Monthly Archives: September 2007
China quietly scolds Burmese junta
With a bunch of people having been killed, this situation in Burma is fast turning into a nightmare, but it might be one that yet has a positive outcome. Not at all to marginalize the deaths of those unfortunate to get in the way of the Burmese security forces’ “warning” shots (incl. Japanese journalist Kenji …
In Love & Hate of Chinese Supermarkets
Hey, so I’ve started a new Group Writing Project over at Lost Laowai called China: Love It Hate It.
Essentially I’m asking China bloggers (not at all limited to English-speaking bloggers) to chime in and sound off on what they both love and hate about China. The post can be written in any form or with any unique twist – the only thing I ask is that it be balanced.
The idea for the project comes out of showing that it’s ok to have divided feelings about China. You don’t have to be an extrapohater or an avid apologist – there is an alternative. You can just be. And so, if you list five things you hate, figure out five things you love – or vice versa.
For my part, I’m going to challenge myself to find the good in Chinese supermarkets and the products they contain, but first… the bad.
Why I support MMP, and what the heck is it anyway?
On October 10th a provincial election is being held in my home province of Ontario, Canada. In conjunction, a referendum is also being voted on – the subject of which is Ontario’s (and by future extension, Canada’s) voting process. Generally it’s being hailed as the most important electoral reform of “our” lifetime, and the most …
Wipha! Hit me baby one more time
Back two years ago I posted about being a bit let down that typhoon Matsa never quite hit Dalian as promised. Well, looks like the (ahem) winds of fortune are changing and I might get my wish to finally experience a full-on typhoon (which is fancy Pacifician terminology for ‘hurricane’). Typhoon Wipha, possibly the coolest …
Has anyone seen my face?
One of the things I like about Chinese is that it tends to be quite module-like. There are lots of little structures that you can just modify with new nouns, adjectives or what have you, to create entirely new meanings. A couple examples: 越 … 越 … 越(来)越(好) | yuè lái yuè hǎo | better …
First day and I’m already sick and tired
I was up with the construction workers this morning, excited to be heading off to my first day of school. The anticipation of starting something new made me ignore the stomach cramps, and pass them off to nerves. Arriving at the university with ten minutes to spare, I realized I should have given myself more …
Dreamblogue has head in clouds, feet on ground
Over the last week or so, in between design projects and getting set for my impending return to studenhood, I’ve been helping flesh out the design of a great China charity project – the China Dreamblogue (or Blog of Dreams – I’m still not sure why it has two names). The extremely ambitious project has …
Soochow University, here I come
So, I’m registered. As of yesterday afternoon I am officially a student of Mandarin at Suzhou University (cue hollers and hats thrown in a random and celebratory fashion). The whole process was pretty straight forward, and I have to admit that I’ve little clue as to what is actually going on (mantra – follow the …
The Long-needed Lost Laowai Facelift
Hey all, as most know I run another little site called Lost Laowai. It’s a community site dedicated to demystifying China with a no-nonsense approach. On top of the core site – featuring message boards, job listings, classifieds, and a number of other things – the site also plays host to a nifty little collaborative …
