I am a fan of John Stewart. Anyone who reads my Facebook or blog might have picked up on that. (Hey, anyone who has Obama on his show and manages to ask real questions and still be funny deserves some respect!) Yesterday was his "Rally to Restore Sanity" on the National Mall in DC. Scam? Not sure. But he makes me laugh and think at the same time, so I was interested. Unfortunately it started at 3:00 a.m. my time so I couldn't keep up with the twitting on it. So this morning, thought I would document my search for the news on this story...
Went with twitter first as I knew the event was wrapping up. Lots of tweets. Nothing that gave me any information whatsoever. [UPDATE: Turns out I was looking at an "unofficial" hashtag!]
First of all, the Google news headlines included one from Fox which stated "'Rally for 'Sanity' Draws Insane Crowd". Fox was smart enough to find a man in a green suit supporting marijuana legalization to get a quote from. I was also happy to read that Steward appeal to a "younger generation". I suspected that that 40 was the new 20! But all in all, not too bed as of 30 minutes after the close of the Rally!
Went to the official Daily Show site. The default video was the weekly recap. Tried the link to the Rally to Restore Sanity on this site. But it was just old advertising from previous shows.
I was interested in NPR's view. They felt that the performance of the "Roots" was a high, but the lenght of the performance (40 minutes) was a low. I'm disappointed that another low as Stewart's intordouction of Kid Rock did not elicit an emotional response from the crowd. I love Kid Rock. Oh, and discovered that JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater recorded a video, but no link to the video.
YouTube? Hundreds of videos, but couldn't find anything I wanted to watch. No current videos easily found.
Aggregation may be the way to go. Huff Post? Geesh, all about the Sanity buses. Not interested. Yahoo? Looked like Google results, just a different order...
So let me say right that I am already 30 minutes into my search for news and I have basically found nothing that kept my interest for more than 45 seconds. It took me longer to type these thoughts so far. People, this is not making sense to me! Is it possible that what is wrong with the media is me? On I go...
Went to Facebook for event. Whew, some real comments. Pictures. Yet the commentary feels oddly, well, 'Facebook'-like. Nothing very funny. Nothing really interesting. Must...move..on... Just let me check a few more status's...
On a fluke, checked CSPAN. Wow. Found news. Organized. Live feed. Official Twitter feed. Video links. Commentary that sounds like actual reality-based opinion. Finally I get my information. Excuse me while I take a break...
Ok. 20 minutes of reading and watching videos and I feel satisfied. (man, that was a long Roots performance!) Since my real reason for writing the entry today was not on the actual Rally itself, but on the channels used to find information regarding current events, I'll pass on providing my own personal commentary on the outcomes of this other than to say that the sign which read "hyperbole is the greatest threat of all time" sums up my feelings nicely. My real comment here is about the process which we as news consumers approach find out information. Granted I had little caffeine after a night of Halloweening with adult beverages. But the fact I had no official "go-to" for my information is in fact an indication of our current media environment. So today all I kept wishing I had been in DC so I would KNOW what the vibe was like and KNOW what was said. And then it hit me. Unless I experience an event live, for myself, my source of information will probably impose their own spin. I am sure that any one reading who has any political science knowledge will quickly recognize my naive comments here. I recognize American history is full of desire to speak our minds without censorship. [Note my elusive reference to the First Amendment. However this will be the last reference to the word censorship] But what do we do as a society when you have no trusting source of information? Well, we create social channels such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. But maybe these sources are not good mediums either. Today, they were not. Admittedly I was not searching for information on the upcoming election [insert chuckle here].
For my own sanity, I now recognize that I have to be more active in participating in events which are influencing our American rights and way of life. For myself, the real eureka moment was to recognize that inactive participation in any political topic is not going to do it for me. Media by definition will exaggerate for effect. Social frameworks support and encourage "viral" communication which is a bigger crap shoot than trying to find Fair & Balanced news on Fox. OK, so maybe the Rally was not such an influence for most of you reading. But the upcoming elections are. I'll be honest and admit that I am not voting. Voting from China is frankly a pain in the behind and since we are now nomads and claim no American State as our own, I feel no sense of urgency in voting. HOWEVER, my apathy does not excuse those of your are going to be IMPACTED by your elected officials. I challenge you all to find a way to get involved and discover the real story behind your candidates. Don't affiliate with a single party, amalgamate with all of them! Read/watch Fox, but then read/watch MSNBC. Attend a debate. Learn the names of your School Board members. Go to a local Township Zoning meeting. In the U.S. there are 89,500 local governments, including 3,033 counties, 19,492 municipalities, 16,500 townships, 13,000 school districts. How many of us know anything about this? If you don't know anything, find someone who does. GET ACTIVE!
Ok, better start actively picking up the results of last night's active participation in a party...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 46
It's almost Halloween and we have loaded up our house with Halloween stuff. I find it amazing how many items are available now considering in 2007 there was nothing! There was one store in Hongqiao Flower Market that had Halloween decorations. Now, Carrefour has a whole section. This weekend we are having a party in remembrance of our good friends, the Miller's. They always hosted the party in the past so we felt we should do something to honor their memory. Pretty sure it won't be as fun as before!
"Boo!"
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 44
Rushing around today. Almost forgot the picture!
"Mom, hurry, we're gonna be LATE!!!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 43
Today is the 3/4 Field Trip to YuYuan. 120 kids running around shopping. Plus 60 adults teaching them how to bargain. They are supposed to be Holiday shopping for family so it will be good to get Christmas gifts knocked out in October.
"Mom and I have 81RMB to spend on EVERYONE'S Christmas gifts! Exciting!!!"
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Healthcare, Chinese Values, and What it Means to Be Middle Class
I absolutely do not have time today to be writing up a blog posting. Yet I felt compelled to share the conversation I just had with our Ayi. Ayi was off yesterday and went to the hospital with her husband (who has a bad heart!) and she was sharing a story about waiting for x-rays. We were talking about healthcare and how that process works in China. Now please keep in mind that the perspective she shared with me was not really from what think of as a "Shanghaiese" perspective. She thinks of herself as Pudongese and very different from the people in Puxi, who make up the more traditional definition of "Shanghaiese". Also, our Ayi was in Middle School and High School during the cultural revolution. So her last 4 years of school was a very different education than students before her or after her received. In fact, there are many Mandarin characters that she either doesn't know or had to teach herself as she missed much of that part of the education. But that's another story. Back to health...
She stated that every year, because she is in her 50's, she gets 500 RMB to cover her health care. She stated that as long as there is no major health issue, 500 RMB is enough to cover you. For minor issues (this is China, so don't know if minor includes losing a limb!), she would have to use her own money to pay. But she stated that within her community, this is rare. If she would have a major health issue, she can get up to another 1,500 RMB. She didn't state it explicitly, but I assume that after that, you have to cover all or some amount out of your own pocket. I explained that in U.S. we have insurance, we have high medical costs, yada, yada, yada. She wanted to know what, if anything, the government paid for. So of course I felt compelled to move us into a new subject:: socialism v. capitalism.
I used some paper to explain how in the U.S. we are mostly made up of a "Middle Class". And what you get from the government depends on how much/hard/type of work you do/did. I showed her the Chinese Character for socialism, 社会主义(Shèhuì zhǔyì). And told her that the US does not use the same type of government. [note that my blog entries are generally politically neutral, so please don't TeaBag me here] Which she knew. What then compelled me today to post this was that I was amazed at how well, a mostly self-educated Chinese could follow my simple explanations. We talked about what the U.S. was like before there was a large middle class and she could see the similarities between the two countries. We talked about how things are changing for China and about how more people are getting closer to the definition of "middle class" here. Ayi then made another observation: becoming middle-class changes your values! Aha! Absolutely.
Just as I am sure that American parents have worried over the past few generations that their children's values have changed, Ayi is now understands that her great-grandchildren may not possess the same values she has instilled into her son. She said this is not a good thing. So we talked about how as a middle-class American, Tom and I buy things that maybe our parents didn't or couldn't have. We buy our own houses, we buy our own cars, we have our own lives. I explained that for me, being a part of a middle class says that I have more choices when it comes to spending my money. We can choose to be thrifty or not. Many young Chinese will spend a month's salary to purchase and possess something that is totally impractical, but they appreciate tremendously that they now have the choice to do that. Ayi sees some changes in her son too, but was thrilled that he chose to marry a woman who will not buy Chinese Cabbage for 4RMB when she can get it at another store for 2RMB.
So, what started as a simple discussion about the waiting in line for an x-ray, turned into an enlightening exchange about what it means to be a middle class American. Enlightening? Yes, because in explaining it I realized that while many non-Americans think we are just "lucky" to live in a country which gives us so many economic opportunities, I realized it is not about luck at all. It is about choice. I can choose to keep a particular family value, or I can adopt my own. I can choose to buy something, or not. It struck me that this is NOT uniquely American, and many Chinese are experiencing the exact same opportunity, albeit for the first time and on a more limited scale. Parents here worry the same as our parents did/do in the U.S about evolving family values. I cannot imagine what my great grandmother would think about my daughter owning and wearing jewelry! We had to be 10 years old before she would even let us try her jewelery on! But I have made sure that Natalie kept the important values: polite, empathetic, independent. We made choices as parents and hope that our choices result in happy daughter. Hopefully Granny knows that I have been known to search for the 2RMB Chinese Cabbage occasionally!
She stated that every year, because she is in her 50's, she gets 500 RMB to cover her health care. She stated that as long as there is no major health issue, 500 RMB is enough to cover you. For minor issues (this is China, so don't know if minor includes losing a limb!), she would have to use her own money to pay. But she stated that within her community, this is rare. If she would have a major health issue, she can get up to another 1,500 RMB. She didn't state it explicitly, but I assume that after that, you have to cover all or some amount out of your own pocket. I explained that in U.S. we have insurance, we have high medical costs, yada, yada, yada. She wanted to know what, if anything, the government paid for. So of course I felt compelled to move us into a new subject:: socialism v. capitalism.
I used some paper to explain how in the U.S. we are mostly made up of a "Middle Class". And what you get from the government depends on how much/hard/type of work you do/did. I showed her the Chinese Character for socialism, 社会主义(Shèhuì zhǔyì). And told her that the US does not use the same type of government. [note that my blog entries are generally politically neutral, so please don't TeaBag me here] Which she knew. What then compelled me today to post this was that I was amazed at how well, a mostly self-educated Chinese could follow my simple explanations. We talked about what the U.S. was like before there was a large middle class and she could see the similarities between the two countries. We talked about how things are changing for China and about how more people are getting closer to the definition of "middle class" here. Ayi then made another observation: becoming middle-class changes your values! Aha! Absolutely.
Just as I am sure that American parents have worried over the past few generations that their children's values have changed, Ayi is now understands that her great-grandchildren may not possess the same values she has instilled into her son. She said this is not a good thing. So we talked about how as a middle-class American, Tom and I buy things that maybe our parents didn't or couldn't have. We buy our own houses, we buy our own cars, we have our own lives. I explained that for me, being a part of a middle class says that I have more choices when it comes to spending my money. We can choose to be thrifty or not. Many young Chinese will spend a month's salary to purchase and possess something that is totally impractical, but they appreciate tremendously that they now have the choice to do that. Ayi sees some changes in her son too, but was thrilled that he chose to marry a woman who will not buy Chinese Cabbage for 4RMB when she can get it at another store for 2RMB.
So, what started as a simple discussion about the waiting in line for an x-ray, turned into an enlightening exchange about what it means to be a middle class American. Enlightening? Yes, because in explaining it I realized that while many non-Americans think we are just "lucky" to live in a country which gives us so many economic opportunities, I realized it is not about luck at all. It is about choice. I can choose to keep a particular family value, or I can adopt my own. I can choose to buy something, or not. It struck me that this is NOT uniquely American, and many Chinese are experiencing the exact same opportunity, albeit for the first time and on a more limited scale. Parents here worry the same as our parents did/do in the U.S about evolving family values. I cannot imagine what my great grandmother would think about my daughter owning and wearing jewelry! We had to be 10 years old before she would even let us try her jewelery on! But I have made sure that Natalie kept the important values: polite, empathetic, independent. We made choices as parents and hope that our choices result in happy daughter. Hopefully Granny knows that I have been known to search for the 2RMB Chinese Cabbage occasionally!
Daily Picture Project - Day 41
Note that today's caption is only midly humorous to anyone who has visited the U.S. pavilion when the dancers are out. The show is called "Dance America!". Let's just say it's not your grandma's Expo show!
"And then the dancers at the U.S. Pavilion did this..."
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 40
Today was supposed to be a family outing to the 2010 Expo. Decided to keep Natalie out of school so we got a chance to see it together. Unfortunately, I have two bad ankles and decided walking around the Expo was not in my immediate plans. So, Tom and Natalie were off by themselves this morning.
"Does this fanny pack make my bum look big?"
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 37
Today is the Autumn Carnival at school. Due to a, well, let's call it Halloween phobia, the school does not allow Halloween Parties anymore. Instead, they have an elementary school festival with games, prizes, etc. The theme for this year is "FUN". It is free dress (no uniforms). But also no scary costumes, no blood, no gore, no "missing body parts", no witches, no warlocks (i.e. Harry Potter), no heavy make-up, no scary masks, no weapons. Natalie hates costumes, so the plan was just to go as herself. But this morning she decided to go as a basketball player, then changed her mind and wanted to go as a cow girl. However, she totally stressed herself out and I barely got her out of the door in a simple US flag t-shirt and jeans. She was begging to put her uniform on! More on that later... Today's theme is "FUN"!
"No costume! I am having FUN now!"
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 36
"There's a lady whose sure all that glitters is gold And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there, she knows if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for."
With a word she can get what she came for."
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 35
Natalie and I took a TaiChi class last night. Determined that 60 minutes of slow movements was not good for either one of us!
"Mom, you're doing it wrong! You pull the ball UP when you lift the bucket with your foot!"
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 34
Today Natalie's class is performing at Chapel. She has a pretty long speaking part during this program. It is part of a verse from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. She has had it memorized since Friday, but was running through it a few times this morning. Video to come!
"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!' But God has combined the members of the body, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, the entire body suffers with it. If one part is honored, the entire body rejoices!"
Monday, October 11, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 33
"I vant to drink your blood! Or can I at least get some apple juice?"
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thought I would share the security email sent to us by our Villa's Management Office. Our compound has had a few break-ins in recent weeks. Primarly due to the fact that the National holiday was last week and people need MONEY! Anyway, I am not sure of the real Chinese translations say, but the Chinglish ones are good!
安全防范提醒
Security Precaution Notice
尊敬的租客及业主：
Dear tenants and landlord,
为了各位租客及业主的安全考虑，我们提出一些建议，
In order to ensure all tenants and landlord’s safety, we provide some suggestions, also hopes all live here happy.
1、 请关好门窗，尤其在夜间和家中无人期间，
Please close all the windows, especially during the midnights and nobody at home, ensure all the sliding doors and garage door closed.
2、 建议在大门、车库通往室内的门上安装插销，确保临睡前插好插销。
Suggest install bolt in the main door and the door which can through from garage to indoor area. Ensure close all bolts before sleep.
3、 建议所有的移门安装扣锁，确保移门无法被推开。
Suggest install second locks on all the sliding doors, ensure it can not be opened.
4、 如家中安全报警系统已坏的，及时报修给业主并修理。
If the public security system was broken, please report to your landlord and repair it timely. If you go on holiday, ensure the public security system works.
5、 建议外出度假的租客和业主，不要在家中留有贵重物品。
Suggest do not leave valuables in the house when you go on holiday.
预祝各位在维诗凯亚别墅过的愉快
Hopes everyone happy in Vizcaya
Daily Picture Project - Day 32
Natalie lost another tooth yesterday. Her 6th. Tooth Fairy delivered 2 $2 bills. Now she looks a bit more rabbit-like.
"I'm a wascelly wabbit!"
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Daily Picture Project - Day 30
Beautiful day in Shanghai! Natalie heads back to school after a bit of a holiday. Tom and I are headed to the Expo.
"If you can't find me, I get to stay home from school!"
Monday, October 4, 2010
In Nothing We Trust
Tom made it back ok yesterday! We unloaded his suitcases, which contained a few treats for all of us. American girl gifts for Natalie (thanks Gammaw), new Nine West boots for me (thanks, errr, well, thanks Visa), some Halloween candy including candy corn, and cycling shoes for Tom. Plus bounce, Neosporin, 12 boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and other daily necessities. Of course if you have seen Tom's Facebook comment, his mega size bottle of Shout was confiscated at the Dayton airport. Apparently it can be used as an explosive device. Basically they are saying that Shout is like carrying gasoline in your luggage.
Unpacking made me reflect a bit on life as an expat. Specifically our way of accumulating "stock" items which we deem critical to survival! In the US, I used to get excited about receiving a gift of Argentinian wine occasionally (thanks Jorge!) or French wine (thanks David!). If we travelled to St. Martin, we'd bring back a bottle of flavored rum. When visiting Florida, we always returned with shells. Oh, and the wine I had shipped from Napa? When we travelled, we bought tokens of our trip, not commodities. None of which were deemed critical to my survival. But somehow our survival skills kicked in when it came to the idea of a partially empty suitcase traveling through the myriad of security checks on it's way back to China. Doesn't seem to matter where we are traveling from, as long as it isn't China. Now when traveling to Thailand we load up on Tiger Balm and Skeetolene mosquito repellent. In Singapore, there's a store where I can buy WD40, a Gap, and an organic Grocery store. In Hong Kong, we spend hours looking in the bookstores at children books (bookstores are 90% English. thank you British Empire...). The funny thing is, a lot of what we buy, bring back, and hoard, can be found in China. But we have all learned to assume there is a bit of "fakeness" in everything. At least we assume there is a potential for cheating. So, we source from other locations.
Why is this interesting? This concept of ensuring that your family has everything it needs to survive did not manifest due to some health issue or lack of food to eat. It arose from the concept of an empty suitcase and the knowledge that you CAN bring back 7 boxes of Apple Jacks and 2 jars of Peanut butter. I believe it is rooted in the real need to retain some sort of connection back to the culture that most of us feel we have abandoned. Heck, most Americans can't verbally define our cultural when pressed for it. It has always been hard to describe our American culture to someone who is not American. Connecting to this elusive set of American values and sophisticated society through the ability to locate, procure, and obtain breakfast cereal is a uniquely American cultural identity. That identity is wrapped up in the idea of "trust". The concept that Americans are not very trusting. This value seems to be even more obvious here in China where we are living in a society that is built on a strong net if implicit trust. The whole concept of Guanxi requires a high level of trust. The Chinese friends we have trust us for who we are and what we might be able to bring to the the relationship. I believe that those of us who have been here a while, learned to accept this behavior and some people even thrive in it. I feel our family has adapted in in many cases are in fact thriving. I rarely feel the need to immediately pay back debts. Though this may be more rooted in my "frugality" values ( think this sounds nicer than calling me a cheapskate"), I'd like to believe is due in part to my adaptation to another culture. However, this transformation goes out the window when we are putting together our U.S. Shopping list.
So while our experience here has afforded us some Level of cultural adoption, it is clear that commodity hoarding is not something that most American expatriates will be giving up soon.It's just a matter of time before one of us shows up on A&E's Hoarders. The up side to this is that most trailing spouses are fully equipped to land a great job in Supply Chain Management upon return to the land of Cheap Cereal!
Unpacking made me reflect a bit on life as an expat. Specifically our way of accumulating "stock" items which we deem critical to survival! In the US, I used to get excited about receiving a gift of Argentinian wine occasionally (thanks Jorge!) or French wine (thanks David!). If we travelled to St. Martin, we'd bring back a bottle of flavored rum. When visiting Florida, we always returned with shells. Oh, and the wine I had shipped from Napa? When we travelled, we bought tokens of our trip, not commodities. None of which were deemed critical to my survival. But somehow our survival skills kicked in when it came to the idea of a partially empty suitcase traveling through the myriad of security checks on it's way back to China. Doesn't seem to matter where we are traveling from, as long as it isn't China. Now when traveling to Thailand we load up on Tiger Balm and Skeetolene mosquito repellent. In Singapore, there's a store where I can buy WD40, a Gap, and an organic Grocery store. In Hong Kong, we spend hours looking in the bookstores at children books (bookstores are 90% English. thank you British Empire...). The funny thing is, a lot of what we buy, bring back, and hoard, can be found in China. But we have all learned to assume there is a bit of "fakeness" in everything. At least we assume there is a potential for cheating. So, we source from other locations.
Why is this interesting? This concept of ensuring that your family has everything it needs to survive did not manifest due to some health issue or lack of food to eat. It arose from the concept of an empty suitcase and the knowledge that you CAN bring back 7 boxes of Apple Jacks and 2 jars of Peanut butter. I believe it is rooted in the real need to retain some sort of connection back to the culture that most of us feel we have abandoned. Heck, most Americans can't verbally define our cultural when pressed for it. It has always been hard to describe our American culture to someone who is not American. Connecting to this elusive set of American values and sophisticated society through the ability to locate, procure, and obtain breakfast cereal is a uniquely American cultural identity. That identity is wrapped up in the idea of "trust". The concept that Americans are not very trusting. This value seems to be even more obvious here in China where we are living in a society that is built on a strong net if implicit trust. The whole concept of Guanxi requires a high level of trust. The Chinese friends we have trust us for who we are and what we might be able to bring to the the relationship. I believe that those of us who have been here a while, learned to accept this behavior and some people even thrive in it. I feel our family has adapted in in many cases are in fact thriving. I rarely feel the need to immediately pay back debts. Though this may be more rooted in my "frugality" values ( think this sounds nicer than calling me a cheapskate"), I'd like to believe is due in part to my adaptation to another culture. However, this transformation goes out the window when we are putting together our U.S. Shopping list.
So while our experience here has afforded us some Level of cultural adoption, it is clear that commodity hoarding is not something that most American expatriates will be giving up soon.It's just a matter of time before one of us shows up on A&E's Hoarders. The up side to this is that most trailing spouses are fully equipped to land a great job in Supply Chain Management upon return to the land of Cheap Cereal!
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