UN: Fight climate change with free condoms

Posted on November 20th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

The UN Population Fund is not a big fan of population.  Or maybe the UNFP just cares more about the population as it is.  There are 6.7 billion people on Earth today, and that number is expected to double by 2050. Imagine 2.6(+) billion Chinese.   We’ll still be living to witness some seriously crowded sidewalks.

Or will China’s one-child policy turn out to be genius and actually keep the population steady? It was a bold implementing that policy, and proves China has the fortitude to make sacrifices for the future.  We’ll see come Copenhagen.

One climate change idea I doubt China will make headlines over: condoms.  The UNPF is supporting a move to hand out more free condoms around the world.  Pretty simple logic: People cause pollution.  More people more pollution.  But is it that simple?  Not everyone thinks so.

3 Comments »
Filed under: China in the News, Food for Thought tagged , , , ,

Homework: Go Win 800,000RMB!

Posted on November 20th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

Kunming is building a system to include more public participation in solving environmental issues.  Part of this new plan is an 800,000RMB incentive to come up with your own idea to cut down on extreme pollution cases.

So here’s the deal:  Solve this riddle, win the 80万 and I will give you an automatic A for the class… haha.

1 Comment »
Filed under: China in the News, Food for Thought tagged , ,

NYT on Obama’s Visit

Posted on November 18th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

The arrival of American President Barack Obama came and passed with little fanfare.  Most would say it was a dull dose of political plotting.  Chinese media like Sina trumpeted “improving bilateral ties” (the most overused and boring of all Chinese media cliches), while Western papers took a decidedly different view.  What does this visit say about the future of Sino-US relations?  If the relationship only focuses on the positive, will we see change?  Will this benefit cooperation at Copenhagen?  What about long-term (social) interests?

The NYT article points out some strong contrasts to visits by former presidents and also discusses the Chinese government’s role in keeping this visit harmonious.  But what I found most interesting was this comment on censored news in the newspaper,

Mr. Obama’s trip, journalists at the paper joked, “had driven the homeless from Beijing and brought more censorship to China.”

“It’s as if they think he’d read the paper and it would offend him and trigger an international uproar,” the editor said. “As it is now, it would only trigger a snore.”

2 Comments »
Filed under: China in the News, Hard News Writing tagged , , , , ,

Move Over Saluting Cars, No Kissing is the Dumbest Rule Ever Enforced in China

Posted on November 17th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

Banning kissing on a university campus?!?!  How could you guys have not told me about this ridiculous story?!

This is an absolute travesty.  Nanjing Forestry University has banned kissing, hugging, cuddling, or just any sort of near-intimate behavior on campus for two months now and shows no sign of stopping.

I have some serious questions:

1. Who is actually embarrassed by watching people kiss?  Jealous, that, maybe, I can understand.  Watching two people kiss can be a bit awkward if they are really, really kissing.  But that rarely happens in public in China, probably in part because Chinese college students don’t drink as much as their international peers.

2. What kind of crazy jerk would take this job of being a red-armband anti-kissing student cop?  This is socially unacceptable.  Taking this job would put you at risk of getting beaten up by cool kids in America– that’s a fact.  To only earn 100 kuai a month, working two to three hours a day to ruin the happiness of others does not seem like the type of job any human being should ever have.

3. What is next?  If you cannot kiss, what is the next step? No holding hands?  No dating?  No smiling at each other?  No sexy miniskirts? No high-heels?  No make-up?  I mean, give me a break.  This is the most pointless rule in the history of China.

4. What kind of lesson does this teach the students?  That affection is wrong?  That it is “embarrassing” to care deeply about others and express that love?  This is already a serious problem in China: people not caring about one another. I’ve seen people walk right by a man lying bleeding in the street after a bus hit him.  No one stopped to call an ambulance.  Just me,and then one nice young man.  What the hell?

This rule just makes no sense.  Chinese are already very demure, passive, non-sexual public people.  How far is this university going to go to ruin happiness and love?

2 Comments »
Filed under: China in the News, Food for Thought tagged , , , ,

Does living in China kill you?

Posted on November 17th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

I don’t expect you to read this while studying for our midterm, but I found it interesting.  I have often thought about what sort of long-term health effects living in China has on people unaccustomed or unadapted to its surroundings (considering 750,000 Chinese die every year from air pollution).  James Fallows, the China correspondent for The Atlantic recently posted this piece asking the same question to a handful of doctors.

No Comments »
Filed under: Op-Ed Writing tagged , , ,

Opportunity Knocks

Posted on November 15th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

A friend from Shanghai recently came to visit.  We were discussing his new company and how they work with young people to provide marketing research.  Since some of you were skeptical of the “online friends” marketing survey posted on here last week, here is your chance to have your say (and maybe earn some easy cash in the process!).

Check out my friend’s company website, here.  This is what he is looking for:

1. We are helping Greennovate conduct a study on youth perceptions on the environment and their lifestyle preferences. Would you mind encouraging your students to take it? They will be entered for a chance to win 1000RMB.
2. If your students are interested in participating in our local youth program and want to help contribute to our blog, occasionally answer some questions and give their opinions on youth views please have them email me. They will have the opportunity to earn money for their contributions. I can give them more information or pass along their email address and someone from our team will reach out!
So there you go!  Check out the site, click on the Greenovate survey link, and let me know as soon as you want to contact John and his team.

3 Comments »
Filed under: Class Related, Food for Thought tagged , , , , ,

Want a part-time job?

Posted on November 15th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

I have a friend who needs someone to teach his young son English for a few hours a week.  It would be basic conversational stuff.  He lives near Yi Zhong.  If you are interested, let me know and I can put you in touch.

No Comments »
Filed under: Food for Thought tagged

Damn foreigners!

Posted on November 12th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

I remember reading a story on chinaSMACK not long ago about some netizen outrage over photos of foreigners camping on The Great Wall.  Needless to say, the reactions were not positive.

Now, just months later, we see this BBC report on a mining company destroying entire sections of the wall in Inner Mongolia.  Where is the outrage?

3 Comments »
Filed under: China in the News tagged , ,

Am I a Chinese teacher?

Posted on November 12th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

I know I killed a lot of you the last two days with the AP style presentation.  But I truly believe it is a system you must be exposed to, the sooner the better.

Having great story ideas is only a start.  Putting that story together in a logical, comprehensible, comprehensive way is what takes you to the next level.  I don’t want you students taking internships this summer where you stare at computers and go buy people 面包 all day.  I want you out there in the action!

I read this story about Chinese vs, American education styles on chinaSMACK, and it made me laugh.  What do you think, is it really this big of a difference?

9 Comments »
Filed under: Food for Thought tagged , , , ,

Heads up!

Posted on November 11th, 2009 by Xiada Laoshi

Please note that the Exemplary Articles and AP Stylebook pages continue to (slowly) add more useful information.

No Comments »
Filed under: Class Related

Next Page »