I decided to mix things up a bit here today and post a non-China-related photo. And since the Internet is for cats…. This one was taken in Greece, on the island of Rhodes. Way back in 1995. I just love the look of contentment on the cat’s face as he slept in the shadow of a fishing […]
The Cadre Cap
The word for a Chinese government official — a bureaucrat — is ganbu (干部). For some reason it gets translated into English as “cadre,” (usually pronounce kad-er). You can spot a ganbu a mile away in China; there is a certain stance (hands behind the back or pointing, or listening to an underling explain something); and […]
I Want an Upgrade
I’m guessing that anyone who has flown, either on occasion or extensively, knows the feeling of longing that comes over them as they board the plane and walk through the first class cabin where people sit smugly sipping champagne as you wrestle your luggage and family past the curtains into steerage. “Someday,” we whisper to ourselves….. A few […]
Ripples of the Population Policy
On February 1, the NPR show Fresh Air broadcast an interview with Mei Fong, author of the book One Child: The Story of China’s Most Radical Experiment. Here’s the introduction to the interview: Fong explores the wide-ranging impact of what she calls the world’s “most radical experiment” in her new book, One Child. She says that among […]
Against the Wall
I first posted this photo to my blog ten years ago, when there were probably only a handful of readers, so I thought it would be OK to bring it back around. One afternoon I grabbed my camera and headed downtown on my new bike to run some errands and take pictures. I ended up at […]
Get Your “Four Comprehensives” On
The Chinese Communist Party is at it again — promoting it’s own awesomeness with an animated rap video (with a side of Beethoven). Here’s a sampling of the lyrics: “Listen to me: four comprehensives, four comprehensives, building a moderately prosperous society is the goal; Repeat after me: four comprehensives, four comprehensives, reform is the impetus; […]
