tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-337890792024-03-07T23:16:35.757+00:00ThisishenryThis is HenryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-57831260596120119382008-01-02T16:44:00.000+00:002008-01-02T17:00:48.370+00:00Lucky 2008!Er Ling Ling Ba means 2008<br /><br />Ba is the Chinese for 8 and it's lucky because it sounds like fa which means prosperity. The character ba is written like two legs or like a lowercase n without the bridge at the top - 八.<br /><br />To prove the point that the Chinese take the number 8 very seriously:<br /><br />In China you buy mobile phone numbers from a long list provided by the salesperson. They vary from about $5 to about $10 normally. To get a number with lots of 8s you would pay $50 or more.<br /><br />The olympic games are taking place in Beijing. They will start on the 8th day of the 8th month in the 8th year of this millenium at 8pm.<br /><br />So here's my tip for 2008...<br /><br />Now's the time to invest in China!<br /><br />8 is a very lucky number in China so everyone there will expect to have a great year. Now in the real world this shouldn't mean anything but it's like the opposite of a bank-run. Everyone expects themselves and everyone else to have a great year so they act as if it definitely will happen - higher expected income, higher spending. Positive mindset creates a good atmosphere and people find it easier to overcome challenges.<br /><br />And there are 1.3billion people thinking like this - that's a lot of people.<br /><br />The really big questions will come for China once the Olympics are over. It will be interesting to observe and I would sell up during the Olympics. The challenge China will face is that the government has hyped everyone up to such a point about the Olympics, when it's over there is only one way for people to go.<br /><br />Have a great 二零零八年!<br /><br />Henry<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-36483821099277090822007-01-21T14:50:00.000+00:002007-01-21T15:17:23.823+00:00CreationismI was pretty shocked to discover what the British government pays for Children to be learning. Even though this was reported 3-5 years ago, it still continues:<br /><br /><blockquote>"We are interested to know what the Bible says about Science not because we wish to add a certain "religious flavour" to our Science lessons but because the Bible provides us with, as it were, spectacles through which the whole of reality can be sharply focussed."</blockquote> <a href="http://www.darwinwars.com/lunatic/liars/layfield.html">Source</a><br /><br />This, I suppose is the sort of religious flavour that tells us the world is 10,000 years old. What sort of perspective does someone have on the world who is brought up to believe that the world is 10,000 years old?!<br /><br />Or perhaps the following view is what we should flavour science with:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, [b] O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." <br /><br /> 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD." 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. [c] Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. <br /><br /> 7 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' <br /><br /> 9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."</blockquote><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=2&chapter=32&version=31">Exodus 32, Source</a><br /><br />In this interesting bible story, God decides to destroy thousands of people because they started observing an alternative religion and "they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry". <br /><br />I am confused as to what positive lessons genocide teaches children? What exact religious flavour will enhance their understanding of how the world works? What benefit learning about these justified (even praised) genocides has to young people? <br /><br />Another perspective: <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1389500,00.html">http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,1389500,00.html</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-11066759237487178312007-01-12T19:24:00.000+00:002007-01-12T19:40:07.030+00:00Je suis un photographer?!Bad French? I must be a wanna-be artist. Here goes anyway!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/354029984_10fde6720f.jpg?v=0" width="90%" alt="Arty Photo"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Black and Blue</p><br /><br />The first picture is out of my office window (I was on a break!). The really amazing thing about this one is that the whole day there was a gale blowing outside the window. Suddenly the sun emerges low in the sky and casts long shadows over the town. The picture looks black and white but actually you can still see the blue at the top.<br /><hr /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/354029969_215fed1074.jpg?v=0" width="90%" alt="Busy Blur"></a><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Busy Blur</p><br /><br />What a great pun! Sitting opposite the Dominian Theatre waiting for Camille to get out from Church at 8.30am on a Sunday morning. It feels a bit like a time-warp.<br /><hr /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/354029977_18278a9925.jpg?v=0" width="90%" alt="Untitled"></a><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Untitled</p><br /><br />A distant cloud on the horizon. It's like a memory of a happy day flowing by. Like a thought passing through a magnifying glass. Like a bubble crossing a bubble of a life.<br /><hr /><br /><br />C'est tout!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-84562903159083968332007-01-10T13:36:00.000+00:002007-01-10T14:06:32.828+00:00Internet Explorer - Scurge of the WebIt will achieve absolutely nothing but making me feel a little better, but I have a strong need to rant about Microsoft Internet Explorer.<br /><br />I'm sure anyone who runs at the sound of 'HTML' doesn't even have the slightest idea but Internet Explorer is the most aweful and useless piece of software in existence. It would be like making a car which runs on a mythical non-existant type of petrol. Imagine - you stop at the petrol station and you ask for your mythical petrol. They should say no. But actually what they do is they take normal petrol, they spend days 'tweaking' it until it works in your car then they sell it to you at half the price.<br /><br />I mean that would be crazy right? Why would they bother?<br /><br />No - really - that is what is happening. Every website you visit has been made out of normal 'stuff' (let's not use techy acronyms). It's made beautifully and artfully so that you can have a pleasant dreamy experience. But then it's hacked to pieces, it's re-built with struts and supports like a tree that is far too old (the one in Sherwood Forest springs to mind!) just so that Internet Explorer can (sort of) display it as intended. The lengths that the poor people who put their hearts into these websites go to just so that Internet Explorer can continue to get away with 'running on mythical petrol'.<br /><br />Let's have a guess at how we would estimate the economic cost to the world of Internet Explorer (it's gonna be high!).<br /><br />The core impact of it's uselessness is web developers' time. It probably takes at least 1.5x the time it would otherwise take if everyone used Opera (for example). Well they have a living to make and so they charge this in full to the people who pay them - the companies hosting websites. So every website ever developed has cost 50% more than necessary. I think when you consider that even tiny websites can cost £200 while most commercial ones cost over £5000, you begin to see the scale of things. <br /><br />Oh then let's add in the lost revenue of companies whose websites haven't worked in Internet Explorer - that's gotta count for a few billion.<br /><br />Then we can add in the cost of security leaks - all those hackers shutting down government computers.<br /><br />If it doesn't exceed all the money Bill Gates has ever made (oh Internet Explorer is made by Microsoft if you didn't know), then I'd be surprised. Maybe the world should sue Bill for all the money his company has cost us, let alone the psychological damage.<br /><br />Conclusion...<br /><br />This rant has a simple solution. Download <a href="http://www.opera.com/">Opera</a>. Three reasons. First, you can zoom into pages - click the "+" key on your keyboard and the site gets bigger - trust me - this is amazing! Second - widgets - read this blog in a cool modern looking thing which pops up and down, rather than in this quite boring website. Third - mouse gestures - open a link in a new tab by right clicking and moving the mouse up then down - it's sooooo easy. <br /><br />My God - I'm using the porsche of browsers for free while everyone else uses the run down ford fiesta that needs mythical petrol. Are you all crazy? Absolutely off your heads? It's like someone is handing money to you - not wanting anything in return. It is simply better - there is absolutely no (yes absolutely no!) drawbacks to it. Nothing zilch! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNfVjMMnJnnZkB0y8dx9Mw9XeKauUHT8i__U2FJV6Fd9IkPZrmhSXS7Z_eOQ04Ytto9jOJmej6PINBptRLjcjLRvWl0_eFGEHcnVQ7fPbH9K5dY-cyRbsnVXQLpQBQuhO5CJn/s1600-h/opera.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand; width:90%; text-align:center;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNfVjMMnJnnZkB0y8dx9Mw9XeKauUHT8i__U2FJV6Fd9IkPZrmhSXS7Z_eOQ04Ytto9jOJmej6PINBptRLjcjLRvWl0_eFGEHcnVQ7fPbH9K5dY-cyRbsnVXQLpQBQuhO5CJn/s320/opera.bmp" border="0" alt="Opera with Widgets" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5018401821553255026" /></a><br /><br />Here is a screen shot of my computer running opera (zoomed out a bit on BBC page) with my photo widget displaying a shot of Shanghai and my Blog widget displaying a post from a few days ago.<br /><br />Ahhh...rant over! Please boycott Internet Explorer - it's rubbish and it causes mental anguish all over the world. (for the brave or tech-savy: <a href="http://www.positioniseverything.net/explorer.html">IE Bugs Galore</a>)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-60802435496438066052007-01-08T18:47:00.000+00:002007-01-08T18:58:41.856+00:00Pretending I'm Somewhere InterestingIt could be perceived as a little desperate (?) or perhaps sad (?) or maybe just different (?). But with the volume of posts you could just assume I'm travelling the world, visiting exciting countries, witnessing beautiful events unfold.<br /><br />Here, for example is an exotic sunrise. I'm enjoying my current situation, living life in the 'real' England (not just the cities and tourist hotspots!). I am finding the British people very friendly and the food is pretty good - although it's definitely too bland for my tastes!<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/347680194_6abac64c0b.jpg?v=0" width="90%" alt="Wantage Sunrise"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Romantic Sunrise in Wantage</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-20171795106676402072007-01-06T13:24:00.000+00:002007-01-06T13:31:37.100+00:00UK Weather?This is the view right now out of my office window.<br /><br />I'm looking for opinions - what does it look like?<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/?saved=1"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/347680192_b30e8d1e14.jpg?v=0" width="90%" alt="Miserable"></a><br />What Does It Look Like?</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-71469402671273068402007-01-05T18:39:00.000+00:002007-01-05T18:59:58.378+00:00Chinese Meal in LondonAs our New Year 'treat' Camille and I had a Chinese in China Town. For some reason Camille wanted to go to the same restaurant as we had gone to the previous year. We actually got the same table. I suppose it was romantic in some way!<br /><br />Here (for any Chinese people still reading this!) is what a British Chinese Meal looks like:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/?saved=1"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/346841888_624c8e9d64_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Dumplings"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/?saved=1"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/146/346841887_5a45dc3667_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Chicken Wings"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Grilled Dumplings ***; Chicken Wings **</p><br /><br />Later we went to the ridgeway in Oxfordshire to see in the New Year in a peaceful way (as opposed to A. Drunk or B. Squashed, Wet and Cold), with the fireworks all over the Vale of the White Horse shooting up into the sky creating an awesome light show in a break between the awesome special effects added by Nature.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/?saved=1"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/346865053_e8b0b7375e_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="New Year Lights"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/?saved=1"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/67/346865061_fea0470227.jpg?v=0" width="45%" alt="Trafalgar Square"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">New Year Lights and Fireworks; Trafalgar Square</p><br /><br />Actually I think this was my favourite New Year. Such a relaxing and romantic evening. Perfect.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-84432741506913655312007-01-05T18:21:00.000+00:002007-01-05T18:39:32.478+00:00The Unbearable Lightness of BeingI've been reading an incredible book since Christmas. It's called "The Unbearable Lightness of Being". It's philosophical but it has a gripping story. The writing style is unlike any I've read before.<br /><br />For example the author gives himself a voice and starts to 'talk' out of the blue in the middle of a chapter. It would seem a little random but is intriguing rather than annoying. In another part he writes a chapter as an afterthought to a previous chapter - writing this quite clearly. It's as if part of the book is a narrative about writing a book.<br /><br />The story is of a husband and wife. From when the meet through to ... ? I haven't finished yet. I think they die though - there were some hints. It's set in Prague in the 60s and 70s. The man is a prolific womaniser, the woman knows this but has deep rooted 'issues' and won't leave him despite the infidelity.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/09/1f/175b92c008a08acbfb53c010._AA240_.L.jpg" width="45%" alt="Cow"></a> <a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://www.plotki.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=37&g2_serialNumber=6" width="45%" alt="xxxIMAGExRIGHTxALTTEXTxxx"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Book Cover; Random Image from Google Images (search for book title!)</p><br /><br />What I think I like is the lack of detail. It skims over the story and puts most of the 'effort' into describing emotions and thoughts. At the same time I think I'm gripped by the story.<br /><br />It's by Milan Kundera (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbearable-Lightness-Being-Milan-Kundera/dp/0571135390/sr=8-1/qid=1168021886/ref=pd_ka_1/203-3738282-7405526?ie=UTF8&s=books">amazon link</a>).<br /><br />I suppose I felt compelled to share that as the book is so intriguing. I'm going to post some photos in a seperate post.<br /><br />Ciao!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-69384061819765938542006-12-29T18:44:00.000+00:002006-12-29T19:24:23.165+00:00Home Sweet HomeI know it's taken two weeks (no I didn't take a boat!) but yes I'm back in the UK. Actually I got back 2 weeks ago and just been getting things off the ground with my company and doing the Christmas thing.<br /><br />Well I fully intend to keep blogging from the UK. I suppose I need to find something interesting to blog about otherwise all you will get on here is a list of ramblings. Perhaps about the weather? I'm open to suggestions. It will probably be mostly about my company.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/337599821_551354e370_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Henry's Office"></a> <a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/337599826_38ff5b51fa_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="View from Window"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">My new office!; A view over Wantage</p><br /><br />Biggest achievement today - writing a formula which calculates the size of an order required which keeps the average stock above zero but below 5 units. Pretty cool huh?! And yes I did other things.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/337599831_185884f3a6_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Christmas Eve Meal"></a> <a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/337599834_aea7d32a7c_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Summer Pudding"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Well done Mum - amazing centre-piece!; Summer (?!?!?) Pudding</p><br /><br />Oh - if anyone in the world knows how to fix my network with two wireless range extendors / repeaters and a belkin wireless router, I'll love you forever!<br /><br />Til next time!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-3409172991975876062006-12-11T12:21:00.000+00:002006-12-11T14:19:04.373+00:00The Last PostFrom China and to China, This is Henry saying "Goodbye" "Adios" "Au revoir" "Auf Wiedersehen" "再见".<br /><br />The sun is setting for me in China. I will soon be high in the sky, flying away on my jet plane. I have written an offline diary - a little more detailed than the blog. I was reading it this morning. Looking back to 90 days ago, it seems like yesterday but also a lifetime ago. I think I have changed more as a person.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00"><img width="45%" alt="Sunset" src="http://static.flickr.com/132/319504649_89350477cc.jpg?v=0" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00"><img alt="Flying Home" src="http://static.flickr.com/127/319504441_25bbbd2e9b.jpg?v=0" width="45%" /></a></p><p style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-VARIANT: normal" align="center">Sunset on China; Leaving on a Jetplane</p><br /><br />It's interesting. I suppose for me the really different part of life here has been how people treat me. Unlike at home, I am far from anonymous. In the school, almost everyone knows me as I have taught over 2/3 of the classes in the school (that is 28 classes at 45 students per class - about 1000 students overall). Without exception, everyone is extraordinarily kind. The best word to describe people here is gracious. Polite, friendly, warm-hearted, welcoming, generous. It is a special experience to be treated like this - consistently and genuinely for 3 months. I suppose it is the experience of having all of these people really like having you around. It has to change the way you think about yourself. I think returning to the anonymity of life in the UK will be the greatest reverse culture shock.<br /><br />But oh, the excitement to come. When that plane lands on British soil, I will be moving into a new stage of my life. 'The Rest' I call it. The prologue to this story is now definitely over. Welcome to Chapter 1. It's going to be an exciting ride.<br /><br />My closing advice to the students in all my classes is the best advice for me too:<br /><br /><p style="font-family: Palatino, times, arial; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; color: 000099; text-style: italic; margin-left: 50px; margin-right: 50px">Make Mistakes<br />Take Opportunities<br /><br />Every day, do something that scares you</p><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdwL-H6SeIm7-XURDJ8G8d1eJ1AkGx7aYq0SkuaslUXqaqMIKqICU3YjW6RwL2zSKvtg9mtMB9Ko6Cj3xgqBg7tW_7erYcQW9v6gk9b764BeFFRaxQh8HXXmzrM3RU-U_CpwR/s1600-h/zaijian.jpg" style="text-align: center;" alt="Zaijian" title="Zaijian" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1165640727207823952006-12-09T04:39:00.000+00:002006-12-09T05:05:27.226+00:00GRRRR...!!!!!!I only have two lessons left as a teacher. One thing I really didn't expect was for it to be so up and down! Some of the ups are in the older posts. Here is an idea about the downs:<br /><br /><p style="margin-left: 80px; margin-right: 80px;">"The frustration that I'm feeling right now needs some urgent venting. I am sitting here – spending another afternoon planning another lesson for the evening class. But I know for a fact that it will be almost fruitless. I know that 75% of the children will treat the lesson as a chance to get away with chatting to friends and not doing homework. It is the lesser of two evils for them.<br /><br />I am putting in this effort yet I am pretty sure they will not learn anything. They couldn't even remember what we had talked about in the previous lesson."</p><br /><br />Then, of course the lesson I was planning there went really quite well. Yesterday as I was doing my final two lessons with the older students, I was struck again by a down:<br /><br /><p style="margin-left: 80px; margin-right: 80px;">"Those who treat it as a joke or a chance to do homework for other classes don't get anything. Is it my fault? Is it my responsibility to get them learning. Well I suppose I'm the teacher so it is. But at the same time it's not 100% teacher. You need some input and effort from the student. When they're not prepared to do that, the teacher is left dragging them through things they don't want to do."</p><br /><br />But all it takes is one moment to bring it right back up:<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/112/316225828_5805ee20ba_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Class 4 Picture"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/107/316225185_47533579c0_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Class 5 Picture"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Class 4; Class 5</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1165531914162605182006-12-07T22:42:00.000+00:002006-12-07T22:51:54.173+00:00Update - Part 4How could I think the day was over!<br /><br /><p style="text-decoration: underline">Part 4</p><br />It's China. Every day is punctuated by food. It is more than an essential part of life. It is life. I was taken to dinner by a PE teacher and her friend and an English teacher and her husband - oh and the PE teacher's 2 year old. First the 2 year old 'relieved' himself on the floor next to the table. The waitress silently fetched some newspaper while we laughed. Then the sheep liver and kidney on a stick was produced. I was, of course, thrusted the choice liver and kidney. One bite produced a bleeding mushy thing. It was a real challenge for me. I finished the kidneys but not the liver. Needless to say, the bill was paid somehow invisibly.<br /><br />Old China, New China, the Future of China, the Food of China.<br /><br />That's a proper Chinese experience!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1165481475455731382006-12-07T08:02:00.000+00:002006-12-07T08:53:06.030+00:00Chinese Culture - Old and NewI've had an interesting day. It fits into three parts.<br /><br /><p style="text-decoration: underline">Part One</p><br />Randomly had it sprung on me yesterday that there was a school singing concert at the Shunyi Cinema. Slightly bemused, I went along. It was a Long March romp. Mao impersonations; Long March uniforms; colourful dresses and dancing; ebullient singing:<br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/110/316227162_9fc3088f8a_m.jpg" height="45%" alt="Is it meant to be Mao?"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/120/316226801_2d402e262f_m.jpg" width="45%" alt="Long March Uniformed Students"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Is it meant to be Mao?; Long March Uniformed Students</p><br /><p style="text-decoration: underline">Part Two</p><br />After the school singing concert, I went for a quick shop before going back to the school for lunch. I managed to buy some pop-music which I have been trying to do for a week or so. I am the proud owner of a Jay Chou album (<a href="http://www.jaychou.net/">Jay Chou - Teenage Heart Throb</a>). His name is plastered over many a students' desk!. I also got a female artist - Jolin (<a href="http://www.jolinworld.com/">Jolin - Dancing Diva</a>). What a contrast to the Long March songs. It just illustrates the contrast in Chinese life. Changes over such a short time combined with a society which talks the official line and lives another. Really fascinating to experience.<br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.jaychou.net/"><img src="http://www.sonymusic.com.hk/jay/images/jay_chopin_cover270.jpg" width="45%" alt="Jay Chou"></a> <a href="http://www.jolinworld.com/"><img src="http://www.jolinworld.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/11846/normal_800px-jolin_dancingforeverconcert.jpg" width="45%" alt="Jolin"></a></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Jay Chou; Jolin</p><br /><p style="text-decoration: underline">Part Three</p><br />The third part of my day has been teaching. I am a teacher for only 4 more lessons! I have made a determined effort this week to leave the students with some positive messages which may sink into their minds and change the way they live their lives. I hope that I have released some potential. I hope that I have given confidence to those couple of students who may have lost belief in their abilities. I hope I have given them what no-one gave me. It was at the very least fun to shout as loud as possible! Here is the slide.<br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/1600/858039/English.jpg" width="45%" alt="I can speak excellent English!"> <img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/1600/700678/Scares.jpg" width="45%" alt="Do Something that Scares"></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Lesson Slides! Go Chinese students!!!</p><br /><br />So there you have it. Old China. New China. The Future of China. All in one day.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1165362800262066942006-12-05T23:41:00.000+00:002006-12-05T23:53:20.273+00:00Chinese Poem - Li Bai<p align="center"><br />举 床<br />头 前<br />望 明<br />明 月<br />月 光<br />低 疑<br />头 是<br />思 地<br />故 上<br />乡 霜<br /></p><br /><p align="center"><br /><strong>A Tranquil Night</strong><br /><br />Before my bed a frost of light <br /><br />Is it hoarfrost upon the ground <br /><br />Eyes raised, I see the moon so bright <br /><br />Head bent, in homesickness I'm drowned</p><br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/103/314413259_0a210ff6b7_m.jpg" alt="Bright Moonlinght" width="90%"><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1165361608415872102006-12-05T23:22:00.000+00:002006-12-05T23:33:28.426+00:00Dog SoupI promised that <img src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:2Jpecx1H6Xlx1M:http://www.golden-dog.ru/Image/irzi/irzi1.jpg" width="15%"> would be eaten. All I can say is...<br /><br />Mmmmmnnnnn!<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/121/314413750_44a221bb6e_m.jpg" width="45%"> <img src="http://static.flickr.com/109/314413910_27f07a1ba9_m.jpg" width="45%"></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Before...and After</p><br /><br />(ps the <img src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:2Jpecx1H6Xlx1M:http://www.golden-dog.ru/Image/irzi/irzi1.jpg" width="5%"> is in the soup - the bbq meat is <img src="http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:NiU26l5yWfYESM:http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~amoore/cow.jpg" width="5%">)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1164930588468042752006-11-30T23:07:00.000+00:002006-11-30T23:49:48.486+00:00A Typical LessonHere is a typical lesson. This week we've had some interesting discussions in the Grade 3 classes. Teenage pregnancy, advantages and disadvantages of girlfriends and freedom of speech!<br /><br />After a multilingual hello, we get going with a long word - disestablishmentarianism! Nine students have to come to the front and each take a syllable (or part of). Practice speeding up until they can say it. They have never been taught this method of reading new words as they rely on the complex phonetic system.<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/320/112931/1.jpg" width="45%"> <img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/320/324256/3.jpg" width="45%"></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Hello...; Long Words!</p><br /><br />Next I have an optional mood lifter - depending on how tired they look - a crazy hopping, vertical twister sort of thing - just to make them laugh and wake up!<br /><br />Then it's about 15 minutes of me droning on. Trying to give them a balanced view of the UK and what it's like to live there. I think it's important to build an awareness of the problems in 'rich' / 'western' countries as these are rarely portrayed on the imported media that they are exposed to.<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/1600/336924/4.jpg" width="45%"><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">The UK: Good or Bad?!</p><br /><br />For the alcohol one, I tell them about excessive drinking and the inevitable accidents. For the Salary one I get them thinking we're rich until I tell them about the cost of living which is almost exactly 10 times greater than in Beijing. We all end up with zero, wherever we live in the world. For old people, the sorry state of caring for the elderly in the UK and the lack of interest shown by many families to their Grandparents (as compared with here!). For young people, I try to explain the problems and shock them a little with the teenage pregnancy problem. Unfortunately that then leads to the question: "Do you have any children?" "Errr... No!" They confidently tell me it's not a problem in China. Hmmm.<br /><br />The next part is for them to choose a topic, think of some good and bad points and then have an argument! For me, this is the most interesting part. The topics vary from school - the easiest and most immediate choice; to girlfriends - one guy telling another that girlfriends were good because love makes you happy! I was also pleased to see some of them discussing China. Good - beautiful; friendly people. Bad - overpopulated; polluted; poor. I think one group listed freedom under bad. The power of suggestion!<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/1600/650835/5.jpg" width="45%"><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Choose your Topic!</p><br /><br />Getting them to argue is also fun. I go around shouting, "You're wrong" ... "No, YOU'RE wrong!". Some really get into it. Some, I suppose are just scared!<br /><br />The last part of this lesson is a poem. I'm trying to get them to have a more natural spoken style - a more undulating pattern to sentences. Mixed success - it's something for them to work on.<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/1600/791616/6.jpg" width="45%"> <img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/320/423834/7.jpg" width="45%"></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Romance by Robert Louis Stevenson</p><br /><br />Then, it is just to say goodbye (also in 5 languages!) and I'm off again. Normally to repeat the same lesson to a new set of unsuspecting 15 year olds.<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2836/3714/1600/753722/8.jpg" width="45%"></p><br /><br />Adios! Auf Wiedersehen! Au revoir! Goodbye! Zaijian 再见!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1164671945990004232006-11-27T23:40:00.000+00:002006-11-27T23:59:06.010+00:00The Long MarchLast week, the entire school visited (over three days) the National Army Museum to see the Long March exhibition. Let's not get into the rationale behind this trip which comprised of 4 hours on buses, 1 hour queuing in freezing temperatures and 30 minutes in the museum!<br /><br />The interest for me was to compare the informatoin I had gleaned from a semi-fictional novel I read about a British pastor who had got caught up in the march and the reality as presented by the Chinese government (which one was less fictional?).<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/110/307196431_9a0b07997f_m.jpg" width="45%"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/114/307195341_2e19d6bb5b_m.jpg" width="45%"></p><br /><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Museum; Walking in Circles</p><br /><br />To give them their dues, the museum was actually pretty good. Multimedia, interactive. Unfortunately 100% Chinese! The pictures told part of the story for me though. I was surprised about how much the march had moved in circles. I remembered the description of the marsh and the mountain from the novel. <br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/101/307196147_057680e9ea_m.jpg" width="45%"></p><br /><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Through Marsh and Mountain</p><br /><br />Altogether I felt almost inspired by the exhibition. Consider the motivation driving these people to put themselves through such a painful and difficult experience. Imagine the force of character that the leaders of the march must have exhibited to get these people following them. <br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/105/307196022_da0fd8894d_m.jpg" width="45%"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/106/307196251_42ca2ea093_m.jpg" width="45%"></p><br /><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Mao's words; Mao and Later Chinese Leaders</p><br /><br /><br /><br />I suppose my personal position is that it was, like so many things, an incredible idea that drove people. The idea that everyone can be equal and better off. Unfortunately, the reality was somewhat short of the idea.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1164618259655050162006-11-27T08:51:00.000+00:002006-11-27T09:04:19.833+00:00Donkey DumplingsHere is a Chicken's head:<br /><br /><p align="center"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/99/307196644_cb1d253899_m.jpg" width="45%"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/120/307196752_0a60f924fb_m.jpg" width="45%"></p><br /><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Organic Chicken Restaurant</p><br /><br />Actually, I'm told that people don't really eat the head but it goes in the soup for flavour. If you're unlucky you might get it by accident, then there's the big debate in your head about whether you're expected to eat it or whether letting it go back to the soup is really bad manners?<br /><br />Last weekend I went for a meal and ate some Donkey Dumplings (hey that rhymes!). They were pretty tasty! The donkey meat was minced pretty much as beef would be.<br /><br />Oh and I had some pig's stomach and before that some pig's liver.<br /><br />To be honest, meat is meat. It doesn't make a lot of difference where it came from. Liver, though, tasted pretty bad. All I could think about were the images were shown during GCSE Biology of smokers' livers with all the grey dead tissue which looked a little crumbly. Well that's what the liver seemed to taste like!<br /><br />Now I'm getting a bit more adventurous... I'm determined to try some dog before leaving - after all - where else in the world can you eat dog at almost any restaurant?! Oh and in case you wondered - actually they don't eat cat in China (or at least that's what I'm told!).<br /><br />你好小狗!你好吃马?<br />Ni hao xiao gou! Ni haochi ma?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1164543752711943162006-11-26T12:19:00.000+00:002006-11-26T12:22:32.723+00:00RomanceFor Camille:<br /><br /><br />I WILL make you brooches and toys for your delight <br />Of bird-song at morning and star-shine at night.<br />I will make a palace fit for you and me,<br />Of green days in forests and blue days at sea.<br /><br />I will make my kitchen, and you shall keep your room,<br />Where white flows the river and bright blows the broom,<br />And you shall wash your linen and keep your body white<br />In rainfall at morning and dewfall at night.<br /><br />And this shall be for music when no one else is near,<br />The fine song for singing, the rare song to hear!<br />That only I remember, that only you admire,<br />Of the broad road that stretches and the roadside fire.<br /><br /><br />(By Robert Louis Stevenson)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1164441257811370972006-11-25T07:34:00.000+00:002006-11-25T07:54:17.823+00:00Hello WorldI've missed you! It's been too long!<br /><br />Today it snowed! Why is snow beautiful? What makes it so inspiring? Well even if the causes are a mystery, the effects are clear! It made a good start to the day - the sun not even brightening the horizon and the moon hidden by pollution, the cold seemed to refect off the snow and enhance the freshness of the air.<br /><br />I have a question. Is it normal to question your direction so much? I think that sometimes I wonder where I am going so much that perhaps I don't get anywhere. I am also in a deep conflict between the need to do something and my personal theory that we can only be happy if we accept our lot and enjoy the experiences that life offers us. In other words, 'going with the flow' is the only route to happiness. Contrary to this, though, I tend to feel most happy when I'm going against the flow. Even more confusing though I don't feel happy when I feel like I am pulling other people against the flow. Imposition is something I have a real problem with!<br /><br />Now I am confusing myself. Perhaps to summarise:<br /><br />1. Happiness comes from acceptance.<br />2. Society expects you to do something.<br />3. Is acceptance going with the flow?<br />4. Is going against the flow making problems for other people?<br /><br />Much clearer! My current resolution goes something like this:<br /><br />Assuming that other people are able to make their own decisions and voice them, I can discount problem number 4. I can also argue that 3. is logically inconsistent. The fact that most people don't accept their lot makes acceptance a positively disruptive step to take. However, I think it is not a black and white system. Acceptance could be understood as 'accept you will never succeed and never achieve anything so sit at home and watch Sky TV for ever more'. This is more like denial. I suppose I see acceptance as coming to the realisation that everyone has the potential to make a positive impact on the world (however small) and that with this potential comes some responsibility - the responsibility to follow it through. Happiness then comes from fulfilment. Fulfilment is the realisation that you have taken responsibility, achieved something and helped people.<br /><br />And to summarise again:<br /><br />1. Imposition is in the eye of the imposter (so to speak)<br />2. Acceptance is going against the flow<br />3. The role we should accept is that of a responsibility to make a positive impact<br />4. Happiness is derived from fulfilment.<br />5. Fulfilment is dying with the knowledge you took responsibility, achieved something and helped people.<br /><br />So the next question is, When is the best time to die?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1163809441234478362006-11-18T00:18:00.000+00:002006-11-18T00:24:01.250+00:00The Weather...Well, I am British, after all:<br /><br /><strong>London</strong><br />The forecast for London, United Kingdom on Saturday: sunny. Max Temp: 10°C (50°F), Min Temp: 5°C (41°F), Wind Direction: W, Wind Speed: 10mph, Visibility: moderate, Pressure: 1013mb, Humidity: 53%, UV risk: low, Pollution: low, Sunrise: 07:21GMT, Sunset: 16:08GMT<br /><br /><strong>Beijing</strong><br />The forecast for Beijing, China on Saturday: sunny. Max Temp: 13°C (55°F), Min Temp: 3°C (37°F), Wind Direction: NW, Wind Speed: 3mph, Visibility: poor, Pressure: 1028mb, Humidity: 71%, Sunrise: 07:01HKT, Sunset: 16:57HKT<br /><br />Thanks <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/</a><br /><br />So, interestingly, London has a narrower band of temperature, a shorter day, more wind, lower pressure. But Beijing is more humid, more polluted and less visible.<br /><br />Less visible...hmmm. Maybe the weather is a political signal?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1163591864998810552006-11-15T11:29:00.000+00:002006-11-15T11:57:45.080+00:00If you had 1,000,000 RMB...Take a group of 45 14 year old Chinese children. Every day they spend 15 hours awake and about 3 hours not working (yes that means approximately 12 hour days). Every lesson they sit in tiny desks with piles of books. Every minute they are over-worked. Every month they are examined.<br /><br />Then tell them to dream - tell them that they can do anything - tell them they have more money than they can imagine. Suddenly there is excitement in the room. Everyone wants to talk - it's a magical effect! They want to learn!<br /><br />It is also a pleasure to hear that many want to help people. And many want to help themselves. They are a bunch of normal human beings. Will they lose these dreams? Will they live them? Will they pursue their hopes or will the world beat them out of their young minds?<br /><br />Optimism is self-fulfilling, so I am happy to believe that it is inevitable that some will achieve their dreams. Surely China will become a better place when these Children grow up!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1163504901351439552006-11-14T11:12:00.000+00:002006-11-14T11:48:21.363+00:00Beijing Today Extracts<strong>Animal Attacks</strong><br />Over 11,300 people in the capital were injured by animals in the first 10 months of this year, up more than 28% on the same period last year.<br />Connected news from previous edition: Beijing plans increased pet controls. Connected 'hearsay': Government plans major 'cull' of pets in run up to Olympics!<br /><br /><strong>Kids tarred with stigma of stupid</strong><br />On IQ tests for badly behaved children, currently being recommended by schools.<br />"Being labeled an idiot could turn a happy child into a sad one"<br />"We encourage those who have study issues but do not have mental problems. We tell them they are clever and give suggestions on how to improve themselves. As for the goofy ones, we tell them the results too. It's also no problems, as they don't even understand what it means."<br /><br /><strong>Obesity becoming a health problem in China</strong><br />"60 million of [China's] citizens are obese. Thats equivalent to the entire population of France... At the same time, about 24 million Chinese still live in abject poverty and suffer malnutrition"<br /><br /><strong>A dream comes true for AIDS orhans</strong><br />A school is set up for AIDS orphans and they have been taken on a trip to Beijing. The school has been set up to seperate the children from the mainstream due to bullying.<br />Can't decide if this is good or bad but you can be sure there's more to it than is written.<br /><br /><strong>Mandelson talks of China's global role</strong><br />"In a speech Tuesday at Tsing Hua University, EU Trade Commissioner Peter mandelson has argued that a resurgent China should be opening its markets wider to foreign cometition and ready to take up global responsibilities for the preservation of the open trading system"<br />Guess what the Chinese minister said?<br /><br /><strong>Private Aircraft: playthings of the rich</strong><br />"The market for private airplanes is heating up with new aviation regulations and competitive prices. Pilot training schools are eyeing the commercial opportunities like tarts with the rent due."<br />For a slightly dull article and a clearly consesrvative paper, that was a startling line to end on!<br /><br /><strong>Beijing previews 2008 Olympic traffic plans during China-Africa summit</strong><br />"The combination of control and pursuasion proved remarkably efective taking off the city's streets about 30% or 800,000 of the capital's 2.8million vehicles during 6 days of meetings between Chinese and African leaders over the weekend."<br />Try doing that in London! Ken would be shot at dawn.<br /><br />Hidden at the bottom of the front page of this paper is the following:<br /><br />"Under the auspices of the Information office of Beijing Municipal Government"<br /><br />What is fascinating to think about is how much a constant stream of carefully planned and subtle articles can affect peoples' opinions. Corruption is a common story for this paper but only ever focuses on low level officials. People don't think the country is perfect but they are only aware of the problems that the government wants them to be aware of and these problems always seem remote. Oh and the government is always doing something about them - perfect example is the AIDS story on the front page.<br /><br />Check out <a href="http://bjtoday.ynet.com/">http://bjtoday.ynet.com/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1163320665969629692006-11-12T08:33:00.000+00:002006-11-12T08:37:45.980+00:00Shanghai Zhongwu (上海中午)"A famous historical and cultural city"<br />"A paradise for shoppers"<br />"Prosperous"<br />"Cosmopolitan"<br /><br />For me, what stuck out... Probably the beggars. I have seen only 1 in Beijing and to be honest I thought that the government just rounded them up and put them out of sight. Perhaps the further from Beijing you are, the lighter the hand of the central government?<br /><br />But I did like the city. Safe. Vibrant. Interesting. Functional. Cheap. The contrast is, I suppose the stark reminder off where you are:<br /><p align="center"><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/100/295099263_e051d5e561_m.jpg" width="45%"><br /></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Rubble and Skyscrappers</p><br />The city has a lot of parks and good places to walk. I spent some time watching the Xiang Qi (象棋) or Elephant Chess in ZhongShan Gong Yuan. A man invited me to play but I couldn't as I didn't know how. I'm going to learn now though as it would've been really great to give him a game! It is a very common thing to see the old men playing cards / chess in the park like this. It was nice to be invited though!<br /><p align="center"><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/104/295099733_2f582f376d_m.jpg" width="45%"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/101/295100009_e0baf16d55_m.jpg" width="45%"><br /></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Timeless Beauty</p><br />Something I really wanted to do was experience the city by night as you almost always see what I suppose are now cliche pictures of the lights. I have this thing about getting the same photos as I have seen in the past so here are my versions.<br /><p align="center"><br /><img src="http://static.flickr.com/107/295100103_bfbae60b78_m.jpg" width="45%"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/105/295100417_8a4353edbc_m.jpg" width="45%"><br /></p><p align="center" style="font family: arial; font size: 8pt;">Shanghai by Night</p><br />I had great fun on this day in Shanghai mostly due to the completely random conversations. Firstly a beggar who I tried to explain why I don't give money to beggars out of principal. Then a random student who wanted to practice English. Then the art students who wanted me 'just to have a look at their exhibition'. Then the numerous hawkers on the Bund. Then the chess players in the park. Then a long conversation with a guy who shared my birth year who was selling large paintings on the Bund. Oh and finally an Australian traveller in the Youth Hostel. I will never meet any of them again. I will never know what their lives held after the point I met them. I do not know if they even exist, really. All I know is what they told me and what I told them. Maybe the guy, my age, on the water front will grow rich and one day visit the UK. Maybe he'll starve if no-one buys his paintings. I hope it's the former.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
<i>Photos</i>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33789079.post-1162722037244884312006-11-05T10:14:00.000+00:002006-11-05T10:20:37.246+00:00Happy Birthday Camille!It's your birthday and you'll cry if you want to, cry if you want to, cry if you want to! Remember remember the 5th of November - it's Camille's Birthday.<br /><br />Camille 我爱你<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2836/3714/1600/Wo%20Ai%20Ni.jpg"><img width="30%" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2836/3714/320/Wo%20Ai%20Ni.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><i>View More Articles</i>
<p><a href="http://thisishenry.blogspot.com/">This Is Henry</a></p>
<i>Photos</i>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61564673@N00/">Henry's Photos on Flickr</a></p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0