I'm currently traveling through the Philippines without an itinerary, taking things as they come.
Manila is large, crowded, insane, but full of incredibly nice people. I've already made several friends.
Now I'm in 100 islands for a day at the beach.
Expect more posts soon. The Internet access is sporadic.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Chinese voices of moderation on Tibet
Conversation bounced around the table, a mix of Mandrin, Cantonese and English at Jashan, an Indian restaurant on Hong Kong Island in SoHo.
Over rounds of mango lassi, a yogurt drink with mango juice, the Chinese mainland students all around me were speaking excitedly in Chinese.
I watched their faces trying to figure out what they were talking about. Then one of the students turned to me and asked,
"Have you heard about the 'heart' China name changes on MSN?"
For me, the most embarrassing part of being an American abroad has to be when a local asks questions about a recent news event -- and I have no idea what they are talking about.
Even though I read the local newspapers, the New York Times online and other news outlets daily, I still miss out on some key events once in awhile.
I replied politely that I did not.
The students informed me (and I confirmed through the South
China Morning Post) that overnight millions of Chinese changed their MSN instant messaging names by adding a heart and the word China.
This latest round of nationalism is in response to world-wide protest about the Olympics as the torch circles the world.
I listened as the students around the table, who wished to remain unnamed, debated with the MSN name changes.
One student explained how she argued with her boyfriend because she thought it was silly. While she does not believe in Tibetan independence, she also does not believe in showing nationalism so blatantly.
Another student expressed concern over the name changes. He told me he found the name changes unhelpful.
"The two sides need to listen to one another," he said.
I could not agree more. The entire table discussed how both sides do not understand each other, leading to conflict. (A Chinese student who stood up for moderation at Duke University received death threats recently.)
Heated rhetoric between the Chinese government and what seems to be the rest of the world (Japan criticized China today), has not improved Tibetan human rights. The Chinese are not listening. The west is not listening.
Voices of moderation need to stand up and bring China and the West to the table. Finger pointing through the media is not changing the situation.
* Image taken from MSN China urges users to 'love' Beijing Olympics.
Over rounds of mango lassi, a yogurt drink with mango juice, the Chinese mainland students all around me were speaking excitedly in Chinese.
I watched their faces trying to figure out what they were talking about. Then one of the students turned to me and asked,
"Have you heard about the 'heart' China name changes on MSN?"
For me, the most embarrassing part of being an American abroad has to be when a local asks questions about a recent news event -- and I have no idea what they are talking about.
Even though I read the local newspapers, the New York Times online and other news outlets daily, I still miss out on some key events once in awhile.
I replied politely that I did not.
The students informed me (and I confirmed through the South
China Morning Post) that overnight millions of Chinese changed their MSN instant messaging names by adding a heart and the word China.This latest round of nationalism is in response to world-wide protest about the Olympics as the torch circles the world.
I listened as the students around the table, who wished to remain unnamed, debated with the MSN name changes.
One student explained how she argued with her boyfriend because she thought it was silly. While she does not believe in Tibetan independence, she also does not believe in showing nationalism so blatantly.
Another student expressed concern over the name changes. He told me he found the name changes unhelpful.
"The two sides need to listen to one another," he said.
I could not agree more. The entire table discussed how both sides do not understand each other, leading to conflict. (A Chinese student who stood up for moderation at Duke University received death threats recently.)
Heated rhetoric between the Chinese government and what seems to be the rest of the world (Japan criticized China today), has not improved Tibetan human rights. The Chinese are not listening. The west is not listening.
Voices of moderation need to stand up and bring China and the West to the table. Finger pointing through the media is not changing the situation.
* Image taken from MSN China urges users to 'love' Beijing Olympics.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Discovery of the week: Novelist Gao Xingjian
Novelist Gao Xingjian has made "the list."
I have been compiling a post college graduation reading list for all the books I have discovered in the past five years.
Soul Mountain and One Man's Bible are two of his novels that I plan to read.
The 2000 Nobel Prize in Literature novelist, dramatist, literary critic, poet, painter and stage and film director has a fascinating life story. Born in Ganzhou China in the 1940s, he was sent to work in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution.
He has been recognized by the Swedish Academy for his "universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity."
I'm hoping that means he translates well into English.
I have been compiling a post college graduation reading list for all the books I have discovered in the past five years.
Soul Mountain and One Man's Bible are two of his novels that I plan to read.
The 2000 Nobel Prize in Literature novelist, dramatist, literary critic, poet, painter and stage and film director has a fascinating life story. Born in Ganzhou China in the 1940s, he was sent to work in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution.
He has been recognized by the Swedish Academy for his "universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity."
I'm hoping that means he translates well into English.
The next stage: Traveling alone
You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain;
I smile and make no reply for my heart is free of care.
As the peach blossom which flows downstream and is gone into the unknown,
I have a world apart that is not among men.
Li Po, a Chinese poet from the 8th century, captures the beauty of solitude.
I stumbled across this poem while researching a paper on 18th century Chinese and English gardens.
One week from now I will be traveling alone in Thailand and Myanmar (Burma). Of the two-and-a-half weeks I will travel, at least five of those days will be spent in solitude.
Finally, I have time to read, to think, to write, to be. No obligations. No deadlines. Just being free of care.
I will venture into the unknown. I will still be "among men" (as Li Po wrote) on my trip. Yet I will be reflecting on life as a college graduate. Yep, I finish my undergraduate education as soon as I hand in three more papers.
Another stage of life is beginning.
(Read more of Li Po's poems here.)
Is the media wrong about Tibet?
AS PRINTED IN THE WHITWORTHIAN:
Unfair, biased, one-sided, sensational, inaccurate.
My mainland Chinese classmates have used those words to depict American (and European) media coverage of the Tibetan riots in March.
As the world erupts in protest over Tibet, I can't help but pause and take a closer look. Read more from Jessica about Tibet here.
My Chinese classmates are not the only ones with a negative view of western media coverage.
During my post-graduate Cross-Cultural Negotiation class two weeks ago, the professor played this You Tube video made by an overseas Chinese student about Tibet:
Some words popped into my head: Nationalistic, amateurish, sensational, inaccurate and unfair. Some of the points I could agree with, but other parts seemed too dramatic.
My classmates had a different reaction. Applause erupted from the classroom when the video ended. Some students even stood up.
As the room quieted, all eyes fell on me – the only non-Chinese student in the class. The professor intervened and asked us to analyze the video.
Almost every student agreed that the video was not only 100 percent true, but very convincing. I tried to put aside my skepticism and listen.
One student stood and explained a point of view I had not heard before:
When I told my friends I wanted to travel to Tibet when it opened in May, they warned me to not go. (It turns out it won't be open in time before I return to the Untied States.)
"You might be harmed by the terrorists," one of my friends told me. I was incredulous. Terrorists?
The issue of national security is what legitimates China's brutal crackdown on the riots. In fact, my friends found that China's response was inadequate and should have been harsher.
To me it's clear that both sides do not believe each other. The current rhetoric in western media is not changing China's actions toward Tibet. Instead, the chaos is only creating a larger disconnect. No one is listening to each other.
While I do not believe everything that comes form the mouth of the Chinese media or government, I have come to recognize that even the western media can be unfair to China. I'm not going to spend the rest of this article discrediting Chinese claims about Tibet.
Yes, Tibetans are being treated unfairly. But this is an issue that plagues all of China.
Han Chinese culture, the dominate ethnicity in China, dominates the landscape. All ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, are experiencing a breakdown of culture as mainstream Chinese culture stifles them.
Beijing's policy has been to assimilate non-Han people into Chinese culture. The result is that most of these minorities have lost some of their heritage.
Journalist Edward A. Gargan wrote in his 2002 book "The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong":
“Once a year, in the spring, China's rubber stamp parliament allows a few delegates decked out in the colorful costumes of near-extinct ethnic peoples into the Great Hall of the People. Smiles are bountiful, Chinese television cameras hover lovingly over the panoply of diversity, and when the parliament ends its theater, the museum doors, so to speak, close for another year.”
Gargan, who lived in Asia for 20 years, travels though Southwest China, which houses most of China's over 40 different minorities. He chronicles the demise of these distinct cultures due toBeijing's policies.
One mainlander, Michelle, told me that she believes the Chinese government has helped the ethnic people to raise their standard of living. She said she did not know much about these people's culture.
I have found that most Chinese look at the central government's display of ethnic people once a year and assume all is well.
Yet most ethnic minorities standard of living is below the Han Chinese. This disparity in wealth often creates frustration within these communities, just like in Tibet.
To me, Tibet is part of this narrative: The loss of unique cultures through assimilation.
In my eyes, until the world decides to stand up for all of China's ethnic minorities, the media's coverage of Tibet will continue to be incomplete.
Unfair, biased, one-sided, sensational, inaccurate.
My mainland Chinese classmates have used those words to depict American (and European) media coverage of the Tibetan riots in March.
As the world erupts in protest over Tibet, I can't help but pause and take a closer look. Read more from Jessica about Tibet here.
My Chinese classmates are not the only ones with a negative view of western media coverage.
During my post-graduate Cross-Cultural Negotiation class two weeks ago, the professor played this You Tube video made by an overseas Chinese student about Tibet:
Some words popped into my head: Nationalistic, amateurish, sensational, inaccurate and unfair. Some of the points I could agree with, but other parts seemed too dramatic.
My classmates had a different reaction. Applause erupted from the classroom when the video ended. Some students even stood up.
As the room quieted, all eyes fell on me – the only non-Chinese student in the class. The professor intervened and asked us to analyze the video.
Almost every student agreed that the video was not only 100 percent true, but very convincing. I tried to put aside my skepticism and listen.
One student stood and explained a point of view I had not heard before:
- Tibet has been part of China for almost a thousand years starting in the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century (when Genghis Khan was conquering the world). Many Chinese point out this is before many nations critical of China were even founded.
- The Tibetan struggle for independence is part of a long separation movement to splinter China.
- The Dalai Lama is a terrorist who threatens the national security of China.
- China spends millions of dollars building Tibet's infrastructure every year.
When I told my friends I wanted to travel to Tibet when it opened in May, they warned me to not go. (It turns out it won't be open in time before I return to the Untied States.)
"You might be harmed by the terrorists," one of my friends told me. I was incredulous. Terrorists?
The issue of national security is what legitimates China's brutal crackdown on the riots. In fact, my friends found that China's response was inadequate and should have been harsher.
To me it's clear that both sides do not believe each other. The current rhetoric in western media is not changing China's actions toward Tibet. Instead, the chaos is only creating a larger disconnect. No one is listening to each other.
While I do not believe everything that comes form the mouth of the Chinese media or government, I have come to recognize that even the western media can be unfair to China. I'm not going to spend the rest of this article discrediting Chinese claims about Tibet.
Yes, Tibetans are being treated unfairly. But this is an issue that plagues all of China.
Han Chinese culture, the dominate ethnicity in China, dominates the landscape. All ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, are experiencing a breakdown of culture as mainstream Chinese culture stifles them.
Beijing's policy has been to assimilate non-Han people into Chinese culture. The result is that most of these minorities have lost some of their heritage.
Journalist Edward A. Gargan wrote in his 2002 book "The River’s Tale: A Year on the Mekong":
“Once a year, in the spring, China's rubber stamp parliament allows a few delegates decked out in the colorful costumes of near-extinct ethnic peoples into the Great Hall of the People. Smiles are bountiful, Chinese television cameras hover lovingly over the panoply of diversity, and when the parliament ends its theater, the museum doors, so to speak, close for another year.”
Gargan, who lived in Asia for 20 years, travels though Southwest China, which houses most of China's over 40 different minorities. He chronicles the demise of these distinct cultures due toBeijing's policies.
One mainlander, Michelle, told me that she believes the Chinese government has helped the ethnic people to raise their standard of living. She said she did not know much about these people's culture.
I have found that most Chinese look at the central government's display of ethnic people once a year and assume all is well.
Yet most ethnic minorities standard of living is below the Han Chinese. This disparity in wealth often creates frustration within these communities, just like in Tibet.
To me, Tibet is part of this narrative: The loss of unique cultures through assimilation.
In my eyes, until the world decides to stand up for all of China's ethnic minorities, the media's coverage of Tibet will continue to be incomplete.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Biking in the Hue countryside
Hopping on a bike rented for less than $1 USD, I had no idea where I would end up that day ...
Read more about my bike ride through the Hue countryside here.
Read more about my bike ride through the Hue countryside here.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Remnants of the war
Last week, Peter from Santa Cruz asked:
Question: Do you see visible damage from the war, or is everything rebuilt? Are there barracks style buildings, etc. left over from that time period?
The answer to your question is both yes and no. The "visible" damage from the war is more discreet. Remnants from that period dot the landscape. These remnants have faded into the background.
Here is a slide show of my trip to the old Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where U.S. bombs rained down constantly starting in 1968 to force the Northern government to peace talks. The government in Hanoi started rebuilding historically important sites, like the DMZ, in 2002.
I only visited two major cities in Vietnam: Saigon* in the south and Hue in central Vietnam.
Saigon has boomed in recent years. The city's bustling congestion and make-shift housing reflect this growth.
Hue (a world heritage site) is the cultural center of Vietnam, hosting the Imperial City where Emperor Bao Dai lived until he abdicated his throne to the Viet Minh in 1949.
In both cities I saw the lingering effects of war.
The airport
When flying into Ho Chi Minh's main airport, the layout reflected a military style air field. The buildings were built low to the ground. Several concrete hangars remained in place, reminding me of the layout of U.S. military bases I have seen in Southern California.
I do not know if those hangars were from the Vietnam War, but they looked old enough.
Agent Orange
I saw disfigured people all over Saigon. People with humps on their backs, mangled arms and other deformities most likely were the sons and daughters of civilians and soldiers exposed to the chemical Agent Orange used by the United States as a defoliant.
At the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, an entire exhibit showed the lasting effects of the war including fetuses with horrible deformities.
Outside of the museum, many old men with missing legs beg on the streets. These men are most likely the victims of mine explosions. Mines still litter the countryside in Vietnam, left over from decades of war.
I saw Vietnamese signs throughout the DMZ zone warning locals to watch out for unexploded munitions and mines. This remains a threat in parts of Vietnam to this day.
Bomb craters
When walking through the Viet Minh tunnels just north of the DMZ zone, our guide pointed out several large craters in the ground. When restoring the tunnels, the government had left some of the craters to show the severity of the bombing.
Other than that area, I did not notice any other remnants. I was told by a local that some damage can still be seen off the main highway in the more rural areas.
The Imperial City
Inside the Imperial City in Hue, the Citadel where the Nguyen dynasty lived until abdicating the throne to Ho Chi Minh in 1949, is undergoing major renovation.
Parts of the city (built in 1802) lay in ruins -- left over from the Tet Offensive in 1968. During the Offensive, the city was mortared and rocketed by the Northern Army.
Parts of the city still lie in ruins, making exploration very interesting.
Have any questions about my trip to Vietnam? Write a comment or send an e-mail to jdavis08@gmail.com. Check back for more photos soon.
*I call Ho Chi Minh Saigon, because that is what all the locals call the city.
Question: Do you see visible damage from the war, or is everything rebuilt? Are there barracks style buildings, etc. left over from that time period?
The answer to your question is both yes and no. The "visible" damage from the war is more discreet. Remnants from that period dot the landscape. These remnants have faded into the background.
Here is a slide show of my trip to the old Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where U.S. bombs rained down constantly starting in 1968 to force the Northern government to peace talks. The government in Hanoi started rebuilding historically important sites, like the DMZ, in 2002.
I only visited two major cities in Vietnam: Saigon* in the south and Hue in central Vietnam.
Saigon has boomed in recent years. The city's bustling congestion and make-shift housing reflect this growth.
Hue (a world heritage site) is the cultural center of Vietnam, hosting the Imperial City where Emperor Bao Dai lived until he abdicated his throne to the Viet Minh in 1949.
In both cities I saw the lingering effects of war.
The airport
When flying into Ho Chi Minh's main airport, the layout reflected a military style air field. The buildings were built low to the ground. Several concrete hangars remained in place, reminding me of the layout of U.S. military bases I have seen in Southern California.
I do not know if those hangars were from the Vietnam War, but they looked old enough.
Agent Orange
I saw disfigured people all over Saigon. People with humps on their backs, mangled arms and other deformities most likely were the sons and daughters of civilians and soldiers exposed to the chemical Agent Orange used by the United States as a defoliant.
At the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, an entire exhibit showed the lasting effects of the war including fetuses with horrible deformities.
Outside of the museum, many old men with missing legs beg on the streets. These men are most likely the victims of mine explosions. Mines still litter the countryside in Vietnam, left over from decades of war.
I saw Vietnamese signs throughout the DMZ zone warning locals to watch out for unexploded munitions and mines. This remains a threat in parts of Vietnam to this day.
Bomb craters
When walking through the Viet Minh tunnels just north of the DMZ zone, our guide pointed out several large craters in the ground. When restoring the tunnels, the government had left some of the craters to show the severity of the bombing.
Other than that area, I did not notice any other remnants. I was told by a local that some damage can still be seen off the main highway in the more rural areas.
The Imperial City
Inside the Imperial City in Hue, the Citadel where the Nguyen dynasty lived until abdicating the throne to Ho Chi Minh in 1949, is undergoing major renovation.
Parts of the city (built in 1802) lay in ruins -- left over from the Tet Offensive in 1968. During the Offensive, the city was mortared and rocketed by the Northern Army.
Parts of the city still lie in ruins, making exploration very interesting.
Have any questions about my trip to Vietnam? Write a comment or send an e-mail to jdavis08@gmail.com. Check back for more photos soon.
*I call Ho Chi Minh Saigon, because that is what all the locals call the city.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
