Fake in China

Here's an interesting article about the evolving shanzhai (fake) culture of China.  It mentions fake name-brand items, fake universities, a fake bank, and fake careers.  One interesting quote:

Zinch China, the Chinese arm of U.S.-based educational networking site Zinch.com, estimates that 90 percent of recommendation letters to U.S. schools are fake, that 70 percent of the essays are written by someone else and that half the transcripts are fabricated. Zinch drew the numbers from interviews with Chinese students, parents and agents.

Based on what I've heard from students wanting to study abroad, this sounds about right.  One student said that most online forums and discussion groups for Chinese students applying to U.S. schools talk about almost nothing but how to cheat the system in order to get in.  The "agents" mentioned above are people or companies that guide students through the U.S. admissions process (for a price), often taking care of many of the fabrications themselves.

Two Famous Fathers Advise their Sons on Love

I was reading recently at Letters of Note ("Correspondence deserving of a wider audience") and wanted to share two wonderful letters.

The first is John Steinbeck's letter to his son after his son has written from boarding school with the news that he is in love with a girl.  Here's my favorite section:

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply—of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it—and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

The second is Ronald Reagan's letter to his son just before his son's marriage.  In that letter, he urges his son to stay faithful in spite of peer pressure to live up to live up to "locker room stories" or prove his masculinity by starting an affair.  The letter ends like this:

There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps.

Love,

Dad

P.S. You'll never get in trouble if you say "I love you" at least once a day.

Head over to the site for these and other fascinating letters.

Strange Times in China

The news is always strange in China, but in the last month or so it's been weirder than normal.  I wonder how much my Stateside friends have heard about these recent events:

1)  A rising political star was unexpectedly sacked after the police chief of the city he governed made a mysterious run to the U.S. embassy in a nearby city.  A few weeks later it came out that out his wife is being investigated for the murder of a British businessman.  Also unbelievable is the fact that he apparently wire-tapped political rivals, including the president of China.

This is by far the strangest story that has come out during my three years in China, and every new development adds to the strangeness.  (Example: This guy's son apparently is notorious for throwing lavish parties at his university -- Harvard.  The son recently wrote an article in Harvard's school newspaper trying to defend himself from some of the criticism he's gotten for flaunting his family's wealth.)

To imagine how odd this all is, suppose the mayor of New York did something so far off normal that his police chief ran running to another country's embassy for assistance.  Imagine if a major politician's wife allegedly murdered someone in a business deal gone bad.  Imagine a member of a powerful American political family tried to get ahead in American politics by spying on President Obama's phone conversations. 

Someone needs to make a movie about this nonsense.  Here is a short summary by the Economist.

2)  I won't say anything about the second story except that it's extremely sensitive, equally unexpected, and occurred not far from me.  You can read about it here. ***Update here***

3)  This week China has been involved in an escalating sovereignty dispute with the Philippines over some islands in the South China Sea.  This incident has many Chinese calling for war with the Philippines, or at the very least criticizing the Philippines strenuously and at every opportunity.

Recently a student's first question for me at a free talk was what I thought about the Philippines trying to take China's territory.

I don't have a lot of patience for the strident nationalism that rears its head when China has some beef with another country.  This week, the jingoism has been further flamed by a viral video showing a British guy sexually assaulting a Chinese girl in Beijing and then getting beaten up by bystanders.

So that's the current state of affairs in China.  Strange revelations are being made about the inner workings of some of the politics, sensitive things are happening that are being well-reported in the outside media but which most people around here don't know about, and the present sentiment toward Asian rivals and idiot foreigners is none too warm.

If you are particularly interested in China news, you might enjoy the most recent Sinica podcasts, which deal with these and other current events:

Podcast: Interesting Times
Podcast: Stirring up the South China Sea

Interesting Article

Here's an interesting article called "Breast-feeding rebels in China."  Breast-feeding is, in fact, not common in China and many people think it is worse for the baby than formula.  Parents who want to go natural don't have much information and face a lot of opposition from well-meaning relatives who are sure that formula must be better.  Apparently some groups have sprung up in big cities to support families that breastfeed.  Here's a quote from the article:

Chinese mothers have learned not to trust anything anymore, even themselves in many ways. Groups like these educate women about motherhood, facilitate purchases of foreign baby care products and above all provide a support network in a society that still favors caesarean sections and formula above natural birth and breast milk.

Chinese women are more likely to have caesarean births than any other nationality in the world (46% of births are c-section; Vietnam is second with 35%). Doctors and hospitals can make more money performing c-sections and they are much more predictable than natural births. Commonly, women undergo surgery, use the c-section as an excuse to not breastfeed and then hand the baby over to grandparents so they can continue living their lives.

I have also heard that some parents will schedule C-sections so that their children can be born on auspicious days -- occasionally up to two or three weeks in advance of the due date! 

And I once talked to a student who was the second or third child in a family that was only allowed to have one.  In order to dodge the local family planning authorities, the mother had a C-section to deliver her a month early.  She was then spirited away to a relative in the countryside, where fortunately she remained in good health and (although I don't remember the exact story) was likely raised there for several years before returning to her parents.

Quick Plug

I just read a post about God is Red, a book I've been hoping to read and suspect some of you might be interested in also.  Also, spend a little time exploring the rest of Seeing Red in China, which has had some great content lately.

Wish I was in Iowa...

... so I could caucus for this guy:

The Chinese Maybe

Here's a nice post called "Maybe Today is my Birthday", in which blogger Tom explains a bit about Chinese indirect communication:

Indirect communication in China means that information (usually bad news or self-boasting) is either transmitted via a third party or through half truths. I would say that despite my other experiences, this is the more common style of communication. I have seen this manifest in several ways, and it usually involves the word “maybe.”

In fact, the word “maybe” often pops up in sentences where it has no place. One of my co-workers at one point actually said “Maybe today is my birthday.” Usually though it has a more sinister usage, like: “Maybe you need to come to work on Saturday for a meeting,” or “Maybe you should redo this report,” or “Maybe it would be good for you if that student passed.”

I've experienced many of these Chinese "maybes," ranging from the very common, "Maybe it is a little inconvenient," to my all-time favorite: "My name is Robert.  Maybe I am a boy."

My roommate and I experienced a little indirect miscommunication of our own the other day.  Our Chinese neighbor, whom we rarely see and have never spoken with, knocked on our door.  He indicated a couple bags outside our door, which were things we intended to take down to the dumpster but hadn't yet.
     "Are these yours?"
     "Oh, yes.  Actually they are trash."
     "Ok."
He left.  We continued with our habit of leaving our trash outside our door until it was convenient to take it down.

A few days later, he told another Chinese neighbor to tell us to stop putting our trash in the stairwell.  It's gross and it's not a trashcan.  Apparently we were supposed to have gotten this meaning from his original question, "Are these yours?"

The article I mentioned above also discusses the Chinese phenomenon of not telling terminally ill patients there is anything wrong with them.  I believe this was the case with my former student who passed away from a brain tumor a few months ago.  To my knowledge she was not told she had cancer.  Generally the family believes a patient will just be depressed and will have no will to try to survive if they are given bad news about their health.

As a more general recommendation, the blog Seeing Red in China is awesome.  Spend some time digging around and you'll learn a lot about Chinese life.

On Voluntourism and STMs

I have participated in several short-term international trips for volunteering or m-work.  They have been literally life-changing in at least two instances:

1)  My first month-long trip to Belize reinforced the idea that I would like to work or serve abroad for a few years.
2)  My week-long trip to China first started me on the path that eventually led to me teaching full-time in China.

Short-term trips do have the potential for accomplishing good things.  However, lately I've read several articles that yell, "CAUTION!  CAUTION!  CAUTION!" 

Projecting Poverty Where it Doesn't Exist by Nate Saint.  Key quote: "Often charity to the poor attracts more people into poverty."  

Using Your Poor Kid to Teach my Rich Kid a Lesson by Jamie the Very Worst M.  Key quote:  "When we descend upon the impoverished to improve our family's perspective, we may as well be saying to the mothers of these children, 'Pardon me, I'm just gonna use your poor kid to teach my rich kid a lesson for a minute. I'll be out of the way in no time – Oh, and I'll leave you some shoes.... and a toothbrush.'"

Why You Shouldn't Participate in Voluntourism by Richard Stupart.  Key quote: "Development starts with supporting what services and materials the community can provide already, not destroying local initiative by bringing in tools, materials and skills that are currently available."

These articles directly apply to me.  Have I participated in building projects abroad?  Yes.  (Belize 2004, 2006).  Have I participated in in-and-out orphanage volunteering?  Yes.  (Calcutta 2011).  Have I encouraged and supported peers in short-term M trips?  Yes. 

These articles raise important questions, especially for Christians.  Should we scrap short-term trips?  If not, how can we improve our approach?

Recent China Links

This week there have been several China items that have caught my eye on the web:

First, a couple from danwei.com:

• A Chinese Student on 9/11 translates a brief interview with a Beijing student who expressed happiness over 9/11 but still wanted to study and live in America.  (My opinion: His view is offensive but partially understandable.  Also keep in mind that he would have been just a kid on 9/11/01.)
• A Village... translates a political joke circulating on Chinese blogs.

Next, a wife speaks out about domestic abuse at the hands of her famous Chinese husband by posting pictures of her bruises on the Internet.  Articles here (Li Yang ... Accused of Domestic Abuse by Laowai Wife) and here (When a Woman Dares to Say "He Hit Me" in China).  (I suppose we can't know for sure that her claims here are legitimate, but in any case these posts highlight some concerns about un-checked domestic violence.)

Next I'll share two separate projects that are chronicling the opinions of young Chinese through photographing them with posters of their thoughts.  "What are Young Chinese Thinking About?"  includes a wide range of people and topics.  "What Chinese Youth Say About Sex" takes on a more specific topic, obviously.

Finally, this may be a good time to re-plug the weekly e-mail update that is my main source for general Chinese news: ZGBriefs, available at www.zgbriefs.com.

Enjoy!

On Admissions Fraud

While I was home this summer, one of my good friends asked me why I confronted my student who had plagiarized and falsified a purpose statement when applying to a French university. She disagreed with my intervention and thought it would be better to let sleeping dogs lie. I'm still inclined to think I'm glad I said something, but I would welcome opinions to the contrary.

Danwei.com has an interesting article on the phenomenon of widespread admissions fraud coming specifically from Chinese applicants to foreign schools. The article title is a bit harsh ("Opening the door to American universities with lies"), but the content is more balanced. They discuss the problems of hiring unscrupulous agents to help with the application process, the potential discrimination faced by Chinese students because of the perception of admissions fraud, and some of the ways in which admissions fraud happens, including plagiarized essays, falsified transcripts, and exaggerated claims such as reporting a 3-month internship when it was only 3-weeks.

An interesting read: "Opening the Door to American Universities with Lies"

Post edit: Another take here: "How American Colleges can Best Serve Chinese Applicants"

Confused about China?

In an article titled "Nothing is as it Seems", Joann Pittman highlights the following myths about China:

1.  China is communist.
2.  China is capitalist.
3.  China is modern.
4.  China is poor and backward.
5.  People live under oppression.
6.  People are free.
7.  Religious persecution is the norm.
8.  There is religious freedom.

Actually all of these are true, and none of them are.  That's how China is.  If this piques your interest, click here to read the article.

What I'm Doing for Lent

I typed my title up there just now and accidently put in "What I'm Doing for Lentz."  Cracked myself up.  That sort of thing also happens to me when I try to send e-mails to people named Chris: "Hey Christ, how's it going?"  ...  Shoot.

Anyway, the real topic today is What I'm Doing for Lent.  I always used to give up pizza, but that's sort of a moot point in a town without pizza.  (Actually, there are a lot of small things that you inherently give up just by moving to a new country, and you usually find that they're not that important anyway.)

After visiting India, I've been thinking more about poverty and injustice, so I signed up for Relentless Acts of Justice, which is being put on by World Vision.  During Lent, they'll send you daily or weekly e-mails related to faith, poverty, and injustice.

Want to join me?  Click the link to learn more.

Qufu Street Food

My teammates Chip and Mallary just posted a rundown of their favorite Qufu street food, which (coincidentally) includes most of my favorites as well: Crunchy sandwich, pizza bread, sweet potato, mmmm. And all available for 3RMB or less (about 45 cents).

Make sure you check out the videos of vendors making the food -- the crunchy sandwich lady finishes in 50 seconds!

Here's the post -- Click on over and enjoy!

Liu Who?

I'm taking a quick break from the series to link to a small item I found fascinating. It translates microblogs from Chinese folks in reaction to one of this past week's current events.

You can read it here.

I don't have strong opinions about the current event in question, but I thought this response was very clever indeed.

Clean Water for Haiti

Just a quick reminder that Haiti is in need of some assistance these days. Water Missions International is working to provide clean water to stem the spread of cholera. Check it out.

A Good Cause

World Vision is asking for help to contain the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Sounds like a good cause: Donate here.

Counting Fingers

Did you know that Chinese people can count to ten on one hand? They have special hand signs for the numbers 6-10, and they are frequently used whenever numbers come up (for example, when giving prices in the market). Sometimes these hand signs help distinguish between 4 (si) and 10 (shi), which can sound alike.

Here is your mini-tutorial:






I also just came across a cool page that gives the meaning of gestures in the West and in China. There's some great Chinese translation on the page for those of you learning the language, and also interesting descriptions and pictures for the rest of us. Here it is.

The Big Picture: China

Boston.com has a new set of 43 big, beautiful pictures about China.  Check it out: Scenes from China.

And there are more where that came from.  I'm serious.  It's so good.

The link came to me by way of the blog Outside-In, written by a colleague in Beijing, who has posted tons of good stuff lately.  Be sure to check out her musings on mooncakes and her account of a Mid-Autumn Day brawl that interrupted her dinner at a Beijing restaurant.

Earthquake Relief

You've heard about the recent earthquake in Qinghai province.  I've never been to Qinghai, but one day I'd like to.  You can experience the breathtaking views and high altitudes of the Tibetan plateau ("the roof of the world"), mix with people of several ethnic backgrounds, and get a taste of Tibet without actually going there.   Qinghai is a long journey away from my home in Shandong province.

Please remember Qinghai in their ongoing earthquake recovery.  You can donate here to World Vision's Earthquake Relief (including Haiti, China, and other projects).

Hawking Linguaphone in Wuhan

On my first trip to China I spent an afternoon outside a mall helping to promote Linguaphone English schools.

 

As I recall, our main job that afternoon was to look American and approach passersby asking, "English? English?" while giving them an invitation to an upcoming Linguaphone open house.

I was with a group of fourteen college students from my fellowship in Iowa City, and we were in China for three reasons: To learn about sharing our Hope cross-culturally, to visit a year-long team of teachers from Iowa, and to provide conversation practice for Linguaphone's English students.  It was a perfect arrangement because we got to stay at the university with our American friends and then spend all day talking with our new Chinese friends at the school.

We really enjoyed our week working with Linguaphone, and we hoped that our presence provided the added business boost they needed at the time.  We said our goodbyes by performing the song and dance of "Joyful Joyful" from Sister Act.

(Those of you who know me well can imagine the fear that struck my heart at the thought of dancing in public.)

Anyway, I hadn't thought about Linguaphone in awhile until I ran across this article yesterday at www.danwei.org:  Bankrupt Schools and their Fleeing Foreign Bosses.  The article talks about how four large English language companies have closed their doors in the last year as a result of poor management and economic hard times.  Linguaphone was one of them. 


To be honest, I don't have a strong opinion about Linguaphone's exit from China.  I just wanted to share some memories from my first time in China and direct you to that interesting piece of reporting about doing business in the Middle Kingdom.  Enjoy!