My China Kanfa.....China on My Mind

Their arrival is imminent. Hours away. I had thought this moment wouldn’t be presenting itself quite frankly ever again. Instead, in 5 hours’ time, I will be off to the airport to pick my in-laws up, and bring them back.   Midnight arrival, in the middle of a forecasted rainstorm.(oh the irony) My father in law is 76 years old, and quite frankly too exhausted to travel this far.  My MnL is approaching 70.  I’ve written about them many times.   I’ve compared them to my parents.(my mom, nearly 66, sent me  a few days ago yet another photo of herself in a string bikini….my wife  doesn’t wear string bikinis….or bikini’s) My wife has told me they will stay for only 3 months, and I of course, will try and be in China as much as possible during that time.   My wife and daughters will be coming back the day after, having spent 5 weeks in Hangzhou. I had thought, after the disaster last summer, that my in-laws would serio...

As Iraq hurtles into the abyss, a smoking remnant of its former self, the fog actually clears away;  whoever it was that “created” Iraq(and Syria) had no clue about “ historical culture”, i.e. the really, really  bad dislike the Shia and Sunni’s have for each other.    Apparently “an Arab isn’t an Arab”.  It’s as clear as the blood in the sand that Iraq may someday face partition, if anything, just to stop the bloodshed. And that will pretty much sum up anything I will probably ever say of the Middle East in this blog again.  But it will not keep me from yet again bringing up what every and anyone that’s ever been to China should know, and thanks to the above, be reminded of:  If China were to have one tenth the chaos of the Mideast, many, many people would die.  Economically speaking, global stock markets would all be crashing.   There’s a good reason China is so stringent about foreign currency flows:  it’s calle...

There is something to be said for Process.   But there is something to be said for results, as well. They say the difference between following “process”…. appreciating process…. understanding process, as opposed to the age old “decision by emotion” way of doing things is the difference between a child and an adult.   In the end, having a process in place isn’t just good form, but the expression of a superior society.   It makes for a more mature, and civilized place to live. Well, I say fuck process.   I want results.  NOW. I’m talking about the death of my brother.  I’m talking about the length of time it has taken to try his killer, who sits in jail, well fed….clean.   Off the streets.   Certainly never to see those streets again. It is when I think of him, that quite frankly, I wish I was Chinese, and that this had happened in China. The son of a bitch that killed my brother would have had a bulle...

This will probably be one of my least read posts.  Just wanted to share a cultural tidbit that came "across my desk" a few days ago. Some things need to be left in their original state.  This qualifies.  For those of you currently studying Chinese, you get to study something outside the classroom for a change. In China there is this creepy habit of a married man’s lover calling his wife up to ask for a divorce.   I’ve known at least 3 or so friends whose lovers have done this.   It’s all the same scenario….man marries too early in life, blah blah blah.    It’s even done by text message. What I don’t get is when a fellow’s ex Chinese GF finds the need to contact him announcing she has a new guy….? The below is in Chinese.  I’d really prefer to keep it’s original flavor intact.  This is what was received the other day.  (I will add some editorial flair.)  You all have google translator….which will pro...

It was only about six months ago I came across Reddit.   Yes, I had visited the site upon hearing of it earlier, and even created an account.   But when one is neck deep in factory meetings in China, one does not think of Reddit.  Still, once I finally got around to more than a perfunctory glance at the site, I was for a brief time addicted.  I admit as much.  It was for several weeks the first thing I did in the morning, along with my coffee.  Browse.  Not knowing what I was browsing for.  Not fully understanding what lay in front of me. Eventually, a light went off in my head, and I realized Reddit was something for everyone.  Including me.  Sure enough I soon found a forum on China.   http://www.reddit.com/r/China Wow! I could not believe the wealth and breadth of discussion that existed on this subreddit.  Some folks with innocent questions (“Is Guangzhou safe to visit”?) But mostly people...