I am thinking about writing a piece on "searching for a Chinese identity", not just at the individual level, but also at a collective cultural level. The heart of the controversies surrounding the Beijing Olympics is the building of a collective Chinese identity, who we are, what we stand for, how we present ourselves to the outside. There are a lot of confusions in this … [Read more...] about "You are quite Americanized."
Mark of a gentleman – the calligraphy of Chinese leaders
Although some aspects of Chinese culture has been severely neglected and abused over the 20th century, other aspects remain eternal in Chinese society. One enduring trait is appreciation for traditional calligraphy. While no Chinese political leader can point to penmanship as being the source of power, it's no exaggeration to say cultivated writing attracts attention and … [Read more...] about Mark of a gentleman – the calligraphy of Chinese leaders
Chalk it up to the list of toxic exports from the U.S.
Rebecca MacKinnon concluded her blog entry on Chinese media control following the Weng'An riot with the following line: … [Read more...] about Chalk it up to the list of toxic exports from the U.S.
The Chinese Olympic Journey
“We went out to swim in the big pond, but ended up finding ourselves. The ocean did not drawn us, just made us wiser and better”. This was a bit of sentimentality I shared with an undergraduate classmate who also came to the United States for graduate school and spent years trying to “make it” out here. The same sentiment parallels the Chinese experience with the Olympics in … [Read more...] about The Chinese Olympic Journey
A freak of nature – the savior stone
I don't really know what to say about this. So, I'll just jump right to the pictures: In 2002, this rock formation was found in Pintang county, in Guizhou province. This rock face is apparently one half of a larger boulder that split about 500 years ago. The local government began to insist that the formation, itself approximately 270 million years old, reads "Chinese … [Read more...] about A freak of nature – the savior stone