China Hope Live

Why Africa welcomes the Chinese, according to the President of Rwanda

Joel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:00:27 +0000

Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, explains why discussion of China’s activities in Africa often misses the point, and Why Africa welcomes the Chinese.

Everything you wish you didn’t know about air pollution in China

Joel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:56:37 +0000

Finally! I just discovered a great site by a family doctor in Beijing (close enough!) with all the info you need — like what to do — about the ~~appalling~~ ~~infuriating~~ ~~horrifying~~ ~~confounding~~ ~~oppressive~~ ~~chewable~~ ~~inexcusable~~ ~~damnable~~ ~~lethal~~ ~~ghastly~~ ~~hideous~~ ~~depressing~~ ~~atrocious~~ ~~illiberal~~ ~~obscene~~ ~~foul~~ ~~nose-burning~~ ~~abominable~~ ~~face-coating~~ ~~heinous~~ ~~lì hai~~ ~~monstrous~~ ~~odious~~ ~~execrable~~ ~~unholy~~ [they-don't-make-strong-enough-negative-descriptors] air pollution. For example:

How Bad Is It, Really?
Why you should Close Your Windows at Night
About air purifiers
Pollution slideshow

Call me a pampered whiny rich foreigner if you want, I don’t care; I want to liiiiiive!

And please, by all means, you’re welcome to add adjectives to my list (but keep it PG!). Sometimes it just feels good to vent to get it off your chest, especially since you can’t vent to get it out of your chest.

I’ll add a photo later if I can bring myself to take one (through tears, no doubt).

Other posts about Tianjin’s ~~indecent~~ pollution:

Putting the OMG! in Smog

China’s Graduates: An Ant’s Life

Joel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:38:46 +0000

From the WSJ: “The recent book “Ants Tribe” (蚁族, yizu in Mandarin) about the life of some young people who flock to Beijing after leaving university, depicts the graduates, like ants, as smart but insignificant as individuals, drawing strength from living together in communities.”

Understanding China’s political weather

Joel — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:25:42 +0000

Ever wondered about those moody regulations that sometimes matter, sometimes don’t, and other times just want to sound like they matter? Everything from traffic enforcement to visa requirements can shift, depending on regular ‘weather’ cycles.

Today’s commute by the numbers

Joel — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:47:43 +0000

What a half-hour’s bike ride during Friday morning rush hour can get you in Tianjin:

People who stared at me: 4
People who took no notice of me: hundreds
Red lights: 8/11 (meaning I had to stop for 3)
Buses I wanted to curse at: all of them, but 4 especially noxious ones in particular
Groups of migrant construction workers protesting their late wages: 1
Cars on fire: 1
Buildings I should be able to see but can’t because of the air pollution: dozens? scores? hundreds?
Years shaved off my life due to the air pollution: incalculable

Five days a week I bike half an hour one way to work; so 13.2 kilometers total there and back according to google maps. The numbers above are only for the morning commute to work. There really was a car on fire this morning.

干妈 / 干爹

Joel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:49:58 +0000

Pronounced: gān mā / gān diē
Literally: dry mom / dry dad
Means: godmother / godfather; ‘adoptive’ mother (figuratively). What one of our Chinese friends called our friend Natalie in reference to our daughter (Natalie is the one who invented “派口”).