Eric's Beijing Diary

Got my back X-rayed today. I had been planning to do it for sometime, because I have had occasionally had back problems. I do not suffer from constant back pain like some do, but it just seems that my back goes out a little more often than it should. Some time ago, I had mentioned to my friend, who is an orthopedic surgeon, that I had gone to a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctor for my back (see June 6, 2006). He strongly discouraged me from going to such places, and invited me to come to his hospital for an X-ray. Well, I have been putting it off for sometime, but when I cut my head open recently (see January 28, 2008), the kid who stitched me up suggested that I might be wise to have a specialist look at my MRI. So I called Shawn and asked him if he knew a neurologist at his hospital who could give it a gander, and let me know if there was any problem, then I could get my back X-rayed at the same time.

I took the subway to Jishuitan and walked to the hospital. Shawn had arranged to take the day off so he could help me. Fortunately, he had a friend at the hospital who was a neurologist, so we went there first. A few doctors were watching a ball game on a big screen when we walked into their office. The neurologist put my MRI plate up on the screen and asked me what the kinds of symptoms I was experiencing. I told him that I didn't have any symptoms, just that the doctor who did the suture thought I should have it looked at. He told me there was no problem. Got that part over with. Then we went to take the X-ray. Not being a medical person, I had mistakenly allowed myself to think that I would get a better picture of just what is happening to the discs in my lower back, but Shawn told me that the X-ray could not show any soft tissue, only bone structure. The only way to see what is actually happening with the discs is an MRI, which he did not believe was called for in this situation. But the X-ray did show a classic degenerative condition. It didn't really tell me anything I didn't know, but was still useful, I guess, in giving me a little better understanding. Basically, the X-ray showed that I have the body of a 50-year-old man. I suppose I should accept that, since I am 53, but it's hard. I'm too young to be that old.

Shawn and I spent a good bit of time discussing comparative medicine. For us, it was not really a discussion of the differences between TCM and western medicine. Rather, it was a discussion of how health care is facilitated here in China as compared with the United States. A few personal observations....

If you evaluate health care strictly from outward appearances, then perhaps you would come down on the side of American health care pretty quickly. American hospitals definitely look fancier than Chinese ones. No question about that. But as a patient in a health care system, there are three other issues that come into play pretty quickly. They are access, cost, and quality. I tend to lump access and cost together, since the inability to pay for a service effectively limits your access. For example, when I was living in the United States, I tended to neglect my teeth because I simply could not afford to go to the dentist, even though I had dental insurance. So I will evaluate Chinese medicine in those two areas--access and quality.

Access. I live in Beijing, so much of what I say is influenced by the fact that I live in relatively close range to some of the best doctors in China. The third teaching hospital for Peking University is right across the street, and the Jishuitan hospital, which is the fourth teaching hospital for Peking University, and also perhaps the top orthopedic hospital in China, is not far away. So from a strictly geographic point of view, I am in a very good place. But, as I said, cost is the other part of access, and that is where the Chinese system really shines. It is just much, much cheaper than medical care in America. Of course, it is a matter of perspective. Shawn told me today that the relationship between doctors and patients in China is not good, because patients are always angry about how much they have to pay for medical care. For all its progress, China is still a peasant society, where 800 million people live on a dollar a day or less. For these poor people, what looks cheap to me, coming from America, where medical costs are downright wicked, seems as prohibitive as American medical care seems to me. But perhaps a comparison would help. The last time I went to an emergency room was back in the summer of 1999. I had just come back to Arizona from a weekend church mission to Mexico, with a very mean case of Montezuma's revenge. My case of the creeping crud had actually passed it's apex, but for some aggravating reason, I had developed a condition that did not allow me to rehydrate orally. I would begin to wretch every time I tried to drink even the smallest amount of fluid. At a time like that, it is hard to describe the feeling as "thirst," but I knew I was in desperate need of fluid, and I had good insurance, so I went to the emergency room and had them fill me full of fluid. It made a big difference. I went home and slept like a baby, and a couple days later, I was hiking in the mountains. Needed medical care instantly applied at no cost to me. But now, let me break this down. If I remember correctly, the price tag was about 600 US dollars. I had insurance, but what if I hadn't? You know, in America, they're really nice to you if you have that little card in your pocket, but if you don't, life can be really miserable. I would probably have passed it up, and may have gotten better, but not necessarily. Diarrhea is uncomfortable, but dehydration will kill you.

In China, when you go to the hospital, they give you a little slip of paper for every procedure. You then go to the cashier window, pay for it, and get it stamped, and then to and get your stuff done. The MRI was about 250, the suture procedure about the same, and then a little for odds and ends, like the bandages. Just over 500 RMB. That's just over 70 US dollars at today's conversion rates. Now, as I said, it isn't as fancy. The young doctor who stitched me up did not have the level of training that his American counterpart would. In China, doctors have bachelor's degrees. Medical school is basically five years of college after high school. Shawn told me today that that is changing. China is moving toward an eight year MD program. But getting back to the kid who sewed me up. He was confident, and seemed to know what he was doing, and he did a good job. When I lay down on the table, there was nothing to prop my head up with, so Wang Li-hua kindly folded my coat up so that I could put it under my head. The alcohol and whatever else he put on the wound dripped down in my coat, but that's no big deal. It's just that, well, medical procedure just isn't as fancy in China as it is in the States. But even though medical insurance in China is not very good (one friend told me recently that there is no such thing as family medical), you can almost afford to be self insured. Today, I spent 180 RMB for the X-ray, and another 7 quai for having the doctor look at it. If I consider what today would have cost me in America--transfer of medical records, consultation from a neurologist, X-ray and doctor visit with the physician who looked at my X-ray, I think it would have been quite a bit more than what I put out. Also the system is much less bureaucratic. You don't have to worry about transferring medical records, because they don't keep them for you. When I took the MRI, they put it in a paper sleeve and gave it to me. Same thing at the dentist. If you have X-rays taken, they put them in an envelope and give them to you. You can do whatever you want with them. So if you move to a different part of the country, or just want to go to a different doctor, you don't have to go to any pains to transfer your records. You have them in your possession.

There is much more to talk about from a Chinese doctor's point of view, but perhaps I will let Shawn share his thoughts at some other time. What I would say, in summary as a foreigner living in China, is that since health insurance isn't that great in China ( I think my college pays about 1000 RMB a year for the policy they have on me), if you have major problems, such as a heart bypass, then perhaps the American system would be better (high cost, covered by insurance). But for a single person in reasonably good health, the Chinese way is ever so much simpler.

Power just went out. They announced it yesterday, but I forgot, so I came here this morning anyway. This does happen from time to time, especially in my apartment, but this is the first time I have seen a planned outage here in the coffee bar. I have seen power outages in restaurants, but they are usually inadvertent and don't last long. But this one was announced--8:30 am to 6pm.

Power outages are one reason I don't bother with a personal computer--I use my laptop everywhere, except in my office. And it is also one reason I rely heavily on podcasting for information. Right now, I am listening to the NHK news from Tokyo on Radio Japan. It's a podcast. Podcast news is not instant, of course, but it is recent enough to be current, and since I use iTunes, it is downloaded automatically. Also, podcasts are not dependent on an active Internet connection, since you are not listening to a live audio stream. Once you have it on your computer, you don't have to worry about interruptions. But I'll move on; I'm not telling you anything you don't know, just filling you in on why podcasts are useful in China, even if you don't have an Ipod, and do most of your listening on your computer.

Well, my cell phone finally seems to be drying out. I put it in water the other day. I don't really recommend it. I was setting it down on a window sill and glancing over my shoulder at something on the news, and I ended up putting it in a little homemade vaporizer I made from an old juice bottle. When I made the vaporizer, I had considered crafting a mesh to prevent just this kind of occurrence. But at the time I reasoned that since I am the only one here, and I would never do anything so stupid, I didn't need to worry about anyone else.

It happened on Saturday, actually. I dried it out overnight, and I could turn it on, but it would not function properly. I then got a brainstorm to soak it in alcohol, because alcohol bonds easily with water, and evaporates much more quickly, so it is very effective as a drying agent. But I decided to try drying it out one more night over the radiator, and that seemed to do the trick. Good thing--the alcohol brainstorm could have been disastrous. Alcohol does vaporize more quickly than water, but it is also more corrosive. It might have evaporated parts of my phone that I didn't want evaporated.

With the transition to solid state electronics (which happened in my lifetime) we have seen the development of a status quo such that electronic components tend to reach obsolescence before they wear out. There are no tubes to burn out. But computerized systems have three points of vulnerability. They are excessive moisture, extremes of temperature, and shock. If you can protect your computer (using the term broadly now--watches, calculators, cell phones and mp3 players are all computers) from these three, they will last forever. The exception to this, is moving parts. Hard drives will wear out, because they are subject to friction. But flash drives are becoming larger and larger now. I have one that holds 4GB. They day may come soon when hard drives themselves will be obsolete.

John Kennedy provides a paragraph by paragraph translation of an excellent article on the homeless community in Qianmen (South Beijing) by Beijing blogger "Tiger Temple." It's a fascinating story, but probably not the kind of thing you would expect to see in the China Daily. Nevertheless, the original Chinese version is not blocked in China.

World War III out there again tonight. It's called the "Lantern Festival," sorta the capstone celebration of the Chinese New Year period. One last chance to blow off a little steam. People take out the fireworks they haven't burned up yet, and set it off. In a way, the lantern festival is good, because there is a general feeling that the celebration time is over, and it's time to get back to work. Because of the Olympics this year, the spring school semester was scheduled to begin a week early. But I don't think that is generally a good thing to do. Too many students just blow off the first week of school and come back a week late. The Spring Festival period is a pretty strong tradition, and one might as well respect it.

Many years ago, during the Mingguo (1912 revolution -- 1949 revolution) Period, Chiang Kai-shek decided that Spring Festival should be abolished. The western countries didn't have this tradition, and he figured that China could dispense with it as well. So he announced this policy to the country, and then traveled throughout the countryside to ensure that people were following it. Sure enough, workers were all in their offices. And they were doing absolutely nothing. He had to admit defeat and give up the idea. Traditions die hard, especially traditions that are so deeply ingrained in the thinking and experience of a people, and especially traditions that offer precious rare reprieve for hard working people in a peasant society.

I went to the airport last night to say "goodbye" to Smith, my homeless African friend. He handed me a folded piece of notebook paper on which he had written his story:My name is Khalied Momodu, born into a Muslim family from Nigeria, West Africa. I became a born again Christian in the year 2004. After the death of my dad, I realized that I had nothing left in the world, 'cause the death of my dad triggered a lot of pains in my life and left an indelible mark in my life. My dad was my demigod due to the affection and great love he showed to me. My life was a mirage and I was highly devastated.

During that period people came from various places to console my family. I met a pastor by the name of James Akuruyejo. He told me about Christ and coming to the church--that it was very important for me to come to the church. At that crucial moment I was trying to gain some momentum of what he said. When I realized it was for me to be a Christian, I became very hostile to him.

In addition, he left quietly and came back the third day to repeat the message of Christ to me, I grew angry and wasn't prepared for any conversation from him. Before he left he gave me a handbill that he has a revival at his church, urging me to come. When he left, I was making a mockery of him, suddenly a spirit inside of my urged me to go and see for myself. I said to myself I will be there, but am never going to be a Christian 'cause I am contented been a Muslim.

When I got to the revival it was amazing. I found myself praying with zeal and my spirit was full of life. After that moment I got arrested and glued to coming to the church by the Holy Spirit. Within the shortest period of two months at the church, I found myself doing things other members of the church had not done. I was the most outstanding of the members all. Ever since that moment the Holy Spirit has changed my life by ministering to me through various ways. I finished from the University in the year 2004. I was jobless for three years. I decided to travel to China with the hope of getting the "golden fleece."

Moreover I came to China and had to travel out of China for my visa to be extended. Coming back to China, my finances and luggage were stolen. That was the most traumatic moment of my life. I was confused, hopeless, and completely stranded. Fortunately for me I met an American by name Eric, who took me to the international church called the "River of Grace." Ever since I met Eric my whole life changed. We read the Bible together and prayed. We was really helped me financially and morally.

Moreover he kept on urging me to trust in God. At that moment I was depressed and overwhelmed by thoughts of getting myself out of China due to my overstay in China and how to pay a fine of 5000 RMB and buy a ticket for my traveling out of China. I needed up to 13,000 RMB. That's about 1,700 US dollars. I was discouraged from going to the River of Grace Church 'cause people I met said it's a small church and can't afford to help me out. I was amazed within the period of two months of attending the church, God has used the church to meet my needs financially and the church has been able to add to me spiritually.

Later, I met one of those who told me not to go to the River of Grace. Indeed he was flabbergasted and said the church is not the River of Grace but the Ocean of Grace. God really has drenched me into his sufficient grace. I am leaving for Singapore on the 18th of February. I was overwhelmed by the unity I found in the midst of the members irrespective of their race. To me, being a Christian is not the ultimate, but living a Christ life on earth. I will use this medium in thanking those that stood by me during my traumatic experience in China. Firstly, I thank the Lord. Great things He has done. I thank Eric Langager, Pastor Jordan and Sonya Tetley, Thomas Hoopes, Robert Brownell, Iryna Duldya, Stephanus Kurniawan and Steve. Thanks for been there for me and not forgetting other Christian brothers and Pastors who stood firmly for me in Nigeria--Pastor James Akuryyejo, Pastor Adejare Abayo, Pastor Ajijola Adebayo, Dr. Segun Ayenimowa and Brother Wale. God bless you all. AMEN.Smith gives credit to those who have helped him, but, in fact, he deserves a good measure of credit himself. He was persistant. He never gave up. I personally think his trouble was prolonged by isolation--something I tend to feel about a lot of people. But even in his darkest moments he did not let his circumstances drive him to crime--something a number of his countrymen have done.

Sometimes the process of helping people can be complicated. But the principle is really quite simple: look for isolated people, and do the best you can to bring them into community. Sometimes it takes a little time to find the right place for someone. I had never been to the River of Grace church before I brought Smith there (I usually go to a Chinese church), but it turned out to be the right place for him. Really nice people.

Smith sent me a text message this morning from Singapore. His long ordeal in China is over. God bless you, Khalied. Go with God. And always be proud of your name.

Click for larger image.


Got an interesting letter the other day from Georges Hauptmann, a professor in Strasbourg, France. He had been doing some research on his family, and came upon this blog. In 1891, a monastery was built in the countryside near Taiyuan in Shanxi Province. A Franciscan father by the name of Barnabas Meistermann was in charge of the construction of this monastery. Meisterman was the cousin to Prof. Hauptmann's great grandmother. In trying to get information about this monastery, Prof. Hauptmann found my entry of October 5, 2004. I was, at the time, staying at the present day monastery guest house because Jean and Claire and I were visiting an orphanage.

On the top of the hill is a church affiliated with the monastery. It's not the main church people go to, because you have to climb the hill to get there. But it is quite well known, because of it's unique traditional Chinese architecture. Jean and Claire and I had climbed the hill in the early morning to look at it. As we were coming down the hill, I saw, over to one side, a scene so astonishing that at first I could not comprehend it. It was an old medieval monastery right out of the Middle Ages. Perhaps if you live in Europe, this would not be so unusual. But I had never seen anything like it, except in history books, and seeing it now in the remote countryside of China was really quite a surprise. I just had to go down and have a look. The others continued on their way, and I went down to explore it by myself. When I got down there I thought, "I can't believe I'm seeing this." It had obviously been abandoned (perhaps not voluntarily), and I was told that it was occupied by local squatters, although I understand that it has been officially returned to the local diocese.

The picture above is from the biography of Barnabas Meistermann, which was published in 1936. Not sure exactly when the picture was taken, but I suppose it doesn't matter. I am quite sure this is the same one I saw. I was not able to get a picture of it myself, because of my battery problem (see October 2, 2004). If anyone has information about this monastery, I would be interested in hearing from you. It's quite evident that the local people don't appreciate its value, and perhaps that's a good thing. I would sure hate to see it become commercialized the way the Buddhist monasteries have.

Hong Kong has a powerful attachment to three countries.

First is Great Britain. Hong Kong has a uniquely British heritage. There is much in Hong Kong that is clearly influenced by British life and culture. Downtown Hong Kong really reminds me of London. That's not just a subjective value judgment, either. Couldn't be--I've never been to London. Seriously, it all really does feel very British, if you know what I mean. But Hong Kong's connection with Great Britain is much more than that. The Basic Law by which Hong Kong is governed is an offspring of the treaty between Great Britain and China, negotiated by Margaret Thatcher and Deng Xiaoping before the handover in 1997, to which Great Britain was a signatory. To watch news items about the development of Hong Kong since 1997, one would think that the whole issue comes down to what Beijing decides, and Beijing is, in fact, quite sensitive on this point, stating repeatedly that the Basic Law is domestic, and draws its authority from the People's Government. But we must remember that before the handover, Hong Kong people were British subjects, and the UK has a direct treaty interest in making sure that terms of that treaty (the Joint Declaration) are followed, and the interests of those former subjects are protected. So the conditions specified in the Basic Law are based on the provisions in the Joint Declaration, and it is at least true that the UK would have reason and cause to object if any provision in the Basic Law, or interpretation of any provision were deemed by Great Britain to be in violation of that declaration.

The second country is the United States. Economically, Hong Kong is a very American city. The Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US dollar, which means that Hong Kong is essentially an extension of Wall Street, and that Hong Kong's monetary policy is outsourced to the Federal Reserve. Up until 2005, China's currency was pegged to the dollar, too, but that's different, because the RMB is not convertible. In Hong Kong, there has even been suggestion that Hong Kong dispense with local currency altogether, and just use US dollars. I don't think that will actually happen, and I would not recommend it personally (because it would essentially freeze the dollar peg), but it is an indication how closely Hong Kong is tied to the United States, at least in terms of economics. Can you imagine the People's Republic abandoning their currency and using US dollars?

The third country, of course, is China. Hong Kong is technically part of China now, although there are restrictions on how much influence and/or control China is able to exercise in one area of life or another. In practical terms, the effect of the agreement between Great Britain and the PRC that set the stage for the handover in 1997 is to essentially postpone the handover for another 50 years (39 years from now). Technically, that means that after the 50 years is over, Hong Kong could become just another Chinese city. But 39 years is a long time. Try to remember what China was like 39 years ago. It was 1969, and China was in the throes of the Cultural Revolution. The difference between China today and China back then is much greater than the difference between China today and Hong Kong today. Anything can happen in 39 years. So how will Hong Kong change in the years to come, in anticipation of eventually being "swallowed up" by China? Some have suggested that the Hong Kong dollar should be pegged to the RMB instead of the US dollar, but that is not possible as long as the RMB is not convertible. There is more and more talk about that now, given the decline of the dollar, but the US is Hong Kong's second largest trading partner (after the PRC) so that decline does not hurt Hong Kong that much in practical terms. When it comes right down to it, the question we need to be asking is not how Hong Kong will change, but how China will change, and how those changes will affect the relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Labels: Basic Law, Hong Kong, Joint Declaration

Hong Kong to Beijing express. It's a very convenient way to go. Get on in Hong Kong, and you're good to go until you get to Beijing West. It's a bit unusual, though, because they lock you in for 24 hours. I am used to getting off and buying stuff from platform vendors as I am traveling across the country. Not this time. The reason is because you exit Hong Kong before you get on the train, but entry into China is not processed until you get to Beijing. A French guy told me he tried to get off in Guangzhou, and they stopped him at the door. But it's a nice run, because it isn't crowded. I have a cabin to myself, with a 220 outlet under the table so I can plug in my laptop. If it were a bus, I would probably be upset, but 24 hours in the soft sleeper is no problem. The food here in the dining car is not bad, either, and the prices are moderate compared to what I have paid before on trains.

Took the Star ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central today, in order to catch the tram to Victoria Peak. Couldn't help noticing the barges dumping fill in the bay, slowly stealing a little more land for the developing city. If they keep doing this, the Star Ferry will become the Star Bridge. Victoria Peak hails from the days when the colonialists sought relief from the summer heat by heading up to their summer homes above the harbor. But they had to be carried up by porters, and it was a steep ride. Thus the tram, which powers it's way up the side of the mountain, and greatly increased the number of summer occupants. The tram is still there, running today just like it did then, and providing the same kind of living history for this city that the cable cars in San Francisco provide for that one. The difference is that the San Francisco cable cars are still a major means of transportation. The Peak Tram is primarily a tourist attraction, so the experience is a little too Disneylandish. But I suppose everyone needs to see it once. Then again, maybe not, I don't know. It's up to you.

Finally found the CLC bookstore today that I was looking for yesterday. I had pretty much given up, but I met a couple at breakfast today who insisted that it was there. They showed me a map, and sure enough, I had walked by it several times looking for it. They told me that it was not well marked--that you had to enter the building, and look for some kind of indication which floor it was on.

When I finally found it, I asked the shopkeeper why they didn't have a sign outside. He said that the signboard the signs were mounted on seemed a bit fragile to him. He was afraid that it would fall off and hit someone, and every establishment that had a sign on the board would be sued. Maaayyyybe. Still, if people who really want to buy what you have to sell are giving up because they can't find you, what are the odds of attracting people who are just walking down the street?

This morning, I went to a local branch of HSBC to open a Hong Kong bank account. I had thought I could open a US dollar checking account, but it turns out that is not possible. Actually, you can do it, but the checks would not be good outside of Hong Kong, so it would serve no purpose. So I had to content myself with a Hong Kong dollar account. I won't bore you with all of the details, but international banking is a bit of a nuisance in China. Perhaps you've heard me say that before. Anyway, to spare you a boring litany of my banking woes, I will simply list a few things you can do to make life in China a bit more manageable.

1. Open a savings account with an ATM. I use ICBC for this purpose, for the simple reason that they have more ATM's than anyone else. You can carry your ATM card with you, and use it anywhere in China. In larger supermarkets, it can even be used as a debit card. Most of the time, however, it cannot used for purchases in place of cash. But it's still handy, because you can travel anywhere in China, including Hong Kong, without carrying a lot of cash.

2. Open a Bank of China US dollar account so that you can cash US dollar checks. Bank of China requires 45 days for a US check to clear, but that's livable. If you can, try to get a VISA card from Bank of China. This is not easy to do if you are a foreigner--they usually tell you to forget it. I was able to get one by having the Software College verify my income, and by having the office manager give her ID number. The importance of a credit card is that it is one of the few legal ways to convert RMB, which is generally not a convertible currency. The way it works is that you get a bill each month for credit card purchases in US dollars. If you hand carry the bill to the bank, they will let you pay it in RMB, and give you a receipt in dollars.

Leave it at that for the time being. If you need to do more stuff internationally, you will have to decide between an American account, or a Hong Kong account.

YWAM Base, Hong Kong. Yesterday morning, Linda took me to the border. I said "goodbye" to her, and left the country. Entering Hong Kong is generally pretty simple. Chinese citizens from the mainland need a special permit to enter Hong Kong, but if you have a US passport, they just sorta look at you, and if you don't look to scary, they stamp a 90 day visa on your passport. Almost like Canada, except that with Canada, all you need is a driver's license.

After I got through Immigration and Customs, I decided to stop at Starbuck's before buying an MTR ticket. Good thing, because I met a few ladies from Australia who told me about the "Octopus" card--something I had missed in my preparations. It doesn't really save you money, but it's just so much simpler. Give them 150 Hong Kong dollars (the first 50 is a deposit), and you can use the card on any train or bus in the SAR.

I knew the YWAM base was in Kam Tin village, and a friend from Beijing who had connections there had arranged for me to stay, but I didn't have a phone number, so after I got of the MTR, I took a bus to the village and started asking around. I talked to several people before I met someone who knew about the place. He told me to go to the Nepali church down the road and ask them for advice, because some of the YWAM staff helped out there. I walked down there and met a guy from YWAM who was just getting ready to leave. He helped me get a taxi to the base.

This morning, Sophia invited me to go with them to the Nepali church. The speaker this morning was the same guy who helped me yesterday, so I was able to follow it, because he was speaking in English, which was being interpreted into Nepali. There weren't very many people there--this is a very small church. But that isn't too surprising, because Kam Tin is a very small village. And a very ancient one--about 800 years old. This countryside area in the "New Territories" is really a nice place to spend some time. Quiet. You can hear birds chirping. Hong Kong is often referred to as a "concrete city," but the moniker is misleading. In terms of area, much of the SAR is countryside. That doesn't mean uninhabited, but definitely rural, not urban.

The friendly folks at the Nepali church served us a lunch of noodles, and we sat and talked through the early part of the afternoon. Really nice people.

This morning Linda took me to the Great Wall Hotel for zaocha. "Zaocha" means "morning tea." But it isn't just tea. It's more like dim sum--not sure why it isn't called that. Anyway, they come by your table with different tidbits and you select what you want. I think the reason they call it "morning tea," is because people just kinda sit and relax and talk the day away. It's different from an ordinary restaurant in that respect. Not sure what it's like on an ordinary day--stands to reason there would be quite a few people taking it easy today, since it is only the second day of the New Year holiday. Nice way to spend a morning, though

One thing I really like about Shenzhen is the book centers. Perhaps it is because Shenzhen is so close to Hong Kong. Or because Shenzhen is one of the richest cities in China. But the book centers are huge. The English section is not quite like Borders or Barnes and Noble, but it still has a pretty good selection. That's one problem with Shenzhen. I always buy books when I come here, and then I have to cart them around with me.

View from my bedroom window last night at midnight.


New Year's Day. Last night was New Year's Eve, and boy was in noisy! Of course you know I am referring to Chinese New year. Chinese New Year falls on a different day every year, because it is based on the lunar calendar. But it is clearly the biggest celebration of the year, especially for working people who don't have many holidays. I can't say everybody gets Chinese New Year off, because mass transit still runs, although on restricted schedules. But so many of the small businesses that make China such an easy place to live are closed during this time. If you want to go out to eat, you will have to look a little to find something open unless you go to one of those big fancy places. Pray you don't get a flat tire. I am spoiled living in Beijing, because even though all the cafeterias are closed, the coffee bars are always open for at least part of the day.

I'm in Shenzhen now. Flew out of Beijing this morning on Air China. Rates are pretty good if you fly on New Year's Day. But there is another benefit that I didn't think about until I got to the airport. The place was practically empty. Few people and no lines. I might be exaggerating a little bit, because the plane wasn't exactly empty, but there were quite a few vacant seats. I could have had the aisle even if I hadn't reserved it. Took the shuttle downtown from the airport. Linda met me at the bus stop. I didn't want her to come to the airport, because she suffers from motion sickness.

The past couple years I have watched the Super Bowl at the Goose and Duck Pub. This year Pyro Pizza in Wudaokou hosted a Super Bowl party, and the new Goose and Duck Pub is way over on the east side of Chaoyang Park, so I decided to take the easy way out.

As I was riding my bike to the game early this morning, I was contemplating the irony of the Super Bowl a couple days before Super Tuesday, and the growing predictability of American culture. Primary contests, which used to be decided sometimes after several ballots at the convention, are now pretty much over by Super Tuesday. And Super Bowl games are over by halftime.

Well, this one turned out a little different than I expected. I had brought something along to read in case I got bored, but it turned out I didn't need it. The game was a little slow at the beginning, but I was busy getting acquainted. When I first sat down, I asked if anyone thought the Patriots could lose. The guy sitting next to me said he thought they could. He was from England, but he had spent about three months in Ohio. "I liked football before, but after three months in America, I understood it." Smart guy, it took me a whole lot longer than that.

I won't bore you with the play by play, because if you didn't watch the game, then you probably aren't interested anyway. But I do have to admit that this Super Bowl proved there is a big difference between football and politics. In the years since I have been voting, the primary system has been continually revised to make the decision earlier and earlier. The current system is set up to almost guarantee an early winner to the contest, and the conventions are basically irrelevant. More and more delegates are chosen by primary election now, and delegates are generally bound for the first two ballots at the convention. But because primaries are happening earlier and earlier, most of the time there is one candidate who has enough committed delegates to put him over the top before the convention even starts, so the first ballot is a formality and the convention is really irrelevant. With football, at least you would have to say that the system is set up to pit the two best teams against each other, so it can still go down to the wire. Good game. Won on skill, not on technicalities.

Getting back to politics, there is one key difference between the Democratic and Republican primaries that could prolong the Democratic contest. In most states, Republican primary contests are "winner takes all," while the Democratic delegates are assigned proportionately. Not sure how much difference that will make, but wouldn't it be something if the contest went all the way to the convention? What can I say? History happens.

China is abuzz with talk and news about the snowstorm that has stranded close to a million passengers. I was listening this afternoon to a press conference where foreign reporters were grilling the panel. The government seems to see the importance of being very open about the disaster, if perhaps a bit defensive. Actually, I don't blame them this time, because the cynicism so typical in the western media would perhaps be a bit irritating to a government that is dealing with a storm the like of which China has not seen for at least 50 years.

Sometimes I wonder about the balance. Last night I was watching a news report about the thousands of stranded passengers. They showed a clip of a medical team examining people on a bus, some of whom had colds. Then they showed a clip of a police officer handing some cookies to a truck driver. Then they guy narrating concluded by saying that everyone had warm hearts because of all that the government was doing to help them. It was a nice story, designed to make us all feel good, but it wasn't really journalism. In China, you can't turn to another channel and get another view of the story, so there is really no competition to ensure quality, or provide a challenge to accuracy. I see this as a shortcoming in the Chinese media. But I certainly don't prefer the kind of caustic cynicism I saw in today's press conference. That isn't truth either.