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

I overlooked the pricey tickets to Biltmore House.    I overlooked the cabin rental in the Mountains. Though it took two years, I did finally break down and buy a Lexus.  (I myself wanted something less….”luxurious”) But now my wife has bought a $1000 vacuum cleaner.  I don’t know what to say.   What does a $1000 vacuum cleaner look like, you ask? Well, it’s not Made in China.  German model, you see.  Top of the line(cleans dog hair!). The problem is this: I do not have a $1000 vacuum cleaner mentality.    Yes, I’ve been accused of being “cheap”.  Stingy maybe.  But am I the only one seeing my children’s tuition right around the corner?  A post 65 life?  My goal is not to be a Wal-mart greeter.   (Really, it’s not.) You see...this is easy to root cause.  This is simple to troubleshoot.  I do not have a $1000 vacuum cleaner background.   I do not ...

Recently more excerpts from the vast trove of Wikileaks came available.  Remember, this is the very large number of classified cables and other documentation, all deemed “top secret”, that were deliberately leaked by an Army soldier a few years ago.  Its content was quite embarrassing to the West. Here are a few excerpts as regards China: China has “ defended the retention of the organs of suppression, meaning the Army and Secret Police, on the ground that as long as there is capitalistic encirclement, there will be danger of intervention ” from outside forces. True enough, China is indeed encircled.  Japan, Korea(moderately), even Vietnam are all “anti-China”, if you will.  Anti-Chinese feeling in Japan and Vietnam in particular is extremely high.  Of course, relations with Russia are doing very well at the moment.  Nothing to brag about, though. Further, the analysis continues…. “today the major part of the structure of Chinese power is...

Chinese are competitive.  Painting with a very broad brush, only somewhat tongue in cheek, they’ve ruined education in America, Australia and everywhere else.   They’ve violated the “Spirit of Education” in America.  “Football on Friday night?”  Nope, gotta prepare for my violin class tomorrow. “TV time at night?”  uh-uh.  Have a twenty point quiz tomorrow. “Ride my bike in the neighborhood?”  You already know the answer. Quite frankly, Chinese take the fun out of studying.  It’s not supposed to be this intense. Reading Catcher in the Rye doesn’t impress anyone anymore. Life?  Same thing. Kids…teenagers….are supposed to play…hang out.  Enjoy life before the word “mortgage” is in their vocabulary. Instead, we have a brilliant young girl down the street that has Latin at 6:30am every morning at the local high school.   When I walk the subdivision at dusk I often hear the sound of a piano fro...

I am useless. A No Value Add. Redundant. Such is life as the laowai spouse to a Tiger Mom. My wife begins her day arising at 7am.  I am already up preparing breakfast for the kids, feeding the cats, putting away the dishes from the previous night.  This however, is the only time throughout the day I will feel of any USE to the family. My wife comes downstairs, combs our daughters’ hair, and makes coffee that she will not drink.  When I ask her why she is doing this, she simply replies the “Weather is growing cold, and we shouldn’t let the pkg of coffee go to waste”(ie I should drink it.  I do.) My wife after several years now has a job.   She works for a sourcing company.  Her boss is a lazy Mexican who cannot speak Chinese, who only now is beginning to appreciate her.  I got her the job. She comes home at 5 or 5:30 and immediately begins to cook.  “Why can I not cook”, you ask? That would be because my wi...

Hong Kong folks are being a real pain in China’s behind right now. A corn cob in China’s ass, if you will. One hears that it’s the Hong Kong students being trouble makers.  That may be true. But let’s get one thing straight and perfectly clear:  they have the support of “the people”. Simple as that. I was living in HK at the time of the Handover.  I, like everyone else at the time, assumed that the Hong Kong people would not only be allowed to vote for who they wanted as their leader, but would defacto be allowed to also choose their candidates.   Alas, that ink apparently never dried on any contract, or treaty or memo of understanding. And that’s neither here nor there. Why is that? Because should China go rolling into HKG and violently put down any demonstrations with typical Chinese Characteristics, there ain’t one person in Mainland China that’s gonna scream FOUL. Oh the truth will come out. Anything China eventually does i...

Update on the below: http://newsok.com/family-files-claim-for-10-million-in-moore-theater-death/article/5346819 You can spare yourself the video....the family of the fellow that was killed below will now sue for $10 million.  Apparently they could not reach a settlement.  Anyway, the family will get probably at least half that. The original story is below......again, to make a point, it's The Rage to criticize the cops in America.  but let's be real:  This type of abuse happens in China a hundred times a day, everyday.  And everywhere else where there is no Free Press.  It's especially egregious in China because the cops don't have anyone else shooting back.  (Unlike in America, where even a mundane traffic stop can lead to a shootout) And now the Chinese cops are increasingly being allowed to carry guns. (Scary)  Methinks it's the beginning of the end of gun control in China.  Trust me.  It will only be a matter of time be...

Below is a video that I’m sure several of you have already seen, or come across.  Thought I’d share with you.  It’s approx. 6 minutes long.    It’s made in NYC.  http://i.ifeng.com/news?aid=89809893&mid=6qF4x4&p=3&from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0 While watching the video, notice there are almost NO laowai in line.  In fact, I don’t think I so any.  At least not in the front of the line. While watching this video I couldn’t help but feel sick with genuine disbelief as to who would make/force their parents to do such a thing.  I think they should put the kids of some of these older folks on TV to explain to everyone the “reasoning” behind such a move.  Of course, that’s the thing about America….one doesn’t have to explain anything to anyone . Apple knows damn well what is going on here….esp when everyone pays in CASH. One final comment/observation: there were no professional “line placement hol...