Violating the First Commandment of Blogging: Thou Shalt Not Insult (Ex)Employer

This blog is a small little space I keep, together with some friends, on the web. Its (hopefully) read by our family and friends and maybe an occasional passerby on Chinalyst or a similar website. Despite having one of the best blog names in the China blogsphere (in my "humble" opinion, the readership still falls a bit short). Anyways, as bloggers, there are a few rules to follow, but the number 1 rule, in big bold print and underlined, especially when your day job is in a profession like the law, with a responsibility to your clients, is to avoid airing your dirty laundry in public.

However, it was with a bit of surprise that I found out that everyone's favorite launderer is back and better (or worse, depending on your feelings) than ever. That's right, the China Lawyer Blog is once again attacking Zhong Lun, still sharing firm emails, and going so far as to print a partner's US real estate holdings, he's even gone so far as to create a dummy blog for Zhong Lun. I'm still not 100% sure this isn't 1 big joke, though the dummy site and some news stories in US legal journals make that seem unlikely.

That's all well and good, it was fun at first, but now its getting old, and, in some of the posts, pretty juvenile. Yet, when he calls me out, that's when its on and, trust son, I hold things down like Money May. I'm really left to wonder what Mr. Brauer's own resume looks like (for the record, I'm a US-licensed lawyer) and what kind of experience he has in the US. He states that I:

had obviously difficulty reconciling his feelings that what what he was reading
was morally right, but that nothing should be done about it.

Forgiving the grammar, anyone who read the original post from which he pulls a "quote" from, would have come away with the impression that no matter if what Mr. Brauer is referring to is true or not, it still doesn't make sense to blog about it. Not only will it create distrust with any future employers (which is probably why he's now working for himself), it also is completely ineffective (which is why he's yet to collect his money).

I hope if/when he sues Zhong Lun in the US he does a better job quoting case precedent than he does quoting from my blog, as any judge (or more likely judicial clerk) who views what he is actually citing would see that it is completely against him. I've always been taught never to burn bridges and I just can't see why when leaving a firm, anyone would do something like that, it is rife with immaturity. Unless you are writing a blog for your employer or your company, there is no reason to use your blog to go into details about your job and especially not to badmouth your job or company, doing so is just asking for trouble (both ethically and from your employer). I don't consider what Mr. Brauer did, or is doing, to be morally right, I don't think a blog is the proper forum for what he is doing. There's a difference between going to a bar and shooting the shit with some friends, talking about how much you hate your job and doing so on the web.

One small example of Mr. Brauer's complaints about Zhonglun was about fake versions of computer software. I think software piracy is a common problem in China and that Chinese companies (including law firms) use pirated software, but I'd like to see all the legit licenses for software at the China offices of a Magic Circle or big NY law firm in China. For that matter, I'm sure Mr. Brauer would never go out and purchase pirated DVDs, since he is so concerned with intellectual property.

As for the second part of his quote, I never said that nothing should be done. First and foremost, if he really wants to get his money, he should simply sue in Chinese court. When securing a work visa in China, a signed copy of the employment contract must be submitted to the government. The employee and employer will also have copies of that contract. China is far from a "country without laws", as anyone practicing here professionally will tell you. Especially when it comes to contract matters, if you have a contract to show the court and have other proof of wrongdoing, you have a good shot at winning, even if you are a foreigner. Beyond that, I think his blog failed to achieve his goal and basically just resulted in his public embarrassment. Mr. Brauer graduated from a reputable US law school and I'm assuming he's passed the bar in the United States, as such I'd imagine he has a respect for the law that such training gives you. When I made my statements about what he was (and still is) doing, I just couldn't believe anyone with a legal background would toss the law to the side (as well as logic) and turn to a blog to "fix" the problem. And now I've just given him more time than he deserves...

PS: I've worked in different capacities for 2 Chinese law firms and have yet to see anything illegal or out of the ordinary take place in either. Having spent time at one of China's top firms, I can say there is very little difference between them and any Western firm in China, the lawyers are equally professional and have tons of experience, both abroad (in the US and UK) and in China, having attending top universities and worked at major firms. The only real difference is that they typically charge half the price (still pretty pricey, as Mr. Brauer is correct to put it at around US$425) than Western firms in China.

PPS: Beer is a favorite topic around here and when Mr. Brauer posted on it, his lack of knowledge about China came shining through. Not only that, but it appears he pretty much hates the country, too. Sure, in the sticks foreign brands probably can't compete and in most cases won't even try, but in the cities where the choice is between a RMB3 Yanjing, an RMB5 Bud, and an RMB8 Heineken, the consumer often will go for the foreign brand. Further, foreign brand penetration in restaurants is extremely high, where that 1 RMB beer is sold for anywhere between RMB10-50.

PPPS: Even by Mr. Brauer's standards and assuming that everything he says is true, that he was wronged by Zhong Lun, that he is mentally stable, and that he quit (instead of being fired), is there any reason at all to call out a young lawyer like this(including posting her picture) who did nothing to hurt him. That is just low.

As Jigga said, "we bring a knife to a fist fight, kill your drama." I'm a Chicago boy and that's the Chicago way.

Money May's the Man

Let's be real for a moment. It doesn't take a genius to tell you boxing ain't what it used to be in the US (or anywhere for that matter). The heavyweight division, the golden goose of the sport, is without a true star. Quick, who is the current heavyweight champ? Can't think of it? Me either...A quick search tells me the belts are held by 4 different people, one being a Klitchko, the others being guys by the name of Ibragimov, Chagaev, and Maskaev. Not names that just roll over American tongues very easily. Therefore, interest has moved down to the lower levels where the fighters tend to be more what fight watchers are used to (ie American, Mexican, and Carribean).

In general, there is this feeling of "remember when" about boxing, back in the days when it used to be great, back in the days when it used to be THE sport that garnered media attention in the US, alongside baseball and horse racing. Now the sports scene is too cluttered, parents are too sensitive, and prize fights have been relegated to pay-per-view and week-delayed premium channel broadcasts. Yet, for much of my life, the choice was often to stay in or gather together with a bunch of friends to watch HBO's "Boxing After Dark" on a Saturday night, even if the fight happened a week ago and everyone already knew the result. Boxing, at its best, is still one of the greatest sports to watch.

With that in mind, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to watch the Floyd Mayweather, Jr-Ricky Hatton fight when I found out it would be televised live at the British Bulldog (across from the American Consulate, Wulumuqi Rd) this past weekend. This being a British pub, the crowd was obviously pro-Hatton, though there were some Mayweather supporters, I'd put the split at 70% Hatton, 20% Money May, and 10% neutral, the crowd was also probably 98% non-Chinese.

I like Ricky Hatton, a lot. He comes across as your average guy, the kind of guy who got discovered fighting outside a Manchester pub after a few too many Stellas on a Friday night. Those around him have played up this regular guy image, though in reality he's spent most of his life training as a fighter. That said, he's still your typical Brit, with an unbelievable passion for Manchester City (he's not United, that gives him points in my book) and enjoys a pint or two (when not in training at least). My raging anglophilia means that I was of course hoping for him to pull the fight out, despite logic telling me it would be next to impossible.

I'm going to limit what I say here, just because no analysis, especially mine, could even come close to that of what you'll find at No Mas (regular and Anonymoused, its not a direct link, but scrowl down to "The Electrocution of Ricky Hatton", trust me, its worth it!). For much of the fight, Hatton was hampered in his effectiveness, his "attack" looked brave and impressed the uninitiated, but failed to do damage. It was funny that some Brits claimed American bias due to HBO's regularly showing Mayweather replays after rounds, the difference is that Mayweather's blows were impressive shots, snapping Hatton's head back, where as Hatton's punches were far from punishing. Mayweather's speed was amazing (both feet and hands, but especially hands), if Hatton even gave him a milisecond opening to punch, Hatton would end up getting smacked with a power punch. Hatton fans could be proud afterwords, their man stood tall and took more big punches than most other fighters could.

A word on the venue: It's my understanding the Bulldog doesn't usually open until 11 am, thus the 9 am opening may have been the main reason they were completely unprepared. It was nice they didn't charge the RMB30 cover charge that some expat mags quoted, but if they did, there would have been live boxing. Arriving around 10 am (the main event wasn't until around noon local time), the lower level was packed and so we moved to the 2nd floor. The "bar" on the 2nd floor wasn't up and running and only one waitress was there to serve the large number of patrons causing complete chaos. Despite the expat mag ads talking up the complete English breakfast they'd be offering, the only thing that was available (and it wasn't even on the menu) was eggs benedict, which, in most cases, required at least an hour wait. Being the only bar in the city showing the fight, they should have been prepared for the demand, but it was a complete failure of planning and customer service, not altogether unusual in China. Don't think I'll be going back to give it a second shot anytime soon.

Around the Web

This is some of the news/blogposts that have caught my eye over the past day or two:

Reuters had an interesting article the other day about a lawsuit in Beijing involving Malaysia Airlines and a Dalian SOE that resulted in the largest monetary verdict ever in a Beijing court, a US$65 million payout, a Beijing record. I've yet to see much on the Chinese blogosphere about this case which seems a bit surprising.

Imagethief has a hilarious article about how he hates Secret Santas.

And an article that has gotten a lot more exposure in the blogosphere about a Swedish businessman who was ripped off to the tune of almost US$700 for drinks at a Nanjing East Rd coffeeshop in Shanghai. As an avowed hater of whiskey (bad memories of being a 1L and a night of FIFA), I can only imagine the condition of the 2 young girls after downing 12 in 10 minutes. I wonder if the Germans who got ripped off were the same ones that were in the news a few months ago or if that was another Nanjing East Rd ripoff artist.

The New York Times gives its 36 Hours treatment to Beijing. I've honestly never understood the series as I can't see very many people coming to China and only spending 36 hours in Beijing, but perhaps because I'm not a New York jet-setting hipster I just don't get it. Anyways, overall I think the itinerary is pretty good for such a short time. Since it is such a brief time and its only hitting the highlights, I guess one can't argue with D-22 over some of the other live venues, or Centro over other upscale bars (on these issues, I'd really like to see what Beijing Boyce has to say). That said, the NY Times only gives you 3 meals in the Capital City, one of those the obligatory duck dinner. One other choice, Pure Lotus for vegetarian fare, isn't one that I will comment much on since I have little experience and it seems to be right up the expat alley. The other, Kong Yiji, is a bit of a questionable choice if you ask me. Kong Yiji is good, don't get me wrong, but is there anything less Beijing than Kong Yiji? It's sort of insulting that they can't pick something even remotely "Beijing". Especially due to the minimal number of restaurant choices, why not lunch at Lao Beijing ZhaJiangMian after the trip to Tiantan? Or some Dongbei food a bit north of Kong Yiji at Dongzhimen (complete with "traditional kangs"). Or what could be better than that northern winter tradition, hotpot, at any number of places within the 2nd Ring Road. I know its not meant to be the most creative list of things to do in Beijing and that Kong Yiji is an expat favorite, but even trying to cut NYT a lot of slack, if you are looking for a true "Beijing" experience, there are far better choices.

ps: Shanghai received the same treatment last year, if you're curious.

Back and Forth With Blogspot

Is it blocked, is it not? I heard rumblings that blogspot was unblocked earlier this week and yet today an attempt to open my favorite blogspot blogs (not to mention my own) ends up with me back at the ever popular MSN Live or Baidu search page. Oh well, this time around I didn't even get to bask in the "freedom".

The Game Done Changed

Politics is a game and there is no job an adult can do that comes closer to being part of a sports team than working on a political campaign. I've worked on countless campaigns over the years and have enjoyed them all, both in victory and defeat, but the last campaign I worked on (a defeat), hurt a lot more than any of the previous ones.

I still blame the defeat mostly on robo-calls, which made it difficult to get our message to the voters, both during phone banks and canvassing sessions. Slate takes an interesting look at the phenomenon and sees its potential, both good and bad. Robo-calls are the cheapest way to reach the most people and can be specifically targeted in a number of different ways, however they are also one of the most ineffective forms of communication. People at least take some satisfaction when they can yell at an actual person at the other end of the line for interrupting their dinner, but any satisfaction is killed when you only have a computer at the other end.

The ultimate effectiveness of robo-calls, though, is as a "dirty trick". At the end of the Slate article it states:

The natural reaction, when you get a robo-call, is to blame the politician
mentioned at the outset. "I'm calling with information about Jane Smith," the
caller will say. You hang up; the phone rings again; it's about Smith again. You
dial 411 and demand the number for the Smith campaign. You shout at the campaign receptionist that you'll never vote for Smith again. But the joke's on you. The people who sent the robot after you don't want you to vote for Smith. And the poor receptionist can't possibly explain this to you and all the other people jamming her lines. Even a bank of Smith volunteers, working the phones all day, can't fix the damage done by a half-hour of robo-calling. They're only human.

Which is exactly the problem we faced. Irate callers who told us we'd been calling them at all hours of the night or 3 times during dinner, although it was really just the opponents robo-calls. The media, unfortunately, didn't catch on to this whole concept until the final days leading up to the election or even after, in some cases. People weren't hearing about it from the tv and the newspapers, so they didn't believe it when they were hearing about it from our staff. I only hope some rules are seriously put into place to deal with these calls and/or that the electorate wises up. However, by the time that happens, just like in sports, there will already be a new trick to pull one over on the other side, it's all in the game.

Shanghai's Top 50 Foods You Must Try

If you're an expat living in Shanghai and don't read the Shanghaiist regularly, it basically means you're out of the loop on the happenings in that city. Not sure when a Beijingist will ever come out, but if it does, I'd like to be part of that team, though That's Beijing's blog is regularly updated and serves a similar purpose.

Anyways, (with more than just a hat tip to Shanghaiist), I want to provide you with SH Magazine's list of 50 foods that you must eat in Shanghai. Looking through the list, its heavy on expat sort of places and very few that I've tried, but perhaps I will have to explore more during my journeys south and try some of these "specialities."

From what I have sampled, I'd question placing Xiao Fei Yang (49th) on the list, its a national chain with decent hotpot, but nothing very special or unique. Perhaps they didn't want to use Dong Lai Shun, because its too attached to Beijing. Though if you're looking for hotpot, I find the Dolar Shop's Macau-style hotpot to be a lot more unique and something that isn't available all over the country.

I had to go all the way down to 30 before finding a place that I've tried. I was shocked to find Paul at Xintiandi when I was in Shanghai a few months ago, I remember fondly my morning tea and croissant at Paul in London as the perfect daily breakfast. Though I'd also come across it all over Paris, it just seemed sort of wrong and your local place would always be a better bet. However, in Shanghai it truly is the best bet for someone missing the joys of good bread.

The Wujiang Lu chicken wings at 28th are a fine choice, one that I sampled after a very "Chuppy" bar experience, making the (right) decision to slum it with good grilled food and beer instead of high priced mixed drinks.

Next, dropping down to 11th (wow, I've really yet to sample a lot of Shanghai's "specialities") are Beard Papa's cream puffs...There is not much I have to say about these as they are simply amazing. Though every time I eat one I can almost feel myself getting fatter, they are as addictive as crack. At 9th are Yang's Shengjian, though I'd argue they should be higher (I guess last year they were 1st). At any time of day, some of their Shengjian and a bowl of the curry duck blood soup (an absolutely amazing neon yellow color) are unbeatable and one of the city's cheapest meals (though prices have recently gone up).

Other Thoughts
-To me, City Diner's burger could very well be on this list.
-I've been to Jean George's a number of times and their desserts are excellent, but I've yet to sample the one on the list.
-Jade on 36 has been on my list of must eats (when I want to splurge) for awhile, and the list only confirms that.
-From the picture, Awfully Chocolate's ice cream looks like a thing of beauty, definitely something to sample during my next visit
-Surprising the minimal role crab plays on the list as there isn't a much better meal when in season and it plays such a big role in the local diet.
-It would have made the list a lot more user-friendly if they included the restaurant's address/Chinese name/etc (or at least a link to those things)
-Disappointing that the number 1 dish comes from a chain restaurant that serves Taiwanese-style food.
-If I have the time (and inclination), perhaps I'll create a list for Beijing, though it would be quite a task

Welcome to Our Shitlist, Population: You!

In all the time since this blog was started, we've never had the need for a shit list, never got into scuffles with other blogs and were pretty peaceful overall, but now the time has come for the formation of one, and rocketing to the top of that list is one Hong Lao Wai ("Red Foreigner"). I didn't get involved when he started out singing revolutionary hits, nor did I really care about his "attempts" at Jay Chou (if you can really call them that), though when he starts blaring out about Lei Feng, wearing a silly/strange hat, he's committed a blasphemy that can't be overlooked. I, as much as the next guy, hate Dashan and think he's a total joke, but I must admit, his Chinese is damn good, even if he's just a big Canadian poof. As for Dashan's progenitor, though not very long, they were all just spinoffs whose Chinese were always worse and who did crazy stunts (a la working in a barber shop).

Hong Lao Wai is completely different. His "self taught" Chinese is barely passable and the kid's never been to China. If he's doing it for an offer of a free trip from CCTV or something like that, the kid's got a plan, but is it worth making a fool out of yourself? Do you really want to be that guy, Xiao Hong? Study Chinese, come to China, we'll take you off the list and we might even be able to have a drink together, but keep up what you're doing and you'll continually be one giant running joke, replacing even Dashan.

What's Next? Arguing for a Gender Neutral Olympics Logo?

This is truely absurd (hat tip to Beijing Olympics Blog)! BOCOG is, unsurprisingly, only looking for beautiful women in a certain age group to hand out medals at the Olympic Games. With all the talk about Chinese stewardesses lately, I don't know what Human Rights Watch was expecting to see at the medal stand, my local, neighborhood lao taitai? The jian bing seller around the corner? Get real! The best is this quote:

"Gender, age and appearance requirements arbitrarily exclude individuals
from jobs for which they are professionally qualified and constitute
discrimination," said the letter sent to the Committee by Executive Director
Asia Division Brad Adams.

Ahh, I see, it takes "professional qualifications" for distributing Olympics medals? Please! Perhaps HRW should be pushing for an employment law like the one that was in draft form previously, guaranteeing employment rights for women, the disabled, and minorities (I've seen it mentioned on a blog that the Labor Contract Law does this, though I defy you to show me where). HRW, you want to help people and promote human rights, read this post, until then, shut up!

Paralympic-Sized Headache

So, with one hand I like to pat on the back, with the other, I'll deliver a major slap across the face. I have the utmost confidence that Beijing will be ready for the Olympics on August 8th of next year, but with the countdown to the Paralympics set at 273 days, I'll be more than a little shocked if the city can pull things off for those games without a hitch.

This post is going to focus on transportation, first off, if you thought Chinglish was dead in our fair city, Beijingers, fear not. Did you know that game-fighting was forbidden on the staircases of subway stations? Well, now you know! For all you budding game-fighters, do it on a subway staircase at your own risk.

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled blog entry. For those visitors with disabilities who are coming to watch the Olympics (or for disabled fans in town for the Paralympics), well, you have an uphill task ahead of you. The competitors are bound to be treated to a sort of Potemkin city in that their movements will surely be "restricted" to "tours" which are bound to have fully accessible buses that will take them wherever they want to go. If they do venture out on their own, they are in for a pretty difficult time. This will focus solely on transportation issues.

I would estimate that currently 1% (but probably more like 0%) of Beijing buses are accessible for wheelchair users. For the blind, bus stops are called out by a recording or in some cases by the ticket taker, but getting on buses can be difficult because stations are usually serviced by a multitude of buses and there is really no way to know which bus has arrived at the stop and no time to ask in the chaos of 2 (or more) buses arriving at once.

If buses aren't a good option, what about the subway, you ask? While I highly recommended the subway to all non-disabled travelers to Beijing in my earlier post, I wouldn't recommend it to the disabled. Just look at the chaos I described on the modern Beijing subway and imagine going through that blind. While the transfers to/from Line 1 and 2 aren't bad, going to Line 5 and 13 is extremely difficult (which is why so few blind people venture out alone, more on that in a future post, though). For wheelchair users, you're in for an even rougher time. One would think Line 5 would be built to be accessible, however that is far from the case. While there are elevators, stairs aren't totally avoidable (though they have set up lifts at the staircases). As for Line 1 and 2, there are no elevators and there are just too many stairs for lifts at the platforms, making the stations virtually inaccessible. But that's getting ahead of ourselves, because first you need to get into the station and even the station entrances aren't accessible. Only Line 1 stops from Xidan to Dongdan have both up and down escalators at station entrances. Elevators? You must be dreaming. This won't only cause difficulties for the disabled, but also for older visitors who are visiting the city, get used to climbing stairs.

The Olympics website offers this:

Obstacle-free service -- For the sake of welcoming the Olympic Games, all
the municipal authorities of Beijing Municipal Government are sparing no efforts
to reconstruct the obstacle-free facilities in Beijing, including the
obstacle-free buses, bus stops, slopes, bathrooms and blind roads [ed. note: I believe this is referring to the yellow paths in the sidewalk, which are often more dangerous than walking on the regular sidewalk] across the whole city. If you or your family members traveling along are the spectators with special demands, including the old, the young, the sick, the disabled and the pregnant, you may leave the marks on the reservation sheets for Olympic tickets, and then you'll receive one free copy of the Guide to the Obstacle-free Information Service of the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. You're reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing from your hotel room, maybe? I've yet to see many of these obstacle-free facilities that the government is sparing "no efforts" to reconstruct. My guess is that they'll bring in some accessible buses for the games, but probably won't use them much after. They'll also probably attempt a publicity stunt like at this year's Paralympics in Kunming, where all taxis were made free for the disabled. While it sounds very nice, that's only because there was no other accessible means of transportation for them, so to save face, they came up with this.

In creating a "New Beijing" there was a real opportunity to make this city an accessible one and to help those with disabilities be able to play a greater role in society, unfortunately in the rush to make this city "modern," they've pretty much forgotten they have a responsibility to all citizens.

"New Beijing"=Unlivable Beijing? Part 1 (Or Trying to Defend the Undefendable)

I consider myself a "老北京人" and my love for and pride in this city has been on display since my very first blog post. The slogan in 2001 when Beijing was bidding for the Olympics was "New Beijing, Great Olympics" and while its unclear how the latter will turn out, its obvious there has been "success" in achieving the former, whether that's a good thing has yet to be determined.

I've been in the "New Beijing" for about a month and my shock and dislike of many aspects of the city I call home is jarring. I've been meaning to blog about it, but after trying to combine it together in one post, I've quickly realized its best as a number of separate posts, though they will be interconnected.

To me, Beijing has always been the little city inside the 2nd Ring Road, or at the very most, inside the 3rd Ring Road. Thus, if there was someplace that I didn't choose to bike to or due to inclimate weather, the subway was always an excellent option for getting around. The movements toward a "New Beijing" that occurred during the first Olympic bid and also as preparation for the 50th Anniversary of China in 1999 were very welcome, an expanding of line 1 that was convenient for shoppers (Wangfujing, Yonganli) as well as tourists (Tiananmen East & West) and office workers (GuoMao). There was basically no place the loop line and line 1 couldn't take you (or at least a subway ride and a 10 minute bus/cab ride). The subway showed its age and could really use a good scrubbing, made all the more obvious riding the loop line after line 1 opened up, but it was convenient and never too crowded.

Over the past few years, as more and more people come to the city, the subway has gotten more crowded, but it always rationally so, during the morning/evening rush it could get pretty packed, but rarely (and only at the very height of rush hour) uncomfortably so.

However, the Beijing government has decided to reduce the prices of subway tickets to RMB2 and for your 2 kuai, you can now go ANYWHERE the subway will take you (instead of the previously scaled pricing). They've also ingeniously (sarcasm detector is going off the charts) decided to experiment with the proper number of cars needed at certain times of day. Well, the laobaixing have voted with their feet and now, no matter what time of day it is, if you're on the subway, expect a crowd. Whether its 7 pm on a Tuesday, 10 am on a Thursday, or 3 pm on a Sunday, don't expect to find a seat.

If its around 8 am or 6 pm, haha, you're in for an experience. First, just because a train is arriving doesn't mean you will get on, due to the lines it may be 2 or 3 trains later before you actually get on. Further, walking isn't necessary, just stand still and let the surge of the masses push you forward (as they surely will) and go from standing outside the train to finding yourself pushed into the middle of the car, squeezed tightly up against four people and with barely enough space to breath.

That said, if you wait until 9 (if your job gives you that sort of flexibility), the experience is much more humane. The subway is clean, with line 1 being cleaner overall than the older line 2 (the "loop line") stations, though the line 2 stations are often more interesting. The "notorious" nature of the subway and the smell talked about by this blogger is not something I've experienced. Granted, in the summer when you're squished that tightly against your fellow human and its already freaking hot outside, it can be a bit unpleasant and at the same time, you may be squeezed up against some peasant, but the subway cars and stations are pretty clean, especially compared to most major city subways around the world. Some of the older cars seem to have strange electrical problems at times, creating the surreal experience of riding (albeit briefly) in a dark subway car while an ultramodern, electronic led ad is showing just outside the subway window.

The Beijing subway is cheap, clean, and fast (and it even beat out Shanghai's subway, to my surprise). It's the best way to avoid the insane traffic on the streets and exceedingly easy for tourists to use as everything is well marked in Chinese and English, even which exits to use (something that was lacking in Shenzhen and I think Shanghai as well). As the city has expanded, so has the subway, and expansion is only going to continue in the run up to the Olympics. The great, old (very retro feel) paper tickets are now a thing of the past, but most Beijingers (me included) are happy about that, as most people use the modern transportation card that can be used on the subway and buses of Beijing. While I've avoided the crazy masses of the subway lately and once again returned to taking the bus (and in many cases been able to avoid the crowds), for my money, the subway is still the best way to get around the city.

The Greatest Show on TV, EVER!

I don't think its an exaggeration to say that HBO's "The Wire", is the greatest show on tv. It is by far the most realistic example of inner city life (and probably the most realistic show, in general) that has ever made it onto the small screen and for whatever reason (cough cough, racism, ahem) the show has never really found its proper audience. Too many black faces and no recongizable stars has meant its been reduced to the outer edges of HBO coverage. However, the show has found its niche amongst the high-minded as well as the lowerer classes that it portrays, though losing everyone in between. I've gone through seasons 1-3 a number of times and am currently doing it again, with the promise of season 4 (thank you Shanghai DVD sellers) waiting at the end.

But I digress, season 5 (the final season) is coming up and is said to be moving the focus to the media, as can be seen in the trailers that have been released. Of course, there's also the promise that McNulty's back on the bottle, which is bound to lead to some interesting escapades. To check out the trailers, go to youtube or hit up the excellent blog, Can't Stop Won't Stop (whose author is also behind hip hop's bible of the same name).

Beijing Redeems Itself

Returning to Beijing was difficult at first, the city is in complete upheaval as it prepares for the Olympics and life can be...frustrating to say the least (more on that later). However, as a lover of the arts, this city is still the best, bar none. Just look at the calender from this past weekend. A difficult choice Saturday night between a PK-14/Retros show and a Secondhand Roses gig, plus the good people at Acupuncture were coming correct for lovers of house music. Sunday was much easier, with New Pants putting on a show elsewhere in the city.

These are only the musical acts, when you look at the art installations/gallery shows going on during a typical weekend, not to mention book readings/lectures, poetry slams, plays, etc it is staggering. Not to mention the (as of yet unfulfilled) promise of NHL hockey.

For culture vultures of a certain ilk (namely lovers of contemporary art and contemporary Chinese music), one weekend in Beijing promises more activities than a month (or more) in the Southern Square of Shenzhen-Guangzhou-Macau-Hong Kong.

Great Innovations: Nintendo Wii

I'd never previously played Nintendo Wii before this past Sunday, however I went over to a friend's for lunch and we ended up spending all afternoon playing Wii together. There is something strangely appealing about the system, forcing you to stand up and actually get (somewhat) involved in what you're doing, not just sit down and mash buttons. Granted, one of the games we played was ping pong, something we could have just as easily found in the apartment clubhouse, and another one was a fishing game. I've never gone fishing in my life (okay, not true, I went twice at Monroe Lake during my time at IU, but that wasn't real fishing) and would choose just about anything over going out fishing, however playing on Wii was (again, strangely) exciting and fun.

Nicely enough, the blog, Hotpoter, has provided excellent, succinct advice on how to buy a Wii in Beijing. I don't often agree with his other posts, but I really appreciate this one. My friend has had her Wii for awhile and it worked great, the only problem being that everything is in Japanese (read Hotpoter and find out why). While Hotpoter suggests Zhongguangcun, hers was purchased at Gulou DongDaJie. The price she told me for hers was above the Hotpoter price, not sure if it has come down, Hotpoter is a great bargainer, or Zhongguangcun is just cheaper. I'm currently considering buying my own (thoug PS3 is also tempting, when will someone come out with a buying guide for that?) and not sure which way I'll go (probably Gulou because its closer), though I definitely WON'T be buying it from XiuShui, Hongqiao, Yashow, or Wantong. Get your own Wii or come over and join in the fun, there isn't a much better way to wile away a cold, Beijing winter day.

What's with all the negativity?

I've seen a lot of wondering on blogs and even in Slate (in what looks to be a new series from China) about Olympic preparedness and Beijing. Having driven past the venues in question, it seems like the Aquatics Center is more or less finished and the Bird's Nest is coming along nicely, though the green is far from ready and some of the outlying buildings aren't close to complete. That said, those additions are minor and shouldn't take up that much time, whereas the major stadiums are either done (the Indoor Stadium has already started hosted a Gymnastics event) or close to done.

Part of this may be jealousy about yet another foreigner who doesn't seem to have much of his Chinese chops down who is writing a book about here (though the author's chosen topic, Olympic preparedness, seems like it will have a very short interest lifespan), but I don't really see the point of the article.

Granted, returning to Beijing, I was shocked at what it has become, so I get this:

This means that a drab, grimy, exasperating megalopolis must scramble to
become a welcoming international showpiece. Construction, demolition, and more
construction are going on 'round the clock, throughout the city.

And I'm also further starting to understand about the building of "a whole new tier of ultraluxury hotels" as I wonder who the hell is going to stay at these palaces starting in October 2008.

The rest of the article, well, is bad reporting of the type that those in Beijing for awhile are going to have to steady themselves for in the days leading up to the Olympics. Not another "China coming out" story, but referring to the Woman's World Cup as a test event for the Olympics, huh? And what does he expect for a tennis event without any big names on a weekday afternoon? Or a baseball game between France and the Czech Republic? There wouldn't be a crowd for that sort of thing anywhere in the world, let alone in Beijing. People will go to these sports during the Games, but beyond that, these test events aren't going to be hot tickets nor are they going to draw much of a crowd or test the venues at large(r) capacities.

I am confident that Beijing isn't behind schedule and other than this article from Slate, I've yet to see much talk about this anywhere else. Perhaps that's because the focus is more on pollution, human rights, and everything else, but perhaps that's because unlike four years ago, Beijing is more or less on track. Oh, but why not take yet another shot at the city's pollution...

Slapping Wu Yi in the Face

Back in my old "hometown", down south in Shenzhen, the local government, along with the central government, is striking hard against counterfeit products. An inspection team from the central government that is to include Wu Yi is set to visit Shenzhen and its electronics markets this week and in the lead up to this, the local government has been actively raiding and threatening stall owners and market managers in and around the most famous of Shenzhen's electronics streets, Huaqiangbei.

What is so stunning about it is the open defiance shown by certain stall owners at the markets. Rumors about the markets future have taken over causing even legit businesses to close their doors, including in some cases grocers (am I being overly optimistic in suspecting the grocers are legit and not selling "fake" goods?). While the counterfeit sellers are shutting up shop, they were also reported to be promising customers that this was only temporary, after Wu Yi and the central government comes through, they'll reopen, and some had the audacity to say they'd reopen stronger than before.

I'm a bit surprised because there's yet to be much discussion of this in the English blogshpere or in the English dailies (especially Shenzhen Daily, or did I just miss it?). "Fake" mobile phones is a lot harder to deal with than fake LV bags. Everyone who is shopping at Luohu Commercial Center (Shenzhen's "Xiushui") knows they're buying fake goods, but when you go into the electronics markets at Huaqiangbei, you have no clue what you are buying. The phone could be an original Motorola, or a used one, or one reconstructed with a Motorola case and who-knows-what under the case. Only the briefest of looks at the repair shops they have in these markets lets you know the huge number of components and the skill the workers have with those items. Therefore, a crackdown on a market like this is much harder than one that is selling fake clothes and leads to confidence among stall owners of their success in avoiding the authorities. It's going to take a combination of harsher punishments and more diligent policing (it appears the Shenzhen PSB and other government agencies have been stepping up to the task so far) to shut them down entirely.

Until that happens, the cat-and-mouse game and trips like this central government inspection will only have a minimal impact at holding back the counterfeiters.

Bits and Pieces from Around the Web

On the heels of yesterday's news about China's World Cup draw, the team manager (not coach), has called it China's "worst draw ever." This will be China's 8th attempt at qualifying, only once has the team been successful.

In other sporting news, check out some interesting articles on golf in China, as well as a book project on the subject, at Par for China (h/t to Shanghaiist).

A very scary picture is painted of how one goes about setting up a company when challenged with bribery and corruption in smaller towns in China in this article on Danwei. However, I'm left to wonder how much of this bribery would have been necessary and how much of it was just the wrong strategy by the business owners who implemented it. The article seems to state that they never tried taking a more normal path and instead resorted to bribery from the get go.

CLB's entry on advice for anyone who wants to break into the Chinese law field is interesting and mirrors most of what I tell people when I get the same question. Like any specialized area, networking is crucial and keeping up to date on the important changes also can go a long way.

And I'm a day late and dollar short as everyone and his brother has already linked to the NY Times article on Rock in China, but here goes. For my money, the most interesting change over the past 2-3 years has been the diversity of the acts who are coming over. In the past, it used to be limited to the pop "tarts", but now hip hop, hard rock, and alternative are all growing. It would have been interesting if the article looked at Okayplayer's focus on China, considering in the past 2 years Common, The Roots, and Talib Kweli have all made stops here. In any case, here's hoping Jay-Z will try again and this time be allowed to do his big pimpin' in Beijing.

Group of Death Awaits China

A quick note, the draw for the 3rd Round of Asian Qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa took place today and China was drawn in the "Group of Death." China will be stuck going up against Australia as well as the defending Asian Cup champions, Iraq. Rounding out the group is a strong Qatar side.

The Chinese FA is looking a bit bruised right now, considering the men failed to get out of the group stages in the Asian Cup and the women couldn't get past the Quarterfinals despite home field advantage in the World Cup. Vladimir Petrovic, the coach appointed after the Asian Cup debacle, is certainly going to have an uphill battle to get China into the World Cup. Only the top 2 teams in each group advance to the next round of qualifying, so China's in for a real battle. Perhaps the difficulty of the group will cause the always high expectations to be lowered a bit, but there is no reason why China shouldn't be able to get past this group, though this is the sort of thing you hear from Chinese soccer fans all the time, right before another disaster takes place.

The only other very interesting tidbit from the draw was that North and South Korea were drawn in the same group, those will certainly be two very exciting matches!

A Strange Moment, Passed...

The events of 1989 affected my family deeply in a number of different ways. People willing to help the students or who were close to the students suffered silent (and not so silent) embarrassment and retribution at work and in their community. I've heard stories about some of the partners who I work alongside and their connection to the events of that summer, always on the periphery, but they knew what really happened.

That said, it was kind of strange at lunch yesterday when I mentioned the location of my new apartment only to be told by the partner I was eating with, "Oh, there...I had a friend who was injured there, well...was shot there."

Looking out from my office window at JianWai and ChangAn in the distance, it still feels like there are ghosts in this city.

Is the iPhone taking over China?

Wired has a really interesting story on iPhones in China discussing how readily available they are now and how popular they've become. I know about the black market versions (ie most likely fakes) and when in Shenzhen I saw a few authorized Apple dealers that had unlocked iPhones in stock (this is not to say they don't exist in Beijing, I just haven't been shopping here that much). However, I've yet to come across anyone using an iPhone in China. My feeling is that Wired overstates the trend.

The number of authorized Apple dealers has certainly skyrocketed over the past few years and genuine Apple products are fairly easy to find, however the price still prevents many Chinese from purchasing them. In Shenzhen, where free wireless is abundant, it was common to see a number of foreigners using Apple, but you'd rarely see Chinese using them. Also, on the subway, foreigners seemed to be the sole users of iPods. In my short time in Beijing, I've noticed a number of Chinese iPod users, but that's about it. And when it comes to computer usage in China, it seems like there is only one choice for business people, Lenovo/IBM.

Apple definitely has room, and potential, to grow in China, but I think its still far from that point. Like in the US, I believe the cheaper, cool items like the iPod and iPhone will serve as a gateway, people will get hooked and then end up buying the computers, like in the US. The Wired story captures the iPhone/Apple popularity in China, but it is discussing a basically non-existent trend, though its easy to imagine that iPods and iPhones will be as ubiquitous in China could come close to matching the US if given more time.

A Night of Drama (aka False Hope at FengTi?)

Wednesday, 19:30 Hours, Fengtai Sports Stadium/Shenzhen Sports Stadium

Beijing Guoan has led the CSL in attendance for most of the season and fans who make the hike out to Fengtai have been given something to cheer about as the boys in green sit just 1 point behind the Dongbei outfit, Changchun Yatai (52 points). Changchun will face off with season long bottom feeders in Shenzhen, though Shenzhen is clear from relegation and will have nothing to play for but pride. Beijing, on the other hand, will have a much more difficult tilt against a far more motivated opponent, with Shandong Lvneng, currently sitting in 3d place on 48 points, coming to the capital city. The result in Beijing could be rendered moot if Shenzhen lays down and plays dead like they have all season, but if they can come together and pull off a draw (a victory is almost unthinkable, even for the most optimistic Beijing or Shenzhen supporter) it could be a very festive atmosphere in the capital. On top of this, there is a good chance it will rain and possibly even snow tomorrow night in Beijing, so its surely going to be a unique experience. Changchun, the newly promoted side would seemingly be (MLF runs to the research books) the first ever newly promoted team to win the league title the next season. Beijing would also be making history, for despite a number of Cup successes and painfully close calls, they've yet to secure a Jia A/CSL title, making tomorrow an exciting night for all Chinese soccer fans!