Costs in University of California - 加州大学的费用

Recently, many students occupied campuses to protest the ever-rising costs in University of California, such as Berkeley and Davis.

The products of these excellent public universities are a great deal for sure, but the fast rising prices are becoming a heavy burden to the families.

The costs in the ten campuses of the University of California (UC) vary a bit, but in general, are in the similar range.

For example, Collegedata.com website listed the costs at UC Berkeley as:

TUITION AND EXPENSES

Cost of Attendance	In-state: $32,635 Out-of-state: $55,513
Tuition and Fees	In-state: $12,835 Out-of-state: $35,713
Room and Board	$14,990
Books and Supplies	$1,202
Other Expenses	$3,608

In UCLA, the costs listed on Collegedata.com are:

TUITION AND EXPENSES

Cost of Attendance	In-state: $31,554 Out-of-state: $54,432
Tuition and Fees	In-state: $12,686 Out-of-state: $35,564
Room and Board	$13,979
Books and Supplies	$1,506
Other Expenses	$3,383

For the perspective, we should keep in mind that the California State Median Income for FFY 2011/2012 for a 4-person family is $78,666 [source: US Department of Health and Human Services].


最近，很多學生佔領校園，如在伯克利和戴維斯，抗議美國加州大學不斷上升的费用。

這些優秀的公立大學的产品仍然是一個很上算，但過快上漲的價格正成為家庭的沉重負擔。

在美國加州大學（UC）的十個校园成本各不相同，但大体上是在類似的範圍內。

例如，Collegedata.com網站列出加州大學伯克利校园的费用为：

学费和费用

在校费用	本州学生: $32,635 外州学生: $55,513
学杂费	本州学生: $12,835 外州学生: $35,713
食宿费	$14,990
书和用品	$1,202
其他费用	$3,608

在加州大學洛杉磯，在Collegedata.com列出的费用是：

学费和费用

在校费用	本州学生: $31,554 外州学生: $54,432
学杂费	本州学生: $12,686 外州学生: $35,564
食宿费	$13,979
书和用品	$1,506
其他费用	$3,383

對於角度來看，我們應該記住，加利福尼亞州的四人家庭的FFY2011/2012估计平均收入為 78666美元 [來源：美國衛生與人類服務部]。



Students protesting at UC Berkeley 学生在加州大学伯克利抗议

Emergency Medical Help - 医疗急救

中国佛山的小悦悦是如何被汽车碾过和被过路人忽略，最后是由拾荒人帮助，但最终死亡的故事在中国引起了很大寻找灵魂的反思。

然而，当我看了这个事故的录像，也被那个善良的女人是绝对错误的帮助方式吓坏了 - 她没有试图检查小女孩是否已受伤，直接拉她的手臂，试图让她站起来。

帮助人的最好的办法是，首先确保受伤或生病人的安全，然后打电话叫专业医疗救援，并陪同与受伤或生病人，直到医务人员到达。 移动伤者和病者，往往加剧伤情或病情，并导致更多的损害。

最近，我目睹了在一家美国咖啡馆里的标准救援工作。 一个下午，不拥挤的咖啡馆里。一个她二十出头的年轻女子，突然失去了知觉了。幸运的是，她先倒在柜台上，然后才跌倒木地板上。在她旁边一个女人立即检查她的呼吸和明显的伤害，并要咖啡馆工作人员拨打紧急帮助电话。几分钟后，女孩恢复了意识，帮助的女人不停地问她问题，她的状况，并要求工作人员给她一杯水。 数分钟后，救护车赶到，帮助的女人走开，让专业人士来照顾年轻女子。医务人员询问了更多的问题及她的病情。 其间，她再次失去了知觉。因此，医务人员决定带她到医院，以作更多的检查。 担架带进来，但他们不是把她从地上抬起来，而是轻轻地把她滚到侧身躺着，然后把担架滑向她身体下方，然后把她滚回来，躺在担架上。之后，他们进行她抬走了。

中国，除了集体的反省，还需要教育人们如何帮助，同时避免造成更大的伤害。


Dirge / 輓歌 © Matthew Felix Sun

The heart wrenching story of how Little Yueyue of Foshan, China was hit by cars and ignored by passers-by and finally was helped by a rubbish collector and eventual death has generated much soul searching in China. 

However, when I watched the video of this story, I was also horrified by the way the kind-hearted woman's absolutely wrong way to help - she tried to lift her up by her arms to make her stand up, without checking if the little girl had been injured or not.

The best way to help, is to ensure the safety of the wounded or the sick, then call wait till professional medical help, and stay with the the wounded or the sick and wait till the medics arrive.

By moving the wounded and the sick, it often exacerbates the problem and causes more damages.

I recently witnessed a model rescue effort in a cafe.

It was in the afternoon and the cafe was not crowded.  A patron, young woman in her early twenties, suddenly lost consciousness and fell.  Luckily, she fell on the counter first and then on the wooden floor.  A woman next to her immediately checked on her breath and obvious injury and asked the staff to call emergency help.  A few minutes later, the girl regained her consciousness and the helping woman kept asking her questions regarding her conditions and asked the staff to bring a glass of water.

A few more minutes past and the ambulance arrived and the helping woman moved away so the professionals could tend the young woman.  The medics asked more questions regarding her condition and then she lost consciousness again briefly.  Therefore, the medics decided to take her to hospital for more check up.

A stretcher was brought in.  Instead of lifting her from the ground, they gently rolled her to her side and slid the stretch underneath her and then rolled her back onto the stretcher.   After that, they carried her away.

China, beyond its collective soul-searching, needs to educate people more on how to help without causing more damage.

Chinese Name - 中文名字

One thing Chinese people insist on knowing from anyone of Chinese descend is his or her "Chinese Name".   It is also quite true that many Chinese Americans sport two names - one English and one Chinese, and these two often don't match since they are not phonetic transliteration at all, which is the way Chinese people use for people of not Chinese lineage, such as Kennedy, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Obama.  Walking near Chinatown and one is confronted with numerous flyers for mayoral candidate for San Francisco, flaunting their Chinese names, which means absolutely nothing to me, since I only know them by their official (English) names and cannot match their coded Chinese names at all.

One thing Chinese mainlanders need to be aware is that many Chinese Americans have no Chinese names at all, such as the children of one of my college friend.  Or some people preferred to be known by their English names, or someone, when naturalized, have given up their Chinese given names and adopted a new name, thoroughly western.

To insist on calling them with their discarded name is rather disrespectful.  People need to be more sensitive.

More than once I had to tell the custom officers in China what my "Chinese name" was, even though I do not officially have one.  I have one name, which is western sounding and the "Chinese name" should be its phonetic transliteration.  But they would have none of such argument and I had to move the name I used when I was in China from the column of "Former Name" to "Chinese Name".  It felt rather being forced upon and unpleasant.


中國人总想知道華裔的“中國名字”。的确，许多華裔有兩個名字 - 一個英語和一個汉语名字，他們往往互相对不上号，因为他们不是拼音音譯，就象中國人民提及沒有中國血統的人的方式，如肯尼迪，里根，布什，克林頓和奧巴馬。在唐人街附近的散步会遇到眾多舊金山市長候選人傳單，炫耀他们的中國名字，但這些名字意味于我毫无意义，因為我只知道他們的官方（英文）名字，而这些名字和他们的中國名字对不上号。

中國大陆人需要注意一件事情，許多華裔美國人沒有汉语名字，如我的一個大學朋友的孩子们
。还有一些人只乐意用他们的英语名字，或有人歸化时，放弃其汉语名字, 采用徹底西方化的英文名字。

要堅持用他們放棄的名字来称呼他们是不尊重的。人們需要更敏感些。

不止一次，中國的海關人員要我告訴他们 我的“中文名字”，即使我事实上已沒有这样的名字。我的名字是西方化的名字, 它的对应的“中文名字”應該是它的拼音音譯。但是他們听不进這種論點，因而我不得不將我的“曾用名”，挪到我的“中國名字”一欄。这是强迫的和不愉快的经历。

Travel Books - 旅游书

Years ago, when my parents visited me they saw many tour books in the bookstore and when my dad learned that I know a couple who worked for a major tour book publisher, my father was intrigued and when he returned to China, he mentioned the connection to his friends in the government and they proposed to me to invite the couple to my home province and hopefully by treating them royally, they'd win their friendship and they'd write favorably about my home province, so as to spur the tourism.  Of course, I talked my father out of this - things are not done here that way.  Tour industry reviews are to be independent, without interferences.

This reminds me of Chinese people's amazed and favorable reactions to the simple and cheap meal Vice President Biden and his entourage had in Beijing, and to the fact the new American Ambassador to China Gary Locke arrived in Beijing with family on coach and carrying their own luggage like any touring family.

In China, officials look and act like officials.

Things are very different in China and in the US.

幾年前，當我的父母，来美国看我, 他們在書店裡看到許多旅遊書籍。當我爸爸知道我认识一對為一個主要旅遊圖書出版商工作的夫婦，我的父親很感興趣，當他回到中國，他向在政府的朋友们提到这对夫婦，他們向我提议邀請这对夫婦到我的家乡省，希望通過款待这对夫婦贏得他們的友誼，这样他們會寫对我的家鄉省有利的评论，以推動旅遊業發展。當然，我劝说父親不要参与 - 在美国事情不是这样一做的。旅遊行業的評語是獨立的，不受外界干擾。

這使我想起中國人对两件事的驚訝和良好的反應，一为副總統拜登和他的隨行人員在北京吃的簡單和廉價的膳食, 及美國駐中國新大使駱家輝乘普通舱抵達北京，與家人和自己攜帶行李, 像任何旅遊的家庭一样。

在中國，官員的外觀和行為总是像官員。

在中國和美國, 事情有很大的不同。


Journey © Matthew Felix Sun

(Wedding) Gifts Registration （结婚）禮品登記

In America, people give gifts in many occasions, such as graduation, birth of a child, or a wedding.  For big occasions like wedding, many engaged couples register with department stores, listing the items they would need in their married life.  Friends and family who can choose their gifts from the list, which usually have different price levels to suit people's varied ability to pay for gifts.  Of course, people still can send gift they deemed more appropriate not included in the gift registries.

For a wedding, the gifts can be brought to the wedding or separately, usually with identifications so the bride would know whom to thank for the gifts her spouse receive - it's a custom that bride should write thank you card to the people who send the gift within reasonably time frame.

在美國，人們有很多送禮場合，如畢業，孩子出生，或者婚禮。對於重大的場合如婚禮，許多未婚夫妻在百貨公司登記，列出他們在他們的婚姻生活需要的东西。朋友和家人可以從禮物表里選擇禮物，它们通常有不同的價位，以適應人們的不同支付能力。當然，人們仍然可以送他們認為比較合適的，不包括在禮品登記内的禮物。

就婚禮而言，禮物可以拿到婚禮或另送，通常包含​姓名​標識，讓新娘知道感謝誰的禮物 - 習俗是新娘應該在合理的時間框架内给送的禮物的亲友寫感謝卡。


"Red Flowers" - Oil on Canvas © Matthew Felix Sun

Buying Books and Paintings from Friends or Asking for Free

Recently I read some comments online saying that amongst Chinese people, when one has a book published, many friends and acquaintances would ask for a free copy.  The comments saying that in the West, people recognize the time and energy authors put into the work and usually would not ask for such free copy.

The comment was, though a bit sweeping, more or less on the mark.  Indeed, recalling my life in China, I remembered that many people I know who had published something usually gave free copies.  It would be insulting to ask friends to buy one of the books.

This is the same as painters, mostly in Chinese style water color on rice paper, and calligraphers.  People would make great efforts to ask accomplished painters and calligraphers to give them something.  Considering the execution time in that style is rather short - they practice hours upon hours to perfect a stoke, usually they would oblige, after some deflection.  This kind of obligation is very hard not to comply.

In order not to devalue their commercial works, usually they would state explicitly on the painting or calligraphy that the work was given to such and such exalted person and that little statement usually greatly dent the price of this work if it ever reached market.

In the US, I did give something away to great friends but not often.  My family members and friends insist on paying me for my labor.  I have attended book-signing events when my friends had books published and we  buy a copy of the book at full price and have our published friends sign the books.  Nowadays, even have a book or two published doesn't improve one's financial standing.  It's also our humble way of supporting our friends. 






最近我看了一个網上評論說，一旦中國人有書出版，許多朋友和熟人會讨要一個免費書籍。该評論說，在西方，人們承认和尊重作者投入的時間和精力，通常不會讨要求免費書籍。

这个評論，雖然有點太笼统，或多或少击中目標。回顧在中國我的生活，我記得很多人赠送他们出版的書籍，很多人也主动索取。要求朋友購買的他们的書籍是对朋友的侮辱。

畫家也一樣，尤其在中國式的宣紙畫家，和書法家。人們會問下大力氣求有成就的畫家和書法家給他們一些作品。畫家和書法家通常花大量時間练习，以致精湛，但他们实际操作時間则相當短，因而這種義務很難推却。

為了不让他们的商業作品貶值，他们通常會在繪畫或書法上列明，這个作品赠给某位贵人的。如果有人日后想卖它们，这样的語句通常使该作品價格大打折扣。

在美國，我的确给过好朋友一些东西，但很不經常。我的家人和朋友堅持要為我的勞動付出代价。我曾參加我的朋友們的書籍出版的簽售活動，我們以全價買下書，然后请我們的朋友簽名。如今，有一兩本書出版並不能改善作者的財務狀況，這也是我們支持我們的朋友的卑微方式吧。

Medical Records Protection 保护病例资料

In the much publicized Murdoch bugging scandals, one thing was perhaps quite lost to Chinese people
was the significance of the story reported by ABC News: "The Sun [one of the newspapers owned by Murdoch family] went much further when it allegedly stole Brown's family's medical records."

In the U.S., when a person takes medical leave, he or she even does not need to tell supervisor what troubles him or her, while in China, illnesses are openly discussed and commented upon and there is hardly any concern for privacy, not just amongst families and friends, colleagues are usually informed of every details of the ailments.

This is not to say that an illness is automatically concealed in the U.S.  People often choose to share certain information to let their immediate colleagues to understand their issues but usually it was expected, implicitly or explicitly, that the information should be kept confidential and it would up to the patient to choose what they want to disclose and to whom.  Medical records are very personal and private as well.

Therefore the Sun's behavior so unacceptable in the west and rather not an issue in China.

在廣為谈论的默多克竊聽醜聞中，有一个故事的意義也許令中國人很不解。

美國廣播公司新聞報導：“太陽報 [默多克家族擁有的報紙之一] 走得更遠時，涉嫌偷了布朗的家庭的醫療記錄。”

在美國，當一個人需要请病假，他或她甚至不需要訴上司煩惱他或她的是什麼，而在中國，人们公開討論和評論疾病，幾乎沒有对隱私的尊重，而这不僅僅限于家人和朋友，同事通常也会被告知疾病的每一個細節。

這並不是說，在美國病人會自動隱瞒疾病，人们往往會選擇某些信息，讓他們同事了解他們的問題。但或明或暗，這些信息應予以保密，並由病人來選擇他們想要的什么透露給誰。病歷也是非常個人的资料。

因此，太陽報的行為，在西方是不能接受的，而在中國则不是一個問題。

 

Cheese in Asia 奶酪在亞洲

I just read some story about the rise of the cheese consumption in Asia, propelled by American food chains with their offering such as cheese sandwiches and pizzas. 

最近我读到一些故事講述美國食品鏈與他們的產品，如奶酪三明治和比薩餅，推動了奶酪消費在亞洲的增长。

Cheese is the best thing I learned to enjoy in the U.S.  In China, the dairy product I ever had was milk and whipped cream.  In the U.S., particularly in the food-crazed California, we have huge varieties of cheese, with all kinds of textures, hardness and creaminess and flavors.

奶酪是我在美國學會了享受的最好的食品。 在中國时，我吃过的乳制品只有牛奶和掼奶油。在美國，特別是在讲究食品的加利福尼亞州，我們有极多品種的奶酪，拥有各種材質，硬度，奶油度和风味。

The only Chinese food I can think of to compare is dumplings.  The most famous dumpling restaurant in my home city, Shenyang, 老边饺子馆 (Old Bians' Dumpling Restaurant), boasts several dozens kinds of fillings.


唯一可比的中國菜是餃子。我的故乡沈陽的最有名的餃子館，老邊餃子館，擁有幾十種品种。



Cheese can be a tough sell to Asian countries where pastures are not widely available and dairy productions are not daily staple food.  Its distinctive flavor and smell can put off some people and maybe even upset someone's stomach - someone claims that Asians lack a certain enzyme to digest cheese.

奶酪可能较難推銷給沒有很多牧場的亞洲國家，那里奶製品不是每天主食。奶酪的獨特的風味和氣味让人排斥，甚至可能造成消化问题 - 有人称亚洲人缺乏消化奶酪的酶。


I fell in love with cheese immediately and appreciate good cheese very much, but am not shy away from cheesy food generally offered in fast food chains. Quality not quantity.

我从一开始就愛上了奶酪，并学会了欣賞优质奶酪，同时我迴避快餐連鎖店提供的一大滩奶酪的食品。质量而不是数量。

When my parents visited me from China about ten years ago, I was a bit concerned with their ability to appreciate it cheese or even to be able to digest it, particularly my mother who does not like taste of butter much.  However, they enjoyed the good Parmesan cheese I served with pastas very much and I felt confident enough to serve them more varieties of safe (less smelly) kind cheese. 

大約十年前，當我的父母從中國来看我，我有點擔心他們肯不肯吃奶酪，能不能消化它，尤其是我的不喜歡奶油的味道母親。然而，他們很喜欢我加在通心粉里的乾酪，我有信心让他們尝试了更多品種的安全（味道不重的）的奶酪。
 
I don't doubt that some Chinese and other Asian people have trouble in digesting dairy product but many don't and they can learn to appreciate good cheeses just as well as westerners.

我不懷疑，一些中國和其他亞洲人有困難消化乳製品，但很多人没有这个问题，他們可以學會和西方人一样欣賞好的奶酪。

中美物价 - Is the Price Right?

There is a well-read article circulating online, comparing the prices in China and in the US and UK.  The zest of the article is that the prices in the developed countries are much lower than those in China.  Many Chinese readers expressed their frustration over this "fact". 

However, the prices quoted in the article are often skewed or simply wrong.  There are many facts were not known to the author of the article who admitted that he only spent two weeks in the US to investigate the prices.

1) Many prices prices listed are inaccurate. Many prices quoted were seen in shops and restaurants operated by Chinese, or in open market, while prices quoted in China were often in the department stores.  The article mentioned $0.99/pound pork or ribs.  Meat costs that low is extremely hard to find in the US if not impossible.  The quality of the meat must be miserable as well.  In the US, pork costs usually in the range of $5-8/pound.   The article even mentioned the price for BMW Z4: $21,000.  I did a quick search and found the sticker price of $43,655 - $57,500 ( http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/BMW_Z4/ ).

2) there are historical reasons for price differences.  US is a fully developed country and the percentage daily costs are lower than the developing country as China.
3) There are many costs in the US unknown to many Chinese, such as personal income taxes.  A textbook in the US often cost $100-200 while in China they are printed on cheap paper and cost on the par of mass-market paperbacks.  In the US, medical insurance cost is very high and the article failed to mention that.
4) Many luxurious goods Chinese crave are luxurious goods to Americans as well, such as Coach handbags.
5) The low costs in the US is not sustainable.  It is supported by the huge national debts.  Relying on consumers for economic growth is like drinking poison to quench thirst.  The low tax for the rich is not a good example either.
6) The article mentioned that all the houses in the US can be called a villa.  It is not true.  The quality of American single family houses are quite low. 
7）Article also mentioned that in China, if one is well-educated, one needs to own a house (flat) otherwise he/she would not have any dignity.  Nonsense.  In the US, many house-owners take out 30-year loans and often re-finance down the road.  Once the houses are paid off, they are often near the end of the life.

In short, low prices in American have many political and historical reasons, but should not be copied.

Of course, from a consumer point of view, is unfair.

1）文章列出的好多美国物价不准确。华人的店， 基本是脏，乱，差，物价当然低。猪肉，排骨 0。99/磅， 除了赤贫，谁敢吃? 那个价现在在华人店也没有。猪肉一般是5-8 美元/磅。宝马Z4价格： $43,655 - $57,500， 不是文章说的$21000 （ http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/BMW_Z4/ ）。
2）中美发展水平不同，造成消费水准不同。发展程度愈高，日常费用比例愈低。
3）美国人有好多其他消费，文章没有提， 比如个人税收。美国的一本教科书，一般价格$100-200。医疗保险费用高。

4）好多中国人喜欢的，对美国人讲，也是奢侈品，比如 Coach 包。
5）美国人的低物价，造成美国国力衰退。美国人的低物价是中国买的美国国债支撑的， 而且持续不下去。靠消费引导经济增长是饮鸠止渴。美国富人的低税率也不可学。
6）美国的住房并不好。所谓别墅也不准确。你们看到美国龙卷风, 水灾的报道，也应该看到那些"别墅"。
7）30岁要有房，否则失去尊严？他们也太好面子了。美国人买房，大多要申请30年贷款。中途再贷。好多人房子付清了，一辈子也快过完了。

总之，美国人低物价是事实，有历史原因和政策原因，而且并不可学。

当然，从消费者角度看，是不公平。

Restaurant Menus - 餐馆菜单

In the food obsessed San Francisco region, many restaurants have very small menus and they change often, to reflect the fresh ingredients available during the season.

Over the years, I have learned to appreciate short menus, which often indicate the chef would pay close attention to every dishes on the menu.  This type of menu can be found most often in the so-called Californian cuisine restaurants but now even some Chinese restaurants are catching up the trend, and no longer offer those several dozens of cooking methods of entirely interchangeable pork, shrimp, chick or beef - unfortunately they still persist in many generic and lackluster restaurants, being everything and being nothing.

在講究美食的舊金山地區，許多餐館的菜單都非常短小，而且經常變更，以反映當前季節的新鮮果蔬。

多年來，我學會了欣賞簡短的菜單，這往往表明廚師將密切關注菜單上的每一道菜。這種類型的菜單經常出現在所謂的加州食品餐廳裡，但現在連一些中餐館，也已趕上潮流，不再提供幾十種烹調方法，完全可以互換的豬肉，蝦，雞或牛肉- - 但仍有一些通用和無光澤的餐館堅持使用那些，什麼都是，什麼都不是的傳統菜單。



Related blog / 相关题目: Ordering Food in Restaurants 点菜

Chinese College Graduates Abandon Pets 毕业生离校 大量宠物遭抛弃流浪校园

It has been reported by Chongqing Evening Newspaper that in universities, every year many pet dogs and cats got abandoned by their previous owners who graduated and moved away from campuses.

The picture below shows one of such abandoned cat in Southwestern Normal University.  The staff had tried to chase away some abandoned dogs, for fearing of attacks on students and some staff started to feed those lovely cats.

据报道, 每年一到学生快毕业的时候，学校的流浪猫狗就越来越多。近日，重庆晚报记者接到不少高校学生的电话，反映校园流浪猫狗越来越多。

下图是这样的一只被遗弃的在西南政法大学的流浪猫。工作人员担心流浪狗伤人, 曾赶走一些流浪狗, 而有的工作人员则开始喂一些可爱的流浪猫。


Source: People's Daily

Getting Up - 起床

Getting up in the morning is often hard for young people.  People who need to get up on time in order to go to school or work often find reliable means to wake them up.

In the US, independent people often use alarm clock to woke them up, while in China, young people often rely on their elders to wake them up.

Not only old people need to wake up their adult child(ren) who live with them, they are to wake up visiting nieces and nephews and their families.

As the manufacturer for the world, alarm clock can be easily bought in China and it won't cost much.  The dependence of the young people on their elders is rather unseemly.

Perhaps there are tiger-mothers and wolf-fathers in China, but they are, actually rare. 

年輕人早上起床往往很困難。需要準時起床上學或上班的人需要可靠的手段來喚醒他們。

在美國，獨立的人經常使用鬧鐘叫醒他們，而在中國，青年人往往依賴於他們的長輩來喚醒他們。

老人們不僅需要喚醒和他們住在一起的成年子女（们），他們还要喚醒來訪的侄儿侄女和他們的家庭。

鬧鐘可以很容易地在作為世界的製造商的中國購買到，而且也不會花很多錢。這種年輕人对他們的長輩依賴的是不體面的。

在中國有也許虎妈和狼爸，但它們實際上很少。

Grandma

© Matthew Felix Sun

Mother's Day in China - 母亲节在中国

Mother's Day, like Christmas, is a new fad in China.  Besides making or buying gifts for their mothers, Chinese kids were made to do something rather a bit strange.

It was reported that in a small town in Jiangxi Province, one hundred school pupils were rounded up, along with their mothers, to form a formation in the middle of school playing ground, and were required to wash their mother's feet, to demonstrate their love toward their mothers.

In Taiwan, a principle of a middle high school washed his 93-year-old mother's feet in public.

Many students did not feel comfortable in doing so.

The same news segment also reported that in a high school in Guangdong Province, 600 middle school students participated a so called Adulthood Ceremony, by kneeling down to their parents to receive a "Family Letter" to mark their passing into "Adulthood".

Facing some criticism regarding the kneeling, the principal countered that kneeling is the highest honor in China and if children don't knee to their parents, how could they express their gratitude towards their parents?

It's nauseating to see the demeaning of the young and lacking of dignities of all participants.

母亲节, 和圣诞节一样，是中国的一个新时尚。除了为其母亲制作或购买礼物，中国孩子们被要求做一些奇怪的事情。

据报道，在江西省的一个小城镇里，一百名小学生们, 连同他们的母亲, 被集合起来在学校操场形成一个方阵, 为他们的母亲洗脚，以证明他们对他们的母亲的爱。

在台湾，一个高中校长公开为他的93岁的老母亲的洗脚。

许多学生觉得这样做很不舒服。

同一个新闻还报到说，在广东省的一个高中，600名初中学生，跪在地上从父母手中接收"家书"，以通过所谓的成人仪式, 纪念 "成人"。

面对一些就下跪的批评，该高中校长反驳说，在中国下跪是最高的礼节荣誉，如果孩子不跪他们的父母，他们怎么能表达对父母的感激呢？

对年轻人如此贬损和所有参与者的尊严缺乏, 让人很恶心。

What (Not) To Bring As Gifts - （不）要带什么当礼物

While cleaning my drawers, I encountered some gifts I brought with me from China to the U.S. near twenty years ago.  I had never found an appropriate opportunity of giving them out.

They are quite proper gifts actually - small tea cups, fans, silk handkerchiefs, clay figurines, postcards, embroidered table decorations, etc.

In general, it is very hard to give gifts in the US, particularly those exotic gifts we brought from China -- they are often in appropriate, because of the style, taste or value.

In the US, people often give small gifts such as flowers, chocolate, etc. to show appreciation, and gifts from China often seem too serious.  For major events, such as wedding, brides and grooms usually register with department stores and list what they desire as gifts.

More over, the gifts with distinct Chinese flavor can be hard to sell - Americans who do like those exotic items are in clear minority.

I remembered that I tried to give my first academic adviser a set of Great Wall postcards (very cheap and appropriate) but still he declined after carefully and respectfully viewed all the postcards.

For any new comers to the US from China, I recommend bring several gifts, mostly little ones, beautiful but not screaming Chinese.  A few more distinguished gifts can serve in the right moments, which can only in many years' time.

Generally speaking, when you give gifts to people you are not familiar with or have higher social standing, often, you are making them embarrassed.

打扫我的抽屉，我翻出一些近二十年前我从中国带到美国的礼物。我始终没有找到了一个适当的机会把它们给出去。

它们其实是很适当的礼物 -- 小茶杯，风扇，丝绸手帕，泥人，明信片，绣花装饰表等

在通常情况下，很难给美国的礼物，特别是我们从中国带来的异国情调的礼物- 往往因为风格，品味或价值不适当。

在美国，人们常送鲜花，巧克力等，以展示赞赏或感谢, 但来自中国的礼物，往往显得过于庄重。对于重大的事件，如婚礼，新娘和新郎通常百货公司登记，列出他们希望得到的礼物。

进一步，具有鲜明的中国风味的礼物也很难出手 -- 美国喜欢那些外来品的确为少数。

我记得我试着给我的第一个学术顾问一套长城明信片（很便宜，很合适的），但他恭恭敬敬地仔细观看所有的明信片，仍然谢绝了礼物。

对于任何从中国到美国的新来者，我建议带几件礼物，大部分小礼物，漂亮却不尖叫中国特色。几件更出众的礼物也可以，在合适的时刻给出，通常在多年以后。

总之，当你送礼物给不熟的人， 地位比你高的人， 往往让他们很尴尬。

Red Flowers
Oil on Canvas

© Matthew Felix Sun
www.matthewfelixsun.com

Politics and Profits

Thirty-five years after his death, Mao Zedong still enjoys respect or even reverence from many quarters in China. For example, in April 2010, Telegraph reported that Chinese protestor throws ink at portrait of Chairman Mao:

An angry Chinese protestor has attempted to throw ink over the famed giant portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong that hangs in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, police in China have confirmed.

Police wrestled the man to the ground last weekend after he threw a bottle of ink at the portrait, a potent symbol of Communist Party power which hangs on the Tiananmen gate tower where Chairman Mao declared a new republic 60 years ago.

"At around 13:35pm, April 5 2010, a man was put under control after he threw a plastic bottle of ink towards the Tiananmen gate tower," the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau confirmed in a statement faxed to The Telegraph.

The audacious attack echoes the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest when three young men threw ink-filled eggs at the portrait in a gesture of defiance against China' Communist ruling party that resonated around the world.

The three men, Lu Decheng, Yu Zhijian, and Yu Dongyue, received some of the harshest sentences in the crackdown that followed the violent crushing of the protests, being jailed for 16 years, 20 years and life respectively.

That kind of disrespect to the Mao could not be tolerated by Chinese government, if it was out of political motivation.

However, if it was done in the name of development, the story could have a different ending.

Technews reported that 

A real estate company wrecked the statue of the 'Great Helmsman' -- China's most powerful figure between 1949 and 1976 -- while re-developing a district in Longlou town in Wenchang region, reported Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

Erected in 2008, the 9.9m white marble statue had attracted many visitors, China News Service (CNS) reported.

"Developers now wield the greatest power of destruction in China, tearing down houses and flattening martyrs' mausoleums in the name of development," another (Internet) post remarked on China.com."

Indeed, in the name of development, developers, often combined with power of unchecked government and ruthless mafia, wrecked homes for profit at well.




海南省、文昌市 Wenchang, Hainan Province

The demolition of Mao's statue earned some condemnation from China's leftist corners but it is doubtful any developers involved would suffer the fate of those angry protesters who "defaced" Mao's giant portrait.

Profits tramps politics.  Call it progress.

Mao's Statue in Shenyang

Alleged Han Han's Article: "Goodbye! Ai Weiwei" Goes Viral - 网传韩寒被和谐的文章：再见！艾未未

中國最著名的藝術家艾未未的消失引起了國際社會的強烈抗議，但在在中國的反應，主要是沉默和冷漠。然而，有一篇关于這個敏感的話題的文章，據称由中国最有影響力的博客韓寒撰写，已在网上疯传。韓寒的博客上無法找到此文，這可能意味著这篇有明显韓寒風格文章的作者是其他人，借用韓寒響亮的名字，以吸引注意力; 或他的文章已經被政府的網路控制器 "和谐"（消音）。

The disappearance of the most famous Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has caused a great outcry in the international community but the response in China was largely muted and indifferent. However, there was an article, allegedly written by the most influential Chinese blogger, Han Han, on this sensitive topic, has gone viral.  This article cannot be found in Mr. Han's blog, which can mean either the article was written by somebody, clearly in his style, else and used his famous name to attract attention; or his article has been "harmonized" (censored) by the government's internet controller.

對於那些誰不熟悉韓先生，請閱讀我以前的博客：韓寒-极有影響的中國博客 Han Han - Influential Blogger in China。

For those who are not familiar with Mr. Han, please read my previous blog: 韓寒-极有影響的中國博客 Han Han - Influential Blogger in China.

这篇文章可以在很多地方找到，比如Literary City“文學城“。下面是原文字，及我的英語翻譯：

The article can be found in many places, such as "Literary City".  Below is the full text, followed by my English translation:

韩寒：再见！艾未未

现在艾未未不能说话了，我们谁来为艾未未说话呢？

昨天听说艾未未被捕了。作为一个普通人，我十分揪心。我很难想象一个像艾未未这样的人也会被逮捕。但是想一下自己是在中国，再想一下被囚禁在家中的陈光诚和即将面临起诉的冉云飞，也就想通了。这里是一个连法律都不能做挡箭牌的国家。

艾未未，胖子，有大胡子。和我们一样爱捣鼓一些稀奇古怪的玩意，也爱翻墙出去看新闻。从不计较送朋友东西，也爱拍真实的故事。追求真实，反对虚假。遵从邓小平爷爷“求真务实”的号召。也为国家奥运会工作做出了极大的贡献。

他先前被限制出行过，被警察殴打过。但是被拘留超过24小时这还是第一次。以我有限的社会常识也可以猜到这次与以往不一样。或许，再过几天张思之大律师就会多出一个客户。从此，再也看不到绝伦的艺术品，再也看不到推特上狂野的回复。我抽屉里的几颗陶瓷葵瓜子也许会寂寞，但是我身上印着板砖的文化衫依旧会坚挺出现在街上。

我已经不想呼吁什么，我也无力号召什么。从一九四九年本朝开国算起：反右、文革、严打、学潮、维稳，每一个时期都有无数揣着自己良心走进监狱的人，也有无数揣着自己良心被割下头颅的人。五星红旗为什么是红的？是无数还有良知的人鲜血染红的。

艾未未曾经为上访者说话，为三聚氰胺奶粉受害者说话，为汶川地震遇难的小学生说话。现在艾未未不能说话了，我们谁来为艾未未说话呢？如果连凭着良知说一句真话的勇气都没有了，那么我真相信历朝历代“吾皇万万岁”的口号都实现了。最后，我想用李志的一首歌来作为结尾：“人民不需要自由，这是最好的年代”。

译文 Translation:

Han Han: Goodbye! Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is now unable to speak, who amongst us will speak for Ai Weiwei?

Yesterday, we heard that Ai Weiwei was arrested. As an ordinary person, I am very worried. I can not imagine that someone like Ai Weiwei would also have been arrested. But remembering that I am in China, and remembering Chen Guangchen, who was under house-arrest, and Ran Yunfei, who was facing prosecution, it all made sense. Here is a country that laws cannot be used to shield us.

Ai Weiwei, fat, big beard. Like us, he loved to fiddle with some strange stuff, and love to climbe over the [internet] wall to look for news. Never hesitated to give things away to friends, and loved to shoot true true stories. Pursuing truth, against falsity. Followed Grandpa Deng Xiaoping's call of "pragmatism". Made great contribution for the State's Olympic Games.

He had previously been restricted from traveling, and beaten by the police. But being detained for more than 24 hours, this is the first time. With my limited social knowledge, I can guess that this time it would not be the same as the past. Perhaps, in a few days, the famed barrister Zhang Sizhi will have one more client. From now on, we can no longer see superb works of art, or read uninhibited replies on Twitter. The few ceramic sunflower seeds in my drawer might be feel lonely, but the culture T-shirt on my body, with the print of brick would again appear in the street, stubbornly.

I do not want to appeal for anything; I have no power to call for anything. Counting from the founding of current dynasty in 1949: the anti-rightist, the Cultural Revolution, Severe Punishment of Crimes, student unrest, stability maintenance - each period, there were countless people walked into prisons with their consciences, and there were also countless people had their heads cut off for their consciences. Why is the five-star [national] flag red? It was dyed by the blood of those countless people who still had consciences.

Ai Weiwei had spoken for petitioners, for the victims of the melamine milk powder, for the primary school victims in Wenchuan, Sichuan earthquake. Ai Weiwei is now unable to speak, who amongst us will speak for Ai Weiwei? If we no longer have the courage to tell the truth with conscience, then, I truly believe that the slogan every dynasties had been striving to achieve "Ten-Thousand Years, Our Emperors!" have finally realized. Finally, I would like to use the lyrics from a song by Li Zhi to end this article: "People do not need freedom, this is the best of the epoch."

这篇文章是否出自韩寒之手已不重要，重要的是它的存在及广大反响。

If this article written by Han Han or not is not very important now; it is very important that it exists and its great impact.


艾未未行为艺术——腾飞不忘挡中央 -- 在他手中, 一个叫草泥马(操你妈)的玩具, 因此, 此图可以被读成 [草泥马(操你妈), 挡中央(党中央)].  几年前, 一个叫草泥马(操你妈)的YouTube视频, 造成YouTube在中國被屏蔽.
Ai Weiwei Performance Art - Taking-Off Did Not Forget to Block the Center (挡中央 (Blocking the Center), homonym 党中央 (Party Center)) -- in his hand, a toy named Cao-Ni-Ma (Grass-Mud-Horse, a homonym with a most insulting Chinese cursing phrase, Fuck Your Mother, therefore, the whole images can be read as Fuck Your Mother, Party Center.  Several Years ago, a YouTube segment of Cao-Ni-Ma (Grass-Mud-Horse) caused the blocking of YouTube in China.

Imperial Mausoleums of Mao Zedong and his Successor Hua Guofeng - 毛澤東和他的繼任者華國鋒的皇陵

Chinese emperors love to build impressive mausoleums.  The First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi built vast underground terracotta soldiers to guard his still hidden mausoleum, and earned his world renown.  Other emperors were not far behind.  Below is the tomb of a Han Dynasty's Emperor Liu Qi:

中國帝王愛建令人印象深刻的陵墓。秦始皇建了巨大的地下兵馬俑守衛他的仍然隱藏着的陵墓，並獲得了世界聲譽。其他皇帝也不甘落後。下面是一個漢代皇帝劉启 (? 音译)的墓：



Han Dynasty Emperor Liu Qi's Mausoleum

However, mausoleum building didn't end with the empire.  The provisional president of Republic of China Sun Yat-sen had his mausoleum built in Nanjing (Nanking):

然而，陵墓建築並沒有随帝國而結束。中华民國臨時大總統中國孫中山有他建在南京的陵墓：


Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum, Nanjing (Nanking)

The de facto emperor Mao Zedong got his, courtesy of his hand-pick care-taking successor, Hua Guofeng (1921-2008), in the heart of Tian'anmen Square:

事實上的皇帝毛澤東得到了他，由他親自挑選護的看守接班人，華國鋒（1921-2008）修建，在天安門廣場的中心：


Mao Zedong's Mausoleum Under Construction - Portraits in Center: Mao Zedong and his hand-pick successor Hua Guofeng


Mao Zedong's Mausoleum Inauguration Ceremony (September 9, 1977)

Not long after the completion of Mao's Mausoleum, Hua was pushed out of political posts by Deng Xiaoping et al. and largely forgotten.  However, after his death in 2008, there is a movement to re-evaluate his achievement and to crown this effort, his home province Shanxi, built a gigantic mausoleum for him (See pictures below).  The mausoleum occupies an area of 100,000 square meters (over 14 soccer fields), with total investment: about 100 million yuan (US Dollar 15.3 million).


完成毛澤東紀念堂後不久，華被鄧小平等人从政治職位上推下去, 幾乎被人遺忘。然而，在他去世於2008年之后，兴起了重新評估他的成就的運動，包括他的故鄉山西省，為他建立了一個巨大的陵墓（見下列圖）。陵墓佔地面積10萬平方米（超過 14個足球場），總投資約 100億元人民幣（1530萬美元）。

His mausoleum story came in a very interesting time - recently there were many reporting in China on people's inability to pay for tomb lots.

他的陵墓故事是在一個非常有意味的時間嚗光- 最近有許多報導说在中國人们無力支付的墳墓费用。

Self Determination 人民自決

According to People's Daily, on March 22 2011, during a routine press conference, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu claimed that Libya's future should be decided by the Libyan people themselves.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956, was crushed by the invading Soviet army.

According to some sources, the Chinese leader Mao Zedong played an important role in Khrushchev's decision to suppress the Hungarian uprising. Chinese Communist Party Deputy Chairman Liu Shaoqi pressured Khrushchev to send in troops to put down the revolt by force.

So far, Chinese government has not apologized to Hungarian people and government.

True, current Chinese leaders are not Mao and Liu.  But if they truly believe in the self determination of people, inside and outside China, they would have offered such apology long ago, and welcomed true democracy everywhere.

據人民日報报道, 在2011年3月22日的例行新聞發布會上，外交部發言人姜瑜稱，利比亚的未来应该由利比亚人民自己决定。

1956年匈牙利革命，一個全國性自發活动, 反抗匈牙利人民共和國政府及其蘇聯強加的政策，從10月23日持續至11月10號，被入侵的蘇聯軍隊粉碎。

據一些消息人士透露，中國領導人毛澤東对赫魯曉夫的決定鎮壓匈牙利起義發揮了重要作用。中共黨的副主席劉少奇对赫魯曉夫施加壓力，派軍隊平息了叛亂的力量。

到目前為止，中国政府尚未向匈牙利人民和政府道歉。

目前的中國領導人与毛澤東和劉少奇的確不同。但是，如果他們真正相信不论在中國内外的人民自決，他們应该已经作出這樣的道歉，並歡迎世界各地的真正的民主。

Chinese Authors Accused Search Engine Baidu Stealing - 中国作家指控百度搜索引擎盗窃

Search engine Baidu, which has a 75 percent market share in China, after the exit of Google, has long been accused of supporting piracy through its web site.  Its mp3 search has been accused of sharing hundreds of thousands of illegal songs hosted on third-party sites.  Just two weeks ago, two of China's biggest websites, the search engine Baidu and online retailer Taobao, were named as "notorious markets" in a new U.S. government report for allegedly supporting pirated and counterfeit goods.

Recently, more than 40 writers have signed a letter to accuse Baidu of providing their works for free to download on its online library Baidu Wenku, without their permission.  The author said "Baidu has become a totally corrupt thief company" that runs a "marketplace of stolen goods."

Copyright protection is still relatively new in China and the emergence of eBooks definitely made it a greater challenge.  Considering it is still a very thorny issue in the U.S., it is no surprise that it would be very difficult to combat such theft in China.



百度搜索引擎，占有自谷歌退出後的百分之75的中國市場份額，一直被指責通過它的網站支持盜版。它的MP3搜索被指責，導致幾十萬非法歌曲在其第三方網站上被分享。就在兩個星期前，兩名中國最大的網站，百度搜索引擎和網上零售商淘寶，在一個新的美國政府的報告上分別命名為 "臭名昭著的市場", 涉嫌支持盜版及冒牌貨品。

最近，40多個作家簽署了一封信，指責百度沒有他們的許可, 在其網上圖書館百度文库，提供他们的作品免費下載。筆者說： "百度已經成為一個完全腐敗的小偷公司，運行一个"贓物市場"。

版權保護是在中國還是相對較新的问题, 電子圖書的出現無疑使其成為更大的挑戰。考慮到在美國，它仍然是一個非常棘手的問題，毫不奇怪, 在中國, 對付這種盜竊將是非常困難。

Book Group - 读书俱乐部

Reading, Oil on Canvas

© Matthew Felix Sun

Just finished reading a book for the "assignment" of my book group, which I joint about five years ago. Before I lived in the U.S. from China, I didn't know anyone who was associated with of any book group or book club.  It is quite ironic considering that I grew up in a household filled with books.  I remember that when I was little, I never had any toy of my own, but I had books.  The only times I asked for something in shopping streets and would roll in mud if my requests were denied, were occasions I wanted to have some new books.

In China, when people get together, they feast, they play Mahjong, and they chitchat aimlessly.  Discussing a book?  No.  Oh, no, my dear sir.  No.  Chinese nowadays give little thoughts to literature.  Considering any congregation might be viewed suspiciously by the ever-nervous government, it is also very wise not to get together with other thoughtful people and converse intelligently.

剛剛讀完我的書社的“任务”。 我是約五年前加入这个書社的。在我從中國移居美國前，我不认识任何人与任何读书团体或读书会有关。這很具有諷刺意味，因为我生長在一個充滿了書籍的家庭。我記得我小時候，我從來沒有我自己的任何玩具，但我擁有書。唯一時候，我在購物街里要买东西，而如果我的要求被拒絕，我在泥濘中打滾，是我想要一些新的書籍。

在中國，當人們聚到一起，他們宴饮，他們打麻將，他們漫无目的地侃大山。討論書籍？不，哦，不，我親愛的先生。中國人現在很少想到文學。考慮到任何集会可能愈来愈緊張的政府被視為可疑，不與其他有思想的人作深刻的交談，是很明智的。

Mobile Positioning in Beijing - 北京手机定位

Various media in China recently reported that Beijing Science and Technology Commission proposed to use modern technology to monitor the movements of mobile phone users to facilitate the traffic layout and population management.  As soon as the news came out, it immediately drew attention to civil liberties and personal privacy concerns and other issues.

一些媒体最近报道说北京市将利用现代科技手段，掌握手机用户的行踪，以利交通布局和人口管理。这一消息刚一传出，立即引起人们对公民通信自由、个人隐私权等问题的担心。

I searched the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper People's Daily for such report and found results as shown in the image below:

我在中国共产党机关报人民日报搜索了该报告, 发现下面的图片中显示的结果：



However, most of the links to the search results led to only error message pages now, such as the first result Beijing Science and Technology Commission response to "mobile positioning public travel" - which linked to a message: "The Page You Want to See Does Not Exist!":

但是,大部分的搜索结果，链接到错误信息网页，比如第一个检索结果 - 北京科委主任回应"手机定位市民出行":



After a bit more carefully worded search, still on People's Daily, I was able to find some archived stories, such as Mobile Locating Makes Citizens Uneasy and It Is Also Unsafe, which was credited to China Economic Times, which in turn, credited the story to Beijing Morning News.  However, I couldn't find such story in Beijing Morning News anymore.

经过一些在人民日报上措辞更谨慎的搜索，我能够找到一些存档的故事，如手机定位公民行踪, 让人不爽也不安，这篇稿是源于中国经济时报，而它又援引了北京晨报。不过，我在北京晨报无法找到这个故事了。

The story gave more details of the proposal tha:

这个故事提供了该建议的细节：

Beijing will based on China Mobile's 17 million mobile phone users data, to establish a "dynamic information platform of people's travel information in Beijing," in order to grasp the population distribution in selected area and the flow distribution at different times.  "In addition to service traffic needs, it will be helpful to population management.  For example, [we can] obtain more comprehensive information regarding the number of people in one region at a time," said Li Guoguang, Deputy Director of Social Development, Science and Technology Commission, Beijing. (March 2, "Beijing Morning Post")

北京将以中国移动的北京1700万手机用户数据为基础，建立“北京市市民出行动态信息平台”，掌握选定区域的人口数量分布以及人口在不同时间段的流动分布情况。“除了服务交通外，对于人口管理也很有帮助，比如某一地区在某一时间的人口数量，通过手机定位获取的信息将更加全面。”北京市科委社发处副处长李国 光说。（3月2日《北京晨报》）

Story continued with people's reactions:

报道继续下去描写人们的反应：

Mobile positioning has such power, one can imagine that when this technology is used on ordinary people, our travel trends, every movement were all in the hands of governmental power. If so, are there any privacy? Of course, the original intention of Beijing's such mobile location is to grasp the number of people in a certain zone within a certain time, at first glance appears to be in the public interest; it is clear that the mobile phone positioning is double-edged sword, people today can use it to grasp the population trends, tomorrow, they can locate the whereabouts of the every one of us; today, the target is a group, tomorrow it may be individuals.

手机定位有如此威力，可以想见一旦用于每个普通人身上，我们的出行动态、一举一动无不尽在公权力的掌握之中。果如是，还有何隐私可言？当然，北京此 次手机 定位的初衷，是为了掌握某一地区某一时间内的人口数量，乍看起来是为了公共利益，但很显然的是，手机定位是把双刃剑，今天可以掌握人口数量来定位，明天则 可以另一个借口定位我们的行踪；今天定位的是群体，明天就可能定位个体。

Although Li Guoguang said that in the process of data services, privacy protection will be strictly enforced.  The question is, who is watching the governmental power?  Morality is unreliable, to rely on the power to monitor themselves is also unreliable.

尽管李国光表示，在数据服务的过程中，将严格执行隐私保护。问题是，谁来监督公权力？道德是靠不住的，自己监督自己同样是靠不住的。

In contrary to the general mobile positioning on only a few mobile phones, Beijing's new proposal is to target as much as 17 million mobile phone users; once the user's personal information got stolen, the consequences could be disastrous.

与一般手机定位的只是少数人不同，北京此次手机定位的对象多达1700万手机用户，用户的个人信息一旦泄露，后果不堪设想。

Mobile location will no doubt increase the scope of supervision of public authority, the privacy of citizens face greater challenges, which make people unhappy and this is disturbing.

手机定位无疑加大了公权力的监督范围，公民的隐私面临更大的挑战，这让人不爽也不安。

The original articles are shown below:

下图是网上原文：

Social Secretary and the Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name - 社交秘书和不敢言名的愛

Image source: sfgate.com

It has been widely reported, such as in San Francisco Chronicle, "The White House made history Friday by announcing the appointment of Jeremy Bernard as the first male, and openly gay, social secretary."

Many other media reporting, inevitably mentioned Mr. Bernard's being openly gay.

When I first read this, I felt a little uneasy.  Why does his sexual preference matter for a man taking on a typically viewed as women's job?  Then, I accepted that this is part of the story and the reporters need to tell the whole story, if they are to report on anything.

This story even made it to the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper - People's Daily.  It was an exhaustive report, including the background the the duty of what a social secretary of the White House does.  However, it had a glaring hole - it failed to mentioned the fact that Mr.s Bernard is gay.

However Chinese people or government want us to believe that China is a progressive place, same-sex love there is still "the love that dare not speak its name".

据如舊金山紀事報和其他媒体廣泛報導，"白宮週五宣布任命傑瑞米·伯納德作為第一個男性, 公開的同性戀者, 总统社交秘书，而創造了歷史。"

其他許多媒體報導，也不可避免地提到伯納德是公開的同性戀者。

當我第一次讀到這里，我感到有點不安。為什麼在这个男性首次担任通常被視為女性工作职务的故事, 他的性傾向問題值得报道？思考一会儿，我承認這是故事的一部分，需要記者报道，如果他們认为故事值得报道。

這個故事，甚至登到中国共产黨的機關報-人民日報。那是一個詳盡的報告，包括白宮社交秘書的背景和責任。但是，它有一個明顯的漏洞- 它沒有提到一個事實，即伯納德先生是同性戀。

不论中國人和政府怎么希望我們相信中國是一個進步的地方，在那里, 同性愛還是 "不敢言名的愛"。

Shark Fin Debate in San Francisco - 旧金山鱼翅的辩论

San Francisco Chronicle recently reported, Calif. shark fin bill would ban Chinese delicacy, that

A law that would ban the sale and distribution of shark fins in California, preventing hundreds of restaurants from serving an ancient Chinese delicacy, was introduced Monday, igniting an emotional debate between conservationists and Asian leaders.

The bill, introduced by Assemblymen Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, and Paul Fong, D-Cupertino, would halt all California trade in shark fins, which are used to make Chinese shark fin soup, a tradition at banquets among Chinese people around the world.

Assembly Bill 376 says the California market for the expensive dish is helping drive rampant illegal shark finning in international waters. The practice involves cutting off the tails and fins of living sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean to suffer and die.

The shark fin trade is believed by many scientists to be responsible for a catastrophic collapse in the worldwide shark population.

The proposed law, coming on the heels of a similar ban passed in Hawaii last year, faces considerable opposition from Chinese American restaurant and market owners, sea food distributors and fishermen.

State Sen. Leland Yee, who is running for mayor of San Francisco, called AB376 an "attack on Asian culture."

Mr. Yee's argument is pure nonsense.  Asian culture doesn't lie on shark fins.  Many Asians never had any chance to sample a drop of shark fin soup.  It had usually be consumed by the super rich and powerful, till perhaps Costco jumped in.  Consuming shark fins had no inherent connection to Asian costume, and it is not a culture.  Even if there was some linkages to certain traditional ways amongst a group of people, it has to change.  Chinese people used to bind women's feet, had emperors, and men had concubines.  Would Mr. Yee oppose the changing of those as well? 

I was glad to see that not all people with Asian heritage agree with his self-serving argument.  SF Chronicle continued: "Shark fin has lost a little luster among some Chinese Americans who are aware of the environmental consequences."

I unknowingly had a serving of shark fin soup more than 10 years ago and had avowed never to have it again and am trying hard to persuade my parents and other relatives to stay away from it.  I hope more enlightened people would realize that some "traditions" must change.

Huan Da Yu, a Chinese herbalist (left), and David Lu conclude a news conference opposing the proposed legislation at the Far East Cafe by eating shark fin soup.     中醫 Huan Da Yu 和 David Lu　以在遠東咖啡廳吃魚翅湯来结束反對立法建議的新聞發布會。
Photo: David Paul Morris / Special To The Chronicle

舊金山紀事報近日報導，美國加利福尼亞州魚翅法案將禁止中式美食：

週一提交的一項法律，將在加利福尼亞州禁止銷售和分發鯊魚鰭，禁止數百名餐廳提供一個古老的中國美食，點燃了亚裔头面人物和环保界的激烈辯論。

由州代表Jared Huffman（民主党-San Rafael）, and Paul Fong（民主党-Cupertino）提交的該法案，將停止所有加州鯊魚鰭貿易，鯊魚鰭是用來做魚翅湯的，一個各地世界中國人宴席的傳統。

議376法案說，加州市場為这一貴菜，正推動在國際水域的猖獗非法狩猎鯊魚鰭。這種狩猎涉及活生生切斷鯊魚尾巴和鰭，然後再把它拋回海裡去，任其受苦和死亡。

許多科學家認為魚翅貿易应为災難性的全球鯊魚數量崩潰負責。

擬議的法律，紧随去年在夏威夷通過的一個類似的禁令，面臨相當大的美國華人餐館和市場業主，海洋食品分銷商和漁民的反對。

州參議員Leland Yee，正競選舊金山市長，稱AB376為 “攻击亞洲文化。”

Yee先生的說法純粹是無稽之談。亞洲文化並不在存在於鯊魚鰭。許多亞洲人從來沒有任何機會來尝一滴魚翅湯。魚翅湯通常被超級富豪消费，直到Costco 之类加入后变得更普及。魚翅不是亞洲习俗不可分的成分，它也不是一種文化。即使有它与某一些一群人的某些傳統方式有聯繫，　它也必須改變。中國人过去让婦女缠足，有皇帝，男子纳妄。 Yee先生也反對改变這些吗？

我很高興地看到，並非所有亞裔都同意他的自我服務的說法。紀事報繼續說：“魚翅一小部分華裔美國人中已經失去了光澤，他们知道其環境後果。”


10多年前，我在不知覺情况下吃了一次魚翅湯。从此，我公開宣稱拒绝魚翅湯，我还在努力說服我的父母和其他親戚不吃它。我希望更多的開明的人都會認識到，一些“傳統”，必須改變。

Rich Food Worry - 豐富食物的擔心

San Francisco Chronicle reported that half of the blood donations in China immediately after lunar new year had to be discarded due to high fat content.  People consume huge amount of high protein and fatty food during the celebratory period.

I spoke to my parents recently and they worry about how to preserve huge quantity of food - fish, meat, poultry, etc.  Their two freezers are full and the temperature is rising so the food in the balcony will not stay frozen much longer.  I asked if they want to give some food away, they said that all the relatives have plenty and share the same worry.

My next question was would they give some to the poor and my dad was dumbfounded by my question.  Once he realized that I was serious about giving the abundant to the poor, he started to state obstacles - people don't give away food, people are leery of food given to them - they even worry about the safety of those purchased from stores let alone free from strangers, the poor had help from the governments, etc.

It is sad to realize that there is still no tradition of sharing with the less fortunate there.  In the US, many people donate goods and time to the poor (though I would rather see no one falls into that category, but that is unrealistic).  Many NGOs help to facilitate such charitable efforts as well.

China is a very tough country to live in for the poor - there are many working poor and unemployed and the helps they got, survived skimping from various levels of corrupted official, were dismal.  Chinese government also does not like organizations not sanctioned by itself.

It is hard to combat poverty if the better offs would not see the needs or usefulness to helping the poor.  US is doing better now but it seems the rich and powerful here are determined to learn from China, and siphon more money from middle class to their ever expanding coffers.  



舊金山紀事報报道，中國農曆新年後一半的捐獻血液被丟棄了，因為它的高脂肪含量。人們在慶祝期間消耗大量的高蛋白質和脂肪的食物。

我跟我的父母最近通话时，他們擔心如何保存大量的食品 - 魚，肉，家禽，他們的兩個冷凍機等都以满了，随氣溫上升，在陽台上的食物也不會凍結更長的時間。我問他們有没有想把一些食物分给别人，他們說，所有的親戚都有很多食品，並有相同的烦恼。

我的下一個問題是，他們會不會把一些食物送给一些相对贫窮的人。我的爸爸觉得我的問題很不着边际。当他意識到我是認真时，他開始狀设障礙 -- 中国人不乱送食物，人們对從商店里購買都懷疑安全性, 对陌生人的赠与食物，他們会更擔心安全，窮人有政府的幫助，等等。

認識道那裡沒有與不幸的人分享的傳統是很让人悲叹的。在美國，許多人向窮人捐贈物品及時间（儘管我寧願看不到贫穷现象，但那是不現實的）。許多非政府組織提供促進慈善的種種努力。

窮人在中國是非常艱難的 - 許多工作窮人和失業者得到了的從各級貪官污吏剋扣后点滴幫助，總是差強人意。中國政府也不喜歡未获它批准的組織。

如果富人認识不到幫助窮人需要或效用，消除貧困是很難的。美國现在做得好些；但是，現在看來這裡的有财有势的人正決心學習中國，以從中產階級虹吸更多的錢，以不斷擴大他們的金库。

Price Tags and Store Return - 价格标签和商店退货

Yesterday, I prepared a work-related thank-you gift and took off price tags from the merchandises we were to send out.  I only learned not to reveal the costs of gifts in the U.S.  When I was back to China and tried to remove price tags from some gifts I was about to send out, my mother felt that it was rather peculiar.  There, people would rather leave the price tags on and let the receiver know the value of the gifts, therefore notice that how they were values by the gift givers.

Price tags in the U.S. can also facilitate returns of unwanted merchandises back to the stores.  In the U.S., within the stated periods, usually 30 days, with receipts and original packages, unused merchandises generally can be returned for full value, unless they were on sale when purchased or have been discontinued.  Without receipts, a store credit might still be issued for the returned goods.

In China, it would be VERY difficult to return anything, with or without receipt.  Customers who dare to try to return any goods, run the risk of being ridiculed and scolded and perhaps even cursed.  Mega stores with capitals from overseas are doing better job there now.

昨天，我準備一些與工作有關的感謝禮物，并揭下我們要寄出去商品的價格標籤。我在美國學會了这个不透露禮物價格的习惯。當我回到中國，並試圖揭下禮物的價格標籤时，我母親覺得這很奇怪。在那裡，人們願意讓接收人知道礼品價值，因此看到他們是在送禮者眼中的價值如何。

在美國的價格標籤也可以加快商品退货。在美國，在規定期限内，一般為 30天，只要有收據和原包裝，未使用商品一般都可退回的全部價值，除非他們在折价購買或已經商店下档。如果沒有收據，貨物仍然可能退掉，以换得商店信用。

在中國，退货是非常困難的事，不论有或沒有收據。顾客誰膽敢嘗試退返任何商品，要冒被嘲笑和斥责，甚至詛咒的风險。有來自海外的資金的大型商店现在做得好些。

Kampf， © Matthew Felix Sun

我没有说话 - I Did Not Speak Up

"First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me." This well-known speech by Pastor Martin Niemoller, First They Came..., now inspired a new version in Chinese language websites:

“首先他们冲共产党员来， 我没有说话， 因为我不是共产党员。 接着他们冲工会成员来， 我没有说话， 因为我不是工会会员。 接着他们冲犹太人来， 我没有说话， 因为我不是犹太人。 然后他们冲我而来 却没有剩下来的人 为我说话了。” 马丁·尼默勒牧师的这个著名的言谈，启发了中文网站的新版本：

我没有说话 他们封Blogger的时候， 我没有说话， 因为我不写博客； 他们封Youtube的时候， 我没有说话， 因为我不看视频； 他们封Twitter的时候， 我没有说话， 因为我不用微博； 他们封Facebook的时候， 我没有说话， 因为我不交友； 他们封Google的时候， 我没有说话， 因为我用百度搜索； 最后我发现， 我再也没有地方说话了。

I Did Not Speak Up When they closed down Blogger, I did not speak up, because I did not write blogs; When closed down Youtube, I did not speak up, because I did not watch online videos; When closed down Twitter, I did not speak up, because I did not write tweets; When closed down Facebook, I did not speak up, because I did not make friends; When closed down Google, I did not speak up, because I used Baidu to search; Finally, I found out that I have no place to speak up.

More Social Media Unavailable

Dessert - 甜食

The Sarah Palin vs.Michele Obama saga over dessert was quite an eye-opener for me, who grew up in China, where dining table dessert was a concept rather foreign.

Palin's ridiculing the first lady's caution on balanced diet was plain silly as we would have expected from her but Mrs. Obama's rationale itself was quite incredulous to me.

According to a Washington Post article,

In fact, the first lady has never suggested that sweets be banned from the dinner table, cafeteria or campground. She says she tells her daughters, Sasha and Malia, that "dessert is not a right" and that meals should be balanced with fruits and vegetables.

What I read in this paragraph was that as long as her daughters eat fruits and vegetables, they'll get their desserts.  I used to think that dessert was served on special occasions rather than everyday implied here.

I did some inquiries amongst my friends and colleagues who was born and grew up in the US on how often they have desserts.  The result was less than conclusive.  Some said that they have it often but not on daily basis yet someone told me that they have dessert everyday, usually with dinner.

Similarly, in China, when there are guests, they were treated with fruits, nuts and tea, instead of crackers, cheese, chips, beer, wine and liquor.  On the other hands, Chinese people used to serve cigarettes too though that practice has been dumped.

佩林与奧巴馬夫人就甜點的争执为我大開眼界，因为我在中國長大，在那里，餐桌甜點是一個陌生的概念。

佩林諷刺第一夫人的平衡飲食的提议是愚蠢的，与我們对她的期望相符; 但奧巴馬夫人的理由本身却很让我懷疑。

據華盛頓郵報的一篇文章讲，

事實上，第一夫人從未建議，在餐桌上，餐廳里或露營地禁止甜食。她說她告訴她的女兒们薩沙和瑪麗雅："吃甜點不是权利"，而應該与水果和蔬菜平衡膳食。

這里我讀到的是，只要她的女兒们吃水果和蔬菜，她們就會得到她們的甜點。我曾經以為甜點是在比较特殊場合吃的，而不是這裡按时的每天都吃。

我在我的出生在美國并在次長大的朋友和同事之間做了一些調查，他們吃甜品的频率。其結果没有定論。有人說，但他們常长吃甜是, 但不时每天读有, 而有人告訴我，他們每天吃甜點，通常是晚餐时吃。

同樣，在中國，如有客人，他們用水果，堅果和茶葉招待客人，而不是用餅乾，奶酪，薯條，啤酒，葡萄酒和白酒。但另一方面，中國人给客人敬香煙，雖然這種做法现在已經被拋棄了。

Calendar Time - 日历的时候

When I switched to a new calendar, I always remembered the calendar time in China when I was in middle school.  It was a time China just started to open up to the outside world but in many aspects we were still rather isolated and in the art fields it was very bad indeed.  We had no opportunity to see any masterpieces created by western masters, even in reproductions for decades.  Artists' monographs were very rare if any.

In that environment, calendars opened the window for me to that part of the world.  Every year, from perhaps as early as October through December, my father, who worked in cultural field then, would bring home several dozens of huge rolls of calendars, featuring photographs of landscape, cityscape, traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings or sculptures by old masters, folk arts, movie stars, and sometimes, propaganda.

I remembered vividly the first time I encountered Rembrandt through the calendar.  It was the first time I beheld wonders as his majestic Juno and melancholic Man with a Golden Helmet.  I was alternatively in awe and rapture.  I couldn't believe that paintings could be so beautiful and powerful.  I had been to many art exhibit before but was largely indifferent to those creations under the influence of socialist realism.

Finally I realized what was true art.

Over the years, the importance of calendar in my life has decreased drastically but I would never remember how profound impact they had when I was in the most malleable age.


Man with a Golden Helmet, Rembrandt


Juno, Rembrandt

當我換到一個新的日曆时，我總是想起在中國當我還在讀中學的日曆時期。那時中國剛剛開始對外開放，但在許多方面還比較孤立，在藝術領域尤其糟糕。在幾十年内, 我們沒有機會看到任何西方大師創造的傑作，甚至複製品。藝術家們的專集如果有的話也非常罕見。

在那種環境下，日曆为我打開那部分世界的窗戶。每年，或許早在10月到12月，我的父親，当时在文化領域工作，就會給帶回家數十個卷巨大日曆，内容多為山水景觀，城市景觀，傳統的中國畫，西方大師的油畫和雕塑，民間藝術，影視明星，有時，宣傳画。

我記得我第一次通過日曆看到倫勃朗作品。那是我第一次看見他的嵩峻朱諾的和憂鬱的戴黃金頭盔的人。我感到敬畏和狂喜。我簡直不敢相信油畫能如此美麗和有如此影响力。我曾参观過許多藝術展覽，但對那些社會主義現實主義影響下創作的作品大多無動於衷。

终于，我意識到什麼是真正的藝術。

多年來，日曆的重要性在我的生活中以大幅下跌，但我永遠不會忘記它們对我曾有多麼深刻的影響，尤其是在我可塑性最强的年纪。