A somewhat spontaneous rant. Oh so very unpremeditated.

(I don’t know what to say about what transpired below.  It wasn’t planned.  Rather, it was quite spontaneous. Spontaneous that is with Chinese Characteristics anyway.  That is, despite all my "spontaneity", it still took me 3-4 days to arrange all my thoughts onto paper.  The first few paragraphs were actually part of my latest post.  But then I veered off into an unplanned rant.  The post I was going to actually write will be the next one….maybe)

Originally this blog was to talk more about doing business in China.   I have failed miserably at that.  I look back to the well over 200 posts I have and see only a ghastly few even remotely regarding my business experiences in China. 

Instead I’ve gone down the politically incorrect path of talking about the struggles a Western Man has with China Wife.  I readily admit to having mixed feelings about this.  Sometimes I feel I’m Superman and a monument no doubt should be built at the gateway to Luohu to both my existence and extraordinary sense of perseverance and tolerance.  

Other times I feel I really am that pathetic creature a few of you have alluded, too.  Fortunately my extreme, overwrought sense of self keeps me from agreeing with you. 

My grandfather, of the Omaha Tribe, always had a sign in his kitchen, with the well known saying, 

“Grant I be not judged til you’ve walked a mile in my moccasins”. 

Or something like that.

Nor have I overtly trodden down that oh so well worn path of braggadocio regarding China Girls. Yeah, I got stories.  Dare I say even thought provoking.    I’ve got violence: The girl whose mom would slap her cause she wouldn’t marry.  And sex:  The girl trapped in a relationship with an older fellow.  Lives of which have intersected mine.  Maybe someday when the time is right I can bring those out.  That time may rapidly be approaching actually.  

Instead I’ve more frequently than not written about the politics of it all.  A couple of posts on education, and alternative history.  DNA and crime.   Poor Australia (with yet ANOTHER post in the long pipeline), and I’ve alluded to the unescapable conclusion amongst us all that something bad and terrible is going to happen between the US and China.  China has started construction on its 3^rd aircraft carrier by the way.   And it is my steadfast belief that when something does finally go down, Europe will look the other way.  

My blog is not a paid blog, so I can write whatever I want about China, and say whatever I want about China, without worrying about pissing off some subscriber, or editor.   Still I admit I do self censor myself.  Not for fear of a particular group of people or entity, but just because if I write certain posts I would have accomplished only further squeezing myself into the vise that is the stereotype others have of all China Bloggers.  (All 4 of us.)   Or rather of all Western Men in China.  And I’m loathe to so willingly do that. 

I’m proud of the great array of topics I have on the blog.  Ain’t no China Blogger written what I write about.   And the other few that are out there (I can count the serious ones on one hand) can surely say the same about their site as well.

I remember several years ago before I started this blog I submitted a piece to some popular site.   They had a link for submissions.  Didn’t hear back.   So I’m like fuck it, I’ll start my own blog.   I’m still rockin’ and his site is dead.  Dead as Trump.   Yet another site that keeps a catalogue of China related blogs point blank refused to even list my blog.   I think that was 2012.   It was a French site.   Bet you wish you had my site now Bitch.   

I admit my blog isn’t for everyone.  No self respecting academic will publicly admit to reading my blog.  I talk about guy stuff.  I publicly moan about my wife.  I publicly admit I have sinned.  (and sinned, and then sinned some more)   My blog as such isn’t something that is necessarily cool to admit having been read by others.    Still, my blog is a reflection of a life “well lived” in China.     If only because I first came to China a hair past my 23^rd birthday, only able to say 你好，再见，and count to 10.    I sure as hell don’t seek entry into some mystical cabal of China bloggers or podcasters or twitter feeds promoting each other’s site or post or download or what have you.  I’m not about the circlejerk. This is a dangerous tendency.  As the theme for all these folks is A, they all lived in Beijing, and B, they are the only ones the Media knows about because C, the Media and newspapers and magazines like everyone else is all guilty of pushing the lazy button.   

Ah, the lazy button.  I see this in my work every single day.  

But when the Media decide to anoint these guys as celebrities, or even worse “China Experts”, （remember there is no such thing）, than we need to speak up.   For every dude the Media decides is a “China Expert”, there are 20 other anonymous people quietly living their own life in-country who know just as much about how China works, but for the fact they decided wisely not to live in Beijing, they are unknown. 

“We don’t want to go to Hunan and find a laowai that has his own business and has lived in country 20 years and can really give us insight into how China has changed from a foreign point of view because well, that would be a pain in the ass to do”. 

I was lately listening to a China Podcast, in which the host was promoting something he’d obviously been asked to do as a favor.  We’re all cool with that.  But then he shilled for some politically correct site like three podcasts in a row.   And suddenly just like that my interest in the podcast waned.    Can somebody please break this circlejerk? Just fucking write your piece, or speak your mind.   And move on.   That is, get your head out of the China Establishments Ass (please!).  

I get it when you want to help promote a new post, or new blog, or article.   Or you come across something about China you like.  I’ve promoted China related blogs on my site a few times now.    (At least a few times I’ve directed readers to China History Podcast.)   And I want to remind readers here that Peking Duck once went out of its way to mention my new site once, too.  Of which I’m eternally grateful.

But to shamelessly shill for a particular site time after time after time is too much. (unless it’s mine!)

It just takes the fun out of listening to what you have to say.   I doubt you are getting paid for your work. And if you are, it ain’t much.  And if I don’t like it, I can just not download what you have to say.  I get that, too.  

Does anyone really know why podcasters want us to rate them on Itunes？ Because the more ratings they get, the more likely they are to get a paid spot.  And if they do, what happens next dear listener?  At the most riveting point of the podcast the host will suddenly stop and speak 45 seconds about toothpaste. 

So I rarely rate podcasts.  

My writings are not profit driven.  I’ll never make money off this.  My blog will never be used in a footnote.  My Ebook will be free. Fine with that.   Very, very fine with that.