02.03.08
Wuhan Experiences
A student from the University of Michigan writes a short article about his summer teaching English in Wuhan.
01.14.08
Legalized Gambling on Horses in Wuhan?
According to multiple reports (Shanghai Daily, Telegraph, SCMP - subscr.) horse racing and gambling will be legalized on a trial-basis in Wuhan beginning in late 2008 or early 2009. Apparently a Wuhan-based outfit auspiciously called The Orient Lucky Horse Group has received permission from authorities to begin legalized gambling on horses as early as September 2008. While some stories have pointed out that gambling has been banned in China since 1949, that is not technically accurate. Horse racing has existing continuously in Hong Kong and Macau (they’re part of China folks) for well over a hundred years. And, according to The Times of London, horse racing without legal gambling was brought back recently for short periods of time in both Guangzhou (’90s) and Beijing (’00s). Sure, that makes sense. Racing, but no gambling. In China.
The reports say there will be a horse racing “lottery” but it’s unclear what form the gambling will take. Anything other than the ability to choose specific horses to bet on will resemble the indecipherable China Sports Lottery.
12.19.07
I need _what_ to graduate?!
Wuhan has once again found its way into the China Daily’s “Odd News” section:
A school in Wuhan, Hubei Province, has sparked controversy after it requested more than 30 students to undergo cosmetic surgery before graduation.
The surgery was for double-fold eyelids, breast enlargement and the removal of moles.
It was to make the students, most of them girls, more attractive and therefore stand a better chance of gaining employment.
Many of the students want to be airline cabin attendants after graduation.
Residents complained the school was focusing too much on the appearance of students instead of improving the quality of its teachers. But the school said it was important to improve the appearance of students when considering the tough employment market.
This school was only playing the game like everyone else. I’d bet many of the students would have had the surgery done anyway, for the same reasons.
12.17.07
Wuhan Gets Robbed at CGS
As many of you already know, the elite computer gaming team from Chicago, the Chicago Chimera, won the inaugural World Final of the Championship Gaming Series. The Chimera beat the Carolina Core in a Counter-Strike: Source match and took home the $500,000 first prize. Chicago took down teams from Stockholm and Birmingham on its way to the crown.
In most circumstances, I’d be quite excited (and mighty proud) when a Chicago sports team wins a championship event. Alas, this win was tainted as the team from China, the Wuhan Dragons, were unable to participate in the event due to visa issues. As any person worth their salt knows, the Wuhaners (or any team from China for that matter) would have dominated any Counter-Strike match. Heck, the police in China even use CS for training.
Wuhan Tapped as Environmental Technology Center
Interesting news from Reuters:
A cluster of cities in central China has been designated the country’s latest experimental zone, this one for energy saving and environmentally friendly programmes, state media reported on Monday.
The Hunan cities of Changsha, Zhuzhou and Xiangtan — late chairman Mao Zedong’s hometown — as well as the Hubei capital of Wuhan, will be targeted to lead China’s drive to make its breakneck economic growth more environmentally sustainable. Read the rest of this entry »
12.06.07
Green Sweat in Wuhan
Latest health news from Wuhan:
Doctors in China admit they are baffled after a man began to perspire green sweat. Cheng Shunguo, 52, of Wuhan city, says his sweat turned green in the middle of November. “I noticed that my underwear and bed sheets were all green, and even the water in the shower,” he told.
Cheng says he feels no discomfort, but went to hospital because he was worried about his condition. Doctors thoroughly cleaned his armpits but it took only 10 minutes for his sweat to turn a piece of white gauze green again.
They have carried out blood tests on Cheng, but found everything to be normal. “We can’t find the cause,” admitted a spokesman for the hospital which reported the case to the media in the hope of finding a solution.
11.30.07
US Consulate in Wuhan to Open in February 2008
Wuhan finally gets a US Consulate:
The United States will open its fifth consulate general on the Chinese mainland in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province in central China and a major city on the Yangtze River, early next year. Read the rest of this entry »