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| Minzu Road in Zhongshan, Guangdong |
Monday, March 9, 2015
Not Letting It Happen: International Women's Day in China
This year's International Women's Day theme is "Make It Happen". As reported in The New York Times, China didn't want too much to happen though:
During the special day in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, I saw a promotion located in front of a shopping mall. I didn't notice any specific mention of International Women's Day, but a display was regularly restocked with flowers which were offered to women:
The promotion highlighted hair removal services offered by the AIST "beauty hospital". The stems of the flowers helped create the illusion of hair around a woman's lips:
The promotion suggested that hair removal could lead to increased kisses or could improve one chances of finding a boyfriend. I guess that was their suggestion for how to "Make It Happen".
I didn't notice much else, except that in front of the mall and around the nearby popular pedestrian street, there was an unusually large police presence keeping a close eye on things.
As far as I know, nothing happened.
China detained at least 10 women’s rights activists over the weekend to forestall a nationwide campaign against sexual harassment on public transportation that would overlap with International Women’s Day, according to human rights advocates and associates of the detained activists. . . .China's number one online search service Baidu also chose a curious way to "Make It Happen":
On Friday evening, police officers in Beijing detained Li Tingting, who works under the pseudonym of Li Maizi. Ms. Li has been known in advocacy circles since she started a campaign in 2012 to push officials to build more public toilets for women. She was then a 22-year-old student. Also on Friday, an activist in Guangzhou, Zheng Churan, was detained by the police. The homes of Ms. Li and Ms. Zheng were both searched.
Google vs. Baidu. Definitions and expectations of women. Can't be more different. pic.twitter.com/nc6PaFNt6Z
— Li Yuan (@LiYuan6) March 8, 2015
During the special day in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, I saw a promotion located in front of a shopping mall. I didn't notice any specific mention of International Women's Day, but a display was regularly restocked with flowers which were offered to women:
The promotion highlighted hair removal services offered by the AIST "beauty hospital". The stems of the flowers helped create the illusion of hair around a woman's lips:
The promotion suggested that hair removal could lead to increased kisses or could improve one chances of finding a boyfriend. I guess that was their suggestion for how to "Make It Happen".
I didn't notice much else, except that in front of the mall and around the nearby popular pedestrian street, there was an unusually large police presence keeping a close eye on things.
As far as I know, nothing happened.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
A Looney Tunes Sighting in Zhongshan
Who is not a fan of Looney Tunes?
More tomorrow on the topic of cartoons in Zhongshan, China, though these cartoons will have a far more political aim than Looney Tunes.
More tomorrow on the topic of cartoons in Zhongshan, China, though these cartoons will have a far more political aim than Looney Tunes.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Spider-Man and an Ewok: Watched From Above
I have recently noticed a peculiar pattern — characters from popular fantasy and science fiction movies suspiciously watching me from high vantage points as I walk outside in China. Here are just two examples:
Coincidence? You decide. But I am going to keep looking up.
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| Spider-Man watching me in Chongqing |
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| An Ewok watching me in Zhongshan |
Coincidence? You decide. But I am going to keep looking up.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
No Revolutions Today: A Yellow Umbrella in Zhongshan, China
Today I saw something I found especially thought-provoking due to what was being held and where it was being held. In front of me, two young women walked under a yellow umbrella in Zhongshan, the renamed birthplace of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen.
At a one point, a passing policeman on a motorcycle noticeably jerked his head to look at them, but he continued down the pedestrian street without turning back. No revolutions are likely now in Zhongshan, whatever yellow umbrellas mean across the river in nearby Hong Kong.
At a one point, a passing policeman on a motorcycle noticeably jerked his head to look at them, but he continued down the pedestrian street without turning back. No revolutions are likely now in Zhongshan, whatever yellow umbrellas mean across the river in nearby Hong Kong.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
What's An American Name?
In context of news about a state legislator in the U.S. saying "Asian-descent voters should adopt names that are 'easier for Americans to deal with'", I had an online conversation with an American acquaintance about the new names Chinese sometimes choose to use when they come to the U.S. to live, work, or study. I think it could be of interest to readers, so I will share it below.
For reasons of privacy, I have changed two names to Mark and Juan, as well as changed some of names I used as examples.
For reasons of privacy, I have changed two names to Mark and Juan, as well as changed some of names I used as examples.
Mark: I had a student from China that changed his name because he wanted an "American" name. So he called himself Juan. :) I told him that was a nice name but it wasn't an "American" name. We had a good laugh but he kept it.As always, feel free to share your thoughts.
Me: In the 2000s more babies in the US were named Juan than Charles, Adam, Brian, Steven, Timothy, Richard, or . . . Mark. Seems like the student had it right. :)
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/decades/names2000s.html
Mark: It was still funny and we did have a good laugh. Don't forget, he didn't come from a Hispanic background.
Me: Juan also didn't come from many other backgrounds which have influenced what names are common in the US.
I would agree his name seems atypical for someone coming from China. If I met him, it would catch my attention as well. I suspect the deal here is that for many who come to the US (from wherever) and want a new name, their choice is indirectly or directly impacted by race/ethnicity, not just "Americanness". Your student's choice doesn't fit into how that has often played out, so it stands out to us. I'm curious to know how he chose it.
On the note of unusual name choice... In China, I often meet younger people who, at least in my eyes, have chosen rather creative English names. My favorite is "Spoon".
Monday, March 2, 2015
A Boat Going Nowhere in Zhongshan
A scene at the Nanxia Land Mark (南下新码头) "entertainment city" in Zhongshan, Guangdong:
The red traditional Chinese characters "迎陽" (Yíngyáng) are the name for a nearby community. And it didn't look like the boat would be going anywhere soon.
More tomorrow. . .
The red traditional Chinese characters "迎陽" (Yíngyáng) are the name for a nearby community. And it didn't look like the boat would be going anywhere soon.
More tomorrow. . .
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Dogs Where the Dogs Don't Go in Hong Kong
A recent post about dogs in Chongqing reminded me of a scene two months ago on Sharp Island in Hong Kong. Both a sign and how it was observed seemed to say something about Hong Kong's pet culture.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Another Store Inspired by 7-Eleven: The 1-Eleven Store in Guiyang
A photo of a store, presumably in China, resembling a 7-Eleven gained some attention on Twitter earlier this month:
Brian Ashcraft later shared examples of other stores apparently inspired by 7-Eleven, many not in China.
I'm not sure whether or not I have seen the store in the tweet, but I know I have seen at least one other store which took a similar approach.
I saw the 1-Eleven store in Guiyang, Guizhou province, almost four years ago. I didn't check to see if it sold 1UP, but the "TM" symbol representing "trademark" on the store's sign made it extra special. I doubt the store now exists since since other signs posted at the time indicated it would be closing.
7-Eleven doesn't currently have any stores in Guiyang, but it does have stores in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin, and a number of cities in Guangdong province. Somewhat similar to imitators I have seen of KFC and McDonald's, the 1-Eleven store could at least be symbolic of an opportunity existing for 7-Eleven to further grow in China.
pic.twitter.com/p31U6uUmMA
— 中国住み (@livein_china) February 9, 2015
Brian Ashcraft later shared examples of other stores apparently inspired by 7-Eleven, many not in China.
I'm not sure whether or not I have seen the store in the tweet, but I know I have seen at least one other store which took a similar approach.
I saw the 1-Eleven store in Guiyang, Guizhou province, almost four years ago. I didn't check to see if it sold 1UP, but the "TM" symbol representing "trademark" on the store's sign made it extra special. I doubt the store now exists since since other signs posted at the time indicated it would be closing.
7-Eleven doesn't currently have any stores in Guiyang, but it does have stores in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Tianjin, and a number of cities in Guangdong province. Somewhat similar to imitators I have seen of KFC and McDonald's, the 1-Eleven store could at least be symbolic of an opportunity existing for 7-Eleven to further grow in China.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Performing Monkeys and Their Masters in China
Over a year ago as I crossed the road at a familiar intersection in Zhuhai's Gongbei subdistrict, I looked down and to my surprise saw three monkeys crossing the road as well.
Near the same intersection two hours later, I saw a sizable crowd had gathered to watch the monkeys perform a show.
This month in Zhuhai's Nanping Town, I once again saw monkeys performing for a human crowd.
As I watched, I wondered about the lives of both the monkeys and their masters.
I am reminded of these performances and others I have seen in China by a powerful photo essay on ifeng.com (in Chinese; photos say much on their own; HT Chris Buckley). Beginning in 2002, Hongjie Ma's photographs capture a period of 12 years in the lives of performing monkeys and their masters from Henan province. Neither the monkeys nor the humans appear to have had easy lives. And they lived them together.
Near the same intersection two hours later, I saw a sizable crowd had gathered to watch the monkeys perform a show.
This month in Zhuhai's Nanping Town, I once again saw monkeys performing for a human crowd.
As I watched, I wondered about the lives of both the monkeys and their masters.
I am reminded of these performances and others I have seen in China by a powerful photo essay on ifeng.com (in Chinese; photos say much on their own; HT Chris Buckley). Beginning in 2002, Hongjie Ma's photographs capture a period of 12 years in the lives of performing monkeys and their masters from Henan province. Neither the monkeys nor the humans appear to have had easy lives. And they lived them together.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
An Alaskan Malamute and Wolf Teeth in Zhongshan
In a period of a little over an hour tonight in Zhongshan, I had unplanned experiences touching on recents posts about pets dogs and selling wolf-dog teeth in Chongqing, which is approximately a 1500 km (930 miles) drive from Zhongshan.
First, I met a young couple walking their friendly dog, an Alaskan Malamute, next to the Shiqi River.
Then not much later, I saw teeth for sale at a street corner.
The seller told me they were wolf teeth and not wolf-dog teeth. Based on my memory, the teeth appeared larger than what I had seen in Chongqing.
And that's all for these topics today.
First, I met a young couple walking their friendly dog, an Alaskan Malamute, next to the Shiqi River.
Then not much later, I saw teeth for sale at a street corner.
The seller told me they were wolf teeth and not wolf-dog teeth. Based on my memory, the teeth appeared larger than what I had seen in Chongqing.
And that's all for these topics today.
McDonald's Celebrates in China With Year of Fortune and Year of Luck Burgers
Last year, I wrote about McDonald's "incomparable" Prosperity Burgers — a special localized menu item available only near the Lunar New Year in places such as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. For some reason, they are not available in mainland China.
Instead, for the holiday this year in mainland China McDonald's offers two other special burgers.
They don't look anything like a Prosperity Burger. Nor do they look like something I would want to eat. But I have been deceived by appearances of food in China before, so I decided to give them a try in Chongqing.
I started off with the Year of Fortune Burger (年年有利堡).
The main ingredients are a slice of chicken with a layer of skin topped by two fried shrimp sticks, lettuce, and a mayonnaise-based sauce.
After one bite, I wasn't feeling the fortune. After a second bite, I removed the shrimp sticks, took the skin off the chicken, and scraped off the mystery sauce. I found it passable after that, somewhat.
I left the McDonald's. After walking a couple of blocks, I worried if I waited much longer I would not be able to convince myself to finish this important project. So I stopped by another McDonald's.
Now was time to try the Year of Luck Burger (年年有福堡). It was not packaged in a box like the Year of Fortune Burger, possibly because it did not require as much structural support or shielding.
I thought the main ingredients were two pork sausage patties topped by a tomato, lettuce, and mystery sauce. I thought . . .
I took one bite into the burger and was overwhelmed by unexpectedly high levels of pork flavor. That is not a tomato on top of the sausage patties but instead something like a ham patty. I took a second bite, considered whether I could rescue the burger, and determined my luck had run out for the moment.
Fortunately for McDonald's, I am probably not their target customer for these burgers. Perhaps others in China enjoy them. But for me, the Prosperity Burgers far outshine their cousins in mainland China.
Instead, for the holiday this year in mainland China McDonald's offers two other special burgers.
 |
| Image from McDonalds.com.cn |
They don't look anything like a Prosperity Burger. Nor do they look like something I would want to eat. But I have been deceived by appearances of food in China before, so I decided to give them a try in Chongqing.
I started off with the Year of Fortune Burger (年年有利堡).
The main ingredients are a slice of chicken with a layer of skin topped by two fried shrimp sticks, lettuce, and a mayonnaise-based sauce.
After one bite, I wasn't feeling the fortune. After a second bite, I removed the shrimp sticks, took the skin off the chicken, and scraped off the mystery sauce. I found it passable after that, somewhat.
I left the McDonald's. After walking a couple of blocks, I worried if I waited much longer I would not be able to convince myself to finish this important project. So I stopped by another McDonald's.
Now was time to try the Year of Luck Burger (年年有福堡). It was not packaged in a box like the Year of Fortune Burger, possibly because it did not require as much structural support or shielding.
I thought the main ingredients were two pork sausage patties topped by a tomato, lettuce, and mystery sauce. I thought . . .
I took one bite into the burger and was overwhelmed by unexpectedly high levels of pork flavor. That is not a tomato on top of the sausage patties but instead something like a ham patty. I took a second bite, considered whether I could rescue the burger, and determined my luck had run out for the moment.
Fortunately for McDonald's, I am probably not their target customer for these burgers. Perhaps others in China enjoy them. But for me, the Prosperity Burgers far outshine their cousins in mainland China.
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