Archive for 'News'
Honda Strikes and Social Discourse Posted by Stephen on Jun 13, 2010
The Honda automobile corporations, 本田 (Běn tián)，has made the headlines in Asian news as a rash of protests 抗议(kàng yì) have threatened to halt production in the mainland. The protesters, which have organized, and are bordering on unionizing, are fighting for an increase in basic wages, living stipends and more bargaining power against the majority…
Talking about Income Inequality Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 8, 2010
The income gap in China is a topic of frequent discussion, and below are some relevant terms that can help you understand news reports as well as participate in discussions of your own. Numerous reports of the Foxconn employees leaving their 宿舍 (su4she4 – dormitories) to 跳楼 (tiao4lou2 – jump [from a] building) has raised…
Targeted School Violence in China Posted by Stephen on May 13, 2010
If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the recent rash of kindergarten and elementary school attacks from copy-cat killers in China. Using mainly knives or blunt tools as weapons, five men and after today, one woman, violently and brutally assaulted children and teachers, killing seventeen and injuring some 100 people. Evoking…
The Shanghai Expo (中国2010年上海世界博览会): “Shanghai’s Moment in the Sun” Posted by Stephen on May 3, 2010
As the dazzling displays of fireworks, interpretive performances and welling nationalist pride of the 2008 Beijing Olympics fade from international memory, another pro-China, six-month event (the largest and most expensive of it’s kind) has just begun this weekend in Shanghai, China (上海 Shàng hǎi). The Shanghai World Expo or 中国2010年上海世界博览会 (Zhōngguó Èrlíngyīlíng Nián Shànghǎi Shìjìe…
Where Does the Trash Go? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 27, 2010
When I lived in Beijing, every day I would pass a trash compactor station where tricycle-bound trash collectors would empty the contents of the storage tank mounted on the back. I would reflect on how having a roving fleet of trash collectors could replace several garbage trucks and reduce congestion and air pollution on Beijing’s…
Google and The “Great Firewall” of China Posted by Stephen on Mar 23, 2010
With the recent (although a long time coming) announcement of Google shutting down its operations in mainland China, comes much debate about the reasons and justifications for doing so. While Google (谷歌）has made claims about invasion of privacy, blocking content, and security breaches (including email virus attacks to gain info on human rights advocates) as…
Real Estate in China Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 25, 2010
Yesterday I was walking in a 商场 (mall) in Shenzhen, and I found the 走道 (corridor) to be rather 暗 (dark) except for emergency lighting. It’s difficult to say if this was an early sign of the 房地产泡沫 (real estate bubble) in China, but at least 20 storefronts had 旺铺招租 (hot shop for rent) signs…