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Thursday, April 7, 2016

Ad Takes On the Idea of "Leftover Women" in China

"Finally, an ad that celebrates single, independent Chinese women." ~ Leta Hong Fincher

In many different regions of China before I have seen marriage markets and have listened to women tell personal stories which are similar to those in the ad Fincher referenced. But I had not before seen a similar response to the use of the term "leftover women". Watch the video (on YouTube):

Two Mythical Qilins on Display in Kinmen

I have been unexpectedly occupied since praising Yeh's Fermented Eggs. So for today, I will keep it simple and share four photos of artistic creations on display at the Historical Folk Museum in Kinmen.

The qilin (麒麟) sculptures made during the time of the Xuande Emperor, who ruled from 1425 to 1435, were two of my favorites at the museum.

qilin sculpture at the Historical Folk Museum in Kinmen
Sculpture of a qilin ridden by a "golden boy": 七寶銅麒麟 - 金童

qilin sculpture at the Historical Folk Museum in Kinmen
Sculpture of a qilin ridden by a fairy: 七寶銅麒麟 - 仙女


Another set of sculptures at the museum, these made recently by children, provided an unexpected variation on the imaginary creature theme.

small sculpture of creatures made by a child on display at the Historical Folk Museum in Kinmen

small sculpture of creatures made by a child on display at the Historical Folk Museum in Kinmen


Perhaps in 600 years they too will be displayed as examples of ancient art.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Glorious Fermented Eggs in Kinmen, Taiwan

Sign for Yeh's Fermented Eggs (葉氏酒釀蛋) in Kinmen
When a sign for fermented eggs beckons

Recently near the historic Wentai Pagoda in Kinmen, I noticed a sign for "Yeh's Fermented Eggs" (葉氏酒釀蛋) and a group of tourists in a short line. I can't say I was craving fermented eggs at the time, but I figured it was worth trying one for posterity. I didn't expect much.

eggs for sale at Yeh's Fermented Eggs (葉氏酒釀蛋) in Kinmen
Beautiful fermented eggs


Now I will write something I had not expected to write. Yeh's Fermented Eggs are tasty. Really tasty. They might not be enough on their own to justify a trip to the Taiwanese island near Xiamen. But if life brings you to the Wentai Pagoda, I heartily recommend giving an egg a try. The Yehs will appreciate it and so will your fermentation-craving tastebuds, if you have those.

Based on some online photos, it appears Yeh's Fermented Eggs have been sold at no less than two different locations near the pagoda. So my best advice to find it is to ask somebody or follow people who have a twinkle in their eye due to knowing some fermented eggs are about to make their day a bit more special.

people standing around Yeh's Fermented Eggs (葉氏酒釀蛋) in Kinmen
When you wonder if you should buy a few more eggs for the road

Eggs aren't the way I had expected to first mention that I am currently in Taiwan, but it will do. More about the journey I made from Jieyang and other non-egg topics are on the way.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Donald and Hello Kitty in Jieyang

Writing the previous post reminded me that I saw Donald in Jieyang a couple of weeks ago.

Sculpture of Donald Duck holding out his hand next to a sculpture of Hello Kitty

Feel free to come up with your own caption to the photo.

I will return to non-Donald topics tomorrow.

Friday, April 1, 2016

Donald Trump to Bring His Chinese Car Brand to the U.S.

While Donald Trump's campaign in the Republican Party presidential primary has received an unusual amount of media attention in the U.S., his growing car brand in China has gone relatively unnoticed. Recently in Jieyang, Guangdong, I saw one of the aptly named vehicles.

Back of a Trumpchi SUV in Jieyang, China


As reported by China Daily, Trump has clearly left his mark in China:
Trumpchi sales grew rapidly, especially in the last few years. Today, it is a household name in China.

The numbers tell its story. From 17,000 units in 2011, Trumpchi's first year, sales progressively surged to 190,000 units in 2015. That's a whopping more-than-1,000-percent rise over a four-year period!
When China Daily uses an exclamation point it is undoubtedly a big thing. Yet success in China won't be enough to satiate Trump. As Car and Driver reports, Chinese experts believe Trumpchi's entry into the U.S. market is practically inevitable (emphasis mine):
Song is “90 percent confident” that the new Trumpchi GS4—a surprisingly not-ugly SUV with vague Hyundai and Nissan overtones—will be sold in the U.S., and the company has begun looking for U.S. dealers.
But Automotive News reports some experts are skeptical Trumpchi can succeed in the U.S.:
James Chao, managing director for Asia Pacific at consulting firm IHS Automotive, said it will be difficult for any unknown brand, no matter where it is from, to crack the U.S. market.
Trump would surely point out that many pundits were equally sure he wouldn't have much success in the Republican primaries. So perhaps people will soon be proudly driving their Trumpchies next to the Great Wall of Trump (paid for by Mexico (the wall, that is (the cars too if Trump is really good))).

No word on whether any future Trumpchi vehicles will be installed with China-made Trump toilets.




Additional Info: Please note the special date of this post.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Brick McSteps

four bricks used as a step at the entrance to a McDonald's in Jieyang, China
At the only McDonald's in Rongcheng, Jieyang, China

It looks like there may have once been a bottom step which matched the others. Perhaps McDonald's had extended the steps too far according to watchful eyes and paid the price, though it would seem to be a minor transgression in Jieyang where sidewalk space is often obstructed or nonexistent. Whatever the case, the narrower and probably less-stable brick step may do more harm than good.

At least they have another entrance to use.

Friday, March 25, 2016

More Blues: The Losing Bar Lost in Jieyang

One night about a month ago on Wanjiang North Road in Jieyang, I noticed a bar with an unusual, but possibly fitting, name.

Losing Bar (迷途酒馆) in Jieyang with a partially falling sign a no lights on at night


The bar's Chinese name "迷途" (mítú) has a dictionary translation of "to lose one's way", which expresses a different message than the English name chosen for the bar. That doesn't necessarily mean the name was a mistake or the creator wasn't aware of the difference though. Whatever the case, it appeared the Losing Bar had, well, lost. The sign was in need of repair and there were no lights on during a prime bar time.

Two nights ago at the same location, I saw things had changed.

Mu Blue Pub (沐蓝酒馆) in Jieyang, China


The Mu Blue Pub took a different approach to translating its name, 沐蓝 (mùlán), into English by using the standard Pinyin transcription for the first character and the English translation for the second character. Perhaps this was done to avoid a more difficult task of translating both characters into a fitting English name.

I didn't go inside the new pub and won't have the opportunity to visit it in the near future. Given the turnover I have seen in Jieyang, a topic for another day, I wouldn't be surprised to see something else there if I return in a year or two. But maybe the Mu Blue Bar will be a winner.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

A Hidden Logo No More: Apple Goes Darker in Xiamen, China

When I visited Apple's store in Xiamen, China, during its opening a few months ago, I saw there was no shining Apple logo visible from outside the store. Employees explained this was part of a new look, and one of them told me about an Apple logo hidden on an outside wall. It took me some time, but I found it.

I would be rather impressed if anybody noticed the logo without first being told of its existence.

hidden, barely visible Apple logo on a wall outside the Xiamen Apple Store


The above photo provides an accurate sense of the logo's visibility. Really, it's there. It can be seen a little more easily close up.

closeup of a portion of the hidden Apple logo


As I wrote before:
Employees explained Apple wants people to focus more on the products than the logo and believes its stores' distinctive design will be enough for people to identify them.
Apparently they have had a slight change of heart since then. When I returned to the store today, I saw that the hidden logo isn't so hidden anymore.

darker, more visible "hidden" Apple logo on a wall outside the Xiamen Apple Store


A store employee told me there had been several versions of the logo, each progressively darker to make it more visible, since my earlier visit. I joked that I expect if I come back again the logo will have a border of flashing lights. I refrained from joking about iterative design.

I have questions, such as whether the initial design was truly deliberate and what feedback motivated the latter changes, but answering them would require reliable information about behind-the-scenes decision making. I'll just hope for the lights.