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

Chai Jing’s documentary Under the Dome is important to watch, because it is a very rare(if not unprecedented), hard hitting and honest look at where China is failing, from within.  If this had been made by a laowai, the China Daily would have front page denials and xenophobic editorials being published on a daily basis.   Indeed, many Chinese would probably think such a revealing expose could only have been made by an “anti China clique”.   This speaks volumes of Chai Jing’s abilities.  And as it has been made by a local Chinese, it has put China in a quandary as to how to respond.  Chai Jing, right or wrong, has shown the People’s “dirty laundry” (something of course all nations have), to the world.  Though she has revealed nothing that the West(sigh) did not already know, as an insider, the Chinese have finally been forced to take seriously  issues not just effecting the Wealth of China but the Health of China,  as well. ...

(I'll get the rest of this out asap....didn't want what I have already written to sit around, so I just decided to put it out now as Part 1) In 1862 Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  It was already one of the biggest selling books in America.  At the time of their meeting, his initial remarks to the diminutive Ms. Stowe were, “So you’re the little lady that started this war.” So can be said of Chai Jing, a remarkably talented and charming investigative reporter in China(they do exist).  Her tome Under the Dome will probably when an Oscar for best foreign documentary next year, and if it doesn’t I’m sure a lot of questions will be asked.  Originally a 4 hour long epic(that I’d love to see in its entirety, as I’ve read the original is far more biting), this documentary is something all people interested in not just China, but World Health must watch.   While it took me 4 or 5 sittings to finish it, it ...

Hong Kong folk do not like Mainland Chinese.  There you have it. But we already know this, right? ( Tell us something new!)  So with all the news of what is going on with HK and China, I thought I’d put this to paper.   (I could never live with Twitter)  Hong Kong and Mainlanders have been having problems for quite awhile.  The charm….the sympathy of the former for the latter has long since dissipated.  (Hong Kong women now understand their Man loves China for all the wrong reasons.)    Hong Kong folk are thus both condescending, and arrogant towards Mainlanders.  The relationship in my view is irreparable for many generations to come.  There are several reasons for this.  Let’s try and crystallize why that may be: Appearance Hong Kongers think little of Mainland Chinese:  they smell, are dark skinned, dress poorly and worst of all, don’t speak Cantonese.   (they also have lots of gold teeth) ...

A few years ago I posted the below: http://mychinakanfa.blogspot.com/2013/06/in-land-with-no-party-bad-things-would.html In essence, those in the West....or even China, that call for Democracy in the Heavenly Kingdom are nothing short of fools, themselves.   While criticizing China..shaking our fist at China, or shaking our head slowly in a disappointed and frustrated fashion, we should all remember that what happened in Russia the other day, the assassination of Boris Nemtsov, is but a stark reminder of what we should expect should we see China go down the same beaten path. Russia for the foreseeable future is lost to the rest of us.  Russia's bad luck was to fall into the grip of a paranoid, Anti-Western former KGB leader, after the tumult of Yeltsin.  Yeltsin, a public drunkard, and Clinton got along famously, and Western -Russian ties seemed to be on the upswing.  But the masses were unhappy with all the upheaval caused by the transition to Democracy. ...

Earlier I had written a post on Hongbao for Xmas.  That is, the propensity for relatives or friends to give cash gifts to my children. I neglected to mention that we indeed this year did receive $483.87 cents each for my children, from the inlaws, for Xmas. My parents gave I think twenty bucks. On top of the above we received another red envelope from a moderately good friend of $200 each, for CNY. Now I know some of you are probably thinking that the hongbao should be considered a gift for BOTH Xmas and CNY.  Fair enough.  But $500 each per child? My thinking is to put all this money in a mutual fund or something.  Collectively, each child already has several thousand in their accounts.    As such, my kids are off to a good start.  I remember when I was 17 and self congratulating myself because after bills and everything I had cleared $100 in my account. IF your China Wife is into cash metric comparisons, you will probably lose.  W...

Just wanted to update this a bit, based on what I've read these past few days.  The original post is below and of course is quite lengthy.  It's prob like alot of my longer posts and runs around 2000 words.  I don't write for anyone but myself so it's nice not to have to worry about "space" constraints. Remember, the theme of the below post was the "fear" people should have not of Chinese Nationalism per say, but of American Nationalism.  Nationalism being the root of many a war, from the Confederacy of the South to Japan in the 30's. I came across on consecutive days a couple of stories which in my view illustrates the below rather well. Here is a link to one story in particular: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-history-survives-funding-cut-oklahoma-heres-why-211535802.html In short, the above regards how American History should be taught in the Great State of Oklahoma. One may also refer to this state as America's Version of North Korea....

While I’m sitting here waiting for my wife’s menstruation cycle to end before I can have sex, I thought I’d knock this out.   You all know I look very much askew at anyone that is wont to call himself a “China Hand”, or “China Expert”, etc.  Especially us Americans.  We in particular have it in our DNA to want to be the EXPERT of SOMETHING.  Anything.     In the Past, there were without question true China Hands.  John Davies and John Service come to mind.  Sir Robert Hart perhaps being the more knowing of the bunch.  (When Cixi requests your appearance, you're a China Hand. )As China has changed, alas so have the requirements for a so called “China Man”!  Shall we pin our ears back and make a stab at the Modern Day Meaning of such a pompous phrase?  What attributes should such a person today have? Here goes: First of all, the first rule of being a China Man Wannabe, is to understand there are only Wannab...