Tai Chi - 太极

It struck me that most people who practices Tai Chi in the US are much more serious than those who do it in China.

Tai Chi practitioners in China most treat it as a form of exercise, no much different than our jogging, bicycling and swimming. Of course, there are right postures and wrong ones, but the attitude towards orthodox and correctness is rather cavalier.

While in the US, it is a serious business and people are mostly dedicated to the forms and trying hard not to err.

I see this as a cultural difference. Chinese people tend to be utilitarians and as long as their arms and legs got stretched, they are satisfied, and would not care much about the tradition and inner meanings of the form. Always serious American practitioners on the other hands are much more respectful to the ancient forms.

在我看来，大多数在美国练习太极的人都是远比那些在中国的人认真。

在中国练习太极的人大多把它当作锻炼，比我们的跑步，骑自行车和游泳没有不同。当然，太极有正确的和错误的姿势，但他们对太极地正统性相对来讲很不在乎。

在美国练习太极是一个严肃的事情，人们对太极地形式很专注，努力不犯错误。

我认为这是文化差异所致。中国人民往往是功利主义者，只要他们的手臂和腿活动够了，他们就满意，而并不在乎传统和各种姿态的内在含义。另一方面，很认真的美国人则更为看重的古老形式，对太极充满敬意。

Why Needs Map

When I visited my family in China earlier this year, I demonstrated to them the wonder of Google Map with its street views. They enjoyed the views and the convenience but that was it. They don't bother to look at the images from all over the world again, or use any online map to help them to navigate in unfamiliar places.

今年早些時候，我去中國探亲时, 我向他們展示了谷歌地圖, 包括街道图像。他們很喜欢这个便利，但僅此而 已。他們懶得通过谷歌地圖看來自世界各地的圖像，或使用任何在線地圖導航，幫助他們在不熟悉的地方照路。



Many people there do use maps, particularly when they travel, but most don't. They rely on the experiences to find a new place, and landmarks to locate. If they are to meet someone, the usual place to meet is the place at least one of them knew. Instead of "going straight ahead and turn right on A Street, then turn left on C Street. The number is 2652.", you'll hear "going straight till you see a big yellow building, turn right, then turn left when you see a hospital. The place is the third entrance of the pink building, second floor, the middle door."

那里的許多人实际上使用地圖，特別是當他們旅行时; 但大多數不用地图。他們依靠的經驗以及易认的标记，来找到一個新的地方。如果他們要和他人碰头，通常他们去至少是其中一個知道的地方。你听不到 "一直走，右轉上A街， 然後左轉上C街。號碼是2652。" 你會聽到 "一直走，直到你看到一個大黃楼，右轉，然後看到一個醫院時左轉。這個地方是粉紅楼的第三個入口，二樓，中間門。"

Chinese characters are based on pictogram and people still rely on mostly images to navigate. To design a GPS system for Chinese marketing, better utilize pictures as well.

漢字是建立在象形的基礎上，人們仍然大量依靠圖片定位。為中国設計全球定位系統，应更好地利用圖像。

Labor Unions in China - 中国的工会

A spate of labor disputes took place in China. Traditionally, labor unions would speak out for the labors and make demands on work condition or compensation improvement on the management.

It is therefore startling to see that at least one labor union in a Honda plant in China fought against the striking workers. The labor union team members are in yellow caps in the pictures below:

中國近来發生一系列勞資糾紛。傳統上，工會會代表工人，向管理层提出改善工作條件的或補償的要求。

因此，当人们看到一個本田在中國工廠的“工會”对罷工工人進行攻击，感到吃驚。下图中，工會成員戴着黃帽子：