Boomtown Beijing (0)
My friend Siok Siok Tan is the multi-lingual marvel who, during her tenure with Discovery Channel, racked up a dozen Asian TV Awards as a documentary film director, and producer.
Her latest work, done in concert with students from classes she taught at the Beijing film Academy, is a fascinating pastiche of people obliquely impacted by the economic, political and athletic rush for gold in the 2008 Games.
Siok Siok renders her perspective on the games by examining the lives of Beijingers, so far from the torch run, that neither the western or Chinese media would even bother to distort or propagandize them. But, the stories, some that will move you to tears and others to great amusement, are emblematic of how deeply the allegiance to the success of the Chinese Olympic movement has permeated the collective conscience of a country.
Boomtown Beijing has everything and nothing to tell you about why 200,000 netizens on Baidu and the CEO of Sohu.com, Zhang Chaoyang, are calling for a boycott of Carrefour (France’s Great Wallmart) in response to western reactions to the torch run: It is a less about nationalism than it is about a new-found sense of international belonging, national pride and individual dreams of being able to even a small difference in a fast changing China. It is not a political statement. It is an authentic, objective and heartfelt look at a Beijing ad its citizens that few foreigners will ever see. Tan is one of the few film makers with the cultural savvy to ine and polish these rare human gems.
Boomtown Beijing is showing in cities world-wide and the proceeds are being donated to the Library Project. The next screening is in Beijing. The details from the FacebookFacebook group here:
The Film:
TThe 2008 Olympics Games is China’s debutante ball on the world stage. “ Faster. Higher. Stronger†— the preparation for the Games has turned Beijing into a hot spot of frenzied growth. A 11 year old boy wants to beat the odds to become an Olympics torch-bearer. A road sweeper dreams of staging his own mass Olympics countdown performance. An aging blind athlete makes one last stab at a Paralympics medal before he retires from sports. Together, their stories and scenes of everyday life in the city give a snapshot of Beijing the summer before the big games come to town. Running Time: 70 minutes
Language: Chinese with English subtitles
The Director:
Tan Siok Siok has built a career as an executive producer of international documentaries focusing on the China region. Her executive producer credits include award-winning shows for Discovery Channel and Discovery Travel and Living. Boomtown Beijing is her first independent film. She directed the film with the assistance of her studets while she was a visiting lecturer at the Beijing Film Academy
Tickets:
Pre-Sale: RMB 85 (before Saturday April 19th) Contact: mark at dembitz.com
At the Door: RMB 100
Included in Pre-Sale (1) Beverage with Ticket
Posted 2 May, 2008 in Beijing, China films, Siok Siok Tan, Beijing Olympics, 中文, China Olympics, 中国, Heartsongs, Intercultural Issues
China Animation Event (0)
This is a don’t miss event for anyone looking for the best talent anywhere for movie, flash, or digital animation. Suzhou, a gorgeous “water town” near Shanghai, is playing host to the event:
Take a look at the media industries and you’ll find animation everywhere. In TV, film, education and training, games, mobile, advertising, and online. It’s also one of the strongest youth market categories in digital media.
X|Media|Lab Suzhou concentrates on this “wealth of animation” bringing together a stellar range of animation experts from all over the world.
The Keynote Conference Day focuses on four themes: Animation Industry Development; International Business Opportunities; Quality Assurance and Management; and Technologies and Skills.
The Business Matching Forum focuses on you. It’s your opportunity to meet up with the animation industry experts, directly discuss your own animation ideas, network yourself right into the heart of the China animation industry, and explore business matching and partnerships with the other international participants at the Lab.
International participants include:
- Raman Hui - Director of Shrek 3
- Michael Johnson - Motion Picture Lead, Pixar Studios
- Duncan Brinsmead - Chief Research Scientist, Autodesk (Maya Software)
- Suresh Seetharaman - Founder and President, Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation
- Sue Erokan - Supervisor, Character Animation, Dreamworks
- Dan Scott - Head of Global Production, Nokia Games
- Masakazu Kubo - Executive Producer, Pokemon Film and TV Series (Tokyo)
- Xavier Nicholas - Managing Director, Lucasfilm Animation Singapore
- Heather Kenyon - formerly Director of Development, Original Animation at Cartoon Network
- Dale Herigstad - 5-time Emmy Award Winner, Schematic (LA)
- Nickson Fong - Founder, Egg Story (Singapore)
- Paul Steed - Founder, Exigent Studios (Los Angeles)
- Madhavan - Founder, Crest Animation (India)
- Michael Stevens - Board Member, Park Road Post (Wellington)
- Tatiana Kober - Founder, Bejuba Studios (LA and Toronto)
- Anand Gurnani - Founder, Animation ‘Xpress (India)
- Tim Brook-Hunt - Head of Children’s TV, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Sydney)
- Alan Lindsay - CEO, Vue DC Group (Perth)
China participants include a ‘who’s who’ of the China animation industry including: the Dean of Animation, Beijing Film Academy; President, Great Dreams Cartoon Group; Executive Deputy Secretary General of China Animation Association, and Head of Digital Media Technologies, Beijing Institute of Technology; Executive Vice President of China Animation Association; Deputy Director of Digital Animation Creation R&D Centre, China Art Academy; Secretary General of Mobile Animation Industry Association; CEO of China Animation Association; Managing Partner of China Renaissance; the Vice President of ID Tech Ventures; and many others.
XML Suzhou will be the perfect place to make contact with some the best animation people from all over the world – whether you are interested in creative development, best practices, or business opportunities internationally or in China.
Suzhou is one of China’s animation centers of excellence, about 90 minutes north of Shanghai - and it exemplifies the “New China”: hundreds of huge new buildings springing up out of the ground, great vitality, and a commitment to developing the digital media industries.
X|Media|Lab Suzhou “Wealth of Animation” International Participants
Places are strictly limited to both the Keynote Conference Day (300 maximum – 120 already sold) and the Business Matching Forum (80 participants – 30 already allocated).
For Chinese head here: Animation Workshop
English: Animation Suzhou
Online digital advertising and reputation Management firm CultureFish Media is a new International Marketing Partner with X|media.
Original story here: XML Suzhou: China Animation Spotlight Event
Posted 26 April, 2008 in China Business Consultant, Animation, Suzhou China, 中文, China Web 2.0, cartoons, Digital Cavalry, 中国, China Resources
Brand and Reputation Management in China (5)
I have been thinking a lot about brand and reputation management (Yes, really!) in light of events in China over the last few weeks that I addressed in an earlier Onemanbandwidth post. Companies in the west tend to overlook reputation management unless there is a crisis and then it can be incredibly costly and I guarantee time will stand still during the repair.
It is especially hard on a multinational brand when negative publicity threatens them in a foreign country, like China. Suddenly every available bi-lingual marketer, search engine optimization specialist and online digital maketing company is called on to rebuild an image. A company should not have to ask, “Can we rebound from this?” Stock prices, and jobs will depend on the outcome.
Companies like CIC, the Internet Word of Mouth Research Company in Shanghai are called, after the fact, to assess damages and recommend strategies for leveling the Internet playing field again. If a brand’s good name is threatened a company should use (to exploit the metaphor) every play in the book to come from behind:
- Online Videos posted on popular Chinese video sites like Tudou and Youku and 56.com which may already be more popular here than Youtube.
For examples of success, look no further than the videos put out by Mattel and in America remember how Obama countered criticism of his pastor via Youtube and Facebook. - Buy Paid results in Chinese Search Engines. The first four search slots are for sale on Baidu and they have an incredible no-brainer tool I will mention later for branded terms and products. Partnering with Companies like Online Digital Marketing provider and Baidu partner Culture Fish Media, is a good idea. They will help you choose and translate, with help from CIC, the right keywords in the right local dialects. Armed with information and adwords they can then geographically target them for the right regions and toward the correct demographic profiles so you don’t waste advertising revenue with panic spending.
- SEO interface: Start looking again at keywords and language interface pages again. And be sure to hire a company in China that gets reputation management and IWOM.
- Because Bulletin boards (BBS) comments have such great authority in organic search results in China is is essental for a native team to continue to incorporate reputation monitoring as a regular business strategies. Ideally this is best done before a crisis.
Here are some facts compiled by the marketing pilgrim:
- 80% of adults are “very” or “somewhat” more likely to consider buying products recommended by real-world friends and family.
- 78% of executive recruiters routinely use search engines to learn more about candidates, and 35% have eliminated candidates based on the information they found.
- 52% of survey respondents from developed nations said they find “a person like yourself” to provide the most credible information.
- 87% believe the CEO’s reputation is an important part of a company’s reputation.
- 90% of consumers trust recommendations from others.
- 83% of companies will face a crisis that will negatively impact their share price between 20 and 30%, during the next five years.
- 100% of those reading this post have either a personal or corporate reputation to protect.
I would add that the stats for China, save the last one, are all higher. IWOM has far more impact here.
Some companies say full recovery from a PR trauma can take 4-41/2 years. That is a long time in the life of many stock portfolios. There is no need to get initial that situation in China in the first place. Baidu has a very inexpensive tool tailored for brands. It is called a power link:
Should your company have a trademarked name or branded service you can buy the entire first page of search results. On that page, a company can include up to 15 left-side links and a right hand display ad.
Think about that for a second: Owning your own page/keywords means a 100% click-through rate and 100% of the listings that are seen on the first page of results belong to you. It is the ultimate no-brainer for advertising.
Especially for a difficult to understand market like China it is important to begin SEM with a company, prior to an emergency, that can guide, nurture and maintain your online reputation.
—————–
Note:
Culturefish Media is currently working and with ad agencies, SEO firms and Independent marketing consultants to tailor solutions for online digital advertising and reputation management in China. Inquiries about partnerships and services can be made here: Culturefish
Posted 5 April, 2008 in China Business Consultant, SEO China Expert, 中文, Chinese Media, seo expert services guangzhou china, IWOM, Online Advertising, Online Digital Marketing, Reputation Management, Search Engine Marketing, Seach engine Optimization, The Internet, 中国, China Business, China web 2.0, Chinese Internet, Seo China, SEM, SEO, Internet marketing China, China SEO
Doing Business in China: Strategies (2)
Doing Business in China Part 2:
The third strategy in our series on Doing Business in China involves: “Besieging Wei to Save Zhao.” Basically this means that you don’t need a bigger army if you’ve got relative superiority at key points of contact. Ask anyone who has ever played the Japanese game of Go if they have ever lost due to “target fixation” by fixating on the larger battles and getting overtaken by the troops in the skirmishes. The story involves a general of Zhao, who allowed an opposing army to lay siege to the major city of Wei (one of 7 “key” cities) so that his army could exhaust his opponent and defeat them later.
During our time in China, and having traveled to meet dozens of top expatrapreneurs, we feel confident we could amass a formidable staff in your campaign for business superiority in China. The metaphor, however prosaic, stands to give you the information needed for relative superiority at any point of business contact:
Without a doubt, you’ll need China Law Blog as your JAG. If you have a question about the law you should be talking to Dan and Steve.They have the most powerful and best researched China blog on the Internet and don’t let the name fool you: they talk with good humor and keen insight about all aspects of life in China both personal and professional.
And recently we met Sam Flemming, CEO if CIC in Shanghai. His company, once providing niche research has created a mainstream standard in China and is an absolute necessity: to learn the latest IWOM buzz on your brand, Sam’s team provides the latest in searched-for terms for your product or service on in the China websphere and identifies for you all critical advertising data, reputation management information. Our Online Digital Marketing Company, Culturefish Media, has resolved not to enter into a large campaigns for clients without the thorough recon’ work offered up by CIC. Equally helpful is China Vortex, who keeps abreast of the latest Internet news, trends and information in China. And for in-depth knowledge about consumer markets in China, Shaun Rein and his team will prepare the field via white papers and in-depth reports that will guide you to success. And las, but not least is Marc Vanderchijs’ blog. Marc is a Dutch Entrpreneur and co-founder of the China video sharing site Tudou. Reading his blog wiill make you feel like you a fireside chat with a real veteran. There is much to be learned there.
For a good quartermaster, we heartily recommend All Roads Lead to China for the latest information about logistics, shipping, and import-export here in China. As for logistics, kinakontaak…kinaahgk…kinkatonkie the tall Scandanavian guys on the small motorbikes at Kinakontakten and the publicly traded kings of online savvy at Global Sources are two reliable resources for keeping supply lines open and moving with quality products.
For Engineers capable of helping you build a great business, Globe Forum and its SME incubator methodology will connect you with the world’s fast-growth and corporately responsible companies and opportunities.
In public affairs, Kaiser Kuo, Web Wednesday and Danwei are the best at what they do. All of them know the lay of the land and are not afraid to speak or change their minds as the truth mandates. If it is relevant, Kaiser, Napoleon and Jeremy have likely already talked about it over lunch or Twittered, Facebooked and Blogged it throughout the Middle Kingdom.
China biz needs an expat Signal Corps: men, women, and sites dedicated to quality digital content, keeping up with the latest in online technology developments. China Web Review 2.0 will keep up to date on the latest in Internet trends, David Feng will brief you on the latest updates on technology and trends (especially Apple Products), and ChinaOnTV will provide you with high-quality digital videos about anything from history to contemporary Kung Fu and Chinese Recipes. Meanwhile, China Webmasters will keep you ahead of the power curve and put your website on track for visibility in China.
For cultural affairs, Shanghaiist stands out as a great collection of the most interesting cultural news in China. From updates on the Worldwide Pillow Fight in Shanghai to updates on F-visas, these guys know what is going on. The defense language institute belongs to Chinesepod and The Lost Laowai Blog.
For personnel needs, look to ChinaBiz Speakers and the wealth of great knowledge these speakers can tap into. The top aggregator of talent driven content about doing business in China is the China Business Network. CBN, hosted by our comrade-in-arms Christine Lu, is a one-stop Linked-In connection for Web 2.0 in China and Silicon Valley leaders and visionaries.
Everyone needs a Morale and Welfare Corp, and in China’s all-too-serious blogosphere, some down-to-earth chopping wood and carrying water is needed. The Library Project, which builds literacy in orphanages and rural schools around China, does a great job of spreading goodwill as does The China Dreamblogue, whose purpose is to create travel, charity and educational opportunities for Westerners and Chinese while promoting engagement with all that is positive about China. CCTV9’s Culture Express provides a surprisingly well produced source of information about China’s remarkable past and contemporary cultural heritage. And since we live on the south we look to GZ nightlife, Shenzehn Stuff and the newest gourmet dining spot in the area belogs to our friends at Wilbur’s Guangzhou Restaurant–They even have their own private-label house wine if you get tired of that Rothchild’s brand.
There is plenty more to come. Not nearly as many links, but a footlocker full of books, movies, and other valuable resources….
Posted 2 April, 2008 in Internet marketing China, Chinese Internet, The Internet, New Blogs, SEO, SEM, China Law, SEO China Expert, 中文, Chinese Media, 中国, Top Blogs, Greater Asia Blogs, Hong Kong Blogs, Top China Blogs List, China web 2.0, Intercultural Issues, China Editorials, In the news, China Business, China Cartoons, China SEO
How How Report… (3)
It is generally not my policy to hype off-topic businesses on Onemanbandwidth, but I made an exception in this case.
Ryan McLaughlin of Lost Laowai, Hao Hao Report, Dao by Design and dozens of other sites has reached back to his Canadian roots and come up with what could be a real gem of an online biz.
Following you will find excerpts from what you will soon find at Ryan McLaughlin.us. It is a refreshing change from most “Friend Finder” type sites:
BAG A CANUCK!
Have you dreamed of making love to a Canadian Guy, Aye?
Stop DREAMING and make that fantasy come true!
How to Bag a Canuck” is a 75 page e-book that tells you everything you need to find, attract and seduce a wild bacon bender from the 51st state:
- Where to find enchanting and eligible guys in wool caps in your neighborhood The names of the top ten cities in Canada and China where you are liable to meet dudes with snowshoes, eh?
- How to convince one, without illegal substances, in any country to become your personal Mountie!
- How to dress down to impress
- How to earn his admiration without looking like you are trying too hard and without having to sleep with his friends
- How to get to know him as well as the back of your snowmobile BEFORE you even think of asking him out
- How to write and compose the perfect online dating profile or letter so that he starts chasing you and not the moose in his garden
- What gifts to give him right down to the kinds of cheese and macaroni he would appreciate most
- What you need to know about her culture so that she not only accepts you as a lover but grows to share his sausages
- The Do’s and Don’ts of interracial dating and most…like not fighting over the last bag of pork rinds
- How to talk about the Canadian (ha) Military:
It doesn’t matter if the caribou lover you are longing for is a twenty year old “dog sledder” from Montreal or a 45-year-old six-time divorced business expat from mainland China. Our step-by-step guide for a first date works every time on every Canuck for every culture (and it is not the type of advice you will find in any other book!) Other books will simply give you a long list of suggestions for “creative” ideas for dates. We will tell you why the first date is no time to use your imagination! We will take you step-by-step through the entire First Date Ritual from shaving your nose hairs to how to bait a salmon rig.
In fact, this book asks you to forget everything you think you know about impressing a guy with ear flaps. We ask you to forget your creativity (which just looks like blundering around to a Canuck) and all of your preconceptions (which just looks like racism) by revealing:
- The one most important quality that Canadian guys revere in a partner: body heat
- The all-time worst thing you can do to turn him off in your initial email or communication: insult his dog
- The one physical gesture that will inspire him to have complete confidence in you: OK, now stand back up….
- Why your sense of humor may not seem so charming to him. How to avoid old jokes like What do urine samples and Canadian beer have in common? Answer: The taste
Nobody understands snow fever better than the author who knows exactly how unbearable unrequited desire can be! The symptoms include anxiety, restlessness, a preoccupation with Nanook, Sgt. Preston and a longing to tussle between the sheets with a guy wearing walrus boots.
HOW TO DATE A NORTHER (Bag a Canuck) shows you how to understand each and every type of ice grinder – from the mildest to wildest and how they have learned to manipulate those stereotypes to drive you crazy with lust!
Although these men seem mysterious and complex, we will tell you the simple secrets (some of them based on ancient wisdom from his culture like how to make wine in a garbage bag) that will tame these proud beasties and have them eating out of your hand—not that its so unusual, but…. Much of it will surprise you! This book gets right into the psychological blubber of how to seduce him including the most important-
- G (Goose) Spot!
- How to honor every single part of his body from beaver pelt to wool socks including his hair, his neck, his eyes, his hairy, bejeweled lips, his breasts, his muzzle loader, his arms, his legs etc. and capture his love, devotion and sexual lack of imagination forever.
Nowhere, not in a bookstore, on the Internet or anywhere in Ontario will you find a book on how to seduce and bag a backwoodsman as thoroughly, safely (like jumpin’nekked over a bear trap) and psychologically intriguing as this one!
Knowing everything about him, from parka to pup tent, is one of the secrets to unleashing the passionate potential that you just know is lurking inside the Canuck that you meet in every day life — that mild-mannered Canadian that you see working as a Oral (he he) English Teacher or that gorgeous guy sleeping on the park bench. Or perhaps you simply catch a glimpse of a photograph online that simply makes you hold your breath (and maybe something else!)
Stop jerking around and get real about taking the steps necessary to find the hoser of your dreams! We will feel confident about saying that because we know that is exactly what you are doing rather than grasping the fact that a future with a real flesh and blood socialist is completely possible. Keep in mind too that this book was written by someone who understands you and why you may be so much at the mercy of these gorgeous creatures that you can’t seem to find the nerve to take those all important first steps towards promoting yourself as the lunker of his dreams!
- Do Canadians seem mysterious to you? Unattainable or even too good for you?
- Do you surf for wildlife anime as a substitute for a real sexual experience?
- Do Canadians constantly blow you right off when you try to approach them?
There is just no reason to go on single when you can learn to tell jokes like this:
Cold enough, aye?:
0 Fahrenheit (10 C)
New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.
Canadians plant gardens.
40 Fahrenheit (4.4 C)
Californians shiver uncontrollably
Canadians Sunbathe.
35 Fahrenheit (1.6 C)
Italian Cars won’t start
Canadians drive with the windows down
32 Fahrenheit (0 C)
Distilled water freezes
Canadian water gets thicker.
0 Fahrenheit (-17.9 C)
New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.
Canadians have the last cookout of the season.
-40 Fahrenheit (-40 C)
Hollywood disintegrates.
Canadians rent some videos.
-60 Fahrenheit (-51 C)
Mt. St. Helen’s freezes.
Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.
-100 Fahrenheit (-73 C)
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole
Canadians pull down their earflaps.
-173 Fahrenheit (-114 C)
Ethyl alcohol freezes.
Canadians get frustrated when they can’t thaw the keg.
-459.4 Fahrenheit (-273 C)
Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.
Canadians start saying “Cold enough for ya? ”
-500 Fahrenheit (-295 C)
Hell freezes over.
The Leafs win the Cup
You will learn the most important Canadian Holidays:
12-> Lawyers Day
11-> Start of Christmas Season Day
10-> False Labour Day
9-> Make a Move on Your Secretary Day
8-> Hallmark Card Day
7-> Bring Your Handgun to Work Day
6-> Cretienmas or Gomery Inquiry Day
5-> Deadbeat Father’s Day
4-> Bad Hair Day
3-> Doris Day
2-> St. Hooter’s Day
1-> Hash Wednesday
You will learn the subtle differences in speech that will arouse your mate.
You will hear the intonations that make Black pepper, white pepper and toilette pepper unique.
As someone who loves guys from the territories, women you know that they sexually supreme beings who are just as fierce and erotic as the characters you see in Call of the Wild, Norbet Does saskatecewan Sasketchuan, sacatchyouone, Ontario, the silver screen, Northwest Outpost, and Classics illustrated comic books. ..
This book also teaches you the secrets of coming onto him without appearing like a player or a racist including advice on:
- Common Canuck customs : You won’t actually have to light your farts, but it helps to know the customs…
- How to get him to see you as a movie star like Jeanette McDonald…
- How to win the approval of her family: bring Lablatts and act as though you “get” the commercials when they air…
Stop dreaming and make it a reality.
Download coming soon!
Posted 31 March, 2008 in april fools joke, The Sharpest Guy on the Planet, 中国, 中文, China Expat, Ryan Mclaughlin, Asian Dating Site, 中原, Internet Dating, Just Plain Strange, Asian Humor, China Humor, Humor, China Expats, Intercultural Issues, Weird China, China Photos, Expats, China web 2.0
Doing Business in China (4)
Doing Business in China Guide
Part 1
(whew!)
This is our latest series on doing business in China. In these posts, our advice will correspond to the thirty-six strategies designed by the ancient and great Song general and strategist Tan Daoji–that is, we predicate all this advice on never using the 36 strategies as a way to do business in China. We have bookshelves stacked full of expensive kindling labeled “how to do business in China” that we will later use to heat our house.
The first listed strategy is “Deceiving the Heavens to Cross the Sea,” or man tian guo hai(And no, it’s not a reference to a sea-going Dali clique). While the strategy typically involves deception and refers to an advisor who got the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty so drunk and engaged in feasting for three days that the ruler had no idea he was on a boat–akin to the Beijing guides who accompanied press on yesterday’s “Meet the Lamas” broadcast.
Instead of learning to deceive the heavens, your best bet to getting introduced to China is learning some Chinese. Among our billions of dollars of unread books, unopened CDs, and untouched lessons, here are some tools we actually used to learn the language and culture of China:
The Rosetta Stone: though sometimes maligned for its interface, we give props to the English-free interface of the program and its integration of reading of and listening to Chinese characters from the beginning.
FSI language courses: a full and free year’s worth of free Chinese language instruction. This is the stuff the diplomats used to use and despite that it is hands down a great free tool for helping people learn to pronounce and listen to standard Chinese.
Chinesepod: Have a random question about Chinese? Allergic to parsley? Unsure about a specific word for sports? Head for Chinesepod. With a vibrant community of online learners, free daily podcasts, and a great selection of different tools like flashcards and online lesson reviews, Chinesepod’s collective of learners deserves its rock-star status on the net.
Lost Laowai: As always, well crafted by Ryan; Canadian accent comes free of charge, aye.
Berlitz: The only “learn Chinese in 30 minutes!” that actually works.
The next step is to get some culture (God knows we could use a lot more):
Lost Laowai, offers up real-life experiences of expats in China. We are hoping for the reality show to displace “swin in China.”
The HaoHao Report, everyman’s aggregator with Digg-like China focused features.
Panda Passport: Everything about China cyberspace you wanted to know but were afraid you’d get busted for on an IP violation.
RConversation, the most harmonious blend of blogging and citizen journalism on the web.
CDT, all the news from China blocked in China.
ESWN, a blog that brings together news from the East and the West–not the best in its class, but rather a species by itself.
Global Voices: China. The World is Listening. Are you?
China Herald, all the news that fit for bandwidth.
Cal Poly MBA Trip, a blog from the MBA Program with no ballast to throw overboard.
Thomas Crampton, former correspondent for the International Hong Kong International Herald Tribune, Mr. Crampton shares on-the-ground and insider info about the latest web innovations and websphere happenings in Hong Kong and greater China.
Imagethief, named for his photography habits and not for any actual Interpol related activity, is the creator of such marvels as the Stupidvator. a blog to lightens the cargo of the China blogosphere.
China Rises: Journalist and great story teller Robert Johnson: The only chief corresponsdent in China with hand-written instructions and a GPS reporter locator given by Central Government for any coverage of Tibet the Olympics.
China Blog List: a comprehensive guide to the many blogs passing us in the night.
The Opposite End of China: Life’s a Riot, and this blog reports on it. Veteran journalist Manning is as good as it gets and still chooses to farm tomatoes along the silk road.
More to come…
Posted 28 March, 2008 in Charity in China, 中文, Podcasts China, Chinese Proverbs, Chinese Media, Search Engine Marketing, China Book Reviews, SEO China Expert, China Business Consultant, Book Review, 中国人口福利基金会, Cal Poly, 中原, China Law, China Expat, china books, Seach engine Optimization, SEM, Teaching in China, China Editorials, China Cartoons, Intercultural Issues, Top China Blogs List, China web 2.0, Book Reviews, China Business, Confucius Slept Here, Internet marketing China, SEO, Seo China, Chinese Internet, 中国, The Internet, China SEO
You Gotta Have Friends… (3)
A few years ago I was in a Hong Kong software shop when suddenly a shrill voice began shouting what I now know was Cantonese for, “Cheese it the cops!”
Within seconds the metal gate to the entrance was electronically being lowered and like some character in a low-budget HK martial arts flick I had to dive under the door to keep from being trapped inside.
And it was a good thing I made it out as at as fast I did because five of–I am sure of this–the largest policemen in Hong Kong came in short order to kick the door down and begin demolishing what must have been bootleg DVDs and software knock-offs. A few seconds later in my departure and I might have been making my way back to America on the next cargo plane one-way.
There have been a number of measures implemented since that time in HK to ensure that consumers, many of whom are mainland tourists, get authentic products. The fake Rolex guys are still on every street corner, but are transparent about the quality of their goods. But, a consistently reputable shop with static sales people is hard to find. Though I think I might value the fakes in HK more than the i-Bods and i-Fones and Rolez watches sold in the mainland.
Soon after my brush with deportation I sought out a trustworthy and found one I have frequented for the last three years. I do not buy anywhere else in HK: It is a tiny shop called Suntekco at Haiphong road, nearby the South Entrance of Kowloon Park. It is the first shop on the left as you head straight away from the Starbucks outside of the Marco Polo Hotel. Phone: (852) 2376 2915
Every salesman, in a shop hardly big enough in which to change your mind, is an expert on any electronic or photographic device new or old. And if you need to save a few dollars, and a generic lens will take the same quality pictures as the brand named version, they will tell you. Too, I have never even produced a receipt when returning merchandise (2X in three years and once it was due to user error) and my goods have been replaced without question.
They have dozens of customers each hour passing through yet can remember my name and that of my friends as well as every piece of equipment I have ever purchased. It doesn’t get any better than that.
This is not a paid infomercial, but a letter of gratitude. I should have written it a long ago because I call the folks at Suntek friends now and love nothing more than to see good friends succeed. Head over to the Dreamblogue and see some of the great pictures David and I have taken with discount gear purchased for us at Suntek Camera Store by the sponsors of the dreamblogue.
I have my eye on a 16-gig i-Phone and the lightning fast new Canon, but as it is for me, I have a few paychecks to squeeze some change from before I head back to HK.
Posted 22 March, 2008 in Camera shop in Hong Kong, China Business Consultant, Sunteck Camera Hong Kong, Photo Equipment, Cal Poly, 中文, Wholesale Electronics China, Expats, Photos, 中国, Wholesale Products China, Hong Kong
Project Happiness in Beijing (1)
The Chinese Apprentice-type TV show ‘Win in China” started with 150,000 candidates, and now only 11 are left. One of them is theonly foreigner to ever make the cut: Henry Winter’s final project for all the marbles involves supporting a wonderfully worthy cause: Project Happiness. The charity’s website: PROJECT HAPPINESS (in Chinese) indicates that it gives micro-loans to needy rural Chinese women starting businesses to supportthemselves. Henry’s task is to rally as many supporters as possible for the cause. He is going to need our help!!
Expats and local residents in Beijing are asked to come by and support Henry and a valuable humanitarian cause at the same time. To assist simply head for the third floor of ShiJi JinYuan Mall, West Third Ring Road (near Suzhou Bridge) in Beijing between 11 and 1 on Sunday the 23rd of March.
Let the games, and good works, begin!!
Posted 22 March, 2008 in Project Happiness, China Expat, 慈善, 慈善事业, 中国人口福利基金会, 幸福工程, 中文, Charity in China, China Business, China Editorials, 中国, Chinese Internet, Chinese Media, China Expats
Zhu Lu Zhongyuan… (2)
How is this for synchronicity?:
I study at least one Chinese idiom, parable or allegory a day. Today, honestly, I opened my study text and immediately saw:
At whose hand the deer will die is unknown
It is an idiom that implies that the outcome of a struggle or rivalry is still undecided. It has roots in the first Han dynasty in 203 B.C..
The story behind the idiom takes place in what was once known as “China Proper” which originated in the Tibetan Plateau and was bordered by the Yellow and Yangze rivers: The advisor to Han Xin, King of Qi, urged the King to break away from the Emperor Liu Bang. In 196 Han was executed for plotting a rebellion even though he had not followed the advice given to him by one Kuai Tong.
Later Kuai Tong was brought to Liu to be executed. Kuai Tong told the emperor among other things: ” A dog barks at people, not because it is bad, but because they are not his master. At the time my duty was to help Han Xingain gain power, so to execute me would be unjust.”
Liu Bang pardoned him.
I am hoping for the same fate for other Yellow River inhabitants showing support for their beliefs. I am hoping for the safety of my friends very near the confrontations. I am praying for an end to the violent conflicts– though the outcome of the struggle may long be undecided…
Posted 16 March, 2008 in Human Rights, Violence, 中文, Human Rights China, China Law, Chinese Proverbs, Chinese Media, Tibet, In the news, 中国, Censorship, China Editorials
One of the things wrong with history… (11)
The American iconoclastic lawyer Clarence Darrow resigned himself to history’s repetitive nature, but never stopped challenging the powers to which most of us abandon control.
The British Olympic Team at The 1936 Berlin Olympics
Athletes have long been surrogates for our personal, school, community, and national wishes lies and dreams. We foist on them the responsibility of atoning for our own failures as sportsmen, parents and citizens. And visited on some are the the sins of governments who draft them as unwitting soldiers in wars of propaganda and ideology.
Section 51 of the International Olympic Committee charter, “provides for no kind of demonstration, or political, religious or racial propaganda in the Olympic sites, venues or other area.” That does not stop dozens of groups from calling on he most physically gifted and dedicated among us to end the bloodshed in Africa, restore the Dali Lama to sovereignty, or enforce Chinese intervention in Burma amid a long list of religious, humanitarian and political causes.
Many organizations are calling for a boycott of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing to further their agendas. Many decry China’s denial of human rights while remaining silent as, paradoxically, some governments, namely New Zealand, Belgium and Great Britain are forbidding their team members to speak their minds before, or during the contest, or face immediate expulsion from the games. It is the western pot calling the tea kettle black.
As a former athlete and coach I might bow to tradtion and refuse to dip the flag for the Olympic reviewing stand, but I could never in good conscience sign any document that demanded surrender of a basic human right.
The web’s most articulate journalist-blogger, Rebecca McKinnon, writes with moving precision about the house arrest of Chinese human rights blogger Hu Jia , his wife Zeng Jinyang and the world’s “youngest political prisoner” their 2-month old daughter Hu Qianci. In the article, Rebecca clearly articulates Beijing’s poorly staged suppression of dissent during the dress rehearsal phase of its first leading role on the world stage. It is exactly this kind of scrutiny of the aging, fumbling power-elite that we might lose by disengagement.
To boycott the Olympics, an arguable failure of policy in Moscow and Los Angeles, moves the spotlight off China, punishes athletes in lieu of policies and leaves the average Chinese citizen, denied full access to information, angered and dazed by a seemingly xenophobic west. To even call for a boycott of the Olympics is to give spin doctors an award- winning script full of perfect, indignant replies to what we can only imagine to be true. Engagement in lieu of boycott will enlighten and inform us all. As the chinese proverb states, 拔苗助长 , you cannot help sprouts to grow by pulling them up.
I am hoping that history repeats only by way of expose made possible by athletic achievements–think Jesse Owens in Berlin– and not because of “free world” demands for the conscription of players into a silent Nazi salute to the abolition of free speech.