Cul´tur`ist n. 1. A cultivator. 2. One who is an advocate of culture. The culturists, by which term I mean not those who esteem culture (as what intelligent man does not ) but those its exclusive advocates who recommend it as the panacea for all the ills of humanity, for its effects in cultivating the whole man. - J. C. Shairp What Shairp eluded to … [Read more...] about The Fallacy of the Modern “Culturists” Concept
Did Michelle Obama Do a Political Snub On Peng Liyuan?
The Chinese blogsphere is rife with indignation on how Michelle Obama pulled a Political Snub On Peng Liyuan. Apparently, Michelle decided to attend her daughter's 12th birthday party in Washington instead of be in California to host Liyuan for the pivotal bilateral meeting between presidents' Obama and Xi. Here is a report from Sky News, with quotes from Chinese … [Read more...] about Did Michelle Obama Do a Political Snub On Peng Liyuan?
A note on “cultural relativism”
I’ve noticed a trend among some commentators and bloggers at HH. As you know, some of my past posts have been at odds some of your views regarding things such as some modern characteristics of Chinese people. While I believe it’s often quite uncivilized and harmful (and I think you’d be surprised at how many Chinese in China will affirm what I have said because it is so obvious … [Read more...] about A note on “cultural relativism”
Rediscovering Chinese “Rote Memorization”
It turns out, Western critics of Chinese "Rote Memorization" methods may have been proven wrong by Western educators. Not surprising, critics were far too quick to jump to conclusions of what's bad in education, while without really understanding the education process in depth. Many recent year researches from educators have shown that "repeated reading" of learning … [Read more...] about Rediscovering Chinese “Rote Memorization”
Remembering June 4th
A friend of mine who lives in Shanghai wrote a quick WeChat update today: "今天64，缅怀一下当年为自由民主牺牲的青年" which roughly translates to: "Today is June 4th. Let's pay homage to those young Chinese who perished in the cause of freedom and democracy." (For an in-depth article on June 4th, read "Let’s Talk About Tiananmen Square, 1989" and in Chinese, "且谈1989年的天安门事件.") Many of our … [Read more...] about Remembering June 4th