Vivamus consectetuer hendrerit lacus. Vivamus quis mi. Nulla porta dolor.
I slipped a story about regional combat sports in China into the Economist.
Ok now I am going to get into some hater shit. I watched an old Katt Williams special last night and he was talking about
I have to admit, I haven’t read a single story about foreign journalists with China visa problems. I found them all to smack of the
I recently wrote a post about my Chengdu Compound, and the comments on the post, and on Reddit, reflect two things, in general: 1) Good
This happened a while ago, but I have to write chronologically, or things that get lost in the ether become floating, flailing spectres and I
… was back in April to visit Chen Jia and her Taiji studio, as well as catch up with a few old friends. Here is
Retired doctors, nurses, and health workers converged on Chengdu’s government offices today for the third time in a month. The first time I was able
This article here, Urban Platforms in a Policy Pressure Cooker, is just one example of Caixin Online’s excellent reporting on China’s political and economic landscape. The
Check it out here on the Chengdu Forum. Or below. Now I know where all the recycling goes down a funk street in hongpailou past the rows
I keep reading stuff in the news that reminds me of stuff I wrote a long time ago. My ego demands I put it here
Nobody at my office, in the city’s government building, seems to care much about what happened to the deputy sec. of the whole Province last
About 200 pensioners are camped outside of the Chengdu municipal government office building to protest imbalances in benefits offered to private and public sector employees.
The NYT story on the Wen Family finances that came out in October, Billions in Hidden Riches for Family of Chinese Leader, is lauded by mainstream media
Every time I hear the China version of this song, Nana’s Lonely, I think of Huang Shan dancing in front of the speaker in a
Recently we’ve been treated to a few events that have brought out the reactions of Chinese netizens across the spectrum of opinion, from the reform-minded
Chen Guang Cheng’s great escape from house arrest, oppression and beatings has taken an awkward twist, with the activist in the custody of the Chinese
Chen Guangcheng is an activist in China’s northern Shandong Province. He is blind and lives in the tiny rural village of Dongshigu, where he fought
If I were single and still in the Game, I would hold myself and all others to an oath of silence on the sociological phenomenon
This essay might sound a bit familiar, if you read this blog, as I seem to be circling the idea of change as a possibility.
I was struck today by John Garnaut’s profile of General Liu Yuan, embedded in an investigation into PLA corruption. What moved me and stopped me
Something is happening across China, something impossible to stop and with consequences difficult to foresee. It began with the death of Deng Xiaoping, continued with
Whenever I open Twitter to see what the people are saying, I end up feeling like the kid who showed up late to the meth
Perhaps this issue is old hat and considering the fact that much of the implementation and enforcement of China’s Social Security Law is, shall we
What we today call the Chongqing Model and the Guangdong Model are just new names for an ancient struggle. Since the first brick was laid
China-based hacks into commercial and political networks across the planet have made the news again, with the Trend Micro report on an attack called LuckyCat
I am a stranger in a strange land. I need connections or I will wither and die. And the connections I need are not just
The Bo Xilai Incident will not die a quiet death. The plodding censors in the Chinese government are stirring up the rumor pot, and no
I didn’t have the confidence to step into the Wang-Bo scandal that has raged across the mainstream Western media (and parts of the Weibosphere) because
There are daily examples all across the world of the media mis-reporting the news and influencing public opinion. Some of them we just let go
It’s amazing how winter in most Chinese cities cancels out the sun. The skies seem to turn gray across the board, from Jiangxi to Sichuan and
Can it be denied that the US is actively engaging China’s border nations in an attempt to contain and control China? It seems pretty clear
The Yining Government just released a plan of action that targets beard and burka-wearers across the municipality. The plan calls for a house-to-house search for
I often wondered if generations before us have felt this same sense of impending doom that our epoch currently feels. I don’t wonder about it
Several years back I was in a taxi cab headed somewhere and the guy sitting in the front seat was a Fullbright Scholar here in
So we’re on the eternal search for “the Spot” that will allow me to sip tea and write best sellers while bean makes big big
For years I avoided Hainan because as far as I had heard, it was a dirty, rude knock-off of nicer islands farther south and west
I’m headed to Sanya this weekend to write up some travel stories about the island .. the beaches and some of the luxury hotels. I’ve
I still choke up every time I read about the kids that died in the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake. I’ll remember the pictures of a girl
I walked into the Minneapolis Institute of Arts one day way back in 1998 and saw this massive hunk of jade. It had been commissioned
Stephan Luc Larose and I have put together our latest video, 48 Hours in Shanghai. The first part is below for you to check out.
These past days I feel like I am just holding on … waiting for this miserable winter to end. Winters in China are exceptionally difficult
I made a very big mistake and assumed that I could re-new Dorian’s visa in Germany. His visa expired while we were in Germany for
I’ve been up and down the “horse and tea trade route” a few times. basically the road from Chengdu south to Bangkok, as far as
The conflict between the Chinese and Japanese is getting heated. First Chinese “fishing boats” enter “disputed territory” and snoop around.. Japan sends in destroyers to
I got a new story up, a lil something about a big boss I met back in the day called: Boss Sung’s Wife. I met
No No No No! I try not to get sucked into these discussions anymore, but part of my daily routine is to open sites like
Here is a post I wrote about the Big Bus Tour in Shanghai. The interview kinda goes into the exciting way things can get done
Last night I spent about an hour putting together a baby bed for Dorian. It was a pretty shoddy little bed and a very shoddy
I don’t even know where to start laughing and where to end. It doesn’t matter. For years and years people like me (but with better
Makes me real nervous to see pics like this. I know that pollution is everywhere, but seeing it up close and personal like these pictures
After Google announced that it might leave China, Wall Street and other stock exchanges around the world reacted in typical fashion, by buying Baidu stock
Everything the Chinese government has blocked is now available via Google, including pictures of Tiananmen, articles on Free Tibet and the Dalai Lama and everything
You can check out the full article on Google and China here at Chengdu Living. Check it out and leave a comment. PeaceS
Avatar the movie opened up in China on January 4th, 2010. Lines stretched for blocks outside of most every theater in the nation for the
Contract signed. The crib is real nice, we is happy. I wish I could show you pics, but i have to wait till those greasy
Spent all day yesterday cooking up various meals and eating them on the spot. I’ve been brewing the soup for two days (into the third)
Almost a year ago today, I posted a link to China’s Charter 08 and mused about a possible “transition” led by China to a more
So I am reading Daniel Boorstin, The Seekers, which is the third in a series that begins with The Creators and continues with The Discoverers.
I wrote an essay a while back about censorship in China, for Antiwar.com, and I basically said that within the parameters of black and white,
back in Shanghai, listening to Christmas music. i had a small panic attack in the vancouver airport as i watched asian people be asian and
In this story right here, I find a very familiar young man: went to evergreen and became slightly radicalized. got a girlfriend and did what
Headed back Here And just to make it even more lovely, i read more about Chinese products ONCE AGAIN making consumers sick and otherwise doing
Dr. Russell Leigh, that is. My old Professor at the U of M was on CNN last year during the Olympics and now he has
Here is the BBC on the protests … there is some decent video here showing a large group of Han thugs headed to the Uigher
Uighers in Urumqi rioted over the past 24 hours, destroying property, killing people and fighting the police. The immediate cause for the riots was a
is almost perfect. its not too hot and when it does get hot the rains come politely like butlers in the morning to dress up
Fortuitous fortuitous this is the word of the day. I spent the last two days meeting my old tea suppliers Bai Ting Ting who provides
My man told me earlier i the week that he would never marry a Chinese girl, even though he has been here for several years
I miss the quiet of my dungeon and the wind through Oregon’s trees. Its sunny here and i am about to be in the Du
Shanghai is a sea of skyscrapers as far as my eye can see. There are pockets of two-story blocks of old school homes with laundry
I wish i had a better keyboard cuz there is something i need to work out and for me keyboards are … key. I notice
Losar is underway and the NYT and Atimes marked the Tibetan New Year with stories about the seething people of Tibet, pinned down by the
“China, as a major nation of the world, as one of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and as a member of
this is my brother Mike Jones. this is how he do. bend knee and pay tribute.
Does anyone remember the Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute campaign and the Crying Indian as kids? How we were taught to throw stuff away. I
I just had a dream of China in 2028 and it was a beautiful vision. I thought of a metaphor: an old man who has
So here is a lil blurb about the music scene in China and below is my man Himmler’s response: the article is pretty accurate. one
A while back I was sitting in my friend Zhuang Jian’s villa outside of Chengdu, drinking some rare pu’er, smoking herb and chatting with a
In Portland, cars will stop on a busy street and let pedestrians cross. Even with a whole line of cars behind them. The pedestrian then
I heard this a lot when i was in China (and sometimes here as well) and i always wanted to put across my response: Thank
Here is a interesting story about China’s One Child Policy … Update: This link actually goes to the column of the day for the Jakarta
My landlord Nikki V is doing a piece for KBOO Radio about austerity measures people (may or may not have learned from their parents/grandparents) are
A Muslim pilgrim near Hotan This post here (with accompanying IHT article) tells of the latest heavy-handed policies used by the Chinese government to
Although we may already know that Bush’s policies on pretty much everything have been resounding failures, this in depth analysis of the incompetence and duplicity
I have been talkin about getting portland and china together for a long time on this blog, and look what Mayor Adams is up to
This will be my last post with Olympic connotations. The Western AND Chinese media are starting to evaluate for themselves what the meaning of this
So I am back in the Du and it feels all right. As soon as I get here and start meshing with my real people
Now that I have finished my stint in a semi-corporate setting in a security company, i can let you know a little bit about how
So the Games are over and the Western media is tapping into the fear the American nation has for China’s rise. Its all smoke and
I will have a few pics here … i lost my camera and never really bought a new one. I know thats the main thing
Today was quite a day. I watched Cuba whup up on the US in the baseball semifinal and then headed to a spa to wash
The last two days have been pretty fun, but i have not been able to watch anything. The women’s beach volleyball, men’s volleyball, water polo,
I was thinking about young Chinese this morning. Last night i was chillin with Li Du, Zachary Mexico and Liang Kegang in a KTV establishment.
I know China is being held up as the petri dish for this discussion, but i urge all peeps to check their surroundings and see
Its becoming somewhat of a blur for me these days, i had to ask if today was Day 12 or what. I am writing on
The last few days I have been running on fumes a bit. And for those of you who have done that, it means alternating between
The second week is just around the corner and I felt the lull today. Indeed, the preliminaries and qualifying rounds are almost over. The Chinese
What a difference a day makes. Today I went and watched the China-Spain B-Ball game and it was off the chains. The big difference between
Welcome to China ya’ll. Today started off fine, I woke up and went and did some gong fu with my man Shifu Li Chuan cuz
Today I saw a one armed Cockney Englishman marching through the crowds around the water cube trying to sell swimming tix for 2000k US. The
Anyone who has written or who reads about China issues has encountered the ChiCom Troll. I didn’t realize there was such a distinct term for
It is a beautiful morning here in Beijing. The sun is blinding white, reminding me of a graveyard shift I pulled in Alaska once. We
Its not hard to imagine how China manages to get away with being one of the more brazenly oppressive nations to hold the Olympics in
The fools of the world who believed Chairman Rogge and the Chinese BOCOG are to blame for their foolishness. There are several stories out there:
Indeed, I wrote a lot about how perfect my “Leaving” is, as it comes almost to the day when i arrived 8 years ago. I
Will the damn Games just start already … All day I got BBC hollerin about censorship, human rights and nationalism in one ear and CCTV
That the Chinese are ready to do this. Just Imagine: Your dad grew up smilin if he got some pork in his rice bowl.Your granddad
In this small blurb about a photo that made it into a tabloid about the Tiananmen protests in 1989, we see another example of the
I am amazed at how rumors fly around this country. its a thing of beauty to watch a story go from one part of the
Oh, about 5-6 years ago i saw my first pile of cordyceps in Kangding, Tagong and throughout the Kham area of western Sichuan. Tibetans were
Yeah I been criticizing Obama a lot here, I guess its cuz I was so excited and inspired by his nomination run and then to
Played cards with the boys last night and it was good “craic.” I think that’s how you spell the Irish version — the lone Irishman
Last night was great fun. I met up with Zachary Mexico and Li Du of Kunming Paper Tiger fame. I took along a couple of
There is a situation going on right now at east gate in Beijing. About 100 people and are in the area. The issues is with
china gives peeps designated “arrest me” zones to do their thing. “Chinese people know better than to go demonstrate in a {issue} zone during the
Things is hectic in this piece … for real. after the K’ming bombings the government made a few changes to security that are putting a
I was in Chengdu for the past two days taking care of some business and I went to check out my old home in Three
My man Mike the B. and some info on the Freddie Mac thing, which i said was sinister a few days ago …
Here is a story that is pretty interesting, in that it shows the polarized views of this country that people have. I am sure that
Check out my no-fun dork shoes: China’s “top-down” approach to security in the Olympics guarantees that there will be very little mirthful exchanges between the
My good friend and patna Fraggle Beanmilk has just been hired by a large daily newspaper here in the Du. They signed ol’ Beanmilk to
Sigh. The truth the world has refused to confront always comes out in the end, be it war for oil, Bush is a fool, we
Here are some pics by photographer Andreas Mueller of the village i live in and some of my neighbors:
Francesco Cisci is the Asia editor for La Stampa and a frequent contributor to Asia Times. Here is an essay of his that does a
I have gotten a glimpse of the historical record of the Hakka that settled in Three Gods Village where I live. They arrived in Sichuan
Hey. I am doing research on the Hakka people in Sichuan. The Hakka are sometimes referred to as the “Jews of China.” They reportedly originated
how silly we humans be. Sports are and have been one of the ultimate political experiences for societies since the dawn of the ball. A
The visa situation in China is getting more and more frustrating for foreigners trying to do anything here. How to extend or wiggle one’s way
Well i’ll be damned. After all this time, China has decided(?) to let blogger do its thing. So i am visible in China. This is
ya’ll don’t even know. I went to Hanyuan the other day and just got back in the Du. I was planning on staying a month
So the meeting between the local government officials of Three God’s Village and the villagers took place today at 10am. The meeting was held in
I can’t read my blog right now, but that might end. It has been a common occurrence since I started this thing. Sometimes my proxy
“Young Fool, only now, at the end, do you understand …” Yesterday I arrived back home from Dujiangyan and there was a small crowd of
For the past week I have been a scab for USAToday. I haven’t actually written anything for them, but just in case the Tangjiashan quake
The Chinese government has decided to clamp down on the schoolchildren issue to ensure social harmony and stability. All protests are dealt with by black-clad
i just got back from Beichuan a few minutes ago. Beichuan was near the epicenter of the earthquake, so most of the villages in that
Today i rolled through Dujiangyan and took a look at the field hospital set up by the German and Sichuan Red Cross. The field hospital
kitties peep dude in the background. it was a good day. for badass motorcycle love, hit up Carl
We went to Luo Shui today, about 20 of us in several cars and trucks loaded with toys, paints, candy and other goodies for the
I can’t comment back because blogger is blocked in China … it isn’t funny, what happened to Falun Gong followers in China. The brainwashing campaign
Tomorrow is kids day in China so a group of us are headed north to Shifang to play drums and be funny guys for the
This is my house — the farm. About 10km southeast of Chengdu in Three Gods Flower Village, where farmers grow roses and tulips and offer
Wass happenin ya’ll? Its been an easy few days recently. My cats are in heat again so the dirty toms are serenading us all from
I posted some pics here of Qing Cheng after the quake. If anyone has any information or people they would like me to contact, please
Patriotism at the expense of another nation is as wicked as racism at the expense of another race…Let us resolve to be patriots always, nationalists
First off: Blogger is blocked in China, so people cannot see it here, I cannot comment back to any of you and i do use
Yesterday i climbed as far as it is possible to climb right and Qing Cheng mtn is def. devastated near the top. Past the Tai
In China, indoctrination of the youth begins very early. At age 6, young kids are given their first Chinese Reader to learn the vast collection
here is a column i wrote for Antiwar.com that will not get published: On Friday the torch arrives in Hong Kong. Demonstrators from around the
Today has been another magnificent day in Chengdu. I am sitting in the Bookworm, a fine place to ease back and read/write be smart with
be they American from Pennsyltucky or Chinese from Hunan, they make life difficult. Because their lives are difficult. Cracker ass crackers. I am working on
so the inevitable has happened. i was talking with some friends (chinese) aboutthe possibility of a cultural revolution style environment here in china and we
Its hard work being a thinker in China. I spoke with a young Chinese friend of mine the other day about the indoctrination of students
not just cuz my insides are covered in hot pot goo, but because twice now i managed to slip through the cracks in the chinese
After spending some quality time with large numbers of the youth of this nation last weekend, I have a few thoughts i must convey: if
The western media feels guilty for spearing the Chinese. At least some of them do. After jumping all over the Tibet story from the Tibetan
I wrote a column a ways back about the “real China” and how the world would get a glimpse of it this summer during the
Let me give you a lil background on whats been going down. Hotan is in southern Xinjiang, also known as East Turkestan, which is in
Let me know if you can see my entire blog and comment on it, cuz i can’t. I have been saving up my energy for
As told by Markus Tong: “I was guiding a group of people through the Tibetan highlands near Lhasa. we stopped at a village and walked
as of yesterday, China has adopted US-like security measures for all flights. I had to take my shoes off and they took my bottles of
I am just a few short miles from Aba, where the Tibetans burned down a police station last week. Since that incident it has been
i walked back to my house tonight around 2am and i live near the Tibetan district of town. there were police cars on every block
well it seems the media blockade is working or I just have not been keeping my ears open. Here a response to my last blog
i should be putting this down for an article for Antiwar.com or somebody else, but events move to fast and I enjoy the freedom of
It might be hard for an American to imagine what life would be like under a dictatorship of the proletariat. What happens, among many other
yesterday i got a message from a young girl — 21 yrs old — and a reporter for the Chengdu Economic Daily. In our society,
The day after the deadline and people here in China are talking about the protests, both my Laowai homies and my Chinese homies. It is
Yesterday I talked with my editor Katherine about Tibet and she asked what was going on. I said well, if people in Kham and Amdo
This one is for my man Flesh if he ever reads this. I have been in China for eight years. Eight, written as we write
yo i am in Lijiang, which i knew sucked hard balls but now after five years i returned to check it out and lord almighty
it always hard for me to escape the monkey in this town. cuz i don’t try hard. the other night we were dancin to irish
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