Chinese Lives

Ga-gong, meaning white snow, is the name of a sister mountain to the Everest standing in the Sichuan-Tibet bordering beautiful place. The mountain peak covered by ice snow for all year, plus hot spring, endless grassland, running streams and challenging climbing route, have lured many adventurers close or far.

The general geographic altitude is above 5500 metres, while the peak is 7556 metres. You have to be cautious before entering there. In other words, you should not have heart conditions, high blood pressure, any chronological respiratory disease or just catching a flue.

Below showed to you are a colletion of pictures shoot by those been there just weeks ago. If you are interested, it is not that difficult. There are loads travel agencies in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province that can take you there.

Policemen probably will wear video recording device attached to their hats at work in the future, which is a gesture to both prevent power abuse and take evidence. This could be a big step forward to equal and just execution of power by the police. Meanwhile it can also give evidence to speeding and theft.

However, some people see the other side. Who control what is recorded is a question. Highly possibly suspects could be set up and victimised if the recording is switched on or off at a time in favor of police.

Unexpectedly, this argument is turned down by other responders as sensitive and biased that equate police and govenment as enemy, which is too extreme and narrow-sighted.

Some funny stuff for you guys to have a laugh.

It is just so hard to say “I love you” to dad and mom. We do not hug our parents or siblings when we are adults, impossible for kiss of course. Quiet and hiding emotions, that could not be a wrong description about general Chinese.

But we truly love our parents. It is in our 2000 years’ (probably longer) Confucious tradition that has educated generations’ Chinese. We are supposed to look after parents when they are old and fragile, which is in the law. However, not only me, we feel mouth glued, throat choked when we are about to say the love words.

Probably, love is a verb, besides we are too shy. A photographer, Mr. Jiao Bo, help us visualise the heavy love through his photography collections My Dad and Mom, which is made during more than 20 years, recording their life from 1978 till they passed away at 86 and 92.

Jiao Bo said, he feels lucky to have kept this project running during those years, because he feels the photographs slow down their dying process, and keep safe a precious memory of a loving couple and parents, who used to live.

The first photo was taken in 1978.

Dad took his father’s photo to climb Hua Shan, highest and most steep mountain in China.

Dad’s favorite photo. He was making faces to mirror, which amused sick mom.

First time to make a phone call.

In 2001, their 70 wedding anniversary.

In 2002, their last photo.

Recently, a campaign named Bring Olympic Dreams to Darfur started disturbing China’s good will towards world peace through unreasonable threatening and finger pointing. The campaign led by Hollywood celebrity was supported by a big shot star, Steven Spielberg, who quitted his role as China’s Olympics artistic director.

Unexpectedly it only embarrass those campaigners, whose country United States should have kneel down to Iraqi people begging for forgiveness for the unhumanitarian caos caused after they liberated the land and executed their dictator. It really went a bit too ridiculous when calling on others to boycott 2008 Olympics if China failed to cut off all contact with Sudan government which include 200 million Pounds investments.

It sounds like a jealous neighbour who feel uneasy to see a nobody turn rich. To be honest, who else in the world have go that far to help develop Sudan on an equal basis with paramount real money and labour input? Who else really appreciate and respect the people and their culture there, to wish they could find their own way to unity and welfare?

The countries who colonized Africa for centuries and drained their treasure, can not wash blood off their hands. Do not pretend you did nothing, want nothing, and had nothing to do with separating Sudan in the first place.

Half year and 50,000 RMB (about 4000 British Sterling Pounds) invested in this small clothes shop, Niu Niu has experienced the high and low of being entrepreneur.

This small fashion shop opened at the 17th floor of a business office building and circled office ladies as its market. Niu Niu was on her own doing design layout, supervising decor and clothes order, which deserved a few compliment for a newly graduate.

She had used quite a few marketing skills.Spread reputation by giving out beautiful leaflets. Increase customers by form alliance with a saloon neighbour next floor. Rent elevator advert board.

However, she did know clearly where the weakness was. First of all, Niu Niu wrongly caculated OLs perchase capacity. Earning averagely 2000 RMB in Chong Qing, OLs could not afford Niu Niu’s price positioning as high as 250 a piece. Second, she narrowed potential market by grounding her shop in a building. And the last straw, her boyfriend joined in and closed it for more than 20 days to do decor and planning, which lost regular customers, and wasted every effort made before.

Relatives on my mother’s side mainly stay in countryside, where used to be poor. In my memory, it was muddy and gray when I stayed at my grandparents’ for New Year. At then, 80% farmers lived on agricultural crops.

Things changed in last 20 years. Majority of young labor of farming force seek jobs in construction, sewing and restaurant industry etc and leave the old and small behind. They usually come back when it is the Chinese New Year, with a year’s earning, which will be children’s school fee, parents’ living expense and savings for future.

Anyway, happiness shows on their faces at least at this happiest moments of a whole year before they return to strange cities. Good luck, my fellow Chinese.

Many like having tatoos representing themselves. Beckham has Posh on his arm. After flowers, sunshine, moon, gun, booze etc become too ordinary, Chinese symbols are in.

I am a bad boy.

This tatoo means loyal and save the country. Wow.

He caculates too much to accomplish anything.

From left to right: dog, dragon, monkey, rat; mother; father, daughter and mother.

Never die.

From left to right: Nerd, coffin.

From left to right: Evil, love, ambition.

Yasuiqian, or New Year Money, is a gift given to young children by parents and older family relatives traditionally on New Year’s eve, which was for example yesterday, in a good wish to expel evil spirits and express good blessings.

In ancient China Yasuiqian are a string of coins tied on children’s waist. Nowadays, Yasuiqian have many kinds, such as money in a red evelope with cute animal picture, valuable gift made of real gold and other practical gifts.

A website survey shows over 90% people expect money as New Year’s gift if they could have. Anyway, so am I if I could be young again.