To all the moms in the world...only you can truly understand what the song is all about.
Get up now Get up now Get out of bed
Wash your face Brush your teeth Comb your sleepy head
Here’s your clothes And your shoes Hear the words I said
Get up now Get up and make your bed
Are you hot? Are you cold? Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget you got to feed the cat
Eat your breakfast The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today?
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon So you must play
Don’t shovel Chew slowly But hurry The bus is here
Be careful Come back here Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside Don’t play rough Would you just play fair?
Be polite Make a friend Don’t forget to share
Work it out Wait your turn Never take a dare Get along
Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room Fold your clothes Put your stuff away
Make your bed Do it now Do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone Get off the phone
Don’t sit so close Turn it down No texting at the table
No more computer time tonight Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up
Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me
Makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait ‘til you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew Would appreciate
Take a bite Maybe two Of the stuff you hate
Use your fork Do not you burp Or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A Get the door Don’t get smart with me
Get a Grip Get up here I’ll count to 3
Get a job Get a life Get a PhD Get a dose of…
I don’t care who started it You’re grounded until you're 36
Get your story straight And tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before that
You’re too old to act this way It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking Stand up straighter when you walk
A place for everything And everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh! Brush your teeth Wash your face Get your PJs on
Get in bed Get a hug Say a prayer with Mom
Don’t forget I love you**KISS**
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because Because Because Because
I said so I said so I said so I said so
I’m the Mom The mom The mom The mom The mom Ta-da
Monday, November 5, 2007
Mom Song
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
My DC trip
I'm in DC for a week. A lot's happening. A lot for me to do, and a lot for me to think about. I'm trying to capture all that I can. This is a really diverse group that I'm with this week: some of them young Americans, some young Chinese first time in the U.S., some Chinese diplomat, some American diplomat, some Chinese university presiendts, some U.S. university presidents...
Whatever it is, I know I'm going to cherish this experience. And, this is, again, proof of my philosophy - you never know what's going to happen to you. Just keep your mind open; get yourself prepared; & pay attention to opportunities knocking on your door. Good things will follow.
Indeed. What marvelous experience.
I'll talk more about what happened to me this week after I get some rest.
Whatever it is, I know I'm going to cherish this experience. And, this is, again, proof of my philosophy - you never know what's going to happen to you. Just keep your mind open; get yourself prepared; & pay attention to opportunities knocking on your door. Good things will follow.
Indeed. What marvelous experience.
I'll talk more about what happened to me this week after I get some rest.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
當愛變成害
除了父母溺愛孩子的經典例子,其實一個人太愛一個地方,也可以令它受到傷害.
我家現居的這個德州小鎮, 是本州兩所最著名學府之一的所在地, 這大學不但在州內吃香, 在國內國外也有點名氣,尤以工程,農業,工管及獸醫學系等最享負盛名, 在多個全國排名中也名列前矛.
本校非常注重傳統,加上歷史悠久,校園多個角落都藏著段段動人故事.學校另一與別不同之處是學生對學校的歸屬感及忠誠度是罕有地高,舊生每年足球季節從老遠跑回母校觀看球賽,捐助學校各項不同發展與科研項目,更是見怪不怪.但最令我詫異的是畢業後留在校內工作的學生人數之高,以我粗略估計,大概有八成的行政職位,都是由舊生擔當的.
舊生回饋母校,為母校服務,理論上是求之不得,但在我這一年間的冷眼旁觀,卻發現這現象往往是令學校不能達到應有的進步的最大障礙.由於本學是公立大學,所以學生一般來自州內各個城鎮,要知道德州除了Houston, Dallas 及Austin三個大都會,其他地方都是...唔...比較鄉下,而且德州人出名不愛外遊(我們常笑說,Texans認為到Oklahoma己是出國了!),世界觀自是比較狹窄了.
有很多舊生為了留在本鎮及本校工作,很多都不惜自降身價,拿著學士甚至碩士學位的當份文員工作並不是新鮮事.本來循漸進不是問題,問題是這些人從未向外闖,也沒有準備向外闖,於是在毫無鬥心之下愈做愈欠衝勁,愈做愈不成器.而且這些忠心的舊生,一畢業便在同一所機構工作,一做便是十多二十年,從未接觸過其他工作方式及可能性,難免是會給培養成墨守成規的一群.
看著一代又一代的舊生留校工作,然後開口埋口我校怎樣怎樣優勝,,聽著聽著,很有點亂倫的感覺.
***************************************************************
有時候我跟這裡的中國留學生閒談,言語中會感受到他們很不屑美國傳媒對中國的種種評擊,覺得他們是有意眨低中國.每次我都只有婉轉的告訴他們,中國的確有很多地方需要改善,若果我們不多作檢討,最終受苦的還是中國人.
這又讓我想起我工作的這所學校的舊生--過份保護,往往只會適得其反.愛與害,有時的確是一線之差.
我家現居的這個德州小鎮, 是本州兩所最著名學府之一的所在地, 這大學不但在州內吃香, 在國內國外也有點名氣,尤以工程,農業,工管及獸醫學系等最享負盛名, 在多個全國排名中也名列前矛.
本校非常注重傳統,加上歷史悠久,校園多個角落都藏著段段動人故事.學校另一與別不同之處是學生對學校的歸屬感及忠誠度是罕有地高,舊生每年足球季節從老遠跑回母校觀看球賽,捐助學校各項不同發展與科研項目,更是見怪不怪.但最令我詫異的是畢業後留在校內工作的學生人數之高,以我粗略估計,大概有八成的行政職位,都是由舊生擔當的.
舊生回饋母校,為母校服務,理論上是求之不得,但在我這一年間的冷眼旁觀,卻發現這現象往往是令學校不能達到應有的進步的最大障礙.由於本學是公立大學,所以學生一般來自州內各個城鎮,要知道德州除了Houston, Dallas 及Austin三個大都會,其他地方都是...唔...比較鄉下,而且德州人出名不愛外遊(我們常笑說,Texans認為到Oklahoma己是出國了!),世界觀自是比較狹窄了.
有很多舊生為了留在本鎮及本校工作,很多都不惜自降身價,拿著學士甚至碩士學位的當份文員工作並不是新鮮事.本來循漸進不是問題,問題是這些人從未向外闖,也沒有準備向外闖,於是在毫無鬥心之下愈做愈欠衝勁,愈做愈不成器.而且這些忠心的舊生,一畢業便在同一所機構工作,一做便是十多二十年,從未接觸過其他工作方式及可能性,難免是會給培養成墨守成規的一群.
看著一代又一代的舊生留校工作,然後開口埋口我校怎樣怎樣優勝,,聽著聽著,很有點亂倫的感覺.
***************************************************************
有時候我跟這裡的中國留學生閒談,言語中會感受到他們很不屑美國傳媒對中國的種種評擊,覺得他們是有意眨低中國.每次我都只有婉轉的告訴他們,中國的確有很多地方需要改善,若果我們不多作檢討,最終受苦的還是中國人.
這又讓我想起我工作的這所學校的舊生--過份保護,往往只會適得其反.愛與害,有時的確是一線之差.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Mid Autumn Festival Pictures 中秋剪影
Another cheating post - pictures from a couple of weeks ago on the Mid Autumn Festival. A friend came over & had dinner & a mini celebration with us. This is the first year Genghis really enjoyed playing with his lantern. And, he loves mooncakes like I do! Good boy!
遲來的中秋節相片...
遲來的中秋節相片...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Interesting Article on Newspapers in the U.S.
A friend forwarded this to me and I think it is absolutely funny, and, to the purpose of generalization, true. I wonder what the list will look like if we're comparing newspapers in China...Anyone want to give it a try?
Demographics of American Newspapers
1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.
4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country, but don't really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.
5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country -- if they could find the time -- and if they didn't have to leave Southern California to do it.
6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.
10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country . . or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happens to be illegal aliens from any other country or galaxy, provided of course, that they are not Republicans.
11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.
12. The Sacramento Bee is read by people who have recently caught a fish and need something in which to wrap it.
Demographics of American Newspapers
1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.
4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country, but don't really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.
5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn't mind running the country -- if they could find the time -- and if they didn't have to leave Southern California to do it.
6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a far superior job of it, thank you very much.
7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren't too sure who's running the country and don't really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
8. The New York Post is read by people who don't care who's running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.
10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren't sure there is a country . . or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happens to be illegal aliens from any other country or galaxy, provided of course, that they are not Republicans.
11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.
12. The Sacramento Bee is read by people who have recently caught a fish and need something in which to wrap it.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
好心做壞事
今天上班時,看到一位仁兄騎著電單車在路上穿梭,仔細一看,他在掛車牌的位置,放了一個牌,牌上寫著一句大意是"不要殺生,改吃素吧"的標語(忘了原文是甚麼),然後頭盔上又印了一句"Meat is cruel"之類的口號(也是忘了原文是甚麼),我和老公看了,相視而笑.
回到公司,又看到了紐約時報一則新聞,內容大致是保護動物團體Peta開展了一個以吃肉會導致global warming為主題的宣傳計劃.
我自知太貪吃,一定不會做素食者,但我並不會岐視素食者,而且身邊也有不少只吃素的朋友.可是今天碰上的兩件事情,讓我想起了一句話:"好心做壞事".何解?我深明那位騎鐵馬的男子跟Peta一樣,都是希望引起大眾關注愛護動物的重要,前者的做法,我認為並無不可,但後者嘛,就讓人感到有點強辭奪理,嘩眾取寵了.
吃肉本身是不會導致地球升溫的;大量及不當的飼養方式才是global warming的原凶.Peta這趟亂扣帽子,便令人非常反感了.
就像其他葷食動物一般,吃肉是人的本能,所謂一物治一物,我們只是食物鏈上的一員,並不應因為吃肉而感到罪咎.換個角度看,蚊子散播登革熱,我們殘害蚊子,難道我們就是喪盡天良嗎?
是,我知道那頭牛那隻雞那尾魚沒有對我們造成生命威脅,但若果我們以人道的方法飼養然後屠宰牠們,我實在看不出有何不當.
或許,以上這些廢話都是我為自己貪吃而編出來的謬論,或是我作為中國人所以深信四腳朝天皆可食的詭辯,更有可能是我的思想太backwards,根本看不出事實的真相.但我敢肯定Peta這次市場攻勢,必會惹人反感,結果令人認定保護動物團體只求激進,妄顧現實,吃力又不討好.
好心,有時是會做壞事的.
回到公司,又看到了紐約時報一則新聞,內容大致是保護動物團體Peta開展了一個以吃肉會導致global warming為主題的宣傳計劃.
我自知太貪吃,一定不會做素食者,但我並不會岐視素食者,而且身邊也有不少只吃素的朋友.可是今天碰上的兩件事情,讓我想起了一句話:"好心做壞事".何解?我深明那位騎鐵馬的男子跟Peta一樣,都是希望引起大眾關注愛護動物的重要,前者的做法,我認為並無不可,但後者嘛,就讓人感到有點強辭奪理,嘩眾取寵了.
吃肉本身是不會導致地球升溫的;大量及不當的飼養方式才是global warming的原凶.Peta這趟亂扣帽子,便令人非常反感了.
就像其他葷食動物一般,吃肉是人的本能,所謂一物治一物,我們只是食物鏈上的一員,並不應因為吃肉而感到罪咎.換個角度看,蚊子散播登革熱,我們殘害蚊子,難道我們就是喪盡天良嗎?
是,我知道那頭牛那隻雞那尾魚沒有對我們造成生命威脅,但若果我們以人道的方法飼養然後屠宰牠們,我實在看不出有何不當.
或許,以上這些廢話都是我為自己貪吃而編出來的謬論,或是我作為中國人所以深信四腳朝天皆可食的詭辯,更有可能是我的思想太backwards,根本看不出事實的真相.但我敢肯定Peta這次市場攻勢,必會惹人反感,結果令人認定保護動物團體只求激進,妄顧現實,吃力又不討好.
好心,有時是會做壞事的.
Monday, August 27, 2007
暱稱
我手可以寫我口,但我這人天生不善辭令,永遠不能我口講我心.
平日一般社交應對當然沒有問題,但一旦要表達內心情感,我便會舌頭打結.有幾杯酒到肚壯膽還勉強可以,沒有的話,只好把說話都吞到肚裡了.
我是個追求社交和諧的人,所以最怕出口傷人,說話時總愛顧左右而言他,毫不蕭灑.故此我最愛與爽快敢言的人交朋友,一來是這些人性格一般可親,二來是希望自己有話說不出口時,也有他們替我出口嘛!
不要說我跟朋友未必能暢所欲言,更令人難以置信的是,我跟丈夫結婚五年多,還是不知該怎麼稱呼他.不知怎的,我實在不能接受自己喚他作honey, baby之類的暱稱,但叫他的名字又太生外,我有時索性叫他"喂"便算了.
行為或肌膚上的親暱我是完全沒有問題的,我和他在公眾場合拉手,親咀也不會感到尷尬,但就是不能大大方方的喚他作親愛的.奇怪的是,我也不怕對他說我愛你,但暱稱嘛,偏偏就是說不出口.
這算不算是phobia的一種?我也不清楚,但總認為這怪異行為是我內心某種不安的投射,可是到現在仍然找不出答案,有時也會讓我感到點點困惑.
平日一般社交應對當然沒有問題,但一旦要表達內心情感,我便會舌頭打結.有幾杯酒到肚壯膽還勉強可以,沒有的話,只好把說話都吞到肚裡了.
我是個追求社交和諧的人,所以最怕出口傷人,說話時總愛顧左右而言他,毫不蕭灑.故此我最愛與爽快敢言的人交朋友,一來是這些人性格一般可親,二來是希望自己有話說不出口時,也有他們替我出口嘛!
不要說我跟朋友未必能暢所欲言,更令人難以置信的是,我跟丈夫結婚五年多,還是不知該怎麼稱呼他.不知怎的,我實在不能接受自己喚他作honey, baby之類的暱稱,但叫他的名字又太生外,我有時索性叫他"喂"便算了.
行為或肌膚上的親暱我是完全沒有問題的,我和他在公眾場合拉手,親咀也不會感到尷尬,但就是不能大大方方的喚他作親愛的.奇怪的是,我也不怕對他說我愛你,但暱稱嘛,偏偏就是說不出口.
這算不算是phobia的一種?我也不清楚,但總認為這怪異行為是我內心某種不安的投射,可是到現在仍然找不出答案,有時也會讓我感到點點困惑.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
My Other Self
Okay. I have finally decided to launch a separate blog devoted for knitting.
The name of the blog is Spinning My Yarn. And it is up and running! Please visit my other self and release the knitter in you!
Cool chicks knit! Yay!
Friday, August 17, 2007
雲吞
雖然正寫是餛飩,但我還是喜歡廣東的寫法--一口把雲吞進肚子裡,多詩意啊!
自少愛吃雲吞,但母親大人嫌麻煩,從來不會自己包,只會到街市買,或者索性到食店吃.
到我中學時開始有家政課,第一樣老師教我們做的便是雲吞.那周未趕緊在家動手做, 母親吃後大讚不絶--我媽是個最偏私的食評,但凡是我做的東西,她只會說好.也許我便是在她不斷鼓勵下對煮食愈來愈有興趣,愈煮愈有信心了.畢業以後,便很少自己開灶,更遑論要包雲吞了.
兩年多前開始,我又再動手包雲吞.一來因為所需的材料在一般洋人超市也不難買到,甚為方便;二來是雲吞真的像雲一樣軟綿綿,我的孩子未足一歲,我便開始餵雲吞給他吃,見他吃得開心,我便做得暢快.
有兩款雲吞是我最愛做的,第一款是以免治豬肉加上上海白菜,喜歡的話也可加上少許雪裡紅吊味.以蔬菜做雲吞餡料,最重要是先把菜切碎,然後抓一把鹽與之拌勻,待數分鐘,水份會從菜中流出,把水隔去,不妨再用手擠出更多水份,那煮出來的雲吞便不會水汪汪不夠味.
另一款是以魚肉加紅蘿蔔,魚可以是任何白肉魚,我喜歡用朧脷,因為就算不是游水鮮魚,味道也還算鮮,而且骨大易去.做法跟上述的菜肉餡大致相同,紅蘿蔔同樣要以鹽抓過,隔去水份, 再跟魚肉碎拌勻便可.
還有一款雲吞我是相當愛吃的,可惜現在也很難找到了,那就是錦滷雲吞了.還記得兒時愛跟媽媽兩份吃一客,我最喜歡在橙紅色的酸汁中尋寶,魷魚啦,雞肝啦...
不要說在這荒蕪德州難找到錦滷雲吞,就是在香港也不是隨便找到.要自己做,又沒有食譜照版煮碗,無計可施下,唯有得個恨字.
自少愛吃雲吞,但母親大人嫌麻煩,從來不會自己包,只會到街市買,或者索性到食店吃.
到我中學時開始有家政課,第一樣老師教我們做的便是雲吞.那周未趕緊在家動手做, 母親吃後大讚不絶--我媽是個最偏私的食評,但凡是我做的東西,她只會說好.也許我便是在她不斷鼓勵下對煮食愈來愈有興趣,愈煮愈有信心了.畢業以後,便很少自己開灶,更遑論要包雲吞了.
兩年多前開始,我又再動手包雲吞.一來因為所需的材料在一般洋人超市也不難買到,甚為方便;二來是雲吞真的像雲一樣軟綿綿,我的孩子未足一歲,我便開始餵雲吞給他吃,見他吃得開心,我便做得暢快.
有兩款雲吞是我最愛做的,第一款是以免治豬肉加上上海白菜,喜歡的話也可加上少許雪裡紅吊味.以蔬菜做雲吞餡料,最重要是先把菜切碎,然後抓一把鹽與之拌勻,待數分鐘,水份會從菜中流出,把水隔去,不妨再用手擠出更多水份,那煮出來的雲吞便不會水汪汪不夠味.
另一款是以魚肉加紅蘿蔔,魚可以是任何白肉魚,我喜歡用朧脷,因為就算不是游水鮮魚,味道也還算鮮,而且骨大易去.做法跟上述的菜肉餡大致相同,紅蘿蔔同樣要以鹽抓過,隔去水份, 再跟魚肉碎拌勻便可.
還有一款雲吞我是相當愛吃的,可惜現在也很難找到了,那就是錦滷雲吞了.還記得兒時愛跟媽媽兩份吃一客,我最喜歡在橙紅色的酸汁中尋寶,魷魚啦,雞肝啦...
不要說在這荒蕪德州難找到錦滷雲吞,就是在香港也不是隨便找到.要自己做,又沒有食譜照版煮碗,無計可施下,唯有得個恨字.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Racist, really?
I was reading this article just the other day. It's basically about a Canadian who tries to figure out why he is often called a racist. And then last Monday, something happened that makes me think about one more time this issue called racism.
So what actually happened? It's not that big a deal, really. But a group from a major oil company in Vietnam took a visit to where I work. One of the group members was extremely rude, and my colleague, who's a relatively young lady who grew up in Texas and didn't have a lot of experience working with people from other cultures (Well, in Texas, you're a foreigner if you're from California. Imagine that.). She got a little offended by the Vietnamese guy because he kept asking her to take pictures for him in a very rude manner - no thank you or please, & gesturing instead of speaking. I was suspecting this made her think that Vietnamese are very rude in general. And, because of how she reacted, it's easy for an outsider to think she is discriminatory toward Vietnamese.
It is, of course, unfair to make generalizations like this. But at the same time, it is easy if this is your only encounter with people from that culture. Depending on the context, an individual does not only represent his/her self, but also the family, community, and culture that one is from.
I remember when I was in Hong Kong, my foreigner friends would complain to me that Chinese are racist. I never understood why. I think Hong Kong people are generally not racist. They're just discriminatory to people with no money.
Is it racist to call a Caucasian gweilo/gweipor (ghost man/ghost woman)? I genuinely don't think so. When we say gwei, we don't really mean anything bad about the westerner we're addressing to. It's just a name that we've been using for so many years that it's hard to change.
My husband is black. When we're in Hong Kong, some people would call him haak gwei (black ghost). At first, I felt a little uneasy about the name. But after a while, I realize that it's just a name that distinguishes him from other ghosts.
One time when we were driving in Houston, we asked a passerby how to get to China town. This person was obviously not very educated. He gave us the directions and then he said, "You'll see a lot of Chinamen there."
So was he being racist? Probably not. I know some Chinese get really upset about the name Chinaman. But I think, at least in this incident, that the guy was just using a phrase that he knew. He didn't know better. What did he know about racism, honestly? When he was giving us directions, he looked nothing but genuinely eager to help.
It's a fine line between racism and otherwise. But in the U.S., I feel like some people are using every chance they get to accuse someone of being racist so as to take advantage of it.
Take the N-word for example. It's okay for a black stand-up comedian to address himself by the N-word, but if any white person say an African-American (This term is itself problematic. My husband hates it. He's of African heritage but is from the Carribeans. So he never considers himself an "African".) is an N----, it's an absolute no-no.
Especially in the U.S., I think a lot of politicians are using the race issue as a tool to get what they want.
It's easy to say someone is racist, but before we make the accusation, we should really think about the motives or reason behind the obvious.
So what actually happened? It's not that big a deal, really. But a group from a major oil company in Vietnam took a visit to where I work. One of the group members was extremely rude, and my colleague, who's a relatively young lady who grew up in Texas and didn't have a lot of experience working with people from other cultures (Well, in Texas, you're a foreigner if you're from California. Imagine that.). She got a little offended by the Vietnamese guy because he kept asking her to take pictures for him in a very rude manner - no thank you or please, & gesturing instead of speaking. I was suspecting this made her think that Vietnamese are very rude in general. And, because of how she reacted, it's easy for an outsider to think she is discriminatory toward Vietnamese.
It is, of course, unfair to make generalizations like this. But at the same time, it is easy if this is your only encounter with people from that culture. Depending on the context, an individual does not only represent his/her self, but also the family, community, and culture that one is from.
Is she racist? Or is the rude Vietnamese guy racist? Probably neither of them are. But I can see it would be easy for anyone to think they are because of what happened.
I remember when I was in Hong Kong, my foreigner friends would complain to me that Chinese are racist. I never understood why. I think Hong Kong people are generally not racist. They're just discriminatory to people with no money.
Is it racist to call a Caucasian gweilo/gweipor (ghost man/ghost woman)? I genuinely don't think so. When we say gwei, we don't really mean anything bad about the westerner we're addressing to. It's just a name that we've been using for so many years that it's hard to change.
My husband is black. When we're in Hong Kong, some people would call him haak gwei (black ghost). At first, I felt a little uneasy about the name. But after a while, I realize that it's just a name that distinguishes him from other ghosts.
One time when we were driving in Houston, we asked a passerby how to get to China town. This person was obviously not very educated. He gave us the directions and then he said, "You'll see a lot of Chinamen there."
So was he being racist? Probably not. I know some Chinese get really upset about the name Chinaman. But I think, at least in this incident, that the guy was just using a phrase that he knew. He didn't know better. What did he know about racism, honestly? When he was giving us directions, he looked nothing but genuinely eager to help.
It's a fine line between racism and otherwise. But in the U.S., I feel like some people are using every chance they get to accuse someone of being racist so as to take advantage of it.
Take the N-word for example. It's okay for a black stand-up comedian to address himself by the N-word, but if any white person say an African-American (This term is itself problematic. My husband hates it. He's of African heritage but is from the Carribeans. So he never considers himself an "African".) is an N----, it's an absolute no-no.
Especially in the U.S., I think a lot of politicians are using the race issue as a tool to get what they want.
It's easy to say someone is racist, but before we make the accusation, we should really think about the motives or reason behind the obvious.
一個還是兩個?
雖然經常被人問這個問題, 但我說的是網誌而不是孩子的數目.
秋季快到了,又是我另一興趣出閘的時候--織冷衫.最近四出搜購了不少新毛線,待天氣稍涼便可馬上行動.
我想在網誌裡紀錄自己的projects,但又怕會令網誌精分裂,所以想到不如多開一個專為我的手作仔而設的blog,可是想來想去都不知究竟該開還是不開--我連一個泊都post得這麼疏落,再多一個恐怕支持不了,各位網友有何高見?
P.S. 這陣子事忙,整個星期沒有新post,這兩天會趕快寫文會眾,請見諒!
秋季快到了,又是我另一興趣出閘的時候--織冷衫.最近四出搜購了不少新毛線,待天氣稍涼便可馬上行動.
我想在網誌裡紀錄自己的projects,但又怕會令網誌精分裂,所以想到不如多開一個專為我的手作仔而設的blog,可是想來想去都不知究竟該開還是不開--我連一個泊都post得這麼疏落,再多一個恐怕支持不了,各位網友有何高見?
P.S. 這陣子事忙,整個星期沒有新post,這兩天會趕快寫文會眾,請見諒!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Guilt of a Working Mom
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my career. What and where do I want to be in 5 years? Am I getting anywhere in this job that I seem to enjoy so far? Or do I want to pursue something else? With my son going to kindergarten next year, these are the questions I have to ask myself, as a mom and as an individual.
One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to be a stay-home mom. I am by no means a workaholic nor am I career-crazy. I just know that I'm not, and never will be, a good housewife. It's probably an excuse, but I have to say I suck at household chores. I can keep the house moderately clean and organized, but never spotless, an interestingly sharp contrast to what my husband can do.
One thing I know for sure is that I don't want to be a stay-home mom. I am by no means a workaholic nor am I career-crazy. I just know that I'm not, and never will be, a good housewife. It's probably an excuse, but I have to say I suck at household chores. I can keep the house moderately clean and organized, but never spotless, an interestingly sharp contrast to what my husband can do.
Yet on the other hand, I have this increasing urge to spend more time with my son, especially when he'll be starting real school in just a few years. I want to be there when he comes home from school and help him with his homework. I want to do art projects with him. I want to make him treats while he's doing his homework. My mom is a housewife, and I know how precious the experience is for a child to have someone by your side whenever you need help and guidance.
I feel bad that I don't spend enough time with my kid - between working, cooking and sleeping, I probably spend no more than 3 hours a day with my son (well, except for the weekends). At the same time, the idea of being a housewife drives me nuts. And, so there's this strong sense of guilt in me that I don't know how to deal with.
Men don't struggle as much, if at all, on this issue. Women are supposed to nurture their children, not men. I know this is the 21st century and everything, but I guess I'm more of a traditionalist than I think.
Anyway, I'll use the next few months to explore what options I have in life, and make sense of what's best for me and my family.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
標準淪陷
上星期看了這則新聞, 內容是中國官方新聞網站新華網的英文版本, 竟然在一篇極嚴肅的醫學報導中, 以卡通人物Homer Simpson 的X光照片作為附圖! 而且還要過了三天, 才在高人提點下把附圖抽起. 事件當中, 不但沒有人需要負責任, 甚至連例行的 "更正啟示" 也久奉. 其中的馬虎, 不得不叫人刮目相看!
熟知新聞運作的朋友, 都應該知道一篇報導刋出之前, 起碼要通過幾個關口, 才可得見天日. 就是規模較小的媒體, 也最少要經由寫手到排版到編輯過目才可出街. 今次的事件, 除了反映出部份中國媒介工作者的不認真, 還透示了當代中國的另一嚴峻危機 -- 欠缺標準的建制.
從食物安全到假新聞, 中國出品給人的感覺是anything goes, 沒有甚麼是不可能的, 今天是有毒牙膏, 明天又可以是紙皮大包, 無規無矩, 話乜就乜. 長此下去, 公信力盡失之餘, 經濟損失更是沉重.
這些問題的存在, 我個人認為是現代中國欠缺一套批判好與壞的完備準則, 所以很多東西都是做了出來便可以了, 凡事都只求形似, 內涵是甚麼都不打緊. 就算出了事, 當事人也會理直氣壯的跟你說: "一分錢一分貨嘛!"
我有一位大陸來的同事, 是大學裡的研究生, 工作態良好, 做事也挺勤快, 可就是不理解 "標準" 的重要. 每次我要她替我做一些資料搜集, 她總是把資料從網上結集到同一文案上便交給我, 完全沒有經過編輯過濾, 字體大小顏色不一, 版面也一點沒有修飾, 看得我頭昏腦脹. 嘗試跟她解釋formatting的重要, 她卻認為那只是西方人愛玩的花臣而已, 中國人還是要踏實點好. 結果我要跟她多番對話, 才讓她了解有一些基本是必須的.
撇開存心撿財的奸商不說, 內地一些生意人之所以出售次貨, 可能只是出於無知. 在缺乏產品及行業認識的情形下開展有關生意, 加上業內沒有基本準則可循, 他們天真的以為甲原料與乙原料的唯一不同只是價錢的高低, 於是便毫不猶豫的捨貴取廉, 釀成惡果.
你會說, 難道他們連一點點的常識也沒有嗎? 要知道所謂的常識, 是我們日常經驗與文化洗滴下得出來的, 內地人在跟我們完全不一樣的文化下成長, 培育出來的常識自然與我們的有些出入了. 我們的理所當然, 可能是他們的為甚麼不.
我不是要為誰辯護, 只是希望從另一個角度看這問題, 試圖找出解決辦法. 有時我會想, 這一輩的中國人是後文革一代, 要在拋卻所有傳統準則之後再找出新標準, 實在並不易為, 但若不加快腳步趕齊國際步伐, 我恐怕中國會在經濟起飛的高峰上被重重擲下, 落得遍體鱗傷.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Cheap, but good
Me and my husband are both cheapskates (though him more so than I am, ha!), and we're not ashamed of it. As a matter of fact, we're even proud of it. One of our favorite weekend activities is to find cheap but amazing wines at local grocery stores. Whenever we found something we like, we'd be very excited.
The good thing about cheap wines is that you can drink it without guilt. You don't have to worry about saving it for some special occasion. It's just some table wine that you can enjoy any time you want to. If you like it, great. If you don't, you won't feel being ripped off.
Our recent pleasant discovery is the Folie a Deux Menage a Trois Red, which costs only about $10 a bottle. When it's on sale at Albertson's or World Market, you can even get it at $8.99.
The taste of this wine has as much character as its name. It's fruity yet not overly sweet; it's peppery but smooth and silky; it has a firm tanin while the mouth feel is rich. It has a complexity that most cheaper wines lack.
The "Trois" in the name comes from the 3 varieties of grapes that was used: Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. These 3 grapes are fermented separately, then blended together before bottling. That's probably why you'll discover something new in every sip.
What food goes well with it? Well, for less than ten bucks a bottle, I'd say, just experiment! It tastes great with or without food. But, if you insist to have food with it, any tomato-based pasta or chicken would be wonderful accompaniment.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Identity Crisis
As soon as my husband and I decided to live in America 5 years ago, I started stocking up Chinese outfits, fearing that I might not be able to buy any stylish, reasonably priced Min Naap, traditional Chinese silk-lined jacket, in the U.S.
At first I didn't give much thought to this seemingly silly past-time. But one day, while I was shopping in Wanchai for a nice min naap with my friend Madam Lau, she asked, "Are you having an identity crisis?"
Obviously unprepared for such a deep question, I looked at her and couldn't think of an answer. After about 30 seconds, I told her calmly, "Probably."
This strong sense of lost and confusion kept lingering in my mind after I moved to California. As an English major at college, I was trained to keep asking myself the question, "who am I?" But this became increasingly hard to answer in the first 2 years that I came to the U.S.
I was in the process of getting a green card, so I can't work. I didn't drive (I didn't have a HK driver's license & no green card. So it was impossible for me to get a U.S. driver's license.), and so I was very confined geographically. Almost all my new friends are friends of my husband's. I knew they knew my name and everything, but I have no doubt that I'm nothing more than "Gary's wife."
And then, I had my baby. I started making some friends of my own, though still not working. I was promoted from "Gary's wife" to "Genghis' mom." During this time, I was quite lost, though not unhappy. (Honey, if you're reading this, I'm not complaining!)
Not until I started my first job in San Francisco did I finally re-establish my identity. I was lucky enough to find a job at an advertising agency that not only allowed me to write in Chinese, but also let me bond with quite a few gals from Hong Kong. I felt totally alive. I had a job I liked a lot and girlfriends that I enjoy hanging out with. I stopped thinking about my identity because I knew who I was.
Less than a year later, my husband got a great offer in Texas, and my prospect of getting a decent job there seemed pretty promising. We decided to give it a try.
Once here, I started thinking about who I am all over again.
I'm Chinese. Yes - but I'm obviously differnt from most Chinese around here because I'm not from the mainland. We grew up in totally different cultural environment.
I speak fluent Mandarin (or, more accurately, Putonghua), but with an unmistakable Hongkong accent. I might get by if it's a simple and brief conversation. However, most of the time, as soon as we get to the tenth sentence or so, my mainland Chinese acquaintance will ask me where I'm from.
And, I'm definitely not an American. I speak the language, know the culture well enough, and even married to one. But I am NOT an American. So who am I really?
I still don't know the full extent of the answer to this question, but I'm trying, little by little, to come to terms with who I am, and try to use this to my advantage. I don't need to be just like the other person. I can be more than the other person.
I'm Chinese, but more specifically, I'm a Hongkie. I understand the Chinese culture as well as the western culture. I speak and write two of the most used languages in the world. I had been working in one of the most fast-paced work environment in the world - the media industry in Hong Kong. I can handle any extent of stress in any kind of work environment, I believe.
I'm old enough to appreciate traditions and history, but not too old to learn the new.
I'm a wife, a mom, a daughter, and a sister. And, most important of all, I'm a writer. This is probably how I found and re-discover my identity.
I write, therefore I am. Thank god for the blogosphere.
At first I didn't give much thought to this seemingly silly past-time. But one day, while I was shopping in Wanchai for a nice min naap with my friend Madam Lau, she asked, "Are you having an identity crisis?"
Obviously unprepared for such a deep question, I looked at her and couldn't think of an answer. After about 30 seconds, I told her calmly, "Probably."
This strong sense of lost and confusion kept lingering in my mind after I moved to California. As an English major at college, I was trained to keep asking myself the question, "who am I?" But this became increasingly hard to answer in the first 2 years that I came to the U.S.
I was in the process of getting a green card, so I can't work. I didn't drive (I didn't have a HK driver's license & no green card. So it was impossible for me to get a U.S. driver's license.), and so I was very confined geographically. Almost all my new friends are friends of my husband's. I knew they knew my name and everything, but I have no doubt that I'm nothing more than "Gary's wife."
And then, I had my baby. I started making some friends of my own, though still not working. I was promoted from "Gary's wife" to "Genghis' mom." During this time, I was quite lost, though not unhappy. (Honey, if you're reading this, I'm not complaining!)
Not until I started my first job in San Francisco did I finally re-establish my identity. I was lucky enough to find a job at an advertising agency that not only allowed me to write in Chinese, but also let me bond with quite a few gals from Hong Kong. I felt totally alive. I had a job I liked a lot and girlfriends that I enjoy hanging out with. I stopped thinking about my identity because I knew who I was.
Less than a year later, my husband got a great offer in Texas, and my prospect of getting a decent job there seemed pretty promising. We decided to give it a try.
Once here, I started thinking about who I am all over again.
I'm Chinese. Yes - but I'm obviously differnt from most Chinese around here because I'm not from the mainland. We grew up in totally different cultural environment.
I speak fluent Mandarin (or, more accurately, Putonghua), but with an unmistakable Hongkong accent. I might get by if it's a simple and brief conversation. However, most of the time, as soon as we get to the tenth sentence or so, my mainland Chinese acquaintance will ask me where I'm from.
And, I'm definitely not an American. I speak the language, know the culture well enough, and even married to one. But I am NOT an American. So who am I really?
I still don't know the full extent of the answer to this question, but I'm trying, little by little, to come to terms with who I am, and try to use this to my advantage. I don't need to be just like the other person. I can be more than the other person.
I'm Chinese, but more specifically, I'm a Hongkie. I understand the Chinese culture as well as the western culture. I speak and write two of the most used languages in the world. I had been working in one of the most fast-paced work environment in the world - the media industry in Hong Kong. I can handle any extent of stress in any kind of work environment, I believe.
I'm old enough to appreciate traditions and history, but not too old to learn the new.
I'm a wife, a mom, a daughter, and a sister. And, most important of all, I'm a writer. This is probably how I found and re-discover my identity.
I write, therefore I am. Thank god for the blogosphere.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
明抄與暗偷
看了網友 readandeat 昨天的文章, 也想湊湊熱鬧, 評評道理.
首先, 未經別人同意下抄人文章經已無恥之極, 被人揭發了還要死口不認, 砌詞狡辯, 說受害人應答謝她慧眼識英雄, 文章才得以有幸出版. 世上竟有如斯無賴!
可幸有其他網友聲援 (詳見以下相關文章連結), 把這醜事張揚, 壞人自知理虧, 再無面目示眾, 唯有將自己的網誌關門大吉, 逃之夭夭.
其實 "抄" 別人佳作並不是甚麼彌天大罪, 只要得原作者允許, 或是清楚註明出處便是了, 我稱之為 "明抄". 古今中外, 明抄的創作人比比皆是, 就是大文豪莎士比亞也曾改編不少別人的劇本.
近年也有不少荷李活電影是改編自外國劇本的. 快將上影, 由 Catherine Zeta Jones 主演的 "No Reservations" 便是改編自數年前的德國電影 "Bella Martha". 就是已入殿堂級的馬田史高西斯, 也垂青劉偉強的 "無間道" 而把之改編為由貝奧李安立度主演的 "The Departed". 再舊一點的還有改自 Wim Wenders "柏林穹蒼下" 的 "City of Angels". 雖然我一向都覺得荷李活改編的電影總不及原著細膩, 但能夠引起更多人對原著的興趣, 也未嘗不是好事.
反之, 明目張膽拿取人家作品當作己出的 "暗偷", 便萬萬不能容忍. 要知道每個人創作出來的都是他/她的點點心血, 若果由別人隨意撿來掛上他人名字, 那跟強姦拐帶又有啥分別?
整件事教我最不能理解的是, 寫網誌純屬個人興趣, 想到要寫的事情便寫, 沒有的便罷就, 何苦要去偷呢? 而且我有幸在當時人除下網誌之前看過她其他文章, 正如另一位網友怒火媽媽所說, 她的文筆也有點水準, 用不著要抄人家的嘛!
首先, 未經別人同意下抄人文章經已無恥之極, 被人揭發了還要死口不認, 砌詞狡辯, 說受害人應答謝她慧眼識英雄, 文章才得以有幸出版. 世上竟有如斯無賴!
可幸有其他網友聲援 (詳見以下相關文章連結), 把這醜事張揚, 壞人自知理虧, 再無面目示眾, 唯有將自己的網誌關門大吉, 逃之夭夭.
其實 "抄" 別人佳作並不是甚麼彌天大罪, 只要得原作者允許, 或是清楚註明出處便是了, 我稱之為 "明抄". 古今中外, 明抄的創作人比比皆是, 就是大文豪莎士比亞也曾改編不少別人的劇本.
近年也有不少荷李活電影是改編自外國劇本的. 快將上影, 由 Catherine Zeta Jones 主演的 "No Reservations" 便是改編自數年前的德國電影 "Bella Martha". 就是已入殿堂級的馬田史高西斯, 也垂青劉偉強的 "無間道" 而把之改編為由貝奧李安立度主演的 "The Departed". 再舊一點的還有改自 Wim Wenders "柏林穹蒼下" 的 "City of Angels". 雖然我一向都覺得荷李活改編的電影總不及原著細膩, 但能夠引起更多人對原著的興趣, 也未嘗不是好事.
反之, 明目張膽拿取人家作品當作己出的 "暗偷", 便萬萬不能容忍. 要知道每個人創作出來的都是他/她的點點心血, 若果由別人隨意撿來掛上他人名字, 那跟強姦拐帶又有啥分別?
整件事教我最不能理解的是, 寫網誌純屬個人興趣, 想到要寫的事情便寫, 沒有的便罷就, 何苦要去偷呢? 而且我有幸在當時人除下網誌之前看過她其他文章, 正如另一位網友怒火媽媽所說, 她的文筆也有點水準, 用不著要抄人家的嘛!
早前在新春秋網站看到堂堂香港廣告商會五十年誌慶的海報原來是偷自美藉攝影師 Phillipe Toledano 的傑作, 震驚之餘只有無奈. 若果連打正旗號主張創作的機構也是偷得無厭的鼠輩, 香港人的創作前景也就相當堪虞了!
相關文章:
Thursday, July 26, 2007
憶九龍皇帝: 陳年舊詩一則
這詩寫於十多年前, 昨天閱報得悉曾灶財的死訊, 想起這詩有點反映他的生平 (雖然寫的時候不是以他作描繪對象的), 所以在此不要臉公開詩作, 以表示我對皇上的一點敬意.
A Monologue
Alone.
Betrayed.
Cannot cry, cannot
Die. Look at my
Eyes! There's
Fire inside! I have
Gallantry. I have pride.
Heaven knows I do.
I'm a great hero, though now in this
Jail I lie. Yet
Knave shall never be my name.
Loyalty lives within
Me.
No. Never.
O how can I surrender to these
People! They keep asking me these stupid
Questions. When
R they going to under-
Stand? Wait! It's them!
There comes the people again.
Unwelcome by me, they flee and come back for
Vengance.
What is it that they're injecting to me? No, no...
X-cape! Run! I tell myself. But
Y? I can't. I..feel...so...dizzy...
ZZZZZZ...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
China's Food Safety: From Fake Buns to Fake News
One of the hottest topics in China now is the cardboard buns hoax (see translated article on ESWN). Ever since this was exposed last week, the media's attention has been turning from food safety problem to media ethics. The question now is no longer simply about what businessmen are willing to do to make larger profits, but what journalists would do to come up with sensational stories.
Unethical journalists making up stories is nothing new. It happens not only in China. The most recent example I could remember is a New York Times reporter named Jayson Blair who made up over 30 inaccurate/fake stories for his publication.
What makes the fake buns story so shocking is that it was published at a time when China's food safety is becoming a global concern. Sad but true, those who've been in China long enough will not be surprised to find any imaginable/unimaginable kinds of fake Chinese food. I grew up hearing so much about wines and spirits made with industrial alcohol, fake ginseng, fake medicine and oiments, soy sauce with human hair, etc. You name it. So when the fake buns story was shown on TV, people were shocked, but not really.
And now that the Beijing government came out and announced that the story was fake, a lot of people were even more shocked: would this be a cover-up from the government? The logic is not difficult to understand. If the cardboard bun story is fake, then this revelation of the story being fake can possibly be fake, too.
And, that, my friend, is exactly the power of the media.
We've grown numb about poor quality food produced in China. Nothing surprises us any more. But the truth is all these many cases of toxic food comprise only a small percentage of food produced in China. We see China-manufactured food as low quality food because we have seen too many stories about it in the media. There's an article on New York Times recently that demonstrates this. Mexico and India export way more sub-standard food to the U.S. than China does.
Having said that, I'm not saying it's okay for China to continue to produce bad food. As a matter of fact, every time I hear about food safety problems in China, I feel really bad, ashamed a lot of times. I believe it is the media's responsibility to let the public know about these issues, so the government will pay more attention and try to fix these problems. On the other hand, it is equally important for the media to present news in an objective and unbiased manner, so we can see both sides of the problem.
Fake buns or not, I'll still buy Chinese food products at our local Chinese market. I just need to be more careful and buy only those by reputed manufacturers. Afterall, as the Chinese saying goes, you can't chop off your toes to avoid the worms, can you?
Interesting Article
This is an article from People's Daily Online today - so now China is publicly recognizing their use of culture as their soft power.
07:56, July 25, 2007
China's top advisory body holds seminar on "soft power"China's top advisory body on Tuesday held a seminar on building the country's "soft power" with an emphasis on cultural development.
"Cultural development, a main theme in building a country's soft power, plays a significant role in enhancing comprehensive national power," said Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Jia said that cultural development, which is to serve the overall building of a well-off society and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, is required to gain an upper hand in the international arena and maintain national unity.
The top advisor called for an overall construction of the socialist core value system so as to encourage the entire society to move forward with solidarity, and called for the development of cultural industry so as to meet the public's various cultural demand.
Jia also stressed the importance of promoting the elite part of Chinese culture and making it worldwide.
Political advisors of all levels should make their efforts to contribute to the cultural development "by bringing into full play their own advantages."
Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the seminar with officials, experts and members of non-Communist parties.
Source: Xinhua
07:56, July 25, 2007
China's top advisory body holds seminar on "soft power"China's top advisory body on Tuesday held a seminar on building the country's "soft power" with an emphasis on cultural development.
"Cultural development, a main theme in building a country's soft power, plays a significant role in enhancing comprehensive national power," said Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Jia said that cultural development, which is to serve the overall building of a well-off society and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, is required to gain an upper hand in the international arena and maintain national unity.
The top advisor called for an overall construction of the socialist core value system so as to encourage the entire society to move forward with solidarity, and called for the development of cultural industry so as to meet the public's various cultural demand.
Jia also stressed the importance of promoting the elite part of Chinese culture and making it worldwide.
Political advisors of all levels should make their efforts to contribute to the cultural development "by bringing into full play their own advantages."
Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the seminar with officials, experts and members of non-Communist parties.
Source: Xinhua
Monday, July 16, 2007
酷密碼
2D Barcode
(彩色圖片轉載自Ogilvy Digital Watch)我雖不至於是科技盲, 但對一切嶄新科技往往後知後覺. 今天剛於Ogilvy Digital Watch看到這篇文章, 才認識到甚麼是2D Barcode, 驚嘆設計師們竟能將沉悶的數據式樣變成如上圖的精彩圖象!這些酷得緊要的graphics,不僅是我們不久將來讀取資訊的主要途徑之一, 我看更會成為Pop Art的一大潮流.
日本及韓國的一些品牌已開始利用這些密碼圖象作商品推廣. 只要你用手機把barcode攝下, 手機中預設的程式便會將它解碼, 然後自動將商品的資料傳送到你的手機, 這些資料可以是網站或文字訊息, 而barcode的來源則可以是商品的標籤, 報刋上廣告, 甚至是T恤的圖案!
我們的未來, 不是愈看愈像多拉A夢的超現實世界了嗎?
Friday, July 13, 2007
China's Soft Power
I'm reading the book Charm Offensive: China's Soft Power Is Transforming The World because this soft power discussion has apparently been going on for quite a while, and I want to know more about it. I haven't finished the book yet so I'm not going to talk about it here. What I'm interested to talk about, though, is how the Chinese government is using the Confucius Institute (CI) as a soft power tool, and how Western countries perceive it.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the project, allow me to give a brief intro here. The CI is a language and cultural education center financed by the Chinese government via the Office of Chinese Language International (Hanban), an executive arm of the Minstry of Education. The CI is somewhat similar to the British Council and Alliance Francaise. The key difference is that the CI usually partners with a foreign institution and a Chinese university, so that the foreign institution will provide program development, the Chinese university to send faculty, and Hanban to give financial support.
The first CI was opened in Seoul, Korea in November 2004. Since then, CI's have been sprouting from all corners of the Earth: Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The original goal of Hanban is to open up 100 CI's by 2010. However, the response has been so overwhelming that right now, there are already over 150 CI's around the globe, 20 of them in the U.S.
As a Chinese, I found this very encouraging. But some critics in the West think that China is using this as a soft power tool to win over the world. There has been media reports in Canada suggesting that the CI is one of China's many spy operations, and that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had confirmed that they're looking closely at China's activities in Canada. In other Western countries, some people claim that the CI is a meticulously calculated soft power project of China's. Some even go on to say that universities in the West are giving in their integrity for the financial support.
Say what?
First of all, China is not the first nor is it the only country to set up cultural education centers in foreign countries. Like I mentioned earlier, the Brits and the French are doing this, too. So how come this conspiracy theory only applies to China? To be fair, all the CI's are in partnership with foreign instittutions. If there is no partner, the project does not work. And, if this is really China's spy operation, would anyone be stupid enough to "sell" their own country like that? And if someone really does betray their country, shouldn't that person also be to blame?
As for those who give up their integrity for money, well, that's probably half true. It takes fundings to run new programs, which, especially in the case of public universities, is always hard to come by. And, since the demand of Chinese language courses are in such high demands, it is only natural for universities to create and expand their Chinese class offerings. It would be really hard for administrators to say no to free money. Integrity? It's a hard balancing act.
My only regret on this is that if the excessive money that China is pouring into these countries only winds up in negative criticism, Beijing might as well send that chunk of money to the extremely poor in the farming villages all over China.
All these so-called soft power tools are no more than PR stunts from the central government. Beijing realizes that the negative image China has overseas, and so they're trying to do something about it. Since everybody is saying China is the next Super Power, they can't just let their country's name go down the drain.
From a PR perspective, China is really doing the right thing. From politicians to movie stars, automobile to designer labels, who is not trying hard to get good PR? China is doing exactly that. Whether or not you like it, it's up to you. And, hey, it's not like it's the first time that China is playing propaganda. So why the shock?
Isn't America also a fan of soft power? Hollywood and Disney are using their soft power every day. The only problem is Bush's negative image has ruined all their good work.
It's too early to say if China's soft power is working. Time will definitely tell.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the project, allow me to give a brief intro here. The CI is a language and cultural education center financed by the Chinese government via the Office of Chinese Language International (Hanban), an executive arm of the Minstry of Education. The CI is somewhat similar to the British Council and Alliance Francaise. The key difference is that the CI usually partners with a foreign institution and a Chinese university, so that the foreign institution will provide program development, the Chinese university to send faculty, and Hanban to give financial support.
The first CI was opened in Seoul, Korea in November 2004. Since then, CI's have been sprouting from all corners of the Earth: Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The original goal of Hanban is to open up 100 CI's by 2010. However, the response has been so overwhelming that right now, there are already over 150 CI's around the globe, 20 of them in the U.S.
As a Chinese, I found this very encouraging. But some critics in the West think that China is using this as a soft power tool to win over the world. There has been media reports in Canada suggesting that the CI is one of China's many spy operations, and that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had confirmed that they're looking closely at China's activities in Canada. In other Western countries, some people claim that the CI is a meticulously calculated soft power project of China's. Some even go on to say that universities in the West are giving in their integrity for the financial support.
Say what?
First of all, China is not the first nor is it the only country to set up cultural education centers in foreign countries. Like I mentioned earlier, the Brits and the French are doing this, too. So how come this conspiracy theory only applies to China? To be fair, all the CI's are in partnership with foreign instittutions. If there is no partner, the project does not work. And, if this is really China's spy operation, would anyone be stupid enough to "sell" their own country like that? And if someone really does betray their country, shouldn't that person also be to blame?
As for those who give up their integrity for money, well, that's probably half true. It takes fundings to run new programs, which, especially in the case of public universities, is always hard to come by. And, since the demand of Chinese language courses are in such high demands, it is only natural for universities to create and expand their Chinese class offerings. It would be really hard for administrators to say no to free money. Integrity? It's a hard balancing act.
My only regret on this is that if the excessive money that China is pouring into these countries only winds up in negative criticism, Beijing might as well send that chunk of money to the extremely poor in the farming villages all over China.
All these so-called soft power tools are no more than PR stunts from the central government. Beijing realizes that the negative image China has overseas, and so they're trying to do something about it. Since everybody is saying China is the next Super Power, they can't just let their country's name go down the drain.
From a PR perspective, China is really doing the right thing. From politicians to movie stars, automobile to designer labels, who is not trying hard to get good PR? China is doing exactly that. Whether or not you like it, it's up to you. And, hey, it's not like it's the first time that China is playing propaganda. So why the shock?
Isn't America also a fan of soft power? Hollywood and Disney are using their soft power every day. The only problem is Bush's negative image has ruined all their good work.
It's too early to say if China's soft power is working. Time will definitely tell.
中國軟功
說的不是甚麼少林武功, 而是最近人人都在談論的中國外交軟功 (Soft Power), 我在半工半私的情況下, 也在讀Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power Is Transforming The World. 書只讀了一半, 暫不好作評論, 我倒想談談其中提到的孔子學院.
對孔子學院不太熟悉的朋友, 請容我在此略作介紹. 孔子學院是中國政府透過教育部旗下的國家漢語國際推廣領導小組辦公室 (簡稱漢辦) 資助在世界各地開設的語言及文化教育中心, 形式有點像英國文化協會 (British Council) 及法國文化協會 (Alliance Francaise), 不同的是孔子學院一般都是跟國內及國外的大學合作, 由外地大學作項目發展, 內地大學提供師資, 而漢辦則作財力上的支援.
第一所孔子學院於2004年11月在韓國漢城成立, 之後便陸續在歐, 美, 加拿大, 澳洲, 亞洲, 中東, 蘇聯, 以至非洲等地建立孔子學院. 漢辦最初的目標是希望在2010年在全球開設100間孔子學院, 但由於反應熱烈, 目前己有150多間孔子學院遍佈各地, 當中約20間在美國.
身為中國人, 我對這推廣中華文化的計劃大表支持, 但有人認為中國這下軟功, 是要借外人之手來替京城製造光明盛世的假象. 加拿大有媒介報導評擊孔子學院乃中共政府在西方國家的眾多間諜行動之一, 而且加拿大情布局 (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) 更公開表明他們正在密切監察中國在當地的活動. 歐美也有學者指出孔子學院是中國近年苦心經營的軟功策略之重點項目, 有人更大力指責美國一些大學為了取得北京的資助, 不惜出賣尊嚴向中國獻媚云云.
我看後的第一反應是: 吓, 唔係下話?!
首先, 中國不是第一個在國外開設文化教育中心的國家, 正如前述, 英, 法等國也在世界各地開設了多間官方文化及語言教育中心. 但為何從來沒有人以陰謀論指責英法兩國? 再者, 孔子學院是以合夥形式與外地機構合辦的, 沒有人願意合作便開設不成. 若然北京真的以此作為間諜中心, 那老外們也是自己招狼入室, 怪不了人.
至於那些大學是否為了五斗米而折腰, 大概也有一半是說對了, 畢竟開辦新課程需要本錢, 現今全球學中文的風氣吹得正盛, 開設或增設中文課是在所難免, 如今有人自動送錢過來, 校方當然求之不得, 就是要稍為紓尊降貴, 也無話可說罷. 我反而是慨嘆中央政府這樣大開水喉給老外送錢還要受氣, 倒不如拿去救濟一下長年不夠温飽的農村居民!
其實這些所謂軟勢力, 我看不過是中共的公關手腕吧! 中央政府深明中國在外地的形象不討好, 而如今人人都說中國是最新冒起的超强國Super Power, 北京當然不希望人前人後被人說閒話, 有失國體, 所以便站出來為自己說點好話了. 我自己是做公關出身的, 認為此舉並無不可. 上至政客明星, 下至汽車時裝, 個個都在努力搞好公關, 自我宣傳. 中國也不過是想為自己擦亮招牌, 替PRC這brandname搞好形象而已, 受與不受, 貴客自決. 況且Propaganda不正是中共一直以來都愛玩的把戲嗎? 大家着實用不着大驚少怪.
美國何常不是愛玩軟功之流? 荷李活, 廸士尼等不也是在時刻發動軟功嗎? 只是近年布殊聲望大跌, 花旗軟功不再奏效罷了.
至於中國耍軟功是否到家, 現在還言之過早. 老套點講句, 我們等着瞧吧!
對孔子學院不太熟悉的朋友, 請容我在此略作介紹. 孔子學院是中國政府透過教育部旗下的國家漢語國際推廣領導小組辦公室 (簡稱漢辦) 資助在世界各地開設的語言及文化教育中心, 形式有點像英國文化協會 (British Council) 及法國文化協會 (Alliance Francaise), 不同的是孔子學院一般都是跟國內及國外的大學合作, 由外地大學作項目發展, 內地大學提供師資, 而漢辦則作財力上的支援.
第一所孔子學院於2004年11月在韓國漢城成立, 之後便陸續在歐, 美, 加拿大, 澳洲, 亞洲, 中東, 蘇聯, 以至非洲等地建立孔子學院. 漢辦最初的目標是希望在2010年在全球開設100間孔子學院, 但由於反應熱烈, 目前己有150多間孔子學院遍佈各地, 當中約20間在美國.
身為中國人, 我對這推廣中華文化的計劃大表支持, 但有人認為中國這下軟功, 是要借外人之手來替京城製造光明盛世的假象. 加拿大有媒介報導評擊孔子學院乃中共政府在西方國家的眾多間諜行動之一, 而且加拿大情布局 (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) 更公開表明他們正在密切監察中國在當地的活動. 歐美也有學者指出孔子學院是中國近年苦心經營的軟功策略之重點項目, 有人更大力指責美國一些大學為了取得北京的資助, 不惜出賣尊嚴向中國獻媚云云.
我看後的第一反應是: 吓, 唔係下話?!
首先, 中國不是第一個在國外開設文化教育中心的國家, 正如前述, 英, 法等國也在世界各地開設了多間官方文化及語言教育中心. 但為何從來沒有人以陰謀論指責英法兩國? 再者, 孔子學院是以合夥形式與外地機構合辦的, 沒有人願意合作便開設不成. 若然北京真的以此作為間諜中心, 那老外們也是自己招狼入室, 怪不了人.
至於那些大學是否為了五斗米而折腰, 大概也有一半是說對了, 畢竟開辦新課程需要本錢, 現今全球學中文的風氣吹得正盛, 開設或增設中文課是在所難免, 如今有人自動送錢過來, 校方當然求之不得, 就是要稍為紓尊降貴, 也無話可說罷. 我反而是慨嘆中央政府這樣大開水喉給老外送錢還要受氣, 倒不如拿去救濟一下長年不夠温飽的農村居民!
其實這些所謂軟勢力, 我看不過是中共的公關手腕吧! 中央政府深明中國在外地的形象不討好, 而如今人人都說中國是最新冒起的超强國Super Power, 北京當然不希望人前人後被人說閒話, 有失國體, 所以便站出來為自己說點好話了. 我自己是做公關出身的, 認為此舉並無不可. 上至政客明星, 下至汽車時裝, 個個都在努力搞好公關, 自我宣傳. 中國也不過是想為自己擦亮招牌, 替PRC這brandname搞好形象而已, 受與不受, 貴客自決. 況且Propaganda不正是中共一直以來都愛玩的把戲嗎? 大家着實用不着大驚少怪.
美國何常不是愛玩軟功之流? 荷李活, 廸士尼等不也是在時刻發動軟功嗎? 只是近年布殊聲望大跌, 花旗軟功不再奏效罷了.
至於中國耍軟功是否到家, 現在還言之過早. 老套點講句, 我們等着瞧吧!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Allergies or cold?
Despite the poor air quality in Hong Kong, I never had any allergies when I was there. Ever since the very first Spring that I moved to California 4 years ago, I have been having allergies every pollen-flying season. Sometimes it's mild. Sometimes it gets pretty bad.
Every time I'm living in a suburban neighborhood, I get bad allergies. All the time I was living in San Francisco, I was fine. But when I was living in the wine country & now in this small town in Texas, my allergies have gotten worse and worse. I guess to save my circulatory organs, I should consider moving back to the city, which seems ironic but nonetheless true.
My husband and I always have this argument about allergies and cold. Because the symptoms are so similar, and that the flu season and the allergy season happen about the same time, it's really hard to tell what one is suffering from.
This past couple of weeks, both of us are having sinus problems, headaches, and coughs. My husband believes strongly that it is allergies, and that taking an allergy pill every day should do the trick. I, on the other hand, think it's more than allergies. I suspect both of us are having a cold, especially seeing no sign of improvement on my husband even he takes his medication religiously.
To prove my point - and end my misery - I've decided to see a doctor today. I hope she'll save me from having night-long coughs again. Meanwhile, I'm going to fix myself another cup of hot lemon drink that my friend Harwaie recommended.
Every time I'm living in a suburban neighborhood, I get bad allergies. All the time I was living in San Francisco, I was fine. But when I was living in the wine country & now in this small town in Texas, my allergies have gotten worse and worse. I guess to save my circulatory organs, I should consider moving back to the city, which seems ironic but nonetheless true.
My husband and I always have this argument about allergies and cold. Because the symptoms are so similar, and that the flu season and the allergy season happen about the same time, it's really hard to tell what one is suffering from.
This past couple of weeks, both of us are having sinus problems, headaches, and coughs. My husband believes strongly that it is allergies, and that taking an allergy pill every day should do the trick. I, on the other hand, think it's more than allergies. I suspect both of us are having a cold, especially seeing no sign of improvement on my husband even he takes his medication religiously.
To prove my point - and end my misery - I've decided to see a doctor today. I hope she'll save me from having night-long coughs again. Meanwhile, I'm going to fix myself another cup of hot lemon drink that my friend Harwaie recommended.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
懶人自白
部落格開市近兩周, 然而一直未有張貼中文稿件, 心中實在有愧.
轉眼間經已整整一年沒有以中文寫作, 加上日以繼夜的浸淫在全英語環境下, 寫起中文來的確有點吃力. 另一難處是要以倉頡輸入法打字, 更讓我感到力不從心. 當年一分鐘打三四十字的拼搏歲月已然不復再了.
也許是自己心虛, 總認為要寫好文章便必先多讀他人傑作. 在美國定居以來, 除了在網上翻閱中文報章以外, 四年多來也沒有正正經經的讀過半本中文書. 現在要提筆自書, 便覺江郞才盡, 有出沒有入, 很不是味兒.
歸根究底, 還不是一個懶字. 若然不是任由自己懶惰成性, 便不會不看書; 若果沒有把書本遺棄, 便不會有今天提筆千斤重的凄涼境況. 自己討來的苦, 又可以怪誰呢?
轉眼間經已整整一年沒有以中文寫作, 加上日以繼夜的浸淫在全英語環境下, 寫起中文來的確有點吃力. 另一難處是要以倉頡輸入法打字, 更讓我感到力不從心. 當年一分鐘打三四十字的拼搏歲月已然不復再了.
也許是自己心虛, 總認為要寫好文章便必先多讀他人傑作. 在美國定居以來, 除了在網上翻閱中文報章以外, 四年多來也沒有正正經經的讀過半本中文書. 現在要提筆自書, 便覺江郞才盡, 有出沒有入, 很不是味兒.
歸根究底, 還不是一個懶字. 若然不是任由自己懶惰成性, 便不會不看書; 若果沒有把書本遺棄, 便不會有今天提筆千斤重的凄涼境況. 自己討來的苦, 又可以怪誰呢?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Keep It Real
I'm not a food snob. And, I don't give too much respect to one. Unfortunately, people like to think that I, as a food writer and wife of a chef, must hold an extraordinarily high culinary standard. I hate to disappoint, but I love simple, basic food. The simpler the better.
I believe the best food is one that is made from fresh, natural ingredients (Organic is always good, but I'll take what I can get - in Texas, it's not always easy to find organic produce at a reasonable price range.), prepared in simple ways, and tastes like what it's supposed to. Say, a tomato that tastes like fish isn't exactly my cup of tea.
Here, no offense to Chef Ferran Adria. I think he's a true innovator and a food revolutionary. But, honestly, how many times do you want to eat frothy ham? Or crunchy olive oil rings? It's fun to try it, and to challenge yourself what food is supposed to be. At the end of the day, food is nothing more than nourishment for the body and soul.
So when I read this article in New York Times today, my first reaction was NOOOOOOO! I want nothing to do with fake chocolate! It's hard enough to find chocolate that doesn't taste overwhelmingly sweet. And now we have to live with chocolate that's made with artifical cocoa butter? If the FDA allows manufacturers to use cheaper fats instead of cocoa butter, a majority of our future generation will never know what real chocolate tastes like. Plus, who knows what adverse effects this subsititution could bring? People had been eating margarine for years before realizing that they've been eating tons of trans fats all along.
I don't dream of fancy food every day, but please don't give me (and the world) any more artificial food. I'd rather keep it real.
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My favorite chocolate dessert is in the form of truffles. This recipe from epicurious.com is one of the recipes that I like to use.
Monday, June 25, 2007
My Linguistics Divide
Since I was about 6 years old, I was taught to "think" in English when I am to speak or write in English. I have acquired this skill pretty well. "Thinking in English" has become one of my conditioned reflexes. And this is probably one reason why my friends in Hong Kong used to call me gweipor, which I never took very seriously, and, by no means, was proud of. But the more I think about this, the more I think my friends might have a point.
I learned early on that I think differently when I speak or write in English than in Chinese. Depending on the subject matter, I would pick the language that I feel most comfortable to "think" in. This became more obvious when I started writing poetry in college. I believe poetry is all about expressing yourself in certain forms and sounds. It is meant to be read aloud. And, because Cantonese is not exactly written Chinese, I had a very hard time writing poetry in Chinese. It just never sounded right. On the contrary, writing English poems just comes naturally. I can read my poems in English aloud, and feel good about it.
Lately, I have also been thinking if this lingua franca has any effect on my Chineseness. It has been almost 5 years since I moved to the U.S. I speak/write English in the work place, out shopping, socializing, and even at home - thanks to my non-Chinese speaking gweilo husband. The only times I speak in my mother tongue is either when I'm with my son (AND when my husband's not around), or calling my family and friends back in Hong Kong.
There's basically no way to find out if I've become less "Chinese" because of my increased use of English, unless I can somehow put another me in a control environment - something like a Chinese-speaking western country, if such exists!
One thing I know for sure is that I can't keep up with the slangs in Hong Kong any more. I have such a hard time understanding what is written in those youth magazines in Hong Kong. My greatest fear is that on my next visit to Hong Kong, I would sound like a 50-year-old because of my inability to understand the new slangs.
It's a shame to feel that one has to practice one's native language!
I learned early on that I think differently when I speak or write in English than in Chinese. Depending on the subject matter, I would pick the language that I feel most comfortable to "think" in. This became more obvious when I started writing poetry in college. I believe poetry is all about expressing yourself in certain forms and sounds. It is meant to be read aloud. And, because Cantonese is not exactly written Chinese, I had a very hard time writing poetry in Chinese. It just never sounded right. On the contrary, writing English poems just comes naturally. I can read my poems in English aloud, and feel good about it.
Lately, I have also been thinking if this lingua franca has any effect on my Chineseness. It has been almost 5 years since I moved to the U.S. I speak/write English in the work place, out shopping, socializing, and even at home - thanks to my non-Chinese speaking gweilo husband. The only times I speak in my mother tongue is either when I'm with my son (AND when my husband's not around), or calling my family and friends back in Hong Kong.
There's basically no way to find out if I've become less "Chinese" because of my increased use of English, unless I can somehow put another me in a control environment - something like a Chinese-speaking western country, if such exists!
One thing I know for sure is that I can't keep up with the slangs in Hong Kong any more. I have such a hard time understanding what is written in those youth magazines in Hong Kong. My greatest fear is that on my next visit to Hong Kong, I would sound like a 50-year-old because of my inability to understand the new slangs.
It's a shame to feel that one has to practice one's native language!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Morning Rush
alarm clock, bath robe, slippers,
running water, tooth brush, toothpaste, bubbles,
water jets, shower, shampoo, shower gel,
towel, hair brush, floral dress,
face cream, foundation, brow pencil, blush, lipstick,
perfume, earrings, necklace, watch
keys, purse, shoes, car
running water, tooth brush, toothpaste, bubbles,
water jets, shower, shampoo, shower gel,
towel, hair brush, floral dress,
face cream, foundation, brow pencil, blush, lipstick,
perfume, earrings, necklace, watch
keys, purse, shoes, car
I'm looking at you looking at me
I'm looking at you
looking at me
I see rainbow I see sparkles
in those big brown eyes
I want to keep this moment
in eternity
But then I blink
I open my eyes and
I see not you but me
I was once like you
know no sorrow but joy
know no anguish but love
I stare at those big brown eyes
and I blink again
There it is your smiling face
reappearing in front of me
I'm looking at you
looking at me
looking at me
I see rainbow I see sparkles
in those big brown eyes
I want to keep this moment
in eternity
But then I blink
I open my eyes and
I see not you but me
I was once like you
know no sorrow but joy
know no anguish but love
I stare at those big brown eyes
and I blink again
There it is your smiling face
reappearing in front of me
I'm looking at you
looking at me
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Squid Salad Thai Style 泰式魷魚沙律
I love salads. In cooler weather, I like salads tossed with warm meat. In the Fall or Winter, a warm spinach salad with bacon and drippings would be the perfect accompaniment to any entree.
But in the hot and humid Texas summers, I would trade anything for a cool, fresh salad. One of my favorites is the squid salad. (My 3-year-old loves the little squid "circles".) It's tasty and versatile. You can basically use any combination of your favorite veggies. And, it's a meal of its own that takes only 15 minutes to prepare! What's not to love about it! Here's the recipe (pictures of this dish and its recipe in Chinese will be uploaded soon):
Ingredients
(serves 2)
12 oz squid (preferrably fresh), cleaned and sliced6 oz of your favorite mixed salad greens (I like something with a spicy touch, such as, arugula)
1/2 cup radish, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup sprouts
a handful of Thai basil (optional but strongly recommended), chopped
a handful of mint (optional), chopped
a "cake" of dried rice noodles, thoroughly soaked and cut into shorter pieces (makes about 2 cups)
1/4 cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil (don't use olive oil or sesame oil - I know it sounds like a good idea, but in reality, these oils have too strong of a taste that's not a good match for this salad)
(1) Blanch the squid in a pot of boiling water for about 2 to 3 mintues, until it turns opaque.
(2) Drain the squid and rinse it under cold water. Drain again.
(3) Toss the squid with all the vegetables, herbs (if using), and rice noodles.
(4) In a separate bowl, whisk the last 4 ingredients well & dress the salad right before serving.
*When I was in San Francisco, I like to get organic salad greens at the farmers market, where they'll put colorful, edible flowers with the greens. It makes me happy looking at the tiny pink, yellow, and blue flowers sprinkled on the salad.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Too rich? Too expensive?
It's probably a coincident that these two pieces of news came at the same time. But it makes me wonder how Hong Kong's economy is really doing 10 years after the handover.
The Gini Coeffient
The first piece of news is about the statistics on Hong Kong's Gini Coefficient (GC) released a couple of days ago (original story in Ming Pao via Yahoo.com.hk). The GC of HK had risen from 0.518 in 1996 to 0.533 in 2006, which means that the difference between the lowest wage and the highest wage is widened. An immediate conclusion would be the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
Blogger Roland Soong has already raised the question that this might not necessarily be true (related posts in EastSouthWestNorth). While GC does reflect the gap between the rich and the poor, a smaller GC does not guarantee a good economy nor financial equality. A zero GC means everybody are equally rich (or poor). That's supposed to be the perfect scenario, right? Wrong! Any communist country can obtain a zero or near zero GC. But is that the kind of economy Hong Kong would want?
As Fung Hing-wang, Commissioner for Census and Statistics, pointed out, the number of seniors living by themselves is increased from 61,000 ten years ago to 98,000 last year. This alone would have pushed the Gini Coeffient up a few points. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that these seniors are living in worse conditions than their counterparts 10 years ago. Their sons and daughters may still be taking good care of them, and their standards of living may not have changed a bit.
I agree that the government should take note that there's a rise in the GC, and try to figure out ways to get the poor out of poverty. But it's also equally important for all of us to question the motives of those who try to use this statistical findings to work in favor of their political agenda.
*****************************************************************
Most Expensive Cities in the World
Yesterday CNN Money.com had a story on the world's most expensive cities. The methodology is to use New York City as the base and then compare how expensive/cheap it is to live in a certain city. The top 5 most expensive cities are, in the order of 1 to 5, Moscow, London, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
In comparison, Hong Kong is 19% more expensive than NYC. This somewhat surprises me because, having been living in San Francisco (which ranked No. 54) & now Texas for 4 and a half years, I've come to a conclusion that you can really get by more easily in HK than in the U.S. if you don't make very much.
I suspect that when they did this survey, they didn't take into account an important social phenonmenon: most single people in Hong Kong live with their parents. This saves them a chunk of money! I can say that loud and clear because I was a beneficiary of this. I had been living with my parents up to the day I got married. I don't have to pay any rent or mortgage (I did give my parents "pocket money", though).
It'd be interesting to see this survey re-evaluated with the live-in factor accounted for.
The Gini Coeffient
The first piece of news is about the statistics on Hong Kong's Gini Coefficient (GC) released a couple of days ago (original story in Ming Pao via Yahoo.com.hk). The GC of HK had risen from 0.518 in 1996 to 0.533 in 2006, which means that the difference between the lowest wage and the highest wage is widened. An immediate conclusion would be the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.
Blogger Roland Soong has already raised the question that this might not necessarily be true (related posts in EastSouthWestNorth). While GC does reflect the gap between the rich and the poor, a smaller GC does not guarantee a good economy nor financial equality. A zero GC means everybody are equally rich (or poor). That's supposed to be the perfect scenario, right? Wrong! Any communist country can obtain a zero or near zero GC. But is that the kind of economy Hong Kong would want?
As Fung Hing-wang, Commissioner for Census and Statistics, pointed out, the number of seniors living by themselves is increased from 61,000 ten years ago to 98,000 last year. This alone would have pushed the Gini Coeffient up a few points. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that these seniors are living in worse conditions than their counterparts 10 years ago. Their sons and daughters may still be taking good care of them, and their standards of living may not have changed a bit.
I agree that the government should take note that there's a rise in the GC, and try to figure out ways to get the poor out of poverty. But it's also equally important for all of us to question the motives of those who try to use this statistical findings to work in favor of their political agenda.
*****************************************************************
Most Expensive Cities in the World
Yesterday CNN Money.com had a story on the world's most expensive cities. The methodology is to use New York City as the base and then compare how expensive/cheap it is to live in a certain city. The top 5 most expensive cities are, in the order of 1 to 5, Moscow, London, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
In comparison, Hong Kong is 19% more expensive than NYC. This somewhat surprises me because, having been living in San Francisco (which ranked No. 54) & now Texas for 4 and a half years, I've come to a conclusion that you can really get by more easily in HK than in the U.S. if you don't make very much.
I suspect that when they did this survey, they didn't take into account an important social phenonmenon: most single people in Hong Kong live with their parents. This saves them a chunk of money! I can say that loud and clear because I was a beneficiary of this. I had been living with my parents up to the day I got married. I don't have to pay any rent or mortgage (I did give my parents "pocket money", though).
It'd be interesting to see this survey re-evaluated with the live-in factor accounted for.
Dragon Boat Festival 端午節
Another Dragon Boat Festival with no dragon boats & no rice dumplings... I don't get homesick very much, but this is one of those rare days that I really wish I'm in Hong Kong, curling up on the couch watching dragon boat races on TV, eating an assortment of rice dumplings my mom got from the market, and chatting away with my sister, who wouldn't stop complaining about how boring the boat races are.
When I was in San Francisco, at least I can get pretty decent rice dumplings. But, even then, the dragon boat race was never on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival. In a small town like College Station, it's absolutely out of the question. 90% of the population here is Caucasian. The best Chinese dish you can find is Kung Pao Chicken (well, it's actually not true, I've tried decent steamed fish & other real Chinese food at a restaurant here).
But I'm excited that I'm in a position that I can do something about it. Not that I'm going to make any rice dumplings myself, nor am I going to start kayaking in Lake Bryan - but the fact that I'm working at the Institute for Pacific Asia at the local university means that a big part of my job is to bring more Asian cultural awareness on campus. I have all the right reasons to introduce this very special celebration to the heart of Texas. I've done that with Chinese New Year earlier. My next ambition is the Dragon Boat Festival.
But before this happens, I'm planning to go to Houston this evening & try to find some good old rice dumplings in the New Hong Kong Market...
Monday, June 18, 2007
囝囝照相薄
At the front doorFirst Chinese New Year at Aggieland
One of our many trips to Houston
Blue Bonnets on the road
Peaches from our yard
Beefcake Genghis
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Long Time No See
People moutain people sea.
Put you on the table.
Laugh die me.
Blow water.
What the water are you?
So you're clueless what I'm talking about? Welcome to the world of Chinglish! Or, to be more specific, the world of Hongklish!
I was reading this group on Facebook about Chinglish and couldn't help thinking once again the amazing influence of Hong Kong culture in the world. The phrase "long time no see" has obtained legitimate status in the English languge already. I wonder what would be the next.
Speaking of Chinglish, I think there is, though, a big difference between the Chinglish in HK and the Chinglish in mainland China. The former is more about fun, but the latter is mostly because of inadequacy. I mean, I can't help but laugh at all the nonsense Chinglish signs I see in mainland China, but, at the same time, I feel really bad about it.
It's a shame. Is it really that difficult to find someone to translate the public signage into English? I don't think so. I'm sure there're lots of capable people in China to do that. So why is this happening? If the government could care less whether the translation of public information is accurate or not, why bother translating. Might as well keep everything in Chinese only.
This reminds me of a Chinese idiom: "drawing snakes and complement them with feet".
Put you on the table.
Laugh die me.
Blow water.
What the water are you?
So you're clueless what I'm talking about? Welcome to the world of Chinglish! Or, to be more specific, the world of Hongklish!
I was reading this group on Facebook about Chinglish and couldn't help thinking once again the amazing influence of Hong Kong culture in the world. The phrase "long time no see" has obtained legitimate status in the English languge already. I wonder what would be the next.
Speaking of Chinglish, I think there is, though, a big difference between the Chinglish in HK and the Chinglish in mainland China. The former is more about fun, but the latter is mostly because of inadequacy. I mean, I can't help but laugh at all the nonsense Chinglish signs I see in mainland China, but, at the same time, I feel really bad about it.
It's a shame. Is it really that difficult to find someone to translate the public signage into English? I don't think so. I'm sure there're lots of capable people in China to do that. So why is this happening? If the government could care less whether the translation of public information is accurate or not, why bother translating. Might as well keep everything in Chinese only.
This reminds me of a Chinese idiom: "drawing snakes and complement them with feet".
Open Door Big Tangerine
A literal translation of a typical Cantonese congratulatory greeting to a new business, that is.
I've been meaning to set up a blog for the longest time but never really put it into action. Until now. My urge for writing "something" has been rapidly on the rise, and finally it hit its peak. I am starting this blog just so I can release my rants on everyday life, and in the hope that this could be a way for me to keep in touch with my friends in HK, SF, and other parts of the world.
More later!
I've been meaning to set up a blog for the longest time but never really put it into action. Until now. My urge for writing "something" has been rapidly on the rise, and finally it hit its peak. I am starting this blog just so I can release my rants on everyday life, and in the hope that this could be a way for me to keep in touch with my friends in HK, SF, and other parts of the world.
More later!
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