "No, I'm not married."
Don't get me wrong, I am a patient person who wished to help them practice English. I've had to coax more questions out of shy speakers than I'd care to remember, but this time... I was really frustrated and thought about freaking out, falling asleep, or getting up and running out of the room. Oh...wait. I've got needles in my neck.
This continued for about 10 minutes. Su Min was happy because after I stopped answering the nurses English questions, she was able to play translator for me to them. I was happy because I could see Su Min when she talked to me, unlike the hoarde that had assembled behind my back.
Moral of the story: There's no such thing as a free accupuncture session.
Moral of the story #2: When in Asia, make a shirt with: your country of origin, two basic emotions (good/bad) and yes/no. This way you can point to your shirt in moments of frustration. Oh... wait. I've got needles in my hands, too.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Good Doctor Su Min - Zhongshan
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Su Min.
Su Min, meet Ladies and Gentlemen.
Su Min, meet Ladies and Gentlemen.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
I am a member of the trout family.
Well well well. It's been awhile since I've posted something to my blog. Things have been going well here.
Today I got a call from my friend Mark. He asked me if I could do some voice-over work for him, as we foreigners are a hot commodity. So, he picked me up and brought me to his studio and handed me the script. I read it and said, "What the deuce?" They laughed and said that it was pretty rediculous but that it was what they were given and that we shouldn't change it.
Here is the script:
"I am unyieldingly bound for my original home, across rivers and oceans through my life. I am a member of the trout family.
As I grow up, the love hidden in my heart breaks out. It rekindles memories about life and love, which flowed along with rivers and oceans and were left in an age I almost forgot.
I follow my friends who also seek their original place, facing billows and starting this far and long journey.
Bourbon town, experience the noble free, individual-style of life.
Bourbon whiskey presents you with a full-bodied, mellow taste. It is a good partner when you enjoy a royal ballet, share a warm moment with you over or celebrate your successes with you friends.
With bourbon whiskey, I feel happy on my trip. However, I am still a trout bound for my home. I want to remember its beauty in my heart because my wish for love never ends, till I find her in Bourbon town. "
It really reminded me of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. "For a relaxing time, make it Sannatori time." Except for me it was, "Bourbon is the perfect partner at the ballet, or if you are a trout bound for my home."
peace. paul.
Today I got a call from my friend Mark. He asked me if I could do some voice-over work for him, as we foreigners are a hot commodity. So, he picked me up and brought me to his studio and handed me the script. I read it and said, "What the deuce?" They laughed and said that it was pretty rediculous but that it was what they were given and that we shouldn't change it.
Here is the script:
"I am unyieldingly bound for my original home, across rivers and oceans through my life. I am a member of the trout family.
As I grow up, the love hidden in my heart breaks out. It rekindles memories about life and love, which flowed along with rivers and oceans and were left in an age I almost forgot.
I follow my friends who also seek their original place, facing billows and starting this far and long journey.
Bourbon town, experience the noble free, individual-style of life.
Bourbon whiskey presents you with a full-bodied, mellow taste. It is a good partner when you enjoy a royal ballet, share a warm moment with you over or celebrate your successes with you friends.
With bourbon whiskey, I feel happy on my trip. However, I am still a trout bound for my home. I want to remember its beauty in my heart because my wish for love never ends, till I find her in Bourbon town. "
It really reminded me of Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. "For a relaxing time, make it Sannatori time." Except for me it was, "Bourbon is the perfect partner at the ballet, or if you are a trout bound for my home."
peace. paul.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
State of the Secrets
An interesting article in the NYT talks about the increasing transparancy of China's National Administration of State Secrets (interesting name!) in providing death tolls of natural disasters. The full article is here for those who are interested.
What will prove to be most fascinating will be what exactly they define as a 'natural disaster.' The article restricts the definition to "earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons", but leaves it open to interpretation (ex. a flood from a broken 3 Gorges Dam).
I mention this because of the high mortality rate in China's coal mines - where hundreds die each month. Just yesterday in the South China Morning Post (www.SCMP.com) headlines read of 27 miners missing after a flood and a fire. News like this breaks almost weekly. The good news is that we informed readers actually get a hard number. The bad news (as well as the loss of life) is that it's unclear how many of these cave-ins are not accurately reported - if reported at all.
"China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with thousands of workers dying each year in floods, fires and explosions caused by lack of proper equipment and lax enforcement of safety rules." - 9.12.05 SCMP.com
peace. paul.
What will prove to be most fascinating will be what exactly they define as a 'natural disaster.' The article restricts the definition to "earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons", but leaves it open to interpretation (ex. a flood from a broken 3 Gorges Dam).
I mention this because of the high mortality rate in China's coal mines - where hundreds die each month. Just yesterday in the South China Morning Post (www.SCMP.com) headlines read of 27 miners missing after a flood and a fire. News like this breaks almost weekly. The good news is that we informed readers actually get a hard number. The bad news (as well as the loss of life) is that it's unclear how many of these cave-ins are not accurately reported - if reported at all.
"China’s coal mines are the world’s deadliest, with thousands of workers dying each year in floods, fires and explosions caused by lack of proper equipment and lax enforcement of safety rules." - 9.12.05 SCMP.com
peace. paul.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Going around, coming around
Well. Touche GRE. Touche. Yesterday I blogged about how rampant cheating is inside the Chinese classroom. Today, it came to my surprise that these antics would annoy me outside of the classroom as well.
Due to cheating, it seems that the GRE has decided to administer a 'split-test' format in China (+ Hong Kong), Korea and Taiwan. So, the anlytical writing section will take place this October and the verbal and quantitative sections will be administered JUNE 10, 2006. Yup, that's a 7 month gap, sports fans. Oh yeah, it's also $35 more.
Apparently they switched the format because students in this region "to restore the validity of scores for students in these regions. The paper-based Verbal and Quantitative sections that are administered will be retired from use after each administration, thereby removing the unfair advantage some past students gained by memorizing questions in advance of the test." Click here for the skinny.
Leave it to China to gain an unfair advantage through cheating, it's pratically a college major.
So, what this means is that I'll have to either A) report scores twice to schools and hold off on applying or B) hold off on taking the test AND applying until I can take it in the US of A where people don't memorize the test (at least I missed that class at SJU). Either way, it looks like I'll have to wait until 2007 before starting a program.
Xie Xie Zhongguo!
peace. paul.
Due to cheating, it seems that the GRE has decided to administer a 'split-test' format in China (+ Hong Kong), Korea and Taiwan. So, the anlytical writing section will take place this October and the verbal and quantitative sections will be administered JUNE 10, 2006. Yup, that's a 7 month gap, sports fans. Oh yeah, it's also $35 more.
Apparently they switched the format because students in this region "to restore the validity of scores for students in these regions. The paper-based Verbal and Quantitative sections that are administered will be retired from use after each administration, thereby removing the unfair advantage some past students gained by memorizing questions in advance of the test." Click here for the skinny.
Leave it to China to gain an unfair advantage through cheating, it's pratically a college major.
So, what this means is that I'll have to either A) report scores twice to schools and hold off on applying or B) hold off on taking the test AND applying until I can take it in the US of A where people don't memorize the test (at least I missed that class at SJU). Either way, it looks like I'll have to wait until 2007 before starting a program.
Xie Xie Zhongguo!
peace. paul.
My roof
We recently discovered how to access the roof of our building, only to find some pretty strange stuff. I suppose a roof is a normal place to place a used bathroom sink, right? I mean, seriously, who DOESN'T have a sink on their roof?
More pictures to come. Just a-waiting on a sunny (i.e. not smoggy) day.
peace. paul.
Zhongshan Ex-pat Crew
From L-R: Johannes (Germany), Constantine (Romania), paul. (USA, duh), Marcus (Australia), Mark (England), ???? (Germany) and front center is Tim (Israel).
This is a large crew of expatriates living in Zhongshan. We'll meet up about once a month to hang out and speak English at a normal rate, well, as normal as German English can be I suppose...
Good company once in a while.
peace. paul.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Cheating rife among university students
This story from the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com) really struck my eye. Listed below is the result of a survey asking university students whether or not they cheat. From my experience, they cheat every opportunity that they get. Yet, in their culture they consider it helping each other. When I was in Spanish class at SJU, if i was not sure of an answer to a verbally asked question I would consult my neighbor and ask for the proper vocabulary word. This, I felt was assistance and the prof never looked down on me for at least making the effort.
My students do the same, and I in turn do not look down on them for needing help with a word or two. The heart of this survey, however, speaks to exams and formally graded work. Cheating should be unacceptable in this graded realm. To combat this, last year my fellow teacher Ryan gave two separate written final exams to his American History classes. Rows of students alternated getting test A and test B. The tests contained the same questions, but the order was reversed (i.e. 'A' had questions ordered 1-50 while 'B' was ordered 50-1). The result was astounding.
Students would berely read the questions, so answers were as follows:
Q: "Who was the famous black civil rights leader who was shot and killed in 1967?
A: Huckelbarry Fin.
Q: "Written by Mark Twain, this famous American novel is about the adventures of a young man growing up on the Mississippi River?"
A: Martain Luthar King. (Either 'Tom Sawyer' OR 'Huck Finn' would have been acceptable.)
Just thought this was interesting... read the below article for more...
peace. paul.
Cheating rife among University students
By Chan Siu-sin
SCMP.com 4.9.2005
Four out of five university students surveyed on the mainland have cheated in examinations, a survey has revealed. The cheating included sneaking in strips of papers to exams, giving answers to others, taking exams on behalf of someone else and "hi-tech" cheating. According to the monthly China Youth Studies, 82 per cent admitted cheating, and 8 per cent said they were just "helping classmates".
The study also found that more boys cheated than girls and that girls and junior students tended to be more nervous than senior students about cheating. Zhang Xiaoming , from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said the "score-oriented" university system was to blame. ###
My students do the same, and I in turn do not look down on them for needing help with a word or two. The heart of this survey, however, speaks to exams and formally graded work. Cheating should be unacceptable in this graded realm. To combat this, last year my fellow teacher Ryan gave two separate written final exams to his American History classes. Rows of students alternated getting test A and test B. The tests contained the same questions, but the order was reversed (i.e. 'A' had questions ordered 1-50 while 'B' was ordered 50-1). The result was astounding.
Students would berely read the questions, so answers were as follows:
Q: "Who was the famous black civil rights leader who was shot and killed in 1967?
A: Huckelbarry Fin.
Q: "Written by Mark Twain, this famous American novel is about the adventures of a young man growing up on the Mississippi River?"
A: Martain Luthar King. (Either 'Tom Sawyer' OR 'Huck Finn' would have been acceptable.)
Just thought this was interesting... read the below article for more...
peace. paul.
Cheating rife among University students
By Chan Siu-sin
SCMP.com 4.9.2005
Four out of five university students surveyed on the mainland have cheated in examinations, a survey has revealed. The cheating included sneaking in strips of papers to exams, giving answers to others, taking exams on behalf of someone else and "hi-tech" cheating. According to the monthly China Youth Studies, 82 per cent admitted cheating, and 8 per cent said they were just "helping classmates".
The study also found that more boys cheated than girls and that girls and junior students tended to be more nervous than senior students about cheating. Zhang Xiaoming , from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said the "score-oriented" university system was to blame. ###
Friday, August 19, 2005
Newsstand - Jordan, HK
Magazines and newspapers - mostly in Chinese - can be purchased at any one of these small newsstands around HK. Some of the stands in touristed areas even offer the local English dailies like the South China Morning Post, International Herald and Financial Times Asia. Larger stands will also sell canned and bottled drinks as well as cigarettes (such as this one) for the local commuters.
Chinese herb and spice shop - Yau Ma Tei, HK
The smell of dried fish and kelb is overwhelming to a passerby. Shops like these that sell everything from Chinese herbs and spices to dried foods, fruits and teas are abundant on the Kowloon peninsula of Hong Kong. Some of these spices have medicinal properties, such as crushed deer antlers which are said to increase male fertility. It's like Bambi Viagra...
The Kong Show
Well, I've been safe in HK for the last week as new Maryknoll vols rolled in. Now, they are busy with orientation (learning about China, teaching in China and the Catholic Church in China.... in China) and, on the days that I don't help out with, I've got the days to myself. Landing at the HK airport felt really good. It was familiar and effortless to get back to Maryknoll and begin my second year abroad.
Already I've had a great time. I'm really connecting well with the new vols and will remain close with the returning ones as well. Having a position of leadership - or at least seniority - is also great because I truely like talking about my experience. Thank you to all the probing minds back in MN who peppered me with those tough-to-answer questions of value, purpose and novelty. With your help, I've been able to reflect deeply on my experience and extend my enthusiasm onto future volunteers.
My month in MN was wonderful, but too short. I hardly got to see the Solar House guys and I would have liked to spend more time with my grandma in Duluth. A month was too short... In all, it was a truely great Homecoming. Hopefully those who didn't get to visit me last year will come out for a visit to HK, Zhongshan and the Great Wall!
much love,
paul.
Already I've had a great time. I'm really connecting well with the new vols and will remain close with the returning ones as well. Having a position of leadership - or at least seniority - is also great because I truely like talking about my experience. Thank you to all the probing minds back in MN who peppered me with those tough-to-answer questions of value, purpose and novelty. With your help, I've been able to reflect deeply on my experience and extend my enthusiasm onto future volunteers.
My month in MN was wonderful, but too short. I hardly got to see the Solar House guys and I would have liked to spend more time with my grandma in Duluth. A month was too short... In all, it was a truely great Homecoming. Hopefully those who didn't get to visit me last year will come out for a visit to HK, Zhongshan and the Great Wall!
much love,
paul.
Down with Faceprint Global Solutions (FCPG)!!!!
I am outraged. If you will kindly take the time to view the comments attached to my last post "The Day After" you will see that FCPG is, in fact, trying to sell its stock through my blog. As a security company, they see their stocks rising after the 7/7 attacks and are trying to get others to make money off fear and terrorist attacks.
Used... that's how I feel. My previous post was supposed to extend words of solidarity and sorrow to the people of London, not pitch some security company who likes chasing ambulances.
Used... that's how I feel. My previous post was supposed to extend words of solidarity and sorrow to the people of London, not pitch some security company who likes chasing ambulances.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
The Day After
Last night, before boarding a plane to London, I was shocked. Six timed bombs had been detinated in the central district of London. The death toll was not announced. It was too soon to tell.
Terrible scenarios ran through my imagination. What if something happened to my friend, Jen? What if there are more attacks when I am there? What if my plane is directly effected? Not the kind of questions that help one sleep for 13 hours on a Boeing 767.
We touched down in London a half hour early. 5:06am. I was releived to learn that public transportation was limited and delayed, but that it remained mostly operational. Closed circut tvs (previously installed) monitor movement on buses and subway (tube) cars. Central London underground is closed for recovery and security purposes, but London life treads on. For most, at least.
Jen was fine and had stayed at a friend's flat as to avoid transit directly after the attacks. With some guidance from underground crew and a dash of creativity I navigated the bruised system to Jen's stop and we met.
Currently, the BBC reports that at least 50 people from different countries are dead. May they be at peace. In reaction, Blair echoed the post 9/11 sentiments of Bush and Guliani in saying that the British will remain vigilant and continue their lives as usual... any major disruptions would be a concession to terrorism.
The death of those victims is tragic, but it was timed as to be a moment of global solidarity for world leaders during the G8 summit. If the terrorists hoped to effect policy, like they did in Spain on 3/11, they were rudely mistaken. Now with the whole world looking on, the resolve of the G8 will only strengthen.
more to come later.
love and prayers.
paul.
Terrible scenarios ran through my imagination. What if something happened to my friend, Jen? What if there are more attacks when I am there? What if my plane is directly effected? Not the kind of questions that help one sleep for 13 hours on a Boeing 767.
We touched down in London a half hour early. 5:06am. I was releived to learn that public transportation was limited and delayed, but that it remained mostly operational. Closed circut tvs (previously installed) monitor movement on buses and subway (tube) cars. Central London underground is closed for recovery and security purposes, but London life treads on. For most, at least.
Jen was fine and had stayed at a friend's flat as to avoid transit directly after the attacks. With some guidance from underground crew and a dash of creativity I navigated the bruised system to Jen's stop and we met.
Currently, the BBC reports that at least 50 people from different countries are dead. May they be at peace. In reaction, Blair echoed the post 9/11 sentiments of Bush and Guliani in saying that the British will remain vigilant and continue their lives as usual... any major disruptions would be a concession to terrorism.
The death of those victims is tragic, but it was timed as to be a moment of global solidarity for world leaders during the G8 summit. If the terrorists hoped to effect policy, like they did in Spain on 3/11, they were rudely mistaken. Now with the whole world looking on, the resolve of the G8 will only strengthen.
more to come later.
love and prayers.
paul.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
A German, a Moroccan and an American walk into a bar…
By Paul Wegerson
Printed June 19, 2005
“Sometimes you gotta go! / Where everybody knows your name / and they’re always glad you came.” So goes the theme song to a classic American TV show, Cheers. The setting for the show is a local bar in Boston where the lives of its patrons are intertwined and the punch lines flow as freely as the pints.
Bars like this conjure a rare feeling of togetherness that likens patrons to family members. In Boston, they had Cheers bar. In Zhongshan, we’ve got Friends Bar.
Owned an operated since 1998 by Canadian, Hong Kong and Chinese men, Friends Bar offers the expatriate community a place to unwind and have a normal conversation over a pint of imported beer. American classic rock wails through the speakers and the walls are covered with posters of James Dean, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley and Mohammad Ali.
While Friends Bar has all the character and TV sets reminiscent of an American sports bar, the clientele is as international as the bottle selection. On any given weekend, one can find: Moroccan, German, Canadian, British, Italian, Romanian, Polish, Brazilian, American and Chinese nationals sharing a bucket of Tsing Tao, locked in an English conversation.
“In the beginning, it was a rougher crowd,“ says Canadian Gary Keeling, part owner and founder of Friends bar, “but in the past 3-4 years there’s been a shift. Eh? More foreigners came, we’ve got some great Chinese customers who introduced their business customers and more English teachers too.”
Friends Bar is a large center for expatriate activity, but many other restaurants and coffee houses offer authentic foreign cuisine. Papponi’s Ristorante imports cheeses, wines and other ingredients to make fresh pasta dishes and hearth oven pizzas. Masala Indian restaurant serves authentic Indian dishes and Just Coffee provides a quiet cup of java.
At these local joints, foreigners discuss international politics or life in China while they swap books or travel tips. These places offer refuge to members of the foreign community, but it is the local community that makes it possible. Zhongshan is unique in this aspect.
Keeling says that Friends Bar is thinking about expansion, but few Guangdong communities are ready for the concept. “The Zhongshan people are worldly wise and sophisticated enough to be open to it. They like to meet new people and get a taste of something different,” he said.
Zhongshan native Jessy Yang is a salesperson in a garment exporting company and has been going to Friends Bar for 5 years. “More foreigners have come [to Friends] recently, but also more Chinese. Many of my Chinese friends like to go there because the people are so easy to communicate with. It’s easy to make new friends and practice my English. Other Chinese bars are too dark and too loud to make that possible,” she said.
Zhongshan is becoming a cultural mixed salad; Friends Bar is Cheers. It’s a place where everyone knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.
## This article is the property of Paul Wegerson and Zhongshan Daily. It may not be reproduced or reprinted without written consent of the owners. Don't cheat... Jiambi! ##
Printed June 19, 2005
“Sometimes you gotta go! / Where everybody knows your name / and they’re always glad you came.” So goes the theme song to a classic American TV show, Cheers. The setting for the show is a local bar in Boston where the lives of its patrons are intertwined and the punch lines flow as freely as the pints.
Bars like this conjure a rare feeling of togetherness that likens patrons to family members. In Boston, they had Cheers bar. In Zhongshan, we’ve got Friends Bar.
Owned an operated since 1998 by Canadian, Hong Kong and Chinese men, Friends Bar offers the expatriate community a place to unwind and have a normal conversation over a pint of imported beer. American classic rock wails through the speakers and the walls are covered with posters of James Dean, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley and Mohammad Ali.
While Friends Bar has all the character and TV sets reminiscent of an American sports bar, the clientele is as international as the bottle selection. On any given weekend, one can find: Moroccan, German, Canadian, British, Italian, Romanian, Polish, Brazilian, American and Chinese nationals sharing a bucket of Tsing Tao, locked in an English conversation.
“In the beginning, it was a rougher crowd,“ says Canadian Gary Keeling, part owner and founder of Friends bar, “but in the past 3-4 years there’s been a shift. Eh? More foreigners came, we’ve got some great Chinese customers who introduced their business customers and more English teachers too.”
Friends Bar is a large center for expatriate activity, but many other restaurants and coffee houses offer authentic foreign cuisine. Papponi’s Ristorante imports cheeses, wines and other ingredients to make fresh pasta dishes and hearth oven pizzas. Masala Indian restaurant serves authentic Indian dishes and Just Coffee provides a quiet cup of java.
At these local joints, foreigners discuss international politics or life in China while they swap books or travel tips. These places offer refuge to members of the foreign community, but it is the local community that makes it possible. Zhongshan is unique in this aspect.
Keeling says that Friends Bar is thinking about expansion, but few Guangdong communities are ready for the concept. “The Zhongshan people are worldly wise and sophisticated enough to be open to it. They like to meet new people and get a taste of something different,” he said.
Zhongshan native Jessy Yang is a salesperson in a garment exporting company and has been going to Friends Bar for 5 years. “More foreigners have come [to Friends] recently, but also more Chinese. Many of my Chinese friends like to go there because the people are so easy to communicate with. It’s easy to make new friends and practice my English. Other Chinese bars are too dark and too loud to make that possible,” she said.
Zhongshan is becoming a cultural mixed salad; Friends Bar is Cheers. It’s a place where everyone knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.
## This article is the property of Paul Wegerson and Zhongshan Daily. It may not be reproduced or reprinted without written consent of the owners. Don't cheat... Jiambi! ##
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Exit Polls
This was probably my most fun class. Many days, all I'd have to do is give them an assignment and they would run with it, laughing all the way.
Well, today was my last day of classes. I suppose that this is as good a time as any to reflect upon my year.
I still remember the first day. Clutching my opening lesson plan - Introductions - I was excited and nervous to get in front of a class. Plus, i knew nothing about their English level or their confidence.
The result was mixed. Some were clearly more confident than others, and of those brave souls, only a further fragment had the ability to back it up. Still, the first day rolled by and my fear was unfounded.
One student, Xiang, didn't have an English name and slept most of the class. As I asked him during the break if he'd like to choose an English name from a list I had brought, another student had to translate what i was saying into Cantonese for him. He chose Sean (phonetically the same as his Chinese name) which reminded me of my cousin. A good name.
Last Wednesday, after our final class, Sean came up to me and was laughing, joking and making eye contact with me as he spoke. His English is still no where near the top of his class, but he feels comfortable speaking with me. I was so proud.
Of course, I humbly cannot take credit for their ability. I did little to build their vocabulary. What my class did provide was a way to make English accessable, alive and (get this!) fun.
Through offering students an avenue to practice what they studied and to have a few laughs in the process, they were able to find it in themselves to become more comfortable with hearing their voices in a foreign language and well, just more comfortable.
Sean is one story of many. However, there were many students who failed first and second semester after 'promising' me to make a stronger effort. These I could not help. No one could. Yet, it's the maturation, or blooming, from shyness to confidence that was most spectacular for me.
From China with Love, paul.
Well, today was my last day of classes. I suppose that this is as good a time as any to reflect upon my year.
I still remember the first day. Clutching my opening lesson plan - Introductions - I was excited and nervous to get in front of a class. Plus, i knew nothing about their English level or their confidence.
The result was mixed. Some were clearly more confident than others, and of those brave souls, only a further fragment had the ability to back it up. Still, the first day rolled by and my fear was unfounded.
One student, Xiang, didn't have an English name and slept most of the class. As I asked him during the break if he'd like to choose an English name from a list I had brought, another student had to translate what i was saying into Cantonese for him. He chose Sean (phonetically the same as his Chinese name) which reminded me of my cousin. A good name.
Last Wednesday, after our final class, Sean came up to me and was laughing, joking and making eye contact with me as he spoke. His English is still no where near the top of his class, but he feels comfortable speaking with me. I was so proud.
Of course, I humbly cannot take credit for their ability. I did little to build their vocabulary. What my class did provide was a way to make English accessable, alive and (get this!) fun.
Through offering students an avenue to practice what they studied and to have a few laughs in the process, they were able to find it in themselves to become more comfortable with hearing their voices in a foreign language and well, just more comfortable.
Sean is one story of many. However, there were many students who failed first and second semester after 'promising' me to make a stronger effort. These I could not help. No one could. Yet, it's the maturation, or blooming, from shyness to confidence that was most spectacular for me.
From China with Love, paul.
Band AIDS
There is an interesting NYTimes article on the webpage today about a city in the impoverished Yunnan province who has begun the difficult battle against AIDS. The article shows one city as a model for how the central government hopes to combat AIDS and the HIV virus.
The government rightly deserves positive press for this city-case study, but it's only one band aid on a broken system. For years they failed to address the problem because their public sentiment has been: "if people have free condoms or needle exchange programs, that means that people do drugs, have sex and possibly have AIDS. That's not possible. No one in China has AIDS or does drugs."
Frequently, as my students believe, they are told that only certain cities have AIDS. Many of these cities are in Yunnan province, where the income and economic output are the lowest in the country. My students made it sound like the 'bad seed' theory and that one poor province shouldn't ruin China's 'great' reputation.
Furthermore, the sex industry is rarely hidden in Asian markets... it's jokingly disguised. Go down my street to the Lian Xing Hotel. On the 4th floor they offer massages. By 'massages' they mean sex. It is more expensive to USE a condom in these places than to NOT USE one.
Granted, for an uneducated woman who moved from a central farm to the eastern coasts and big cities (the greatest movement of people anywhere, ever) there is good, easy money to be made in the skin trade. But, employees and customers alike share the same danger. This statement, posed in the article is way too true:
"She said the center's workers were trying to get infected prostitutes out of the sex business or at least to use condoms. But prostitution, often in karaoke clubs, frequently is the highest paying work available to women, so prostitutes with H.I.V. sometimes keep their condition a secret."
While the government has stepped up rhetoric and supported it with photo ops on World AIDS day, their commitment to prevention needs to start earlier, with kids. It was shocking for me to discover that when I addressed HIV/AIDS in my classes it was the first time that they had ever openly discussed it in a classroom. Sure, they knew about it and had talked about sex, drugs and HIV with their friends, but there was no room for proper education about the topic.
Armed with figures and statistics, I talked with them. They listened, asked intelligent questions and then sat and reflected on the matter. One student, a trouble maker, even pulled a condom out of his pocket when I got to the prevention side. Students giggled like 4th graders, but knew what it was. For an hour and a half we talked about the problem and the 'if I tell you 30 students, and you each tell 5 students and they each tell 5 students...' empowerment speech.
At the end of my lesson, I returned the condom to my student and said, "Here you go. You'll probably use this sooner than me." To which he replied, "Thanks, but I don't use them. It feels uncomfortable."
So much for breaking down the great wall...
From China with Love. paul.
The government rightly deserves positive press for this city-case study, but it's only one band aid on a broken system. For years they failed to address the problem because their public sentiment has been: "if people have free condoms or needle exchange programs, that means that people do drugs, have sex and possibly have AIDS. That's not possible. No one in China has AIDS or does drugs."
Frequently, as my students believe, they are told that only certain cities have AIDS. Many of these cities are in Yunnan province, where the income and economic output are the lowest in the country. My students made it sound like the 'bad seed' theory and that one poor province shouldn't ruin China's 'great' reputation.
Furthermore, the sex industry is rarely hidden in Asian markets... it's jokingly disguised. Go down my street to the Lian Xing Hotel. On the 4th floor they offer massages. By 'massages' they mean sex. It is more expensive to USE a condom in these places than to NOT USE one.
Granted, for an uneducated woman who moved from a central farm to the eastern coasts and big cities (the greatest movement of people anywhere, ever) there is good, easy money to be made in the skin trade. But, employees and customers alike share the same danger. This statement, posed in the article is way too true:
"She said the center's workers were trying to get infected prostitutes out of the sex business or at least to use condoms. But prostitution, often in karaoke clubs, frequently is the highest paying work available to women, so prostitutes with H.I.V. sometimes keep their condition a secret."
While the government has stepped up rhetoric and supported it with photo ops on World AIDS day, their commitment to prevention needs to start earlier, with kids. It was shocking for me to discover that when I addressed HIV/AIDS in my classes it was the first time that they had ever openly discussed it in a classroom. Sure, they knew about it and had talked about sex, drugs and HIV with their friends, but there was no room for proper education about the topic.
Armed with figures and statistics, I talked with them. They listened, asked intelligent questions and then sat and reflected on the matter. One student, a trouble maker, even pulled a condom out of his pocket when I got to the prevention side. Students giggled like 4th graders, but knew what it was. For an hour and a half we talked about the problem and the 'if I tell you 30 students, and you each tell 5 students and they each tell 5 students...' empowerment speech.
At the end of my lesson, I returned the condom to my student and said, "Here you go. You'll probably use this sooner than me." To which he replied, "Thanks, but I don't use them. It feels uncomfortable."
So much for breaking down the great wall...
From China with Love. paul.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
June 13, 2005.
I woke up at 7:37 and flipped on CBS evening news. Man they keep shuffling people around which only adds to my mad mad frustration with network news. See also: 60 Minutes (Mike Wallace still takes notes in charcoal on the backs of shovels. Too bad about his brother, Ug ... falling into a tar pit is a rough way to go.). Then I was too lazy to take a full shower - it's not like my students do... ever - so I washed just my shaggy head of hair and brushed my teeth with extra whitening paste.
Filling my water bottle from the Culligan sized jug in my kitchen, I grab a notebook and class list and prepare to say goodbye. This is finals week. I've had the same students for a whole year and today is their last class. They're good kids... well, enough of them are, at least. The final? In groups of 4: Invent a NEW product that people need but is not yet been created. Then, perform a 5-minute commercial telling all about the product and selling it to the class. Class: listen closely as you must ask 2 questions about the product after the commercial.
Some skits were good, some were marginal. Ex: Super Chair 2005! (a lazy-boy recliner with tank wheels and: tv, mp3 player, umbrella, storage space and a fish tank. why? EVERY chair needs a fish tank. THAT's why.) Others were mobile phones that are also face shavers, Super Umbrella, Smart Watch, Magic Shoes and Incredible Clothes! They all made poppa proud. Very proud considering they could bearly peep during the first week!
Then I went to a coffee shop and drank coffee, ate a bacon and egg sandwich (with mayonnase... we're going to have a 'to mayo or not to mayo talk tomorrow) and talked with some other foreign teachers. After that, I walked to a Muslim restaurant for hand pulled noodles. Mmm... la mian... mmmm. Best 6 kuai in town!
After lunch I had another final class. My English majors are really cute (90% women, too) and their English is good. Here, we learned about the Magical Hat, All-purpose Pen and the Universal Mobile Phone (with A/C). Sweet. My favorite was the "Egana: 'It's a case? No, it's a skateboard! No, it's a stool! No, it's a deck chair! You're all right! You'll be alright with Egana!" They rule and we took a grip of pictures after class. I'll post those online soon!
Then I spaced out and watched a movie called Slim Till Dead, from Hong Kong. It was alright, nothing special though. Ryan, my Chinese friend Benson and I went to a restaurant for dinner (I splurged for 20 kuai ~$2.50). After returning home, game 2 Spurs vs. Pistons was on. I knew the outcome but still got mad when DetRIOT lost.
At 8:30 a friend picked me up to do some voice-over work for Bella Sewing Company, Ltd. They make thinner trimming machines. I have NO idea was I was talking about; a bunch of really poor English and technical knowledge that not even a living sewing machine would know. It was like reading a trouble-shooting manual on the radio. Thrilling. It took 2 hours to record about 4 minutes - because the script was soooo poor. My favorite line was: 'Maybe change carbon cartridge every three month . If no to do this may , result in circuits of the shortageing out and by it on fire . " Note: 'Maybe' and 'if no... by it on fire.'
I got home, changed my carbon cartridge and decided to tell you about every 10 minutes of my day.
Loving, missing. paul.
Filling my water bottle from the Culligan sized jug in my kitchen, I grab a notebook and class list and prepare to say goodbye. This is finals week. I've had the same students for a whole year and today is their last class. They're good kids... well, enough of them are, at least. The final? In groups of 4: Invent a NEW product that people need but is not yet been created. Then, perform a 5-minute commercial telling all about the product and selling it to the class. Class: listen closely as you must ask 2 questions about the product after the commercial.
Some skits were good, some were marginal. Ex: Super Chair 2005! (a lazy-boy recliner with tank wheels and: tv, mp3 player, umbrella, storage space and a fish tank. why? EVERY chair needs a fish tank. THAT's why.) Others were mobile phones that are also face shavers, Super Umbrella, Smart Watch, Magic Shoes and Incredible Clothes! They all made poppa proud. Very proud considering they could bearly peep during the first week!
Then I went to a coffee shop and drank coffee, ate a bacon and egg sandwich (with mayonnase... we're going to have a 'to mayo or not to mayo talk tomorrow) and talked with some other foreign teachers. After that, I walked to a Muslim restaurant for hand pulled noodles. Mmm... la mian... mmmm. Best 6 kuai in town!
After lunch I had another final class. My English majors are really cute (90% women, too) and their English is good. Here, we learned about the Magical Hat, All-purpose Pen and the Universal Mobile Phone (with A/C). Sweet. My favorite was the "Egana: 'It's a case? No, it's a skateboard! No, it's a stool! No, it's a deck chair! You're all right! You'll be alright with Egana!" They rule and we took a grip of pictures after class. I'll post those online soon!
Then I spaced out and watched a movie called Slim Till Dead, from Hong Kong. It was alright, nothing special though. Ryan, my Chinese friend Benson and I went to a restaurant for dinner (I splurged for 20 kuai ~$2.50). After returning home, game 2 Spurs vs. Pistons was on. I knew the outcome but still got mad when DetRIOT lost.
At 8:30 a friend picked me up to do some voice-over work for Bella Sewing Company, Ltd. They make thinner trimming machines. I have NO idea was I was talking about; a bunch of really poor English and technical knowledge that not even a living sewing machine would know. It was like reading a trouble-shooting manual on the radio. Thrilling. It took 2 hours to record about 4 minutes - because the script was soooo poor. My favorite line was: 'Maybe change carbon cartridge every three month . If no to do this may , result in circuits of the shortageing out and by it on fire . " Note: 'Maybe' and 'if no... by it on fire.'
I got home, changed my carbon cartridge and decided to tell you about every 10 minutes of my day.
Loving, missing. paul.
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