Community Development

Nothing brings neighbors together better than an unscrupulous business trying to skirt the community regulations.

For the past couple months, an old business has emptied out on the ground floor of my building, making way for new businesses. They're opening up a high-class tea house and language training center (neither of which are quite what most people back home would expect). A few weeks ago, there was a notice posted at the entrance to the building scolding the tea house for not obtaining approval for some of its construction, namely some new gas pipes for its kitchen.

The business was kind enough to poll every resident in the building (24 floors with five units per floor) on whether they should be allowed to construct new gas pipes in the building. It was a unanimous "no."

Yesterday, there appeared to be an argument outside when I arrived home. Jia later asked a guard about it. It seems the tea house doesn't care about our opinions (what a surprise), and is going ahead with construction. The building management is rather peeved, as are many residents.

This morning on my way out, I noticed half a dozen new security guards in military fatigues in the lobby. Not sure if the management or business hired them.

Bad Badminton

This weekend began with a trip to Futian district for participation in the badminton "Friendship Cup" that was organized by Shenzhen's foreign affairs department. I was told that this was going to be a fun event for foreigners. I'd like to state for the record that I was misinformed.

The group from my university included myself, one Chinese staff member, and three PhD candidates from Pakistan. There were 10 other foreigners in the competition--mostly from Shenzhen University. Not a single one of us won a game. It's not that we were all poor badminton players (OK, I'll admit I sucked, but some of the other foreigners were good), it had more to do with the large number of Chinese who were involved in the competition. We were grossly outnumbered by a group of people who appeared to spend all their free time playing badminton. They looked like they were in training for the national team.

Probably because they felt bad for us, all the losers got a prize--some cheap sweat bands that are made in Shanghai (I couldn't believe they didn't find a brand made in Shenzhen). To really make us feel better, they ensured that the sweat bands had the initials "LP", which we guessed stood Loser Prize.

Aside from the humiliation of being thoroughly defeated by the Chinese teams, we had a nice time meeting some of the students from Shenzhen University. It was also nice to talk with the Pakistani students--they're a great group to talk with, and I don't get to see them on campus much.

RIP Detroit

Although I'm on the other side of the world, I still pay attention to the economic news of America. In fact, the Chinese news is filled with economic news from that capitalist society I call home. And I get to hear all about how ridiculous the auto industry in Detroit can be. Even the executives' decision to fly private jets to DC the first time around to plead poverty made its way into the Chinese broadcast.

Now, after I've read the reasons why the bailout plan failed in the Senate, I can say this: Let the "Big 3" fail. They've had thirty years to reinvent themselves and fix their problems and they have failed miserably. I'm sure some companies in other countries will buy up some parts of their operations and turn a profit in the future.

As for the United Auto Workers, I think they're a bunch of idiots. The companies they work for are going bankrupt and they don't help them gain public funding by refusing to take a pay cut so that they would make the same amount of money that other auto workers make at Japanese companies that operate in the US. If I was given the choice between a pay cut and losing my job, I'd probably take the pay cut. The UAW is just as stupid as the executives that run the auto industry. You people deserve to fail.

Yes, I realize this is going to have a tremendously negative effect on the economy as a whole, but it's worth the lesson in basic business sense. The government does not have the responsibility to help every private company that took too many risks or made too many poor decisions. The American auto industry dug its own grave a long time ago.

The Great Mosque

This week's Friday photo is in honor of Eid Al-Adha (also called Corban Festival), the Muslim holiday of sacrifice that is celebrated by millions of Chinese citizens (thanks to Far West China and xiaoerjing for educating me about this one). The holiday was celebrated on Tuesday.
These photos are from the Great Mosque in Xi'an--just around the corner from the Bell Tower at the center of the city and surrounded by a really nice market that mostly caters to tourists. During my first summer I went through Xi'an with my parents. The Great Mosque is supposedly the oldest in China and is very well maintained.

Entitlement

As the term winds down (we have a few more weeks before exams), students tend to act a bit different than they did in first weeks when they were new to their surroundings. It really isn't any different from last year--I just seem to notice it more.

There's a lack of enthusiasm during class and a lack of effort when it comes to assignments. There's also the common occurrence of students showing up late to class--which is amazing considering they live five minutes away from the classroom. Even with these habits they can't seem to grasp the idea that it could have negative effects on their grades.

I don't believe this is just a problem here in China--I've heard plenty of stories from the US that sound similar. However, I do think there is a problem here as it pertains to English classes for non-majors. Many of these students have experienced an education system that forced English classes upon them for the past 10 years. That same education system also told many of these students that English is "fun" and doesn't require any work. This has led to the phenomenon of the dancing monkey backpacker who comes to China to do nothing more than play games and sing songs with minimal educational value. It also doesn't help when institutions will ensure that every student passes the English class and moves up to the next level despite the fact that a student doesn't do any work for the class. And this leads to a mentality that every student will pass every English class at every level of education.

Unfortunately for the these students, it is possible to fail at this university. You can ask one of my students from last year who is in my class again this year. He asked why he failed. Turns out he neglected to hand in some assignments and did very poorly on his exams. He is putting forth a bit more effort this year.

There are still those who show up 25 minutes late and wonder why I count them as absent, and then laugh when I tell them they will probably fail the course. I have to laugh because it's the same students that don't hand in assignments, don't have books, and don't take notes. I can already count 10 students who will more than likely receive a failing grade (not bad when you consider that I have 300 students).

Fortunately for me, there are some students that take the class seriously and make an effort to do the work well. Surprisingly, this Wednesday's class, which has some of the lower English levels of my classes, has been doing quite well. Even if they can't understand everything or provide the correct answer, at least they try--and I appreciate that more than they probably think.

Where's the Design?

Shenzhen Daily reported that the city was named a UNESCO City of Design, becoming the sixth city to be honored.

After reading through the article, I have to wonder why it's just being announced today when Shenzhen was bestowed the distinction on November 19. I've also been wondering what this means. The article claims that Shenzhen "holds a solid position in the design sector...and reputation for novel practices in packaging design." Where did UNESCO get this information? Do they realize this city is the outsourcing center for the world and produces other companies' designs? This is the capital of counterfeit. Where is the innovation they claim to have seen? Maybe they were talking about the architecture--like the imitation European towns or foreign-designed buildings.

In the same day, Shenzhen Daily also reported that the city is the 9th most expensive city in the world for expatriates. However, I doubt the validity of the survey that determined this because Beijing is ranked 5th and I didn't think it was more expensive on my visits. Shenzhen is certainly one of the most expensive cities in China, and the standard of living is higher than many other places in the world, but I haven't found it to be prohibitively expensive. What are the 125 consumer goods that the survey looked at to determine this? If cheese and coffee were included, then yes, Shenzhen is quite pricey.

Shamless Self-Promotion

You can vote for me in Chinalyst's China Blog Awards.
I know this is shameless self-promotion, but it's fun. The award doesn't actually mean a whole lot aside from bragging rights--though I don't know to whom I'd brag. Just follow the link embedded in the award photo and click the plus sign on the left.

I'd also like to promote a few blogs I enjoy on a regular basis for your voting consideration (because I can be a nice guy every now and again).

www.insideoutchina.com -- The blog from author Xujun Eberlein
www.farwestchina.com -- Another foreigner lost in China--though he's way out in Xinjiang.
EastSouthNorthWest -- Great news site.

And there are plenty more good blogs out there. Just browse through the listings at Chinalyst to find more.

To the Root

It's been a painful week here in south China. First, I've had a cold since about Thanksgiving--I'm almost recovered, but it's just lingering. And that lingering feeling tends to be quite common among what would otherwise be common ailments in China.

To top off my uncomfortable situation, Jia is in even more pain. Over the last year, she has had problems with her wisdom teeth, which haven't fully grown in. Today she decided to have one of them pulled--the other three will be extracted in the coming weeks. I have no idea what the painkillers are that they gave her, but it doesn't look like the codeine they gave me for a minor ear infection a while back.

On the lighter side of things, I have begun a new Web site on a domain I purchased a couple months back and have hosted on a friend's server. I will post an update on it and its contents when I can get the design down a bit better. Until then, you'll have to wonder what it could be (and no, it's not just a new host for this blog).

Blinding Reality

I was reminded by a post at Mutant Palm about the eyesight problem that plagues students today.

Saturday, Jia and I were walking around Coastal City before heading back to Thai Kitchen for dinner (their prawn lemon grass soup is really good), when she decided to try out some of the eye goggles. These things are sold to correct the poor vision around China. Of course, I don't believe any of it and neither does my wife--she just thought the massage mechanism of the goggles would help her relax.

As Jia experienced the feeling of eye pressure, I was handed a booklet about the product in English. The claims of the product are outrageous. It will supposedly correct the "false near-sightedness" of students--I guess that means all the students are faking it. My favorite line from the brochure was, "for people who work with eyes used most of the time." Well, that's great--I use my eyes everyday. So, unless you're job requires you to sleep, this product is for you.

And there's a nice video on Shanghaiist about the eye exercises that students are required to do everyday in school (teachers are fined if students don't do it properly).

In Between

In between the protests that have been going on for some time, I traveled with my parents to Bangkok for the second time in August. We were there just in time for Queen Sirikit's birthday.

It was interesting to see the Thai public's reverence for the royal family--though I already encountered some of that during my first trip to Thailand.

On a day I took to myself to sleep in while my parents toured the Grand Palace and some other sights I already enjoyed, I found myself in the midst of the celebration. On the way to Dusit Park there was a street fair with food, souvenir vendors, a band, and some minor political activity. Unfortunately, I got caught in the rain without an umbrella on the walk back to the hotel.

Brother, Can You Spare a Kuai?

China has been getting hit hard by the US financial crisis and the outlook continues to look grim. Jobs, particularly in southern China, are being lost rapidly. Economic growth estimates have been revised numerous times over the past couple months--the prediction has gone from about 10% to 7%, and could decline further. And, amidst it all, the government is taking action.

Beijing's economic stimulus plan as well as its rhetoric has raised the level of optimism among the some of the public. But, is the plan enough to keep the population employed and complacent? A little over a month ago, a major toy manufacturer closed its doors without warning, owing back wages and causing a furor throughout the country. Another in Dongguan has now closed, sparking a riot of infuriated ex-employees. I have read estimates that millions will be out of work in a year in the Pearl River Delta.

I have heard plenty of predictions as to China's future and economic downfall since arriving here. There were also pessimistic predictions concerning the Summer Olympics. So far, China has proved the naysayers wrong. And it may continue to do so.

This economic crisis poses an incredible challenge to China that it may not recover from in the near future. However, this same crisis may be just what the country needs to take the next step in its development.

Beijing is pushing ahead with infrastructure projects to improve the quality of life and to maintain employment among the growing migrant population. The central bank has also slashed interest rates in an effort to increase investment (though that is more of a short-term fix). Most surprisingly, the government is pumping 350 billion Yuan (more than $50 billion) into environmental protection--though no word yet on what this will include.

The hope is that the difficult times ahead will change businesses. The manufacturers are the ones will get hit hardest unless they adapt. I've heard a lot of preaching from the government about the need for technological advancements, but not much has been developed thus far. This could bring the innovation that is seriously lacking to the businesses on the mainland.

The entire 4 trillion Yuan economic package could change the Chinese economy for the better. Or, it may simply help the manufacturers stay in business long enough to ride out the recession and continue with business as usual in a few years, which won't bring about any long-term benefits for the public.

Menacing Copyright

Last week, Mr. W. gave us some delicious dried yak he brought back from his trip to Tibet. I was enjoying eating it when I took a closer look at the package. Was that Dennis the Menace in the top left corner? Were they using an American icon as their logo?

Yes, it appears that a little dried yak company from Tibet is infringing on the copyright of our dear friend Dennis the Menace, who is not in the public domain yet. Does Dennis really help sell dried yak in China? Does anyone in China know who he is or is he just another foreign kid to them?

Out for Thai

We celebrated my birthday with friends on Friday night. After our experience at Focaccino the previous night, Jia and I decided we should give the nearby Thai Kitchen a go. Their sign offered 50% off on almost everything on the menu (except beer, of course).

Just like at Focaccino, there were a few people in the restaurant when we arrived, but no one else came in besides our table of 10. Half of us had been to Thailand and were prepared for the Chinese version of Thai food, which meant we weren't expecting anything spectacular. We ordered some typical Thai dishes in the hopes that it would satisfy our dining desire.

We were impressed by the quality of the meal--it was very close to authentic Thai cuisine. The green curry chicken and red curry duck were excellent--though not too spicy. In fact, most of the food wasn't all that spicy (I might not be the best judge of this because I love really spicy food). There wasn't anything that we ordered that anyone didn't enjoy--we chose our dishes quite successfully.

Most impressive was the price for the evening. With five beers costing a total 60 RMB, our total bill was only 380 RMB. We were satisfied and had no desire to order more, but we were shocked that it was only 38 per person.

To put that price in perspective, we headed downstairs to 3D Bar on bar street. Their best deal is buy two half-liter Tiger Beers, get one free (each costs 30RMB, which is also the cheapest beer they have). And the bars on that street are wondering why business sucks.

I say skip the over-priced bars, but don't miss out on some quality Thai food in Nanshan on the 3rd floor of the Poly Center (AKA World Food Street).

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.

Going Italian in Nanshan

Last night Jia and I went out to Coastal City and the surrounding area for dinner. We walked around the World Food Street behind the Poly Theater. This area is mostly inhabited by Bar Street--a group of empty bars that have mostly closed. The whole area is relatively deserted--it's still under construction and has been poorly advertised to the public.

The restaurants on the third floor seem to have the right idea to attract customers--special deals and lower prices. This is something the bars have yet to figure out (they like to charge 50RMB for a beer and offer few, if any, specials).

We chose to eat at Focaccino Ristorante, which has another location in Coco Park in Futian. Their current special is 152RMB (service charge included) for two glasses of wine, two soups, a large salad, two entrees, dessert, and coffee. It's a limited selection, but it is well worth the price.

Jia and I were the only patrons (one couple left as we sat down) and were given great service (which is why I didn't mind paying the service charge) to go along with our quiet dining experience. The wine was quite good for house wine--although it's not often I get to drink non-Chinese wine, so I might be biased. The caeser salad was wonderful considering I haven't had one in at least three years.

For the main course, we had spaghetti with chicken and herbs and a pepperoni, green pepper, and mushroom pizza. Both were great (and the pizza made a good cold breakfast this morning). And the freshly-ground coffee was a relaxing way to end our evening. The dessert was the only disappointed part of the meal--but I'm not much on desserts and we were both full by the time it arrived.

We'll more than likely return to Focaccino for a meal or coffee. The regular prices are reasonable and the specials make it even better. I'm tempted to try their lunches--there's a little more variety in the specials then.

A Little Birthday Ditty

I'm another year older and none the wiser.

My birthday began as usual with work and such. The only problem was that I was told I would have to take part in the recording of a video for the university--on the one day in more than a year that I decided to wear jeans to work. They rewrote the lyrics from the Olympic song "北京欢迎你" (Beijing Welcomes You) to fit with the school. And they expected me to sing.

There's are two problems with the situation: I don't sing and I can't read all the characters for the Chinese they want me to sing. My office never got the memo that I sing worse than a dying cat on morphine. Fortunately, they let me be part of the inaudible background. But I did get to lip-sync like a star in the opening ceremony of the Olympics for the video.

Review: The Last Castle

I don't recall ever hearing about The Last Castle, which was apparently released in 2001, but I couldn't pass up the chance to watch James Gandolfini and Robert Redford in a movie.

From director Rob Lurie and writer David Scarpa, The Last Castle depicts a military prison run by Col. Winter (Gandolfini). Three-star General Irwin (Redford) is sentenced to the prison for failure to follow an executive order that led to the death of his soldiers. Irwin unintentionally humiliates Winter, who looks up to the general, by pointing out that the colonel has never been to war. He then takes his time to evaluate the conditions of the prison.

From watching the other inmates, Irwin discovers that Winter is responsible for the mistreatment of the men. He gradually finds ways to irritate Col. Winter and disobey the rules of the prison. His actions culminate in Irwin's organization of the court-martialed soldiers in an uprising to take over the prison.

The Last Castle is an entertaining movie with a great pace to the story. The action isn't over the top like in most movies coming out of Hollywood. However, it still could've been better. There was an attempt to develop the characters, but it didn't go far enough. There was very little back story revealed about the characters, creating a lack of interest in many of them. The progression of the story was also a bit predictable.

Still, it's not a bad way to spend a few hours. It has enough talented actors to make it worthwhile.

The End Is Near

I told my boss I resigned. Though it won't actually be until March that I leave--I gave some reassurances.

As some of my readers know, Jia was given an immigrant visa for the US last month. The visa is only valid for six months, so she has to travel to my hometown before mid-April. This was a bit of a surprise as we just began the application process at the end of July (the consulate Web site said to expect the process to take up to a year). I signed a new contract with the university last summer because I didn't expect my wife to get her visa until next summer, when my contract would end.

Fortunately, my boss is taking it well and understands the situation. I've even offered to help as much as I can in finding a replacement. I find it slightly depressing that I'll leave a job that has treated me so well--I doubt I'll have such luck finding another boss as nice as this one.

After three years in China, I can finally say that I know when I'm going home--and it feels awkward. Aside from my hometown, this is the longest I've stayed in one place. I may not like Shenzhen, but it is still my home of the past three years and there is a strange connection that I have made with it.

Now I have to face the difficulty of moving to the US and finding work in the midst of a recession, while helping my wife cope with a new life (though I think she's better prepared than I am). I have confidence that Jia can find work as a teacher; I'm still busy finding the best city to improve my chances of gainful employment.

I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family again, but I will miss the friends and pseudo-family I have here. Until I leave, I'll have to seek out some new adventures in the city I will leave behind.

Farewell my private office.

Spilled Milk

What would you do with tons of Melamine-tainted milk? Guangzhou is purportedly looking into using the "milk" to make bricks. Details are not given as to how this would work, or even if the bricks would be of adequate quality. However, this does provide an alternative to dumping the milk into the rivers and giving the fish kidney stones.

Who says there's a lack of innovation in China?

I'm still looking for The Simpsons reference to Chinese having the same word for crisis as they do for opportunity. Until I find it, I'll stick with how Homer put it, "Crisitunity."

In a Blur

There is a serious vision problem in China. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with it after I was finished teaching children.

Apparently, many parents won't buy glasses for children because they think the kids' eyesight will deteriorate more. This created a problem in the classroom as I had students running up to the board to squint at what was written, then scurry back to their seats to write it on their paper. At least I was told about this prior to my first class.

Now I have the problem at the graduate level. Last year I had students who refused to answer questions, and when pressed to answer would reply that they forgot their glasses. This year, I have students who say they can't see the board or projection screen clearly and, therefore, cannot answer the question.

The irony of this situation now is that I write in large letters on the board and use 18-20 point font for my lectures. I can see everything clearly from the back wall, which is ten feet behind the last seat. Not only that, but there are usually three rows of tables that can sit three students each at the front of the room.

It pains me to think that I might have to fail a student or three simply because he or she isn't responsible enough to get new glasses or sit closer to the front of the class.