08.15.09
Posted in Chinese Nationalism, Internet and Media at 16:27 by SHTig
Jian Guo Da Ye(建国大业), a movie on the founding of the People’s Republic of China, is set to come out on September 18th, in advance of the October 1st 60th anniversary of the PRC. Actress Xu Qing 许晴 plays Song Qingling (i.e. Madame Sun Yat Sen).
The Chinese blogosphere is flipping out, because Xu Qing – Chinese by blood – at some point took on Japanese nationality. This makes her a traitor and sell out, as the thinking goes, totally unfit to play Song Qingling (who, incidentally, spent time in Japan, including at the time of her marriage to Sun Yat Sen ~~). The venom on the net about this is massive, here’s just one comment I found here:
中国虽然现在是发展中国家,但以后一定会成为发达国家,而且是一流的发达国家,中国人是有这个能力的!!有中国人不当去当洋鬼子,享受外国的高福待遇,跑到中国来赚钱,还说自己是什么中国人,搏感情,都是为了自己的利益,为了自己的影片卖钱啊,为了自己的人气啊 (SHTig translation: OK, so China is a developing country now, but later it’s definitely going to be a developed country, and a top developed country at that, Chinese people have this ability! Chinese who do go to be foreign devils to enjoy the luxurious treatment abroad, and then come running into China to earn money, still saying they’re Chinese to win people’s hearts – they’re just doing it for their own benefit, to make money selling their movies, all for themselves!”
It doesn’t help Xu Qing that apparently there are multiple actors in Jian Guo Da Ye who have US and other foreign citizenship, or that it’s uber-patriotic “go China” flick, as chinaSMACK alludes. Here’s a movie clip and commentary on Xu Qing and the other “foreign” actors.
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08.14.09
Posted in Politics, USA at 13:13 by Little Herschel
The Middle East Media Research Institute – MEMRI reports on who the Syrians think are behind a recent disturbance in China.
In a recent article in the Syrian government daily Al-Thawra, Syrian columnist Dr. Farid Hatem Al-Shahf wrote that it was the U.S. that was instigating the rioting by the Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang, China. The U.S.‘s goal in doing so, he explained, was to pressure China so that it would agree to purchase U.S. government bonds and thus rescue the collapsing U.S. economy.
Another quote:
But wonder of wonders, they [the US] set up a great outcry over the Muslims of Xinjiang, who are [actually] victims of riots arranged by dubious circles in the U.S. and the West. The media, which has [always] turned a blind eye, and is still turning a blind eye, to the actions of the U.S. and its allies against Muslims all over the world, was summoned to cover the events [in Xinjiang]. It [continued to] ignore the fact that what was done and is still being done to the Muslims in China and elsewhere is clearly instigated by the U.S.
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08.10.09
Posted in Manners, Shanghai, Technology at 22:11 by SHTig
No not from me. I was just there to buy a step down transformer, in hopes that the Bose Companion 5 computer speakers that I just brought back from the States (110v) will work in Shanghai. While waiting for the staff girl to box the transformer, some Chinese guy was throwing a fit at the counter. He was in a total fury – he yelled 15 times at the salesgirl 随便我吗？ (I’m assuming that before I took note of the situation, whatever it was about, the salesgirl had said 随便你.) The irate guy’s girlfriend stood stoic at his side, as did a male Best Buy employee (he was looking on, not intervening or saying anything). The fury man turned around, and upon seeing me, said “damn”, followed by – for good measure of course – “bitch”. The salesgirl disappeared into the back room; 90 seconds later the fury man kicked the counter hard (in his flimsy sandals, ha ha), yelling 人呢 . To my interest, but not surprise, no other Best Buy employee intervened to quell the situation. The salesgirl reemerged with my transformer, and out the door I went.
SHTig’s takeaways — Shanghai is a real pressure cooker, everyone is angry here. And thus, I don’t accept any argument from Chinese friends that the way to handle tough situations is through gentle and retreating words. Chinese people in this city can get harsh in a hurry.
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08.04.09
Posted in Chinese Nationalism, Laowai, Manners, Sports, Wuhan at 13:16 by Nator
Now it’s the ladies’ turn, or rather the girls’ turn. A post-match fight erupted after China beat Australia in the U-19 women’s football tournament match in Wuhan. China’s Titan Sports has the best coverage; curiously, its video link to the footage of the violence isn’t working, but another article has a few photos.
I watched a few minutes of the match last night before going to bed. Seemed like a pretty boring match, or at least not one that would lead to a fight.
ESPN provides a few details on the incident:
However following the final whistle, an Australia player fell to the ground while remonstrating with the Chinese, prompting captain Tameka Butt to charge across the pitch and grab the perceived offender.
That sparked a mass brawl as both sets of players and backroom staff charged onto the pitch, with punches thrown.
Shocking enough, but it gets worse:
Once order was restored, several plastic water bottles were thrown from the crowd in the direction of the Australian team – whose ages range from 15 to 19 – as they made their way down the tunnel with local police imploring fans to stop the behaviour.
Soccer players fighting in China? Women arguing in Wuhan? Fans throwing bottles at teenage girls? The reporter unwittingly gets it right: “Order was restored”, at least in China’s soccer universe.
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08.03.09
Posted in Health, Rumors at 19:40 by SHTig
Someone please tell me why news of H1N1 swine flu has been leading the Chinese news for months, and continues to do so. My working theory is that the government wants to make sure that each and every 100 laobaixing know that swine flu came from another country, so that when the pandemic breaks out badly in China, the government will not be blamed for any cover ups.
I felt clever for figuring that out in like April. Now I’m just exhausted from the hysteria in China over swine flu in America and telling people that swine flu has not been a serious news story there for months. I’ve have a colleague who was on a flight from the US to Shanghai that was QUARANTINED in Shanghai for one week in June, because – apparently – someone on his plane came down with swine flu like symptoms. I myself just returned to Shanghai from the US yesterday ~ the entry procedures were totally reasonable. But my ayi won’t come this week because her main employer forbids her from doing so — they fear that she could catch swine flu from me and pass it on to them. I can live without my ayi for a week (Nator, hold your snarky comments) but why oh why must Chinese people be led so out of touch of reality by state media.
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