Eric's Beijing Diary

"This edifice, as enormous as a city, had been built by the centuries, for whom? For the peoples. For the work of time belongs to man." --Victor Hugo

This afternoon after church we took a stroll up past the West Gate of Peking University, and over across the top side to the South Gate of the Old Summer Palace (圓明園). The Old Summer Palace was the place where the emperor actually lived during the 19th Century. I am not sure if that just means the summer time, or even during other parts of the year. But it really is a beautiful park. Sad, though, because the grand palace itself was sacked by the British and the French in 1860 at the end of the Second Opium War. There has been talk of rebuilding the massive palace, but the government has decided to let the ruins remain as a reminder of China's shame in relation to the Western countries during the Nineteenth Century. I concur. It is a sad chapter in China's painful relationship with the West that should not be forgotten. But the pathos of it all does sorta dim one's spirits, even on a bright, sunny spring day.

Click for larger image.
The Western powers who carved up China during the Nineteenth Century were not really motivated by a need for increased territory, such as was the case of Japan during the years before World War II. They just wanted to make money and have their share of the pie, so to speak. In a way, though, they are all partly responsible for Japan's actions, because it was Japan's desire to get part of the wealth from this colonization that precipitated the gruesome atrocities we all now associate with the Japanese invasion. But if the Western powers were not primarily interested in land, they were interested in China's wealth, and they raped this country shamelessly in the years during and after the two Opium Wars. In 1860, an Anglo-French force entered Beijing, and was ordered to completely destroy the Summer Palace. They did, but they looted it first, taking the treasures of China with them back to England and France. Thus, the competition for empire between England and France which had played a role in the French and Indian War, and the American Revolutionary War, found another victim. The Exhibition Hall includes a scathing letter by Victor Hugo condemning the violence.

The girls in the office were putting together a fashion show and wanted me to be in it. Can you imagine? I think it was sponsored by the local workers association or something. I have never been in a fashion show before, but fortunately, I had an old suit in my closet that I keep for just such occasions--you never know when you're going to need to be in a fashion show. If you have a hard time picturing me in a fashion show, I'm with you. I can't quite picture it, either. Can't begin to imagine how my performance would be described in one of those fashion magazines...."lumbering lithely down the catwalk..."

Anyway, today we went over the the campus theater and competed against the other teams. I am happy to report that the Software College took second place. Warms my heart to know I did my part to put them over the top. Somehow though, I don't think it holds any promise of a career as the newest modeling sensation.

Watching Aljazeera English this evening, I am getting a slightly different picture than the one painted by the China Daily. It really takes work to get a feeling for what is actually going on. It does seem that things are calming down, but there is clearly lots of very intense feeling left, as shown by the monks who interrupted an information session for foreign journalists. The way you view the Tibet situation depends, I guess on where your prejudices lie. But what, really, is the truth? In trying to determine this, I have become wary of both Chinese and foreign sources. People in the West do not understand the Tibet situation, and especially do not know the history of the area.

Westerners tend to think of Tibet as having been an independent country before 1959. In fact, Kublai Khan took Tibet in the 13th Century, and it has been internationally recognized as under China since long before 1959. The Western perspective is understandable, in one sense, because Tibet is so very mountainous and naturally isolated, and before the time of electricity and telephone communications, the logistics of managing Tibet as a "colony" made any real direct control impractical if not impossible. So Tibet functioned as an independent country through much of the time that it was claimed by China. Nevertheless, it was claimed by China, and that claim was largely unchallenged. Before the PRC was set up in 1949, it was claimed by Chiang Kai-shek's government, and, in fact, it still is on the official maps of the Republic of China (Taiwan). So this is not really a Communist/non-Communist issue, although it was made to appear that way, because Chiang Kai-shek (somewhat hypocritically) supported the rebels at the time of the 1959 trouble.

But if the perspective encouraged by Western media is not altogether accurate, China itself doesn't help matters by it's own position, which, at times, borders on the irrational. I have grown weary of references in the Chinese media to the "Peaceful Liberation" of Tibet. This kind of expression damages China's credibility, because anyone with any knowledge of history knows that the Chinese went in with overwhelming force to which there was significant resistance. There is another problem, I believe, with the way China has handled this whole situation. The Dalai Lama, as you know, is sorta the "Pope" of Tibetan Buddhism. Second to him is the Panchen Lama. In 1989, the Panchen Lama died mysteriously after giving a speech critical of the Chinese occupation of Tibet. He was 51. The Tibetans chose a replacement, and this choice was confirmed through secret communication with the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India. But after the Dalai Lama publicly announced the selection of the new Panchen Lama, the Chinese government kidnapped him and set up their own replacement. So nobody knows where the "real" Panchen Lama is. The government insists that he doesn't want to talk to reporters, and they are honoring his wishes. But this action has created considerable resentment among the common people of Tibet. At the outbreak of the recent trouble, the China Daily had a headline on the front page saying that religious leaders were critical of the rebellion. Sure enough, they quoted, as example of that statement, the puppet Panchen Lama they had set up. This may fool local Chinese folks, but the laobaixing in Tibet would not be so naive.

So what is best for Tibet? There is little question that the current uprising was anything but a peaceful demonstration. The rebels vented their rage by killing innocent people. As such, they are criminals, and I have little sympathy for them. Furthermore, I don't believe that Tibet would be better off under a religious autocracy controlled by the monks. That being said, it may be time for China to consider some sort of dialogue with the Dalai Lama, since he is considered by most Tibetans to be the leader of the Tibetan people. A negotiated autonomy such as the one Hong Kong enjoys is far preferable, in my opinion, to the current status quo, where feelings of resentment are constantly boiling under the surface, ready to erupt at the first opportunity.

I traveled to the east side today to have dinner with some of my friends who are living in Sihui. Living here in the University (Haidian) district as I do, I am accustomed to a significantly different lifestyle from the one I had in America. I live in an apartment in the Foreign Teachers' Dormitory. I ride a bicycle. I don't have a car. I don't want a car. Viola picked me up outside the North Gate this evening, and we drove to the apartment they have recently purchased. She usually drives more than an hour each way. But she told me that she prefers this to riding the subway.

What I am describing here, is the difference between the urban, professional culture, and the university culture. I often tell people in China that in America you really don't have a choice; you have to have a car. The Phoenix (Arizona) area, where I lived for seven years, had no subways and no light rail. You can't live in that huge, spread out area without a car. In Beijing, a car is a nuisance. I say that, of course, because I live in University housing and ride my bike to the office across campus. But if you work in the University district as my friend does, and live way out on the east side, then a car suddenly seems necessary. There is a problem, though, with this growing American style life. Approximately 1000 new cars are being added to the highways of Beijing every day. That comes to about a million new cars over the next three years. The highways are already choked now. What will life be like for drivers three years from now? In one sense, I certainly would not begrudge new drivers in China their chance to have the kind of life they have seen in the movies and always dreamed of having for themselves. But if things continue as they are without some restraint, the dream will become a nightmare. For me, it already would be. The traffic conditions people in China take for granted, I find intolerable. But I don't want to overstate the case, so I will try to give you a comparison so that you can judge for yourself. I was a truck driver for seven years, traveling the highways of North America. In America, there are cities, big cities, and megapoli. The easiest megapolis to drive in is Los Angeles. Every state highway is a six lane freeway, and all are clearly marked. The worst is New York City. Actually, it's a tie between New York and Boston. They're both pretty bad. When I say "New York," perhaps I should exclude Staten Island, because it doesn't really seem to be part of the city proper that one generally associates with New York, although it is one of the five burroughs. Beijing is definitely worse to drive in than L.A., but not as bad as New York or Boston. But it is getting worse every day.

The recent trouble in Tibet had some unusual consequences today that show how quickly legitimate concern can be exaggerated. A group of cub scouts had been invited to come down on the baseball field and meet the players at last Saturday's game, but when the cops saw these kids with their uniforms, they thought they might have some connection to the rioting in Tibet (???), so they were not allowed on the field. The writer of this piece in the Danwei Blog was obviously irritated, but the article actually made me laugh. I am trying to understand what could possibly have possessed those cops to think the cub scouts could have started a revolution in a baseball field! I suppose that, not ever having seen a cub scout uniform, they may have assumed that this organization was something akin to the Young Pioneers in China. But what does that say about the Young Pioneers? If you asked the Chinese government (or any other person in a position of power) about this, I'm quite sure they would deny any connection between the military and the Young Pioneers. A story like this makes me wonder.

Took the subway to Wukesong station today to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers play the Padres. I'm not much of a baseball fan, but I have never been to a major league ball game before, and I suppose everybody needs to do it once. If you are a baseball fan, you may not be that interested in what I have to say, because it doesn't have that much to do with China. It has much more to do with the comparison between professional sports, and the kind I am used to. Although I have never been an athlete, I have been to many ball games in my life. In high school, I went to most of the home games, and signed up most of the time to ride the bus to games that were held in other places.

When I was a country school teacher, I attended many of the games played by my students. I was never a team coach, but I taught in a self-contained classroom, so I did teach P.E. Throughout the school year, I focused on four sports: football, soccer, basketball and softball. On the prairies of North Dakota, it was not unusual to have very cold winter days: twenty below and a strong wind. But we were out there every day, at least for a few minutes. So I just couldn't help comparing what I saw today with the kinds of games I am more accustomed to watching.

Professional baseball seems so sterile to me. For one thing, the cheerleaders aren't really cheerleaders. They are just professional dancers. They trot out on the field, do their dance routine, and then leave. That's not cheer leading. I don't know...some of them might have been singing or something; I was too far away to see. But I didn't hear any of them saying, "Come on, you guys, yell!!"

And the players. Clearly, they like the game, or they wouldn't be doing it. But I didn't hear them cheering each other on like you would at a city league softball game. The game was actually quiet, except for the occasional blaring of the advertisements. Pro ball is really not about competition and sportsmanship. It's about money. I certainly wouldn't take it away from those who are inclined to this sort of thing, and I must say the field (which was clearly built for the Olympics) was actually quite impressive. But personally, I would much rather watch kids play. That's where the real fun is.

Well, the State Department must have released their annual human rights report again. Today the China Daily published it's response, citing numerous human rights problems in America. I suppose I shouldn't blame the Chinese for being a little irritated with the State Department, but their response is usually so poorly researched that it makes me laugh out loud. Don't get me wrong. I am not one who believes that the America has no human rights abuses. They should have me write that report; I could give them plenty of material. But ranting on and on about the plight of women and children in America is laughable. Asian women always prefer America if they have lived there. The men sometimes want to come back, but not the women. I have never met a Chinese woman who has lived in America, who preferred to be in China. Such women do not exist. Chinese women who have lived in America have a very hard time coming back to China. They tend to separate themselves from local Chinese people. I have never met one that goes to a Three-Self Church. They go to one of the International churches. China is a bit macho. It is better for men. But Chinese women overwhelmingly prefer America.

I met a former student on the street today. She is in the Japanese Software program. "You made me start my dream," she said. "Thank-you." The Japanese Software program here at the Software College has very high placement because of the severe shortage of qualified engineers in Japan. Students who go through the Japanese Software program are virtually guaranteed an internship in Tokyo, which leads to a job, if they want it. So I often encourage students to consider this program, because the Software College brings teachers from Japan to help students develop functional language proficiency in addition to their software skills. But many, many times when I mention Japan, the first response is, "We hate Japanese." The first time I heard this, I was not surprised, because, of course, we know the history of Japan's invasion of China. But as time went on, it began to become clear to me just how programmed this feeling is. It takes quite a bit of talking, sometimes, to encourage students to get beyond the history. Don't get me wrong, Japan does have a problem. I wasn't so aware of this when I first came to China, but after hearing about it so much, I decided to visit the Yasukuni War museum one time when I was in Japan. It is well worth the 800 yen, and there is more than enough stuff to show the attitude that is so offensive to China and Korea even if you don't read Japanese, although the movies are in Japanese. Anyway, as I was saying, there is a problem with Japan's attitude, but China plays it up so much, that students tend to assume that every person in Japan thinks this way. I try to tell them that Japanese young people are very much like them, and for some of them, this is something they have not considered. But the thing that often convinces their parents is the amount of money they can make. Not enough to make you rich if you have to live in Japan, but quite an impressive sounding salary if you're looking at it from China and you consider the RMB equivalent.

Labels: Japan

There is considerable discussion these days about just how China will actually respond to the referendum scheduled in Taiwan for the 22nd of March. The referendum is a vote on whether the island should seek membership in the United Nations using the name, "Taiwan." On the surface, the referendum seems meaningless, because any attempt by Taiwan to join the United Nations is doomed to failure. Ban Ki-moon has stated emphatically that it would not even be considered. But the symbolism of the vote is powerful, because the referendum addresses the new idea of applying under the name of Taiwan, rather than the "Republic of China," which is the official constitutional name. This is seen as a direct attempt by Chen Shui-bian's government to change the status quo, which China has always regarded as cause for war. Recently, I heard through the grapevine that the Army had put overseas trips to the United States by Army personnel on hold pending the referendum. Why would trips to the United States be put on hold? The United States has clearly stated it's objection to the vote. But the U.S. is also vehemently opposed to a military attack on the island by the mainland. So if China is planning to attack, they may be assuming that this would result in visas to the US being revoked. In other words, a state of war with Taiwan could result in a period of hostility between the U.S. and China.

Personally, I just cannot believe that China would sacrifice the Olympics to attack Taiwan over something that has no power to effect change, and that is the last gasp of a lame duck leader (and a very lame duck, I might add). Ma Ying-jeou will most likely be the next president of Taiwan, and he is from the KMT, which favors reunification with the mainland.

Power supply went out on my laptop Monday night. I took it to the HP warranty center Tuesday morning, and they turned my laptop over and read my serial number like they always do. Oops! My warranty had expired. I knew they were going to say that; I bought this thing in December of '05. Do you know they charged me 591 RMB for a new power supply? Ghastly. When I got back, I was at the coffee bar doing my work, and all of a sudden an MSN notice popped up saying that Eason had come online. When I told him what I had paid for the thing he was apoplectic. I told him that I understood you could probably get a cheaper one at the electronic supply markets over in Zhongguancun, but it would not be quite the right one. You could blow your motherboard using the wrong power supply. But Eason insisted I could get the exact model I wanted. Within a minute, he had given me a link to one online that was exactly what I needed for 100 RMB. Then he told me something that really made me want to get my money back. A few days earlier, he had accidentally knocked his laptop off his desk. He told me I could have his power supply. I told him he should get his laptop fixed, but he told me that the screen had cracked. Not to get off the subject, but do take care of your laptop screen. Believe it or not, it costs more than your laptop. Well, I went back to the HP warranty center. They were actually pretty nice about giving me my money back, partly, I suppose, because I had some back so soon, and also because they certainly understood that the price was pretty high. I guess that would be one reason to buy a laptop in China if you are planning to live here for awhile. It is easier to get warranty work done. But if your laptop is no longer under warranty anyway, then it doesn't matter. Laptop power supplies always generally automatically between 110 and 220.

Eason wanted to meet me in Xizhimen to give me the power supply, so I told him to meet me at the Moscow restaurant for dinner. Raymond works in Xizhimen, so I invited him too, and he brought a young man from Germany who was doing an internship with some agency. I have the impression that most people go to the Moscow restaurant mainly to see the building rather than just to eat. Don't know if they have any real Russian chefs there, but I didn't see any Russian customers. Raymond talked about the building as if it were an ancient landmark or something, but it was actually built the year I was born (1954), so it's not really that old. Hails from the Soviet era, before the rift between Russia and China. It reminds me of the banquet room in the Great Hall of the People. Massive pillars and great, high ceilings.

Stopped by the Ganges in Wudaokou this evening. It's partly the lamb curry--very tasty. But the real treat is the rice pudding. I got addicted to that stuff when I was a kid. It was a two-and-a-half week stint on the "Himalaya," one of the ships of the old P&O line. It wasn't my first trans-pacific cruise--I had done it four years earlier, when I was three. But I don't remember that trip very well. In fact, the only part I really remember is getting off the ship in Seattle. But the Himalaya I do remember. I was seven by that time, and strong impressions tend to stick at that age. The Himalaya was a British ocean liner, but most of the crew were from India. Funny how something like eating rice pudding in the dining room of a mid-century steamer can stay in your mind through all the changes of life. The video below features the old China Clipper playing hopscotch across the pacific. That video actually predates my transoceanic cruises by a couple decades. But it was special, not regular, transportation. Regular flights across the Pacific didn't become a standard until the mid-sixties, for one important reason: You can't really have regular transportation across the ocean with propeller-driven craft. That's why I have always said that the jetliner is the most significant technological development since the industrial revolution. The ability to take whole boatloads of people, throw them up in the air, and move them across the face of the planet at horrific speeds has made the world a smaller place, quite literally.

Labels: Transportation