Lunatics Holding Us Hostage

I thought it was over after that idiot in Florida got his 15 minutes of fame for planning to burn copies of the Koran. Now, more idiots are coming out of the woodwork and threatening the lives of every American because of their disregard for tolerance of anyone other than themselves.

The first is an pastor in Tennessee who has decided to burn the Koran to "save their souls." The second is the most hated church group in America: Westboro Baptist Church--those so-called Christians who protest at soldiers' funerals with highly offensive slogans about gays. These people are going to burn the Koran because the idiot in Florida decided not to.

How is it that a few lunatics can garner so much attention that it endangers an entire nation? Maybe the government can sponsor a trip for the lunatic fringe to the rural regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan...and leave them there.

Again?

You'd think people would learn from others and stop being so stupid...but, then another jackass gets bitten by a panda.

This is the third idiot that Gu Gu the panda has mauled at the Beijing Zoo. The first being a drunk, the second being a teenage migrant worker, and now a father who chased after his kid's toy. And it was merely two months ago that a university student decided to hug the panda at another zoo in southern China.

With bamboo forests vanishing from the Chinese landscapes, the pandas are being forced to alter their diets and human flesh is plentiful in these parts. In a new taste test, 9 out of 10 pandas chose Soylent Green over traditional bamboo.

This is Monday

This Monday morning came with a few surprises--some welcome, some not.

I began with the regular Monday meeting at the university. We discussed some ideas I had for changing the PhD course slightly. My colleague also had a few suggestions to add. Unlike other schools in China, our recommendations were met with enthusiasm. My boss is looking to make these changes for the spring term, which I won't be around for. Still, it's nice to have my input considered and accepted.

My boss also asked if I was still having second thoughts about returning to the states in March. I admitted that I was as there aren't many publishing jobs out there and I may have to try teaching at a private school to support my family. I also mentioned that if things don't work out, Jia and I may return to China next fall. My boss' reply was that she'd find a job for me with the university if I came back to Shenzhen. Again, it's always great to feel welcome at work.

Finally, Jia called me about the package we tried shipping yesterday. Turns out, there were some items that can't be shipped from Shenzhen to Hong Kong and on to the US. We got a refund, but we have to repack and rethink.

The items that could not be shipped and reasons given:

1. Chinese version of Monopoly purchased in Hong Kong because the dice and Monopoly money could be used for gambling in Hong Kong.
2. A Buddhist cloth and texts because religion can't be exported.
3. Some miniature replica terracotta warriors because they might be valuable antiques and thus the property of the People's Republic of China.
4. A Chinese name stamp (no reason given for why that can't be shipped).
5. A miniature Statue of Liberty purchased at Chen's College Folk Art Museum in Guangzhou (again, no reason given).
   

Panda-monium

For the third time since I moved to China, some schmuck has been mauled by a panda at the zoo. Unlike the previous occasions, this was not the same panda at the Beijing zoo--this time it was in Guilin.

Let's review our vicious panda moments: in 2006 a drunk wanted to get closer and hopped the fence. The following year a 15-year-old migrant (presumably sober) wanted to pet the same panda--guess he didn't read the newspaper the year before. This year it was a 20-year-old university student--he was supposed to be one of the educated people in this country. The student claimed that he "just wanted to cuddle [the panda]." I think this kid needs a girlfriend.

Boycott the Boycotts

I think I need a scorecard to keep track of all the boycotts and pissing matches. First, Chinese netizens decided to boycott Louis Vuitton, Carrefour, and anything else French because of the Olympic torch relay debacle. Then the French decided they had nothing to lose, so they gave honorary citizenship to Dalai Lama and Hu Jia.

Then there was the case of the American volunteer who was allegedly harassed for going to Carrefour and accused of being French (Shanghaiist story). After the initial report, it seems that it wasn't too bad and the man wasn't hurt. If incidents like this are repeated or involve violence, there is sure to be more backlash to follow. Of course, Shenzhen has yet to see such a protest--Carrefour is only slightly less crowded than usual.

Speaking of other boycotts, apparently there are people boycotting the Olympic sponsors (i.e. McDonald's and Coke). These people feel that sponsorship of this year's Olympics makes these companies evil in some way, despite the fact that they've sponsored the games for as long as I can recall.

I've also heard a rumor that some Chinese are boycotting KFC. I don't know the reasons, but I'm sure it's petty and confusing.

Children Rant

Some things are universal... like my philosophy. Stupidity begins at home!

I have decided that the reason for stupid acts of children in my neighborhood are caused by a complete lack of parental supervision combined with apathy.

Case 1 from yesterday: As I arrived home from Guangzhou, I watch the children playing in the garden with the parents and grandparents nearby playing cards. One little girl who couldn't have been older than 6 was playing with some dried sticks and leaves. That's when I noticed she had a lighter in her other hand, which she proceeded to attempt to use to light everything on fire. Not a single adult cared.

Case 2 from yesterday: Jia and I went to fill up some water bottles at the filtered water machine in the complex. A boy about the age of 10 watched as we filled up my drinking water for the next day or so. I heard him run and yell for his mother. He came back as we finished and inserted his money. He had no bottle, but he wanted to waste 5 liters of water to wash his hands.

Now, I'm not saying all children are stupid and inconsiderate. I happen to know a few in this area who are very polite and don't go around doing such idiotic things. I am convinced that it is the parents' fault. Maybe they should stop allowing their children to roam around near midnight while they go play mahjong.

The Job Search

I thought I had a job lined up in Japan. I was wrong. They asked me to e-mail copies of documents (diplomas, TEFL, passport) last Saturday. Well, due to my grad school's stupidity, I had to wait until Monday to find out what was going on with my diploma. I explained the situation and sent all the other documents to Japan. Apparently that took too long. A school couldn't wait between Saturday and Monday to get documents? Well that's a load of crap.
So, now I'm looking at other teaching opportunities. These jobs are all in Japan and China. Although most are in China now because Japan doesn't seem to be hiring at this time. Fortunately, I have received two responses saying that I will be contacted for a phone interview. One is in Shenzhen (southern China) and the other is in Changchun (northeast China).
At this point it's first come, first serve. I just need an excuse to take some time out of the country and learn a second language (seeing as I gave up on Spanish some years ago). Not only that, but I don't feel like editing or proofreading anymore. Teaching sounds a little more interesting.